The long-awaited moment finally arrived.
The match that would decide Kashiwagi's fate slowly pulled back its curtains.
Although Ayana—who seemed to be acting as their team leader—had made an appearance the previous night to tell them to sleep well, few could actually find peace. Out of the fifteen gathered at the assembly point, thirteen were visibly nodding off.
Of the remaining two, one was actually asleep while standing up, and the other was methodically checking his gear: a perfectly energized Kashiwagi.
"How are you so awake?" Otsuka asked, genuinely impressed.
Today, Otsuka had tied a headband around his forehead, adorned with some crooked, hand-drawn symbols—likely meant to represent a "vow of determination."
"I just made practical use of a Pokémon move," Kashiwagi replied, glancing at him before returning to his preparations.
Chansey's Sing was a godsend for insomniacs. It only took a few notes to pull you into a dreamscape and grant you a night of perfect rest.
"Huh?" Otsuka looked confused, but before he could press for details, Ayana clapped her hands.
"Alright, snap out of it! Eyes front!"
Her voice wasn't exceptionally loud, but it was sharp enough to jolt the drowsy group awake. Even the guy sleeping on his feet snapped his eyes open.
Ayana scanned the group. "A transport will be here shortly. Remember: in this match, winning is the only option. Failure is not a choice. Am I clear?"
"Crystal clear!" came the synchronized roar.
Once she finished her lecture, she fell silent until a hover-bus arrived, giving two short honks.
Kashiwagi looked over. The driver was a burly, thick-set woman with arms that looked strong enough to wrestle a Mudsdale. If it weren't for the curve of her chest, her buzz-cut hair and rugged facial features would have made her gender nearly impossible to distinguish.
"Hehehe! Listen up, brats! Ready to head straight to hell? Hahaha!" she cackled.
Ayana kicked the door open and hopped in. "I'm counting on you again."
"Relax! My driving is so good that even an ambush by ten Pokémon couldn't stop me!" The driver honked the horn with gusto. "What are you all standing there for? Move it!"
Kashiwagi moved first, with Otsuka right on his heels, and the rest followed suit.
The interior of the hover-bus wasn't exactly spacious, but it was more than enough for fifteen people. Once the last person was on board, the driver didn't wait for them to find seats before slamming on the accelerator.
The bus lurched violently.
"We're in good hands this time," Otsuka whispered as he managed to steady himself. "This lady drove the Sand Unit for their last match. We're guaranteed to reach the arena in one piece."
Kashiwagi shot him a look. "???"
Seeing his confusion, Otsuka hurried to explain. "You probably don't know, but in the past, some factions were ambushed and wiped out on the way to the arena. It got so bad that every tournament became a target for mid-transit strikes. A few years ago, the Boss went out and secured a verbal 'Peace Alliance' pact, which calmed things down. But those scumbags from Team Snarl? They're exactly the type to pull a sneak attack!"
"Really? If someone earns the title of 'scumbag' from you, Otsuka, they must be something else," Kashiwagi said, feigning shock.
"..."
Otsuka looked like a goose being choked. His desire to chat evaporated instantly, replaced by a look of dejection and embarrassment. He turned his head away and fell silent.
Kashiwagi, however, remained composed, even wearing a slight smile.
From believing that bullying the weak was "only natural" to feeling shame and embarrassment at a sarcastic remark—eventually viewing such tactics as "low-class"—even if it was just a reaction to losing face, Kashiwagi considered it a major step forward for the guy.
He wasn't the first person Otsuka had bullied, but he hoped to be the last. He believed in empathizing with victims while also refusing to let bullies run rampant, which only created more victims.
Whether it was through physical crushing or psychological re-education, Kashiwagi was currently experimenting with the latter—relying on the fact that since he owed Otsuka nearly a million, the guy wouldn't dare turn on him easily.
Indeed, the one who owes the money is the boss.
On another note, he'd heard plenty about Team Snarl's reputation. As a fellow second-tier power in Pyrite Town, Team Snagem had a long-standing blood feud with them. They had clashed with Pokémon more times than anyone could count; even the mine Team Snagem currently held had been snatched from them.
The two groups were equally vicious in the war of words. Team Snagem labeled Team Snarl as inhuman dregs who would force ten-year-olds into the mines, while Team Snarl claimed Team Snagem were nothing but "money-grubbing mutts" who would wag their tails or bite their own comrades for enough cash.
Whether it was true didn't matter—you just threw the nastiest insults you could think of.
Whirrr—
With a low hum, the hover-bus sped through a subterranean tunnel and soon emerged onto the surface. Through the grimy windows, a vast, barren desert came into view.
Grey, brown, and crimson were the dominant hues. Jagged rocks, gravel, and massive boulders were layered atop one another, and even the drought-resistant plants looked half-dead, clinging to the earth with a withered desperation.
At the horizon, several bald cliffs rose up. The scorching sun overhead was enough to make one's throat tighten and reach for a water bottle.
To pull an ambush in this terrain, you'd have to be buried in the sand, wouldn't you? Kashiwagi scanned the area, his hand tightening around a Poké Ball in caution.
Just then, Ayana stood up at the front.
"Listen up, and keep your ears open. This match is being live-streamed. That means your every move—even going to the bathroom—is being watched. But I'm not telling you to behave."
She gave a sharp grin. "Quite the opposite. Whether it's mocking an opponent, helping one, or directly attacking a trainer... as long as it makes for good television, go for it. If you catch the 'viewers'' eyes, you'll receive donations of varying amounts. The Sand Unit only takes a 70% cut of those."
Live stream donations?
Is the "Top Donor" in the house? Is Otsuka going to perform some "content" for the fans?
In a match where everyone was trying to beat each other's brains out, Kashiwagi hadn't expected a system for theatrical flair and profit. Could he make money by putting on a show?
No, he needed to focus on surviving until the end first. He wasn't nearly strong enough to worry about entertaining some "Top Donors."
"Kashiwagi! Did you hear that? We keep 30%!" Otsuka suddenly grabbed his arm in excitement. "It used to be a 90% cut for the unit! 30% is a fortune! You might be able to pay me back sooner than expected!"
"And do you know what 'viewers' like to see?" Kashiwagi doused his excitement with a cold splash of reality. "Besides, you should worry more about where to go once the match starts. By the way, what's the plan?"
"Plan?" Otsuka blinked. "What plan? We enter one after the other with a hundred-meter gap. If we find someone, we double-team them. Why do we need a plan?"
Kashiwagi: "...A hundred meters?"
Otsuka shrugged. "Yeah. Grouping is banned, right? So we stay a hundred meters apart. If we 'happen' to be walking in the same direction, that doesn't count as a group."
"Are you sure that's allowed?"
"I asked the veterans from previous years—that's how everyone does it!" He looked at Kashiwagi triumphantly, as if to say, Bet you didn't think of that!
Kashiwagi was about to ask more when Ayana's gaze suddenly locked onto them.
"Oh, I almost forgot—Otsuka just reminded me. The rules have been updated for this run. There will be specialized drone Pokémon monitoring the field to prevent teammates from grouping up or setting traps in the early and mid-stages. If they tell you to move, you move. If you don't and you get attacked, don't come crying to me."
The grin on Otsuka's face froze. The rest of the bus broke out into anxious murmuring.
The "viewers" apparently had a very particular taste; they wouldn't even allow a simple pincer maneuver.
Kashiwagi gave Otsuka a consoling pat on the shoulder, but the "bad news" didn't stop there. Ayana added another update regarding the entry.
The traditional sequential start had been scrapped. Instead, "specialists" would randomly drop them at various points across the arena. It would be entirely up to their whim; if your luck was bad, you could drop right into the middle of three or four enemies.
The Snagem members turned pale with fright. Someone shouted to ask if there were any more surprises. Ayana thought for a moment and waved them off.
"I'll tell you if I remember anything else."
What!?
Did they actually want them to win? Delivering vital information this late and piecemeal was incredibly unreliable!
Now, it wasn't just the others—even Kashiwagi couldn't help but sigh.
Having lived under the rule of law in his previous life, he found it truly difficult to adapt to this environment without the memories of his current body. This was a world where the ruling class had completely discarded any pretense, acting with total impunity based on raw power.
It truly was the "City of Vice" spoken of by merchants—Pyrite Town, where crisis and opportunity lived side-by-side.
Through the window, the desert canyon that served as the arena slowly loomed into view.