"Everyone should be aware of the current situation by now. Gu Yuan has become a thorn in our side, and the ambitions of the Elite Four are becoming increasingly obvious."
"The previous raid, in particular, has undoubtedly whetted their appetite completely."
"If we continue to remain silent, I believe the Elite Four will launch a second attack very soon."
"When that time comes, the target might not necessarily be us; it could very well be any of you sitting here."
As the meeting commenced, Toranosuke Kurata was the first to speak. He was the head of the Kurata family.
With things escalating to this level, it was no longer a matter that could be settled by sending a mere representative. It was clear from the start that Gaius was simply resting with his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent.
Unlike Gaius, Jin Kobe maintained a solemn expression. However, Toranosuke Kurata knew that Kobe was merely following their three-way agreement to intentionally pressure the other families.
Indeed, once Gaius had stabilized the situation and reclaimed his status as a top-tier family power, Toranosuke Kurata and Jin Kobe immediately ceased their hostile actions and reconciled with him. Whether Gaius was sincere in this cooperation was irrelevant; what mattered was that he had to follow the original plan laid out by the three of them. If Gaius wanted to reclaim his dignity, he would have to wait patiently for an opportunity.
"If any of you feel you possess the strength to resist the Elite Four's offensive alone, or if you wish to defect to their side, you may disconnect from this meeting now."
"I will give you all a final three minutes to consider. After three minutes, there will be no chance for regret."
"In this war, there is no room for fence-sitters!"
After a brief pause, Toranosuke Kurata dropped this bombshell and silently began timing. Among the crowd, only Tatao Fukuda remained the most composed, directly closing his eyes.
Soon, the three minutes passed, and not a single person chose to withdraw. It wasn't because they were particularly determined, but because they understood clearly that even if they defected to the Elite Four and helped eradicate the forces led by the three major families, they would gain nothing in the end. The most likely outcome would be the Elite Four discarding them once they were no longer useful.
"Your choice satisfies me greatly."
"From this moment on, we declare war against the Elite Four. Detailed instructions on how to proceed will be sent to each of you."
"Rest assured, no one will be used as bait or a sacrificial pawn."
"Now, meeting adjourned!"
Following Toranosuke Kurata's words, the meeting ended. Aside from the heads of the three families and Tatao Fukuda, the other patriarchs became increasingly apprehensive. Despite their reluctance to admit it, they knew that in a war of this magnitude, they lacked the power to protect themselves. Even the top-tier Cotton family had been severely wounded by the Elite Four's assault. Had they not resorted to "blood-sucking," the Cotton family would have been dropped from the ranks of top families by now.
While they were filled with anxiety, Tatao Fukuda was different. For him, this was the opportunity he had long awaited—a chance to push the Fukuda family to even greater heights!
Without giving these families much time, the prepared three major families immediately distributed detailed plans to them. Looking at the counter-attack plans, it was evident that the forces committed by the Cotton family were significantly smaller than those of the Kurata and Kobe families. Clearly, the previous strike by the Elite Four prevented the Cotton family from fully recovering, even with their predatory tactics.
While this counter-attack plan carried immense risk, it was also filled with opportunity, which was exactly why the three families had pushed for it. Of course, even with this counter-offensive, these families didn't expect to completely annihilate the Elite Four; they simply wanted to show that they were capable of a "mutual destruction" scenario. Simultaneously, they aimed to use this chance to plunder more resources.
Both sides maintained a tacit understanding: they kept a portion of their strength to watch over organizations like Team Rocket. No matter how fierce the internal struggle became, it was still considered an internal League matter, and they would never allow outside organizations to play the role of the "mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
On the third day after the meeting, the families' counter-attack officially began. The Elite Four were well-prepared for this, so there was no risk of them being caught off guard. Most importantly, while the families saw this counter-attack as a way to gain profit, the Elite Four viewed the war as a means to expand their original gains.
It is worth noting that in this war, all these families shared one common goal: to eliminate Gu Yuan. They decided they could no longer allow him to grow. If they could solve the problem of Gu Yuan, these families were willing to pay almost any price!
In the forest, squads of Forest Rangers moved through the brush. Their opponents this time were no longer Pokémon Hunters or poaching groups, but the families. Within their familiar battlefield, the Rangers quickly gained the upper hand due to their rich experience.
Just as the Rangers were preparing to expand their advantage, reinforcements from the families arrived just in time to turn the tide. When the Rangers' side began to falter, reinforcements sent by the Forest Ranger Headquarters also arrived. Thus, a chance encounter turned into a confrontation between two armies, characterized by constant probing.
Eventually, once the numbers reached a certain point, both sides reached a tacit agreement to stop, avoiding excessive losses in unnecessary locations. More accurately, this forest lacked significant resources worth fighting over.
After they all departed, the wild Pokémon in the forest breathed a sigh of relief, silently deciding to keep a low profile for the foreseeable future. Similar events were unfolding in many other places. Areas used for breeding rare Pokémon or resource-rich regions became the fuses that ignited the war.
"So they finally found me? A bit slower than I imagined."
Gu Yuan stretched and spoke in a leisurely tone. When the families launched their counter-attack, he had already learned that he had become one of their primary targets.
At the time, Gu Yuan had three choices: first, to hide with the help of the League; second, to lead a League force into battle; and third, to act alone, using his mobility to tie up the families' energy.
Needless to say, Gu Yuan discarded the first option immediately. As for leading a team, he knew that with his talent for drawing aggro, the people following him would likely suffer high casualties. Therefore, he chose the third path: acting alone to divert the families' resources.
Meanwhile, as a Psychic, Gu Yuan could transform into a top-tier assassin at any moment!