The Combat Hall lay in utter chaos, with traces of destruction from various moves visible everywhere. During the battle, Pokemon filled the arena, unleashing a myriad of attacks that caused immense damage.
The only intact area was where the Ellie Trainers had been spectating earlier. Now, they stood neatly in a line together.
Facing them were Taro and the Sebas Trainers, their eyes seemingly ablaze with fury as they glared at the Ellie group.
Interestingly, the most enraged among the Sebas Trainers weren't directed towards the Dark Guild. Given the guild's notorious reputation for villainy, it wasn't surprising; moreover, capturing numerous members and leaders had already somewhat quelled their anger.
However, the resentment towards the Ellie Trainers persisted within the hearts of the Sebas Trainers.
After all, the Sebas delegation had come to the Ellie region for the Exchange Competition, essentially making them guests. Even if the hosts' attitude hadn't been particularly welcoming, it wouldn't have mattered much. But when faced with formidable adversaries, the Ellie Trainers chose to stand idly by, merely observing the spectacle unfold.
If the target had instead been the Ellie Trainers, the Sebas group would undoubtedly have intervened without hesitation.
The Ellie region also had high-level Trainers present, but they understood their shortcomings; indeed, they hadn't handled the situation well. Even leaving the Combat Hall to seek assistance would have been preferable.
Instead, they chose to spectate indifferently as if it were none of their concern. How could this not incite resentment from Sebas?
Taro glared at these Trainers, realizing that the Exchange Competition was unlikely to continue after such a significant incident. The Sebas trainers now felt contempt for even participating against the Ellie region.
"How do you plan to resolve this? Although I am your senior, I'm not addressing you in that capacity today," Taro spoke coldly. "As a Trainer from the Sebas region, I demand answers! Despite fearing involvement due to Dark Guild's numbers, how could you remain so indifferent and detached while watching the battle unfold? Are our regions truly at odds?"
"The purpose of this Exchange Competition was to strengthen ties between our regions, yet it seems clear that you had no intention of fostering any goodwill."
"If you sincerely apologize now and seek their forgiveness, I'll consider this incident never happened, allowing the Exchange Competition to proceed..."
"What apology?" Suddenly, amidst the crowd, a Trainer from the Ellie region interrupted Taro.
"In that situation, minimizing harm was the best choice. Everything turned out fine, proving our actions were correct."
Taro's gaze sharply shifted towards the speaker, who was none other than Jessie from the Strongest Group. Facing Taro, Jessie showed no hint of fear as she countered his words.
"So, you refuse to apologize then?" Taro's eyes turned icy cold. Although Sebas hadn't suffered any direct harm, the severity of the incident could not be overlooked.
He had already provided an opportunity for the Ellie region to de-escalate by offering an apology and seeking forgiveness. Whether Sebas chose to forgive them or not was secondary; however, the Ellie Trainers' refusal to even apologize and instead rebutting him was unacceptable.
"Of course, we did nothing wrong. Why should we apologize?" another Trainer chimed in. Being on their home turf, they were unwilling to easily back down.
Trainer Sebas glared furiously at them, wondering how they could be so unapologetic when their lives had been at stake.
Taro turned to the high-level Trainers from his side and asked, "Do you share this attitude?"
The high-level Trainers glanced at the Ellie region's Trainers, then gritted their teeth and nodded. "Elite Four Taro, let's just leave it at that."
Taro chuckled heartily, seemingly realizing something. He looked closely at the Ellie region's Trainers, particularly those from the Strongest Group. Without sufficient backing, no Trainer would dare speak to him with such confidence. This indicated that these Trainers likely had influential connections within the Ellie region.
While most regions were primarily governed by the Pokemon League, the Ellie region might have unique circumstances known to few. In reality, behind the Ellie region's League, there were powerful families controlling significant resources.
In contrast, the Sebas region was predominantly under the League's influence, with minimal involvement of complex family dynamics. This was mainly due to the scarcity of resources in the Sebas region.
The lack of resources slowed down the development of the Sebas region compared to the Ellie region, evident especially in recent years when the Ellie region pioneered research on Z-Moves.
Without sufficient resources, it's nearly impossible to develop such complex technologies. Even the Ellie region had invested vast amounts of resources and effort.
These Trainers were likely nurtured by influential families from the Ellie region. Naturally, those with exceptional potential would attend the Pokemon Academy instead of being here.
Despite this, Taro still felt cautious when dealing with the backing families behind these Trainers, not out of fear but because he was in the Ellie region, not his own territory.
"This matter won't be left unresolved. If you refuse to apologize, then so be it. However, I hope you don't regret the consequences that follow."
Taro's demeanor hardened; he planned to report this incident to the League, allowing them to handle it accordingly. When the collective anger of trainers across regions flares up, it remains to be seen if the Ellie region can bear the fallout.
The trainers from Sebas region were highly united, and although this incident wasn't directly caused by the Ellie region - as the Dark Guild targeted Sebas trainers - their hostile attitude and refusal to apologize were unacceptable.
If the consequences were severe, such as losing all these mid-level Trainers and their Z-Rings, it could potentially ignite a war between two regions.
These mid-level Trainers were mostly future high-level Trainers; losing them would mean Sebas region forfeiting over twenty potential high-level Trainers. The scarcity of future high-level Trainers would undoubtedly drive the League to madness.
Taro promptly decided to return to the Sebas region, taking along the captured members of the Dark Guild who remained detained without attempting escape.
Without their Pokemon, they were no different from ordinary people. A single Tangela using Vine Whip could easily immobilize them all.
"This trip to the Ellie region has been truly disappointing."
"Hmph, if not for Kalia's Charizard, we might have lost our lives. I'm never coming back to the Ellie region again."
The Exchange Competition was supposed to be enjoyable, but after this incident, many Trainers felt uneasy and realized that safety lay within their own territory. Facing unexpected dangers here with no one to assist was too risky.