"Please allow me to express my apologies once again for this attack."
"Rest assured, we will take thunderous measures to deal a fatal blow to a terrorist organization like Team Aqua."
"I also want to thank you for the intelligence you provided. It will undoubtedly make our crackdown much simpler."
Over the phone, Bavi from the Hoenn region sounded full of apology and gratitude, a performance so polished that no one could find fault with it.
"It was nothing. We are all part of the same League. This was simply what I ought to do."
"If you need any help from us, feel free to ask. Our group does have some strength to offer."
"Understood! I look forward to your arrival once more. Furthermore, I have already arranged for personnel to intercept and escort you to ensure your safety."
"Good. I imagine you have much to attend to, so I won't disturb you further."
"Yes. Looking forward to seeing you all. Goodbye."
After hanging up, Bavi's gaze turned icy.
Matters regarding Team Aqua were primarily handled by Drake, the Dragon-type Elite Four member. As Drake's assistant, Bavi was perhaps the person within the Hoenn League who had the most contact with Team Aqua.
Unfortunately, the enemy's main base was far too hidden. Compounded by the fact that they operated via submarines in the ocean, the Hoenn League had long been unable to wipe them out. Leveraging their mobility, Team Aqua frequently attacked passing ships, causing immense distress to the Hoenn League.
Now, Team Aqua had dared to strike the Kanto representative team, further tarnishing the Hoenn League's reputation. If it came down to accountability, Drake would undoubtedly bear the heaviest responsibility.
Thinking of this, Bavi wished he could subject everyone in Team Aqua to his own brand of torture.
"Pass down the order: assemble the First, Second, and Third Squads immediately. All contact with the outside world is strictly forbidden during this process. I want to see them battle-ready within half an hour!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sensing the fury in Bavi's voice, the person on the other end complied instantly and began the mobilization.
As a singular entity in name, the internal division of labor within each League was largely the same. It was generally divided into Pokémon Centers, Police Departments for public security, Rangers for dealing with Pokémon hunters, and International Police or Investigators responsible for handling various terrorists and organizations.
Under Bavi's command, the most elite group of Investigators began their operation. Using the intelligence provided by Dar, Bavi exploited an information gap against Team Aqua.
With the deployment of elite forces, several of Team Aqua's secret bases soon suffered devastating blows. Night was naturally a time when people let their guard down. These Team Aqua members never expected the League's Investigators to discover their locations, let alone launch a nighttime raid.
This night was destined to leave many unable to sleep, while many others would fall into an eternal slumber.
"Leader, many of our sub-bases have been hit by the League. Our losses are still expanding."
"I have ordered all other potentially exposed locations to evacuate immediately. We still don't know if they can leave safely."
At Team Aqua's headquarters, Archie, who had just been woken up, listened to his subordinate's report. His expression grew increasingly grim.
"You handled it well. Expand the evacuation range further. Carry away as many resources and documents as possible; destroy on-site anything that cannot be taken. Prioritize preserving our active forces."
"Afterward, contact Matt. Have him lead a counterattack to tie up the energy of the Investigators and buy time for the evacuation. Tell him to watch out for ambushes. He must not get himself trapped."
"Finally, use every possible means to find out exactly how the Investigators captured our locations so accurately and why they launched such a large-scale raid!"
"Yes, sir!"
Forcing himself to calm down, Archie began managing the crisis. This was all he could do for now. Based on his knowledge of Bavi and Drake, the more he did, the more openings he would reveal, allowing them to seize the chance to cause even greater losses.
Especially regarding himself; if he exposed his own location, the Investigators would be more than happy to dispatch massive forces to surround and suppress him. Most importantly, Maxie had likely received the news by now. If possible, Maxie would definitely not mind kicking them while they were down to help the League uproot Team Aqua entirely.
Only after this League crackdown passed would it be time for his counterattack.
"Drake, Bavi... I hope you can withstand my wrath when the time comes!" Archie whispered through gritted teeth, his voice thick with rage.
The next day, the Investigators' crackdown on Team Aqua continued. Bavi's goal was to ensure that Team Aqua could not disrupt the Regional Battle Tournament under any circumstances.
Out at sea, Gu Yuan's group finally met with the Hoenn League's protection. Given the current situation, Team Aqua had no energy left to spare for them. By the time Gu Yuan and his team safely reached the Hoenn region, Bavi was forced to scale back the intensity of the crackdown. Without fresh intelligence, even Bavi was powerless to completely annihilate Team Aqua.
Fortunately, after this blow, Team Aqua had suffered heavy losses and wouldn't be able to pull any major stunts for a while. The remaining concern was Team Magma. If their leader Maxie was blind enough to try something, Bavi wouldn't mind giving them a taste of a large-scale purge as well.
Meanwhile, at Team Aqua's headquarters, Archie had finally figured out why the League had suddenly attacked.
"So that's it. Lucius, that idiot... to be so blind as to leak our intelligence in the end."
"No matter what, a man like that cannot be allowed to live. Find a way to mobilize our assets. I want him dead in prison!"
"Yes!"
Receiving the order, Shelly went to plan the detailed operation.
"The Regional Battle Tournament... that would be a good opportunity for revenge. I need to think about how to play this."
"Most importantly, after I strike the Kanto team, how will I withstand the League's fury?"
Leaning back in his chair, Archie fell into deep thought, muttering to himself.
While Archie was plotting against the tournament, little did he know that Maxie was also watching him, hoping to play the role of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
As the targets of these schemes, Gu Yuan and his team checked into the hotel prepared by the Hoenn League, quietly waiting for the Regional Battle Tournament to begin.