The Quicksand Team certainly wanted to take advantage of the Evil Dog Team.
But they couldn't completely leave their base unguarded to fight the Evil Dog Team head-on.
Therefore, several squads of the Sand Group remained inactive, to prevent an attack on their rear during operations, forcing a base exchange.
Noon.
Baimu led a group of his subordinates to the designated departure location, and the overwhelming number of Sand Group members made Cheng Hong and his companions excited once again.
From afar, he saw Flop standing among the many hoverbikes, waving to him.
"Baimu! Come over quickly!"
He hurriedly squeezed his way through with his people.
Present here were three squads en route to the No. 1 target mine, totaling around three hundred people.
Liu Ge served as the chief commander, with the familiar cadre Ayana and a somewhat slender male cadre as deputy commanders, aiming to seize the target within an hour.
Afterward, they would face the retaliation from the Evil Dog Team. Having suffered significant losses, the Evil Dog Team would certainly not sit idly by; they were about to face a major test.
"Take the earpieces well; different frequencies have different functions. The manual is here, make sure your subordinates get familiar with it. They should have learned it during training."
Flop handed Baimu a box filled with earpieces as thick as an index finger.
For those on the Extreme Path, although the value of their skirmishes fell far short of battles, they were well aware of the importance of intelligence.
Unfortunately, any life-saving equipment with protective capabilities had to be purchased personally.
After all, the items were too expensive.
Fortunately, *Baimu's* squad members had long ago bought combat suits theoretically capable of reducing the impact of Pokémon moves, under his directive. The cost was indeed painful, but hopefully, this operation would see them put to necessary use.
However.
He surprisingly found that Flop and the entire Liu Ge squad were much more particular about equipment than other squads.
Combat suits, helmets, tactical goggles, electric sticks—uniformly complete, exuding a professional team atmosphere; even their demeanor was vastly different from the surrounding Quicksand Team members.
Are these people really part of the Quicksand Team?
This thought suddenly flashed across Baimu's mind.
Ordinarily, he rarely saw Flop leading a team; this guy was always a lone wolf, rarely seen with other squad leaders' members, yet his air now was so extraordinary.
Seeing Baimu staring at his team members, Flop nonchalantly smiled and said, "The big brother has already talked to me. Have your squad stay close to us when the time comes, and, if necessary, prioritize following my commands. Any problems with that?"
"...No problem."
Baimu didn't hesitate too much and decisively handed over the temporary command of his squad.
Commanding a group is different from commanding one or two Pokémon. For a novice squad leader like Baimu, it's better to learn from how an old hand like Flop handles things rather than forcefully trying to manage his subordinates himself.
Under Flop's direction, the probability of survival should be higher unless he intentionally used his squad as cannon fodder, but it seemed unlikely the latter would do something like that.
Moreover, Flop wanted command of the squad members, not including him, the squad leader.
He turned to relay the decision, and Cheng Hong and the others nodded agreeably without any complaint.
Otsuka was slightly disappointed that Baimu surrendered the chance to shine, thinking his big brother could command not just a ten-man team, but even teams of hundreds or thousands efficiently.
He had completely become someone's die-hard fan.
Afterward.
Flop shared some reminders with Baimu when suddenly Liu Ge's voice came through their earpieces.
"Are all present?"
"Liu Ge Squad, Zhe Squad, expected ten, actually ten."
"Liu Ge Squad, Flop Squad, expected ten, actually ten."
Flop threw a glance at Baimu.
"Liu Ge Squad, Baimu Squad, expected nine, actually nine," he hurriedly added.
Then followed a long stream of reports.
Even Ayana and the cadre named Sanghe reported their squad member counts.
"Very well, prepare to depart! Expected to arrive at the target location within half an hour!"
Liu Ge's voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Yes!"
The collective shout was as stirring as drumbeats.
——
The Sand Group acted quickly.
Both sides set off simultaneously. Looking from the direction, some even thought they were going to quash a rebellion at a mine, completely unaware.
In fact.
This message was indeed spread out through various channels by the Crystal Team, confusing Pyrite Town's other forces with half-truths.
Within the chaotic Evil Dog Team, a keen individual did notice this, immediately raising an alert, but unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears, overlooked entirely.
The internal big shots were busy thinking about how to split assets; they had no time to mind what their neighbors were up to.
This neglect at the top led to Liu Ge and the others advancing grandly to the mine's edge, leaving the Evil Dog Team members stationed there utterly unprepared.
"Team one and two! Destroy the high-voltage protective net!"
"Yes!"
Groups of Magnemite were released, charging ahead like a swarm of sharks, first dismantling the high-voltage protective net set up around the mine.
Then, they dashed toward the signal base station, stopping short of complete destruction, merely temporarily isolating the mine's communication with Pyrite Town.
"Assault teams, go!"
Swarms of Graveler and Golem rolled forward, shaking the ground with a booming sound, scattering rocks and sand as they mercilessly crushed any enemies along the way.
The stationed Evil Dog team members tried to regroup and counterattack.
Unfortunately, their number of Pokémon was far short compared to the three specifically prepared Quicksand squads, easily vanquished like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
"Run away!"
"Who's going to notify the boss?"
"The Quicksand Team maniacs are launching a surprise attack! Contact Pyrite Town!"
"Help! I surrender!"
The outer edges of the mine descended into chaos in an instant.
Some frantic individuals attempted to start up large machines to orchestrate a counterattacked, but despite their formidable defense, these machines struggled to traverse all terrains.
Liu Ge ordered Sandshrew and Drilbur squads, quickly riddling the area with holes and sand, rendering those machines practically immobile.
"Apprehend the operators! Don't destroy the machines!"
His shout came through the channel.
Large machinery are immensely valuable assets wherever they are, so precious they couldn't be destroyed impulsively.
Thus.
Thanks to the effort of numerous Quicksand team members, every Evil Dog team member hiding in a cockpit was dragged out one by one.
"What's the situation on the information team?"
"The broadcast station has been seized, relevant personnel captured, communication with Pyrite Town can resume at any time."
"Resume! Try to keep them from getting suspicious!"
"Yes!"
Though the disconnection would surely spark a reaction from the Evil Dog Team, delaying was worthwhile; securing the mine completely was a positive start.
On the other side.
Baimu's squad followed Flop's squad, breaking into the mine from another direction, coincidentally encountering a small group of Evil Dog Team members.
There was even a large mechanical device resembling both a digger and a robot.
Its mechanical arm was notably agile, with an experienced operator, using the arm to lift the body out when its tracks got embedded and jammed by sand and rocks.
But just before the digger could advance, a towering figure suddenly charged at it.
"Brute Force!"
"Roar!"
A colossal Aggron braced against the digger's rolling tracks, bit by bit pushing it back, its terrifying strength leaving many Evil Dog team members dumbfounded.
Many teammates also cast astonished glances.
Even more surprising was a petite figure.
"Get the operator out! Tear off the cabin shell!"
"Chomp!"
Like lightning, Mawile flew atop the digger's cabin. Seeing the grotesque face of the operator trying to power up, it turned and bit through the cabin's structure with its massive jaws.
In the blink of an eye, the operator was pulled out by Mawile.
As their hands left the handles and pedals, Aggron tossed the large machinery into a pit.
"Your Pokémon's combat power is impressive."
Flop praised generously, "You handled it so quickly."
"Thanks for the cover."
Baimu showed no hint of pride, fully aware that it was mainly Flop's Magneton team who first disabled the digger's miniature energy shield, granting Aggron and Mawile their moment in the spotlight.
Flop clearly intended to give him the credit.