Sam turned to glance at Lorelei, said nothing, and quietly followed her inside.
Lorelei's heart was racing, but she forced herself to stay calm. Seeing that Sam didn't question anything, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Entering the room, Sam looked at the space filled with plush dolls.
Lorelei quickly pretended to be surprised.
"Oh… my niece must've left her toys everywhere again. I'll have to scold her next ti. Kids shouldn't leave things lying around like this."
"A kid? That's normal."
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Sam played along.
After falling into the sea earlier, his clothes were still damp and uncomfortable. With Lorelei's permission, he took a shower.
When he ca out, Lorelei was sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly watching a soap opera.
A man and a woman alone in the sa room—if no one spoke, it would only get more awkward.
So Sam took the initiative.
"Miss Lorelei, have you decided to step down from the Elite Four?"
Lorelei relaxed a little when he spoke and smiled.
"Don't be so formal. Just call Sister Lorelei."
She winked playfully.
"The Elite Four position is exhausting. It's not suitable for soone old like ."
Sam was montarily stunned—it was the first ti he'd seen this playful side of her.
Keeping his composure, he replied,
"Sister Lorelei, you must be joking. You don't look a day over twenty."
No woman disliked being called young. Lorelei's smile grew brighter.
With that, the distance between them quickly closed.
"Oh, right," Lorelei suddenly said, rembering sothing important.
"The next Masters Tournant starts at the end of this month. If you want to beco one of the Elite Four, you should start preparing."
"So soon?" Sam frowned. From what he knew, it was supposed to begin after the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Lorelei nodded, her expression turning serious.
"Team Rocket has beco active again. Things are getting unstable. After discussion, the League decided to move the tournant forward and select new Elite Four mbers as soon as possible."
At the ntion of Team Rocket, Sam's expression changed.
"Is Giovanni planning sothing again?"
Lorelei sighed.
"No one knows what he's thinking. But no matter what… he's still the League's biggest threat."
She waved it off.
"Let's not talk about that. How about a battle? Think of it as a warm-up before the Masters."
"No problem."
Sam was also curious about Lorelei's strength.
They soon stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
"Ready?" Lorelei asked.
After Sam nodded, she threw her Poké Ball.
"Co out—Sandslash!"
The Pokémon that appeared looked similar to a normal Sandslash, but its color was completely different.
Instead of yellow, its body was covered in icy blue and white.
"An Alolan Sandslash?!" Sam said in surprise.
Lorelei adjusted her glasses.
"That's right. I caught it during a trip to the Alola region."
"To be honest, Alola is a paradise for Ice-type trainers. There are so many rare Ice Pokémon there. If I had more ti, I would've stayed longer."
Sam activated his system.
[Pokémon]: Sandslash (Alolan Form)
[Type]: Ice / Steel
[Strength]: Elite Mid-Level
[Potential]: Champion
"A newly caught Pokémon…" Sam murmured.
"In that case…"
"Co out—Absol!"
Like Sandslash, Absol was also newly captured. Both were at the sa level, making it a perfect matchup.
It was Absol's first ti fighting alongside Sam, and it was clearly excited—jumping around as soon as it entered the field.
"You're full of energy," Lorelei said with a smile.
"Then let's begin."
"Sandslash—Icicle Crash!"
Lorelei didn't hold back at all.
Ice energy gathered rapidly above Absol. In an instant, massive icicles ford in the air and ca crashing down.
"Absol—Air Slash."
Sam pointed calmly.
Absol understood imdiately. It swung the blade on its head, summoning sharp wind blades that sliced through the falling icicles, shattering them instantly.
"Not bad," Lorelei praised.
"But try this—Sandslash, tal Claw!"
Sandslash surged forward, steel energy covering its claws, turning them into gleaming weapons.
Seeing it close the distance, Sam's eyes lit up instead of showing concern.
"Perfect timing—Absol, Slash!"
The blade on Absol's head wasn't just for show.
As Sandslash approached, Absol leapt forward, swinging its scythe with deadly precision.
Sandslash responded without hesitation, striking back with its tal Claw.
Slash and tal Claw collided head-on.
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