Chapter 21: Rich Man Game

Since becoming members of the Sand Team, Cheng Hong and the others had been forced to undergo a month-long training program.

What training?

The general content was: 【How to become a qualified Quicksand Team member, how to possess an unyielding will, how to accurately obey superior orders…】

It was a one-month "military training," after which they could choose which big brother to follow.

As a newcomer, All Baimu was originally supposed to participate as well, but thanks to next week's match against the Mad Dog Squad, he was exempted. These days his routine was basically five points on a line—

Home, restaurant, Pokémon Center, underground battle arena, literacy class.

And as his appearances in the battle arena grew more frequent, those previously unfriendly gazes gradually faded. Aside from Otsuka, that big sucker, he got to know a few more people and maintained a certain friendly relationship with them.

Their family situations were similar to Otsuka's—parents who were formal members but retired due to injuries, forced or voluntarily becoming the breadwinners of their households.

After a certain battle ended.

Otsuka looked at the lightly panting, seemingly weary Aron, frowning: "You're planning to go into the match with just one Pokémon?"

"It's not like I wanted to either. Who told me to become a trainer and enter a competition right away?"

All Baimu helplessly stroked Aron.

Both Cang Zhi Lang and Lady Ayana had told him to enter the match, yet not a single one explained the rules to him. It wasn't until the next day that he figured out what the deal with the Mad Dog Squad match was.

One-on-one on a regulation field, whoever wins more matches wins?

How could it possibly be that orderly.

This match stuffed both teams' members under eighteen—a total of thirty boys and girls—into a designated wilderness arena.

At the start, each person received a bracelet that could initiate challenges against others. Challenges could not be refused and were limited to one-on-one. Ganging up with others was forbidden, and surrendering was not allowed.

Running away was permitted during a match—if the distance between both sides exceeded thirty meters and lasted ten seconds, the challenge would be interrupted.

Each person was limited to using no more than three Pokémon.

If all Pokémon became unable to battle, that side lost. If the trainer became unable to battle, they also lost. During the match, singles, doubles, or triples were not mandatory.

Time limit was six hours. Whichever team had more people remaining won.

Why so complicated?

The reason was that this match would be livestreamed—broadcast to many wealthy people in Iron Town and Silicon Beryllium City. To them, it was like some kind of thrilling reality show.

After hearing all this, All Baimu didn't know how to express his utterly shitty mood.

Sure enough, something converted from the Japanese!

And without a doubt, this livestream would bring the Quicksand Team a considerable profit. The winning side's earnings would be even more outrageous, so they couldn't possibly refuse.

For the participating members, this match was also extremely important.

Not to mention the rewards for defeating a single person—even just surviving by hiding until the end, the benefits were enough to satisfy them.

Therefore, All Baimu's earlier threatening behavior had coincidentally struck their weak spot.

It was just that the higher-ups' attitude of letting them fight on their own was a bit strange. Shouldn't they send a few people from the Jiaoyi Sect to teach them?

Not afraid of losing?

Well, this wasn't a school, nor some cultivation sect. Teaching like that was too far removed.

Three Pokémon… in just a few days, where was he supposed to get three Pokémon? The money in his pocket was far from enough, let alone subsequently building good relationships with them and developing chemistry.

Just grab two random ones to make up the numbers?

Whether they'd be a drag or a help was a big question mark.

"Broke, can't afford Pokémon."

All Baimu stretched lazily, pondering whether borrowing money from others was feasible—for instance, that guide or Master Liu Ge who appreciated him.

Colleagues like Cheng Hong were even more miserably broke than him. A whole bunch of them combined probably couldn't scrape together fifty thousand.

Just as he was lost in thought, Otsuka's voice came over.

"I-I can lend you money! No interest!" He seemed to have made a huge decision, speaking in halting bursts, biting his cheek.

"Huh?" All Baimu was stunned. "You lend me money? You have that much? And no interest? You're trying to screw me over?"

Even in his past life, borrowing money between blood brothers often involved some interest. He'd only known Otsuka for a few days, and they'd been hostile to each other before. How could he be that kind?

Offering gifts without cause—either a thief or a swindler!

"Absolutely not!"

Otsuka's face flushed red, his voice growing smaller. "I've been saving up all along! I also wanted to thank you, about the trade evolution thing…"

After he found a way to look into it, he learned that the Quicksand Team already had a trade evolution machine, but it had been forcibly monopolized by a relative of the Quicksand Team boss. Anyone who wanted to use it had to pay that person.

There were ones outside too, but the price wasn't much cheaper. The key thing was—if you evolved without going through that person and it was found out, you'd likely fall out with them.

So Otsuka spent a sum of money to evolve his Graveler into Golem.

All Baimu knew all this; he was just surprised whether this guy's change was a bit too drastic.

A few days ago he had the standard school thug face, and now he's already starting to learn "Coach, I want to play basketball" Mitsui Hisashi?

All Baimu looked at Otsuka suspiciously, and Otsuka continued, "That day after I got home, my sister told me about you."

"About me?"

"Yeah. You rescued four companions from the mine, then went back to save the Pokémon that helped you. My sister said someone like you definitely wouldn't betray others casually." Otsuka's hands rubbed back and forth on Donphan's back.

Donphan just took it as his trainer scratching an itch, letting out contented grunts.

"She also said Master Liu Ge my lord really appreciates you, and you'll definitely have a bright future, so she told me to be friends with you if I could…"

What Otsuka said was quite realistic. The improvement in his attitude wasn't because All Baimu was a good person, nor because his words were so profoundly moving—it was more because of the higher-ups' appreciation.

Although All Baimu was curious where his sister had learned all this, and what shape the stories had taken, he believed seventy to eighty percent of what this big boy in front of him was saying.

Acting? Having that kind of acting skill at his age would be scary. That kind of awkwardness unique to adolescent boys—clearly embarrassed but having to explain, their face thickness switching back and forth between thin and thick.

Looking at it this way, the attitude changes of the peers around him were probably also because of this.

"How much can you lend me?"

All Baimu didn't waste any more words — he really did need money.

"Uh, what Pokémon are you planning to buy? Pick one out and I'll just pay for it directly." Otsuka seemed unwilling to reveal exactly how much money he had.

"... Sure."

All Baimu nodded. "Then I'll go once the literacy class is over."

Hearing that, Otsuka hurriedly said, "No, if you're going to buy one, let's go now! The dungeon next door! The timing right now is perfect!"

"What do you mean?"

"Every month, new Pokémon are sent into Iron Town, and old ones that won't sell get sent out. The swap day just happens to be today! If you go in the afternoon, all the good ones will have been picked already!"

"Fine, but you carry that much money on you? Was the whole point of you striking up a conversation with me earlier just for this?"

"... Hehehe."

Otsuka's silly grin left All Baimu a bit speechless.

The two recalled their Pokémon and headed outside together. Because they had spoken very quietly just now, the others had no idea what they were about to do.

If anyone asked, they only answered that they were leaving early to grab a meal.

——

The Sand Group's dungeon was connected to the other dungeons by various tunnels.

And without exception, each of these tunnels was guarded by Quicksand team members with all manner of Pokémon, leaning against their motorbikes.

To get to the neutral dungeon next door, the two still had to report to the guards, and their return time was strictly limited — no coming back late, violators would be fined, that sort of thing.

After finally finishing filling out the form, the moment he looked up he saw a motorbike roaring toward them.

Squeal—

"Which one is All Baimu?" a man whose face was hard to make out behind goggles and a helmet called out.

"Me."

All Baimu raised his hand, and then saw the man toss an Ultra Ball over. "Big Bro said to lend you this one — return it to him after the match ends. That way you won't have to buy one."

"... Master Liu Ge?"

"Call him Big Bro! I really can't tell if you're smart or stupid!" The motorbike man didn't waste a single word — he turned his bike around and left.

All Baimu looked at the Ultra Ball in his hand, quite surprised.

This was undoubtedly Master Liu Ge's helping hand — he had noticed that All Baimu was going to buy a Pokémon, and had specially sent someone to deliver one so he wouldn't have to spend too much money...

"What a great big bro!"

All Baimu was only sighing inwardly — that line was spoken by Otsuka, whose face was full of envy.