Chapter 690

He whispered a brief strategy with Gao Ang.

"The battle can continue."

Baimu returned with the fiercely motivated Gao Ang to the original arena.

Behind them, the Silver Horse's face was filled with admiration mixed with a touch of jealousy—Gao Ang had never treated him with such respect, and as a true Trainer, his emotions were complicated.

But.

With such a short bonding time, how much power could Baimu draw from it?

The Silver Horse waited with eager anticipation.

Others too held the expectation of a spectacle: to familiarize oneself with a Pokémon in just fifteen minutes, then pit it against Kendall, the arena's second-in-command.

How could victory possibly be likely?

It was as strange as someone accustomed to rocket launchers suddenly picking up a submachine gun they barely knew how to use, then charging head-on against an opponent wielding a fully automatic rifle.

Da Zong and the others blindly trusted Baimu, ready to cheer him on at any moment.

Kendall glanced at the Silver Monkey, then walked toward the designated Trainer's seat holding his Poké Ball; he had been given permission to fight without worrying whether defeating Baimu might damage his boss's reputation—he needed only to focus on the battle.

"Don't let me down."

He took a deep breath and tossed the Poké Ball high into the air.

Boom!

A flash of light.

"Moo!!"

A mammoth the size of a small hill, with brown fur and a short snout, landed and kicked up dust; then it raised its front hooves, letting out a piercing roar that echoed through the empty arena.

Gao Ang leapt into the arena and responded with a fierce roar of its own:

"Kapoh—!!"

Though the opponent had an ice-type advantage over it, as a proud Dragon Pokémon, it would never yield in spirit to any opponent, no matter the odds.

Lady Ayana frowned, thinking Kendall had once again brought out a Pokémon with a type advantage—leaving absolutely no room for compromise.

What kind of strategy could possibly overcome such overwhelming disadvantages?

She grew more curious and tried to imagine herself in Baimu's place—

The result was utter darkness.

First, she could never battle with a Pokémon she didn't know. Second, even if she had such an idea, a defiant Dragon Pokémon was not within her selection range.

Only if it were a Water-type Dragon Pokémon would she consider it.

Because she understood that type best.

As Lady Ayana pondered, both sides in the arena gave their commands.

"Frost Fang!"

"Jump up and summon a Sandstorm over the field!"

"Moo!"

The Wooloo bellowed as it charged toward Gao Ang, its massive weight causing the ground to shake violently with every step.

Its two enormous tusks instantly shifted from white jade to icy blue, as if forged from ice, continuously emitting a chilling mist.

"Kapoh!"

Gao Ang leapt upward like a great roc spreading its wings, its broad fin-blades slashing through the air; visible yellow sand erupted from beneath it, surging outward in a rolling, chaotic tide like a terrifying tsunami!

Boom!

The Wooloo seemed deaf to it, charging straight into the overwhelming sandstorm without slowing even slightly.

Those watching were deeply puzzled.

"Using Sandstorm against a Ground-type Pokémon… what's the point?"

"Did they pick the wrong move?"

Before they could reach any conclusion, the Wooloo, raising its Frost Fangs like a lance-wielding heavy cavalryman, suddenly found Gao Ang had vanished the moment it drew near.

The Wooloo froze in place, "Moo?"

Kendall was stunned, his eyes darting frantically across the arena searching for Gao Ang—but the field was small, and he couldn't find it anywhere.

A Pokémon that large, mysteriously disappearing?

How was that possible!

An outsider trainer cried out: "It's the Sand Veil ability! Gao Ang is hiding inside this sandstorm!"

"Nonsense! Sand Veil doesn't work like that!"

"You're just ignorant!"

Sand and stones whipped through the air, blinding the crowd.

The sky was choked with swirling dust, like a tornado locked within the arena, its extreme density obscuring every line of sight.

But it couldn't dampen the crowd's eagerness to find Gao Ang.

The Silver Horse rarely treated Sandstorm as a legitimate weather move—he usually saw it as merely a damaging move akin to Quicksand Pit. Seeing Gao Ang vanish almost completely, his eyes suddenly brightened.

And where would it be…

The Silver Horse, the Silver Monkey, and finally Kendall—all snapped their heads upward at once, spotting Gao Ang faintly visible amid the swirling wind and sand.

Others gradually noticed it too, erupting in exclamations.

"Use Quicksand Pit around the Wooloo!"

Baimu shook his head as he gave the order; more professional Trainers outside would know that once Gao Ang vanished due to its ability, they'd immediately check the air—because Gao Ang's ability to fly isn't obscure knowledge.

Kendall knew little about Gao Ang—he'd probably barely paid attention to the Silver Horse and his Pokémon in the past half-year—so he'd initially overlooked the sky.

Though only a dozen or so seconds passed between losing sight of Gao Ang and finding it again, opportunities often exist for only a few seconds—or even a single second.

Crack-plop!

Garchomp roared, whipping up a larger sandstorm that surged toward the ivory boar on the ground!

Kendall shouted urgently: "Blizzard!"

Moo!

The ivory boar tilted its head upward, mouth wide open, and a blinding white blizzard erupted forth—as if endless—as it slammed violently into the falling sandstorm!

Boom!

Deafening thunderous roar!

Two furious winds, mixed with sand and snow, clashed in the arena, appearing at first glance to be locked in stalemate.

But soon.

The stronger-base Blizzard gradually began pushing the Sandstorm Hell back, making the nervous Silver Horse clench his fists tightly.

Garchomp is quadruply weak to Ice—what if it gets hit by Blizzard? How could they possibly win this battle?

Lady Ayana couldn't help glancing at Baimu; seeing his calm expression, showing no sign of worry, she quickly turned her head back to the arena.

Indeed.

The Sandstorm Hell, which had been retreating a moment earlier, suddenly grew immensely powerful, rapidly reversing and crushing the Blizzard back!

"Captain's secret technique!" Da Zhuang's cry drew attention from many nearby spectators.

Cheng Hong and others stared in awe; seeing Lady Ayana's confusion, they explained: "Captain Shi Yuan Zhi of the Four Heavenly Kings of Fuchsia owns a Pokémon that can fuse Sandstorm Hell with Sandstorm to form an impenetrable sand wall."

"I never expected Baimu would make Garchomp learn it so easily…"

"Don't overthink it—this is just a shallow fusion of 'similar' moves, achievable with focus alone. It's barely even the crudest prototype of a sand wall," Baimu waved his hand, telling him to stop talking nonsense.

Lady Ayana suddenly understood, her attention shifting to the sandstorm swirling around the arena.

Upon closer inspection, it was easy to see the previously impenetrable sandstorm was thinning—as if something was actively weakening it.

Without doubt.

It was Garchomp's Sandstorm Hell.

Boom!

A thunderous crash rang out as Sandstorm Hell fully overpowered the Blizzard, engulfing the ivory boar.

Silver Horse was ecstatic—he couldn't believe Garchomp had actually outmatched the ivory boar in a direct clash, especially against Blizzard!

The Blizzard that could freeze a whole group into ice statues!

But instantly, his smile vanished.

Though Sandstorm Hell appeared fierce, it couldn't possibly trap the massive, mountain-sized ivory boar—not a single step had it moved despite the howling winds.

Observing its expression, its stamina loss seemed negligible.

Could they really win like this?

Silver Horse grew deeply anxious.

Other trainers around also noticed that Garchomp's flashy maneuvers had inflicted zero noticeable damage on the ivory boar—their expressions turned strange.

No matter how brilliant the tactics, if they can't defeat the opponent, what's the point?

Some outsider trainers, remembering Baimu's status as a top-level Coordinator, wondered if he'd confused the nature of this match.

This isn't a Beauty Contest where you score points for looking impressive!

Baimu ignored the murmurs around him and gave another order: "Dig down. Don't surface until you're deep."

Crack-plop!

Garchomp plummeted swiftly, diving underground at a speed like a shark diving into the sea—only it didn't leave its dorsal fin exposed.

Kendall was not alarmed—he was delighted. He'd been worried about how the ivory boar could reach the flying Garchomp, since most ranged moves couldn't touch it.

Who would've thought it would voluntarily dive underground!

"Find its approximate location and use Earthquake!" he shouted, deliberately wanting Baimu to hear.

When a Pokémon is underground, the power of Earthquake used by an opponent on the surface doubles.

Thus, without a countermeasure, diving underground while facing a Pokémon that knows Earthquake was never a wise choice.

Yet Baimu showed no alarm—even smiled faintly.

Silver Horse stared, stunned by that smile. Instinctively, he wanted to scold Baimu—how could he be smiling now? But reason told him this man was no fool like himself.

He dared to smile—he must have a reason.

"Use Sandstorm Hell!"

Baimu shouted toward the hole Garchomp had left behind. The command left Silver Horse and the others utterly baffled—why Sandstorm Hell again? This move clearly had no real effect on the ivory boar!

Why not use a stronger move? Garchomp had plenty!

Silver Horse felt he was losing his grip on the battle—or rather, Baimu always acted beyond his understanding.

Inside the arena.

The ivory boar, whose sense of smell surpassed that of a Gengar and could even learn 【Scent Detection】, easily located Garchomp deep underground.

Ignoring the relentless assault of wind and sand, it raised its thick forelegs like two divine pillars anchoring the sea, and slammed them down hard upon the earth!

Boom!

A deafening explosion sent visible, earth-colored shockwaves rippling outward.

And in places unseen, more Ground-type energy surged deep underground toward Garchomp, determined to crush it outright.

Countless fine cracks spread across the ground beneath the ivory boar's feet.

Garchomp felt the violent tremors above—no panic, only calm, fierce determination as it thrust both claws upward!

Thud!!

Everyone felt their feet go numb—as if a massive explosion had erupted beneath the ground.

The arena instantly fell silent.

Only the howling wind of the sandstorm remained, swirling.

Everyone waited for Honchkrow to emerge battered from some spot on the battlefield.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

A long time passed, and nothing happened.

At this moment, Did Yin Ma was especially worried about Honchkrow's condition—had it fainted underground, given how long it had taken to dig out?

"Baimu…"

He couldn't help but speak.

Baimu turned his head toward Did Yin Ma and said seriously: "Your Honchkrow has never been a weak Pokémon. You are its trainer—you should trust it most of all!"

Then.

He turned his gaze back to the position of the Wooloo and smiled faintly: "Here it comes!"

No sooner had he spoken.

Boom!

A mysterious, thunderous roar came from nowhere; Kendall suddenly cried anxiously: "Run to the edges!"

Then everyone watched in disbelief as the Wooloo vanished in a flash from its original spot.

Huh?

Many minds went blank for an instant.

But the next moment they understood why the Wooloo had disappeared—

A funnel-shaped pit, impossibly deep from their perspective, had appeared without warning; terrifying quicksand turned slowly within it, forming a strange rhythm with the swirling wind and sand above.

The Wooloo's body was half-sunk in sand, thrashing wildly but sinking deeper.

Kendall stared in shock.

Quicksand Hell!

The earth-split version Baimu had used before!

Yin Yuan remembered that when Baimu came to compete in the Yellow Iron Arena Tournament, he had used this Quicksand Hell—never imagining Honchkrow could use it too.

And on a larger scale…

Ah!

It was because of the Wooloo's Earthquake!

Yin Yuan was no fool—he simply lacked competitive battle experience and awareness; things right before his eyes, he could naturally see.

The current situation was clear: the Earthquake had shattered the specially designed battlefield floor beneath the Wooloo, allowing Honchkrow to create the Quicksand Hell with far greater ease.

And the larger area made it nearly impossible for the Wooloo to escape.

"Kap!"

Honchkrow surfaced from the other side, bearing minor wounds but brimming with energy.

It easily broke free of the quicksand, soaring into the air to look down upon the Wooloo, still struggling helplessly within it.

"Dragon Rage!"

"Kap!"

Honchkrow gathered a deep indigo dragon flame in its mouth, then unleashed it with full force!

Puff!

A massive, blazing fireball hurtled toward the Wooloo!

Kendall gritted his teeth and shouted: "Ice Pebbles!"

"Moo!"

The Wooloo strained to raise its tusks; translucent ice crystals formed between them, spinning toward the falling fireball.

Boom!

Smoke exploded in midair.

The two attacks met, their power seemingly evenly matched.

"Continue using Dragon Rage!"

Baimu gestured—the Wooloo was now trapped like a fish in a barrel, unable to move or turn, left only to endure blows.

After all, this Pokémon was one that once lived in frozen tundras; adapting to the Yellow Iron Town environment was already difficult enough—escaping an ant-nest-style Quicksand Hell?

Basically impossible.

He calmly told Lady Ayana and Da Zhuang and the others: "Using abilities creatively is a fundamental and vital part of strategy. Strategy isn't merely about using moves—it's about timing, and knowing exactly when and where to use which move."

"Then why not use this Quicksand Hell from the start?"

Cheng Hong voiced the question in many minds.

"The first few moves were meant to lull the opponent into complacency, to help Honchkrow practice Quicksand Hell, and most importantly, to control the rhythm—to seize the initiative so the opponent cannot attack, and can only defend passively against your strikes."

When Baimu finished speaking,

the expressions of the surrounding trainers shifted from complex to admiration; Lady Ayana fell silent, absorbing it all, while Did Yin Ma stared dumbfounded at Honchkrow, still spewing Dragon Rage at the Wooloo.

He had never imagined his Pokémon could be so "powerful."

The same move, applied differently, could produce such astonishing results!

Suddenly,

Baimu raised his hand, signaling Honchkrow to stop.

He looked toward Kendall far away and asked: "Mr. Kendall, why don't you keep giving orders?"

When the third clash between Ice Pebbles and Dragon Rage exploded directly before the Wooloo, Kendall had stopped speaking.

"You said the power gap was too large in the last two matches. But in this one, the Pokémon are nearly equal—why give up again?"

Baimu's words left those around him baffled.

Is this the attitude of someone who won't let victory go unexploited?

The Pokémon's strength is indeed similar, but the Trainers are worlds apart!

"…"

Kendall remained silent; he knew he had already lost and didn't want to struggle further—it would only look too shameful.

It's just one battle.

Besides, he didn't wish to clash too fiercely with Baimu, yet publicly admitting he was outclassed made him feel deeply humiliated.

Giving up the order was his excuse to lose with some dignity left.

Moreover,

he was following Yinyuan's orders, fighting Baimu only to ease his boss's troubles—was it really necessary to humiliate himself this much?

In the past, the "upper class" of Huang Tie Town valued two things above all—

one, money; two, face.

Times had indeed changed, but cherished values didn't shift drastically in a short while.

Baimu sensed the solemn atmosphere around him and sighed. "Mr. Kendall, I'm not accusing you, nor do I intend to. I only ask—have you ever truly watched your Pokémon during battle?"

Huh?

Kendall, confused, instinctively glanced at the Ivory Boar in the sandpit.

He suddenly noticed the Ivory Boar still gazing at the hovering Garchomp—its eyes held no despair or dejection of impending defeat, only Xiong Xiong fighting spirit.

It was struggling. It was waiting.

It wanted to escape this quicksand hell and continue fighting Garchomp.

"…"

Kendall was moved, yet had no reply; an emotion he couldn't name—shame—suddenly surged within him.

He didn't know what he was ashamed of.

It was just a harmless win or loss.

Yes.

Harmless…

"Is the second-in-command of Huang Tie Arena really this weak!? You've lost two matches and still lack the will to win one back!? Your Pokémon haven't given up! It wants to keep fighting for you! It's waiting for your command!"

"But what are you doing? You, the Trainer, are surrendering for it! Mr. Kendall—why won't you give the order!? Does silently accepting defeat really make you look dignified!? So many people in the Arena look up to you! Yinyuan himself trusts you deeply! Have you lived up to their expectations?"

Baimu's voice was loud—deafening—leaving everyone stunned.

But.

Kendall's roar was even louder.

"Shut up—!!"

His eyes had turned crimson; he snarled: "What does this brat know!? Do you think I'd keep agreeing to fight you if not to help you manage the Arena?"

"If not to repay my elder brother's kindness, who cares if you're the boss of Rainbow Team!? You're good at battles? You just picked up some new tricks outside and came back here acting superior and arrogant!"

"If you're so strong, why not go to Silicon Beryllium City? To Oule Arena? To Xionghuang Arena? The Trainers there are far stronger than us! Why don't you go there?"

Did Yin Ma was horrified, rushing to calm Kendall and stop the quarrel—but Yinyuan shook his head and stopped him.

"Well said!"

Baimu clapped loudly and praised: "You're right, Mr. Kendall! I will go to those places—I'll challenge their Trainers. But before that, I want Huang Tie Town to have more qualified Arena Trainers to join me in challenging them."

"So I chose you. I chose Huang Tie Arena… but judging by now, you've disappointed me."

His words drew furious glares from the Arena's Trainers.

Kendall's emotions seemed to settle; his voice grew low. "Why? What benefit is there for you in spending so much time teaching others?"

"There is. It helps me achieve Oule's glory."

Baimu smiled. "In two or three years—or perhaps four or five—I will establish my Trainer School in Huang Tie Town. I will pass on all my knowledge, forging generation after generation of powerful Oule Trainers!"

"You are my first batch of experimental students before opening the school. And the first lesson I most want to teach—titled—'Believe in Your Pokémon: Fight Until the Very End!'"