"In that final Seismic Toss, Charizard's right arm stalled for a split second. That tiny pause gave Glaceon the chance to break halfway free and cushion her landing with Hydro Pump, reducing the damage to almost nothing."
Lorelei's calm explanation made the entire situation clear. Everything traced back to that very first Hydro Pump.
If Charizard hadn't taken that hit on his arm, Glaceon truly might have fallen.
But battles leave no room for ifs.
A single detail, one moment of pain ignored… that was enough to turn the tide.
Through this fight, Ash finally understood how vast the gap truly was between his current strength and the pea level.
Even with Charizard having grown a whole major tier since the Koga battle, even with far stronger control of Sacred Fire, Sunny Day support, Flare Blitz, Blaze, and a massive type advantage, he still couldn't break through.
And when Glaceon dodged the finishing Seismic Toss, everything collapsed.
Still, Ash accepted the loss head-on. No excuses.
He felt that moment of pain too, Aura Fusion linked their senses. But he and Charizard both brushed it off, thinking they could push through.
That tiny moment of neglect became a fatal mistake.
"Don't be discouraged," Lorelei said gently, brushing a hand over her flawless cheek. "To push me this far at your level… I honestly didn't expect it. If your Charizard had been just a little stronger, I would've been the one embarrassed today."
"I'll get stronger, Miss Lorelei," Ash said, eyes burning with determination. "Please battle me again one day."
Where he falls is where he rises.
Lorelei smiled. "Of course. Whenever you want a rematch, call me. This is my number."
She handed him a simple card, name on one side, a number on the other.
"Ahh~~ Magnificent! With Lorelei's number, I can call her anytime to express my admiration!" Brock swooned dramatically.
"If you bother her for nothing, I'll rip your ears off," Misty sighed.
A normally steady, mature guy turned into a mess the moment he saw a beautiful woman, no wonder he didn't have a girlfriend.
Misty's gaze drifted to Ash, who was excitedly holding Lorelei's card.
This guy too… With how obsessed he was with Pokémon, girls probably ranked second or third in his life. If women didn't take the initiative, would he even notice romance? That wouldn't do for his future mental health. Maybe she should...
Cough. Never mind.
They were still young. The journey was long.
"Miss Lorelei, why are you even in Cerulean City?" Ash finally asked. "Aren't Elite Four members busy? Did you really come just to watch water ballet?"
Of course he knew she had. She had literally called him during the performance.
"It's said watching the water ballet here refreshes the mind," Lorelei said with a warm smile. "I had some free time, so I came to relax."
A beautiful answer, and completely untrue.
Her real purpose was guarding him.
Professor Oak had asked her to keep an eye out for Ash. She'd been watching Giovanni's movements, until Giovanni suddenly disappeared.
That alone was a blazing red flag. The moment a villain stops moving… they're planning something.
And Ash was the most likely target.
Lorelei tracked Ash's route immediately and arrived at Cerulean Gym ahead of him.
This battle served two purposes:
Clear Ash's name from online slander, and
Warn Giovanni, who was lurking in the shadows
"Where are you going next, Miss Lorelei?" Ash asked after some more conversation.
They were nearly ready to leave Cerulean and head toward Viridian City.
Lorelei tapped her chin gently, thinking for a moment before answering, "I'll be heading to Viridian City next. There's someone I need to keep an eye on. I let him slip away earlier, but he should have returned by now."
Someone escaped an Elite Four member's surveillance? That meant the target was incredibly capable.
Misty and Brock were puzzled, but Ash already had a good idea who she meant.
A man in Viridian. Someone only the Elite Four would personally monitor.
Someone capable of evading even them;
Giovanni.
Ash didn't know why Lorelei monitored him, but their destinations aligned perfectly.
"Since we're all going to Viridian City, why don't we travel together?" Ash suggested.
"Gladly. I'm free right now, and I'd like to enjoy a bit of youthful traveling again," Lorelei replied with a warm smile, almost as if she'd been waiting for him to ask.
Brock, as always, reacted dramatically. "Ahhh~ To travel with Lorelei… even death would be worth it!"
"Then go die," Misty snapped and smacked him. Seeing Brock act this shamelessly in front of someone she admired was mortifying.
Ash and Pikachu just sighed; they had seen this a hundred times already. Lorelei merely covered her mouth and chuckled. The backstage area of the Gym, moments earlier filled with tension, now felt cheerful and lively.
When the crowd eventually dispersed, Ash and his friends quietly slipped out of Cerulean Gym. Someone like Lorelei walking openly through town would have caused an uproar, so they kept things low-key.
The Sensational sisters saw them off:
"Have a safe trip!"
"Come visit often!"
"And bring Elite Four Lorelei back again if you can~!"
Their enthusiasm wasn't surprising, this exhibition match had brought the Gym massive revenue. With financial pressure gone for the next six months, the sisters could finally focus on improving the Gym instead of scrambling for income.
Among the three sisters, Daisy had the best talent after Misty, but she'd lacked resources and guidance. Misty's departure had unintentionally pushed her to grow, and though she wasn't a perfect Gym Leader yet, she now at least had the foundation of one. Her goal was to return a thriving Cerulean Gym to Misty when she came back.
Lorelei gently reassured them she would consider returning for another exhibition battle, then the group departed for Viridian City.
Seven Days Later – Viridian City
After a week of steady travel, the four finally arrived at the entrance of Viridian City.
Ash paused, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him.
This was the first city he'd ever reached on his journey.
Back then he hadn't even owned a single advanced-level Pokémon.
Now, he stood as a Trainer capable of battling the Elite Four head-on.
This place also marked his first encounter with Team Rocket. Since then, fate kept tying them together, recently, they had even run into the same bumbling Team Rocket trio. Those three, upon recognizing Lorelei, had ambitiously declared they wanted to capture her Pokémon as a gift for their boss.
At the time, Ash didn't even bother letting Pikachu shock the Team Rocket trio. How much courage, or stupidity, did it take for them to even think about stealing Lorelei's Pokémon? Even their boss wouldn't dare touch her team.
Naturally, the trio were blasted off again. When Lorelei heard they had been sent flying over a dozen times by Ash before, she couldn't help showing a rare look of amazement.
There really were such absurd people in this world… and unfortunately, they belonged to Team Rocket. Had they been ordinary delinquents instead, Lorelei might have genuinely considered recruiting them into the League, the League desperately needed more "talent," after all.
But as long as they wore that red "R," they were enemies. Recruiting them would only be possible once Team Rocket itself was dismantled.
Thinking about Team Rocket reminded Ash of something: the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, the one the Rocket trio had infiltrated to steal Pokémon "for their boss." Now that Ash knew Giovanni was that boss, the memory suddenly felt ridiculous.
If Viridian City was essentially Team Rocket's home turf, since Giovanni lived and worked here, then the trio had basically broken into their own headquarters. If Giovanni had actually ordered such a thing, he'd have to be unbelievably incompetent. More likely, those three idiots had simply acted on their own.
Ash wondered whether Giovanni was furious when he heard about that fiasco… or just too exhausted to care.
"Hey, Ash. What are you thinking about? Lorelei is talking to you!" Brock waved a hand in front of his face.
Ash snapped back to reality and turned to Lorelei, puzzled. He hadn't heard a word.
Lorelei smiled warmly. "It's fine. You were probably thinking about the day you first set out from Viridian City. What I said was: thank you for the company these past days. We'll part ways here. You're heading to challenge Viridian Gym, right?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah, we're planning to challenge it today. Miss Lorelei, are you going to...?"
"I'm visiting a friend," Lorelei replied. Then she took out something tiny and placed it in Ash's hand. "And take this with you."
Ash looked at the tiny object, confused.
"This is a mobile pinhole camera," she explained. "It's made with the League's newest tech. Space-compression allows the battery, transmitter, and all components to fit inside something this small. Clip it to your collar. I'll be able to see everything that happens inside Viridian Gym."
Lorelei's words startled both Misty and Brock. What did she mean by that?!