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"Haha! Liam!! It really is you!"
The lightly dressed young woman, Lorelei, beamed with excitement as she dashed toward Liam. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him in a big hug before gripping his shoulders and speaking with a wide grin.
Liam was equally surprised. He had no idea why Lorelei was here. She was as lively as ever, though the Shellder that used to rest on her shoulder was nowhere to be seen.
"Lorelei? What are you doing here?" Liam asked, puzzled.
Lorelei rolled her eyes at him, adjusting her red-rimmed glasses before responding in an almost matter-of-fact tone.
"Obviously, I'm here to challenge Cinnabar Gym! I've already collected seven badges—just one more to go! As soon as I defeat Cinnabar Gym, I can register for the Kanto League! Hehehe, impressive, right? What about you, Liam? Judging by your face, you haven't been to Cinnabar Island yet, have you? I bet you only have six badges!" She smirked, eyes gleaming mischievously.
Liam couldn't help but laugh at her smug expression. With a chuckle, he pulled open his jacket, revealing the seven badges pinned inside.
"Huh?! You have seven badges too? Oh! That pink one is so cute! Where did you get it, Liam? Why don't I have it?!" Lorelei leaned in to count the badges, only to be surprised by the sight of an unfamiliar pink one among them.
Her curiosity was instantly piqued.
"Oh, this one? It's the badge from Fuchsia Gym. Wait… You didn't challenge Fuchsia Gym? Then how do you have seven badges?" Liam asked, confused.
"Hehe, so that's the Fuchsia Gym badge! No wonder I've never seen it before. Fuchsia Gym is super mysterious, hidden deep in the mountains. A lot of challengers search for it for ages but leave empty-handed, so I never bothered. Instead, I have a badge you don't—it's golden, a Fighting-type badge! I got it along with the Marsh Badge!" Lorelei explained proudly as she pulled out a brownish-gold badge and held it up for Liam to see.
"…"
Liam was speechless. He had completely forgotten that Saffron City had another gym. Now that Lorelei mentioned it, he vaguely recalled that there was indeed a Fighting-type Gym there.
A sudden urge struck him—to return to Saffron City and challenge the Fighting Gym instead of heading all the way to distant Cinnabar Island…
"Hey! What's with that look? What are you thinking about so seriously?" Lorelei waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just curious about the Fighting Gym," Liam replied, shaking his head.
"By the way, you're heading to Cinnabar Island, right? But I heard from the locals that a group of wild Pokémon has appeared near the port, attacking passing ships. None of the boats are willing to set sail. You might want to reconsider. If you want, I can help you find Fuchsia Gym instead."
To his surprise…
"Hehehe…"
Instead of being worried, Lorelei burst into carefree laughter. Just as Liam was about to ask what was so funny, she pulled a PokéBall from her pocket and tossed it into the sea.
"Woooo~"
A flash of white light hit the water, and a large Pokémon surfaced. Its long neck stretched high, releasing a beautiful, melodic cry.
Liam's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the Pokémon before him—a creature with a rugged brown shell, a sleek blue-and-white body, and a single small horn atop its head.
"Lapras!!"
Yes, it was Lapras. And in that moment, Liam finally understood why Lorelei was grinning so brightly.
"That's right! This is my Lapras! With it, I can go anywhere on the ocean! It's my most trusted partner!" Lorelei declared proudly.
"Woooo~"
With practiced ease, she leaped onto Lapras's back and turned to Liam with a confident smile.
Liam was momentarily speechless, his gaze filled with admiration for the gentle, intelligent Pokémon.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Hop on! Cinnabar Island is still a ways off—I'm not spending the night stuck at sea," Lorelei called out, extending a hand toward him.
Liam hesitated for a moment before laughing and taking her hand, leaping onto Lapras's sturdy shell.
"Alright, Laprus! Let's set sail!" Standing at the front, Lorelei wrapped an arm around Lapras's thick neck and pointed ahead with excitement.
"Woooo!!!"
With a joyful cry, Lapras spread its wide flippers, swiftly and steadily gliding across the water.
Sailing with Lapras was an incredible experience. It truly lived up to its title as the 'Transport Pokemon'
Its movements were fast yet stable, making the journey smooth and enjoyable. The cool ocean breeze was refreshing, but…
Why was it getting colder?
A biting chill crept into the air, sharp enough to make Liam shiver. Pulling his jacket tighter, he glanced at Lorelei, who seemed completely unfazed.
He couldn't help but admire her. As expected of a future Ice-type master… this cold doesn't even bother her.
"I heard from the locals that a drifting iceberg has appeared in these waters recently. The temperature drop must mean we're getting close. They also said that wild Seel and Dewgong live on the iceberg, so we should be careful," Liam warned, recalling what the townsfolk had told him.
But…
"What?! Dewgong?! Are you serious?! That's amazing!! I've always wanted to catch one!" Lorelei's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Lapras! Speed up! We need to find my new partner ASAP!"
"Woooo!!!"
Ignoring the warning completely, Lorelei urged Lapras forward, eager to reach the iceberg.
Liam sighed and shook his head. He should have known—Lorelei was obsessed with Ice-type Pokémon.
Of course, the moment she heard about Dewgong, she'd be too excited to care about anything else.
Lapras accelerated, slicing through the water like a battleship, leaving towering waves in its wake.
Before long, the temperature dropped even further, and a massive floating iceberg came into view. A thin mist surrounded it, and the sound of cracking ice echoed through the air.
Lapras showed no signs of slowing. Just as it seemed they would crash into the glacier, Lapras suddenly slapped the water with its flippers, launching itself into the air like a flying fish.
It landed smoothly on the icy surface, skidding forward with ease.
"Woooo~!"
Lapras let out a delighted cry, clearly enjoying its new environment.