Lorelei's words gave Misty and Brock a shock; on one hand, they were amazed by the Alliance's advanced technology, and on the other, they were surprised by what Lorelei implied.
Lorelei was going to monitor Ash and Giovanni's battle. Of course, they wouldn't think Lorelei wanted information on Ash or Giovanni.
Isn't it obvious that she wants to surveil Giovanni? When they recall what Lorelei said a week ago, about staying in Viridian City to observe someone, they find it quite chilling when considered deeply.
Why does Lorelei want to monitor Giovanni? Is something wrong with the Alliance's strongest Gym Leader?
Ash glanced at the hidden camera lying quietly in his hand and fell silent for a moment.
Lorelei was being straightforward, directly revealing Giovanni's true identity. Why was the previous tacit balance suddenly being broken now? Did something happen between the Alliance and Team Rocket?
Intuition told Ash that the changes between the Alliance and Team Rocket were likely related to Blaine.
However, none of this was very important at the moment. What was crucial was challenging the Viridian Gym, defeating it to earn his last badge, and checking for any signs of Mewtwo inside.
"Since it's come to this, I won't hide it from you. Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader, is the leader of Team Rocket, and he has set his sights on you, Ash. The best way would be for you not to challenge the Viridian Gym, but I've heard from Dr. Oak that you must challenge it, so you must keep this with you just in case."
"Giovanni's strength is at Champion Level, and though I think he wouldn't use his full power against someone weaker, you still need to be careful. If anything seems wrong, I'll rush over immediately."
At this point, Lorelei's face had lost its usual gentle expression and became extremely serious, her beautiful face full of gravity, as if to say—this is not a joke.
Brock and Misty were so shocked by the news that Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket that their brains almost crashed; Misty's pupils quaked, and even though Brock had no pupils, his twisted expression revealed his shock.
For both Gym Leaders, the revelation of Giovanni's true identity was almost like a bolt from the blue. After all, who in Kanto didn't know Giovanni's reputation among Gym Leaders?
Giovanni's strength was something the entire Kanto Gym Leaders took pride in. A champion-level Gym Leader, besides Kanto, there are only one each in the Johto Region and Galar Region.
So, learning that the honor of this Gym Leader was associated with Team Rocket struck them hard.
Lorelei kept observing Ash's expression, and after she revealed that Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket, Ash's expression didn't change at all. Could it be that Ash had already guessed this?
"Professor Oak had hinted at it, but I didn't really want to believe it. However, since you have said it yourself, Lorelei, it must be true," Ash explained to Lorelei as he seemed to sense her thoughts.
Then, he adhered the camera to his collar, adjusted his hat, and smiled, saying, "Is this okay, Miss Lorelei? If everything's fine, I'll be heading off."
"Oh? Even after knowing Giovanni is the leader of Team Rocket and is targeting you, you still choose to challenge the Gym?" Lorelei asked with keen interest, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yeah, Ash, maybe it's better to think more about challenging the Viridian Gym. After all, the opponent is the leader of Team Rocket and seems to have other plans for you. Going there could be very dangerous!" Misty said, holding Togepi with a worried expression.
Brock nodded in agreement, "That's right, Ash. How about reconsidering and checking out another Gym first? I admit you're strong, but facing Giovanni... it's kind of..."
What Brock said was actually quite tactful. The gap between Ash's current strength and Giovanni's was not small; it was the difference between a firefly and the moon!
Champions and Elites are on completely different levels. Ash already struggles against the Elite Peak. Facing a Champion... the chance of victory is almost nonexistent.
Ash didn't respond with words; instead, he let Pikachu jump onto his shoulder, preparing himself as if ready to set out: "Whether I can win will only be known after the fight. Besides, if the God of Victory favors me like when battling Koga, then I might win, right?"
Misty and the others: ...
Favored by the God of Victory? That's easy for you to say. Do you really think the God of Victory is your Pokemon!
There was one stroke of good fortune when Victini increased his power, but how likely is that to happen again!
After a momentary freeze, Lorelei suddenly realized Ash's words were less about expecting Victini's favor and more suggesting it wasn't any divine intervention at all but his own approach.
At this point, she thought, perhaps she was overthinking, but from her observations of Ash over this period, this young man, though impulsive, passionate, and a fan of Pokemon, sometimes not thinking things through, never muddled in critical situations.