Finally, she directly set the remaining seats at two thousand apiece, with the specially reserved front two rows skyrocketing to five thousand and six thousand!
Even so, those seats were snapped up in just half an hour!
The only remaining standing tickets were priced at eight hundred each by Sayo, yet they were still in short supply. Now, those people standing outside the Cerulean Gym were clamoring to get in, even if a seat cost ten thousand each!
Sayo, while smiling wryly and stopping the numerous Trainers who wanted to enter, sighed inwardly; if she had known earlier, she should have set each seat at five thousand, and the first two rows could have gone for twenty to thirty thousand!
Jeez, do these people really not see money as money? It's just a competition, just a seat, how do they come up with so much money to buy a spot!
Their water ballet performances sell for a hundred bucks a seat, two hundred for the front rows, and they're not even full!
Is the allure of the Elites really that terrifying?
To be blunt, today's revenue could probably match their monthly income. And by a month, she means a full month of full houses!
Violet and Penny could barely contain themselves as their eyes almost gleamed green at the sight of the constant inflow of cash.
They wished the Elites would come perform every day. Isn't this much easier than making money through water ballet?
"Apologies everyone, the standing tickets are also sold out now. Better wait for the next exhibition match if you want to watch... When's the next time? I don't know either. It depends on the mood of Elite Lorelei." Sayo winked and stuck out her tongue playfully.
She's also curious when Elite Lorelei will come back. If Lorelei could come continuously for a week, they practically won't need to perform water ballet for the rest of their lives, merely fulfilling their duties as Gym Leaders, their later years would basically be worry-free.
Inside the venue at this moment, Ash and Lorelei were already standing on the battlefield, which was the water field of the Cerulean Gym, surrounded by a deep blue energy barrier.
This was the Aura barrier Ash had set up around the field beforehand. Although the time and energy are limited, it's no problem withstanding a battle at even the Elite or Champion Level.
This match was just one-on-one, so it won't last too long. Ash set up the barrier beforehand because he didn't want to be distracted during the battle.
"Is this your ability? It really is a convenient power!" Lorelei exclaimed, unable to contain her amazement as she scanned the surroundings, her hands propped in front of her chest, her beautiful eyes glowing with praise.
Originally, she intended to apply to the League for a special battle machine for Elites to send to the Cerulean Gym.
Any battle above the Elite Level must have proper protection measures. Otherwise, even just the aftershocks could greatly affect the surrounding audience.
So Lorelei's plan was to first have the machine from the League sent over and conduct the exhibition match the next day, but Ash suggested that it wasn't necessary, his ability could act as a living shield.
At least it can withstand the aftershocks of Champion Level attacks, as long as the barrier isn't directly bombarded by a Champion Level attack.
Therefore, what was originally tomorrow's match was moved up to an hour from now, meaning right now.
Yet, even with just one hour's notice, the Cerulean Gym became crowded instantly, as if the entire Cerulean City came rushing to the Gym in that short span of time.
Otherwise, such a spectacular scene would absolutely not have occurred.
And these people all paid to get in, just to watch an exhibition match from an Elite.
This is the Elite of Kanto, which carries more prestige than a prospective Elite like Koga. Not only that, but Lorelei is no ordinary Elite either; she is the Ice Elite of Kanto!
As everyone knows, Kanto's Elite Four are all at the Champion level, so if you could witness them battling it out, if both sides were evenly matched, it would indeed be a genuine Champion battle!
Though today Lorelei's opponent was just a rookie Trainer fresh out of the gate, this rookie's journey was anything but ordinary.
Just from the promotions online, this rookie, three months into the game, is touted as a rookie Trainer capable of matching Elite level strength, also known as Kanto's Superstar!
It's just that recently this Superstar got caught up in a cheating scandal, and this battle with Elite Lorelei is also to clear the air about those cheating rumors.
Either way, witnessing first-hand the legendary Ice Elite of Kanto, Lorelei, in battle, even against a newcomer, is a spectacle worth the view!
Besides, this isn't just any newcomer—they might just surprise everyone.
For Lorelei to personally step up and clear the rumor, those accounts online... should be false, right?
On the arena, when faced with Lorelei's compliment, Ash smiled noncommittally, with a hint of smugness in his smile. Thanks to his three-month adventure outside, he'd grown; if Lorelei had praised him like this when he first arrived at the Cerulean Gym, his nose might have reached the sky!
"Well, let's begin, Miss Lorelei. Shall we both send out our Pokemon?" With it being a one-on-one exhibition match, the rules weren't strict. Ash thought it fair for them to send out their Pokemon simultaneously.
But Lorelei shook her head, "If, as an Elite, I don't give you even this small allowance, I'd be splashed on the trending headlines. Allow me to send my Pokemon first."
As Lorelei spoke, her elegant hand gracefully swept across her waist, and a red and white ball silently appeared at her fingertips before she threw it.
"Ka!" With a flash of light, a Pokemon, graceful and fox-like, appeared on the floating platform of the water field.
This Pokemon is predominantly light blue with a sleek and elegant physique. It has large, pointed ears, and a blue diamond decoration on its head, with ribbon-like extensions falling to the sides.
Its deep blue eyes seem to possess a gaze that could freeze everything.
"Glaceon!" Ash exclaimed in surprise, as this Pokemon isn't often seen in the Kanto region.
At this, Lorelei showed slight surprise on her face, "Ash, you know quite a bit, don't you? Even knowing Glaceon."
Glaceon doesn't frequently show up in the Kanto region; while many in Kanto know of Eevee, not as many recognize Glaceon.
Ash knew Glaceon because the experts in the group explained all about Eevee and its evolutions at one point, so Ash could identify Glaceon.
However, with his Eye of Insight, he inherently knew the names of Pokemon, recognizing them was a separate matter.
"Miss Lorelei has a Glaceon? But this Glaceon isn't your main Pokemon, right?"
"Oh? You even know that? Seems the rumors in the League about your ability to detect Pokemon levels aren't false," Lorelei raised her eyebrows slightly, speaking words that made Ash's heart skip a beat.
Someone in the League knows he can detect Pokemon levels? Who? Could it be he had shown off too much?
"Just some trivial use of Aura Power, nothing worth mentioning." Ash shrugged, attributing everything to Aura Power.
Lorelei didn't dwell on the matter and instead answered Ash's earlier question, "You're correct, this Glaceon isn't my mainstay; however, she's among the best in my second lineup, reaching the Elite Peak. Underestimating her could come at a cost~"
Elite Peak... though not Champion, it's still a formidable wall Ash finds hard to surpass right now, as outside of Pikachu, Ash's other Pokemon might struggle in response!
Yet, it's an exhibition match in essence, where winning or losing isn't crucial. What matters are two points: clearing the online rumors and leveraging this battle to elevate his Pokemon's level as much as possible.
Thus, Ash's choice is...
"I choose you, Charizard!"