A huge "Closed to visitors" sign hung at the entrance to Vermilion City's amusement park that day.
As one of the park's only two visitors, Gary couldn't help marveling at it.
"I didn't expect it to be closed today. Good thing you know someone here, Lorelei." Gary shrugged, relieved.
"Uh~ I don't actually know anyone here. I just booked the whole place for today." Lorelei smiled lazily. "Given who I am, showing up somewhere as crowded as an amusement park would probably cause a stampede~"
Gary raised an eyebrow. Even as a rich kid himself, all he could say about a move like that was that Lorelei really was loaded...
After their moonlit dinner the night before, Gary had been ready to say goodbye to Lorelei. He still had his journey to continue.
Lorelei had nodded understandingly and agreed, but then she had checked her schedule.
To her delight, she had discovered that she still had one day off before she needed to return to Indigo Plateau to report for duty.
And so~
Wearing black, nonprescription glasses, a white blouse, a fitted skirt, and black stockings, the mature beauty had leaned over the kitchen counter and pitifully held up one finger to Gary. "One day. Stay with me just one more day, please~ I can't even remember the last time I went out to have fun..."
Gary had shaken his head and sighed. Who could possibly resist that? A charming, mature woman just wanted to visit an amusement park. What had she done wrong? Of course he had said yes...
And that was how their amusement park outing had come about~
"All right, everything here is ours today! What do you want to try first?" Lorelei spun around, and every ride in the park lit up.
Gary tilted his head in thought. Had he forgotten something important? "Whatever, who cares? I want to ride the roller coaster first!"
At the Vermilion Gym, cigarette butts littered the floor around Lt. Surge's feet as he clawed at his hair and roared, "Motherfucker! That Gary Oak brat actually stood me up! Where is he, and who's he with?! I'm going to kick his ass right now!"
One of his underlings answered, "Well, the kid's at Vermilion City's amusement park. Lorelei of the Elite Four booked the whole place, and the two of them are enjoying the rides right now. Boss, want me to take the guys over and cut their power?"
Lt. Surge's expression changed. "Shut that hole in your face! As Gym staff, how can you be so unreasonable?! Go wait at the entrance. Once that young gentleman is finished, tell him about the Vermilion Gym's invitation."
The underling froze. "Huh? Boss, since when were we so reasonable...?"
Lt. Surge's mouth twitched. He walked over, slapped the man across the face, and flexed his right bicep, showing off a new tattoo.
It was a character from the Donghuang Region's writing system: "reason." "I've always fucking persuaded people with reason. Do you understand? Got it?"
The underling clutched his cheek, afraid he might cry too loudly... "Got it, boss. I'm on my way."
Only after watching his underling leave did Lt. Surge breathe a sigh of relief. "When that woman Lorelei goes berserk, even Lance can't stop her. No way am I asking for trouble. Hmph~"
"Aaaah!!!" With Lorelei screaming and Gary cheering, the roller coaster shot toward the sky.
"_(꒪꒪") Bleurgh..." Jynx, sitting in the rear seat, threw up on the first circuit.
"Woohoo! That was amazing!" After getting off the roller coaster, Lorelei was as excited as a little girl. "What do you think? Want to go again?"
Gary glanced at Jynx's deathly pale face and shook his head, speechless. "Let's try the drop tower instead."
Jynx stiffened, promptly pulled out a Poké Ball, and rammed headfirst into it.
"Well, it looks like Jynx isn't too interested in the rides. Let's just go by ourselves." Lorelei smiled unconcernedly and pulled Gary along to keep enjoying themselves.
As Vermilion City's central amusement park, the place truly had all sorts of rides.
Gary and Lorelei rode the drop tower, the pirate ship, and the log flume.
Seriously, those Poliwag in the log flume's pool-don't think I didn't see you deliberately firing Water Guns at my back!
After going wild all morning, the two had a simple lunch of the park's specialty cotton candy and caramel-filled cookies, along with a latte each, then sat by the artificial lake to fish.
"Mmm~ This feels wonderful~ It's been so long since I could relax like this." Lorelei let out a kittenlike murmur as she lounged on her little stool.
"Is it that busy? Working as one of the Elite Four?" Gary asked, watching his float.
"Mm~ How should I put it? Dedicated administrative staff handle most of the paperwork, but Kanto's situation is just too unusual.
"We have to crack down on Team Rocket running rampant, travel around the region for exhibition matches, and deal with the annual Masters Tournament, the Champion League, and the position challenges. There just aren't many chances to really have fun." Lorelei counted off her workload on her fingers.
"Sounds like you're even busier than the Champions in other regions," Gary said with a smile.
"You can say that again~" Lorelei sighed. Kanto was a den of monsters. Every member of its Elite Four was actually almost as strong as a Champion. But their strengths checked one another, and none of them could sweep the other three.
For that very reason, the Kanto Region was jointly administered by the Elite Four, with no single Champion in charge.
The Elite Four in other regions had it much easier. Hoenn's Champion even had enough free time to dig holes all over the world looking for rocks. Kalos's Champion was a famous actress, too...
"Thanks for all your hard work~" Gary smiled and shook his head.
"It's not hard work. It's a hard life~" Lorelei waved a hand. "When some dazzling genius finally appears, someone with both the strength and the brains to defeat all four of us in one go and take up Kanto's scepter, our Elite Four will finally have it easy~"
Gary raised his eyebrows, his voice calm. "Well~ Someone will. Trust me."
Watching Gary wink, Lorelei somehow felt that this boy really could do it.
Splash~ Suddenly, Gary felt a heavy tug on his rod!
"You've got a bite! Quick, reel it in!" Lorelei said excitedly.
Gary shook his head, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "It's an artificial lake in a park. It's probably just a Magikarp. It's not like I hooked Kyogre~"
"Oh, hurry, hurry! We'll find out when we see it." Lorelei patted Gary's shoulder, urging him on.
"All right, I know. Stand back a little, Lorelei. Don't let Magikarp's Flail hit you in the face~" Gary warned as he pulled in the line.
He still remembered going fishing outside town when he was younger. Before he even reached the river, he had seen a Magikarp slap Ash across the face six or seven times in a row.
Gary had used that story to make fun of Ash for an entire year...
"Quack~" As the Pokémon beneath the water surfaced, Gary stared blankly.
A plump yellow duck with three stray hairs on its head waved at Gary and even gave him a flirtatious wink...
"What the hell? Did that Psyduck just wink at me?" Gary asked as though he had seen a ghost.
"Uh... I think so." Lorelei also regarded the Psyduck curiously.
Seeing Gary standing there in a daze, the Psyduck hanging from the hook couldn't resist flailing around. Then the duck's eyes flashed blue, blue light surrounded the duck's body, and the duck floated straight up to Gary.
Then Psyduck placed one hand behind his back and the other over his chest, performing a perfect aristocratic bow~ "Quack~ [Are you my destined Trainer?]"
Gary was utterly dumbfounded. That had been telepathy just now, right?
What the hell? Wasn't telepathy a technique that only Pokémon with extremely powerful minds and above-average intelligence and emotional awareness could possibly use?
Why could a Psyduck use it? Wasn't this species supposed to be perpetually dazed, a bunch of clueless goofballs?
Seeing Gary's astonished expression, Psyduck spread his hands in a very human shrug. The voice sounded in Gary's mind again. "I think I can explain. For now, could you find me a Poké Ball first? I'd like a little nap~"
Lorelei nodded to Gary. This little fellow was definitely special. There was certainly no harm in catching him.
Gary thought so too, so he took out an empty Poké Ball and held it in front of Psyduck.
Psyduck looked at Gary, nodded in satisfaction, and gently tapped the button, entering the Poké Ball on his own.
Gary and Lorelei were left staring at each other.
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