Early League Year 185.
During their month-long rest on Four Island, Lapras successfully beca the second Pokémon on the team to reach Elite Four level.
Slowbro also reached Gym Leader level around the sa ti.
With this, Lorelei finally surpassed the Gym Leader level and beca a Quasi-Elite Four-level trainer.
One day at the dinner table.
"Did you know the League is starting a Regional Tournant this year?"
Lorelei's mom looked at her eldest daughter across the table.
Eighteen-year-old Lorelei was growing more beautiful by the day. Especially after she started taking modeling jobs two years ago and learned how to do her makeup.
And now that she was an adult, her mom no longer forbade her from wearing high heels. So now Lorelei clattered around the house in heels every day.
"Mhm." Lorelei's eyes lit up, and she smiled slightly.
Will, sitting in Lorelei's mom's lap waiting to be fed, paused for a mont.
He had researched this so-called Regional Tournant. It was essentially the future World Coronation Series (Pokémon World Championships). But for now, it was held regionally, allowing only local trainers to participate.
The Indigo League, governing two regions, was unique and split the event accordingly.
The current Pokémon Regional Tournant was divided into:
Kanto Gym Leader Tournant & Johto Gym Leader Tournant
Type Expert Tournant
Rental Tournant
Elite Four Tournant
With these four types of tournants, the regional conferences were completely relegated to the "baby cup" status.
Because these four tournants had their own entry requirents, many rookie trainers participating in the regional conferences couldn't qualify.
The Gym Leader Tournant:
This was essentially a rger of the old Gym Leader Selection Tournant. Participants could be local Gym Leaders or trainers who had won a regional conference championship at least once.
If a trainer won this tournant, they would get a chance to challenge a Gym Leader. If they won that, they could take the Gym Leader's position.
But winning this tournant was incredibly difficult, as local Gym Leaders could also participate.
The Type Expert Tournant:
This required participants to have a team of six Pokémon sharing a single type, all at Gym Leader level or higher.
Even Lorelei couldn't et this requirent unless she swapped out Froslass for a Water-type Pokémon.
The winner would beco a League-recognized Type Expert. There were almost no substantial rewards, mostly just the title. How the winner used that title was up to them.
The Rental Tournant:
The entry requirents weren't strict; anyone who had reached the Top 4 or higher in a regional conference could participate.
This was a pure test of a trainer's skill. The League provided a pool containing most local Pokémon, all at almost the exact sa level (max difference of 2 levels).
Participants were not allowed to use their own Pokémon. Before each battle, they had to select six Pokémon from the pool to fight with.
This was an "entertainnt tournant," full of fun. Currently, it had the most enthusiastic response. Since ordinary people couldn't really touch the other tournants, this one felt closest to them, so it got a lot of attention.
Winners received rewards from the League, which changed every year. They could also make a reasonable request.
The Elite Four Tournant:
Undoubtedly, this was the highest-level event in the current tournant circuit.
It was also Lorelei's next goal.
The requirents were the sa as the Gym Leader Tournant: must be a regional conference champion or a current Gym Leader.
This wasn't just a spectator sport; it was one of the ways the League selected its high-ranking officials.
The Elite Four held a higher status than Gym Leaders. They were the face of a region, sotis sent on missions to other regions, representing their region's image.
If they could choose, the League would naturally pick powerful and reputable trainers directly. But in the end, they adopted this tournant format, establishing the Top 4 participants as the region's Elite Four.
This tournant was unique because it involved trainers from both Kanto and Johto competing together.
This surprised Will a bit. In the original story, Elite Four mbers were directly "invited" by the current League Champion or President. For example, when Professor Kukui established the Alola League, he invited Nanu to be an Elite Four mber (though Nanu refused).
He didn't expect it to beco a selection tournant.
But this was good. If it were by "invitation," Lorelei might not be qualified yet. Her strength wasn't quite there. But with a tournant, she had ti to prepare.
Although... at their current level, eight or nine months wouldn't increase their strength much. Maybe not even a single level.
But every bit helped.
Since this was the first Regional Tournant, powerful trainers might be more interested in the other three types of events, and since all four were held around the sa ti, the competition here would inevitably be lower.
Lorelei might actually have a chance to beco an Elite Four mber.
"When do we leave?"
"This afternoon."
"Kanto or Johto?"
"Kanto first, maybe other places later."
The next day.
Stepping onto Kanto soil again, Will yawned. Thanks to Lorelei, he was incredibly familiar with Kanto and Johto now. Sinnoh was a close second.
"Sigh... starting again, huh." Will sighed.
"Piplup, don't be so lazy! You've been lying around the house for half a month." Lorelei hefted Will in her arms, testing his weight, then tilted her head in confusion. "Did you get lighter?"
"You got stronger." Will yawned.
His weight had increased, but Lorelei was growing too, and her strength was increasing faster.
"That's true. Now that you ntion it... Piplup, you're so small. When I was little and held you, my chin could touch your head."
Lorelei looked down at the round head in her arms and smiled. Ti passed so fast. In the blink of an eye, it had been ten years since she t Piplup.
"You haven't changed at all, Piplup. That's nice." Lorelei rubbed Will's head, looking up at the sky with a slightly lonely expression.
"Hey, you're only 18. Mom isn't even worried about aging yet, what are you moping about? Stop acting like an old lady."
Will seed to sense her thoughts and rolled his eyes at her.
"Hehe, you're right." Lorelei paused, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
The journey began again.
This ti, the goal was the Elite Four Tournant. There were no Gyms to challenge, so Lorelei decided where they went.
After two weeks in Kanto, Lorelei got bored and took Will and Lucario to the Sinnoh region.
Back to Snowpoint City.
"Here again."
As soon as they got off the ship, Will turned to look toward the small snowy mountain. Regice and Heatran should still be there. Or maybe they were asleep.
"Let's go to Celestic Town and visit Ms. Carla? We haven't been there yet."
"Whatever."
The itinerary was set. Their destination was the ancient town at the foot of Mt. Coronet.
'Celestic Town...' Will muttered internally.
Celestia's hotown. In his past life, Celestia had invited him and owscarada to visit Celestic Town, but they never went.
No. He should say he never went. He didn't know if owscarada went later.
A week later.
They arrived in Celestic Town.
"Huh, it's more developed than I thought." Will looked around from Lorelei's arms, finding it very different from his imagination.
This was clearly a modernized city. How was this a "town"?
He rembered the ga description: "A tiny town that preserves the history of Sinnoh and the old ways of life."
But looking at it now, it didn't seem much different from other towns, just smaller in scale.
"I know what you're thinking. It's different from the little village on TV, right?"
"Mm."
"Celestic Town is actually divided into two parts, like Blackthorn City in Johto," Lorelei explained as she checked directions. "The Dragonite territory in Blackthorn is only accessible to the Dragon Clan. And the real part of Celestic Town is only accessible to the Celestic people, because only they can protect the historical relics."
"So how do we get in?"
"We'll find a cafe first and wait for Cynthia to pick us up."
Lorelei found a quiet-looking cafe by the roadside and led Will and Lucario inside.
"Wait here for . I'm going to ask the owner to use the phone." Lorelei patted Will's head, placed him on a table, and walked away.
"Lord Will, that woman in the corner is watching us." Lucario's voice reached Will's ears.
"Hm?"
Will turned to look. Indeed, a girl with double buns was looking their way. She looked about Lorelei's age, but her makeup and clothes were a bit youthful, making her look younger.
"Ignore her. She probably recognized us." Will shook his head.
The woman only had curiosity and confusion in her heart, no malice. Lucario nodded and withdrew his attention.
"By the way, I haven't seen you fight in a while. What level are you now?"
"Umm... I don't know exactly, but probably a bit stronger than you are now."
"That should be mid-to-high Elite Four level. If you don't work harder, we're going to surpass you. Especially Lapras; that kid has great talent and is improving fast."
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