Hatterene's Life Dew sprinkled down, beginning to heal the injuries on Pikachu and Charizard.
"Ash! I believe I told you what to do when facing an enemy stronger than yourself!"
"But look at your performance. Did you demonstrate anything I said!?"
"No matter how many times you win in practical exercises, your opponents were just wild Pokémon. They lack the flexibility and adaptability of a trainer."
"If you continue to participate in the Indigo League with this arrogant attitude, I think you'd be better off just giving up. It would save you from making a fool of yourself!"
Gu Yuan criticized Ash mercilessly while staring at him.
Ash slowly lowered his head. The shadow of his hat's brim made it impossible to see his eyes.
Misty and Brock stood aside with worried faces, yet they did not step forward to comfort him.
They were well aware that everything Gu Yuan said was true.
After this period of special training, Ash had indeed begun to grow arrogant.
If he continued like this, he was destined to not go far in the Indigo League.
After all, you never know what kind of powerhouse the next opponent might be.
Soon, under Hatterene's healing, Pikachu and Charizard regained their energy.
Sensing Ash's dejection, Pikachu quickly stepped out from the shadow of defeat and began to comfort him.
Even Charizard patted Ash on the shoulder, as if signaling him not to take it to heart.
"Thank you. I will definitely get stronger and lead you all to win more battles."
"Please keep getting stronger with me, strong enough to defeat Gu Yuan!"
Ash's voice rang out. Although it wasn't loud, it was filled with determination.
"Pika!"
Hearing this, Pikachu smiled and agreed, while Charizard nodded with satisfaction.
"Brother Gu Yuan, I already know my current shortcomings, but I will keep working hard!"
"Sooner or later, I will surpass you and become a Pokémon Master!"
Lifting his head, Ash emerged from the shadow of his crushing defeat and spoke firmly to Gu Yuan.
Clearly, defeating Gu Yuan had become Ash's greatest obsession alongside becoming a Pokémon Master.
Earlier, Gu Yuan had worried whether his harsh criticism would negatively affect Ash's development or change the Ash from his memories.
But looking at it now, he had undoubtedly overthought it.
No matter what kind of failure or criticism he endured, Ash would stand up again and again. He would absorb nutrients from defeat to make himself stronger. This was the Ash from Gu Yuan's memories.
Gu Yuan even felt that if it weren't for forced plot contrivances, Ash probably would have claimed a championship long ago.
"Good! I'll be waiting for you."
"Whenever you feel you are strong enough to defeat me, I can accept your challenge at any time."
"But don't forget, I won't be standing still either. You must work twice as hard."
Facing Ash's challenge, Gu Yuan accepted solemnly.
"Yes!"
"Please continue to hone me for the next few days. I still have many weaknesses!"
"In that case, you better be psychologically prepared."
"No problem!"
At Ash's request, Gu Yuan did not relax his requirements for him during these final days.
It wasn't until the last moment that Ash's group arrived at the Indigo Plateau. However, Gu Yuan did not go with them; instead, he went to find Elite Agatha first.
"Inside this is a distribution map of powerful wild Pokémon in various regions. Those recorded within have, at the very least, Elite Rank strength."
"But I must warn you about one thing. Except for the locations on the map, even if you find a powerful wild Pokémon elsewhere, you are not allowed to challenge it."
After handing the data to Gu Yuan, Agatha gave a solemn instruction.
"I understand."
Gu Yuan wasn't confused by this.
Every region has its own rare Pokémon or hidden trump cards. Naturally, they don't like outsiders prying, even if that person is a League trainer.
"Furthermore, you must be careful when you arrive at the Unova League."
"From what I know, he has quite a grievance against you. He might even make a move."
After a few brief instructions, Agatha reminded Gu Yuan to watch out for potential enemies.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan simply wanted to tell Agatha that Grimsley wasn't just possibly going to move against him; he already had. It was just that Gu Yuan had dismantled the attempt.
Of course, Agatha's words sounded the alarm for Gu Yuan once again.
If even Agatha of the Kanto League was aware of this, it meant Grimsley's resentment toward him was no longer being concealed.
Especially since Grimsley had sent Palm out earlier, it made Gu Yuan feel that his upcoming trip to the Unova region likely wouldn't be too peaceful.
But for Gu Yuan, this kind of unpeaceful travel was exactly what made it interesting.
"Alright, you've grown a lot now. There's no need for me to lecture you further."
"Tell me when you're ready, and I will arrange for your journey to begin as soon as possible."
"I hope that once this trip is over, your strength will have undergone another transformation."
Seeing that Gu Yuan had taken her words to heart, Agatha stopped speaking and smiled at him.
"Please rest assured, I won't let you down."
"Good, then I'll wait and see."
After bidding farewell to Agatha, Gu Yuan went to regroup with Ash and the others.
Only after Ash's Indigo League journey concluded would Gu Yuan begin his own travels.
Meanwhile, in the Unova region, Grimsley had also heard that Gu Yuan was about to start his journey.
Because of Grimsley's hostility toward Ash, the others had not informed him about this during the cooperation with the Kanto League.
But as one of the Elite Four, such matters couldn't be kept from Grimsley forever.
Just as the Unova League Champion and the other three Elites expected, Grimsley became furious upon hearing the news.
But the die was cast. Grimsley couldn't change anything; he could only vent his rage impotently.
On the surface, it seemed the Unova Champion and the other three Elites had won.
In their view, as long as they kept an eye on Grimsley when Gu Yuan arrived, there wouldn't be any major issues with the cooperation.
Moreover, through this cooperation, the Unova League could eliminate previous negative public opinion with the help of the Kanto League and gain considerable resources.
"Yes, just do as I instructed before."
"Your task is simple: kill him. Also, remember, you only have one chance to strike!"
After finishing his sentence, Grimsley hung up the phone.
"Did you really think your little tricks could fool me? How naive."
"The shame Gu Yuan brought to the Unova League must be washed away with his blood!"
Leaning against the back of his chair, Grimsley murmured with a smile.