On the field, when Lorelei saw the black Lugia appear in front of her, a trace of an unusual glint flashed through her wine-red eyes, but there wasn't much shock on her face. After all, the initial purpose of this match was to have Ash unleash Lugia for battle!
Only in this way could they truly lure out Team Galactic, prompting them to take action. Otherwise, seeing Lorelei here, there's a ninety percent chance that Team Galactic would remain inactive.
The remaining ten percent chance wouldn't be them coming forward, but instead choosing a more concealed location. Lorelei's initial intention of hosting the exhibition match here was precisely this. As long as Team Galactic relocates, there would definitely be some clues left behind, increasing the chance of discovering them.
But Team Galactic isn't foolish. They've already hidden so well that even the entire alliance couldn't find them. Besides the already missing Cynthia, no one knows where Team Galactic is. As long as they remain inactive, they won't be discovered in the short term.
By the time they've located Team Galactic, perhaps Team Galactic's scheme would have already succeeded. This is the downside of the enemy being in the dark while we are in the light.
However, when Ash arrived, everything changed. The legendary Sea God Lugia appeared, and it was a black Sea God. This news would probably spread across the land in less than a day. Forget about the Orange Archipelago, the entire alliance would soon know about it.
At that time, it would undoubtedly attract countless attention, perhaps even other people would seek out Ash, whether they were from the good or the bad side… After all, the allure of the Sea God is too great; few can resist this temptation.
The moment Ash brought Little Lugia out into the open, it indicated that he was already bearing tremendous pressure.
The first to pounce would be Team Galactic. They would definitely focus on Ash, perhaps even attempt to snatch Lugia from Ash's hands, since this Little Lugia was originally the Pokemon they captured.
And they went to great lengths to remodel Little Lugia into this state, only to have Cynthia swoop in and take it away in the end.
Cynthia wasn't able to locate Team Galactic just because her reconnaissance skills were superior to the alliance's. It was because Team Galactic resented her for taking Little Lugia away, so they deliberately leaked their whereabouts to lure Cynthia in.
This was apparent from the last message Cynthia transmitted.
Cynthia, knowing the danger, still went in to face it. Being one of the very best trainers even amongst champions, she had the courage to face the danger. Yet, the outcome was foreseeable…
The alliance hence completely lost access to information on Team Galactic. When they went to the location Cynthia mentioned immediately after she went missing, they found it deserted. There was no trace of Team Galactic, not even of Cynthia.
This was an exceedingly major blow to the entire alliance. Even Cynthia, ranking second among champions, was defeated. Who else could take down Team Galactic confidently? Leon?
Not to mention Leon being far away in the Galar Region, with many tasks at hand and unable to spare time. Even if he could come, who could guarantee Leon could handle the Team Galactic that Cynthia could not even send signals against?
But leaving Cynthia and Team Galactic unattended was impossible. Plus, this place was under the joint management of Johto and Kanto. Eventually, Kanto dispatched Lorelei, one of the Elite Four with Champion-level strength.
If they sent someone from Johto's Elite Four, it would have been like sending them into a disaster.
Even Cynthia was defeated here, what's the difference for a regular Elite to go there besides courting disaster?
If Lance had time, it wouldn't just be Lorelei; both he and Lorelei would have come together!
Bruno went deep into the mountains for training, aiming to enhance his power to the utmost to prepare for the upcoming Eight Great Masters competition, making him completely unreachable.
Agatha has now become the Leader of Viridian Gym, along with her position as one of the Elite Four, leaving no time to spare.
That leaves no member of the Elite Four of Kanto available except Lorelei.
If it weren't for encountering Ash in the Orange Archipelago, Lorelei really would be fighting lonely this time.
This time, whether it was Lorelei or Ash, they were both prepared when deploying Little Lugia. They would actively stay on the island for several days. As long as Team Galactic received the message, they'd undoubtedly come seek them out.
The situation Team Galactic faces now mirrors the one Cynthia faced back then. Even knowing it might be a trap, knowing it's intentional, they have reasons they cannot avoid coming.
This time, it's their turn to react passively!
Of course, a plan is a plan, but the battle still needs to be fought. Although this is an exhibition match, neither Lorelei nor Ash intends to lose!
One point that surprised Lorelei was Lugia's pitch-black form. Although it was known that Lugia turned black due to Team Galactic's research, seeing the black Lugia in reality was still astonishing.
Calling it a Shiny Pokemon felt somehow different because the anomaly in Shiny Pokemon and Little Lugia's color was somewhat different. The sensation is indescribable; if forced to compare, it should be the difference between Shiny Pokemon and Regional Pokemon.