Originally, Lorelei had been perfectly content with the results of their operation. But when Nozomi pointed out that they could've achieved an even greater victory—one they missed by mere moments because Sachi had slipped through their grasp—the thought gnawed at her.
That realization left Lorelei feeling deeply unsettled.
Noticing her expression, Nozomi couldn't help but laugh shamelessly.
Lorelei immediately shot him a sharp glare.
He forced his laughter down, pretending as if nothing had happened. "Alright, let's round up these Team Rocket members first."
With that, Nozomi hurled a Poké Ball forward. Metagross burst out, its metallic limbs crashing into the midst of the panicking Rockets.
Lorelei followed suit, releasing her Lapras and Jynx.
With the combined power of those two formidable Trainers, the outcome was all but decided.
Working together with the League's outer encirclement, the Rockets had no chance to fight back.
Finally, when the last remaining Rocket Grunt, trembling under Metagross's iron arm, chose to surrender, the operation against the S.S. Anne was over.
Aside from Sachi, who had fled at the first sign of trouble, and a few who slipped away in the chaos, Nozomi and Lorelei's mission captured a total of 393 Team Rocket members, including one of the Rocket Trio Commanders—Chakra.
It was an overwhelming success.
"We did it!"
The surrounding Trainers and sailors burst into cheers.
To them, the greatest blessing was that the Pokémon League had prevailed. If Team Rocket had won... they didn't even dare to imagine what would have become of them.
Among the crowd stood Ash. He had spotted Nozomi long ago but waited until the battle ended before rushing over.
"Nozomi!"
"Ash," Nozomi greeted him with a wave and a smile.
As he did, he couldn't help but give the boy a once-over.
As expected of the protagonist—facing a large-scale Team Rocket assault on the S.S. Anne without even flinching. Nozomi couldn't tell whether that was immense courage… or just reckless nerves.
"How come you're on the S.S. Anne too?" Ash asked curiously.
"How else? I boarded back in Vermilion City," Nozomi replied. "Beforehand, I caught wind that Team Rocket was plotting something against the S.S. Anne. So, I teamed up with Elite Four member Lorelei to set a trap for them."
"I saw your battle just now—it was incredible!" Ash said in awe.
He was honestly shaken. Back in Viridian City, he'd known Nozomi was strong, but this… this was another level entirely.
Earlier, he, Brock, and Misty had fought a few Rocket Grunts themselves—and they were far tougher than the usual trio they always ran into. But those same kinds of Rockets had been wiped out by Nozomi like they were nothing!
Nozomi chuckled modestly. "It's nothing special. I still have a long way to go."
He wasn't just being humble.
He only had two Pokémon right now—both Steel-types. If he ran into a well-prepared opponent, he could easily be defeated. The only reason he'd succeeded this time was because he and Lorelei had caught Chakra and Sachi off guard—and because he'd had Lorelei herself as backup.
There was still much room for growth.
"You're way too modest, Nozomi," Misty said teasingly, casting a sideways glance at Ash. "Unlike someone I know."
"Pika pi!" Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Hey, Misty, Pikachu! Why are you ganging up on me? Didn't I just beat Gary?" Ash protested.
"That was pure luck," Misty retorted.
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu nodded again, looking over at Nozomi as if to say, She's right, you know.
Ash slumped forward in despair, completely deflated.
"Pfft—" Nozomi couldn't help laughing at the sight of his crushed expression.
"Just you wait!" Ash shouted, suddenly fired up again. "I'll beat Gary again and prove my strength!" Then he added, "Oh, right—Nozomi, have you seen Gary? We couldn't find him anywhere earlier."
"He's in the cargo hold," Nozomi said. "I asked him to help keep watch over the captured Rockets. If you're looking for him, come with me."
Nozomi led Ash and the others down toward the lower decks.
In the end, Gary refused to battle Ash again.
After witnessing Nozomi's overwhelming strength firsthand, Gary decided he needed to focus on training and improving himself. Battling Ash, whom he now saw as a "rookie-level opponent," wouldn't help him grow at all.
The S.S. Anne continued sailing toward its destination.
Meanwhile, Nozomi and Lorelei escorted Chakra and the captured Team Rocket members back to Vermilion City aboard a League patrol boat.
Vermilion City Port
The prisoner transfer was carried out there.
The League's prosecutor division announced publicly that, due to manpower shortages—and fears that Team Rocket might attempt a rescue—they were requesting Gym Leader Lt. Surge's assistance in escorting the captives.
Upon hearing this, Lt. Surge, who had been growing increasingly anxious since learning of the failed operation and had been considering fleeing, finally relaxed.
"Lt. Surge, thank you for agreeing to help with this prisoner escort," Nozomi said, stepping forward and shaking his hand.
"No problem at all, no problem at all!" Surge replied with a wide grin, as if all his past conflicts with Nozomi had vanished into thin air.
But no sooner had the words left his mouth than he felt his head spin, his vision blur, and his body go weak.
"What… what's happening…?"
He staggered, confusion flashing across his face. His physique was strong—he had never experienced something like this before.
"Lt. Surge," Nozomi said calmly, smiling faintly, "it's over."
Seeing the confusion in the man's eyes, he continued softly, "Your cover's blown. We've confirmed your identity—an undercover executive of Team Rocket within the Pokémon League."
"You… you…" Surge tried to speak, but his dizziness intensified until he could barely form words.
He reached for his Poké Balls—but his arms refused to obey.
"That's Gastly's Smog," Nozomi explained, releasing Surge's limp hand. "Don't worry—it's a light dose. Won't kill you. Just enough to knock you out."
With a dull thud, Lt. Surge collapsed to the floor.
The nearby League prosecutors, already briefed and ready, swiftly subdued the remaining Vermilion Gym staff before they could react.
"Done," Nozomi said, turning toward Lorelei. "The rest is yours."
"Leave it to me." Lorelei smiled, and with a nod to Jynx, had her form a pair of icy cuffs that froze over Surge's wrists.
Then she looked back at Nozomi. "You really don't want to rejoin the League as an Investigator? With the merit from this operation, you'd be promoted straight into the division's upper ranks."
Nozomi shook his head. "Not interested. Winning tournaments, becoming an Elite Four member, then a Champion—that's a far better future than sitting behind a desk as an investigator."