Chapter 691: The Charging Boar

The outsider trainers looked at each other in silence.

Most arena trainers were indignant, feeling deeply insulted, but only a handful pondered what Baimu had said.

Did Did Yin Ma's expression was urgent—he absolutely did not want to see the arena trainers clash too fiercely with Baimu and end up parting on bad terms.

For whatever reason.

Yet Silver Ape, who should have stepped forward to mediate, now chose to watch from the sidelines, as if he were not the leader of the arena trainers.

Ozuka and others wore mocking smirks; not long ago, they hadn't even been worthy of a single glance from these people, but now their positions had been utterly reversed—the Rainbow Team was half the administrative body of Yellow Iron Town, while the arena…

Was at best a club that provided venues for battles.

Of course.

Their mockery was not about the gap in status, but about how the arena trainers, all of them weaker than the last, had a chance to grow stronger without paying any price—and yet refused to even adjust their attitudes.

Are these even worthy to be called people of Yellow Iron Town?

If not for their reluctance to openly oppose Baimu, they would have long urged their own leader to return to the Rainbow Team's territory; better to teach those little kids who also wanted to raise Pokémon than these worthless scraps.

Lady Ayana silently replayed the three battles in her mind, her heart rejoicing at the sight of a vast new world, her mind greedily absorbing every scrap of knowledge that could make her stronger.

In the battlefield.

Kendall gazed silently at Baimu across from him—calm, confident, a faint smile on his lips—and the anger in his heart had fully dissipated after his outburst.

In its place came confusion.

That outburst, though ostensibly aimed at the Rainbow Team's leader, was in truth a quiet accusation against Silver Ape, who had remained a passive observer from start to finish.

How many storms and trials had they all endured together?

So many brothers had steadfastly followed him even after Yellow Iron Town turned upside down—and yet he casually handed them over to outsiders to manage!

Teach them how to battle?

It's more like giving them another leader!

Kendall had tolerated this much—he followed his leader's orders as his personal creed, even stepping forward to deliver a warning to Baimu.

But after winning, he didn't stop—he kept belittling him.

Perseverance?

Does perseverance guarantee victory?

Kendall remembered clearly: when this Rainbow Team leader fought Shanren, his Poliwhirl had persevered all the way to evolution—and still lost to Hypno.

The outcome was no different.

Then what was the point of perseverance?

Believe in Pokémon? The trainer is the one who controls the battle! From a third-person perspective, they can make colder, more accurate judgments!

"…"

Kendall opened his mouth, trying to refute Baimu's words—but for some reason, no sound came out.

His gaze fell on the Ivory Boar, whose body was half-buried in sand, its tusks reduced to half their length, yet still fixedly staring at the Skarmory hovering above.

Kendall, familiar with it, knew the Ivory Boar was waiting for his command.

Without his command, it would never overstep and launch any attack—even if it were about to be swallowed by quicksand.

Why?

He suddenly realized he didn't understand the Ivory Boar at all.

After such a long time without orders, the Ivory Boar, equally familiar with him, must have known he had already surrendered.

Yet it showed no fear, even as it neared burial.

Did it think it wouldn't die?

No.

Not that.

Kendall knew the Ivory Boar wasn't that intelligent; this dumb creature only ever grinned foolishly at him and charged headlong in whatever direction he pointed.

He suddenly froze—a memory from long, long ago surfaced in his mind.

Back then, he wasn't second-in-command of the Yellow Iron Arena—he was just an ordinary member of a gang in Yellow Iron Town, valued by his boss for his boldness and tenacity.

But the gang didn't last long; too many enemies made them a target for a coordinated raid by other gangs.

Their boss died quickly; the rest either fled or were killed.

Still a reckless youth, he fought desperately, surrounded in a corner by a group of thugs with their Pokémon, covered in wounds, just one step from death.

How had he survived back then?

By kneeling and begging?

By being spared?

Neither.

It was his badly wounded Longhair Boar that suddenly erupted in fury, breaking through the encirclement and allowing them to escape—where they were found by Silver Ape, who recognized their resilience and rewarded them.

The scars from that battle, even after evolution, had never faded.

On its back, a long gash from a Scyther's slash still bore no fur.

All because, at the brink of despair, he had gritted his teeth and shouted—

"Longhair Boar! Charge forward!"

Back then, he hadn't given up. He hadn't surrendered. At the very edge of death, he chose to believe in Longhair Boar—to believe in this partner who had never let him down.

He had hoped desperately.

That Longhair Boar, so skilled at charging headlong, could once again smash through a path to survival with sheer brute force.

In the end, Longhair Boar did not disappoint him. It even won them a broader future—their fates changed from that day forward.

He slowly grew stronger, acquired more and more Pokémon, and steadily climbed to become second-in-command of the arena.

He changed.

He became no longer impulsive, polished in every direction, hiding all his sharp edges.

But the Ivory Pig did not change.

From start to finish, it was always that fool of a Pokémon, waiting for his command, waiting to charge forward no matter when, where, or how it felt.

That's right.

This was just an ordinary battle, nothing compared to the life-or-death crises of the past.

He stood in a safe enough place, and the Ivory Pig, half-buried, seemed dangerous—but once the match ended, he could use a Poké Ball to rescue it.

Holding on was meaningless.

The outcome wouldn't change—he was far too inferior to Baimu…

Where was he inferior?

Kendall suddenly realized this: even if Baimu had far more battle experience and broader horizons, how much of those advantages could he truly wield with a Pokémon he'd only trained for fifteen minutes?

Were the Garchomp's moves incredible?

Did they completely surpass his imagination?

No.

Ultimately, he had always believed himself inferior to Baimu; his confidence shattered in the first two matches, and when he saw Garchomp gradually overpowering the Ivory Pig, he only thought:

"Ah! Of course! There's no chance to win!"

He had lost so early.

He had been dragging the Ivory Pig down all along.

Kendall's expression grew bitter as he looked at the Garchomp, vibrant amid the wind and sand, and the Ivory Pig, furious yet powerless in the sandpit—ashamed.

Yet at the same time, a mad thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Since he was going to lose anyway, why not give it everything?

Since he wouldn't die, why not give it everything?

Yes.

Losing brought no loss, but winning would let him boldly rebuke Baimu for his arrogance, let the Silver Ape know not just anyone could take over the arena, and—

Perhaps it would keep the Ivory Pig, which had held on this long without giving up, from being disappointed.

The first two thoughts vanished; this last one took root and grew. In the past, Kendall never cared about winning or losing an ordinary battle.

Today, Kendall felt he at least shouldn't drag the Ivory Pig down anymore.

Just as the Ivory Pig had never dragged him down!

His expression turned solemn, his heart hardened; amid the shock of many, he charged defiantly into the arena through the raging wind and sand, moving closer to the pit.

He wasn't seeking death.

He was worried the Ivory Pig, slowly buried under sand and gravel, couldn't hear his voice.

"Big Brother Kendall! What are you doing?"

"Stop, Big Brother Kendall!"

The arena trainers erupted in uproar—they didn't know what Kendall planned, but everyone knew how dangerous a battling Pokémon could be.

Some rushed to stop him; others shouted at Baimu that the match was over, not to give any more orders.

But the next moment.

A sudden roar drowned out all other sounds.

"Ivory Pig! Can you hear me? Charge forward! Just like before—crush everything before you with your charge!!"

The arena trainers stared wide-eyed at Kendall, crouched beside the massive sandpit, screaming desperately down into it, utterly disregarding his dignity.

Unlike his earlier anger and resentment, Kendall's voice now brimmed with hope and urgency.

Da Zong and the others were bewildered; Did Did Yin Ma and Silver Ape were stunned; Lady Ayana froze.

The visiting trainers, out of place, showed surprise and excitement, watching with intense anticipation as the Ivory Pig—its head barely above the sand—suddenly began to tremble violently.

Baimu laughed heartily.

"Yes! Yes! Exactly like that! Mr. Kendall, you truly are a gifted trainer! Shout it out! Roar it out! Let your Pokémon hear your voice!"

Boom!

In a terrifying explosion, countless grains of sand shot skyward; a towering, massive shadow abruptly rose from the pit—only then did everyone realize it was a towering rock Golem.

"Moo!!"

The Ivory Pig roared as it charged upward from the base of the Shanfeng all the way to its peak, then stopped, eyes blazing red, staring at the Garchomp, radiating astonishing aura!

Then the Shanfeng collapsed, turning back into sand.

But the Ivory Pig had thus escaped the deep pit, standing beside Kendall, grinding its thick forelegs against the ground.

"Moo—"

"Rock Climb?"

Baimu instantly recognized the move's name—it had once made Ash's Torterra lose every battle.

Did he just learn it? Or had he always known it?

It didn't matter either way.

Though he didn't know what inner struggle Kendall had endured, his goal had been achieved—a qualified trainer had been born!

He stepped into the arena himself, closing the distance to the Garchomp, looking up at it and saying: "Long wait, wasn't it frustrating fighting only with hit-and-run? Now let's settle this—use your strongest move—"

His smile vanished abruptly; his right hand slashed downward: "Dragon Dive!"

Crack!

The Garchomp let out an excited roar, its body engulfed in brilliant blue flames, releasing a terrifying aura toward the Ivory Pig and Kendall!

KENDAL, heart trembling, gritted his teeth but did not retreat a single step, as if returned to that time when there was nowhere left to flee, pointing at the Tyranitar, pointing at their only "path to survival":

"Dedicate yourself—Charge!!"

"Moo—!!"

The Ivory Boar raised its front hooves high, its eyes filled with excitement and resolve.

Finally, it could hear its Trainer's command again, so close.

Once more, fighting side by side!

Behind it stood its Trainer, who pointed the direction of the charge—so even if ahead lay a solid glacier,

it would smash it open for its Trainer!

An unprecedented brilliant Bai Guang suddenly flared, causing everyone watching the arena to instinctively turn their heads or shield their eyes; when they adjusted to the blinding light, the Ivory Boar had transformed from brown into a platinum hue.

A torrent of powerful energy surged backward with its run, forming a long tail like a comet!

"Moo!!"

It let out a piercing roar and charged fearlessly toward the Tyranitar, whose body was engulfed in azure Dragonflame, now transformed into a roaring energy dragon diving down.

At this moment,

the two clashed like the fire dragon of myth and the majestic star of the cosmos—resonating in a thunderous impact!

Boom—!!

Accompanied by blinding flashes of light.

A terrifying explosion and a milky-white shockwave instantly swept across nearly half the arena, hurling the spectators at the edges into disarray!

The trembling ground was more terrifying than the previous earthquake!

When they steadied themselves and looked again, they saw a small mushroom cloud slowly rising above the smoky battlefield.

Swirling streams of energy spread through the mushroom cloud.

"..."

Arena Trainers stared in shock; visiting Trainers cheered wildly; Silver Monkey rubbed his eyes repeatedly.

Silver Ape and Lady Ayana remained expressionless, their gazes deep.

Only Da Zang and the others wanted to say:

That's it? That's it?

It wasn't even as strong as a single ordinary clash between Baimu and Shi Yuan Zhi out at sea!

As the mushroom cloud gradually dissipated, many Arena Trainers began to worry about the condition inside; no one knew better than the people of Huang Tie Town the damage Pokémon could inflict.

Remember, both KENDAL and Baimu were inside the arena—so close to where the collision's residual waves struck...

In fact,

their worries were unnecessary.

When the smoke had mostly cleared, KENDAL and Baimu appeared on either side, gazing together at their Pokémon and their opponents' Pokémon.

The Ivory Boar and the Tyranitar had, at some point, pulled back from each other, panting heavily, their bodies clearly marked with wounds, their faces unmistakably weary.

Clearly, the previous collision had drained nearly all their strength; now it was a matter of who would collapse first.

The crowd outside also realized this, watching the battlefield with tense anticipation.

Suddenly,

the Tyranitar staggered into a half-kneel, its right cheek wrinkled in pain.

Silver Monkey, whose palms were slick with sweat, widened his eyes—suddenly, Baimu's earlier words echoed in his ears, and he blurted out:

"Stand up! Tyranitar!"

As a Trainer, you must believe in your Pokémon above all.

Tyranitar will not lose!

Baimu turned his head and smiled at him, but said nothing.

Then,

the Ivory Boar collapsed like a fallen mountain—with a thud, its limbs went limp, its eyes turning into black spirals.

The Tyranitar rose with a fierce expression, roaring triumphantly: "Kapoo!!"

"Won!"

Silver Monkey raised both hands high, cheering endlessly.

The visiting Trainers joined in the cheers, laughing and clapping.

Many Arena Trainers slumped like defeated Honglong Pheasants, their expressions despondent; others, watching Baimu walk to Tyranitar's side to praise it, fell into deep thought.

Inside the arena,

Baimu smiled and lightly patted Tyranitar's back; the latter beamed, nudging his cheek with its head—though there had been a long pause, it had fought with great joy.

"Next time, let my Pokémon battle yours—remember to give it your all, just like today!"

"Kapoo!"

Tyranitar nodded.

Baimu turned his gaze toward KENDAL, who stood beside the Ivory Boar; as he approached, he said: "Forgive my earlier rude words—I'm sorry, Mr. KENDAL. I've always believed you to be an excellent Trainer, just like your Pokémon."

"No need to apologize. You were right—I was too proud, so proud that even now I couldn't see my own place. The Ivory Boar had been waiting for me all along, yet I only responded to it at the very end."

KENDAL shook his head, gently stroking the long scar on the Ivory Boar's back where no fur had grown, and said: "This thing is stupid—stupid enough to only charge recklessly—but it was this fool who once—no, countless times—saved me."

"In the past, I ignored its feelings for money and status, taking it for granted—until these past six months did I finally see what I had never seen before."

"Moo~"

The Ivory Boar suddenly rose and rubbed its tusks against KENDAL's thigh, its white-eyed, black-pupiled gaze brimming with devotion to KENDAL.

"Rest well—I'm sorry, Ivory Boar. Next time, we'll surely—"

Kendall froze mid-sentence.

He had charged onto the arena with a "what's the point" mindset, calling out the Ivory Pig, intending to let himself go for its sake—but those words had suddenly made him realize.

He actually wanted to win; that was why he had rushed in, with the mindset of turning defeat into victory.

Baimu reached out and smiled: "Come fight again next time! A fight with winning as your goal!"

"... Alright."

Kendall broke into a sincere smile, his face showing a newfound openness, reached out to shake Baimu's hand, then suddenly grew solemn, bowing ninety degrees and shouting: "Baimu Elder, I deeply apologize for my earlier disrespect! I beg your magnanimity! Please continue as our instructor! Teach us the battle knowledge of the outside world!"

Baimu nearly didn't react—he was about to speak as he saw Kendall bowing deeply before him, when more arena trainers from afar began running over, each bowing ninety degrees, first apologizing, then pleading for his instruction.

In an instant.

Surrounded, he wore a helpless expression and hurriedly helped everyone to their feet.

"Don't worry, everyone—as long as you're willing to learn, I'll teach you everything I know. Then we'll go challenge other arenas, challenge Ten Thousand Swords Mountain!"

"Ooooh!"

Da Zhuang and the others rushed forward, unwilling to miss their boss's rallying speech.

Silver Ape, watching his former subordinates, showed a flicker of satisfaction on his long-silent face.

The remaining dozen or so arena trainers wore complex expressions—struggling, stubbornly holding firm, turning their heads away as if they saw nothing.

The outsider trainers glanced at those bowing and nodded in approval.

Kendall straightened up, his expression calm.

He had completely abandoned the ridiculous pride of his former position as arena second-in-command, resolved to move toward a clearer future—and as for others' mockery,

that sort of thing didn't matter anymore.

The arena had long been hollow in name only; how many in Huang Tie Town would still hold him in high regard as before?

Kendall gave a self-deprecating laugh and walked off the arena to fetch Mao Jin and wipe away sweat and dust.

Unexpectedly, as he turned toward the rest area, those outsider trainers stepped forward to greet him, smiling warmly: "Hello, Mr. Kendall, let me introduce myself—I'm from the Shin-Ou Yüanshan Corporation…"

"I'm from the Hezhong Williams Group…"

"Kanto Chunshan Society…"

One after another introduced themselves; Kendall was left stunned.

He knew these companies—they were among the very few overseas firms that had poured the most support into Huang Tie Town recently. He never imagined that those outsiders who frequently rented the arena for battles but rarely interacted with arena trainers were actually their management!

Such impressive connections!

"That was an incredibly impressive battle, Mr. Kendall. Just as Mr. Baimu said—you're an outstanding trainer! I never expected to meet a trainer like you all the way out here in Oule!"

They praised him without restraint.

Kendall pointed at himself. "Me? Outstanding? But I haven't won a single match."

"Win or lose isn't the point—it's the heart behind your rushing into the arena to call out your Pokémon. Though that act was against the rules, I must say, it was truly moving."

"Yes, yes! People willing to go this far for victory, for their Pokémon, are rare even outside!"

"With people like you, I'm certain the arena's future will become incredibly vibrant! I'll recommend this place to others!"

"Great idea! When our company sends the next group, let's throw a banquet here? And invite everyone back here—ah, Mr. Kendall, you absolutely must attend too…"

The outsider trainers spoke one after another.

Kendall's lips trembled; he didn't know what to say.

When he refused the organization's rescue plan just to preserve his own dignity, his face had already been utterly lost.

But now, having cast aside what little dignity remained and bowed to a young man in search of instruction, these outsiders—who others had once seen as impossibly proud, alienated, and clearly different—were now vying to elevate him.

How ironic.

Kendall couldn't help but glance toward Baimu in the distance and saw the man earnestly speaking to someone beside him. He turned to look at his boss, Silver Ape, who sensed his gaze and gave a slight nod of approval.

So that's how it is.

A renewed arena?