"Notify the rest of the squads to assemble here immediately!"
Looking at the wreckage of the battlefield, Saya did not attempt to give chase. He knew very well that doing so would be nothing more than a futile effort.
"From now on, we will split into two groups. The two Psychics will each follow one group."
"Our fallen comrades have given us a warning with their lives. From now on, if only for the sake of your own survival, please maintain the highest level of vigilance!"
"Furthermore, starting this moment, unless we discover Gu Yuan's position behind us, we will hold our ground right here."
"If we truly fail to capture Gu Yuan and require a second or third wave of reinforcements, not only I, but all of you will be pinned to the pillar of shame!"
"Understood?!"
"Understood!!"
In response to Saya's inquiry, everyone shouted back in unison. Under Saya's arrangements, the remaining men quickly split into two groups and divided the search areas to track Gu Yuan's movements.
With a lesson paid for in blood, the crowd was visibly more serious than before. Whether it was a sneak attack or not, Gu Yuan had proven he had the ability to threaten their lives. That alone was enough to keep everyone on high alert.
"Alright, let's wait for a while. At the very least, we need to let their vigilance drop a bit."
After his successful strike, Gu Yuan moved far away from the range of Saya's activities. While speaking, he took out some dry rations to replenish his stamina.
He had no choice; as the strength of Charizard and the others increased, Gu Yuan found that the physical toll of maintaining Mega Evolution also grew. Even though he had been training his physique constantly, if he made Charizard, Alakazam, and Gengar undergo Mega Evolution simultaneously, he could only last for about fifteen minutes.
Any longer would require him to operate at an overload. This made Gu Yuan realize that Mega Evolution could not be used as a routine tactic; it could only serve as a trump card kept at the bottom of the chest.
While Gu Yuan was recovering his strength and planning to stay low for a few days, Saya and the others had already split into two groups to begin their operation. With more people, they could better allocate personnel for night watches and rest, preventing any potential ambushes.
Gu Yuan was in no hurry. Since he had no active quests, being able to tie down so many Elite Rank trainers was already a massive gain.
As time passed, the war between the families and the Elite Four entered a white-hot phase. The invisible pressure made the steady and cautious approach of Saya's team increasingly difficult to maintain. Yet, facing a Psychic like Gu Yuan, Saya and his men couldn't even find his location, let alone launch an active assault.
"Yes, I understand."
Hanging up the phone, Saya felt nothing but humiliation. After wasting so much time and losing so many comrades, the final result was a pathetic retreat!
But what could Saya do? The Elite Four were not fools. As time passed, they had gradually gained the upper hand and managed to free up enough power to deal with them.
Indeed, in this war, it was the defending Elite Four who had gained the advantage. In the mutual offensive and defensive battles, many families had completely vanished, and even the three great families had lost significant power. Only the Fukuda family, under the command of their patriarch Tatao Fukuda, had repeatedly performed excellently, preserving the last bit of dignity for the family alliance.
As expected, when Saya announced the retreat order, no one could accept it. But even so, they had to follow instructions.
Just as they gathered to prepare for the retreat, Gu Yuan quietly followed them. How could Gu Yuan easily let a group of people who wanted him dead just walk away?
Having Alakazam stay ready, Gu Yuan trailed them soundlessly. Perhaps influenced by the sudden news of the retreat, or perhaps thinking that Gu Yuan wouldn't dare strike such a large gathering, Saya and the others didn't even bother to conceal their tracks.
Based on the direction they were heading, Gu Yuan quickly determined their retreat route. To better restrain those who came to attack him, Gu Yuan had prepared more than just a familiar terrain; he had also readied several bombs and new-age weaponry. He had originally planned to use them slowly after finding a weakness, but he hadn't expected them to come in handy now.
Using Teleport to get ahead of the group on their retreat path, Gu Yuan began setting traps. To become an expert in this, he had studied seriously under veterans and even used contribution points to exchange for related books.
One by one, traps appeared on the path these people were using to leave. Gu Yuan was like a spider weaving a web, silently waiting for the moment the prey fell in.
Walking in the center of the formation, Saya's group had arrived at the area between the habitats of Ace Rank and Senior Rank wild Pokémon. Looking up at the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves, Saya gave a self-deprecating laugh.
From today onwards, they would likely become a joke—a stepping stone that added weight to Gu Yuan's fame and reputation as a genius. At the same time, this operation signaled the end of their future prospects. No one would want to employ a group of incompetents, even if those incompetents had their own difficulties.
Many shared Saya's thoughts, so the atmosphere of the entire team was quite low. Furthermore, since they had left the heart of the forest, the vigilance of many had dropped to a terrifyingly low level.
Hidden in the shadows, Gu Yuan was in no rush to act. Instead, he continuously used the System's detection function to lock onto their positions and compare them with his radar.
Only when the group had completely entered the trap did Gu Yuan suddenly press the detonator in his hand. The next second, deafening explosions roared, and successive blasts instantly engulfed Saya's group.
At the moment of the explosion, Gu Yuan and Alakazam also vanished from their spot. Before the smoke could even dissipate, Gu Yuan released Charizard and the others, while having Charizard, Alakazam, and Gengar undergo Mega Evolution.
Gu Yuan's command was simple: continuously unleash moves into the explosion. Saya and his men were indeed elites; they quickly calmed down from the raid. After barely recovering from the shock of the blast, Saya began directing the defense.
Seeing the aftermath of the explosion about to dissipate, Gu Yuan did not linger. He directly had Mega Alakazam take the group away.
Not long after Gu Yuan vanished, the smoke and shockwaves were dispersed. However, this sudden attack had still cost Saya five Elite Rank trainers. Including those previously dealt with by Gu Yuan, the team that originally had thirty-nine members now had only twenty-six left, many of whom were heavily injured.
The luckier ones were left with minor wounds. As for the Pokémon, they had taken the brunt of the damage to protect their trainers; their injuries were far more severe.
A silent rage began to spread. Even the usually calm Saya now harbored a different kind of darkness in his mind.