Chapter 208: Challenging the Elite Four (Part 3)
"Defeated so easily by this kid? Have I lost my touch?" Lorelei stared at her trembling hands, her confidence beginning to waver.
Then Rio’s voice came from beside her: "No—you haven’t lost your touch. It’s just that I’m too strong. I know that sounds arrogant, but it’s the truth."
"Beautiful Ice-type Elite Four—just wait and see. The other three Elite Four members will fall just as quickly. I will ascend the long-vacant Champion’s throne undefeated!"
Rio walked past her, gently tracing her chin with his finger as he passed. "Does that make you feel any better? Come on—smile."
Lorelei looked at him, and he looked back. Years of being in a position of authority kept her voice cold as she replied: "Don’t get too cocky. Don’t think the Champion’s seat is yours so easily. The League’s true power is yet to come."
"Then let’s wait and see." Rio shrugged with a smile and walked toward the next chamber.
At the same moment Rio defeated Lorelei, the Kanto League office at the Indigo Plateau received the news. The executives were stunned. Though they couldn’t get the exact battle details, they could determine the outcome from the indicator lights representing each Elite Four member’s Pokémon. The lights for Lorelei’s six Pokémon had all gone out—she had lost.
Her defeat wasn’t entirely surprising to the League executives. What shocked them was that all six lights representing Rio’s Pokémon were still lit. That meant he had defeated all six of Lorelei’s Pokémon without losing a single one.
Are you that overpowered? Or did Lorelei go easy on you for some reason? They checked the time—the battle had lasted four minutes and eight seconds. That’s absolutely insane. First, clearing Champion’s Road in a day, and now this? We thought challenging the Elite Four might expose him—instead, he just crushed them.
In that moment, every League executive rushed to the main assembly hall, where they could monitor the results in real time. Mr. Fuji, who had been watching from the hall, had already reddened eyes.
At the Viridian Gym, Team Rocket boss Giovanni received the news through a subordinate embedded in the League. When he read the message, he was utterly dumbfounded—frozen for several seconds.
He had only learned that Rio had participated in the Indigo Conference after he became champion, from Sabrina. He’d asked his subordinates to keep tabs on Rio’s progress afterward. What he found shocked him—three days later, he learned Rio had cleared Champion’s Road in a single day.
Giovanni estimated that with his current strength, it would take him three or four days, maybe five. Yet this kid had done it in one day. How absurd. Four days would have been acceptable. His first thought was: Were the trainers in Champion’s Road all pushovers? He knew Rio was strong, but surely not that strong. If this was real, did it mean Rio had already surpassed him?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
But now, with the latest message before him, he was forced to believe it. Four minutes and eight seconds—a flawless victory over Ice-type Elite Four Lorelei. Giovanni had briefly battled Lorelei before and knew her strength. Even with his Beedrill, he wasn’t sure he could achieve such a result.
A wave of immense pressure hit him. He could accept someone beating one or two of his Pokémon, but he could not accept someone surpassing him entirely.
"Keep watching—monitor Rio’s challenge against the Elite Four closely," Giovanni ordered his subordinate.
After giving the order, Giovanni narrowed his eyes and gazed into the distance. This time, Mewtwo—I will capture you. Team Rocket had already located Mewtwo.
"Finally here—this path is way too long."
Rio arrived at the second chamber’s door. He pushed it open to reveal a standard battlefield, where a bare-chested, muscular man was doing push-ups. The man looked up in surprise at the door opening so soon. He quickly stood, crossed his arms, and adopted a formal stance.
"I’m Bruno, of the Elite Four. Challenger—you’ve defeated Lorelei?"
"Obviously," Rio shrugged. What a stupid question—if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here.
Bruno studied him carefully, then pulled out a Poké Ball. "I heard you cleared Champion’s Road in a single day. You’ve set high expectations—I hope your strength doesn’t disappoint."
"Come out, Hitmonlee—let’s see what this challenger’s Pokémon can do."
"Hit~" With a flash of light, a Level 64 Hitmonlee appeared before Rio.
Fighting-type, Rio smirked. "Come out, Annihilape—let’s show our Fighting-type Elite Four what it means to win with one punch."
"Annih~" With a flash of light, Annihilape appeared. As always, it punched itself twice to build rage.
Bruno frowned at Rio sending out a Fighting-type against him—was this kid trying to show off? Fine—let’s see how you handle this.
"Hitmonlee—Blaze Kick!" Bruno knew Annihilape was part Ghost-type, so Fighting moves were useless.
"Hit~" Hitmonlee leaped into a flying kick, its leg wreathed in flames.
"Annih~" Annihilape stood its ground and threw a punch.
Bruno watched with confidence. Two seconds later, with a thunderous crash, his confidence evaporated.
〣( oΔo )〣