"We are left with two choices."
"One is to stay vigilant and slink away with our wounded. We would let our crushing defeat further broadcast Gu Yuan's name as a genius, and afterward, we would become everyone's laughingstock."
"Even if we one day attain Champion Rank strength, we would be nothing more than a joke. This humiliation will follow us for a lifetime!"
"For such a heavy price, what we get in return is simple: survival. Living a life worse than a dog's!"
Suddenly, Saya's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention. However, the words he spoke stirred a fire in everyone's hearts.
"The other choice is to defy our previous orders. From this moment on, it is a fight to the death with Gu Yuan!"
"We will break into smaller groups and act individually. Once anyone spots Gu Yuan, they are to fire a signal flare immediately. We will use continuous battles to grind down his stamina until he is completely defeated!"
"What we must offer is our lives. What we will gain is a dignified death and the ability to vent this suffocating malice in our chests!"
"Now, please make your choice."
"Those who wish to go back may leave directly. You have three minutes to consider!"
After speaking, Saya set a three-minute countdown on his communicator and slowly closed his eyes. When the alarm sounded and Saya reopened his eyes, he found that not a single person had left.
Despite coming from different families, everyone shared a single thought at that moment: Gu Yuan must be left in this forest forever!
"Since you have made your choice, do not regret it. We will now discuss the specific plan of action."
Without using excessive words of encouragement, Saya directly stated his ideas and allowed the others to supplement them. Through collective wisdom, a refined plan quickly took shape. What drove this plan forward was the life of every person involved.
By this time, everyone present was prepared to die. Indeed, after experiencing successive raids and witnessing Gu Yuan's strength, even though many in this group were stronger than him, they were still ready to sacrifice themselves at any moment!
Once the specific plan was finalized, Saya and the others re-entered the forest. Everyone released their Pokémon of Ace Rank and above to further expand their search range, ensuring they could entangle the opponent for as much time as possible when Gu Yuan appeared.
If one were to look down from the sky, they would see Saya and his men weaving a giant net, attempting to catch the slippery fish that was Gu Yuan.
"Is that so? Then let's give it a try."
"When it comes to putting one's life on the line, I won't lose to anyone."
Hidden within the forest, Gu Yuan found it easy to guess their plan after discovering the movements of Saya's group via the System. If they had continued to stay in a cluster, Gu Yuan—who was gradually losing the advantage of terrain—would naturally not have continued the pursuit.
But now, Gu Yuan viewed their encirclement as a challenge, to see in the end whether the fish would die or the net would break.
Using Teleport, Gu Yuan and Alakazam vanished from their spot. As various buffing moves were continuously used, Gu Yuan began to accumulate power in the shadows.
Roaming through the forest, Jimmy cautiously observed his surroundings. Jimmy knew very well that as someone with only Lower-tier Elite strength who had been injured in the previous raid, he was undoubtedly Gu Yuan's best target.
And indeed, it was so.
Using Teleport to bring Alakazam and the others silently near Jimmy, Gu Yuan began to observe carefully. Finding that Jimmy would not show a weakness in a short time, Gu Yuan chose to strike directly.
The light of Mega Evolution rose. The next second, Mega Alakazam used Ally Switch and vanished.
When Mega Alakazam reappeared, Jimmy had been swapped to Gu Yuan's side, only to be pierced through the heart by an arrow from Ceruledge.
Immediately after, Mega Charizard Y, Moltres, and Roaring Moon all struck together, intending to suppress Jimmy's Pokémon first to buy Gu Yuan some time.
However, to Gu Yuan's surprise, it wasn't just Jimmy who carried a signal gun; Jimmy's Pokémon did as well. In the next second, several signal flares rose, indicating Gu Yuan's position to the others.
At the same time, to ensure their Pokémon would not be recalled into Poké Balls and lose combat capability after a surprise attack, Saya and the others had immediately swapped their Poké Balls with one another after releasing their Pokémon.
Now, even they themselves didn't know which Poké Ball belonged to which Pokémon, let alone Gu Yuan.
Specifically, at the moment of engagement, Jimmy's Pokémon counter-attacked desperately. This was the command Jimmy had given them from the very beginning. No matter what happened, no matter if he vanished or died, they were to deathly entangle any Pokémon that dared to attack them.
Faced with such an order, those Elite Rank Pokémon who shared a deep bond with Jimmy naturally obeyed strictly. Driven by them, the Pokémon with Ace Rank and Leader Rank strength did not give up easily either.
"I really didn't expect these people to have such determination. But is it really worth it?"
Gu Yuan spoke, yet he immediately commanded Mega Charizard Y and the others to engage. The previous signal flares had already attracted many people to gather toward him.
Scorching flames fell as Mega Charizard Y led the charge. A Blast Burn cleared the way, directly entangling two Lower-tier Elite Pokémon, while Moltres and Roaring Moon teamed up to deal with the remaining Lower-tier Elite Pokémon.
Conversely, Mega Alakazam and the others moved directly against the Leader Rank Pokémon, ensuring a total suppression of strength to resolve the battle quickly.
Although Moltres and Roaring Moon usually looked like they wanted to fight the moment they saw each other, they complemented each other perfectly when cooperating. Moltres was responsible for suppressing the opponent's strength while providing long-range pressure. Roaring Moon used its astonishing speed and attack power to constantly pressure the opponent, launching assaults at the opportune moment.
In just a short while, several wounds appeared on the opponent's body. Following Gu Yuan's command, Moltres and Roaring Moon coordinated for a final blow.
First came the suppression from Roaring Moon's Scale Shot, followed by the Blast Burn from Moltres which engulfed the target. The moment the flames dissipated, Roaring Moon—transformed into a massive dragon—appeared before the opponent and swallowed them whole, before its sharp claws pierced through the body.
Because it was impossible to return the opponent to a Poké Ball, Gu Yuan had no choice but to deliver a fatal blow!