In truth, Lorelei could do little against Articuno right now.
All she could do was watch that frosty, mocking expression on its face.
Of course, irritation was already rising within her.
Just as Articuno let out another derisive cry toward Lorelei—right when she was about to lose her patience—the heavy doors of the training hall were pushed open.
"Who is it? Didn't I say not to disturb me?" Lorelei turned toward the entrance.
Her stern expression softened instantly. Standing in the doorway was Nozomi.
"Nozomi!" Lorelei called out.
He smiled faintly. "Granny Agatha told me you were here trying to tame Articuno. How's it going? Any success?"
As he spoke, Nozomi's eyes fell upon Articuno.
The once arrogant Legendary Pokémon immediately cowered, lowering its head submissively. It didn't dare make a sound, trembling slightly as if afraid to even breathe too loudly.
The reason for Articuno's sudden cowardice was simple—back on the Seafoam Islands, Nozomi had commanded Mewtwo to utterly crush it.
That savage defeat was still deeply etched into Articuno's mind.
Seeing the proud bird shrink back like this made Lorelei both exasperated and amused.
It was clearly a coward that bullied the weak and feared the strong. She had encountered plenty of Trainers like that before—but she had always been the strong one in those cases. Never had she been treated as the "easy target." This was a first.
Lorelei said nothing, but Nozomi could already guess what had happened.
"Articuno isn't listening to you, is it?" he asked.
At those words, Articuno raised its head slightly, a flicker of very human-like nervousness in its eyes.
As a Legendary Pokémon, Articuno's intelligence easily rivaled that of humans. It could clearly understand what Nozomi's question implied.
If Lorelei nodded, it would be in trouble.
But instead, Lorelei shook her head. "It's fine. This isn't Articuno's fault."
Articuno blinked in surprise.
It hadn't expected Lorelei—the human it had been disrespecting—to defend it. That was something entirely outside its understanding.
Instantly, some of the hostility in its heart melted away. Its gaze softened; a faint sense of kinship replaced the animosity.
Lorelei herself didn't think much of it. She wasn't that desperate to subdue Articuno. If she truly wanted to, she could have forced it into submission long ago.
She hadn't done so before, and she certainly wouldn't let Nozomi do it now.
"Alright then," Nozomi said indifferently.
Articuno had already been given to Lorelei. How she handled it was her business. If she didn't need his help, he was more than happy to stay out of it.
"By the way, did the League approve my earlier proposal about making use of Team Rocket?" Nozomi asked.
Lorelei shook her head.
"There are still quite a few people in the League who have doubts," she explained. "They think that although using Team Rocket has its advantages, it might also give them a chance to rise again."
"Tch. How stupid."
If the League used Team Rocket, then the organization's activities would be forced into the open. It would be much harder for them to operate in the shadows. That would greatly help the League maintain Kanto's fragile stability.
On the contrary, letting them hide in the dark was far riskier. If anything went wrong in the upcoming battle against the Pokémon Hunters, it would hand Team Rocket the perfect opportunity to strike.
An unseen Team Rocket was a far greater threat. Who knew what schemes they were plotting? And if the League ever wanted to crack down on them, they wouldn't even know where to start.
That was why Nozomi called those League officials idiots.
"Why don't you speak to them yourself?" Lorelei suggested. "If you make the proposal, I'm sure they'll approve it immediately."
Given Nozomi's reputation now, if he personally endorsed the plan, no one in the League would dare object.
"No need," he said with a wave.
The war with the Pokémon Hunters was only days away. Starting that plan now would only create unnecessary complications.
As for Team Rocket—they could rot on their own for all he cared.
After Nozomi's last crackdown, Team Rocket wouldn't recover for at least two or three years. Even if they stirred up minor trouble behind the scenes, it wouldn't matter.
The two continued chatting for a while, sharing stories from Nozomi's recent travels.
Just as the conversation grew lively, both of their communicators buzzed at once.
Lance had called an emergency meeting for all participants in the upcoming battle.
Indigo Plateau
Inside the grand hall of the Kanto League headquarters, the air was heavy with tension.
The Four Elite members, high-ranking officers from the Investigations Division, several Gym Leaders, and Nozomi were all gathered together.
Lance stood at the front of the room. His crimson cloak rippled slightly as he faced the assembly.
"Everyone," he began, "our situation has changed. The intelligence we had was inaccurate. The Pokémon Hunter Organization we expected to arrive in three days will reach us tomorrow! That's why I've called this emergency meeting."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire room erupted in chaos.
Voices rose in panic, echoing through the chamber.
Clearly, no one had anticipated such a sudden change.
Only a handful remained calm—Koga, the ninja master of Fuchsia Gym; the Four Elite members; and Nozomi himself.
Seeing the uproar, Lance frowned sharply. "Silence!"
The single command carried such authority that the room fell quiet almost instantly.
All eyes turned toward him.
"I understand this caught everyone off guard," Lance continued. "I was surprised too. None of us expected them to move this fast. The Hunters exploited our timing—they struck before we could finish our preparations."
"Could there be a traitor within the League?" someone asked nervously.
"There's no need for a traitor," Agatha said calmly, glancing at the speaker. "Our large-scale mobilization was signal enough. The Hunters must have noticed our movements and realized we'd discovered their plan. That's why they acted ahead of schedule."
The officer who had spoken flushed red with embarrassment and sat down quietly. His nearby colleagues subtly shifted their chairs away from him.
Clearly, he was the type to speak before thinking.
Everyone here was a League elite—people trusted with top-level intelligence. None of them would risk their careers, let alone their lives, to sell out the League.
If the enemy had been Team Rocket, perhaps betrayal would've been possible—after all, Team Rocket's roots ran deep across Kanto, and their influence was formidable.
But Pokémon Hunters? They were nothing compared to that.