Chapter 205: Reactions from All Sides

"So strong! It turns out that when he fought me, he wasn't even using his full strength!"

Without exception, all of Ron's previous opponents were thinking the same thing at this moment.

Meanwhile, the two trainers preparing for their seventh-round battle found themselves deep in thought. Did they really stand a chance against this monstrous opponent who seemed almost terrifyingly powerful?

Some trainers even realized that Ron had only been on his journey for a year, which deepened their admiration for him. Unconsciously, a hint of fear began to creep into their hearts.

If Ron's strength was just slightly above that of an average trainer, they might still feel jealous or resentful.

But when the gap between their abilities was so vast, jealousy no longer had a place—only admiration and fear remained.

"Alert our people and be ready to act on my command at any time."

"Understood."

A hoarse voice echoed through the communicator. On the other end was a member of Ghost Corps.

Only those who were Giovanni's most trusted and loyal subordinates could enter Ghost Corps.

Because of this, Giovanni had entrusted Shadow with selecting them for this mission.

If Ron lost, they would launch a sudden attack, sacrificing themselves to secure Ron's reputation and ensure his standing in the Pokémon League remained unshaken.

Logically, in exchange for such efforts or as compensation, Ron should have handed over the method he used to accelerate Pokémon training.

However, Giovanni's command was to give the young man a chance. Thus, this operation was essentially an investment in Ron—but at an extraordinarily high cost, one that even Shadow found painful.

Now, it seemed their sacrifice wouldn't be necessary, but they still had to be cautious of dishonorable tactics. If certain individuals acted shamelessly and tried again during the finals, or worse, attempted to abduct Ron outright to save face, they had to be prepared.

After notifying his team to stay on standby, Shadow prepared to contact Ron and inform him of Ghost Corps's locations and identities to ensure they could respond in case of an ambush.

"Volkner, looks like we won't be able to take Ron with us this time."

After watching the live broadcast of the battle, Flint turned to Volkner.

Like Shadow, they could easily deduce the identities of those involved based on their performances.

"That's not necessarily true. What if some fools get desperate and make reckless moves?"

Saying this, Volkner began packing his things.

"You're right. Let's hope those idiots are dumb enough to hand Ron over to us on a silver platter."

Though Flint often came across as carefree, he wasn't foolish. He quickly understood Volkner's implication and also began preparing.

If the opportunity arose, Flint wouldn't mind staging a heroic rescue.

"What an exceptional young man. Tell me, Bruno, aren't you at all interested in his training methods?"

"You specialize in Fighting-type Pokémon. If that method is effective for rising-star trainers, Elites, or even Champions, wouldn't you benefit the most from it?"

After watching Ron's battle, Agatha couldn't help but pose the question to Bruno.

"I don't need it. That's Ron's own creation. No one knows how much suffering and effort he went through to develop it. No one has the right to take the fruits of his labor."

As Agatha pointed out, Six Powers could greatly benefit Fighting-type Pokémon, yet Bruno still rejected the enticing proposition.

Even though Bruno's tone was calm, Agatha, having known him for years, understood that once he made such a statement, he would follow through without wavering.

"Whoa! Ron is amazing! I'm definitely going to become a trainer like him in the future!"

Watching the live broadcast, Ash's eyes sparkled like stars as he shouted in excitement.

For once, Gary didn't mock Ash. Instead, he silently nodded, resolving to set Ron as his goal once he became a trainer.

No! He wouldn't just match him—he would surpass him!

Naturally, Professor Oak noticed Ash and Gary's determination. However, he believed that their goal would be difficult to achieve.

Trainers like Ron, who reached such an extraordinary level within just a year of traveling, were extremely rare—even Professor Oak had encountered only a handful in his lifetime.

Without exception, all of them became renowned powerhouses—such as Lorelei, Bruno, and Lance.

With this battle concluded, Professor Oak was nearly certain that Ron would emerge as the Champion of the Indigo League.

Unless certain individuals dared to interfere again.

If that happened, then even Professor Oak, in his old age, would have to take action!

"Let's hear it. What's your next move?"

In a conference room, an elderly man with a head of white hair spoke slowly, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority that commanded respect and awe.

This man was none other than Klaus Nyland, the leader of the Decadent Faction within the Kanto League.

Seated beside him were the heads of four other prominent families, forming the Decadent Faction together.

From their perspective, all trainers should be grateful to the League for granting them status and should dedicate everything they had to the organization.

In reality, however, Klaus and his allies controlled an overwhelming amount of the League's resources. Only trainers who pledged absolute loyalty to them could gain access to those resources.

For everyone else, exclusion and suppression were the standard tactics.

Fortunately, Professor Oak and others had once opposed them. Later, the Elite Four rose to power, preventing them from dominating the League completely. Now, there was even an emerging balance of power.

Especially since the Elite Four controlled the Rangers, the police, Pokémon Centers, and Investigation Bureau—institutions that openly resisted them. The Elite Four's influence protected rising trainers, which was why the Decadent Faction had originally planned to force Ron into handing over his training methods.

However, the Elite Four's forces were still weaker in comparison. Constantly fighting on the front lines led to heavy losses, while the Decadent Faction remained in safe zones, gradually growing stronger.

Otherwise, the Elite Four would have taken aggressive action long ago instead of waiting for Ron to develop his strength and serve as a disruptor.

"Send someone to keep an eye on that kid. When he leaves Indigo Plateau, we strike. I refuse to believe we can't silence public opinion!"

After a moment, Mathias Agdestein, one of the family heads, spoke with visible agitation.

From Mathias's perspective, with their faction's strength, why should they fear the Elite Four's reaction? Their repeated concessions had only allowed the Elite Four to grow.

"Foolishness! Do you want to give Lance and the others an excuse to attack us!? If they manipulate public opinion against us, do you realize how much damage that could cause!?"

The moment Mathias finished speaking, Preus Ellestad immediately rebuked him.

"What did you say!?"

Facing Mathias's challenge, Preus didn't back down, locking eyes with his opponent.

For Klaus and the remaining two family heads, scenes like this were nothing new. Preus viewed Mathias as a reckless brute, while Mathias saw Preus as a coward.

The only thing they agreed on was that the other's incompetence had allowed the Elite Four to rise.

As the two descended into another heated argument, the remaining two—Viktor Paulsen and George Thune—stayed silent.

Although the five families were allied, there was still a clear hierarchy.

The Nyland family was the strongest, followed by the Ellestad and Agdestein families.

As for Paulsen and Thune, they lacked the influence to intervene, especially when tempers were flaring.

"Enough! This discussion ends here for now. I will inform you when the time is right!"

After saying this, Klaus Nyland leaned on his cane and left.

Originally, Ron's situation alone wasn't enough to warrant a meeting among the five of them. However, Klaus Nyland wanted to use this matter as a way to gauge the reactions and capabilities of those aligned with his faction.

The result? It made him realize a grim truth—if he were to suddenly die, his faction would likely collapse in no time, crumbling under internal strife and eventually being crushed by the Elite Four without much effort.

Before that could happen, Klaus Nyland knew he had to come up with a plan.

The other four families were of lesser concern. What mattered most was ensuring that his own family remained strong—strong enough to endure and carry on its legacy.

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