Meanwhile, the famished Ash wandered the bustling streets of the Pokémon League Village with Pikachu, searching for a decent restaurant to satisfy their growling stomachs.
In typical Ash fashion, he'd forgotten to bring his other Poké Balls, completely neglecting to take his battle-worn companions to the Pokémon Center for treatment.
Fortunately, Brock had already prepared Pokémon food tailored to each partner's favorite flavors, ensuring none of Ash's team went hungry—especially those who'd just competed and desperately needed nutritional recovery.
Walking through the crowded streets, Ash and Pikachu looked unexpectedly pitiful.
"My stomach's completely empty... Pikachu, you must be starving too," Ash complained to Pikachu, who lay weakly draped across his head.
"Misty and Brock just cheered from the sidelines, but battling really works up an appetite. Once we find a restaurant, I'll make sure you eat your fill."
"Pika pika..." Pikachu answered feebly.
"This is weird. Where are all the restaurants? This place is way too big—I can't figure out which direction to go."
Without Misty and Brock's guidance, Ash—who only ever focused on Pokémon battles—was completely lost, having no idea where he'd wandered.
After aimlessly visiting numerous locations, Misty and Brock finally tracked down the long-missing Ash.
Misty immediately gave the careless trainer a stern lecture, complaining that he was completely irresponsible for forgetting to take his battle companions to the Pokémon Center, instead only thinking about stuffing his face with Pikachu.
The embarrassed Ash could only explain that his hunger had clouded his judgment. Thankfully, Brock had collected Ash's Poké Balls and returned them safely.
On their way to the Pokémon Center, Ash's group discussed match strategies. Ash's third-round battle would take place at the Ice venue, so he planned to use either Squirtle or Kingler to counter potential Ice-type opponents.
As for Red's group—Red drew the Water venue, Gary the Grass venue, and Leaf the Rock venue.
Once again, the four Pallet Town trainers perfectly avoided facing each other, much to the relief of Ash's companions.
Within moments, they found a nearby Pokémon Center.
Unfortunately, they'd arrived during peak hours. The Center was overwhelmed, with a massive gathering of anxious trainers clustered outside the entrance, all desperately waiting for their partners to recover.
"Everyone, we're terribly sorry! Due to an unexpected complication, this Pokémon Center is extremely backed up. If you need urgent care, please visit other Centers in the area!" Nurse Joy called through a megaphone, her voice strained as she addressed the growing crowd.
"That's Nurse Joy from Pewter City!" Brock's face flushed crimson with recognition. His sharp eye for detail allowed him to immediately identify her as his hometown's Nurse Joy.
"I honestly can't understand how you tell them apart—they all look identical to me," Misty said with exasperation.
"I distinguish them by their subtle... unique characteristics," Brock replied seriously, stroking his chin while ignoring the simultaneous deadpan stares from Ash and Misty.
Meanwhile, Red had arrived at his destination.
Using his Pokédex's map function, Red finally located a charming café tucked away in a quieter section of the village.
This establishment was specifically provided free of charge for contestants and their traveling companions—a venue designed to help nervous trainers relax before their upcoming battles.
To enhance the therapeutic atmosphere, the café had even adopted a "café maid" service concept, clearly catering to certain contestants' preferences.
In Red's assessment, even with café maids, the venue wouldn't normally attract such overwhelming crowds. Most people were too shy to openly enjoy such attentive service.
For this packed scene to occur, there had to be someone important from the Pokémon League present—specifically, a prominent figure in competitive battling.
"As expected," Red muttered, covering his face in mild embarrassment.
His speculation proved correct. Through the café's glass window, Red immediately spotted Lorelei seated prominently where passing contestants could easily see her. No wonder she'd attracted such attention.
As one of the Kanto region's Elite Four trainers with striking appearance and sophisticated presence, Lorelei naturally commanded considerable admiration. Her unexpected appearance at this modest café inevitably drew curious fans and onlookers.
During this time, several shy male fans and contestants attempted to approach Lorelei. Knowing their skills couldn't possibly impress her, they instead pretended to casually enter the café, enjoying the enthusiastic service from the maids who cheerfully addressed them as "Master."
After ordering coffee at the counter with feigned sophistication, they'd position themselves near Lorelei's seat, attempting to look refined while tasting their bitter drinks—only to grimace painfully, making the watching crowd cringe with secondhand embarrassment.
Lorelei covered her mouth and chuckled softly. As a mature and perceptive woman, how could she not understand these young men's transparent intentions?
Just as Lorelei prepared to return to her latte, she accidentally spotted Red outside the window attempting to quietly slip away.
"Hi, Red! Why are you so late? I've been waiting for you forever," Lorelei called out deliberately, her tone playfully ambiguous and perfectly calculated to cause misunderstandings.
Instantly, Red received numerous burning stares from nearby spectators—many filled with jealous resentment that the Ice-type Elite Four member would personally invite someone their age.
"Wait—isn't that Red from Pallet Town?" someone whispered after studying him closely.
Most contestants immediately recognized the second-seed competitor. After all, Red's dominant battle performances over the past few days had been seared into their memories.
They all secretly dreaded facing Red in upcoming rounds, terrified their inadequate skills couldn't withstand his overwhelming tactics and they'd be humiliatingly swept three-to-zero.