"Sigh, I didn't expect the Kanto League to still come out on top in the end."
"While I find it a pity, I must congratulate you all on your victory."
During the final interview segment, Matsunaga spoke to Dar with a smile, fully demonstrating his magnanimity.
"Not at all, not at all. We were just lucky," Dar replied.
Dar did not act arrogant either, instead responding with humble politeness.
Thus, amidst the mutual flattery of the two men, the Regional Battle Tournament officially came to a close.
Finally, out of etiquette, Matsunaga invited Dar and the others to stay a while longer so he could fulfill his duties as a host.
This was originally just a polite formality, but Dar took it seriously and prepared to stay for an extended period that very day.
Of course, if Aiko and the others had business, they could leave first, and the League would reimburse all their expenses.
After all, now that the tournament was over, there was no need to restrict their freedom.
Knowing what was about to happen, Aiko and Basque did not refuse; they planned to rest for two days before returning directly to the Kanto region.
Kurata, however, had already left the Kalos region that same day, clearly wanting no part in the coming trouble.
The most unfortunate were the two substitutes.
They had traveled all the way from Kanto with great effort, only to do nothing at all, and now they had to leave in a hurry to avoid affecting Dar or Gu Yuan.
"Stop being so talkative! Stop being so talkative!"
"Now look what happened. Let's see how you clean up this mess!"
Inside his room, Matsunaga couldn't help but give himself two slaps across the face.
Thinking back, Matsunaga felt like his brain had short-circuited at that moment.
He clearly knew that the current Gu Yuan was a hot potato, so why on earth did he invite the boy to stay?
Now it was settled. Even if he didn't want to, he was now embroiled in the situation. He couldn't just stand by and watch Gu Yuan be murdered.
Sighing, Matsunaga began to contemplate his next move.
The only thing he could be thankful for was that he wasn't from the Kanto region. No matter how much power those three families possessed, they couldn't touch him in the Kalos region; otherwise, they would have toppled the Elite Four long ago.
"That's right, why am I afraid of them?"
"I'm not one of your Kanto people. So what if I protect Gu Yuan!"
"With Gu Yuan's potential, he's a lock to become a Champion in the future. It's not impossible for him to become the Kanto Champion one day!"
"When that time comes, with the help of the Elite Four, those families will have a hard time. It might even be possible for them to vanish into the long river of history entirely."
"At that point, my life-saving favor will be extremely important!"
The more Matsunaga spoke, the more excited he became.
No sooner said than done; Matsunaga immediately packed his things and moved into the hotel where Gu Yuan was staying. Just like Dar, he stayed right next to Gu Yuan, guarding him from both sides.
"A smart man. Doing this is a guaranteed win with no risk of loss."
"Regardless of the outcome, we will have to owe him this favor in the end."
"In that case, I want to see how you all make your move. Don't disappoint me."
Gazing out the window, Dar actually began to feel a sense of anticipation.
Gu Yuan, meanwhile, was not affected by the external changes. He spent every day in the hotel's training room, striving to push Charizard's strength further.
"I'll have to trouble you, Gengar. Please go all out!"
In the training room, Gu Yuan earnestly instructed the Gengar that Agatha had left with him.
Instead of its usual playfulness, Gengar nodded solemnly and prepared for battle.
"Go, Charizard! Mega Evolve!"
As Gu Yuan's voice rang out, the power of the Mega Stone was triggered. Combined with the power of the Key Stone, it caused Charizard to evolve once more.
The light dissipated, and the evolved Mega Charizard X appeared before Gengar.
Sensing the power radiating from Mega Charizard X, Gengar completely cast aside its inner contempt.
"Mega Charizard X, Fire Blast!"
At the command, scorching flames surged out, forming a massive kanji character that sought to envelop Gengar.
Seeing this, Gengar immediately used Night Shade, following up with a Shadow Ball to strike back.
After this period of growth, Charizard's strength had increased again, and it had completely mastered the power of Mega Evolution.
The current Mega Charizard X possessed Elite Rank power, though it was only at the entry level of that rank.
To help Charizard adapt to its Mega Evolved strength, Gu Yuan had enlisted Gengar as a sparring partner.
The moment the Shadow Ball and Fire Blast collided, the power of the flames was crushed by the Shadow Ball.
"Mega Charizard X, Dragon Rush!"
After gaining the Dragon type, the power of Dragon Rush became even more formidable in Mega Charizard X's hands. Its charge made Gengar feel as if it were truly being targeted by a colossal dragon.
Several bursts of Dark Pulse condensed into a beam of light, forcibly exhausting the power of the Dragon Rush.
"Now! Suppress it with Heat Wave, then Blast Burn!"
With a flap of its wings, a scalding Heat Wave swept in, as if trying to disperse the shadowy image condensed by Gengar.
Considering they were in a training room that might not withstand the full power of Blast Burn, Gengar did not dodge. Instead, it countered with Thunder.
Orange-yellow electricity condensed like a spear of the thunder god, piercing straight through the raging flames before completely dispelling them.
"Mega Charizard X, use Dragon Rush again!"
After continuously closing the distance between them, Gu Yuan ordered Mega Charizard X to attack once more.
Dragon energy gathered as the dragon descended, leaving Gengar with no chance to dodge.
Ghost-type energy surged as the Night Shade became increasingly solid.
Condensing the power of Shadow Ball into its claws, Gengar collided with Mega Charizard X.
Ghostly and Draconic energies diffused together, transforming into an ethereal glow that gradually swallowed both Gengar and Mega Charizard X.
Following a pulse of power, Mega Charizard X and Gengar were seen separating.
Seizing the opening, Gu Yuan ordered Mega Charizard X to attack with Blast Burn again.
Unfortunately, facing the bronze wall that was Gengar, Mega Charizard X's offensive could not take effect.
Finally, the Mega Evolution time limit expired, and the match came to an end.
"You did well, Charizard. Rest for a bit; we have to continue training later!"
Patting Charizard's shoulder, Gu Yuan comforted it with a smile.
Nodding, the now-mature Charizard quickly recovered from the setback, its fighting spirit igniting once more.
While Charizard rested, Gu Yuan chatted with Gengar about the Pokémon's strength after Mega Evolution.
After Mega Evolving, Charizard did indeed possess Elite Rank strength.
Especially in terms of explosive potential, it boasted impressive power.
If Elite Rank strength were specifically categorized, Gengar undoubtedly stood at the Peak, while Charizard was at the Lower-tier. Between them lay the Middle-tier and Upper-tier, though Charizard's occasional bursts could reach Middle-tier strength.
Crucially, Charizard's power could not be sustained for long, which was a significant drawback.
Regardless, Gu Yuan now possessed Elite Rank strength, which would be enough to launch more counterattacks during the upcoming assassination.