The Masters Challenge approached

"Lorelei... I've arrived in Vermilion City. Should I come find you now?" Gary typed a message on his phone.

"Sure, I'm at this address. Do you need me to pick you up?" Lorelei replied.

"No, I can find it myself. Just send me the address."

At a seaside villa in Vermilion City, Gary checked the address on his phone.

"This should be it, right?" he asked uncertainly, looking at the small two-story villa before him.

"Vee!" Eevee nodded. Its trainer never got lost, which was pretty nice.

After receiving Lorelei's invitation, Gary hadn't dared delay along the way. He had finally reached the port city of Vermilion two days before the Masters Tournament.

It was Kanto's largest shipping hub, as well as one of its fastest-growing cities.

Gary had assumed the Masters Tournament organizers would put Lorelei up in a luxury hotel or something. He hadn't expected a little seaside house like this.

Knock, knock, knock. Gary shook his head, walked up, and knocked on the gate in the villa's fence.

"Bro..." The gate opened, and an endearingly dopey Slowbro appeared before Gary and Eevee.

"Vee!" Eevee studied Slowbro curiously.

"Bro..." Slowbro tilted its head and made a bewildered sound.

Gary broke into a cold sweat. He always felt completely helpless around this sort of Pokémon, whose wisdom hid behind a foolish exterior.

"Bro..." Slowbro raised its head and gazed blankly at the sky. Meanwhile, Eevee circled its tail with keen interest.

"Hey, sweetheart, I know Slowbro's tail smells delicious, but don't bite it, okay? It isn't your takeout..." Seeing Eevee practically drooling, Gary awkwardly scooped the little Pokémon back into his arms.

"Slowbro, do we have guests?" Lorelei's uniquely alluring voice rang out.

Gary looked up. "Lorelei... wow, the sun's so pale..."

Lorelei had come outside wearing a form-fitting swimsuit with a jacket draped over it.

"Mmm-hmm." Satisfied with Gary's reaction, Lorelei smiled. "You're here, little Gary."

Gary awkwardly lifted his gaze to the sky. "Uh, Lorelei, were you swimming?"

"More or less. Come join me." Taking Gary's hand, Lorelei led him toward the beach behind the house without waiting for an answer.

Standing on the beach in nothing but a pair of swim trunks, Gary couldn't help wrapping his arms around himself.

It wasn't that the seaside was too cold. The chilly, appraising stares from Cloyster and Dewgong in the water just made the temperature feel a little low.

Lorelei sat on Lapras's back, her pale calves swaying through the waves.

"So these are your Pokémon, Miss Lorelei?" Gary asked, accepting a drink from Wigglytuff.

"That's right. These are my partners." Lorelei patted Dewgong and Cloyster. "I like to relax with them before a match."

Gary looked around. Lapras, Jynx, Dewgong, Cloyster, Slowbro, and Wigglytuff made up Lorelei's current first-string team.

Besides them, Lorelei also had Water-type Pokémon such as Starmie and Tentacruel.

Although he was very curious about how an oddball like Wigglytuff had found its way onto an Elite Four member's first-string team, Gary didn't pry.

Watching Lorelei smile as she played with her Pokémon, he asked curiously, "The Masters Challenge is the day after tomorrow, but you don't seem very nervous."

"Really? I thought I was already working pretty hard to get into the right frame of mind." Lorelei smoothed her long burgundy hair. "Soft as water in everyday life, then freezing into ice the instant I enter the arena. That's my style, I suppose."

Gary nodded. Lorelei really was that sort of person. She might be so gentle now that it was intoxicating, but once she entered battle mode, this woman could be cold enough to make anyone shiver.

"Does the Masters Challenge change venues? I remember Lance and that old gentleman from Hoenn, Drake, battling in Rustboro City's arena last week," Gary asked, recalling the broadcast he had watched.

"Yes, every Masters Challenge takes place somewhere different. Unlike the Pokémon World Championships, most Masters Challenge matches are exhibitions, unless it's a challenge match with an Elite Four position on the line.

"Besides showcasing high-level battles, the Pokémon League arranges things this way to flex its muscles at the dark forces operating in each region." Lorelei shrugged.

"Has the venue for this match been decided?" Gary took a couple of sips of his drink, then gestured for Jynx to chill it.

Jynx took the glass and breathed gently over it. Frost instantly coated its sides.

"Yes, it'll be on the top floor of Vermilion City's Battle Tower." Lorelei nodded, then gave a weary sigh. "And of all people, I had to get Bruno, that utterly oblivious meathead."

Gary smiled and shook his head. Lorelei's Ice-types really were at something of a disadvantage against Bruno's Fighting-types.

At their level, however, type advantages weren't decisive. What mattered most was the strength of their Pokémon and their tactics as trainers.

"Master Bruno's Fighting-type Pokémon are certainly fast and fierce, but your Ice Domain is no pushover either, Lorelei," Gary offered reassuringly.

Lorelei spread her hands helplessly. "Bruno improves too. In fact, I haven't faced him in an official match for over six months. If I don't bring anything new to my tactics, beating him this time will probably be difficult..."

"New tactics..." Gary raised an eyebrow, then activated his Appraisal skill and scanned Lorelei's Pokémon.

"Good grief... what ridiculously stacked stat sheets..." After looking them over, Gary admitted he was jealous.

It was an extravagant lineup with an average level of 80, and every Pokémon had a long list of moves at its disposal.

So this was Elite Four-level strength...

"Wait... this Starmie..." Gary's gaze settled on Lorelei's Starmie.

"What is it, Gary?" Lorelei asked curiously.

"This Starmie knows [Minimize], doesn't it?" Gary asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right. This one has learned a very wide variety of moves and knows a little of everything, but its level isn't high enough yet, so it hasn't appeared in any major matches." Lorelei nodded.

"If... just hypothetically, I had a set of tactics... would you want to try it, Lorelei? I think it should have a pretty good win rate against Master Bruno's Fighting-types," Gary said suddenly.

"Oh? I'm all ears." Lorelei adjusted her glasses, a hint of sharpness entering her demeanor.

"Let's go back inside to talk. I'm getting a little cold." Seeing Cloyster looking ready to fire an Icicle Spear at him, Gary couldn't help feeling the corner of his mouth twitch.

Come on! They say a wife three years older brings a gold brick, but four bricks would be way too heavy! I wasn't planning to carry them in the first place...

Lorelei nodded and took Gary back to the villa. After changing into her usual black stockings, fitted skirt, and blouse, she brought two cups of coffee over and sat down by the sofa.

Gary took a sip of black coffee and began slowly, "I don't know if you've ever heard of... Minimize paired with Substitute-Protect-Toxic..."