Chapter 14: The Way to Command

"Take advantage of me?"

Even if such words were akin to a fact, they were extremely unpleasant.

But as he dodged with all his might, using his Kadabra, Katsura suddenly felt as if persisting for three minutes wasn't a dream.

Unfortunately.

"Not even a moment for negotiation!"

Katsura did his best to dodge the powerful punches, then tossed Kadabra far away.

Although the opponent didn't give him a chance to negotiate, there were obvious signs of holding back, such as using only two of the four fists, reducing the attack intensity, and refraining from using certain techniques.

Protecting Kadabra? Perhaps it was more akin to the mercy of the power.

What was the point of this act? Just bringing him over to beat him up? Impossible! Even the top executives wouldn't stoop to this level of idleness!

"Find a chance to kick its feet!"

Katsura shouted loudly, narrowly avoiding a left jab but failing to dodge the lightning-fast right hook, its speed almost shimmering.

Boom! "Ha!"

After an indescribable dull sensation, intense pain surged from his lower abdomen to his mind. Katsura's back slammed heavily against the iron mesh of the octagonal cage, his body curling up like a scalded river shrimp, almost biting his tongue.

Such a fast combination!

This guy's level was definitely high!

Protect the chin quickly! He hastily raised both arms, and then his right arm felt a hot sensation and a huge force, the former quickly transforming into a piercing pain akin to muscles tearing. He fell to the ground.

Smack. His body trembled a few times.

He had envisioned wonderful scenarios in his mind: the counter-attack, the seamless coordination with Kadabra, even using "Brick Break" to defeat the power.

But in reality, he hadn't even managed to last half a minute, not even getting a chance to send a signal.

Not far away, Kadabra saw Katsura being knocked down and hurriedly launched an attack on the power. Unexpectedly, the opponent dodged easily, as if it had eyes on the back of its head. Not only did it dodge effortlessly, but it also grabbed Kadabra's head with one hand.

"Grrr~"

The power casually used its other hand to block the mud Kadabra spat out.

Throw mud in its face? You have to hit it first.

"Cough... Release it... I surrender."

Struggling to prop himself up, Katsura's shaking lungs and sore right arm left him speechless.

But he still mustered the strength to remove his gloves with his mouth, catching Kadabra back in the Poké Ball with his last bit of energy.

After doing this, he shrank the Poké Ball and held it close, curling up to protect his vitals, slapping the stage with his right hand.

This signified surrender.

Choosing to give up was because he saw the gap between them. Continuing the fight would only result in taking a beating for no reason. Although he had some confidence in his physique, rupturing his spleen could lead to instant death.

Silence enveloped the area.

After a long time without a response, Katsura heard the voice of the burly man.

"Get up."

He slowly stood up, seeing the burly man squatting in front of him, placing a water bottle and towel in front of him, the two objects less than a meter apart, while the power quietly exited the octagonal cage.

"What do you want to say?" asked the burly man.

Katsura didn't drink the water, just used the towel to wipe off the sweat on his face, "...Nothing."

"Weak people have no right to speak. How do you feel about this statement?"

"Truth."

"You've embarrassed Chester, harmed his subordinates, and interfered with his plans. The Crystal Group will definitely deal with you in the future. What do you plan to do?"

"...Resist."

"Ha, resist like today?"

"..."

"You're safe for now because someone above has a favorable impression of you."

The burly man sat down casually, as if he hadn't just deceived someone, saying, "But that person's attention is limited. The day he forgets about you will be the day of your demise."

"...Could you help me find a clear path?"

Katsura endured the pain in his abdomen, trying to show a sincere attitude.

"Next week, we have a Pokémon match against the Hound Team. If you win, you'll be the Sand Team's squad leader, and I'll support you in the future. If you lose, figure it out yourself. Any problems?"

The burly man's tone was extremely calm, but when his gaze swept over Katsura's body, it gave a terrifying sense of being targeted by a beast.

Extremely dangerous!

There could be an attack at any time, run away quickly! Katsura felt his heart pounding intensely, took a deep breath, "No, Sir Soh."

"Hmm?"

"...Boss."

"Yeah, go on."

In Soh's indifferent gesture to dismiss him, Katsura left the boxing ring, clutching his abdomen.

Watching from the sidelines, Kadabra landed and anxiously rushed to Katsura's feet.

"Krr! Krr!"

"It's okay, we're both fine, don't panic."

He crouched down, continuously stroking its head and back, trying to relax the little guy.

The physique of humans in the Pokémon world was indeed extraordinary.

When he was punched, it felt like he was dying, with bruises visible when lifting his shirt. But now, nothing was wrong, his arms weren't sore, his stomach wasn't uncomfortable.

Seeing that he was indeed safe, Kadabra finally calmed down, making a gentle sound.

"Krr?"

"Why did we get beaten? It's simple, it's a way of controlling people, a tactic called 'workplace PUA.' Crush your self-esteem with words or violence, then be slightly friendly, saying things like it's all for your own good..."

Katsura helplessly patted its head.

Beating you up is appreciation, getting beaten and then given an opportunity is equivalent to giving a reward after a slap.

Upon hearing this, Kadabra seemed indignant.

"Krr!"

"Do you think he's a bad guy? Well, from what we see now, he indeed seems bad. But people aren't that simple to categorize."

Katsura shook his head, "While he did use such means against us, considering his status, being willing to spend time on us small fries is a form of straightforward appreciation.

"Furthermore, he probably will keep his promises to shelter us. So, his workplace PUA this time was quite successful. We actually got a beating and now have to remember his kindness."

Kadabra looked confused.

It couldn't understand this at all.

"You don't have to understand it all. Anyway, in this area, the only one we can trust completely is us. Everyone else has their own motives." Katsura didn't explain much more, just hugging it.

Kadabra gently nudged against him.

Soh's methods were undoubtedly blatant tactics.

Even though Katsura saw through his actions, he had to admit the other's position as the top head.

But he wasn't pleased.

Who would willingly take a couple of punches for no reason?

However, the other party's role was the top leader of the factions, like those gangster bosses in Hong Kong movies, where displaying kindness wouldn't gain respect.

Balancing authority and benevolence was the only way.

As for what Soh said to him, Katsura admitted that he tended to judge people by his own standards, hence his skepticism about its authenticity.

It might not be entirely false, but it might not be entirely true either.

Sometimes, one false among nine truths could still make people lose their judgment.

If one of the top executives, Chester, really wanted to kill him? Were those troublemakers on the ground arranged by the Crystal Group?

What exactly did he interfere with? Did people like Shibata also have important assignments?

Someone above had a favorable impression of him. Who could the person Soh referred to as "above" be? The hidden "big shots" behind the Quicksand Team?

The deferential attitude of Ishigaki, was it because of that person?

Then, there was the match next week.

The Quicksand Team and the Hound Team had always been at odds. Their enmity stemmed from competing in the mine and had escalated due to various incidents.

He had only recently obtained Pokémon, and his chances of winning were bleak.

"A multitude of crises."

Katsura held Kadabra's chin, "Didn't expect that becoming an official member would bring more trouble than being a lackey."

At least, as a lackey, there was only Shibata as an enemy.