Chapter 292: Lorelei's Marriage, Will Leaves the Team
Each Soul Dew was formed from the soul of a Latios or a Latias.
And this one Latios had.
Was very likely formed from the soul of their elder, or even their parents.
Latias's action...
Was equivalent to giving her dad or mom's soul as a gift to her crush.
In the end.
The Soul Dew remained in Latios's custody.
And Latias was chased and smacked by her brother for several streets.
As for Will, he didn't find it regrettable.
He had no desire for that thing.
Because he didn't know what use it would be to him anyway.
When he took it from Latias earlier, although the item appeared on his panel, its specific effects were unknown.
At least in those few seconds...
Will didn't sense any changes in his body.
During the two months Will and Lorelei stayed in Alto Mare.
Perhaps because of Manaphy's personal incubation.
The egg that had been dormant for years finally hatched into Phione.
Compared to Manaphy.
Phione looked a bit more ordinary.
Its pupils were pure black, and its irises were dark gray, making it look a bit listless, less lively than Manaphy.
But even so.
This little guy won Lorelei's heart.
Lorelei took care of Phione meticulously.
And Phione grew quite fond of this considerate and gentle human mother.
Manaphy sensed Lorelei's pure love, and coupled with the fact that its child wanted to stay with her...
So on the day Will and Lorelei prepared to leave...
Perhaps partially because Will was the "King of the Ocean."
But...
Manaphy ultimately entrusted its baby to Lorelei.
The little guy filled Will's vacancy, becoming the Pokémon Lorelei often held in her arms.
Poor old Will.
At his age, he had to walk on his own feet.
Sometimes while walking on the road, he would get angry at himself and just retreat into Lorelei's Poké Ball to lie flat.
After that.
Will and Lorelei went home to rest for a month, then set off again.
This time.
Without any specific purpose, they traveled purely for travel, purely for fun.
Although 80% of the time, Will chose to stay in his Poké Ball.
Along the way.
Often, trainers would want to challenge Lorelei.
No.
More accurately, they wanted to challenge the "God of the Ocean."
Although Lorelei had gradually lost her competitive nature from the past, she didn't refuse challenges.
The result never changed; it was always Will beating up kids.
Currently, Will's panel level was only Lv. 82.
But his actual combat power definitely exceeded the level of current regional Champions' aces.
Lance, Wallace, Steven, Cynthia...
They had all come to challenge him for various reasons.
Lance wanted revenge; as the new Champion, he felt confident he could take Lorelei now.
Wallace was fascinated by Water-type Pokémon and curious about Lorelei's strength.
Steven was fascinated by Steel-type Pokémon, and as an eyewitness to that battle, he was curious about Will's true power.
Cynthia just came for a friendly visit.
But without exception.
They all returned in defeat.
League Year 197.
The Indigo League's Elite Four was finally complete again.
Matching the Gen 2/Gen 4 lineup in the games.
The three new Elite Four members were...
Will (the Psychic trainer, not our protagonist), the Psychic Elite Four.
A trainer who was obscure in the past but suddenly emerged in the last two years.
He was young, in his twenties, currently the youngest of the Elite Four. However, currently also relatively the weakest.
Koga, the Poison Elite Four.
This was an old player.
Originally, he didn't plan to participate in the Elite Four Tournament again. Like Lorelei, he no longer had the ambition to fight for fame and status.
However...
The President of the Indigo League and the former Ghost Elite Four, Agatha, personally invited him, so he participated out of respect.
In reality...
This was equivalent to the Indigo League personally inviting him to become an Elite Four member.
Just to prove to everyone that Koga had the strength for the position.
When "veterans" like Koga, from the same era as Lorelei, Lance, and Bruno, stepped up...
Basically no one could compete with him for the seat.
After entrusting the Gym Leader position to his young daughter (Janine), Koga took up the responsibilities of an Elite Four member.
The last one.
Was Lorelei's good friend and junior.
Karen, the Dark Elite Four.
Also considered an old player.
The current Karen was 28, in her prime, with strength rivaling Koga.
The reputation she had accumulated over the years was significant.
Her selection as Elite Four was well-deserved.
That same year.
Something interesting happened to Lorelei.
She started dating.
Her partner was Wallace.
The reason was probably that both liked Water-type Pokémon.
When Wallace challenged her, he sincerely praised Will from the bottom of his heart.
Crucially...
Lorelei could feel he wasn't praising just to get close to her; he genuinely meant it, and his praise was spot on.
So she chatted more with Wallace.
Later, when Lorelei took Will to travel in the Hoenn region, they traveled with Wallace.
Back and forth, the two got together.
However, Will found their romance very boring.
It was completely an "adult romance."
No youthful passion or impulsiveness, just full of rationality.
Not much different from a couple matched through blind dates.
Before long.
Lorelei got engaged to Wallace.
But engagement was just engagement.
Lorelei didn't stay by Wallace's side after the engagement.
She still freely took Will and left Hoenn, continuing their own journey.
Unova.
Kalos.
Alola.
Places they hadn't been to in the past.
They walked through them with their own feet.
During this period.
Will passed by many places.
The blacksmith's hut in Azalea Town.
The Ping'an Daycare in Ever Grande City.
Niven's home in Nimbasa City.
Platane's underground lab in Lumiose City.
The crumbled castle in Stow-on-Side (or similar ancient ruins).
The mysterious giant tree in Laverre City (or the ultimate weapon site).
Sometimes while walking...
Lorelei would curiously ask Will why he suddenly stood still in a daze.
Will would just shake his head and say nothing.
Later.
They prepared to return to their home on Four Island to rest for a while.
Passing through Alto Mare again.
They saw many things related to Empoleon erected in the city.
Empoleon.
Seemed to have become a symbol of this city.
And Lorelei's Dewgong found his own love in this City of Water.
Lorelei decisively let Dewgong stay.
Although reluctant.
Seeing that Dewgong would have his own family, Will and Lorelei were genuinely happy for him.
In the time that followed.
They found an isolated island full of Slowpoke.
Slowbro wanted to stay and become the leader there, protecting the Slowpoke from poachers and wild Pokémon.
Lorelei respected her choice.
The team that accompanied Lorelei to challenge the League.
Of the six, two had left.
During this period.
Lorelei had also inquired about Lucario.
But found nothing.
Will asked the Tree of Beginning.
But it said that after Lucario went to Sinnoh, he never left.
Over the years, he had been guiding Riley and his Lucario in their training.
End of League Year 198.
The Indigo League announced a major event.
Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader, was actually the leader of the evil organization Team Rocket!
The moment the news broke...
Giovanni disappeared from the public eye.
And what surprised both Will and Lorelei was...
That very night, Giovanni contacted Lorelei.
The purpose was self-evident.
Naturally, he wanted to recruit the former Elite Four Lorelei to join Team Rocket and conspire for a "great cause."
But not in person.
Through a phone call.
A person's name is like the shadow of a tree. To be blunt, the current Giovanni dared not appear in front of Lorelei.
Or rather...
Dared not appear in front of Lorelei when Will was with her.
As long as he dared to appear.
Lorelei would dare to take Will and eliminate him.
Two years passed.
League Year 200.
The year Steven stepped down and yielded the Champion title to Wallace.
At the same time, the year Ash, May, and others started their journeys.
Lorelei and Wallace's long-delayed wedding finally arrived.
The wedding was grand.
Lorelei in a pure white wedding dress was beautiful.
Prominent figures from the Indigo and Hoenn Leagues were all present.
Besides them, there were Champions, Elite Four members, Gym Leaders, Coordinators, Breeders from other regions...
Basically all the friends Lorelei and Wallace had made over the years.
At 33, Lorelei finally had her own family.
Incidentally.
Lorelei's Cloyster fell in love with Wallace's Starmie.
It could be considered a double blessing.
However.
Lorelei would leave the Sevii Islands this year and marry into Sootopolis City in the Hoenn region.
Life should have been happy.
But actually, Lorelei wasn't very happy after getting married.
Leaving her mom and dad was one point.
Another point...
Was that Will did not intend to go to Hoenn with Lorelei.
He planned to stay on Four Island.
Lorelei's parents' Pokémon.
Most had formed families over the years.
Many had returned to primitive life, going into the wild, only occasionally bringing their families back to visit.
The remaining few Pokémon were getting old; some struggled to take care of themselves.
Plus.
Lorelei and Wallace weren't ordinary people.
Although Lorelei had retired.
Her past resume and experiences were there.
And Wallace was now the Champion of the Hoenn League.
Will worried that in the future, someone would use Lorelei's parents to threaten them.
Giovanni's contact was a precedent.
So...
Will decided to stay, protect, and take care of Lorelei's aging parents.
To prevent a future where Lorelei and Wallace were put in a passive position because of issues on Four Island.
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