Lorelei had been one of Kanto's Elite Four for many years. But why did she ever want to become one of them in the first place?
Honor? Status? The thrill of being in the spotlight?
No—none of those.
She had entered the Pokémon League with a heart purely devoted to protecting Pokémon and nature, led there by Agatha's guidance.
Yes, her goal had always been simple and sincere:
She didn't want innocent Pokémon to suffer.
She didn't want pollution caused by industry to destroy Pokémon habitats or even claim their lives.
So, she joined the League and became one of Kanto's Elite Four, determined to crack down on Team Rocket and those who had been consumed by greed. But…
That was just her idealism.
Even with support from her colleagues Lance and Agatha, it was barely a drop in the bucket.
There's no death penalty in this world.
Even if she gave her all to arrest Team Rocket members and dismantled base after base—shutting down one cruel experiment after another—they'd still be released on bail shortly after being captured.
At first, Lorelei couldn't understand how these brutal and evil Rocket executives could walk free so quickly.
But eventually, she realized the truth:
Even the League wasn't entirely righteous.
Even the League had people corrupted by greed.
Numbness—repetitive numbness.
Cycles—repetitive, hopeless cycles.
Over time, Lorelei changed.
Her passion and drive slowly froze over and gave way to indifference.
Now, her youthful fire had long since turned to ice. She had begun to lose hope in the Pokémon League.
But what remained unwavering was her hatred for Team Rocket—and her cold contempt for those heartless corporate profiteers.
She didn't believe she had changed.
She still loved Pokémon.
She didn't want them to suffer.
She longed for a perfect world where Pokémon could live happily.
She just couldn't bear to see that memory from her childhood ever again—the sight of a baby Seel, dying in a polluted water source.
Was that her fault?
No. Lorelei didn't think so.
And so, her methods grew more ruthless. Her heart twisted, little by little.
When she destroyed Team Rocket bases, she also began freezing their members alive—even if it meant collateral damage.
So what?
These people couldn't even protect their own Pokémon, letting them get stolen and subjected to cruel genetic experiments by Team Rocket.
The ones who suffered were always the Pokémon.
How could these people even call themselves trainers?
In Lorelei's eyes, the phrase that summed it up best was:
"If death is inevitable, sooner or later doesn't matter."
If that's the case, then being used as sacrifices to wipe out Team Rocket—wasn't that their contribution?
Lorelei swept her cold gaze over the shivering passengers.
The chill in the air was bone-deep.
"Lapras, Surf."
"Dewgong, Ice Beam."
She didn't even bother answering Lance's cousin, Lucas. Instead, she gave her icy commands again.
Lapras raised its head high, glowing with a bluish light.
The roar of waves echoed as a massive tidal wave surged forward.
Meanwhile, Dewgong gathered a blue light at its mouth, preparing to fire.
"Moonblast."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips.
He understood Lorelei's intentions now.
Interesting. Very interesting.
Gardevoir spread her arms wide, a pale lunar illusion appearing behind her.
A powerful beam of energy shot toward the Surf attack.
Moonblast.
The Surf wave was ferocious, but Moonblast was fiercer.
Within just two seconds of impact, Moonblast overpowered and shattered the Surf attack, continuing toward Lorelei.
"Ice Beam!"
As the water from Surf splashed down, Lorelei narrowed her eyes at the incoming attack.
This guy—Lance's cousin—was stronger than she expected.
Dewgong's Ice Beam shot out, colliding with Moonblast.
At the same time, Lapras also charged up an Ice Beam of its own.
A twisting stream of freezing light swept across the wet floor, instantly creating jagged icicles and smooth ice.
She was transforming the battlefield into her own domain—an icy terrain.
"Hah… You've got some tricks. But it's pointless."
Lucas chuckled softly.
If they were evenly matched, this kind of ice terrain would definitely be useful for Lorelei.
But the gap between them wasn't something terrain alone could fix.
Still…
This unrestrained expansion of ice terrain was shrinking the already limited safe space in the hall for the passengers.
And with the field turning icy, the temperature kept dropping. You could even see people's breath misting in the air.
That's how cold it was getting.
"If you've got Fire-type Pokémon, now's the time to bring them out to stay warm," Caitlin said, frowning, her voice low as she addressed the passengers behind her.
If the temperature continued to drop, their bodies wouldn't be able to take it.
But the Ice-type Elite Four didn't care about that at all.
"S-So cold…"
Ash shivered and released his Charmander.
Although it had been injured earlier, the little lizard was at least awake now, and some potion had helped it recover.
Ash quickly wrapped Charmander in his arms.
The sudden move startled the red-skinned fire lizard, who then flailed with its tiny arms, trying to push Ash away.
This guy was hugging way too tight—it couldn't breathe!
The other passengers with Fire-types also quickly sent them out for warmth.
Ideally, they should've fled the hall altogether, but Lorelei was blocking the main exit.
Who dared to try?
As for breaking through the walls…
The SS Anne was built from top-grade materials, and the hall's walls were reinforced with specialized alloys and energy barriers, like those in competitive battlefields.
Unless that barrier system was shut down, they couldn't break through to escape.
Caitlin glanced at Lorelei, who stood icy and detached, and a complicated emotion stirred in her clear eyes.
So… this is what you wanted me to see?
She recalled what Lucas had said to her that night:
"When the time comes, you can see for yourself—what the Indigo League really is."
Now, looking at Lorelei, Caitlin had seen just a glimpse of the iceberg's tip.
Was this cold-blooded method of fighting Team Rocket really right?
Red pressed his lips tightly together, frowning at Lorelei.
His years of training gave him some resistance to the cold, but he had already noticed the passengers trembling in fear.
He was about to say something to Lorelei—when another blizzard attack rolled in.
"Blizzard!" Lorelei commanded again.
Lapras and Dewgong opened their mouths, and another storm of razor-sharp snow came rushing toward Lucas, more intense and terrifying than before.
Even snowflakes were drifting in the air now—the Blizzard engulfed the entire hall.
"…"
Red clenched his fists, anger flickering in his red eyes.
"Stone Edge."
Lucas calmly ordered his Mega Aggron.
But before it could act—
"Espeon, Psychic!"
A low voice rang out.
A powerful, radiant aura burst forth and struck the Blizzard attack.
BOOM!
A blast echoed through the hall as shockwaves rippled outward, chilling everyone to the bone.
"Hm?" Lorelei frowned.
That wasn't Lucas's move.
She pushed up her glasses, icy light flickering behind them as she turned toward the source of the voice.
A black-haired, red-eyed boy was staring straight at her.
Yes—it was Red who had interrupted her Blizzard.
"How interesting. Isn't this interesting, Archer?" Lucas said with a smile as he lit a cigarette, amused.
Red was actually going to clash with Lorelei.
"Yes, Mr. Lucas. Watching two dogs fight is always entertaining," Archer replied coldly.
Lorelei's reckless approach had finally triggered backlash.
But Archer didn't mind this at all.
The Elite Four hated Team Rocket—and Team Rocket saw the Elite Four as thorns in their side.
"Oh? Another Rocket rat," Lorelei said coldly, her eyes narrowing on Red.
"So, your here only for Team Rocket, right?"
Red laughed angrily.
When Lorelei had first appeared, he had wanted to work with her to stop Lucas and protect Ash and the others.
Now, he had no such thoughts left.
"Not just Team Rocket…" Lorelei frowned.
Indeed, this boy's aura was pure.
He was angry, but his clear eyes didn't lie.
So—it was her methods he was opposing.
Lorelei immediately understood.
She was highly intelligent, after all.
"Look at them, Lorelei! These are the people you're supposed to protect. And now look what you're doing!"
Red pointed to the huddled, freezing passengers, his voice shaking with anger.
He rarely lost his temper. He was usually calm and mature.
But this… this crossed the line.
Even against Team Rocket, he couldn't stay silent.
The Kanto Elite Four were supposed to be the strongest protectors of the region—the League's ultimate deterrents, the people's guardians.
But what was Lorelei doing?
She wasn't protecting anyone—she was hurting them.
That Blizzard just now was massive—and she was clearly increasing the range and intensity of her attacks!
"Are you teaching me how to do things?"
Lorelei's icy stare locked onto Red, her voice turning even colder.
She didn't think she was wrong.
Even if she was—who was this no-name kid to lecture her?
"Do you even realize what you just did?
Attacking an Elite Four member?
You're interfering with League business.
Are you trying to defy the Pokémon League?"
Her voice was cold and emotionless.
Normally, she wouldn't play the 'League card'—but this boy's eyes were so pure it stirred a faint compassion within her.
She despised Team Rocket, but she also loved Pokémon—and didn't hate those with fiery, righteous hearts.
So, she invoked the League's authority to scare him off.
"I don't intend to defy the League. To me, the Pokémon League has always been a symbol of peace and justice,"
Red replied quietly.
He never thought of himself as some great hero.
When Lucas once asked him if he wanted to be a savior, he'd answered:
"No."
He wasn't that noble.
He was just a gifted individual with his own values and beliefs.
The League should be the savior—not him.
But he couldn't stand idly by—not while innocent people were being harmed.
Whether by Team Rocket… or by Lorelei.
This wasn't about sides.
It was about his own convictions.
"But that's just what I believe.
I don't really know what the League is deep down.
What I do know is—Lorelei, your attacks are hurting them.
That's not what an Elite Four should do."
Red met Lorelei's eyes unflinchingly.
His meaning was clear:
Do what you want to Team Rocket—but don't hurt the passengers.
If you keep this up—even if you're a member of the Elite Four—I won't hold back.
"Oh, how bold.
Today's youth really are fearless and ignorant," Lorelei said coldly, her chest rising with indignation.
This no-name kid actually dared speak to her like that?
Brock, Misty, and the others looked anxious.
They were touched by Red's courage in confronting Lorelei for their sake, but—
That was Lorelei! An Elite Four!
"You're young—I get that.
But youth is no excuse for ignorance.
What do you even understand?"
Lorelei's icy aura intensified.
If sacrificing some people could destroy Team Rocket—so be it.
She had learned the hard way:
Some things must be handled with iron and blood.
"I might not understand what you're thinking, Lorelei…
But I know one thing:
Whether it's Team Rocket or the League—hurting innocent people is evil!"
Red threw another Poké Ball.
A Pikachu appeared beside his Espeon.
Hurting the innocent… is evil.
Lorelei's gaze turned frosty.
Was he calling her—one of the Kanto Elite Four—evil?
Archer: "…This kid's got guts."
He glanced at Lucas—who had lit a cigarette and was just watching the show.
Really? You're just watching now??
(End of Chapter)