Lorelei's gaze, like the sharpest ice blade, slowly swept across the hellish battlefield before her.
Wreckage littered the ground, along with the remains of Pokémon, and the air reeked of smoke and ozone.
And there was the Legendary Pokémon, bound in midair by a massive metal net, struggling feebly.
Her eyes instantly turned utterly cold.
It was not anger, but an absolute coldness mingled with killing intent.
"I don't care who you are or what you're after."
Lorelei's voice was quiet, yet it reached the ears of everyone present with perfect clarity.
"None of you are leaving here today."
Without another wasted word, she hurled two Poké Balls.
White light flashed.
A shellfish Pokémon appeared before her, its body covered in a hard purple shell studded with sharp spikes.
Cloyster.
The other was an elegant blue Pokémon with a gray shell on its back, resembling a small island.
Lapras.
Both were top-tier Ice- and Water-type powerhouses, and the ace duo that had made Lorelei famous.
"Cloyster, use Ice Beam! Break that net!"
Lorelei's command was decisive and direct.
Her objective was clear: free Zapdos first.
Cloyster's enormous shell snapped open, revealing the black core within.
An icy-blue beam of concentrated, extreme cold shot toward the net restraining Zapdos like a laser cannon.
"Not a chance!"
Apollo roared. Before him, a Pokémon resembling a hellhound was already poised for battle.
Houndoom!
"Flamethrower!"
Houndoom opened its mouth, unleashing a searing orange-red column of fire hot enough to melt steel straight into the oncoming Ice Beam.
Ice and fire collided thunderously in midair.
Boom!
Extreme cold and extreme heat erupted in an instant, producing a violent explosion of energy.
White steam instantly engulfed the entire battlefield, obscuring everyone's vision.
Thus began a top-level clash between Elite Four-caliber combatants.
Apollo's objective was to buy