"In that case, starting today, the Hunter's Guild is honored to form an alliance with the three of you. I hope we can cooperate with perfect understanding in our upcoming operations."
As the argument concluded, the representative of the Hunter's Guild reverted to his refined and elegant demeanor. It was as if the person who had just been haggling over every bit of interest, nearly coming to blows, was someone else entirely.
"No problem. Our first joint operation will begin in half a month. At that time, both sides will demonstrate their sincerity, and we will decide whether this cooperation can continue."
On the side of the three great families, it was Toranosuke Kurata—the one who had originally proposed the idea—who spoke. Afterward, both parties tactfully hung up the phone and began their patient preparations.
Just as the families needed time to recover from the trauma of the war, the League was busy securing the spoils of victory. No one was busier than Gu Yuan.
Following this war, Gu Yuan's fame and battle record significantly impacted his standing within the League. Currently, many people highly regarded Gu Yuan as a rising star. Having Gu Yuan as a role model attracted many people to join the ranks of the Elite Four. Had Gu Yuan already begun forming his own personal unit, those wishing to serve under him would likely have fought over the positions.
This was the extent of Gu Yuan's current influence. Regarding this, Agatha's advice to Gu Yuan was to wait a little longer.
Although an Elite-level trainer like Gu Yuan was entitled to his own subordinates, the most important thing for him right now was to improve his own strength. At the very least, he needed to cross the threshold into the Champion Rank. Forming a team too early would only serve as a distraction.
Furthermore, Agatha had left something unsaid: once Gu Yuan broke through to the Champion Rank, she intended to hand over part of her faction to him, eventually allowing him to silently succeed her power. This would be far more convenient than Gu Yuan building a team from scratch.
Gu Yuan naturally had no objections to Agatha's advice, though he still made sure to cultivate necessary connections. After staying at the League Headquarters for several days to meet various people and exchange contact information, he set out once again.
Peaceful training did not suit Gu Yuan's growth. The best method remained battling powerful Pokémon; this was also a promise he had made to Charizard and the others, and he intended to keep it.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Gu Yuan had successfully swept through three forests. Relying on accumulated points and the previous continuous battles, Charizard had successfully broken through to the Middle-tier Elite rank. Moltres and Roaring Moon were also just one opportunity away from doing the same.
Just as Gu Yuan was preparing to head into the next forest, he suddenly heard a piece of news: a Pokémon sanctuary under the League's jurisdiction had been attacked. During the assault, the staff members responsible for security were all eliminated, and the Pokémon being raised there were taken in one fell swoop.
If it were just a standard attack, the culprit would likely be found quickly, but the strangeness lay in the investigation itself. No matter how much the League investigated, they could not determine who the final culprit was.
Out of curiosity, Gu Yuan asked Shadow and discovered it wasn't Team Rocket's doing. No clues were found among Pokémon Hunters or poaching groups either. That left only the families or the Hunter's Guild.
Having just endured a major war, the families likely wouldn't choose this moment to act suddenly, as it could easily trigger a new war. Ruling out other possibilities, only the Hunter's Guild remained.
Once he realized this, Gu Yuan became puzzled. Logically, the Hunter's Guild had always kept a low profile. Even if they acted, they shouldn't be this reckless. Or perhaps the strength the League displayed previously had made the Hunter's Guild feel threatened, making them eager to make their voice heard and put pressure on the League. Doing so would also allow the families to rest, giving them more strength to struggle against the League.
The more he thought about it, the more Gu Yuan felt this was the most likely scenario. After carefully considering how to describe it to Agatha, he reported his suspicions to her. At the same time, Gu Yuan silently heightened his vigilance. Who knew if the Hunter's Guild would target him? It was better to be safe.
Exactly as Gu Yuan suspected, this attack marked the beginning of the cooperation between the Hunter's Guild and the families. The families provided intelligence and cover while the Hunter's Guild handled the execution, after which they split the profits. With this opening, the three great families, having tasted success, began preparing even more attack plans.
Upon receiving Gu Yuan's message, Agatha considered it carefully and felt that his reasoning was sound. Furthermore, looking at the worst-case scenario, it was possible the families and the Hunter's Guild had already joined forces. Although the Hunter's Guild had always been low-profile, anyone with a discerning eye could see their ambitions were far from small.
For the families to cooperate with the Hunter's Guild was nothing less than conspiring with a tiger; they would likely be eaten until not even the bone marrow remained.
Despite her thoughts, Agatha immediately contacted the other three Elites to discuss how to respond to the Hunter's Guild's next attacks and whether they could seize the opportunity to counterattack. In the past, the Hunter's Guild was difficult to deal with because of their secrecy. Now that they dared to expose their movements, it undoubtedly gave the League a chance to strike.
The most critical factor was that if they could find a flaw in the cooperation between the families and the Hunter's Guild, their side could launch a general offensive. Once the families were eradicated, neither the Hunter's Guild nor Team Rocket would be able to cause a significant disturbance.
Compared to their enemies, the League's efficiency was staggering. Following the discussion, the post-war reorganization would still be handled by the Pokémon Centers to ensure the negative impacts of the war were erased as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the resources obtained previously were given to trainers on the verge of a breakthrough to help them take that final step, while also increasing the intensity of trainer cultivation. Secondly, the defense of various cities was handed over to the police. Beyond defense, they were tasked with investigating the personnel stationed by other families in each city to prepare for the final decisive battle.
Pokémon Rangers and Investigators were to cooperate, using the Hunter's Guild's actions to locate their bases and then root them out one by one. Additionally, the overt surveillance of the families would be lowered to make them believe the League's focus had shifted entirely to the Hunter's Guild. However, the moment any collusion between the families and the guild was discovered, the League would implement a lightning strike with maximum speed.
After hammering out the specific details, the plan was quickly pushed forward under the leadership of the Elite Four. Gu Yuan, who was honing his skills in the wild, also received a mission: to keep an eye out for the Hunter's Guild's movements and any suspicious individuals he encountered.
No one expected that after only half a month, the Kanto region would once again feel as if a storm were brewing.