Ayana didn't utter another word until the bus pulled up to the stadium entrance.
Whether she had nothing left to say or simply forgot was anyone's guess. This bizarre behavior only served to make the contestants even more nervous. Every one of them was on edge, and as they stepped off the bus, they were hit with a final, heartless parting shot.
"Listen up, brats. I hope there are still fifteen of you the next time you board this bus."
The female driver let out a raucous laugh, offering words that were supposedly meant to be encouraging but only deepened their unease as she watched them disembark.
They were already running late. The area near the stadium entrance was swarming with people. They arrived in convertibles or on motorcycles, setting up sunshades and open-air tents of various colors to shield themselves from the blistering sun.
Judging by the insignias emblazoned on the tents, Team Snarl and Team Snagem weren't the only factions stationed here. This "grand event" had drawn a diverse crowd.
Strange, light-green drones hovered in the sky, their cameras pointed at the ground, red infrared lights blinking incessantly. Near the entrance, an oversized, almost gaudy screen had been erected, broadcasting live feeds from various locations around the camp.
"Ah... Rotom Phones—well, Drone Rotom. Fancy."
Kashiwagi squinted upward. Those flying drones were unmistakably the special Rotom variants that appeared in the latest Pokémon anime before his transmigration. He just wasn't sure if they were still considered cutting-edge technology in this era.
Had the "audience" arrived? Or were they just in the pre-match introduction phase? There might even be live commentary.
He followed the group toward their designated area. Among the sea of tents, the ones that were predominantly earthy yellow with minimalist illustrations of sand tornadoes belonged to Team Snagem.
The Team Snarl tents, on the other hand, featured a large Mightyena head and were primarily grey and black.
Naturally, they were positioned right along the path Kashiwagi and his group had to take.
Who the hell organized this?
Kashiwagi suddenly had a bad feeling, and that intuition was quickly proven right.
Under a Team Snarl sunshade, several people in grey-and-black uniforms suddenly began pointing and whispering at them. They scurried into a tent behind them, and a moment later, a large crowd came pouring out.
"Yo! Well, look at that. Isn't it Ayana?"
At the front stood a short, stout man with a dark face and a twisted grin. "Come on out, boys! Take a look at the legendary 'Flower of Team Snagem!' Heh heh heh!"
Behind him, a group of Team Snarl grunts roughly the same age as Kashiwagi and his peers erupted into arrogant laughter.
About fifteen of them... so these are the guys? Kashiwagi observed silently from the crowd.
"Which hole did you crawl out of? Have I seen you before?"
Ayana looked genuinely puzzled. Ignoring the dark-faced man's expression as it soured, she said indifferently, "When did Team Snarl start recruiting trash like you? Every generation is worse than the last."
"Heh... once I rip those legs of yours off, you'll know exactly what kind of 'trash' I am." The dark-faced man snarled, reaching for a Poké Ball with sheer malice.
"You want to fight? I'm game. Enough talk."
Ayana moved to follow suit.
When the two leaders made a move, their subordinates weren't about to sit idly by. Whether they were contestants or not, Poké Balls were gripped and threats were hurled. Otsuka went for the "all of the above" approach; his face contorted into a snarl as he bellowed insults, ready for a brawl.
The commotion drew the attention of the surrounding crowd. More and more people emerged to watch the spectacle, their faces lit with the excitement of those who just wanted to see the world burn.
However, with the Drone Rotom monitoring everything, there was no way a fight was actually going to break out. Just as Ayana and the dark-faced man were about to clash, a man in a suit appeared out of nowhere.
No one saw him arrive; it was as if he had just blinked into existence. It was eerie.
"You two. All forms of Pokémon battling are strictly prohibited within the campsite. Could you please refrain from causing us trouble?"
The man spoke with a plastic smile, his tone blunt and icy.
To Kashiwagi's surprise, when Ayana and the dark-faced man saw this mediator, they both immediately reined in their tempers and backed off, turning away as if nothing had happened.
"If you two would follow me, the higher-ups have matters to discuss with you. Oh—and please keep your contestants in check. If anything goes wrong before the start of the tournament, your superiors won't be able to foot the bill."
With that snide remark, the mediator turned and walked away.
The usually domineering Ayana didn't offer a single word of protest. Whoever was backing that man was either the Mayor of Pyrite Town or the owner of the Pyrite Colosseum.
On the other side, the dark-faced man gave his Team Snarl recruits a stern warning. Keeping his distance from Ayana, he strutted off after the mediator.
With the leaders gone, the crowd of onlookers mostly dispersed. The contestants from both sides eyed each other, and the tension that had briefly subsided flared up again.
As the saying goes, "enemies are bound to clash." Given the recent confrontation and the fact that they were all hot-blooded youths, it was hard to stay quiet.
Soon, the shouting match resumed.
"Look at this trash, hiding behind a woman's skirt. Pathetic!"
"Since when did the 'Grey Dogs' learn human speech? You look the part, why don't you bark for us?"
"What the hell did you just say?"
"Is that a dog barking I hear?"
Insults flew back and forth—vicious and loud. Kashiwagi joined in with a few choice words of his own, maintaining the "us-versus-them" attitude of his fellow Team Snagem members.
Then, the atmosphere shifted again.
A man from the Team Snarl side stepped forward. His eyes, filled with hidden malice, swept shamelessly over the Snagem group. Kashiwagi noticed the faces of Otsuka and the others change drastically the moment this man appeared.
"How is he here?!"
"Isn't he in his twenties?"
"Team Snarl is cheating! He's clearly over the age limit!"
Amidst the clamor, Kashiwagi got a good look at the man in question. He certainly didn't look eighteen. One could believe he was twenty-eight or even thirty-eight. His physique, facial features, and demeanor were nothing like those of a teenager.
"Tch."
The Team Snarl member let out a disdainful sneer, his white teeth flashing in the harsh sunlight. "What a waste of time. A bunch of low-life nobodies. Why don't you all just scrub your necks clean and wait to die?"
His gaze was like that of a starving Houndoom, bloodthirstily aimed at everyone's throats. It sent alarm bells ringing in the hearts of the Snagem members, their faces filling with dread.
After delivering his threat, the man turned and headed back into his tent. The remaining Snarl members looked at each other, spat a few more insults, and followed him.
It was clear they followed his lead.
The Snagem group didn't linger either, heading toward their camp in silence. Along the way, through Otsuka's hushed explanation, Kashiwagi learned the man's identity.
In the traditional clashes between Pyrite Town's factions—though rules were often ignored when tempers truly flared—there was an unwritten agreement: grunts against grunts, officers against officers. This was to avoid "the big fish eating the small fry."
The man from earlier was named Ken. He was a well-known rising star in Team Snarl. His rank was equivalent to a regular member of Team Snagem, yet he was capable of commanding Pokémon at the level of a squad leader.
In other words, this tournament for regular members now included a trainer with the strength of a squad leader.
No wonder everyone was so worried. Even if the gap was only ten levels or so, if the Pokémon's base stats were high, the power difference would be stark. Just like in the games, it was easy to get suppressed.
Unless, of course, you had a perfect type advantage.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere in the camp, Kashiwagi remained silent. Otsuka, thinking he was scared, managed a weak smile. "It's okay. If we can't beat him, can't we just run? If we see him, we'll just bolt."
"You won't be able to run... Team Snarl's Pokémon are the best at tracking..."
Watari chimed in gloomily.
Kashiwagi turned his head and gave the man a thoughtful look. Watari's expression instantly froze. "W-what? What is it?"
"Nothing."
Kashiwagi shook his head.