A Big Promise

In the shade cast by a massive boulder.

"Can you let me go?"

"No. Stop talking nonsense and turn on the radar. There's something important I want to see."

Baimu refused Huo Wu's request and ordered her to activate the radar.

Huo Wu fell silent for several seconds, then glanced at her teammate on the ground and decided to obediently cooperate with the man before her.

Though she had not yet been beaten or abused, she knew full well that it was not because he was kind-hearted or merciful. It was simply because her injured state would hinder his plans.

Huo Wu did not want to see this person's brutal side, because there would be nothing in it for her.

Beep.

The radar activated.

Baimu leaned over and looked eastward. Sure enough, he saw a solid red dot—the teammate currently fighting.

He did not know who it was, but the enemy was likely Jian, who had headed east.

Before the fight began, Baimu had paid attention to the east. He remembered that the red dot on that side had already become solid then, proving that the two sides had started fighting.

And it still had not ended?

Hopefully, it had drained enough of Jian's stamina.

"Thanks for the effort. Help them recover." He stroked Chansey's head and pointed at Aron and Vibrava.

Since they had been ambushing their opponents the entire time, neither Pokémon had suffered much injury, only physical exhaustion.

But they were tired enough already, especially Aron, which had been scrambling between the ground and the tunnels. It had worked the hardest.

Seeing both Pokémon relax under Heal Pulse, Baimu waved a hand. "Take a break. Rest for now and eat something."

He took out some compressed rations and Pokémon food from his bag. After handing them out to Aron and the others, he raised a hand toward Huo Wu. "Want some?"

"..."

Huo Wu shook her head. How could she possibly have an appetite right now? That man had been right: by setting up her teammates, she had effectively betrayed the Hound Team.

She might be purged once she got out.

—Assuming she could get out at all.

Her life was in someone else's hands, and she had become a tool for deceiving others. If this continued, she might die at her teammates' hands first.

And her Pokémon were still in someone else's possession, requiring money to get them back. What was she supposed to do...

She secretly glanced at Baimu, wondering whether she had much chance of ambushing and killing him.

"?"

Baimu blinked, chewing on dry food as he offered her a waterskin. "Want some water?"

"No... I do."

Huo Wu had initially intended to refuse, but after instinctively swallowing, she realized her throat was dry enough to burn. She could only take it and carefully sip from it.

Only after drinking did she realize it was her waterskin.

Her expression changed, yet she dared not voice her anger. She silently handed it back.

"Don't be so tense. Better safe than sorry. I don't want anything happening in a place like this either, right?"

Baimu smiled. He still did not drink from that waterskin, instead taking out his own and gulping down some water.

The Hound Team radar had not yet expired. He glanced at it again and found that the red dot to the east had vanished.

"So they lost."

He was somewhat disappointed. If they had held out that long, they must have had quite a fierce battle. It would have been great if they had taken Jian down directly.

"Guh?"

Aron moved closer and curiously looked up at him.

Baimu said, "Take the initiative? We don't have that kind of strength for now. Picking up leftovers isn't so easy either. Just make traps obediently."

The new version of the trap involved two people: a male Hound Team member playing the defeated party, and Huo Wu playing the victor. The odds of the enemy taking the bait would surely increase greatly.

Naturally, Huo Wu's situation would become even more dangerous, but what right did a captive have to choose?

Thinking of this, she hugged her knees and curled up.

"Lucky?"

The gentle cry made her raise her head. Chansey stood before her, looking at her timidly.

"What is it?" Huo Wu looked toward Baimu.

He observed for a moment before saying uncertainly, "It probably wants to treat you. It saw the bloodstains on your face and hands. As a healer, it can't help itself."

Only then did she look at her palm and touch her face, realizing that at some point, both had become covered in tiny cuts.

In the past, she definitely would have cared about such things.

"...No need."

Huo Wu shook her head in refusal.

At this point, what was there to care about over a few small wounds?

Chansey's face was full of conflict. As a Pokémon dedicated to healing, seeing someone leave their wounds untreated made it feel as if bugs were crawling all over its body. It wanted to remind her to take it seriously, but had no idea how to speak up and lacked the courage to do so.

It instinctively turned to Baimu, its eyes full of helplessness.

"Lucky..."

Baimu rubbed his chin, where stubble had begun to grow. Seeing Huo Wu's despondent expression, he thought for a moment and made her a big promise. "How about this? Help me trick one more person, and I'll let you go."

"..."

She did not answer.

He continued, "How much does it normally cost to recover one Pokémon?"

"...Around three hundred thousand."

"Fine. If you can trick one more person for me, I'll return all three for three hundred thousand total."

"...Really?"

"I don't have a habit of lying. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do." Baimu spread his hands, then saw hope gradually return to Huo Wu's face.

That made him realize that making an appropriate concession was the right choice.

Just now, this woman had practically had "I don't want to live" written across her face. If he continued forcing dangerous missions on her, she might develop self-destructive tendencies.

Actually, self-destruction would not matter much. He was worried that she might cause trouble.

If someone did not want to live, what did they have left to fear?

Of course.

Knocking her out like the other person was not a bad option either, but after thinking it over carefully, Baimu still felt that a living person was more useful than a dead one.

"Go on. Spray medicine on her and bandage her up."

He handed the spray and bandages to Chansey, giving it an encouraging push.

"Lucky!"

Chansey nodded heavily and gathered the courage to step forward.

Huo Wu still did not speak, but her cooperative movements showed that she had tacitly accepted the treatment.

With that hidden danger resolved.

Baimu took one final look at the radar and confirmed that twelve dots remained.

Three people had already been defeated?

It had only been half an hour since the start, yet the entire match lasted a full six hours.

"Hope everything goes smoothly."

Baimu let out a breath. If he had guessed correctly, Jian, unable to find him in the east, would certainly return the way he came. Hopefully, the trap he had arranged could fool that guy.

And if it could not, he would have to find some way to gain an advantage.

According to the information he had pried out of Huo Wu earlier, that guy's Pokémon possessed extraordinary combat power. In a one-on-one fight, none of the Hound Team's other fourteen members could defeat him.

His physical constitution was also excellent, and his unique personality made him thrive within the Hound Team. Heaven had practically handed him a meal; he was bound to become a Hound Team executive someday.

Outside.

As Baimu finalized his plan, the second round of betting began.

It was still about whether the trap would succeed.

But compared to last time, far more people were betting on Baimu winning this round.

"The Hound Team sent out a bunch of idiots. I'm never trusting them again!"

"Yeah! You could spot that kind of trap with your feet! How could anyone fall for it?"

"I finally understand what the boss meant when he said there were too many fools and not enough scammers... There really are people that stupid!"

The audience discussed it, completely changing their tune and blaming the trap's success on the Hound Team members being too foolish.

Of course, not everyone thought that way.

There were plenty of people who believed Baimu was a hidden gem. They simply did not speak up much. After giving rewards through donations, they focused on more important matters.

In the match control room and the banquet hall.

Ayana and that man were in different places, yet both were surprisingly staring at the screen on the far right.

It showed a Hound Team member with a face full of defiant viciousness.

They had a feeling.

Before long.

Baimu would surely have a fierce battle with this person.

The ground was uneven, with scattered rocks everywhere.

Beneath a huge rock wall that cast a broad shadow, a Quicksand Team member with his face hidden under a hood and bandages sat atop a collapsed Hound Team member, eating rough rations.

Not far away, a dust-covered Aron looked around in every direction.

But another Hound Team member had seen it all.

He had been lurking for around three minutes.

At first, he had thought there was a trap. But after observing carefully, he found that there probably was not one. Moreover, the other party did not seem to be in good condition, apparently because of the smashed waterskin beside him.

Were they short on water?

Hehehe.

"Then I won't hold back!"

He charged over grandly with two canine Pokémon. "Battle! Bite him to death! Tear him apart!"

"Awroo!"

The two large dogs sprinted forward.

Clearly, his ambush was beyond the Quicksand Team member's expectations.

He watched with his own eyes as the Quicksand Team member's expression changed drastically and Aron revealed a look of horror. He could barely suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.

Beep.

His wristband sounded. Although no reply came from the other side, he did not care.

They had definitely hidden it away.

What else could it be?

And once one of the dogs entangled Aron while the other pounced on the enemy and viciously tore into his arm, his vigilance dropped to its lowest point.

Then.

A violent gust suddenly came from the cliff behind him, as though some heavy object were plummeting at high speed.

Whoosh—

Bang!

A massive force instantly crushed him to the ground, bringing his face into intimate contact with the dirt and nearly breaking both his arms.

"Sometimes, it's important to look up too!"

Baimu twisted both his arms behind his back and pointed at the two canine Pokémon rushing back to help. "Dragon Breath!"

Buzz!

The sound of beating wings exploded. Indigo flames surged from above him, instantly blasting away the two canine Pokémon that had turned and rushed back.

"Lafu!"

Vibrava's cry rang out.

"Don't rush."

Baimu quickly restrained the man and searched through his pockets. He soon found empty Poké Balls, then swept them back and forth to capture the two panicked canine Pokémon.

"You're cheating! The distance restriction between team members hasn't been lifted yet! How could you possibly get together!"

The Hound Team member shouted furiously. Unable to turn his head and see the Hound Team uniform, he assumed it was the result of teamwork and became extremely agitated.

But after only a few shouts, he received a chop to the back of the neck and naturally passed out from the pain.

"It worked?"

Baimu was somewhat surprised. He had merely wanted to try it, yet it had actually succeeded.

He could not help checking the man's breathing.

Mm.

He was still alive.