A Formidable Enemy Before Them

Yet Ayana did not speak again until the bus reached the arena entrance.

It was unclear whether she had run out of things to say or simply forgotten.

That bizarre stunt only made the contestants more nervous. Everyone was uneasy, and they received one final merciless jab as they got off the bus.

"Kids, I hope there'll still be fifteen of you the next time you get on this bus."

The female driver burst into laughter, watching everyone disembark as she spoke words that sounded encouraging but only made them more uneasy.

They had arrived rather late. The area around the arena entrance was already packed with all kinds of people, sheltering from the direct sunlight beneath colorful awnings and open tents beside convertibles and motorcycles.

Judging by the emblems painted on those canopies, it was clear that Hound Team and Quicksand Team were not the only forces stationed here. This "grand event" had attracted others as well.

Strange light-green drones flew through the sky, their cameras aimed at the ground while infrared lights flashed endlessly.

Near the entrance stood an absurdly oversized screen, displaying scenes from all around the camp.

"Ah... Rotom Drones. How novel."

Baimu narrowed his eyes and looked up.

Those drones darting through the air were undoubtedly the special Rotom from the latest Pokémon anime before he had crossed over.

He just did not know whether they still counted as cutting-edge technology now.

Had the "audience" arrived? Or were they still in the pre-match introduction phase? There might even be commentators.

He followed the main group toward their camp. Among the countless tents, those with earth-yellow as their main color and simple sandstorm emblems belonged to Quicksand Team.

Hound Team's emblem, meanwhile, was a Mightyena's head, and their tents were primarily gray and black.

They happened to be right beside the path they had to take.

This... whose arrangement was this?

Baimu suddenly had a bad feeling, and it was quickly proven right.

Several people in gray-and-black uniforms beneath Hound Team's canopy suddenly pointed at them.

Then they hurried into the tents behind them, and a large group soon poured out.

"Well, well! Isn't this Ayana?"

At the front was a short, sturdy dark-skinned man wearing a twisted grin. "Come out and take a look, little ones! The legendary flower of Quicksand Team! Hehehe!"

Behind him, a group of Hound Team members around Baimu's age erupted into arrogant laughter.

About fifteen of them... just these people?

Baimu silently observed from the crowd.

"What hole did you crawl out of? Have I seen you before?"

Ayana looked slightly puzzled. Ignoring the sudden darkening of the man's expression, she said coldly, "Since when did Hound Team have trash like you? They really are getting worse with every generation."

"Hehehe. Once I tear off those two legs of yours, you'll find out exactly what kind of trash I am." The dark-skinned man took out a Poké Ball, his face filled with viciousness.

"If you want to fight, I'll oblige. Stop talking so much."

Ayana also moved to act.

Once the two leaders made a move, their underlings naturally could not stand idly by. Whether they were contestants or not, some took out Poké Balls while others started hurling threats.

Otsuka looked like he wanted all of them, his expression abruptly turning savage as he roared curses and prepared to fight.

The commotion drew attention from the surrounding area.

More and more people came out to watch, excitement written all over their faces as though they feared the world was not chaotic enough.

But with Rotom Drones monitoring the area, there was no way this fight could actually happen. Just as Ayana and the dark-skinned man were about to make a move, a man in a suit suddenly appeared.

No one knew when he had arrived, nor where he had come from.

Baimu felt as though the man had simply appeared the instant he blinked. It was quite eerie.

"Gentlemen, all forms of Pokémon battles are prohibited within the camp. Could you please not make trouble for us?"

The other man spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes, his tone extremely blunt.

When Ayana and the dark-skinned man saw the mediator, they unexpectedly reined in their anger and stopped together, turning away as though nothing had happened.

"Please come with me. The boss wishes to speak with you both—and make sure you keep these contestants under control as well. If anything happens before the competition starts, the people above you won't be able to bear the consequences either."

After delivering that veiled warning, the mediator turned and left.

Ayana, who had always been domineering, acted as though she had not caught the man's tone. She turned to the group and said, "All of you stay in the camp for now. Don't wander around if there's no reason to, and don't casually start fights with anyone. Trading insults is fine. Got it?"

"Yes!"

Baimu and the others answered in unison, curiously watching the mediator.

A representative of the organizers?

Ayana had not argued back at all. The person backing him was either the mayor of Pyrite Town or the owner of Pyrite Arena.

On the other side, the dark-skinned man likewise carefully warned Hound Team's contestants. After putting some distance between himself and Ayana, he swaggered after the mediator.

With the leaders gone, most of the spectators dispersed as well.

The contestants from both sides watched each other, their previously calmed emotions beginning to boil once more.

Enemies were especially bitter when they met, and they had just clashed. At their hot-blooded age, who could hold back?

Before long, the verbal battle resumed.

"A bunch of trash hiding behind a woman. Pah!"

"Since when could gray-skinned dogs speak human language? You look almost human—bark a couple times for us."

"What the hell did you say?"

"Dog barking?"

They traded insults back and forth, their noisy bickering quickly shifting from veiled mockery to outright abuse. Baimu joined in with a few curses, maintaining the appearance of sharing the same hatred as the surrounding Quicksand Team members.

Then...

Things changed again.

One of the Hound Team members suddenly stepped forward, his hostile eyes sweeping openly over the Quicksand Team group. Baimu noticed that Otsuka and the others' expressions changed drastically the moment this person appeared.

"How is it him?!"

"Isn't he already in his twenties?"

"Hound Team is cheating! He's obviously over the age limit!"

Amid the clamor, Baimu got a clear look at the center of attention. He indeed did not look eighteen. People would have believed he was twenty-eight, even thirty-eight. Whether in physique, facial features, or mannerisms, he did not resemble an adolescent male at all.

"Tch."

The Hound Team member sneered disdainfully, his pale teeth striking beneath the blazing sun. "What a waste of time. A bunch of worthless trash that can't even make it onto the stage. Wash your necks clean and wait obediently to die."

His gaze was like that of a starving Houndoom, bloodthirstily targeting everyone's throat. Alarm bells rang in the hearts of the Quicksand Team members, and wary expressions appeared on their faces.

After speaking, however, the Hound Team member turned and returned to the tents. The rest of the Hound Team members exchanged looks, tossed out a few more threats, and followed him inside.

They clearly treated that man as their leader.

The Quicksand Team members did not linger either, silently turning toward their camp.

On the way, Baimu learned about that man's background from Otsuka's quiet explanation.

In the traditional clashes between Pyrite Town's factions, although people often got carried away and ignored it, there was still an unwritten rule: soldiers fought soldiers, generals fought generals, all to avoid the strong bullying the weak.

That man was named Jian, a fairly famous rising star in Hound Team. His status was equivalent to a regular Quicksand Team member's, yet he could freely command Pokémon at the squad leader level.

In other words, this competition for regular members had gained a trainer at the squad leader level.

No wonder everyone was so worried.

The gap was at most around ten levels, but when Pokémon species had generally decent base stats, the difference in overall strength was still obvious. Just like in a game, one side could easily suppress the other.

Unless they happened to have a type advantage.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere within the camp, Baimu fell silent.

Otsuka thought he was worried and forced a smile. "It's fine. If we can't beat him, we can still run, right? Worst case, we run whenever we see him."

"You won't be able to run... Hound Team's Pokémon are the best at tracking..."

Saruwatari interjected gloomily.

Baimu turned his head and gave him a thoughtful glance. Saruwatari's expression immediately stiffened. "W-what is it?"

"Nothing."

He shook his head.

Please vote~ Please recommend~