"What is it?"
"Not long ago, the Pokémon League held a meeting and decided that the Johto League and Kanto League would merge into a single Quartz League. To that end, they will hold a League Tournament to select a new Elite Four. The tournament champion will also earn the right to challenge the League Champion. Gym Leaders from both regions, as well as Trainers who have earned eight Badges, may register."
"Selecting a new Elite Four? What happened to the old one?"
"Johto never had a regional League in the past, so naturally there was no Elite Four or Champion. As for Kanto's Elite Four, they were stripped of their qualifications because of the Utopia Incident."
"The Utopia Incident?"
You Zhi vaguely felt that the name sounded familiar. He might have seen it somewhere in his previous life, though it probably was not from the Pokémon anime or games.
Professor Elm seemed reluctant to discuss it and only gave a brief explanation. "Simply put, it was a disaster caused by Kanto's Elite Four. Fortunately, it was stopped before it had a major impact, so the four were merely stripped of their Elite Four status and were not held further accountable. Lance, one of the Elite Four, kept fighting crime and arresting criminals after the incident, earning many merits. With former Champion Red vouching for him, the League restored his Elite Four status. Last year, Red stepped down as Champion in the name of training, and Lance took over temporarily. Perhaps the League felt this incomplete arrangement could not continue forever, which was why they decided to select a new Elite Four through a tournament."
With that reminder, You Zhi immediately made the connection. This was clearly the plot of Pokémon Adventures.
The Elite Four had been the major antagonists