Lorelei's words hit Misty and Brock like a lightning bolt. Part of their shock came from the Alliance's high-tech gadgetry… but most of it came from the implication behind her statement.
Lorelei wanted to monitor Ash's battle with Giovanni. And of course, they didn't think she was keeping an eye on Ash, the meaning was obvious. She wanted eyes on Giovanni.
A chill crawled up both their spines. Why would an Elite Four member monitor the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto? What exactly was going on behind the scenes?
Ash stared at the tiny pinhole camera in his palm, briefly silent. Was Lorelei openly acknowledging everything now? Was she deliberately breaking the unspoken balance? Had something happened between the Alliance and Team Rocket?
His instincts told him this shift was probably connected to Blaine.
But none of that mattered right now. His priority was clear: challenge Viridian Gym, win his final badge, and confirm whether Mewtwo had left behind any traces inside the Gym.
Lorelei spoke again, her voice firm, her gentle demeanor replaced by gravitas.
"It's pointless to hide it from you now. The Viridian Gym Leader, Giovanni, is the boss of Team Rocket, and he's already set his sights on you. Ideally, you shouldn't challenge the Gym at all. But Professor Oak told me everything. I know you've already made up your mind, so you must bring this camera with you, just in case."
She paused before continuing, her expression growing even more serious.
"I don't think he'll go as far as attacking you outright, but you cannot be careless. If anything looks wrong, I'll come immediately."
Misty and Brock's minds had already shut down at the revelation that Giovanni, the Gym Leader all Kanto admired, was the leader of Team Rocket. For Gym Leaders like them, that truth was nothing short of earth-shattering.
A respected figure to actually be Rocket Boss Giovanni… the shock was indescribable.
Meanwhile, Lorelei was quietly observing Ash. When she exposed Giovanni's identity, Ash didn't even flinch. She realized instantly, Ash had already suspected it.
"Professor Oak hinted at it," Ash admitted, adjusting the tiny camera onto his collar. "I didn't want to believe it then, but since you've confirmed it, I'll accept it."
He straightened his hat, smiled lightly, and asked, "How does it look, Miss Lorelei? If it's fine, then I'll be heading out."
"Oh?" Lorelei's eyes narrowed inquisitively. "Even knowing Giovanni intends to target you, you still want to challenge the Gym?"
"That's right, Ash." Misty hugged Togepi tightly, anxiety written all over her face. "Maybe you should reconsider. The Gym Leader is Team Rocket's boss, it's too dangerous!"
Brock nodded vigorously. "Ash, your strength is impressive, but facing Giovanni is, well, there's still a huge gap."
Ash didn't respond immediately. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, ready and confident.
"Whether I can win or not, I'll only know after I try. And hey, maybe the God of Victory will bless me again like when I fought Koga."
Misty and Brock: You make it sound like the God of Victory is on your payroll!
Lorelei, however, picked up on the real meaning beneath his words. He wasn't counting on Victini at all, he was subtly implying that his previous miracle wasn't divine intervention. It was him.
She wasn't sure yet, but based on everything she'd seen these past days, Ash was never careless when it mattered. For his safety, or that of his friends and Pokémon, he would never rely on chance.
Whether Victini appeared or not wasn't the point.
She gave him a playful wink, a gesture completely at odds with her elegant beauty.
"Alright then. Since you believe in the God of Victory so much, go ahead. And even if the God of Victory doesn't show up..."She leaned in slightly,"…the Ice Elite certainly will."
Ash froze for a second at her unexpected closeness. A faint, refreshing scent lingered in the air, snapping his mind awake.
He instantly understood her real meaning: Even without Victini, Lorelei had his back.
"Then I'll thank you in advance. Brock, Misty, let's go!" Ash said, quickly heading toward the Viridian Gym.
Misty and Brock exchanged helpless looks before following after him. They knew Ash well enough by now, once he'd made up his mind, there was no stopping him. And with Elite Four Lorelei backing them up from the shadows, they could only brace themselves and trust him.
Twenty minutes later, just outside the Gym, the guard told them someone was already in the middle of a challenge. It shouldn't take long, ten minutes, at most.
So the three waited.
A few minutes later, one of Ash's Poké Balls suddenly trembled. A pulse of information flashed into his mind, Mewtwo was inside.
The message came from Gardevoir.
Because she carried a fragment of Mewtwo's essence within her, she could sense him whenever he was within fifty miles of her as long as she was outside her Poké Ball.
That was why Ash had kept her inside the Poké Ball ever since they entered Viridian Forest, to avoid unintentionally alerting Giovanni or Mewtwo.
But he hadn't expected her to sense Mewtwo even from inside the Poké Ball.
What he feared most was the opposite reaction.
'You sensed Mewtwo… but did Mewtwo sense you too?' Ash asked through telepathy.
'Probably not,' Gardevoir replied. 'The only reason I reacted was because a sudden surge of energy from inside triggered my essence. The reaction was faint, and I suppressed it immediately.'
Ash breathed out slowly.
Good. If Mewtwo sensed her, the entire situation would spiral out of control.
Still… something didn't add up.
'That's strange. When we first got here, there was no reaction at all. The distance hasn't changed. Why sense him only now?'
'I'm not certain,' Gardevoir admitted. 'Maybe Mewtwo hadn't activated his power earlier. Now he must have entered a battle state, which caused the spiritual essence to resonate.'
Ash's expression stiffened.
If that was true… then Giovanni had sent Mewtwo out against the current challenger.
And then a chilling possibility flashed through Ash's mind.
He instantly pushed his Aura outward, probing inside the Gym, and the moment he sensed that familiar energy signature, his entire expression changed.
"I'm going in!" Ash shouted, rushing to the entrance.
The armored guards blocked him immediately, shaking their heads silently. Rules were rules: only one group of challengers at a time. If you didn't enter together, you waited outside. That was Viridian Gym's policy, not something aimed at Ash.
But Ash wasn't listening anymore.
Because inside… was Gary.
And he was facing Mewtwo.
There was no universe in which Ash could calmly stand outside while Gary fought Mewtwo alone.
In the blink of an eye, Ash flickered behind the two guards. They stiffened, swayed, and collapsed unconscious on the ground.
Brock stared, stunned. "Ash, what are you doing!? Why are you in such a rush!?"
Even during Gym battles Ash had never acted like this, much less knocked out Gym staff.
"Ash, what happened?" Misty asked, wide-eyed.
Ash turned, tension radiating from every muscle. "Gary is inside," he said sharply. "And he's fighting Mewtwo. We have to get in there, now."
Upon hearing this, Misty and Brock's expressions instantly shifted, and the two of them rushed in right behind Ash.
Inside the Viridian Gym, Gary was kneeling on the ground. Blastoise, Arcanine, and Nidoking were all collapsed beside him. Even the girls who had followed him as a cheer squad had fainted. Only Gary remained conscious.
His eyes were filled with terror, and his trembling body showed just how overwhelmed he was.
That Pokémon… was a monster.
Elite-level? Champion-level? None of those so-called "powerhouses" could compare to even a fraction of this creature's pressure. Even when it wasn't releasing any Aura at all, just standing there was enough to crush his will.
Gary had come to the Viridian Gym to challenge it partly to test the waters for Ash, and partly because Ash had already conquered several major Gyms. He wanted to prove that he wasn't inferior.
Even though the Viridian Gym was considered the hardest Gym, it offered a beginner challenge mode. Gary chose that mode and easily defeated two Pokémon. With his cheerleaders screaming for him, he got carried away, believing that with equal-level Pokémon, even Elite or Champion Trainers would be no match for his battle instincts.
Then he ran his mouth, and Giovanni sent out the Pokémon standing before him now, a creature wrapped in machinery from head to toe.
Giovanni claimed its strength was heavily restrained by the machinery.
And yet, Gary was swept instantly.
That Pokémon didn't even bother to move its body or lift an arm. Gary had been overwhelmed without the creature doing anything.
This? This was supposed to be a restrained Pokemon? Even true Elite Pokémon didn't radiate pressure like this.
And he'd never seen a Pokémon like it in any Pokédex or textbook.
"Oak's grandson," Giovanni sneered. "He doesn't have that old man's strength, but he certainly inherited his arrogance. Since Professor Oak has been threatening me recently… I think it's time he paid the price. Mewtwo, seal the boy's mind."
'Mewtwo… where have I heard that name?'
Gary barely had time to think before he saw the Pokémon raise its hand, a surge of blue psychic light gathering in its palm.
If that hit him, he knew nothing good would follow, but he had no strength left to resist. Instinct took over as he threw his hands up in front of him and squeezed his eyes shut.
BANG!!