The day following his encounter with Giovanni, Lance leaves Fuchsia City and heads south. He eventually reaches the ocean.
Lance: Where to now?
He remembers what Surge told him. Cinnabar Island is located south of the mainland.
Lance: I guess I travel by sea, now.
Lance releases his newly acquired Dragonair, who he has nicknamed Frost, as it mainly uses ice-type attacks.
Lance: Let's go, Frost!
He climbs onto Frost and they Surf into the ocean. They keep going south until they reach a rocky barrier that they can't pass through.
Lance: Now what?
He looks around and sees an island to the west.
Lance: An island! That must be Cinnabar!
Frost turns to west and they travel toward the island. As they get closer, they notice that it's actually two islands.
Lance: Cinnabar is made up of two islands?
He tries to find the volcano that he heard about, but can't see it anywhere. Maybe this isn't Cinnabar after all. He decides to check out the island anyway and take a break. Lance climbs off Frost and walks onto the beach. The place looks deserted. There's no sign of civilization anywhere. He continues exploring and soon after, he finds footprints in the sand.
Lance: There's someone else here?
He follows the prints into a cave on the island. The inside is moist and dark.
Lance: Hello? Is someone here?
His words echo throughout the cave. Nobody answers. He walks deeper into the darkness until the floor beneath gives away. He falls through the floor.
Lance: Help!
He lands in a fast-moving stream of water. The strong current pushes him into the rocks, where he manages to hold on. He reaches for Dragonair's pokeball, but to his great shock, it's gone. So is Frost. The current must have washed them away. All he has left is Magikarp. He feels his hands getting tired and starts to let go of the rock. Who knows where he'll end up? As he is about to let go, a hand grabs onto his. It's a girl.
Girl: Hold on, I've got you!
She pulls him up and out of the water. He coughs all the water out of his lungs and looks up at the girl in gratitude.
Lance: Thank you.
She is about Lance's age with purple hair pulled back into a ponytail and wears glasses. Her black dress is completely soaked.
Girl: Are you okay?
Lance: Yeah, I'll be fine.
Girl: Are you here to take me back home?
Take her home? Who is this girl?
Lance: No. Sorry.
Girl: Oh. I figured as much. Well, then, who are you?
Lance: My name is Lance.
Girl: Hello, Lance. I am Lorelei. Tell me, Lance, what are you doing here?
Lance: I was trying to find Cinnabar Island, so I stopped here, but I guess this isn't it.
Lorelei: Well, you're right about that. This isn't Cinnabar, these are the Seafoam Islands.
Lance: Seafoam Islands?
Lorelei: You've never heard of them? Well, I'm not surprised. Not many people know.
Lance: Then, why are you here?
Lorelei: I usually come here with my parents on vacation. We're from the Sevii Islands.
Lance: You're here on vacation?
Lorelei: Yeah. My parents are millionaires so they can afford to go pretty much anywhere, but they always ignore me. We came here to spend some time as a family, but they thought this place was too boring, so they left without me.
Lance: They abandoned you?
Lorelei: No, they just forgot about me. It happens all the time.
Wow. That's just sad. What kind of parents forget they have a daughter on an island?
Lance: Are they coming to get you?
Lorelei: They normally just send someone to pick me up. That's why I thought you were going to take me home. I just wandered into this cave for a minute, and when I came back out, they were gone. I got mad and came back in, but fell through the floor. Now, here I am.
Lance: Oh.
Lance feels sorry for the girl. It sounds like she's had a bad day.
Lorelei: Don't worry about me, though. I'll be fine. I have Seel with me.
Lance: Seel?
The girl releases a pokemon from a pokeball. It's a small white sea lion with a horn on its head.
Lorelei: I want to be a pokemon trainer, but my parents won't let me. They think it's a waste of time.
Lance: Why do they think that?
Lorelei: They think that anything that doesn't make money is a waste of time. I hate them. That's all they ever think about. Money. One day, I'll make a name for myself that my parents won't be a part of. I'll show them that I don't need them.
Lance is somehow drawn to Lorelei. He wants her dreams to come true. Throughout his journey, he has met many people who wish to be great. Then he remembers his grandfather. He wants Lance to be great, too.
Lance: Well, what are you going to do?
Lorelei: I'm going to be a pokemon trainer, no matter what they say. And I'm going to be one of the best.
They sit in the darkness of the cave for a while. Lorelei gets up first.
Lance: Where are you going?
Lorelei: I'm going to find a way out of here. Do you have any pokemon?
Then he suddenly remembers that his pokeballs are missing.
Lance: I must have dropped them when I fell in here.
Lorelei: Oh. I guess we have to follow the current to find your pokemon.
Lance: Why is there a current in here, anyway?
Lorelei: Water from the ocean pours into this cave and flows out the bottom floor. I know because I've been here before.
Lance: So we have to head to the bottom floor?
Lorelei: Yes. Just follow me.
They follow the water down many slopes. The air becomes colder the deeper they go. Lorelei stops.
Lance: Is something wrong?
Lorelei: This is as far as I've ever gone. I just hope we're able to get out safely.
Lorelei sounds scared. Nonetheless, she continues deeper into the darkness with Lance by her side. As they walk, Lance notices how cold it is. He can even feel bits of ice on the floor and walls. Why is it so cold? Eventually, they reach the end of the cavern where the waters empties back into the ocean through a hole in the ground. Lance's pokemon are seen on the ground by the water.
Lance: My pokemon!
He runs to retrieve his pokemon when a loud cry suddenly fills the air. Both Lance and Lorelei stop in their tracks. Whatever it was that made that sound, it doesn't sound too happy.
Lorelei: Lance, what was that?
Lance: I…I don't know.
They look around and the cry is heard again. It's getting closer. The temperature drops drastically as the sound gets closer. Suddenly, a giant bird flies overhead, freezing the air and water.
Lorelei: Lance?
She backs away in fear of the giant blue bird. It's long tail trails behind it, elegantly. The form looks familiar to Lance from a story that his grandfather told him. "The legendary bird that causes snow to fall whenever it flaps its wings." Could this be the same legendary pokemon?
Lance: Articuno?
The bird looks angry as Lance and Lorelei have trespassed into its territory.
Lorelei: What do we do?
The dragon trainer can't think of what to do. His pokemon are on the other side of the cave. If he tries to run for them, Articuno will surely attack him.
Lance: Lorelei, I need you to do something for me. You have to battle it with your Seel while I get my pokemon back.
Lorelei: What?! It looks way too strong even for the both of us!
Articuno fires a Blizzard attack as a warning shot. It wants the two trainers out before it gets violent, but Lance has to get his pokemon back, first.
Lance: Please, just trust me.
She thinks over for a while.
Lorelei: Okay. Please, be careful.
She releases her Seel. Her small pokemon faces off against the powerful bird of ice. Lance meanwhile gets ready to run to the other side of the cave. Hopefully, Seel will buy him enough time. And so, the battle begins. Will Lance succeed, or will he and Lorelei be trapped in an icy grave?