On the field, when Lorelei saw the black Lugia appear before her, a flicker of surprise passed through her wine-red eyes, but her face showed little shock. The primary goal of this match from the very beginning was to have Ash unleash Lugia for battle!
Only in this way could they truly Lure the Snake Out of Its Hole, prompting Team Galactic to make a move. Otherwise, if Team Galactic saw Lorelei here, while they might act, there was a ninety percent chance they would stay put.
The remaining ten percent possibility wasn't that they would come knocking, but that they would choose to relocate to an even more hidden place. This was Lorelei's purpose in holding this exhibition match here from the start. If Team Galactic moved, there would inevitably be some traces, making the probability of discovering them much higher.
But Team Galactic weren't fools. They were currently hidden so well that even the entire League couldn't find them. Aside from the missing Cynthia, no one knew where Team Galactic was. As long as they stayed put, they couldn't be discovered in the short term.
By the time the League found them, Team Galactic's scheme might already have succeeded. This was the disadvantage of being in the light while the enemy was in the dark.
However, after Ash's arrival, things changed. The appearance of the legendary Lugia, God of the Sea, and a black one at that—this news would probably spread far and wide within a day. Forget the Orange Islands; likely the entire League would learn of it in no time.
This would inevitably attract countless eyes, and others might even seek out Ash, whether from the righteous side or the villainous one—after all, the allure of the God of the Sea was simply too great, and few could resist its temptation.
The moment Ash placed Little Lugia in the open, it meant he was about to shoulder immense pressure.
The first to bear the brunt would be Team Galactic. They would definitely set their sights on Ash, even going to great lengths to snatch Lugia from him, as this Little Lugia was originally a Pokémon they had captured.
Moreover, they had painstakingly transformed Little Lugia into its current appearance, only to have Cynthia intercept it in the end.
The reason Cynthia was able to locate Team Galactic's hideout wasn't because her investigative skills were Superior to the League's, but because Team Galactic harbored a grudge against her for stealing Little Lugia. They intentionally leaked their location to lure her into a trap.
This could be inferred from the last message Cynthia sent out.
Cynthia knowingly walked into the tiger's den. As a Trainer who ranked among the very best even among Champions, she had the skill and courage to take such risks. Yet, the final outcome was predictable—
The League completely lost contact regarding Team Galactic. When they rushed to the location Cynthia mentioned immediately after she went missing, they found the place empty. Not only were there no traces of Team Galactic, but even Cynthia's whereabouts were unknown.
This was a devastating blow to the entire League. If even Cynthia, ranked second among Champions, had been Defeated, who could reliably take down Team Galactic? Leon?
Not to mention that Leon was far away in the Galar region, tied up with a pile of responsibilities and unable to get away. Even if he could come, who could guarantee he could handle a Team Galactic that made Cynthia disappear without even being able to send a message?
But leaving Cynthia and Team Galactic alone was not an option. Moreover, this area fell under the joint jurisdiction of Johto and Kanto. In the end, Kanto dispatched Lorelei, one of its Elite Four members with Champion-level strength.
To put it bluntly, if Johto's Elite Four were sent, it would be like Delivering Themselves on a Platter.
After all, even Cynthia had been Defeated here. What difference was there between sending an ordinary Elite and sending a lamb to the slaughter?
If Lance had any free time, it wouldn't just be Lorelei coming, but both Lance and Lorelei together!
Bruno had gone deep into the mountains to train, saying he wanted to push his strength to the limit to prepare for the upcoming Masters Eight tournament. He was completely unreachable.
Agatha had now become the Gym Leader of the Viridian Gym, and combined with her position as an Elite Four member, she simply couldn't spare the time.
In other words, among the Kanto Elite Four, aside from Lorelei, none had any free time.
If Lorelei hadn't met Ash on the Orange Islands, she truly would have been Fighting a Lone Battle here.
This time, sending out Little Lugia, both Lorelei and Ash were prepared. They would actively stay on this island for a few days. As long as Team Galactic received the information, they would definitely come looking for them.
The situation Team Galactic faced was the same as what Cynthia had faced back then. Even though they clearly knew it was a trap, clearly knew it was intentional, they still had reasons they couldn't ignore, forcing them to come.
This time, it was their turn for a Passive Counterattack!
Of course, plans were plans, but the battle still had to be fought. Although this was an exhibition match, neither Lorelei nor Ash had any intention of losing!
One thing that surprised Lorelei was Lugia's pitch-black form. Although she had known Lugia turned black due to Team Galactic's research, seeing the black Lugia in person was still quite astonishing.
To call it a Shiny Pokémon felt distinctly different. The alternate coloration of a Shiny Pokémon and Little Lugia's alternate coloration were somewhat different. The feeling was hard to put into words. If forced to compare, it was like the difference between a Shiny Pokémon and a regional variant.
Although a Shiny Pokémon has a different color, its species remains the same. While a regional variant may look similar, it's actually a completely different Pokémon. That's exactly how Little Lugia felt to Lorelei—a physique completely distinct from Lugia.
Although, to be fair, she had never seen a Lugia before either.
Another aspect that surprised Lorelei was Little Lugia's size.
"I remember the League said this Lugia was about one meter long, right? Looking at it now, it's at least over two meters. That's not just a small increase! Did you feed her steroids, Ash?" Lorelei chuckled teasingly.
Indeed, Lugia's size had now grown to nearly two meters long. While still incomparable to an adult Lugia, it was completely different from its original one-meter juvenile form, as if it had entered a new stage.
Now, Little Lugia could probably be considered a teenage Lugia. Of course, in terms of age, she was still a juvenile Lugia.
"It's all thanks to Lugia's own efforts. She's now at the Elite Four Level. Leveling up accelerated her physical growth, and with a little help from some special cooking, Little Lugia was able to become like this." Ash brought his thumb and forefinger close together, indicating a tiny gap. (Fingertip Universe.jpg)
Currently, Lugia's level had reached Low-Elite Four Level. It might seem a bit slow to have taken nearly a month to reach Low-Elite Four Level, but in reality, the difficulty for Legendary Pokémon to level up is extremely high.
They are born with stamina, stats, and lifespans far exceeding ordinary Pokémon, so the difficulty of leveling up increases exponentially.
Under normal growth conditions, it might take several years for a Legendary Pokémon to advance a single minor level, especially for a Tier 1 God like Lugia.
Yet, under Ash's care, in just a short month, Lugia had undergone another qualitative change. Besides Lugia's own hard work and talent, the bigger reason was Ash.
It could be said that it was with Ash's help that Lugia was able to reach her current state.
If Lugia had trained on her own, she probably wouldn't have broken through to the Elite Four Level without a year or two.
Of course, Team Galactic actually deserved some credit. If not for them, Lugia might still be lingering at the Gym Leader Level.
But thanking Team Galactic was absolutely out of the question. They didn't help Lugia improve her strength out of goodwill; it was merely a coincidence.
"An Elite Four Level Lugia..." Lorelei murmured.
If it were just Elite Four Level, even for a legendary Tier 1 God, Lorelei wouldn't feel the slightest pressure. Her Slowbro, while one of the lowest-level members of her team, still possessed Champion Intermediate Level strength.
A gap of a whole major tier couldn't be bridged by physical prowess alone, not even for a deity. But with Ash in the picture, that changed.
Ash's miraculous power could directly elevate a Pokémon by a whole major tier. As far as Lorelei knew, she hadn't yet seen the upper limit of Ash's ability-enhancing power.
Whether it was Superior, Professional, Gym, or Elite Four Level, it was all treated equally—a boost of one major stage. This ability could only be described as outrageous.
The only saving grace was that this ability belonged to Ash, not to some villainous organization. Otherwise, if they could enhance Pokémon like that, how would the League even compete?
Currently, Lugia was at Low-Elite Four Level. With Ash's power Overlay (overlay/added), she could reach Champion-level. Combined with a Legendary Pokémon's extraordinary physique, facing a Champion Intermediate Level Slowbro head-on was absolutely no problem.
"Looks like another tough battle." Lorelei took a deep breath, her chest rising slightly, then a sharp gleam flashed in her eyes. "Slowbro, use Light Screen!"
Lorelei was getting serious.
While her Cloyster had lost badly earlier, Lorelei actually hadn't employed many of her tactics. Combined with encountering Charizard's MEGA Evolution for the first time, leading to some unfamiliarity, that was why the defeat came so quickly.
Now, facing Lugia was somewhat similar. The pitch-black Lugia definitely had some differences from the legendary God of the Sea, and Lorelei didn't have much information on the original Lugia either. So, facing this modified Lugia, Lorelei was essentially in the dark.
But that didn't stop her from setting up her side of the field.
Light Screen could directly halve the power of special attacks. Combined with Slowbro's inherent defense, even damage from a Legendary Pokémon wouldn't be too high.
"Let's go, Lugia! This is your Debut Battle. Make a name for yourself in one fell swoop!" Ash encouraged, his heartbeat gradually synchronizing with Lugia's. The Aura between the human and Pokémon began to fuse.
Aura Dwells in My Heart!
"Woooooh!!" Lugia let out a long cry towards the sky, unleashing her Aura without restraint—Champion-level!
Just as Lorelei had guessed, Ash's Aura was basically impartial. As long as the bond was sufficient, it could amplify a Pokémon by a whole major level. The only condition was that the Pokémon and Ash needed to share enough emotional connection.
Although Little Lugia had only been with Ash's team for a month, Ash's meticulous care, his open heart, and their daily conversations where they held nothing back were enough for Little Lugia to place her complete trust in Ash.
About ten days ago, Ash could already begin fusing his Aura with Little Lugia. Now, it had become extremely proficient!
"Slowbro, Reflect." Faced with the Aura erupting from Lugia, Lorelei paid it no mind, choosing to have Slowbro continue setting up.
Another transparent wall formed in front of Slowbro, then instantly vanished. Now, no matter what attack Slowbro faced, it could halve it. Right from the start, the situation on the field tilted in Lorelei's favor.
"Lugia, use Dark Pulse!" With Lorelei having set up Dual Screens, they couldn't let her set up any further. Otherwise, even Lugia wouldn't gain much advantage.
Dark energy coalesced before Lugia. The next second, a black wave surged forth like a tide, tearing through the air with a sharp screech, heading straight for Slowbro!
Even with the dual Reflect walls layered upon each other, this Dark Pulse imbued with Ash's Aura remained unstoppable. A transparent barrier materialized before Slowbro, blocking the oncoming Dark Pulse for an instant. But the next moment, the Dark Pulse still pierced through the wall, though its power was directly reduced by more than half.
The black energy struck Slowbro's abdomen without a doubt. Its massive body jolted violently, its already somewhat dull gaze growing even more unfocused. Staggering back two steps, faint black patterns appeared on its pink body, clearly heavily affected by this powerful blow.
Dark Pulse was Super Effective against Slowbro. Even with Light Screen blocking it, it could still deal normal Super Effective damage. Given Slowbro's speed, trying to dodge a Dark Pulse used by Lugia was nothing but a Pipe Dream.
But fortunately, Slowbro was Thick-Skinned and Sturdy. Taking this hit directly wasn't a problem.
"Well done, Slowbro! Now, use Trick Room!"
Ash:!!!
"Lugia, stop him!!" Ash's voice rang out across the venue, but it was already too late. Slowbro's Trick Room wasn't just starting to charge up now; it had been charging while taking the Dark Pulse earlier!
Lorelei's command now was merely for Slowbro to unleash the already-charged Trick Room!
Spatial fluctuations appeared around Slowbro. The next second, a visible cubic shape emerged from Slowbro, rose into the air above, and instantly expanded across the entire battlefield!
The rules within the field changed. The offensive and defensive positions of Lugia and Slowbro were reversed!