"Is it Meowth's turn this time?" After the display Ash's Chansey just put on, nobody's doubting this rookie anymore. "I wonder exactly how strong this Meowth really is!"
The audience was buzzing. The idea of a rookie trainer defeating an Elite Four's Pokémon was already absurd, but the sheer technical skill Ash had shown made them realize they were watching a monster in the making.
Meowth stood on the ice, facing the massive Lapras. Neither Ash nor Lorelei spoke for a moment; they both knew the stakes. Suddenly, as if triggered by the same thought, they shouted in unison:
"Ice Beam!" / "Shadow Ball!"
The freezing white light and the swirling orb of dark energy collided in the center of the rink, resulting in a deafening explosion that filled the gym with mist.
"Charge through! Shadow Claw!" Ash commanded.
"On it!" Meowth hissed, blurring through the smoke. His claws shimmered with a ghostly, dark aura as he lunged at Lapras.
"Protect!"
A shimmering green barrier encased Lapras just in time, and Meowth's claws scraped harmlessly against the energy field.
"Lapras, Body Slam!"
"Laaaa-pras!"
The massive Pokémon launched itself into the air, aiming to crush Meowth under its immense weight. If that hit connected, Meowth would be flattened.
"Dodge and grab hold!"
Meowth's reflexes were quick. He darted out of the way as Lapras slammed into the ice, then immediately scrambled onto Lapras's back, locking his paws around her shell.
A predatory glint flashed in Ash's eyes. "Thunderbolt!"
"Boy, do I love TMs!"
Meowth's body erupted in blinding yellow electricity. The current surged directly into Lapras, coursing through her body at point-blank range.
"Laaa!"
Lapras cried out in pain as the voltage intensified. However, Ash didn't tell Meowth to stop. Instead, he shouted, "Meowth, increase the output! Watch for the moment!"
Meowth, perfectly in sync with Ash, grinned. "Understood, Boss! Lapras, don't you dare let me and the Boss down."
The Thunderbolt grew even more violent. Lapras was being pushed to her absolute limit, but she wasn't just enduring it—she was searching for something within the struggle. Suddenly, a spark of pure, refined energy ignited within her.
Lorelei, feeling the shift in her partner's heart, yelled with joy: "There it is! Break through, Lapras!"
With a powerful surge of willpower, Lapras roared, the shockwave of her aura physically blowing Meowth off her back. Meowth landed gracefully on the ice, a satisfied smirk on his face. He had achieved what he set out to do.
The atmosphere in the gym changed instantly. Lapras's aura was no longer that of a peak Elite Four Pokémon—she had ascended to the Champion level.
Lorelei looked at her lifelong partner, then turned to Ash with a radiant smile. "Thank you, Ash."
Ash adjusted his hat, looking back at her calmly. "You're welcome. Meowth gained some good experience from that too. But more importantly, congratulations. Your Lapras is finally a Champion."
The crowd went absolutely feral.
"Heavens! We just witnessed the birth of a Champion-level Pokémon! This match is going down in Cerulean history!" The announcer screamed. "But wait! If Lapras just became a Champion, then that Meowth who was suppressing her earlier must be..."
The audience finally put the pieces together.
"Elite Four-level Chansey AND Meowth?!"
"Are you kidding me?! Usually, Elite Four Pokémon are fully evolved powerhouses, and this kid is walking around with a baby nurse and a talking cat that can scrap with the best?!"
Ash looked at the shocked faces and shrugged. "What's the big deal? Meowth and Chansey have been with me since I was a kid. It's only natural they'd be this strong."
"IT'S NOT NATURAL AT ALL!" The crowd roared back in unison.
"Do you want to continue?" Ash asked Lorelei.
Lorelei nodded. "Of course. Even if everyone would agree to give you the Cascade Badge right now, I want to see this through to the end."
"Fine. Then, Pikachu— Wait! Danger!"
A violent tremor shook the building. Reacting on pure instinct, Ash lunged toward Lorelei, who was closest to the source of the vitwerpion. He scooped her up in a princess carry and bolted just as a massive explosion tore through the gym floor.
A giant mechanical drill-bot emerged from the debris. Ash, still holding Lorelei, glared at the machine. "Not these guys again..."
Then, the familiar music started:
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
After the long-winded motto finished, Jessie's laughter filled the room. "Hahaha! We came prepared this time, twerp! Hand over that Pikachu!"
But James wasn't laughing. He was staring at the woman Ash was currently holding. "Uh, Jessie... I think we picked the wrong time. Do you have any idea who the twerp is holding?"
Team Rocket's Meowth squinted. "Who is it?"
James's face went pale. "That's Lorelei! The Ice Queen of Kanto!!"
"NO WAY!" Jessie and Meowth screamed.
Panicking, Meowth slammed a button on the control panel. "We gotta go big or go home!"
The machine began to generate a massive vacuum, sucking up water and debris. Ash, however, was already a step ahead.
"Meowth, disable it."
"Got it! Machine Paralyzer, fire!" Meowth pulled a small, high-tech gadget from his belt and fired a localized EMP pulse. The machine short-circuited instantly, sending a massive backlash of electricity into the cockpit, frying the trio inside.
"Great. Now... could you please let go of me?"
Ash tried to reach for a Poké Ball to finish the job, but he found himself tightly pinned. Lorelei, still in his arms, was clinging to him like a vine. She leaned in and lightly licked a small scratch on Ash's cheek where a pebble had grazed him during the explosion.
"I'm not letting you escape this time," She whispered, her voice dangerously sweet.
"Let go of me! You crazy woman!" Ash yelled, trying to pry her off. "I totally forgot you still had designs on me! I must have been blind when I thought you were a kind type! You're nothing but a man-eating wolf! Let go! I won't yield!"
"No," Lorelei said simply, pulling out a folded document from her cleavage. "Sign this and I'll let you go."
"Not a chance! Nothing good ever comes from your contracts! I'm not falling for it!"
The crowd was too busy dealing with the smoke and chaos to notice the scandal unfolding on the trainer's platform, but the tension between the two was palpable.
"Ash," Lorelei noted, her eyes shifting toward the wreckage. "The trio is waking up."
Ash froze, remembering there were still three villains to blast off.