Ken believed there was still a chance for a comeback.
Because there was no news of Honchkrow yet, even though his limbs were barely movable, he clung to hope. He sat there, mentally rehearsing how he would slowly carve the flesh off Kashiwagi's bones once the tide turned.
This delusion lasted exactly until Vibrava returned and unceremoniously dropped the unconscious Honchkrow onto the dirt.
The despair chilled him to the bone.
The reason Honchkrow had lost was simple: it had panicked upon hearing its trainer's screams, losing its focus and getting blasted out of the sky by Vibrava's Dragon Breath. The Pokémon Ken had placed all his hopes on had been dragged down by his own cowardice.
How ironic.
Kashiwagi thanked Vibrava softly and recalled it to its Poké Ball to rest. Chansey had fainted immediately after giving Lairon one final Heal Pulse; Kashiwagi noted it was just mental exhaustion and that a long sleep would restore it. Lairon, having recovered some stamina through evolution and the healing, ate a bit of food to replenish its energy before settling down for a nap in the shade.
Kashiwagi collected the fallen Pokémon of Team Snarl, did a rudimentary job of bandaging the bite wounds on his arm, and took a long drink of water.
He sat on a rock shaded by a high crag, looking down at Ken. The face that had once been so insufferably arrogant was now a twisted mask of agony. Those eyes, which usually looked at others with nothing but disdain, were now brimming with desperate pleas.
Kashiwagi felt absolutely no sympathy.
Beep!
The Drone Rotom hovering above emitted a soft chime and descended toward him. "You have received total Donations of 5,380,000."
"Huh?"
Both Kashiwagi and Ken wore expressions of utter shock. Five million? Who was that wealthy? Even with a 30% cut, that was over 1.5 million credits—enough to pay off the debt to Otsuka and still have a massive fortune left over.
Then again, Kashiwagi had nearly paid for this money with his life. From that perspective, five million seemed like a fair price.
Kashiwagi composed himself and looked calmly at the stunned Ken. "I ask, you answer. Every word of nonsense equals one cut. Understood?"
"..."
"Understood?"
Kashiwagi lunged forward, driving a blade into Ken's shoulder and pulling it out in one fluid, lightning-fast motion.
Ken let out a pig-like squeal. "Understood! Understood!"
"Good."
Kashiwagi began the interrogation. First, the mole. Though he had his suspicions, he couldn't act without proof. Getting a name out of Ken was unrealistic, so the goal was to get enough circumstantial evidence to feed to Team Snagem's leadership. No organization tolerates a traitor colluding with the enemy.
Next, the drugs.
The pills fed to Mightyena and Obstagoon were a banned psychiatric stimulant. They forced a Pokémon to burn through its internal energy at an impossible rate to gain physical power and mental numbness, making them far more durable and resistant to status effects. It even had a "forced maturation" side effect, triggering evolution under extreme stress—much like Team Rocket's evolution broadcasts.
The cost, however, was high: the Pokémon's intelligence would plummet with every use until they became little more than brain-dead husks. It was an addictive poison that caused permanent neural damage. Even in a lawless place like Pyrite Town, it was strictly prohibited for sale.
Kashiwagi listened in silence. What did those Pokémon do in their past lives to deserve a trainer like this? He searched Ken's pockets, found the remaining pills, and crushed them into powder with a stone, letting the wind take them.
Finally, he asked about the location of Otsuka and the others.
He had to save them. He still hoped Otsuka could turn his life around and become someone with a moral compass. That kid didn't deserve to die in the dirt.
Fortunately, Ken hadn't killed Otsuka. It wasn't out of mercy, though; Ken had found the boy's defiance impressive and "generously" decided to play the role of the noble victor by merely breaking his limbs and leaving him to die slowly in the sun. This "brotherly bond" act had earned Ken quite a few donations from the bloodthirsty audience.
Once the questions were finished, Kashiwagi looked at Ken, who now had a faint spark of hope in his eyes, thinking he might be spared. Kashiwagi glanced at the crater Lairon had made with Sand Tomb earlier. The sand had settled and hardened.
No matter.
Kashiwagi stood up and went to the two other captives. He found them "unconscious," though their irregular breathing and the fraying on their ropes suggested they were faking it.
"Eyes open. I have a job for you. Do it, and you live."
Silence.
"Fine. I only need one person for this. I'll just gut the other one."
"Wait!"
"I'm awake! I'm awake!"
The two grunts sat up instantly, offering frantic, fawning smiles. "Whatever you need, boss!" Their previous bravado about Huowu's betrayal and Team Snagem's "cheating" had vanished in the face of certain death.
Kashiwagi hauled them up and pushed them toward Ken. He pointed at the man writhing on the ground like a caterpillar.
"Dig a hole. Bury him up to his neck. Then you can go."
The grunts' pupils shrank. They looked at Kashiwagi with pure terror.
Ken wailed, his voice weak from blood loss. "No... please... I'll give you money. I have so much money... just let me go... help me..."
Kashiwagi ignored him. He looked at the grunts. "Actually, I think one person can handle this—"
"I'll do it!"
"Me too! I'll help!"
They scrambled for the tools. Under Kashiwagi's watchful eye and Lairon's intimidating presence, they dug into the loosened earth. Sweat poured down their faces as they worked.
Meanwhile, Kashiwagi rolled Ken onto his back. He felt around Ken's chest for a moment and then gestured to Lairon. "Here. Step here."
"Lai?"
"Yes. Right here."
CRACK.
As Lairon's heavy foot came down, Ken's weak pleas vanished, replaced by a thin, wet wheezing. Kashiwagi watched for a few seconds. He couldn't be sure if he'd caused a pneumothorax, but several ribs were definitely shattered. Pokémon-world humans were remarkably tough, so he didn't want to leave it to chance.
However, between the shattered ribs, the scorching noon sun, and the massive blood loss, survival was now impossible.
The burial was a slow, agonizing process for Ken. Watching the dust fly, the hole form, and death creep closer while being unable to move a finger... it was true torture. The more he panicked, the shorter his breath became, and the more his shattered chest screamed in pain. This slow countdown was far more terrifying than a quick blade.
Finally, the grunts finished the job. Ken was in the ground, with only his head exposed to the elements. The two Team Snarl members were pale, looking at Kashiwagi as if he were a demon. He wasn't just killing the man; he was making him suffer every second of it.
But Kashiwagi's reasoning was simple. A quick death was an escape. According to Ken's own admission, he had directly caused the deaths of eight people throughout his life—and that was likely the sanitized version. A quick death wasn't earned.
Good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil. Since Ken had fallen into his hands, it was only right that he experienced a fraction of the terror he had inflicted on others before he passed. Only then could his victims rest in peace.
"That's enough. You're free. Don't forget to bring the money to buy back your Pokémon."
Kashiwagi looked at Ken's face, which was now staring blankly at the sky, devoid of all hope. He nodded in satisfaction.
The two grunts thanked him profusely, terrified that one wrong word would land them in the dirt next to their leader. Ten minutes later, two rescue Delibirds picked them up.
Kashiwagi checked his radar, looked in the direction Ken had indicated, and began the search for the wounded Otsuka.
Fifteen minutes later, in the middle of the desert, Ken drew his final, agonizing breath.