"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
"Those bastards are going too far!"
"Why am I the only one held responsible for everyone's failure!!"
Inside his study, Tatao Fukuda was completely unable to suppress his inner rage. At this moment, he even felt like defecting to Agatha and her faction to bring those bastards down one by one, watching them kneel at his feet and weep bitterly!
But he couldn't do it.
Setting aside whether Agatha would believe him or if he could maintain his current status, the sheer fury of those families and corporations would be enough to tear him to pieces—especially since his own hands were far from clean.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
Slowly, Tatao Fukuda began to calm down. Once he regained his composure, he started thinking about what to do next. Those bastards had given him a death order: he had to find a way to eliminate Gu Yuan at any cost, ensuring the boy never had the chance to reach his full potential.
It was easier said than done. After what had just happened, who would dare touch Gu Yuan in the short term? One would likely be buried right alongside Gu Yuan the second after killing him. Therefore, this matter couldn't be rushed; it had to be handled slowly.
Meanwhile, Tatao Fukuda had even more important things to attend to. He didn't want to experience this feeling a second time.
After safely passing the crisis, Gu Yuan remained in the Viridian Forest for special training. However, he didn't lower his guard, knowing those people might double back. Even if Agatha and the others would avenge him later, his life would already be gone, so a necessary level of caution was indispensable.
While Gu Yuan was training frantically to improve his strength, the Pokémon in the Viridian Forest suffered. To maximize efficiency, Gu Yuan would have his Pokémon challenge every Ace Rank wild Pokémon two or three times, squeezing out every possible point.
When Charizard and the others were tired, he would seek out Senior Rank opponents for Ceruledge and the others to handle. Through battle after battle, Gu Yuan's points soared. Correspondingly, the strength and move mastery of Charizard and the team were also skyrocketing.
Furthermore, the outstanding performance of the main team left a deep impression on Axew, Dreepy, Hatenna, and Rolycoly, planting a seed of desire for battle within them.
In Gu Yuan's current team, even the most laid-back member, Sylveon, seemed influenced by the Indigo League experience. She felt that the stronger she became, the fewer times Gu Yuan would force her to fight. To achieve peace once and for all by becoming so powerful that no opponent could force her hand, Sylveon's effort was no less than Charizard's.
Since Sylveon was already the closest to Charizard in strength, her hard work undoubtedly placed pressure on him, forcing Charizard to work even harder than her.
When Charizard and Sylveon began out-competing each other, Alakazam, Annihilape, and Ditto couldn't sit still. Their strength was already lagging behind; if they didn't work hard now while the leaders were pushing so much, how could they keep up?
Moving down the line, Ceruledge and the other Senior Rank members saw that even the Ace Rank Charizard hadn't relaxed for a moment, so they felt they had no reason to rest either. Thus, under this strange phenomenon, a virtuous cycle was miraculously created, leading even Axew and the others to become more serious in their training.
Seeing everything moving in a positive direction, Gu Yuan naturally didn't stop them. Instead, he thoughtfully prepared all the resources they needed for their cultivation. He believed that by keeping watch, he could correct any negative trends if the atmosphere turned sour.
In this frantic training atmosphere, the strength of Charizard and the team improved more rapidly than ever. Even faster than their growth was the passage of time. In the blink of an eye, the remaining two months were coming to an end. It was time for Gu Yuan to finish his special training and head to the selection tournament site.
"Alright, alright. I'll find you some suitable opponents to practice with, okay?"
Nodding helplessly, Gu Yuan led Axew and the others to the outskirts of the Viridian Forest. Having witnessed so many brilliant battles, Axew and the small ones were itching to test their own skills.
After three months of growth, Hatenna and Rolycoly successfully broke through to the Intermediate Rank. Specifically, Rolycoly had evolved once into Carkol.
After evolving, Carkol looked significantly different. The coal on its body was now primarily concentrated on its back. It had changed from having a single eye to having two eyes and a mouth, through which red-hot air could be seen. Most importantly, Carkol now had four legs, and its body, aside from the coal on its back, was composed of a hard, stone-like shell.
Following the evolution, Carkol's information changed.
Pokémon: Carkol
Gender: Male
Ability: Steam Engine
Rank: Intermediate Rank
Type: Rock/Fire
Level-up Moves: Tackle, Smokescreen, Rapid Spin, Flame Charge, Smack Down, Rock Polish, Ancient Power, Incinerate
TM Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Stomp, Body Slam, Struggle Bug, Iron Defense
Egg Moves: Explosion, Mud-Slap, Block
Compared to Hatenna and Carkol, the growth of Axew and Dreepy was much slower. Axew was currently one step away from breaking through to the Intermediate Rank, while Dreepy still had a way to go.
To soothe the emotions of these two little ones, Gu Yuan explained a lot to them, making them understand they were "late-bloomer" geniuses. He successfully guided them onto the right track, making them train even harder.
"In that case, let's start with Hatenna. This Raticate will be your opponent."
Facing one of the only two girls in the team, Gu Yuan's tone was very gentle. Hatenna nodded obediently and moved her small feet to stand opposite the Raticate.
The moment Raticate saw Hatenna, it only had one doubt: Could this cute Pokémon, who looks like she'd cry if you just touched her, actually fight?
In the next second, Hatenna changed that perception.
"Hatenna, Play Nice!"
As Gu Yuan's voice rang in Hatenna's mind, she sprang into action. Relying on her cute appearance, she successfully bewildered the Raticate, thereby lowering its attack power.
"Disarming Voice, Magical Fire!"
The gentle voice rang out directly in the Raticate's ears. Facing the unavoidable Disarming Voice, the Raticate had no chance of dodging. The pain caused it to snap out of its daze, and it ignored the agony to launch an attack at Hatenna.
Magical Fire surged out. Just as Raticate tried to dodge, Hatenna used Confusion to halt its movements. With the hit from Magical Fire, Hatenna's offensive continued. Under the coordination of Disarming Voice, Magical Fire, and Confusion, the Raticate didn't even have a chance to get close.
Just like that, Hatenna's debut battle ended in an easy victory.