"The Regional Battle Tournament begins tomorrow. I hope you are all prepared."
"Especially since we are playing on our home turf, I hope your participants are mentally ready for the atmosphere."
Inside the hotel, Bavi offered a kind reminder to Dar.
Following the previous incident and their growing familiarity over the past few days, Bavi had gone out of his way to make things convenient for Dar's group regarding minor matters. Of course, when it came to the actual results of the matches, Bavi would not allow his participants to go easy on them. To do so would tarnish the reputation of his own League and show a lack of respect toward Gu Yuan and his teammates.
What Bavi didn't know, however, was that if they actually did go easy, neither the team leader Dar nor the captain Gu Yuan would have any objections whatsoever.
"I will remind them. However, this is an experience they must go through; it serves as a form of refinement for them."
"Given their prior experience, I imagine they won't have any issues."
"Mm, as long as you're confident."
"I won't disturb you further then. I'll see you at the match tomorrow."
"Right, see you tomorrow."
After smiling and seeing Bavi off, Dar began to study their tactics. He hadn't been idle these past few days, constantly gathering information on the Hoenn League. Now that he had enough data, he found himself frustrated—dammit, why do I have to be the one giving myself a headache over the tactical side too?
At this point, Dar had already decided that he would never accept a mission like this again. This was not a job for a sane human being. Once his tactical research was nearly complete, he summoned Gu Yuan and the others to his room to explain the formations he had prepared. He warned them about what to look out for and how to respond if things went south.
Glancing at the relaxed Gu Yuan, Dar felt like crying. Yet, to maintain his professional persona, he had to keep a stern, serious expression.
"Alright, that's all I'm going to say regarding the tactics for the Regional Battle Tournament. The rest depends on your individual performance."
"Remember the feeling you had in the Johto region. Do not let the surrounding environment affect you, and do not underestimate the Hoenn League participants. Their strength is not inferior to yours; in fact, they might even be stronger."
"Finally, before the match starts, you had better stay in the hotel. Don't even think about doing anything unnecessary."
Dar stared directly at Gu Yuan and Taishi Utsunomiya as he delivered that last sentence. As for how the two of them interpreted it, that was no longer his concern.
After they left, Dar felt mentally exhausted. Not only did he have to collect enemy intel and devise tactics, but he also had to stay vigilant against attacks from family factions and protect Gu Yuan's safety. He hadn't thought much of it before, but now he realized he had been far too naive back then. Still, given Gu Yuan's talent, there was a real possibility he could end this current state of affairs. If that day came, the League would likely become much stronger than it was now. He just wondered if he would live to see it.
While Dar was lost in thought, Gu Yuan went into the training room to let Charizard and the others continue their exercise. Considering the tournament was tomorrow, he reduced the training load significantly to ensure they wouldn't be fatigued. Conversely, Ceruledge and the others had to work just as hard as before, striving for even greater breakthroughs in strength.
In another training room, Taishi Utsunomiya's Dragonite successfully took that final step, smoothly advancing to Leader Rank.
"Excellent, Dragonite! But we must keep working hard!"
Suppressing his excitement and his immediate urge to challenge Gu Yuan, Taishi decided to let Dragonite acclimate to its new power first. When they dealt with Team Aqua earlier, he had seen with his own eyes how powerful that Charizard was. His Dragonite had only just broken through; a reckless challenge would only make him a laughingstock.
He planned to keep this news hidden for now. He would catch everyone off guard during the Regional Battle Tournament and steal Gu Yuan's spotlight. Then, before they arrived in the Sinnoh region, he would make Dragonite even stronger and seize the captaincy. By then, his family's arrangements should be nearly complete.
With these thoughts, Taishi was once again filled with drive and began commanding Dragonite's training. He didn't know that the moment Dragonite broke through, Gu Yuan was the second person to know. Under the system's detection function, Taishi had no way of hiding his true strength from Gu Yuan.
He's already broken through? It seems he doesn't plan on challenging me yet. He's likely planning to show off during the tournament, but how could I let you have your way?
After analyzing Taishi's thoughts, Gu Yuan quickly devised a counter-strategy.
The next day, the Regional Battle Tournament commenced.
As the participants from both sides entered the arena, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers. However, the support was entirely for the Hoenn League, creating a completely one-sided atmosphere.
The first person to take the field for the Kanto region was Aiko. With a diverse team of various types, she was the least affected by the Hoenn League's targeted strategies. Based on her performance, Dar could more easily arrange the subsequent tactics.
The battle began. It was clear that Aiko had improved significantly during this period, though she still couldn't compare to the "cheating" Gu Yuan. Initially, by unleashing power far beyond her usual level, she drew first blood and successfully defeated one of the opponent's Pokémon.
Using this slight advantage, she pressed the attack to eliminate her opponent, though by the end, she was left with only her Ace Rank Jynx. To end the battle quickly, the Hoenn League sent out their next participant, Wendell, who specialized in Fire-type Pokémon. Under the bombardment of flames, Aiko was eliminated.
However, the next person to step onto the stage was not Koji as originally discussed, but Gu Yuan!
Against Dar's sudden tactical shift, neither Taishi nor Koji had the chance to resist. After all, they weren't the captain; they could only follow orders. This was Gu Yuan's way of restricting Taishi. Since Dar was also on the side of the Elite Four, he naturally favored Gu Yuan as long as a victory was guaranteed.
Dar wasn't worried about Taishi or Koji throwing the match either. If they did, they wouldn't even need him to act; the public outcry in the Kanto region would crush them, and it would be a major blow to the factions behind them. Agatha and the others would certainly not miss such an opportunity to kick them while they were down.
On the battlefield, Wendell watched Gu Yuan prepare and silently cheered himself on. Knowing defeat was inevitable, his only goal was to exhaust Gu Yuan's Pokémon as much as possible to create opportunities for his teammates.