In the howling wind.
Arcanine seemed to have found a way to carry a person down. It stepped back a few paces, then accelerated rapidly and sprinted, leaping back and forth between the rock walls, climbing several meters in an instant.
Charge!
Baimu no longer hesitated, putting all his strength into running.
The sound of footsteps became faint due to the wind, and the enemy obviously didn't notice at first, focusing solely on the miserable Quicksand Team member on the huge rock.
When he realized that the Quicksand Team member was looking behind him with delight, and the wind noise suddenly lessened and intense thudding from behind erupted, he quickly turned his head, only to find Baimu less than fifty meters away.
"Battle!"
With a shout, the light of a Pokeball opening shone beside him, and the Evil Dog Team Member's wristband instantly lit up, responding to the battle.
At this moment, Arcanine, having jumped to the summit, hadn't had time to bite down on the Quicksand Team Member. Sensing the enemy with the corner of its eye, it immediately chose to descend without hesitation.
Unexpectedly at the same moment, just as the Evil Dog Team Member pulled out a second Pokeball, before he could activate it, the ground beneath his feet suddenly tilted forward, throwing him off balance.
Instantly.
A mass of violet smoke billowed out from an unknown source, obscuring the view between him and Arcanine, and the choking dense fog made him cough uncontrollably.
"Awoo!"
The anxious Arcanine landed and heard only a scream from the Trainer. Just as it was about to pounce in the direction of the sound, a swarm of buzzing wings approached quickly.
The next moment, visible sound waves pierced through the violet mist, the terrifying continuous humming causing it to look pained, as if pressed down by a heavy object, unable to move forward even an inch.
When Arcanine finally recovered, its Trainer was already pinned to the ground by Baimu, a glinting dagger pressed against his throat.
"You better let go of that Pokeball and knife, or I can't guarantee how much blood you'll lose."
Baimu applied a little pressure, the prickling pain forcing the grinding-teeth man to drop the Pokeball and knife.
"Roar—"
Arcanine lowered its body and growled, seemingly wanting to leap forward.
He glanced at this giant "lion dog," "Let's gamble whether you pounce faster or I slash faster. Or you can pretend you don't understand and keep growling, but don't blame me for acting then, care for a bet?"
"...Ugh."
Arcanine saw the blood oozing from the Trainer's throat and immediately retracted its threatening posture.
The Evil Dog Team Member bit his lip, desperately wanting his Pokémon to fight to the death, but the pain in his neck and the impending terror of death only made him gasp for air, not daring to respond.
Between life and death lies great fear, and very few can truly throw caution to the wind.
"Baimu! Save me! Quick, get me down!"
The Quicksand Team Member on the giant rock saw Baimu as a savior, crying out in both agony and excitement, "I can't hold on much longer!"
"Vibrava, lend a hand." As he was rifling through the Evil Dog Team Member's pockets, Baimu instructed Vibrava.
Having spent a week together, this creature was quite obedient, although occasionally prone to acting on its own whims, it mostly complied with his decisions. Hearing his command, it quickly flew to the giant asparagus-shaped rock to rescue the precarious teammate and placed him on the ground.
Just at that moment, Baimu found Arcanine's Pokeball, retrieving the glaringly hostile big dog, and stashed it along with two other Pokeballs into his pocket.
The victor can seize the Pokémon of the defeated, but after the match, the loser has the right to buy back their Pokémon.
He then searched the Evil Dog Team Member for a while, ignoring the other's fierce glare, taking away the backpack and anything suspicious, removing the wristband, and binding tightly with a prepared rope, gagging the mouth.
At this point, the Evil Dog Team Member posed no threat to him.
Baimu finally found a moment to catch his breath.
"Phew..."
In midair, two Aerial Rotom exchanged glances, one flying off while the other descended slowly.
"You have received a total reward of five hundred fifty thousand."
"Five hundred fifty thousand?" Baimu was astonished, "Can you reveal who tipped?"
The Aerial Rotom didn't respond, silently hovering three meters off the ground.
Seems like it lacks this view function.
Regretfully, he thanked those who rewarded him out of politeness, did a quick calculation of the thirty percent of five hundred fifty thousand...
Sixteen thousand plus.
Indeed.
Crisis occasionally accompanies opportunity.
No wonder the Quicksand Team members clearly knew the danger level of this match yet retained the highest expectations.
"Aron, help me retrieve the bag, it's over where we were just now."
"Goo!"
Baimu entrusted the task to Aron, then thanked Vibrava and recalled it into the Pokeball, removing the cloak from his body and tossing it together with a capsule to the teammate.
"This is a special painkiller, have you called for rescue?"
"Called."
The team member slumped on the ground, his ankle broken and his face pale with pain, but he first covered his vital areas with the cloak. Hesitating for a moment, he swallowed the capsule directly.
Very soon, the soreness in his feet began to alleviate.
"...Thank you."
"It's nothing." Baimu shook his head, "Who did this to you?"
That person hesitated, replying with a question, "Where did you come from just now?"
"From the north, why?"
"Looks like you didn't encounter him. Yes, I'm talking about Jian, that person is too strong, I had no chance to fight back."
"So his Pokémon are still in perfect condition?"
"Yes... just like yours."
The team member said with a complex expression, managing to take someone down effortlessly—though it was an ambush—proved his combat strength.
"What Pokémon did he use?" Baimu asked, trying his best to gather information on Jian.
Yet.
After a thorough inquiry, he realized this guy in front of him, despite being in such dire straits, had little useful information.
Saying he was ambushed himself, but as he spoke, he became subconsciously guilty.
Baimu didn't bother to expose him. He took the retrieved items from Aron, stuffed them into his backpack, and took out a second cloak to cover himself.
Suddenly.
He looked towards the sky and spotted a Delibird, resembling both a penguin and Santa Claus, approaching this way.
"It's the rescue Pokémon, Delibird."
The team member let out a big sigh of relief.
Baimu had a peculiar expression, "...Rescue Pokémon? How will it take you out?"
"Put in a bag. Don't underestimate its size, carrying one person is very light for it, just not that comfortable."
The teammate gave a bitter smile, having ended up in this state, there's no room for other considerations.
Getting out sooner is the right thing to do.
"I have to go now, good luck."
He dragged the Evil Dog Team captive, ignoring its resentful eyes, heading west.
With Delibird blatantly present, it was bound to draw many people in this direction, Jian might even return to the 'crime scene.'
Luckily, at most, only one could come.
As for intelligence related to Jian, he should be able to extract some from the captive's mouth.
Verify its authenticity himself.
The Quicksand Team member watched Baimu's back, wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed the words.
Having fallen into such a state, not mocked, nor taken advantage of financially, but treated fairly.
This was ideal.
No need for excessive concern or solicitude, which would only embarrass him, sharing clothing and painkillers, exchanging information... akin to true teammates.
He always despised the rumors about Baimu before, but now he believed.