Hammerlocke Stadium.
The battle between Lorelei and Wallace
was a showdown between old rivals.
Though it was a clash of ice and water,
it was exceptionally heated.
Of the twelve Pokémon on the big screen,
ten of their portraits had already turned gray.
Your gray portrait would never stop beating...
Wallace had even defeated Lorelei's Articuno,
leaving him just one step away from victory.
Both sides had only their aces remaining:
Lapras vs. Milotic.
The commentator, Miller, was thrilled.
"Another showdown going right down to the wire!"
In the guest booth, Winona unconsciously clasped her hands together, her knuckles turning slightly white.
As Wallace's girlfriend, she understood his desire for this victory better than anyone.
Except perhaps Steven...
Although Wallace was her boyfriend, Winona's commentary wasn't particularly biased.
"The key is that Master Lorelei still has Dynamax available, while Wallace..."
On the field, Lorelei adjusted her glasses.
Lapras stood on a field of water mixed with ice fragments-a water battlefield prepared specifically for them.
Another change in this year's Master League was that
battlefields could be assigned randomly
or specially provided for a matchup.
Lorelei and Wallace had both chosen a water battlefield without needing to discuss it. After all, this was their home turf.
Across from her, Wallace remained elegant and composed.
Milotic's scales shimmered with dreamlike light beneath the lamps, its tail fin gently patting the water and sending out ripples.
"Milotic, Aqua Ring."
Wallace broke the stillness of their standoff first.
He chose the safest way to recover.
After all, defeating Articuno had consumed quite a bit of stamina.
Azure light shimmered around Milotic,
and gentle streams of water wrapped around it like ribbons,
steadily restoring its stamina.
"Lapras, Ice Beam!"
Naturally, Lorelei wasn't going to give it time to recover.
Lapras raised its head, ice-blue energy