"Wake up, everyone. We've arrived."
"Your job is to watch more, learn more, and speak less. Save all your energy for the battle tournament. Other matters will be handled by others. Is that understood!?"
"Understood!"
After responding, Gu Yuan felt as if he were undergoing military training.
Stepping off the plane, he saw a crowd of people waiting outside.
"Welcome, representatives of the Kanto region! My name is Ronnie. It is a pleasure to meet you all."
An excited voice rang out as a man about the same age as Dar approached quickly. He had a round face and a beer belly. Compared to the steely, determined aura Dar projected, Ronnie certainly seemed more smooth and diplomatic.
"Alright, we've known each other far too long for these pleasantries. Let's talk business," Dar said, slinging an arm around Ronnie's shoulder. His voice dropped lower, but Gu Yuan, standing closest, could still hear him. "Like, when does the tournament start? Where are we staying? What's good to eat? Where can we have some fun?"
Recalling what he knew about Dar, the man was indeed unmarried. It made sense that he needed to vent occasionally, provided it didn't interfere with his duties. Still, Gu Yuan wondered if an older bachelor like Dar could hold out if the Johto region people tried to use a "honey trap" on him.
While Gu Yuan was lost in thought, Ronnie had already arranged everything. He first escorted the group to a hotel specifically prepared for them. To ensure their safety, the entire hotel had been booked out. Aside from Gu Yuan's party, only Johto security personnel were present. The tournament was scheduled to begin in three days, allowing the team plenty of time to rest and adjust their condition.
"Enjoy your final moments as captain. By the time we reach the Hoenn region, that position will be mine!"
Before they parted ways for their rooms, Taishi Utsunomiya leaned in and whispered to Gu Yuan, his voice trembling with suppressed excitement.
"Oh. Good luck with that," Gu Yuan replied flatly. He stepped into his room and decisively shut the door, giving Taishi no chance to continue his nonsense.
"Just you wait! Once I defeat you and seize the captaincy, let's see if you can still act so arrogant!" Taishi muttered, clenching his fists before heading to his own room.
Witnessing this, Dar shook his head helplessly. He decided he would personally handle the tactical arrangements for the team. Ordinarily, it was best for team members to discuss tactics together. However, given the current friction, they would likely start fighting each other before the tournament even began if left to their own devices.
While dealing with the headache, Dar could only hope the Elite Four would soon resolve this situation and unite the power of the Kanto region. Otherwise, no matter how deep Kanto's foundation was, it could not withstand such internal friction.
Once everyone was settled, Dar began laying out the battle plan. The strategy was simple: Koji would lead the charge, followed by Aiko, then Taishi, with Gu Yuan as the anchor. Johto's foundation was simply too thin; there was no need for complex tactics when they could simply crush the opposition with raw power.
After the meeting, Gu Yuan entered his training room, preparing to help Charizard take its final step. Fortunately, activities like interviews would only take place after the tournament, so he didn't have to worry about anyone interrupting Charizard's breakthrough.
Three days later, the tournament commenced as scheduled.
"Now, let us welcome the contestants from the Kanto region!"
The announcer's voice boomed, but the cheers from the crowd were noticeably perfunctory, pale in comparison to the roar that had greeted the Johto team. Neither Gu Yuan nor his teammates took this to heart. Playing away from home naturally meant facing various disadvantages. More importantly, this dynamic placed even more pressure on the Johto contestants. If they lost, those cheers would quickly turn into insults, creating a crushing weight on their shoulders.
"Excellent! Now, the first battle begins: Asuka from the Johto region versus Koji from the Kanto region!"
As the battle started, it was clear the opponent had come prepared. Knowing Koji specialized in Electric-type Pokémon, they sent out Asuka, a Ground-type specialist. Gu Yuan couldn't help but find it ironic—someone named "Asuka," which implied flying, specializing in Ground types.
The critical issue, however, was that Asuka's three Ace Rank Pokémon were simply too weak to compare with Koji's. Leveraging his superior strength, Koji not only bridged the elemental disadvantage but actually gained the upper hand. After several rounds of fierce fighting, Koji emerged victorious, though two of his Pokémon were rendered unable to battle.
Immediately after, the next Johto contestant sent out a Grass-type Pokémon and easily defeated Koji.
Unlike Koji, who specialized in a single type, Aiko did not stick to one element. This was a common choice for trainers without a major backing. For them, seeking out talented Pokémon of a specific type was too time-consuming and slowed their growth. Catching and training any high-potential Pokémon they encountered was the most efficient path.
This approach had its pros and cons. The benefit was rapid growth and versatility in battle formats like this. The downside was that their Pokémon's attributes might conflict during wild group battles, hindering their overall performance.
Aiko performed significantly better than Koji. She crushed her direct opponent and even took down one of the next contestant's Pokémon before being eliminated herself.
When it was Taishi Utsunomiya's turn, he exploded with all his might, desperate to minimize Gu Yuan's screen time. He decimated his first opponent, crushed two of the final contestant's Pokémon, and whittled down the third one's stamina before returning to the bench in satisfaction.
By the time Gu Yuan stepped onto the field, the audience had already stopped cheering for their local heroes. Anyone could see that the Kanto region had won this regional battle.
"Go, Charizard! Do as you please!"
As the match began, Gu Yuan released Charizard as promised.
"Roar!"
With a thunderous cry, Charizard launched its assault. As flames gathered, the aura of a Leader Rank Pokémon began to spread across the arena.
"How is that possible!?" Taishi shouted from the stands, his face a mask of disbelief.
He had expected to be the first to break through, never imagining that Gu Yuan had already taken that step. This meant that no matter how well Taishi had performed earlier, he could not steal Gu Yuan's spotlight. The gap between an Ace Rank and a Leader Rank was simply too vast!