That night, immediately after Dar hung up the phone, the Elite Four began to take action.
As a veteran Elite, Agatha acted with exceptional speed. She moved swiftly against the forces backing the families of Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka, seizing a vast amount of interests and converting them into resources for the Elite Four.
The Fukuda family, having long been prepared, also struck at the same time. However, compared to Agatha, their movements were undoubtedly much smaller and more discreet.
Elite Agatha was naturally well aware of the ins and outs of the entire situation, so she did not take action against the Fukuda family. As for whether this cooperation would nurture a gargantuan entity, she wasn't worried at all. When the Fukuda family grew to a certain stage, this silent cooperation would naturally come to an end.
By that time, the Fukuda family would, at most, possess a Champion Rank trainer. Yet, in the process, an untold number of families possessing Elite or even Champion Rank members would have vanished. No matter how one looked at it, the League would ultimately benefit the most from this deal, which was why Elite Agatha did not refuse or interfere.
Of course, this was merely the beginning. The family forces behind both Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka were very strong; a single night's raid was not enough to completely eradicate them. After all, a centipede dies but never falls—their influence remained, and there were still many matters to be negotiated in the aftermath.
The only certainty was that regardless of the final outcome, these two families would fall from grace. At best, they might survive as minor powers possessing Ace Rank or Leader Rank strength.
While things were in full swing back in the Kanto region, Dar called the remaining members of the team to his room the following morning.
"Last night, Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka joined forces with others to make a move against Gu Yuan."
"Ultimately, I forced the attacker to retreat. I executed Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka on the spot; not even their bones remain!"
"I am telling you this to warn you to be careful. If you encounter any danger, you must find a way to notify me."
"I won't let anyone off the hook, but if any of you help a villain, I will show absolutely no mercy!"
Dar's voice, thick with killing intent, rang out. He reminded them once again that he not only possessed Champion Rank strength but also held the power of life and death over everyone in this team.
At this moment, the most terrified person was undoubtedly Kurata. Who could have imagined that while he was simply sleeping, his two "brothers" had already made their move? Not only did they fail, but they also dragged him into the mess. Kurata could already picture himself becoming the most unwelcome person in the team from this day forward.
The only thing that gave Kurata a bit of relief was that those two hadn't sought him out or tried to contact him. Otherwise, he might not even be sitting here today.
The reason Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka hadn't contacted Kurata was simple: the power behind him was far too immense. In the Kurata family, the previous head—Kurata's grandfather—possessed Champion Rank strength, and the current head—his father—held the same rank. Even among the families of the entire Kanto region, the Kurata family was a top-tier existence. Therefore, regarding the plot against Gu Yuan, the Kurata family would never let their own kin get their hands dirty, providing support only in other areas.
"Alright, that is all I have to tell you."
"From today on, Basque will also become a member of the main team. The others remain unchanged. Meanwhile, the League will arrange for two substitute players to arrive as quickly as possible."
"However, by my estimation, the substitutes might not arrive until we reach the Kalos region. Therefore, taking on the Unova region will depend on the four of you. Remember to prioritize your safety."
"I do not want to see us lose a match because of a lack of players. That would be far too embarrassing. Do you understand?!"
"Yes, sir!"
Noticing Dar's gaze, Kurata answered loudly.
After leaving Dar's room, Gu Yuan went straight to the training room, as if trying to use training to numb himself. If Gu Yuan knew what the others were thinking, he would only say they were overthinking it. He did have a rapport with Akatsuka, but he had known from the start that their status made a deep friendship impossible. That meager shred of sentiment had vanished the moment Akatsuka turned his blade toward him.
Gu Yuan's goal for training was simple: to get stronger. This ambush made him realize that even with Gengar's protection, he was still a bit too weak. Once this attempt failed, those people wouldn't just give up; instead, they would launch even more intensified attacks. Even if the Fukuda family cooperated with him again, as said before, a true partnership only exists between equals. The weak are only destined to be swallowed whole.
Under the pressure, Gu Yuan had no choice but to redouble his efforts.
Simultaneously, the families convened another meeting.
"I truly didn't expect that for the sake of a mere junior, we would have to hold a second meeting."
"I really don't know whether to marvel at the strength of today's rookies or lament the incompetence of certain individuals."
In the video feed, an old man spoke first. He was from the Cotton family, one of the top-tier families. On either side of him were the head of the Kurata family and the current president of the Kobe Company, Kobe. In every aspect, these three were undisputed behemoths and the leaders of all these families and enterprises.
As the representative of the Cotton family spoke, the other family heads couldn't help but lower their heads.
"Alright, don't be so angry. It was just one failure. At the very least, we've gauged the kid's strength."
"One Leader Rank and four Ace Ranks constitute his total strength right now. That Elite Rank Gengar was likely sent by Agatha to protect him, which means he cannot fully exert the Gengar's power."
"There is still plenty of time before the Regional Battle Tournament ends, enough for us to launch another ambush. This time, we only need to dispatch two Elite Rank trainers to finish him."
"The only trouble is Dar. I didn't expect that quiet man to have reached the Champion Rank. It's quite a surprise."
The stalemate was soon broken by the head of the Kurata family, but the Cotton family representative's expression remained sour. The reason was simple: both Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka were followers of the Cotton family and were among their more outstanding members. Now that they had been neutralized by the League, and the Cotton family couldn't even seek revenge, their mood was naturally foul.
On the other hand, the Fukuda family—who followed the Kurata family—had also taken action, but their style was so discreet that they remained completely unscathed. Calculating it this way, only the Cotton family had suffered a loss, something the traditionally domineering family found hard to stomach.
"Exactly. Besides, this kid caused the Cotton family such a heavy loss; he truly should pay the price."
On the side, the president of the Kobe family added fuel to the fire, not caring if the situation turned more chaotic.