Once Steven had finished his negotiations with the Clefairy, Ash and Chansey got to work, whipping up a massive feast for all the workers. Even though it was cafeteria-style cooking, the flavor was top-tier, attracting a crowd of wild Pokémon from all over the mountain.
During the meal, Ash managed to abduct one of the Clefairy. To be fair, he explained the situation clearly—that she would be going to live with someone else—and the Clefairy agreed. She wanted to show her gratitude to Ash for saving her kin, so she volunteered to join him.
Ash was pleasantly surprised to find that this Clefairy had incredible potential—at minimum, she had the talent to become an Alpha-level Pokémon. Even so, Ash didn't hesitate; he intended to send her to Diantha. After all, the Ralts Diantha had given him was the offspring of a Champion-level Pokémon; it was only fair to return the favor with a high-caliber gift.
*
In the Kalos region, Diantha had just finished a grueling day of filming. When her communicator buzzed and she saw it was Ash, her mood brightened instantly. She had already received the dowry and the ring Ash had sent ahead; her family was already salivating over the business opportunities Ash had dangled, so their relationship was effectively set in stone.
Ash caught a glimpse of the ring on Diantha's left hand and smiled. "I found a Clefairy for you. Since I helped her tribe out, she's willing to follow my lead. I want you to take her, Diantha. Her potential is Alpha-tier at the very least. You know what that means, right?"
"Minimum Alpha-tier?" Diantha's eyes widened. She knew exactly what that meant. Plus, Clefairy was a pure Fairy-type... "I understand. I'll take good care of her. Thank you, Ash. I'm touched that you remembered what I mentioned before."
"We're past the point of needing to say thank you," Ash replied softly. "Get some rest. I'm transferring her over now."
When Diantha received the Poké Ball and released the Clefairy, she couldn't help but smile. "Hello, Clefairy. I'm sure Ash told you already, but I'm your new Trainer. How about we start things off with a little sparring match?"
The Clefairy, clutching a Moon Stone, looked at Diantha and nodded with a determined expression.
"Go, Gardevoir! Let's show our new teammate what we're made of!"
*
Back in Kanto, Ash and his group finally neared Cerulean City. However, as they got closer, Misty's mood grew increasingly somber.
Noticing her distress, Ash spoke up. "Misty, if you want, you can head over to the Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant first. I'll go grab the badge, and we can just leave right after?"
Misty looked at him, surprised. Seeing the genuine concern in his eyes, she felt a weight lift off her chest. "Thanks, Ash... but it's okay. I need to go back eventually. Besides, I'll have you know I'm one of the Cerulean Gym Leaders—the youngest of the four sisters!"
"Oh? Well then, please go easy on me during our match."
"Hmph! Don't think for a second I'll hold back just because you said that!"
Brock watched them, a small smile playing on his face. This journey was turning out to be quite something.
However, once they arrived at the Cerulean Gym after a quick rest at the Pokémon Center, things felt... wrong. The gym was terrifyingly quiet. Ash had a sinking feeling in his gut, like he was being hunted by something dangerous. He also recalled the way Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny had looked at him earlier—those were God help you looks.
"Misty, is the gym always this quiet?"
Misty frowned. "No, that's weird. Usually, my sisters should be puttin' on an underwater ballet right about now."
As she spoke, Ash noticed the water in the pool starting to... freeze. His heart skipped a beat.
"Crap! Meowth, Pikachu, Chansey—RUN"
Ash bolted for the door, sensing the trap, but a voice rang out from the shadows:
"Cloyster, Ice Beam!"
A blast of frigid blue energy slammed into the exit, sealing the doors shut with a thick layer of ice. Suddenly, the lights flared on, and the stands were packed with people.
"LORELEI! LORELEI! LORELEI!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Ash broke into a cold sweat. Unlike the star-struck Misty and the girl-crazy Brock, Ash was looking at the woman standing on the battlefield with pure dread.
"Master Lorelei... can I help you with something?" Ash asked, his voice strained.
Lorelei smiled at him—a sweet, predatory smile that made Ash's skin crawl. "Oh, you tell me. I heard you were coming here for a gym challenge. Given your... talents, I figured I was the only opponent who would be appropriate for you, wouldn't you agree?"
Ash pulled his hat down, trying to hide his face. "No thanks. I think I'll just be headin' out—"
He bumped into a Jynx that had materialized behind him. Ash sighed. "Look, Jynx, I've made you tons of snacks over the years. Don't be ungrateful now, let me pass."
The Jynx shook her head. She wasn't moving.
Seeing he was cornered, Ash took off his hat and looked Lorelei in the eye. "Stop messing around. I just started this journey. These kids aren't ready to fight someone at your level."
Lorelei chuckled. "Then let's use Meowth and the others. A three-on-three match. How does that sound?"
Ash realized she wasn't going to let him go. He handed his hat to Ralts and stepped onto the trainer's platform. "Fine. But don't start crying when you lose. Chansey!"
"Lucky!"
Chansey stepped forward, her aura shifting from a gentle nurse to a battle-hardened veteran. Lorelei licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Finally. This is the version of you that's the most charming. Let's show the people of Cerulean City who you really are.
"The Gym Battle between the rookie trainer Ash and the Kanto Elite Four's Lorelei will now begin!!!"