Chapter 688

Several returned to the starting point.

"How was it?" the Did Did Yin Ma asked eagerly; the Silver Monkey also showed faint anticipation.

Baimu, lost in thought, shook his head unconsciously: "Not great... ahem, well, everyone's level is decent, but there's room for improvement."

Though he quickly backtracked, the three beside him were no fools.

The two Silver Monkey brothers hadn't expected a single trainer worthy of his notice—Lady Ayana pointed to the bald, muscular man drinking water at a distance, who kept glancing over; she asked, "What about that man?"

The Did Did Yin Ma hurriedly introduced: "Kendal is my brother's second-in-command and the second-strongest trainer in the arena!"

Second-strongest?

Baimu had no reply; in his view, this trainer named Kendal had no similarity to the Silver Monkey's flaws—

He attacked straight ahead without any tactical thought, only aware of type advantages but never considering Pokémon-to-Pokémon compatibility.

He gave up battles too easily; they never considered some situations could be salvaged.

Even when their own Pokémon still had fighting spirit and tried to continue, they immediately declared defeat and surrendered without struggle.

The Pokémon's own judgment in battle matters greatly too.

No.

Not just him.

All the trainers in this arena were the same—like fresh novices from mainstream regions, as reckless as young Ash in the Original Series.

"... They can only be said to have considerable growth potential."

Baimu said diplomatically.

The Did Did Yin Ma was about to respond when he suddenly remembered the scene from yesterday where the Silver Monkey had been brutally beaten by Baimu alone; his smile vanished, and he fell silent.

Lady Ayana's gaze flickered; she believed her strength was close to Kendal's, perhaps slightly stronger at most.

Yet to Baimu's eyes, "growth potential" was the only way to describe them.

The Silver Monkey glanced at his brother, then asked, "So, Brother Baimu, what aspects should we improve everyone's training in?"

"I think we should address every aspect."

Baimu thought for a moment and said, "Brother Silver Monkey, please gather all the trainers first."

The Silver Monkey obediently summoned every trainer in the arena.

The crowd, confused, stood scattered, whispering among themselves.

Trainers not belonging to the arena watched from afar, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Baimu turned sideways in surprise and asked, "Brother Silver Monkey, you haven't told them yet?"

"I've only informed Kendal so far; the rest I planned to announce together after you arrived," the Silver Monkey replied, arms crossed, gazing at the fifty-odd people ahead.

During its peak, both arenas had over four hundred combatants, each possessing at least three Pokémon—this immense force allowed the brothers to establish themselves firmly in Yellow Iron Town.

But after Yellow Iron Town's liberation, most combatants were reassigned to other duties after being purged by the Liberation Organization, while some lost their Pokémon entirely due to cruel treatment, under N's intervention.

In the end, only these fifty-odd people remained loyal to the Silver Monkey brothers.

Originally, there were over a hundred; but Yellow Iron Town's changes over the past half-year were too drastic—even without Pokémon, life could be comfortable.

Plus, the Yellow Iron Arena barely maintained itself, and many gradually withdrew.

Baimu felt many more might leave today.

Indeed.

When the Silver Monkey loudly announced he would travel with his brother Did Did Yin Ma and hand over the arena to Baimu's management, the trainers before him erupted in uproar, then grew even noisier.

Some declared they'd go with him.

Others begged the Silver Monkey to stay.

Kendal, as second-in-command, remained silent, only staring at Baimu, as if pondering something.

The Did Did Yin Ma shouted for everyone to quiet down, but with little effect.

After his underground arena shut down completely, nearly all his subordinates had left; only a few peers remained willing to follow him, but those few soon accepted family pleas and his own suggestion to take up other jobs elsewhere.

"Quiet!"

The Silver Monkey's cold shout silenced the entire arena.

He surveyed the crowd and said, "The times have changed. You all know what Mayor Shanren recently announced—Yellow Iron Town, and all of Oure, will integrate with the world. Weakness will inevitably lead to elimination! Remember—we are trainers. Strength comes first!"

"But how can you just hand over the arena to 'Yao Mu' so casually? He may have gained fame outside, but that doesn't mean he can overpower us! The Rainbow Team was arrogant enough!"

Someone shouted.

Instantly, many echoed in agreement.

The Silver Monkey replied calmly, "Yesterday afternoon, I fought Brother Baimu… and suffered a crushing defeat. Against his Pokémon, I had no chance to fight back. That's why I entrusted him with managing the arena."

"Impossible!"

"Crushing defeat? Brother, you're lying!"

"Did you put him up to this, Did Did Yin Ma? You're always full of sneaky ideas!"

Some turned their attention to Did Did Yin Ma.

Baimu, growing impatient as they seemed ready to keep arguing, patted the Silver Monkey's shoulder and stepped forward: "All of you, I know you have many objections, but Brother Silver Monkey's decision won't change."

"Besides, I'm only temporarily managing the arena for him—I have no intention of claiming it. Please don't misunderstand."

He scanned everyone before him; each person who met his gaze flinched and looked away the next second, their voices dropping.

The Did Did Yin Ma was speechless—he couldn't believe these people ignored his own words, yet instantly obeyed Baimu.

The favoritism was too obvious!

What Did Did Yin Ma didn't notice was that his brother, the Silver Monkey, slowly relaxed his tense body, stealing a quiet glance at the calm young man beside him.

In that instant, the Silver Monkey almost felt the figure beside him wasn't human—but an extremely ferocious Dragon-type Pokémon.

Why a Dragon-type Pokémon?

Because the Silver Ape held a deep impression of the Dragon Tamer trainers who had helped rescue the organization, every Pokémon they rode carried an intimidating aura.

"Rest assured, during my temporary management of the arena, I plan to do only two things—first, improve your battle skills; second, take you to battle and 'exchange' with other arenas."

Baimu smiled faintly and raised two fingers; not a single person dared meet his gaze as his eyes fell.

But faint muttering could still be heard.

"How do you improve battle skills? Swap Pokémon? What good is just theorizing?"

"What does 'battle other arenas' mean? Take us to crush their grounds? Why doesn't he take the Rainbow Team instead?"

"Baimu! Don't expect us to believe this!"

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Someone dared to shout out.

Baimu grinned and beckoned with a finger: "I've been waiting to hear that! Who said it? Come on, let's settle this with a battle—let's see what truly convinces."

His words fell silent.

Instantly, the arena became so quiet a pin could be heard dropping.

The man who had spoken turned pale and dared not raise his head—partly out of fear of Baimu, partly because he knew speaking up was one thing, but standing forward to challenge him would surely offend Elder Silver Ape.

Did Did Yin Ma opened his mouth to speak, but his brother shook his head to stop him.

Lady Ayana fixed her gaze on the man who had spoken, considering whether to identify him so Baimu could easily deliver a warning to these people.

At that moment,

Kendall, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke: "Since Elder Baimu is willing to personally guide us, let me serve as his test subject."

"Fine."

Baimu agreed instantly.

He only wanted to subdue these people quickly and begin teaching without delay—whomever he used to make an example of didn't matter at all.

The arena trainers, who had dared not speak, exhaled in relief and turned to look at Silver Ape; seeing he showed no objection to the unfolding events, they quickly grew excited.

"Go, Elder Kendall!"

"Beat Baimu! Crush his arrogance!"

"That's right! While we were raising our Pokémon, he didn't even know—"

The man didn't finish the sentence—he saw Silver Ape's terrifying gaze and realized that while venting was fine, some things must never be spoken aloud.

They arrived at the nearest arena.

Baimu fumbled at his waist, removed a Poké Ball, and handed it to Lady Ayana: "The upcoming battle might offer you some insight."

"I'll watch closely."

Lady Ayana nodded seriously.

Kendall took his position; many visiting trainers gathered around.

Then, under the eager gaze of the arena trainers, both sides tossed their Poké Balls, releasing their chosen Pokémon.

Boom! Boom!

A flash of light.

A giant, inverted Poké Ball with a human face landed, its body crackling with electricity.

"Machamp!"

"Mimikyu~"

The Shiny Milotic flicked its tail, its brilliant golden scales shimmering.

It was stunningly beautiful.

Yet its expression was far from pleased—the indoor space avoided direct sunlight, but not the dry air.

Accustomed to the humid environment of Hoenn, the Orre region grew increasingly uncomfortable.

The visiting trainers all drew in breath at the sight of Milotic—such Pokémon were rare to begin with, and a Shiny individual, if not artificially dyed, was exceedingly rare.

The arena trainers, upon seeing Milotic, instinctively assumed it must be extremely expensive.

Clearly, they had not forgotten their mistaken belief that all Pokémon were bought.

When they came to their senses,

The arena trainers erupted in cheers—Electric versus Water? They'd already won half the battle!

Beside them, Did Did Yin Ma smiled silently; merely judging by type advantage, he was already preparing to pop champagne—how similar to his own foolish past!

Baimu carefully observed the Whiscash, shook his head in disappointment, and turned to Lady Ayana: "The current environment of Huang Tie Town is unfavorable for Water-type Pokémon—no amount of watering will solve this. Environmental impact on Pokémon is extremely severe."

What is he doing?

The battle has begun!

This "disrespectful" attitude enraged the watching arena trainers; they all turned to Silver Ape, who remained expressionless.

Kendall frowned slightly and opened his mouth.

Lady Ayana, nodding in understanding, quickly warned: "He's about to attack!"

"Thunderbolt!"

The opponent's shout was clearly audible.

Then came a rapid series of sharp, sizzling bursts of electric current.

Baimu turned back, watching the Whiscash surrounded by lightning, yet said: "Unlocking a Pokémon's hidden physical traits is also part of enhancing its battle power—watch closely."

He snapped his fingers.

Snap!

Crack!

A sharp crack—Shiny Milotic's fan-like tail fin suddenly transformed into paddle-like blades, while at the same time, a bolt of lightning as thick as a waist shot toward it from afar.

"Long Juanfeng."

Baimu gave his order calmly and unhurriedly.

The arena trainers burst into cold laughter—what use was attacking now? Too late!

The next moment.

An indigo-colored tornado surged across the entire arena at a speed no one anticipated, colliding with the racing lightning!

Everyone gaped in shock.

How is this possible! The attack speed is that fast!

Kendall wore the same expression of disbelief—could even an electric-type, known for its speed, be blocked?

Baimu continued to Lady Ayana: "By properly utilizing your Pokémon's body structure and combining it with a relatively weaker move, you can block an opponent's attack with incredible speed. And that's not all—watch closely."

He snapped his fingers again.

Minas's rotating tail fin suddenly accelerated, drawing all the lightning released by the Wildbolt into its swirling indigo storm.

Then, returning it all!

Boom—!!

The electric tornado instantly engulfed the round Wildbolt, roaring forward with its terrifying power, cascading past Kendall.

Everyone felt a gale strike their faces, blinding them.

Several seconds later.

Thud!

The ground trembled abruptly.

The furious wind faded, and the thin haze gradually dispersed.

The trainers stared in stunned silence at the unconscious Wildbolt outside the arena.

One hit—and…

"This move is called 'Attack as Defense.' Simply put, it uses the opponent's own attack to counter them, achieving defense through offense."

Baimu explained briefly to Lady Ayana: "It looks simple, but it demands deep understanding of moves and sharp reflexes to catch the fleeting moment of counter."

Lady Ayana's eyes were blank.

She had seen moves canceling moves before, but using an opponent's attack to rebound against them—she had never seen it once!

Did Did Yin Ma was wildly excited; Silver Ape's face glowed with awe.

From Baimu's explanation, it was clear this technique held immense value—but countering an opponent with their own move was breathtaking!

They couldn't help but yearn for it!

"Mr. Kendall, shall we continue?" Baimu asked for his opinion.

Wildbolt was even weaker than he'd expected; he'd thought this defensive counter wouldn't knock it out outright.

Unexpectedly…

Even wild Pokémon were this weak.

"Continue."

Kendall recalled Wildbolt, his eyes filled with both shock and earnest curiosity.

He sent out his second Pokémon—

A gray-blue, heavily muscled, marble-hard Machamp.

"Charge in and use Thunder Punch!" he ordered swiftly.

"Li!"

Machamp roared, all four fists glowing with Lei Guang, crackling as it charged forward.

Baimu nodded slightly: "Machamp's four arms are indeed an advantage. Though its elemental energy is dispersed, it also creates more variables. In battle, beyond technique, the Pokémon's innate qualities matter greatly."

As he spoke,

Machamp closed in on Minas—but Minas didn't retreat. Instead, it advanced, whipping its long tail to deflect the two left fists swinging toward it!

Slap! Slap!

"Li!?" Machamp froze—its fists, capable of punching through steel, had been blocked so easily!

Before it could react further, Minas circled around and coiled itself around Machamp.

"Constrict."

"Li!"

Machamp's eyes hardened, and it slammed all four fists into Minas's body!

Crack—

Thud!

Smoke rose, then quickly cleared.

Everyone saw Minas, drenched in Thunder Punches, expression unchanged—as if untouched—while Machamp clung tightly to Minas, trying to pry it loose.

But Minas tightened further.

"Kendall and Machamp lack awareness. The previous round already revealed the gap between them. If they'd stayed calm and thought, approaching Minas without retreating immediately was a fatal mistake—Hypnosis."

Baimu gave another order.

Kendall shouted desperately for Machamp to break free, but it couldn't escape.

"Throw with borrowed force!"

He finally issued the move command.

Baimu turned to Lady Ayana: "Wise choice—but you've missed your chance."

"Li!"

Machoke's forehead bulged with blue veins, its legs suddenly kicked off the ground, and it directly picked up Milotic and slammed it onto the ground!

Milotic loosened the tail that had bound it, and its eyes came before Machoke, as pink-purple light waves emanated from its gaze.

"Lee…"

Machoke's eyelids grew heavy, and it gradually fell asleep.

Kendall saw this scene, sighed, and unclenched his fist.

All Baimu asked: "What's wrong? The battle isn't over yet."

"Machoke… has already been hypnotized, I lost this round again." Kendall said with regret, and sounds of sympathetic sighs rose from the surroundings.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said solemnly to Lady Ayana: "A qualified trainer is only qualified to declare the outcome of a battle under one circumstance — when their own Pokémon has truly lost the ability to fight. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the opponent, no matter how disadvantageous one's own situation, as long as you persevere, you can always find a way to hope."

"…Really? Even in a situation like this?"

Lady Ayana asked.

All Baimu smiled and said, "As long as you have faith in your Pokémon, it will respond to you — no matter when or what the situation. But if you've already given up, even if your Pokémon had heaven-reaching abilities, it couldn't save a battle where the trainer has no will to fight."