The Vibrava incident proved that sometimes, if a move is used correctly, the opponent will bring about their own downfall.
However, technically speaking, having Chansey intervene was a bit like cheating. It certainly smelled like a two-on-one.
Kashiwagi used a brush provided by the facility to clean the dirt from Vibrava's body and face, pondering how he would convince the Pokémon to cooperate once it woke up.
"Kwah?"
"Hard to say. I just hope it'll be a bit more cooperative, considering it's a temporary reinforcement."
"Lucky..."
"No need to be so sad. You didn't do anything unnecessary; ending its distress early was the right call."
He chatted idly with his two Pokémon until Vibrava finally began to stir.
"Lafu!"
The moment it woke up, it jerked back several meters in a startle. It shot wary glares at Aron and Kashiwagi, but when its gaze fell upon Chansey, it paused, seemingly lost in thought.
"La... fu?"
"Lucky~"
Whatever Vibrava said, Chansey gave a timid little nod.
"Lafu!"
The creature suddenly became ecstatic. Its eyes sparkled with light as it buzzed closer. This sudden, hyperactive behavior frightened the pink Pokémon, who scrambled to hide behind Kashiwagi.
"Hold it. What do you think you're doing to my partner?"
Kashiwagi stepped in front of Chansey to shield her. Aron also took a few steps forward, letting out a low, warning growl at Vibrava.
Vibrava tilted its head, looked once more at the bashful little egg, and landed on the ground. It crawled forward on its four long legs, its antennae swaying up and down until they lightly tapped the young man's hand.
"Lafu!"
"Hmm?"
Kashiwagi looked at its submissive attitude, feeling quite surprised. What could have caused such a 180-degree turn from the rebellious Vibrava?
Oh~
The mystery was solved when he noticed the creature was putting on a display of wanting to be close to Chansey—and looking quite disappointed when she dodged him.
"Looks like you've earned yourself a massive amount of Friendship points," Kashiwagi said with a chuckle, turning to Chansey.
"Lucky?" The latter looked bewildered.
"Don't get it? It means Vibrava is incredibly grateful to you." He patted her fuzzy head. "Go on, go accept its thanks."
Kashiwagi gave Chansey a gentle nudge toward Vibrava again. Meanwhile, he exchanged a look with Aron, silently debating whether this was a "fake surrender."
The conclusion: Eternal vigilance.
Consequently, Aron kept a sharp eye on Vibrava as it approached Chansey, ready to use Iron Head to knock it away at a moment's notice.
Fortunately, most Pokémon are relatively simple creatures—reflections of the colors their trainers paint them with. Kashiwagi and Aron's worries were misplaced; Vibrava was truly grateful to Chansey. It had recognized from the sound of her song that she was the one who had soothed its frantic mind.
As Team Rocket's Arbok and Weezing once said: Pokémon do bad things because their trainers are bad; if the trainer is good, the Pokémon does good. Pokémon themselves have no innate alignment.
—A very "tool-oriented" sentiment, indeed.
Having received Vibrava's gratitude, Chansey's inexplicable tension eased significantly, and her smiles became more frequent. With Kashiwagi's encouragement, Aron joined in, and the three Pokémon eventually began to interact and play.
"Looks like the basic requirements for the match are finally met."
He let out a long breath and pulled the crumpled paper from his pocket. This support had come just in time; a high-mobility, long-range attacker was exactly what he needed.
Aron was durable, but he currently lacked ranged options. If you added a flying unit like Vibrava and back-end support like Chansey, a reasonably well-balanced team had finally been established.
Sadly, borrowed strength is just that—borrowed. Vibrava would eventually have to leave. Kashiwagi knew he had to find a third permanent Pokémon to fill the gaps once the competition ended.
Looking closely at the paper again, Kashiwagi mentally organized the data into a scannable list:
Pokémon: Vibrava
Type: Ground / Dragon
Gender: Male
Height: 162cm / Weight: 33kg
Ability: Levitate
Level: 39
Moves: Bite, Mud-Slap, Bulldoze, Sand Tomb
Moves (Adv): Rock Slide, Supersonic, Dragon Breath, Earth Power, Bug Buzz
A Pokémon's strength is measured roughly by its level and move count, but a deeper look requires comparing its size, health, and move mastery. Some Pokémon learn a hoard of moves but only use a few effectively; the rest are just filler.
However, a Pokémon that masters its moves well is never weak. Ash's Pikachu, for instance, turned Electroweb into an art form, using it as a trampoline and a shield. That kind of versatility is powerful.
This Vibrava was, objectively, excellent. Its size far exceeded its peers; at 1.6 meters with powerful wings, it could easily carry Kashiwagi through the air. And its moves? Rock Slide, Earth Power, Bulldoze, Bug Buzz—not a single one was weak. Combined with utility moves like Sand Tomb and Supersonic, it could be devastating in the right environment.
As expected of an Executive's partner. Even if it wasn't a primary team member, it maintained exceptional combat capability. The only reason Aron had gained the upper hand earlier was due to Vibrava's arrogance and carelessness. Under a trainer's command, it surely wouldn't have fallen into such a pathetic state.
Come to think of it, the hierarchy of power within Team Snagem was surprisingly orderly.
From what Kashiwagi had gathered, ordinary Grunts usually had Pokémon capped at level 20 or 30; beyond that, the Pokémon often stopped listening. Docile ones might still follow orders, but they'd fight according to their own instincts. Rebellious ones, like Ash's Charizard, might just go on strike during a crucial match.
By the time you reach Squad Leader rank, Pokémon levels are generally around 40.
An Executive's main team usually exceeds level 50.
As for the High Executives, they were on another level entirely. Rumor had it they could cross the threshold of level 55 or even 60—a truly terrifying prospect.
As for the big boss of Team Snagem? No one really knew how strong he was.
Of course, these weren't absolute rules. There were always outliers—the "Prodigies" who, like the protagonists of cultivation novels, could fight above their rank. But for the most part, this was the baseline.
The Snagem members participating in next week's match were all essentially at the "Official Member" level of strength—nothing Kashiwagi couldn't handle.
"Still a lot of work to do."
Watching the three Pokémon play without a care in the world, Kashiwagi couldn't help but smile.
Beep-beep-beep!
A sharp alarm interrupted them.
"Time's up, everyone." Kashiwagi patted the dust off his clothes. "Happy times are always short. It's time to go home."
The three Pokémon looked at each other, somewhat reluctant, but they slowly approached him. He recalled them into their Poké Balls and opened the door, only to be startled.
"Huh?"
By the door, Otsuka was sitting on his Donphan, intensely playing a strange handheld console. He stopped the moment he saw Kashiwagi. "All done?"
"You've been waiting right here?" Kashiwagi looked at him with a bizarre expression. "You didn't go off to have some fun?"
Otsuka shook the console. "I bought this and came right back. There are too many tempting things out there; I was afraid if I started shopping, I'd never stop."
In a world where almost all trainers lived paycheck to paycheck, the fact that Otsuka's family had at least two million in savings was no small feat. They clearly had incredible self-discipline.
"You want a turn?"
"No thanks."
Kashiwagi declined his friend's kindness. Realizing the guy had been standing guard for over an hour made him feel slightly guilty. But it couldn't be helped; some private matters simply cannot be shared. Having an extra person in the room would have made it impossible to truly connect with the Pokémon.
The two began their journey back. Since it was noon, Kashiwagi treated Otsuka to a meal at their usual spot, and they eventually got around to the topic of the loan.
"I'm definitely paying interest. Taking advantage of people is wrong; even brothers should keep clear accounts. As for the rate... what were you thinking?"
"I really don't want—fine. Since I paid 880,000, how about we round it up to 900,000? As for the term... maybe ten years?"
"Ten years?"
"Twenty is fine too!" Otsuka thought Kashiwagi was upset and waved his hands frantically. "Twenty-five, thirty..."
"One year."
Kashiwagi tapped the table. "One year. I'll pay you back 900,000 total, principal and interest."
Otsuka's mouth hanging open, then snapped shut. He didn't respond.
Kashiwagi raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe me?"
"Repaying 900,000 in a year... no matter how you look at it..." Otsuka couldn't meet his eyes, mumbling awkwardly. This money wasn't just his; it was the combined savings of his family, including his grandfather's generation. To say it would be repaid in a single year?
"Don't worry. When I say a year, I mean a year."
Kashiwagi spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. "Once I learn how to write a proper IOU in a few days, I'll give you one."
"Ah? Okay..." Otsuka nodded, then hesitated before asking tentatively, "Can you really earn that much in a year?"
"You'll see when the time comes."
Kashiwagi didn't elaborate. With a simulator at his disposal, if he couldn't make a million in a year, he'd be a failure. It wasn't like he was trying to make a hundred million.
Unexpectedly, Otsuka's eyes lit up. "Could you... maybe show me the ropes?"
"I wasn't exactly talking about a traditional business... but fine. If there's an opportunity, I'll take you along."
Kashiwagi gave a casual reply. He still didn't trust Otsuka 100%, but in this world, weren't more "useful assets" always better? As long as they were properly compensated, of course.