Sparks flew as the two Pokémon clashed, neither able to gain the upper hand.
"Sandslash, fall back," Lorelei said calmly.
After failing to gain an advantage in close combat, she imdiately switched strategies.
"Sandslash, Blizzard."
As an Ice-type specialist, this was where Lorelei truly excelled.
The battlefield had been bright under the blazing sun just monts ago, but in the blink of an eye, snowflakes began to fall.
At first, it was only a light dusting—but within seconds, it turned into a raging blizzard.
The overwhelming storm blanketed the entire battlefield in white.
Fortunately, the Blizzard didn't deal direct damage to Absol, but it completely transford the environnt.
As the snow thickened, Sam prepared to counterattack—
"What?!"
He rubbed his eyes, but still found no trace of Sandslash.
It had completely disappeared.
Sam's expression darkened.
Lorelei was far more dangerous than she looked. This was her real strategy all along.
No wonder the Blizzard itself seed weak—its true purpose was concealnt.
"A Snow Cloak Sandslash… that's troubleso," Sam muttered.
"Sandslash has vanished. What will you do now, Sam?" Lorelei asked with a confident smile.
"Vanished?" Sam shook his head. "No. It hasn't disappeared—it's just hidden in the snow."
"Then I'll just burn all the snow away and force it out."
Lorelei smiled without responding.
If Sam had a Fire-type Pokémon on the field, clearing the snow wouldn't be difficult—but right now, he was using Absol, and she had never heard of Absol being able to deal with sothing like this.
Sam didn't explain.
A normal Absol couldn't do it—but his wasn't normal.
"Absol, Steam Armor."
"Steam Armor?" Lorelei frowned slightly.
Even with her experience, she had never heard of such a move.
She didn't give any command. Instead, she chose to observe.
Absol let out a roar.
As it roared, its body began to undergo a dramatic transformation.
A layer of armor ford around it—armor made entirely of condensed steam.
The steam radiated intense heat. Even from a distance, Lorelei could feel the temperature rising rapidly.
The situation turned dangerous instantly.
The battlefield temperature began to climb, and within monts, it reached a level high enough to lt ice and snow.
Lorelei's expression sharpened.
She didn't understand the move, but she knew one thing—she couldn't wait any longer.
"Sandslash, Gyro Ball!"
The hidden Sandslash launched a sudden ambush from within the snow, giving Absol no ti to react.
Fortunately, the steam armor absorbed most of the damage.
Otherwise, that hit would have been devastating.
Still, taking the hit was worth it.
Now they had found Sandslash.
Seeing it reappear, Sam clenched his fist—he was already confident of victory.
"Absol, Steam Charge!"
"Another unknown move…" Lorelei muttered, frowning.
With no knowledge of the opponent's abilities, she could only play it safe.
"Sandslash, Harden!"
"Defense won't help you," Sam said with a faint smile.
Wrapped in steam armor, Absol began emitting thick white vapor.
The steam granted it explosive power.
Then—it moved.
Absol shot forward at incredible speed, producing a sound like a train whistle.
Everywhere it passed, the ice and snow lted instantly.
Faster. Faster. Faster.
It moved so quickly it beca a blur.
Before Sandslash could react, a deafening roar sounded—
And it was sent flying.
The overwhelming impact, combined with intense heat, caused massive damage.
After flying a long distance, Sandslash finally crashed to the ground.
Smoke rose from its body.
It had completely lost the ability to battle.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause echoed across the field.
Instead of anger, Lorelei showed admiration.
"Professor Oak didn't misjudge you," she said. "When he asked to give you Lapras, he told you would beco an even better Trainer than him."
She recalled Sandslash.
"Alright. Warm-up's over. Let's get serious."
Her expression changed instantly.
The playful smile vanished, replaced by a cold, commanding presence.
A chilling aura spread across the battlefield.
"Co out—Lapras."
[Pokémon]: Lapras
[Type]: Ice / Water
[Strength]: Champion High Level
[Potential]: Champion
Her trump card had appeared.
Only now did Sam truly understand why even Lance struggled against Lorelei.
A Champion-level Lapras was no weaker than Dragonite—and it had a clear type advantage.
Dragon and Flying types were both countered by Ice.
Facing an opponent like this… there was no easy strategy.
Maybe Lance could rely on speed and wear it down—but would he accept such a victory?
No.
He was Lance, pride of the Dragon clan.
Winning like that wasn't his style.
A direct battle ant near-certain defeat.
And refusing indirect tactics ant he could never fully surpass her.
That was why soone as strong as Lance remained among the Elite Four instead of standing above them.
Lorelei stepping down might seem like a good thing…
But was it really?
Even if Lance beca Champion that way—would he truly be satisfied?
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