"Welcome to the Unova region. My name is Chambers, and I will be hosting you during your stay. Please forgive any lack of hospitality," Chambers said with a wide smile as he approached Dar and his group.
To Gu Yuan, the man's smile seemed somewhat fake, carrying a hint of smugness. However, Gu Yuan remained expressionless, watching him calmly. He knew Dar would handle the social posturing, so there was no need for him to worry.
"It's nothing. We are here for an exchange, not a luxury vacation," Dar replied. His tone was stiff, clearly sharing Gu Yuan's distaste for Chambers' attitude.
Furthermore, Dar knew exactly why the man was acting so proud. It was surely because Dar's team had suffered internal strife back in the Sinnoh region, resulting in the loss of a member with Leader Rank strength.
"I heard you've been on a winning streak, but unfortunately, you will face your first defeat before our Unova League. And it will be a crushing one!" a voice called out from behind Chambers.
While Dar handled the tactical arrangements, Gu Yuan always memorized information about their opponents. He believed in despising the enemy strategically while respecting them tactically. Consequently, he immediately identified the speaker as Levan, the captain of the Unova League team.
Levan was a Water-type specialist whose strongest Pokémon was a Leader Rank Samurott. Logically, the man shouldn't be so arrogant. Unless he was a fool, any video of Gu Yuan's previous matches would prove he wasn't an easy opponent to beat—unless someone had given Levan a reason to be overconfident.
With this in mind, Gu Yuan shifted his gaze to scrutinize the other three members of the Unova team.
"Oh, watch your tongue!" Chambers said, though his tone lacked any real reprimand. "My apologies. These youngsters lack manners and simply can't hide what's on their minds."
"Confidence is good for the young, but overconfidence is merely ignorance," Dar remarked, glancing at Levan before turning back to Chambers. "We are exhausted from our journey. Please take us to our quarters. Or does the Unova region intend to hold the Regional Battle Tournament right here on the docks?"
Feeling the pressure from Dar's gaze, Chambers realized there was still a significant gap in their respective strengths. Fearing Dar might launch one of his infamous public relations offensives, Chambers stopped talking and quickly saw to their accommodations.
That evening, Dar summoned the group to his room to discuss their strategy.
"The intel is in. In the Unova League team, besides Levan, another member named Doherty has successfully broken through to the Leader Rank. The breakthrough happened right as we were leaving the Sinnoh region," Dar explained.
"Having two Leader Rank trainers, combined with the incident within our own team, gave them the confidence to try and intimidate us upon arrival. Gu Yuan, I have one question: do you have the strength to take both of them down?"
"I do," Gu Yuan replied simply.
"Good! Then my requirement for this match is simple: crush them!" Dar said, his excitement mounting. "Let them know that the Unova League is nothing, especially compared to our Kanto League!"
Dar had been in a foul mood ever since the incident with Taishi Utsunomiya and Akatsuka. That event had become a sore spot for him. Now that the Unova League was trying to exploit it to mock them, they had walked right into his line of fire.
In the Hoenn League, Gu Yuan's dominance had been an unexpected bonus. Now, however, Dar intended to see the Unova League permanently nailed to a pillar of shame. As they finalized the tactics to ensure a spectacular victory, Gu Yuan remained behind after the others left.
"Do me a favor, and I guarantee I will sweep the entire Unova team," Gu Yuan said directly to the puzzled Dar.
"What kind of favor?" Dar asked. Given Gu Yuan's freakish growth rate, Dar didn't doubt his claim; he was just curious about what Gu Yuan needed from him. He would already protect the boy from any assassination attempts regardless.
"When we reach the Kalos region, I want your quota for purchasing Mega Stones," Gu Yuan stated his goal plainly.
Dar was stunned for a moment but quickly realized how Gu Yuan knew about such things. Having an Elite Rank master like Agatha, it wasn't surprising he was well-informed. Moreover, several of Gu Yuan's Pokémon were capable of Mega Evolution. Charizard, in particular, had two different Mega forms. Looking at the boy's expression, it seemed he intended to obtain both.
Currently, Mega Stones were not available to average trainers—specifically, those below the Champion Rank. Those at Champion Rank and above could purchase a certain amount each year, depending on their strength. Since Dar had already secured a Mega Stone for his Blastoise, his quota for the year was indeed unused.
"No problem," Dar decided after a short silence. "But you must guarantee that you alone will sweep their entire team. Bury the Unova region so deep they can never live it down!"
"Consider it done. I'll complete the mission," Gu Yuan replied, a smile finally breaking across his face.
With the Gengarite and Key Stone from Agatha, plus two purchase quotas from her and now one from Dar, he would have all the Mega Stones he needed. Had Agatha not already used some of her quota, he wouldn't have even needed to ask Dar.
Satisfied, Gu Yuan returned to the training room to ensure his "solo sweep" would be as flawless as possible. Meanwhile, the Unova team was also training hard. They knew their behavior had provoked Dar. If they won the upcoming Regional Battle Tournament, Dar would be powerless. But if they lost, they knew he would show no mercy.
Still, the Unova team remained confident. With two Leader Rank Pokémon, they believed victory was certain.