Chapter 8
Struggling to push his exhausted body forward, the only reason Haruto Saito kept going was the hope for a better future.
Kashiwagi believed that in times like these, the only real motivator was the benefits within reach—everything else was just an illusion. So, whenever Haruto's steps slowed, he would stimulate him with words of encouragement.
As these words were repeated more and more, it became obvious that Haruto was growing irritated, but his strides also became more forceful.
However—
As if fate was toying with them, their journey was filled with nothing but hardships and peril.
Just as they arrived at the fork where they had previously encountered the Rumble Rock, danger struck again!
From the left tunnel, a massive, tank-like, earth-toned, four-legged Pokémon burst out, its back carrying a man who was wailing in pain. His right hand was twisted unnaturally.
The moment their eyes met, Kashiwagi's brow furrowed, Haruto's eyes filled with despair, and Shibata's face transformed from panic and agony to sheer delight and malice.
"Hahaha! Do you think a mask is enough to hide from me? Rhyhorn! Kill him!"
His roar echoed through the entire cave.
"Run! Keep running forward!"
Kashiwagi barely managed to free a hand and quickly pulled a purple ball from his pocket, throwing it onto the ground.
Bang!
The ball exploded, releasing a thick purple mist that instantly shrouded the fork in the tunnel.
A **Smoke Ball**, an expensive item that confuses both the sight and smell of Pokémon.
The escaping Rhyhorn had little interest in chasing them to begin with, and now that it had lost its targets, it became even more reluctant to pursue them.
Shibata, enraged, shouted in frustration.
Inside the smoke—
Haruto, who had been lagging behind, suddenly surged forward, overtaking Kashiwagi. Though his stamina had already been pushed to its limits, an entirely new burst of energy allowed him to run at a speed far exceeding his previous pace.
"Survival is what matters most! Just let go of the people!"
Kashiwagi whispered urgently. Now was not the time to worry about saving others—if they couldn't even save themselves, how could they help anyone else?
"You first! If you let go, I will too!" Haruto refused without hesitation, not even turning his head, certain that Kashiwagi was still carrying two more people.
Idiot!
Was this really the time for such nonsense? If it was necessary to abandon them, then they had to be abandoned!
Gritting his teeth, Kashiwagi sensed the vibrations behind him, realizing that the Rhyhorn had already picked up their trail.
There was no way around it—both of them reeked of sweat and blood. There was no way the Pokémon wouldn't pick up their scent.
And on a straight path, Rhyhorn was incredibly fast. Even at his peak, Kashiwagi wouldn't dare to say he could outrun it—let alone now, while carrying two extra people.
"Run! Keep running! Let's see how far you get!"
Shibata's hateful voice rang out from a distance.
He had channeled all his pain into sheer malice, likely fabricating some dramatic narrative in his head. Being targeted by someone like him was truly unfortunate.
What a pity.
Kashiwagi sighed inwardly before decisively tossing one of the people he was carrying to the edge of the cave. The exit was about 500 meters away—uphill, sure, but even carrying two people, it would take just over a minute to reach it.
Such a pity.
Hopefully, the abandoned ones would have some luck. Maybe Shibata would be so focused on chasing them that he would let the others go. That would at least give them a slim chance of survival.
"I'm letting go! You should too!"
He shouted, reaching to untie the ropes around him.
Just then, a sudden scream erupted from behind.
"Agh! What the hell?! Where did this thing come from?!"
Kashiwagi tossed the second person aside and kept running, but his curiosity got the better of him—he turned his head for a fleeting glimpse.
A burst of silver light exploded in the darkness, dazzlingly brilliant!
The roars of Pokémon echoed through the cave.
"Grr!!"
"Roar!!"
—It was Aron!
Kashiwagi would never forget that familiar cry. He had already been startled by it twice in his escape.
Had it followed them all this way?
And now it was fighting Shibata and Rhyhorn?
Aron...
RUMBLE—!!
The ground trembled violently as debris rained down from the ceiling, blocking the path behind them completely.
Shibata's screams, the cries of the Pokémon—all were swallowed by the falling rocks, cutting them off completely.
A gate had fallen.
A gate named "Safety."
Kashiwagi: "..."
He skidded to a halt, spun around, and in one swift motion, scooped up the person he had just discarded and pulled the second one back onto his shoulders.
Haruto, about to drop his own burden, turned around in disbelief at what he was seeing.
"Wait—you actually dropped them?! Then why are you picking them back up?!"
"Shut up and run."
Kashiwagi didn't bother explaining. His eyes were fixed straight ahead.
Haruto wanted to ask more questions, but seeing Kashiwagi's serious expression, he decided against it and just kept running.
To his surprise, Kashiwagi was running faster and faster—despite the uphill slope, the distance between them grew rapidly.
"Huh?! Huh?!"
Only now did Haruto realize—if Kashiwagi hadn't been holding back for him, he would have long since escaped.
—
"AAAAHHHH! WHERE DID THIS THING COME FROM?! KILL IT NOW!"
Shibata's furious screams echoed through the cave.
Aron raised its head, watching as Rhyhorn exhaled heavily through its nostrils, looking increasingly enraged. Its stance was cautious.
But Aron was thinking about something else entirely.
Did that boy make it out safely?
It hoped so.
When it first saw him, Aron had been completely shocked—never expecting to see that face again. But soon it realized... this was someone different. Their hair and eyes were similar, but their faces were completely different.
Of course.
It had been abandoned, left behind in this strange place. That was undeniable.
How could it possibly meet that person again?
It had once dreamed that he would come back for it, but that was just a fantasy. In the end, what remained most vividly in its mind was that fleeing figure, running away without hesitation.
Hatred?
Maybe a little.
But more than that—it just didn't understand.
Why?
What reason was there to abandon it?
Weakness? Slowness? Defiance?
No, that wasn't it.
And besides—*"It's a trainer's responsibility to make their weak Pokémon stronger,"* weren't those his own words?
Then why?
It just—didn't understand!
"Grr!!"
A fire ignited in Aron's heart. It could no longer hesitate. A silver glow enveloped its head as it charged forward!
A battle that would define its fate had begun.