March 15, twenty-one years ago, Sevii Islands…

"Gifts, gifts! It's gift time!"

"Calm down, Lorelei, there's no need to rush it."

"But I want my gifts now!"

That day, a party was being held to celebrate the eighth birthday of little Lorelei. Even though it was a small celebration, since her parents limited the invitations to just a few friends and relatives, the party was very lively and everyone was having a blast, especially the birthday girl herself. Little Lorelei was a perfect mixture of her parents Olga and Rhein: she had inherited her face and gray-blue eyes from her mother, but although she had a similar hairstyle, her hair was the same shade of red as her father's.

The little redhead's parents were happy to always see her as lively and full of energy, even if sometimes she could be a little too much for her own good, so they did their best to school her and get her under control. All things considered, they had done a fairly good job, but there were those (very few) occasions they just ended up giving in to her whims. Like now.

"Alright, you win." Olga, who looked like a more mature version of her daughter, except for her dark purple hair, sighed in resignation. "Let's open the gifts now."

"Yay! Gifts are coming, gifts are coming!" Lorelei cheered.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll bring ours," said Rhein, whose red hair was cut short and had a trim beard. "I'll be back in a second."

While her father went to fetch the missing gift, Lorelei had her fun opening and shredding the gift wrap as the packages came one after another. Some only had pieces of clothing, others had dolls or tabletop games, but none of them caught her attention. She briefly considered a children's book titled "The Ice Bird" about a female trainer who traveled around the world flying on the back of an Articuno, but she wasn't that keen on reading, so even though she thanked everyone, she discarded it for the time being.

"Alright, here it is." Rhein came back with a large box behind his back. "Tell me Lorelei, what would you wish for more than anything in the world?"

"That's easy, Daddy. I want to be a great trainer, and someday travel around the world in my own Lapras," the little redhead replied.

"Hmm, well that's good, because you're going to like this. Happy birthday, dear."

Lorelei grabbed the box and quickly shred to pieces the gift wrap, throwing it away. Once she removed the cover, the little redhead squealed in joy when she saw the contents: a small Lapras plush doll that she quickly grabbed in her arms to squeeze.

"Yay! My own Lapras, my own Lapras! Thank you, Mommy and Daddy!"

"You're still too young to catch a real one, so we got you the next best thing," said Olga.

"I don't care, one day I'll catch my own Lapras in the Icefall Cave," the birthday girl assured. "You just wait, it'll be the best and the cutest of all! But meanwhile, this little guy will do…"

Lorelei resumed squeezing her Lapras plushy, which let out a little squeal as if it was alive. Rhein and Olga laughed heartily, as it always brought joy to their heart to see their little girl so happy and lively. That one time they didn't mind giving in to a small whim; she deserved it after all.

March 15, seven years after…

Usually, every young aspiring trainer would await their fifteenth birthday anxiously, and it would always warrant a grand celebration. But that day, Lorelei wasn't in the mood to party. As soon as she came in home, she dropped herself on the couch, sighing.

"Welcome home, honey," Olga greeted her. "What's the matter, why the long face?"

In response, Lorelei simply handed her the envelope she had brought. The address belonged to an editorial hosting a contest for new writers, and Olga knew her daughter had sent a story of her own. Feeling what it was, Olga grabbed the paper and read out loud.

"Dear Miss Lorelei. We thank you for submitting your story to our editorial. Unfortunately, we inform you that your submission doesn't fulfill the established conditions for the contest and has thereby been disqualified to participate. We wish you the best of luck."

Lorelei sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have based it on my favorite tale. Wonder if they disqualified it for being so trite."

"Oh honey, don't be so discouraged," said Olga as she sat next to her. "You're an amazing writer, don't forget you had the highest grades in literature at school."

Lorelei tried to smile, but deep inside she still felt a little bad for having failed. She loved reading, so one day, apart from being a good trainer, she would love to write her own stories. That contest would have been a good chance to show herself to the world, but she hadn't been good enough.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. Since Lorelei wasn't in the mood to stand up, Olga went to open it.

A minute or so later, Frey appeared in the living room, smiling as ever and carrying a yellow envelope in his hands. Somehow, seeing him lifted Lorelei's spirit a little bit.

"Hey, happy birthday," he greeted her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really," she said. "I was disqualified from that editorial's contest."

"Ouch, too bad," Frey replied, as he handed her the envelope. "Maybe this'll cheer you up: Nurse Joy said it's the result of you trainer license final exam."

Lorelei's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly jumped off of the couch to grab it, but just as soon as she ripped the seal open, she stopped, her fingertips holding the sheet.

"What are you waiting for?" said Frey.

"What if I didn't make it?" Lorelei asked. After the let down with the contest, she wouldn't stand another disappointment like that on the same day.

"Aw, come on." Frey placed his hands on the hips. "You were the best student in your class at Trainer School, weren't you? There's no way you didn't pass after all you've studied."

Lorelei took a deep breath, and shut her eyes tightly as she slowly extracted the paper sheet from the envelope, hoping for the best. She took a few seconds to start opening an eye, little by little and direct her glance at the upper right corner, where the well-framed and bold result was stamped.

"So?" Frey asked. Lorelei's expression remained unfazed just one more second, and then, the redhead jumped to his neck, almost strangling him.

"I DID IT! ONE HUNDRED PERCENT PERFECT! I DID IT!" she cried out, almost letting out tears of joy.

"Ow, I'm glad... but... can't breathe!" said Frey in a choked voice.

"Oh, sorry." Lorelei calmed down and let go of him. "But check this out."

Lorelei showed him the sheet. Not only did it have a perfect score; on the header there was a seal of "Special Distinction" from the Four Island Trainer School. Every year, the best student of each generation would get a special prize for his or her achievements, with a ceremony and party included.

"Well, didn't I tell you so?" said Frey, not surprised in the least. "But you already know what this means, don't you?"

"Of course." Lorelei nodded. A few months prior he had promised they would travel together for a while. It was her idea, and more of an excuse to spend time with him.

"In the meantime, though, shall we go somewhere to celebrate?" asked Frey. "It's your birthday after all, maybe I can treat you something."

"We could go for a ride on Lapras," the redhead suggested. "Today's weather is perfect for surfing."

"Perfect, let's go."

Lorelei went to get the Pokéball holding her aforementioned first capture. Her failure with the editorial's contest was all but forgotten. That day she started her career as a Pokémon trainer. Surely enough the adventures awaiting her would serve as inspiration to write her own stories in the future.

March 15, three years after that…

Had Lorelei been asked her place of choice to spend her eighteenth birthday, she would have never imagined it would be climbing a snowy mountain in the Sinnoh region. Then again, given the circumstances, she didn't have much of a choice.

Going through Mt. Coronet was the fastest way to Snowpoint City, but the blizzard raging on forced her to slow down. Fortunately, she had found an old friend to serve as a guide.

"Come on, Lorelei, you're almost here! Give me your hand!"

Lorelei outstretched her gloved hand to get a hold of her friend's, a young woman with short, white-bluish hair, who pulled her up to get footing on the ridge. They had been climbing for about half an hour, and the blizzard just seemed to get worse by the moment.

"I don't think this weather will get any better for a while, Krysta," said Lorelei. "I know that's not an issue for you, but I have my limits with the cold."

"Alright, as you say." Krysta glanced around. "We could take shelter in that cave over there while the storm calms down, if that's okay for you."

Lorelei nodded, and thus the two women entered the aforementioned cave. They wiped off the snow from their shoulders and walked inside while Lorelei pulled out a thermos from her backpack. She urgently needed a hot drink, and the chocolate in that thermos would do just fine. She looked at her PokéGear: she had to make an urgent call home but Mt. Coronet's magnetic field interfered with communications. Snowpoint was the closest point to get some signal.

"Hey," Krysta called her out for a bit, bringing between her hands a small ice sculpture, like a Lapras. "I know it's not much, and it'll melt later, but… happy birthday."

"That's alright, and thanks." Lorelei gladly accepted the token.

The redhead admired the ice figurine for a while. At first glance it looked made out of glass instead of ice, and it was so smoothly made any craftsman would be green with envy.

"So… what have you done in the past three years? I didn't imagine I would find you in Sinnoh, of all places."

"I've kept on traveling," said Krysta. "I do part-time jobs in places where they require cold or a lot of ice, like cold storages, ice-cream parlors and stuff."

"As well as serving as a guide for those who cross this mountain range?"

"Just on the snowy parts, where it's colder. That's my personal turf, so to speak."

Lorelei smiled. No doubt Krysta could put to good use that 'gift' of hers in those jobs. She was glad to see she had done well, though Lorelei couldn't help but wonder if she wouldn't like to return home someday. In the short amount of time they had been talking, she had managed to catch that her last name was 'Blizzack'. It wasn't much, but perhaps…

"Hey, you heard that?" Krysta suddenly asked, looking at the inside part of the cave.

"Hear what?" Lorelei asked. Her answer came a few seconds later, when she heard some groans, followed by heavy steps and what sounded like leaves rustling.

"Boma… boma…"

"Uh-oh… I think we just invaded someone's home," said Krysta. "And they're not happy."

The steps and groans became louder and stronger, echoing on the cave's walls. Lorelei stood up in alert, her Pokéballs in the ready in case she needed them. Soon enough, the cave's resident arrived: a yeti-like Pokémon, completely white except for its hands, feet and tail, which were green.

"Boma, abomasnow!"

"It must be saying 'Get out of my cave!' or something like that, right?" Lorelei asked.

"That's exactly what it said, yes." Krysta nodded. "Do you want me to…?"

"No, let me handle this," said Lorelei, grabbing a Pokéball. "Now that I see it well, I think it would make a nice addition. Go Slowbro!"

"Slow…" Despite the name and reputation, Lorelei's Slowbro took no time to understand the situation at hand. She stared down at her opponent.

"Krysta, cover your ears," said Lorelei as she did the same thing before giving her first command. "Slowbro, use Echoed Voice!"

Slowbro opened her mouth and let out a wail that materialized in a powerful sonic wave, focused in a small area towards Abomasnow to avoid causing a cave-in. However, the yeti remained unfazed all the time, unaffected by the attack.

"Boma!" it shouted while opening its mouth to inhale, before blowing a powerful icy current at them. Lorelei barely reacted in time to give her Pokémon an order to counter.

"Slowbro, Disable!" she shouted. Slowbro instantly raised her hands, emitting a blue aura that also enveloped Abomasnow and cut off the Blizzard attack while it was still on, sparing them from the worst part. "What happened, why didn't the Echoed Voice work?"

"Abomasnow usually have Snow Warning, but there are some who have Soundproof instead," Krysta explained. "This must be one of them."

"I see." Lorelei smirked; it would be a nice and rare addition to her team. The yeti Pokémon recovered from its surprise at his attack being disabled and prepared another, raising its arms and making its hands glow green for a Wood Hammer. "Krysta, I think you should step away for a bit. I might have to heat things up a little around here."

Krysta took a while to get the message, but she immediately went out of the cave, at a safe distance while Abomasnow kept moving towards Slowbro.

"Fire Blast!" Lorelei cried out right when it was above them.

Slowbro fired from her mouth a fire stream that extended to five points to form the kanji. Abomasnow tried to stop upon seeing what was coming, but it couldn't get away from the imminent fire explosion. Getting hit at point-blank range was enough to knock it out, though Slowbro herself didn't come out clean, as she was a bit scorched for being so close to the explosion.

Without missing a beat, Lorelei grabbed an empty Pokéball and threw it at Abomasnow. The ball absorbed it instantly and began shaking with the button blinking, once, twice, thrice, and it finally stopped, giving off the *PING* to signal a successful capture. The ball then shrank, locking itself for Lorelei to pick it up.

"Done yet?" Krysta asked, peeking through the cave's entrance.

Lorelei turned around and smiled, showing her the locked Pokéball. "Not too bad for a birthday souvenir. Remind me to thank you later."

"Hey, you caught it yourself, I had nothing to do with it," Krysta replied.

Lorelei just shrugged. She might have caught it herself, but since Krysta was her guide, and brought her to that cave, in a way it was thanks to her she had found herself a new Pokémon. Maybe spending her birthday in that mountain in the middle of a blizzard wasn't so bad after all.

March 15, four years ago…

"Slowbro, Psychic!"

In the middle of a large stadium, Lorelei commanded her Slowbro against the most recent Indigo Conference winner and his Machamp. They had been formidable opponents, but they still had a long way to go. Slowbro raised her foe in the air with her psychic powers, and spun him around before slamming him against the ground.

"Machamp is unable to battle! The winner is Elite Four member Lorelei!" the referee declared as he raised a flag.

"What a great battle, folks! The most recent member of the Kanto Elite Four has proved her credentials with flying colors!" the MC announced as the challenger recalled his fallen Pokémon.

As the crowd went wild and cheered for her victory, Lorelei smiled and waved at them. That had been her first official match as an Elite Four member and she was happy to have won, after working so hard to achieve the position.

The now Water and Ice Pokémon Master walked towards the exit hall to leave the stadium, ready to take a long break after the tiresome day, but she was surprised to find someone waiting for her, walking slowly and clapping as he smiled at her.

"Bravo, Miss Lorelei. How does it feel to be part of the Elite Four?"

"Frey." She smiled too as she walked closer. "What a nice surprise, I didn't expect to find you here."

"Hey, barring natural disasters or catastrophes, there's no way I'd miss this day." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "And you haven't answered my question: how's your new job?"

"Well, to be honest I don't feel that much different," she replied. "The payment is great, and I'm flattered that so many people look up to me, but outside of that… I'm still me."

"I'm glad for that," he said. "I wouldn't like you to stop being the ice nymph I know and love."

"Ice nymph?" She was a little surprised, though flattered. "Where did you come up with that?"

"Don't you like it? I think it suits you."

Lorelei just chuckled, though she admitted inside that, flatterer as Frey could be at times, she didn't find the nickname displeasing at all. Then again, she hoped he wouldn't use it in public; that would be embarrassing.

Frey then took a more serious demeanor and pulled out something out of his pocket. Lorelei glanced with curiosity, but Frey covered it with his hands, preventing her from seeing it for the time being.

"And since we're on the topic of new jobs… I came to let you know that I've considered Lance's offer, and I'll accept it. But before that, I wanted to give you something important. Happy birthday."

He withdrew a hand to reveal a small velvet box. The redhead's eyes briefly widened: could it be what she was thinking?

"Frey… is that…?"

"Only one way to find out, right?" he said, again smiling at her.

Lorelei took the box, but hesitated before opening it. They had been in a relationship for years and while they were often apart with their own endeavors, there was no doubt on how much they loved each other. Did Frey want something definitive? She wouldn't mind at all, but perhaps now…

Her train of thought was cut off when she finally opened the box. Much to her surprise, it wasn't an engagement ring, though its monetary and rarity value would probably surpass it a thousand fold.

"It's a Key Stone," said Lorelei, unsure whether she should feel angry or relieved. Frey quickly read her expression with a single glance, and chuckled.

"Hey, you didn't believe I was going to pop up the question right now, did you? You've just been inducted into the Elite Four; it would be unfair to leave it this soon to settle down with me."

"I don't know," she replied. "I wouldn't have minded."

"Neither would I, but you've got a bright career ahead of you. This would help you boost it even further." Frey came closer to whisper to her ear. "You were always the stronger of us two, and you know that."

Lorelei felt a little tickle in her ear. He would always say that, but she didn't see it that way. Nevertheless, it always melt her heart whenever he did something for her, and if he planned to accept that work offer, that would mean they'd be too busy to attend marital duties.

For now, she was fine with accepting his gift. He was right: having just been inducted in the Elite Four opened her many opportunities she couldn't pass up. Let alone when she was just beginning.

March 15, present day…

Lorelei hadn't had such a grand celebration in years. Usually it was just her, Frey, and with luck her close family. And she preferred it that way.

But that year, the Champion and everyone in the Kanto and Johto Elite Four decided to throw her a surprise party. Suddenly Frey's insistence to have some fun together in town made more sense when they arrived at the hotel's lobby and found all the lights off. Then they turned on and everyone yelled "SURPRISE!" at the top of their lungs.

Of course, she wouldn't be ungrateful, and gladly embraced the nice surprise by having a great time as much as she could. Aside from her fellow Elite Four members, other guests included Lance's cousin, Professor Samuel Oak (who along with Agatha's Gengar were trying to get her to lay off on the drinks for a while), and some of Frey's colleagues in the G-Men, including Krysta, who was more than happy to give everyone an ice refill for their drinks whenever they needed.

After hitting the dancing floor for a while, Lorelei decided to take a break, striking a friendly chat with Karen as they shared some snacks. The redhead was surprised to learn that the Dark-type specialist was a fan of her light novels, and was very curious about the upcoming installment of her current series.

"Can't you tell me at least something?" the silver-blue-haired woman asked. "That cliffhanger left me on the edge to know how they will get out of that mess."

"I'm sorry to keep you in the dark, no pun intended," said Lorelei. "I haven't told anyone else about my plans, not even Frey. The grand finale has to be something nobody would see coming."

"It'll be a shame for that series to end," said Karen. "It's been quite the journey."

"Oh, don't be sad, that finale will open the doors to a new beginning," the bespectacled woman assured her. "Believe me, there's a lot more to give with that saga."

"Everyone, please listen up! Attention!"

The party stopped when Lance began hitting her glass with a spoon, interrupting Lorelei and Karen's chat. Everybody came closer as the Kanto Champion and Dragon Master raised his glass and addressed everyone.

"Tonight, we're celebrating. Celebrating one more year for a wonderful colleague, an excellent Pokémon Master, and a great friend. So I propose a toast, to Lorelei!"

"TO LORELEI!" everyone cried in unison, as they began to clap. The bespectacled woman felt the blush in her face, but smiled at her friends for the gesture.

"And now, before we cut the cake, we have another surprise for you," Lance announced once the cheering and clapping died down. "We wanted to make it for your anniversary in the Elite Four, but we couldn't get it finished in time, so we present it to you now."

The Champion slid the curtain in the back wall to reveal the grand surprise. Lorelei's eyes widened upon seeing it was a painting of herself, but not just any painting: she had been portrayed wearing an elegant dress, like those worn by noble ladies in ancient times, with her arms fully extended to the sides to show off her elegance. She wasn't wearing her glasses, her hair was completely loose, and her face had captured an icy, unbreakable determination, the same she would take on whenever she became serious in her battles.

Framing her, the painting had also portrayed several of her Pokémon with their signature attacks: Dewgong, firing a barrage of Icicle Spear, Cloyster with an Aurora Beam, Lapras with an Ice Beam, Slowbro with a Hydro Pump, and Abomasnow summoning a Hail. All of them looked beautiful, imperturbable and powerful, just like her.

"From the greatest artist in the Unova region, this painting is called 'The Ice and Water Empress'," said Lance. "A tribute to someone we consider the greatest trainer of said types in the history of the Kanto and Johto Elite Four. Congratulations on your years with us, and to many more to come." He raised his glass again. "Long live Lorelei!"

"LONG LIVE LORELEI!" everybody else shouted, once again erupting in applause.

Lorelei blushed so much her face might as well have merged with her hair. While she certainly felt flattered by the gift, the title of 'Ice and Water Empress' seemed a little too presumptuous for her taste, even more than the 'ice nymph' Frey had given her. While she didn't deny her own merits, the truth was that she was rather modest with them and didn't like to show them off, and being given an effigy like that as a gift made her feel rather uncomfortable.

However, that feeling quickly died down, once she felt the warmth of their coworkers, friends, and of course her boyfriend. Each one of them had supported her along those years, helping her reach her current position, and she was grateful to them. Once the applause round ended, she took her chance to speak to them.

"Well, I've always prided myself in being a great orator, but in this moment, I'm ashamed to say I'm at a loss for words," she announced. "For the words I have aren't enough to express what I feel at the moment. Gratitude, happiness, and a great warmth in my heart, for being surrounded with so many people I love, and who appreciate me this much. So, all I can say is... thank you. Thank you all for today, and for all the support you guys have given me during all these years. I'll continue to do my best as a Kanto Elite Four, and whatever the future has in store for me, I hope I have the chance to share it with all of you."

The guests applauded the birthday girl's speech, and the cake was brought immediately to be cut and continue the celebration. Out of her birthdays, this had definitely been the best. Nothing like celebrating it with so many loved ones, for her achievements in life meant nothing when there was nobody to share her joy with.

FIN.