A/N: The actual birthday part is skipped over this chapter. After doing four of them, it's a little difficult to come up with different gifts every time and do something that isn't too similar to the other three. Please understand. Besides, the more important things are what happens during Ash's birthday than the actual celebration itself.

Please enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.


Chapter 53: An Out-Rage-ous Birthday

It took some time to cross Mt. Mortar, but the group had finally made it to Mahogany Town. They had still arrived in great time, though. The group reached civilization just in time for Ash's birthday which was today. They also made it in plenty of time for Serena's showcase. It was a few days away, and with as much as Serena had practiced, she felt ready…unlike last time. Put quite simply, the group felt they were in great shape.

"Isn't this a nice town, Larvitar? Doesn't it look peaceful?" Serena asked.

Larvitar stood by Serena and looked around in wonder. It had never seen a town before. It supposed they were supposed to be a community with a large gathering of people. The rock skin Pokemon could see people going about their daily duties, but they didn't appear hostile.

"Lar…," it muttered.

"There's also something else today that you get to experience," Serena added. "It's also Ash's birthday. That's where we celebrate the day a person is born. Think of the time we had fun while playing with the ball, only a lot better!"

"Yeah. I'm finally thirteen…in about an hour," Ash said as he checked his Pokegear. He was born at 11:23 A.M, and it was only 10:20 A.M.

"That means no cake or presents for you until that happens," Misty smirked lightly.

"Heh. That's okay. I'd much rather do the celebrations at the Lake of Rage to make it more exciting," Ash grinned.

Larvitar watched the exchange going on between the group in interest. They all appeared happy about this birthday celebration. According to Serena, it was going to be fun. If it were to stay hidden away the whole time, would it miss out on something fun like this was supposed to be?

Unfortunately, Larvitar still looked a little reluctant to go for anything quickly. It still didn't quite trust its trainer yet. Though she had done nothing to harm it, Larvitar still couldn't help but stiffen up every time she got to close to it. The group saw this and sighed.

"I wish Larvitar would learn to smile more like it did when we were playing with the ball," Serena sighed.

"This looks like a job for the world's greatest Pokemon breeder!" Brock exclaimed and struck a pose.

"What are you going to do?" Misty wondered.

"I bet I can make Larvitar laugh! What kind of Pokemon breeder would I be if I couldn't connect with all Pokemon I meet?" Brock explained.

"Well, okay," Serena muttered a little reluctantly.

"Who makes the cute little Pokemon laugh now, huh?" Brock grinned as he got in Larvitar's face.

The rock skin Pokemon cracked its eyes open and saw Brock making all kinds of strange faces at it. He was also making weird noises. What was he trying to do? Was this supposed to be fun? Larvitar didn't think so. If anything, it looked very scary, and it wanted Brock to stop now. Rather than clam up, Larvitar let out a loud Screech.

The group grimaced and instantly covered their ears once Larvitar did that. The Screech lasted for a good ten seconds before Larvitar quit and clammed up again. It especially made sure to have its face turned away from Brock. The Pokemon breeder rubbed his head sheepishly as everyone else gave him a deadpan look.

"Way to go, Brock," Ash mumbled.

"I guess Larvitar isn't much for laughter," Brock shrugged.

"Brock, those faces almost made me cry," Misty said.

"Why don't we just head to the Pokemon Center?" Serena suggested and turned Larvitar. "It's okay, Larvitar. Brock will make sure not to make those faces again."

With that, Ash, Misty, and Serena continued on. Larvitar followed close behind them. Brock stayed back a little bit and turned to see Pikachu and Togetic snickering. Feeling a little bit better that he got some Pokemon to laugh, Brock smiled and continued forward.

Pikachu and Togetic weren't snickering for the reason Brock thought they were, though. It was just to make fun of him.


Once the group arrived at the Pokemon Center, they weren't greeted by the scene they thought they would have. Even though they were essentially hospitals for injured Pokemon, Pokemon Centers still had a calm or gentle atmosphere about them. It was none of those things here, however. They could all feel…gloominess in the air, and the worried Pokemon trainers scattered about the center proved it.

"Uhhh…," Ash uttered awkwardly as he and the others made their way past the melancholy people to get to Nurse Joy's front desk.

Larvitar noticed how unhappy everyone looked and frowned. Why did they all look so sad? Furthermore, why did it feel so uneasy ever since they entered this town? What happened to the happy things it was so supposed to see today? So far, everything had been weird or unnerving.

Serena noticed Larvitar's expression and grimaced. Great. Larvitar was supposed to feel calm and relaxed from the fresh scents and atmosphere of the Pokemon Center like the one on Mt. Silver. Why were all of these things happening right now?

"It's okay, Larvitar. Really," Serena told it, but Larvitar didn't look convinced.

They soon reached Nurse Joy's desk, and she appeared worn out like the Pokemon. She had bags under her eyes which indicated she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep lately. She sighed when she saw the group approach her.

"Let me guess. Your Pokemon have come down sick, too," she stated.

"Sick? No. We just arrived here in town," Ash replied.

"Is that what's going on here? A lot of sick Pokemon?" Serena asked as she looked around.

"Not just a lot. Almost every Pokemon in town has become sick," Nurse Joy answered.

"What?" Ash questioned in confusion.

"It just started yesterday. A lot of trainers suddenly came in here with their sick Pokemon. Even my Chansey has been affected. Because I have no help, it's been a little overwhelming," Nurse Joy replied.

The group exchanged glances with each other. That was really weird. Why would so many Pokemon suddenly become ill? Their Pokemon hadn't been affected yet, but they didn't live here, either. Did they come at a bad time, after all?

"Do you have any idea what could be the cause of it?" Brock questioned.

"I have no idea," Nurse Joy sighed with a shake of her head. "I've been too busy trying to heal all the Pokemon so I don't have time to study what the cause of it is."

"Well, we were going to ask you to check on our Pokemon and rent a couple of rooms here, but you seem to have your hands full," Serena started.

"No. Please. I insist. It's my job so I'll happily take them. I'll get two rooms ready for you, too," Nurse Joy said and tried to offer a kind smile. "This is actually the first break I've gotten in several hours."

"So, does that mean the Pokemon are starting to feel better?" Ash asked hopefully.

"That's the strangest part," Nurse Joy said as she looked thoughtful. "It's very off and on. The Pokemon will be acting completely normal one moment, and when I think they're okay to be released from the center, they'll wind up sick again."

"That's weird," Ash muttered in confusion.

"I know this may not be the ideal situation in a Pokemon Center, but please try to enjoy your stay and relax. The Lake of Rage is a great attraction," Nurse Joy told them as she handed them their room keys.

"Great! We were actually going to visit there in just a little bit!" Ash spoke brightly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I'm sure you'll all enjoy the beautiful waters there," Nurse Joy smiled as she took their Pokemon.

Serena looked down to Larvitar who looked a little reluctant. It already was slow to trusting her and the others. Going with a complete stranger would be almost out of the question.

"That's a Nurse Joy like the one we saw at the Pokemon Center last time," Serena told Larvitar. "She just wants to check up on you and make sure you're healthy. Will you go with her?"

"Lar…," Larvitar muttered and clammed up.

"I see," Serena sighed. "Well, I won't force you if you don't want to."

"Hey. Let's get cleaned up and changed. Then we can head off to the Lake of Rage," Brock suggested.

"Yeah," the rest of the group muttered.

As they made their way to the rooms, they could start to feel the uneasiness that everyone else in the Pokemon Center was feeling. Whatever was going on didn't appear normal if Nurse Joy couldn't even figure out. Something just seemed to be very wrong in this town.

Ash and Brock unlocked the door with their room key and stepped inside with Pikachu and Togetic behind them. Ash set his backpack on the bed and pulled out his bathing suit to change. As he made his way in, he saw Brock watching him with a goofy smile on his face. Ash raised his eyebrows questioningly at the tanned teen.

"Okay, Brock. What's up?" Ash asked.

"More like what's up with you. You're a teenager going to the Lake of Rage," Brock grinned.

"So, what?" Ash shrugged.

"Come on, Ash. What are you going to be doing there?" Brock elaborated.

"Uh…swimming?" Ash answered, not understanding where Brock was going with this.

"Aaaaaaand with you and your girlfriend swimming together…how does that make you feel?" Brock pressed.

"Well, it should be fun," Ash replied casually and turned back to go to the bathroom.

Pikachu finally understood what Brock was getting at and started snickering. It couldn't wait to see the look on Ash's face when his hormones got the gist, too. Togetic still couldn't quite get it, though, and stared in confusion.

"You'll know what I mean when we get to the Lake of Rage!" Brock called after Ash.


"Come on out, everyone!" Ash shouted and threw his pokeballs up in the air.

The five pokeballs opened up in midair, and the beams hurried to the ground before they materialized into Ash's Pokemon. As soon as they were out, they didn't waste anytime in making a beeline to Ash for a good birthday tackle. They couldn't give Ash presents, but they could still let Ash know they cared.

Ash's eyes widened as he braced himself for the big impact. Bayleef was first and practically body slammed Ash which knocked him to the ground. Croconaw fell on top of Bayleef and tried to get to Ash, too, but it was hard since Bayleef was smothering him. Phanpy came next. It didn't quite understand what was going on, but it still looked like fun. Noctowl and Cyndaquil were next. Pikachu and Togetic glanced at each other deviously and were the last ones to join in on the dog pile.

"Thanks, guys! Really, but I can't breathe!" Ash gasped.

His Pokemon sighed but obeyed and slid off of him. Ash coughed once before he slowly stood up and looked around with a grin on his face. His best friends and Pokemon were here with him on his birthday at the Lake of Rage. It was a shame a few others like Leaf, Gary, Jimmy, or Marina couldn't be here, but Ash was thankful for the ones that were. Brock, Misty, and Serena had been together with him since Kanto...except for when Brock was staying with Professor Ivy.

Ash had just gotten some great gifts and had a great birthday cake. Seeing his friends and Pokemon around him really made his heart warm. Now, it was time to have some fun! After he got through taking in the scene around him, Ash clapped his hands.

"What are we all waiting for? Let's play!" Ash shouted, and Serena, Brock, and Misty released their Pokemon, as well.

"Come on, Ash! Let's go swimming together!" Serena said as she grabbed Ash's hand to pull him along.

"Right behind you, Serena!" Ash agreed until he fell silent.

Now that Serena was close to him and standing still, he realized something. Serena had always been taller than him throughout the Orange Islands and especially in Kanto by a couple of inches. Here, however, he wasn't having to look up at all. He was actually looking downward. He had finally surpassed Serena in height and was a little taller than her, though it was only by about half an inch. That wasn't what had the most of his attention, however.

He felt weird. He was looking at Serena's beautiful face just like he always was, and it made him happy. This time, it was a little different. The fact that his girlfriend was in a swimsuit made him extra happy. Before Ash knew what he was doing, he found his eyes drifting downward to Serena's bare legs that were showing. They then slowly continued up, and he found himself seeing Serena's developing curves. They had been there before, but Ash felt like he was seeing them for the first time. It made his mouth go dry.

"Ash?" Serena questioned.

Ash shook his head like he had been in some sort of trance. He then gave Serena a big goofy smile.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Ash cheered and hurried off to the lake with Serena. Their Pokemon also dispersed to do their own thing.

Meanwhile, Brock was grinning like an idiot and rubbing his hands together. He recognized that look on Ash's face just now. He wasn't just thinking Serena was gorgeous. No. He was actually appreciating her looks this time. His little buddy was finally starting to grow up!

"Atta boy, Ash!" Brock said.

"Brock, leave him alone," Misty giggled. She knew what Ash had been thinking, too.

"Hey! I have been waiting for almost three years to take Ash under my wing! When I get through with him, he'll be the ultimate babe magnet!" Brock protested.

"I don't think it'll work. He's pretty committed to Serena as he should be," Misty countered.

"Oh, I know that! I meant he'll have girls galore wanting to be with him!" Brock smiled.

"Oh brother. Maybe I better warn Ash," Misty muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"No! Don't ruin this for him, Misty!" Brock hissed.

"I like to think of it as saving him," Misty replied.

"Well, I only have one thing to say to that!" Brock said with indignation.

"What's that?" Misty wondered.

"Last one to the water is the rotten Exeggcute!" Brock cried and gave a sly grin to Misty before he took off running.

Misty got a pouting look as she took off after Brock. "Hey! No fair! I wasn't ready!"

Ash and Serena were already well into the water by the time Brock and Misty got there, and they were having a blast. They weren't the only ones, however, as there were several people at the Lake of Rage at the moment. Some people were riding around on their power boats while pulling along others on a giant tube. Some people were fishing, and others were simply playing in the water like Ash and Serena. It was apparently a good tourist attraction.

Ash held his breath as he went underwater. As he did, he could see several Magikarp swimming around merrily near the water's surface. Professor Oka hadn't been lying when he said this lake was full of them. Gyarados were also supposed to live in this lake, but they were rare and wouldn't be near any place people were. Besides, Professor Oak said they were friendly Gyarados so no one was worried about an attack.

Ash came up from the water and saw Serena was treading water next to him, and Croconaw was next to her. She moved a little closer to him and had a suggestion.

"Hey, Ash! Let's see who can hold their breath the longest. Croconaw can be the judge!" she said.

"Hah! You're on! The winner gets to do whatever they want to the loser!" Ash smirked.

"Sounds good," Serena agreed and turned to Croconaw. "Are you ready?"

"Naw!" Croconaw nodded.

The big jaw Pokemon held up three of its claws and began to count down. One it lowered the last one, Ash and Serena took a deep breath and dove into the water.

As soon as Ash was in, he immediately felt confident he could do this. He was a teenager now and was one step closer to being a man. What kind of man would he be if he couldn't beat Serena at this? The raven-haired boy could see through the water that Serena was waving at him to try and make him lose his concentration, but he wouldn't fall for it. Ash's face held firm.

A minute had passed, but Ash was feeling strong. Serena didn't appear in too bad of shape, either. She was doing a little better than he thought she would do. She must've been able to practice her breathing from doing showcases. Doing all of that would make one lose their breath quickly if she didn't practice.

By the time it got to two and a half minutes, Ash was starting to feel it. He swelled his cheeks out of instinct, and he squinted his eyes in pain as his lungs demanded air. Serena also seemed to be getting the need for air quickly, too, but Ash was determined to win. He already had a list of what he wanted Serena to do if he won.

Three minutes, came, however, and Ash couldn't hold it anymore. He quickly rose up and saw Serena doing the same. Ash's head broke the surface a little sooner than Serena, though. Croconaw pointed in Serena's direction to indicate she was the winner. Even so, both were quite out of breath.

"Man…," Ash panted.

"That…was…close," Serena gasped, as well.

"Fine. A deal's a…deal. What do you want me to do?" Ash questioned.

Serena finished catching her breath for a moment before she answered, and a smile graced her features. "I want to give you a big birthday kiss."

Ash grinned at that. "Heh. That just makes it a win for me, too. It's a lot better than what I would've made you do."

"And what would that be?" Serena asked with a mischievous look.

"Doesn't matter," Ash replied, eager to get to the kiss.

Knowing what they were about to do, Croconaw turned away, and it happened to spot Bayleef near the shoreline. The leaf Pokemon had extended one of its vines and patted the ground next to it with a mischievous smile on its face. Croconaw felt steam come out of its ears and made a beeline straight for the dry land. It moved so fast it would've left a trail of smoke in the water if that was possible.

Now that they were alone, Ash and Serena wouldn't have anyone to disturb them. Serena moved closer to Ash and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. As soon as she did, Ash turned beet red. Dang. What was going on? He always loved kissing Serena, but this felt different. Was this what Brock was talking about? Ash figured he may need advice from Brock, after all. Lesson one was to see the girl, but lesson two was self-control. Ehhh…Brock never seemed to excel in that area.

Serena noticed Ash's expression and couldn't help but giggle. She realized what was going on, and it made her happy that he felt that way about her. Ash, the young dense boy was finally starting to notice girls, but Serena would make sure he still only had eyes for her. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his lips before she began to deepen it.

As Serena kissed him, Ash believed he could finally understand why Brock got so crazy around girls. They were awesome, especially since he already had a girlfriend! Ash and Serena had kissed several times before, but now, he wanted Serena to keep going, but she broke it after about a minute. Ash's mind screamed that he wanted more, but he tried to keep his thoughts away as much as possible. He didn't want to move too fast. Ash still had a dorky smile on his face, though.

"That was nice," Ash mumbled as his mind was abuzz.

"Heehee! There's plenty more where that came from, too!" Serena smiled.

"Yes!" Ash screamed in his mind, but he didn't voice it even though Serena probably wouldn't mind.

"I think we should go get Brock, Misty, and some of our Pokemon to get a game started," Serena suggested.

"Huh?" Ash uttered stupidly.

"Focus, Ash!" Serena told him. "Let's play a game."

"Oh. Right. Sounds good!" Ash agreed and broke out of what seemed like a trance again. Hopefully this wouldn't happen every time his hormones raged. He just had to get used to it.

Ash and Serena swam onshore and saw Brock and Misty not too far away. They then walked over to them and mentioned playing with the new beach ball in the water to which they agreed. Ash tried to find where his Croconaw went to, but he couldn't find it or his Bayleef for that matter so he gave up for the moment. There were still several Pokemon that would be good to join them.

Larvitar stayed perfectly still despite seeing many Pokemon about to play. Serena walked over to it and knelt down.

"Would you like to come into the water with us and play? I sure would hate for you to miss out," Serena told it.

"Lar…," it mumbled and clammed up.

"I promise nothing bad will happen. I'll hold onto you the entire time and won't let go. I just want you to experience how it feels. You may actually learn it feels quite nice. I mean…I know water is your weakness when it comes to attacks, but this water won't be attacking you," Serena tried.

Larvitar didn't respond and kept its head turned. Serena knew she wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate and hoped Larvitar would join them after a while.

"Okay, then. If you change your mind, we'll be right over there," Serena pointed towards the water. Larvitar didn't look, but Serena was sure it knew what she meant.

Serena stood back up and walked back the others. Apparently, they had seen what happened.

"Still no luck with Larvitar, huh?" Ash questioned.

"No. I just wish it would give us a chance," Serena said sadly.

"Hey. I'm sure Larvitar will come around. Just give it the space it wants," Brock reasoned.

"Yeah," Serena mumbled and turned to look back at Larvitar, and then she gasped.

Larvitar had just completely keeled over! It was clutching its head and appeared to be some sort of agony. Before she could run over and see what was wrong, she heard Ash cry out Pikachu and Togetic's name. Sere turned and saw that they were in the same predicament. Pikachu was grimacing and writhing on the ground while Togetic was whimpering and appeared extremely tired.

"What…what's going on?! What's wrong with you?!" Serena cried as she looked back and forth between the three Pokemon.

"It's not just them!" Brock suddenly said. "Look!"

The group looked around, and they could see all the surrounding Pokemon were acting extremely strange. Some looked to be in pain while others appeared very tired. Either way, this was certainly not normal behavior for any type of Pokemon. All of the group's Pokemon were the same way, too.

"Pikachu! Tell me what's going on!" Ash said as he knelt down and picked it up.

"Piiiiiii," it cried in a strained voice.

"What should we do?!" Misty cried.

"Let's just stay calm and don't panic," Brock commanded as he took a deep breath to lay out his game plan. "We need to gather all of our Pokemon back in their pokeballs and go see Nurse Joy. Whatever is going on here may be related to those sick Pokemon we saw at the Pokemon Center."

"Okay!" the others agreed as they dispersed to find get their Pokemon.

As they retrieved their Pokemon, they could see several other people doing the same. A lot of people that had been out in the water were now coming on shore and appeared to be extremely frightened or confused. In such a short time, the fun atmosphere had become pure chaos.

Several Pidgey and Pineco were falling out of the trees while a few other flying types that had been overhead were crash-landing into the nearest thing, whether it be a tree, the ground, a bush, or in one case, an unfortunate person. Everyone's ears were being assaulted by the cries of pain from all the Pokemon that were in the area. An Oddish had even stumbled out of a nearby bush before it fell to the ground and didn't move.

Ash, Serena, and Brock had finally managed to get all their Pokemon, and just like with Pikachu, Togetic, and Larvitar, they were all acting extremely weird as though they were in pain, but Misty was still frantically searching. The rest ran over to her, and the redhead had a panicked look on her face.

"I can't find Psyduck!" she yelled.

Ash took a good look, and he spotted a small yellow speck quite far out in the lake. He ran to the edge and could see it was Psyduck. The duck Pokemon was face down in the water and not even putting up a fight. What was it doing that far out anyway? Even Psyduck knew it couldn't swim well!

Misty immediately got her pokeball and pressed the button to retrieve it. However, to her horror, she realized that the beam wouldn't reach far enough. They would have to go get it.

"I'm going out there!" Misty said as she ran into the water but almost fell over in her haste.

"I'm going, too!" Ash declared and followed her in.

"Be careful! We don't know what's going on here!" Brock called after them.

Ash and Misty heard him, but their minds were elsewhere right now. They both waded into the water until it was deep enough to where they couldn't touch and began to swim to Psyduck as fast as they could. By now, everyone else had gotten out of the Lake of Rage and began to flee the area. The several wild Pokemon around the area were still acting abnormal.

Ash's eyes widened when he saw Psyduck beginning to sink. Though Psyduck was a water-type and couldn't necessarily drown easily, it would still be extra hard to get it if it went under. It's wasn't like their Pokemon could help them if that happened.

"Hang on, Psyduck!" Misty cried even though she wasn't sure if it could hear her.

Underneath them, the water began to slosh around a little bit, but they weren't very concerned at the moment. From Brock and Serena's vantage point, something weird was definitely going on with the water. Small waves began to form in the lake which pushed Ash and Misty back a little, but they kept forward.

"Hurry up! Something's not right!" Serena shouted urgently.

Psyduck went underwater just as Ash and Misty reached it. However, Ash extended his arm underwater and grabbed the duck Pokemon before it could go any further under. Ash yanked it back above the water, and as soon as he did, both he and Misty saw that Psyduck was unconscious but most definitely alive. They nodded to each other and grabbed one end of Psyduck to haul it back to the shore. Once they got there, Misty would be able to return it, and then they could get out of here and try to figure out what was going on.

"Man, what's with these waves?" Ash muttered as they tried to swim back.

"Ash…I don't like this," Misty said.

"We're almost there," Ash replied.

Just then, he heard Serena scream and Brock yell out a warning. Ash and Misty turned and could see a very large, dark shadow coming to the surface. That was apparently what was causing the disturbance in the water. It was extremely long, and both their eyes widened in panic as they recognized what was coming.

"No! Not now!" Ash grimaced as the shadow broke through the surface.

A Gyarados exploded from the lake's water with a mighty and angry roar.


"Hey! Wake up you three!"

Ariana's voice shouting as she entered the room startled awake Jessie, James, and Meowth. They didn't even try to hide the fact that they were asleep just now. It wasn't like they had anything better to do. As Professor Namba had told them…to just go off somewhere and stay out of their way, and that's exactly what the trio did.

Still, they snapped to attention since Ariana was an executive. They had no idea what the Rocket executive was planning for them, but whatever it was would probably be dull, boring, degrading…

"I need you three to fetch that Gyarados that just evolved in the Lake of Rage," Ariana told them.

…or extremely dangerous.

"You…what?" Jessie asked.

"Our evolution signal was a complete success. Come with me," Ariana commanded.

The three followed Ariana out of the room. They walked down the hallway until they reached the familiar room closed off by various shutters. Ariana spoke the password of "Hail Giovanni" into it before they opened. Once they were in, they saw Professor Namba and the two scientists from earlier. They all had their eyes transfixed on the projector with the huge machine chugging along beside them.

When the trio looked at the screen, they almost couldn't believe their eyes. Sure enough, there was a Gyarados thrashing around in the water, but that wasn't what was so odd. It was the coloring of the Gyarados. It wasn't blue. It was instead a bright red color that was the same as a Magikarp.

"Woah. Check that out," Meowth muttered.

"You want us to go capture that thing?" James squeaked.

"Yes. Make yourselves useful. You ran out of your welcome as soon as you finished our boss' assignment. If you succeed at this, we'll keep you around a little longer," Ariana told them.

"The red coloring is most likely a byproduct of its past evolution by being forced to evolve. No matter, though. In fact, it only makes the Gyarados more unique," Professor Namba said.

"You three did fine work," Ariana nodded to him and the scientists.

"Attila and Hun will be coming along with you. Those two men can certainly get the job done," Namba said to Jessie, James, and Meowth and gestured to the two scientists with him.

Jessie, James, and Meowth looked back and forth between the two scientists who had their arms crossed with smirks on their faces. Wait. If Professor Namba said they were both men…the trio's eyes grew wide as they did a double take at the lavender-haired scientist.

"What?! You're a dude?!" Meowth exclaimed.

The lavender-haired scientist's face grew angry. "Of course I am a male, you imbeciles!"

"I thought Hun was a woman, too, at first," the blonde-haired scientist, who was apparently Attila, mumbled to himself so Hun wouldn't hear.

"Never mind that!" Ariana snapped. "We need you to go fetch that red Gyarados for us right now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the trio saluted and inwardly grimaced. They really hoped they could manage this.


Ash and Misty were swimming as fast as they could through the water. So far, the Gyarados was still thrashing around and hadn't appeared to notice them yet. At first, the group was amazed and confused at the red coloring on it, but that all quickly broke away when they realized the urgency of the situation.

"Come on!" Serena yelled from the shoreline.

The group then heard a powerful roar from the Gyarados. Ash and Misty turned, and they both gasped when they saw the red Gyarados now had its eyes on them. It looked very angry and had a look with the intent to harm them. Ash and Misty screamed and turned to swim again with Psyduck in tow. They were almost at the shore! Just a little more!

Unfortunately, Gyarados was quicker. It lifted its tail and swung it downward towards Ash and Misty. The two had to duck and go underwater to avoid the large tail. However, it still caused quite a disturbance in the water.

Ash and Misty soon found themselves thrown around in the water as they desperately tried to hold on. A few large waves were created, and Ash and Misty were ripped apart from each other in different directions. Misty still held on to Psyduck and managed to be thrown back onto dry land.

The redhead coughed and wheezed as Brock and Serena helped her up, and Misty immediately returned Psyduck. They then quickly looked around for Ash, and with growing horror, realized that he was still in the water.

Ash had inhaled a lot of water during the ordeal, but he managed to break the surface of the water. He was coughing and went to swim again, but he realized he was now further away from the shore, and all of his friends were screaming out warnings to him. Ash turned around and saw the Gyarados was right behind him.

"Wait, Gyarados!" Ash cried, but it didn't listen.

Gyarados opened its mouth and lunged towards Ash with the intention to bite him in half. Despite how disoriented he was from inhaling water, Ash dove back into the water once again to avoid the angry sea serpent Pokemon.

"Ash!" Serena screamed as she actually went to run into water.

"Don't, Serena!" Brock yelled and reached out to hold her back.

"Ash is in trouble! What do we do, Brock!?" Serena shouted.

Brock grimaced. He had no idea. All of their Pokemonw were out of commission, and things were still getting worse. More and more Pokemon around them appeared to be getting sick, and they were the only ones at the Lake of Rage now since everyone else had fled.

"I…I don't know," Brock mumbled.

Tears burned Serena's eyes as she still struggled against Brock's grip. She didn't care if she was putting herself in danger! She had to save Ash somehow! There had to be something they could do!

"Let me go, Brock!" Serena screamed again.

Brock didn't comply and held firm. It broke his heart to see Serena like this, and it hurt even more to see how much danger Ash was in. The worst part was there was nothing they could do about it.

Ash's head appeared above the water once again as he dodged another one of Gyarados' attacks. He was wearing out very quickly and knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer. It was only a matter of time before Gyarados didn't miss. He had to keep moving.

"I'm not your enemy, Gyarados. Why are you attacking me?!" Ash exclaimed.

Gyarados just did another roar and lunged at Ash again with its tail. Ash went to duck underwater, but the red Gyarados had other plans this time. It used its long tail to reach under where Ash dove. It then pushed Ash out of the water and sent him high into the air.

Ash screamed as he felt himself in the air before he began his descent. He then turned and screamed again when he saw he was now falling straight to the red Gyarados. The Pokemon had its mouth open as it waited for Ash to fall in so it could devour him whole.

"Nooooooo!" Serena screamed as she forced herself free from Brock and ran forward with Brock and Misty chasing after her.

Ash had his mouth open in pure terror as he realized this was the end. There was no one or no Pokemon to save him. He had worked so hard to be a Pokemon Master and live a good life. It was now all about to end by becoming a Gyarados' snack. This couldn't be how it ends. Ash didn't see any way out, though. He was just a short distance above where Gyarados could reach up and close its mouth around him. Just a few more seconds…

"Mom…Dad…Serena," Ash thought as he closed his eyes and prepared for the end.

Ash then felt himself land, but for some reason he felt himself still moving, like he was flying. Not to mention, it wasn't sticky or slimy like he expected a Gyarados' mouth to feel like. Ash cracked one of his eyes open and realized he could still see sunlight instead of complete blackness. What's going on? Did the Gyarados still have its mouth open?

Ash then looked down and saw the red Gyarados was roaring angrily below him which immediately debunked that theory. Okay. He was just falling to his death to be eaten by a Gyarados, but what on Earth could've happened? How was he flying away?

Ash chanced a look and opened his eyes all the way, and he could see he was in orange-colored short arms…a Pokemon, and it was one he recognized, as well. Ash followed the arms up to its owner and discovered it was a Dragonite, but it wasn't his own. A Dragonite came in to save him, but whose was it? Was it Dad's? Did his dad save him?

"Are you alright, Ash?" a familiar voice called out and looked down from the side of his Dragonite, but it wasn't Red.

"L-Lance?" Ash stuttered.

Sure enough, it was the dragon trainer and one of the Elite Four of Kanto. Ash hadn't seen the man since the Indigo Plateau when he had helped Ash figure out Aerodactyl's problem. Ash tried to blink away the amazement in his face and processed it. There were a few things he wanted to ask Lance like what he was doing here, but only two words escaped Ash's mouth.

"Thank you," Ash said.

Meanwhile, Serena, Brock, and Misty all had breathed a huge sigh of relief, especially Serena. They really thought Ash was a goner. Serena sank to her knees and held her hands over her chest as she tried to steady her breathing. That was way too close for comfort.

"Thank goodness," she mumbled.

"Is everyone okay?" a new voice asked.

That voice also sounded vaguely familiar, but it wasn't one they had heard in a long time, even longer than Lance. They spun around and saw a black-haired teen boy running their way. Though he was wearing a red and black uniform and appeared a little older, there was still no mistaking who it was. Serena stood up and had another look of amazement on her face, but it was for a different reason now.

"Calem!" Serena exclaimed.

The teen boy stopped in front of the group and just now seemed to notice who he had been running to. Calem blinked a few times before he smiled.

"Serena, it's you!" he stated.

"Wh-what are you doing here? What is Lance doing here? Why are you wearing that uniform? What's going on?!" Serena bombarded him.

"Woah! Slow down!" Calem said and motioned with his hands to try to settle Serena down.

At that moment, Lance had swooped in with his Dragonite, and the dragon Pokemon set Ash on the ground. Ash wobbled slightly and felt like he could kiss the ground after what just happened. He didn't get to rest for long, though, as Serena had collided into him and wrapped him in a big hug.

"Ash! You're okay!" she exclaimed.

Ash almost turned red again from having Serena pressed up against him like this, but he shook his hormones away at the moment. He gave the honey-haired girl a reassuring smile, but it looked more like he was trying to convince himself that he was alive than Serena.

"Yeah. I am," he muttered lamely.

"Lance, what's going on?" Brock was the first to ask.

Lance held up his hand. "I'm sure you all are full of questions. I'll answer as many as I can, but first, let's get back to the Pokemon Center. Your Pokemon appear to be feeling better now."

The group looked and breathed another sigh of relief. They had done that a lot recently. Pikachu, Togetic, and Larvitar didn't look ready to pass out anymore, and some of the surrounding wild Pokemon appeared to be regaining their footing or taking to the air again.

Ash knelt down and hugged Pikachu while Serena hugged Togetic.

"Buddy, you're okay," Ash said.

"Pika!" it nodded.

Serena went to reach for Larvitar to hug it, too, but the rock skin Pokemon immediately backed away. Despite that, Serena still wanted Larvitar to know she cared for its well-being.

"I'm really glad you're better, Larvitar," she told it, but Larvitar didn't respond.

Calem looked back towards the Lake of Rage where the red Gyarados was, and he immediately turned away and shut his eyes. The group gave him a look of confusion at seeing how much he revolted at what he just saw.

"Don't look," he warned.

Despite the warning, the group couldn't help but wonder what he was referring to. They turned back to the Lake of Rage, and their mouths opened in pure shock. The red Gyarados was still in the middle of the lake, thrashing around, but it didn't appear concerned with the group. That wasn't it, though. All throughout the Lake of Rage, the group could dozens of dead Magikarp, their lifeless bodies floating at the water's surface.

"H-how horrible," Misty whispered as she clamped a hand over her mouth.

Unfortunately, Larvitar had seen this, as well. It saw all the dead Magikarp in the water, and almost turned as pale as a ghost. Tears welled up in its eyes as it looked absolutely terrified. It turned away and curled into the tightest ball it could muster.

"L-Lance…how could…what…," Ash stuttered, completely horrified at the scene before him.

"You guys don't need to see this," Lance sighed. "Please, let's get back to the Pokemon Center. As I said, I'll explain what I know there."

The group nodded and followed Lance and Calem away from the Lake of Rage. They wanted to get far away from this place after what they just saw. Despite not wanting to see the scene again, Ash couldn't help but turn one last time at the writhing and roaring Gyarados. It appeared to be in so much pain, and Ash didn't have a clue why.


Everyone was back at the Pokemon Center in Mahogany Town, and it was still quite busy, but there didn't appear to be as many people around anymore. Naturally, since Lance was there, a lot people were excited to see him. It was like his presence alone was enough to boost everyone's spirits…which it probably did.

The red-haired man was sitting in a chair across from the group with Calem in a chair next to him. Lance appeared to be in thought as he figured out how he wanted to word everything. Of course, the first question that was on everyone's mind had to be answered first. Even Nurse Joy had gathered around Lance to hear what he had to say.

"So, Lance…what are you doing here in Mahogany Town?" Ash wondered.

"I'm here to investigate. I'm suspecting some really foul play in Mahogany Town…especially at the Lake of Rage," Lance answered.

"So, do you know what it is?" a boy in the crowd asked.

"I have a suspicion, but I'm not for certain yet," Lance replied as he crossed his arms.

"Why is Calem with you, though?" Serena asked this time.

"Calem's my partner in this. He's a Pokemon G-man in training," Lance responded while Calem gave a shy smile.

"A Pokemon G-man in training?! How did you become one of those, Calem?" Serena asked him.

"Well, remember that time I met you guys in Viridian City and said I was meeting with someone? Lance was that guy. I was meeting with him to apply. I've undergone a lot of training the past year with things like martial arts, Pokemon training, and special care to Pokemon. This is my first actual field mission," Calem explained.

"Lance has trained you? That's really cool, Calem," Ash smiled.

"I'm really proud of you," Serena added.

"Well…yeah. It's great to see all of you again, too, but I wish it was under different circumstances," Calem said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Right. Speaking of the circumstances, you all should leave everything to us. We'll get to the bottom of this," Lance spoke to everyone in the Pokemon Center.

"Lance will definitely figure out what's going on. He'll save our Pokemon!" a young girl in the crowd shouted out while the rest of the crowd gave their murmurs of approval.

"I'll do my best!" Lance said with a light laugh.

"So, what's going on with that red Gyarados? I've never seen anything like it," Ash muttered.

"This is where my clue comes in. I've never seen a red Gyarados myself. It was like it evolved, but not fully. Evolution is very natural for Pokemon so they all should be able to fully obtain their next form with little effort," Lance explained.

"That's why we believe the Gyarados may have evolved unnaturally," Calem finished.

"Unnaturally? How?" Ash asked in confusion.

"I have no idea, and it still doesn't explain all of the sick…or dead Pokemon, either," Lance frowned.

"Right. Our Pokemon were so sick in those few minutes, but now it's like nothing happened," Serena said as she looked at Togetic, Pikachu, and the hardened Larvitar. It hadn't moved since being in the Pokemon Center.

Lance took notice of Larvitar and looked towards Serena. "Is Larvitar, alright?" Lance asked her.

"I don't think so. That sight at Lake of Rage must've really shook it up. Also, Larvitar had a bad experience in its egg right before it hatched. I'm worried it may never come outside again after what it saw," Serena said sadly.

"Hmm…may I, Serena?" Calem requested and nodded towards Larvitar.

"Oh? Umm…okay," Serena nodded, not knowing what Calem was doing.

Calem then knelt down next to Larvitar and smiled at it, but Larvitar didn't move. The group watched curiously as Calem spoke to it. He appeared quite relaxed as he did so.

"Hi there, Larvitar. It's nice to meet you. My name's Calem," the black-haired boy said.

Larvitar cracked its eyes open and looked towards Calem. Though it was small, that was more than what the group was expecting. If anything, they expected Larvitar to harden up even more.

"Hey. I think I know what might cheer you up. How about some nice Pokemon food?" Calem asked as he reached into his special G-man backpack and pulled out some Pokemon food. "This may not be as good as Brock's since I'm told he's really good, but I'm still sure it's tasty. Go ahead and have some."

Larvitar stared at the open gesture for a moment as if considering the offer. The group expected it to harden again, but to everyone's amazement, Larvitar actually loosened up and timidly moved towards Calem. It then looked at the Pokemon food before back at Calem. The black-haired boy gave another kind smile and nodded his head. Larvitar then took the food and began to eat it.

"Good, right?" Calem questioned.

"Lar," it muttered in approval with a mouthful of food.

"That's amazing Calem! How did you do that?" Serena gasped. "I have trouble getting Larvitar to even look at me."

"It's all in your body motion, and what you're really feeling," Calem responded.

"What do you mean?" Ash wondered.

"Newborn Pokemon are very perceptive of emotions. They can feel the mood of everyone around them. My guess is that when you speak to Larvitar, you're nervous because you're scared it will harden up again. However, it's actually counterproductive as that only makes Larvitar nervous. The all have a strong sense of trust, and the trainer's mood to it is very important," Calem explained.

"I get it," Brock stepped in. "It's easy to tell Larvitar something, but if Larvitar feels like none of us mean what we tell it, it has no reason to believe us. Because it's already so terrified, it hardens up. Being a Pokemon breeder, I would know."

"Does that explain those creepy faces you were giving Larvitar earlier?" Misty mumbled which caused Brock to laugh sheepishly.

"I guess…I have been worried about how Larvitar would react, but I can't help but worry after knowing what its been through," Serena sighed.

"I'm sure Larvitar knows you care, Serena. You just have to give it a reason to believe in your words by letting it sense your emotions. Feel relaxed and full of fun and care when you talk to it," Calem informed.

"Okay. I will. Thank you, Calem," Serena smiled gratefully.

"That was well-done, Calem," Lance nodded in approval. "You're coming along just fine."

"Oh. Thank you, Lance," Calem replied with a bow.

"Anyway, everyone appears to be safe now. I need to be going," Lance said as he stood up.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Ash asked.

"I have to go back to the Lake of Rage where the red Gyarados is. I'm thinking Team Rocket may be involved, and if they are, they will definitely come for that red Gyarados," Lance replied.

A hushed silence filled the room now that Team Rocket was mentioned. Ash clenched his fists as he thought about those crooks and all the harm this situation seemed to be causing Pokemon. It would be just like them to devise something so despicable. The only problem was no one knew how they were involved or what was causing it.

"Lance! Let me come with you!" Ash suddenly said and jumped up from his seat.

"Ash…," Serena trailed.

"I'm sorry, Ash. This is too dangerous. A skilled Pokemon trainer you may be, I can't put you in this sort of danger. I can't even let Calem go with me for this. He'll remain here in Mahogany Town and help restore a little order," Lance responded.

"I can't let Team Rocket do what they want! I have to stop them!" Ash yelled.

"No, Ash. You need to stay here where it's safe," Lance said firmly.

Brock gently placed his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Hey, Ash. We all know how much you hate Team Rocket and how you helped stop them over a year ago, but Lance is a Pokemon G-man and one of the Elite Four in the Kanto region. We should leave this to an expert."

"That's right, Ash," Calem added. "It's as Lance said. I'm not even going with him to the Lake of Rage. He has a plan, though, to figure out everything about what's going on. He'll get to the bottom of it for sure."

Ash loosened himself and breathed out. The raven-haired boy slowly sat down on the couch and looked down to the ground. He just couldn't get Team Rocket or that red Gyarados out of his mind. As violent as it was and the fact that it almost ate him, it still appeared to be in so much pain. Not even angry Gyarados would act like that. Something was very wrong with it. Did it evolve unnaturally like Lance said?

"Everything will be fine, Ash," Serena tried to reassure.

"Pika!" Pikachu added and jumped into Ash's lap.

"Well then, I'll head off," Lance nodded before he turned to the others in the Pokemon Center. "You all have nothing to fear. As a member of the Pokemon G-men and an Elite Four member, I promise to uncover this mystery."

"We're certain you will, Lance. Thank you so much," Nurse Joy smiled.

Lance then gave one fine nod before he turned to went out the sliding glass doors of the Pokemon Center. Ash watched him go with a frown on his face. Lance was a man that Ash respected quite a lot ever since he vouched for him to not be expelled from the Pokemon League and helped Ash with Aerodactyl back then. Ash knew he wasn't as skilled as Lance was, but he had still grown a lot stronger since Lance last saw him. Surely, he knew that. Why didn't he think Ash could do it?

Then again, what did Lance know? This man had no idea about Ash's past with Team Rocket or how their old boss, Giovanni, was once with his mom. He had no idea about all the pain and suffering they had caused Ash when they had kidnapped his mom to get to him. He didn't know any of this. Ash didn't want to just play hero. He wanted to see Team Rocket stopped. It was his part of his destiny, after all. Suicune said so itself. He had to be the one to stop Team Rocket, and if they were involved in this, Ash had to go back.

"I'm going," Ash stated and stood up again which received shocked looks from everyone.

"You can't be serious, Ash!" Serena cried. "What about what Lance said?"

"I don't care what Lance said," Ash uttered. "Don't you guys remember what I told you that Suicune said to me? I have to be the one to stop Team Rocket, not Lance!"

"But you don't even know if Team Rocket is involved? You could be making a big mistake," Misty interjected.

"Then so be it, but I have a feeling they are. This whole situation just reeks of the type of evil they would do," Ash said.

"I'm…completely lost at what you guys are talking about," Calem spoke up. What was all this talk about Ash speaking to Suicune and needing to be the one to stop Team Rocket?

"It's a long story, Calem," Ash replied and turned to look at the boy. "I'm leaving whether I'm supposed to or not. Are you going to try to stop me as a Pokemon G-man?"

Calem looked into the challenge in Ash's eyes. Apparently, Ash was saying that if Calem tried to stop him, Ash would fight back. Serena sure did pick one determined, if not stubborn, boy for a boyfriend.

"I guess you leave me no choice," Calem frowned as he stood up.

Serena gasped as she thought a struggle was about to break out. She didn't want Calem or Ash to fight. However, she put on a look of confusion when Calem held his hand out to Ash and offered him a smile.

"As a member of the Pokemon G-men, I at least can't let you do this alone. I'm going with you," Calem stated.

"But what about what Lance said?" Ash asked suspiciously.

"Well, I'll deal with the consequences I guess," Calem shrugged.

"If you two are going, then so am I," Serena asserted and stood up, as well.

Both boys looked at the honey-haired girl for a moment. They should've known better. Also, they had no right to refuse her. After all, they were disobeying an order from someone else, as well.

"Alright, Serena. Thank you," Ash nodded and turned to Brock and Misty. "What about you two?"

"No, but keep in touch. You have our Pokegear number. If you find something out, let us know," Brock said and smiled. "We can get the citizens to safety and alert the police a lot faster that way if we need to."

"Just please be careful," Misty sighed.

"You got it. We're off then" Ash said.

The raven-haired boy then briefly glanced at Nurse Joy and few of the other occupants in the Pokemon Center. They were all looking at Ash, Serena, and Calem like they were crazy for trying to disobey Lance. However, there was also a sense of admiration in their eyes like they would still respect the group's decision and their willingness to help them out. Ash then turned and sprinted out the door with Calem, Serena, Pikachu, and Togetic close behind him.

"Brock, were we right to just let them go like that?" Misty asked.

"Yes. I think we were," Brock muttered before he lowered his voice. "Ash and Serena weren't called the Chosen Ones to save the world for nothing."


Jessie, James, and Meowth were speeding along on a large power boat right now. Jessie and James were the ones driving the vehicle while Attila and Hun were using their devices to track the red Gyarados. They had been driving around in the Lake of Rage for the past ten minutes, and there had been no sign of the atrocious Pokemon.

"Hurry up, you three!" Hun urged them.

"We're going as fast as this boat can go," Jessie grumbled. "Besides, aren't you and Attila the ones who are actually searching for it? How about you hurry up?"

"Humph. Worthless trash," Hun uttered and went back to his GPS before his eyes lit up. "Halt the boat! The red Gyarados is fifty meters below us!"

Jessie and James slowed the boat down until it came to a stop. They could hear a beeping sound coming from Attila and Hun's GPS which meant they must be close. Attila and Hun had excited looks on their faces while Jessie, James, and Meowth rolled their eyes.

At that time, Lance arrived back at the Lake of Rage. Off in the distance, he could see a large power boat in the middle of the lake. He took out his binoculars and peeked through them but couldn't get a good look at the occupants. Nonetheless, he did find it rather odd that a boat was out here so soon after what happened about an hour ago. Deciding to wait and see how it played out, Lance stealthily hid behind a large nearby tree.

"So, how are we going to capture this Gyarados?" James wondered.

Attila smirked. "Heh. We? I think you mean you!"

"What are you talking about?" Jessie asked, suddenly a little concerned.

"You have to make yourselves useful somehow! You three are going to put on that scuba gear and distract the Gyarados while we launch the net from here!" Hun barked.

'Wh-what?! We're going in there?!" James cried.

"Of course! That Gyarados is extremely violent right now! We could never capture it if it's focused on us. However, if it's focused on you, that will make it an easy target," Hun replied.

"So, we're just bait?" Jessie muttered.

"Call it what you like. Get that gear on, and get in the water!" Attila ordered.

The trio hung their heads and slowly shuffled into the scuba gear. Once they were finished, they stood at the edge of the boat and took a deep breath. What they saw made them sick to their stomach. Just like the group had before them, Jessie, James, and Meowth saw several dead Magikarp that had floated up to the water's surface.

"We're about to jump into a pile of dead fish?!" Meowth cried.

"Those Magikarp aren't going to hurt you! Besides, they were just too weak to be part of our plan! Forget about them!" Hun growled.

Jessie, James, and Meowth felt anger again by what Hun had said. How could they be so callous about another Pokemon's life? Still, Jessie, James, and Meowth knew they had been that way once before, too, when they were back in Kanto when they were actually considered a threat.

Now that they were in Johto, the trio had seen the light and realized that their lives are precious as they've struggled to stay alive in this ordeal. It made them come to appreciate the lives of others, too. They couldn't believe they once wouldn't feel anything at seeing a sight of so many dead Magikarp.

"We said hurry up!" Hun yelled which caused the trio to turn back and glare at the scientist.

They briefly wondered why Attila and Hun couldn't simply throw a pokeball at the red Gyarados to capture it, but the two would probably just argue that the red Gyarados would need to be caught as wild because it's experimental material. With that, Jessie, James, and Meowth closed their eyes jumped into the water.

The three were underwater in an instant, and tried not to think about what they just went through upon hitting the water. Jessie, James, and Meowth then opened their eyes and looked around for the atrocious Pokemon. They didn't see it anywhere, though.

"Okay! No Gyarados! Let's go back!" James said and began to swim back, but Jessie grabbed him by his leg.

"Get back here! There's no telling what Attila and Hun will do if they see us come back up without the Gyarados. They could report to Ariana about our failure, and of course Proton will hear about it, and that's the last thing we want," Jessie reasoned.

James whimpered from within his head gear but stopped resisting Jessie's pull. He then slowly sank back to where they were, and the trio looked at each other.

"Remember. We're in this together. We can do this. No dying, okay?" Jessie assured.

"Right!" James and Meowth agreed.

The three then swam deeper in the water to make it look like they were moving somewhere. Attila and Hun were probably tracking their movements, and they didn't want to make it look like they weren't doing anything. After swimming around for a few minutes, they started to feel a little more relaxed. They secretly hoped Gyarados had swam away since Attila and Hun had spotted it on their GPS. Besides, what were the odds of running into a red Gyarados in this large lake anyway?

They then heard what sounded like an underwater roar, and they froze. Great. Of course, it would appear now that they thought it was safe. The frantically looked around everywhere and saw a very large black, slender shape heading straight for them. The black shape then revealed itself to be none other than the red Gyarados.

The trio screamed at the top of their lungs through the scuba gear before they turned and swam frantically away. They didn't dare look back for fear of seeing how close it was to them. As they moved, they could feel the air of Gyarados' breath on them and knew that it was gaining. There was no way they could out swim it. If they could just get to the surface of the water…

"Please! I don't want to die yet!" James pleaded.

"Just keeping swimming!" Jessie shouted.

"Who would've thought Meowth would become fish food?!" Meowth cried.

The roar of Gyarados was deafening so it must've been right behind them, but they were so close! Don't die! They had to keep swimming! Pleeeeeaaaasse!

At last, they broke the water's surface, but they didn't have anytime to rest. The red Gyarados broke through, as well, about a second later. It then stared balefully at Jessie, James, and Meowth before it lunged at them The trio screamed again and prepared for the deaths.

However, a giant reinforced net sprang out from the large boat and fell over the Gyarados as well as the trio. The red Gyarados then took its attention off of Jessie, James, and Meowth, and instead began struggling to get the net off. The trio then turned and gave a thankful look to Attila and Hun who had evil grins on their faces. However, Jessie, James, and Meowth didn't feel so thankful for too long.

"Initiate the shock!" Attila hollered and pressed a button.

An electric current then ran along the net and began shocking everything within it, including Jessie, James, and Meowth. The three felt like they were being fried alive. Not only were they being shocked with an incredible amount of voltage, but it didn't help matters that they were in the water.

"Wh-what are you doing?! We're on your side!" Jessie screamed as they flailed around in pain.

"You should've moved out of the way," Hun said carelessly as he and Attila continued the shock.

The trio could feel themselves losing consciousness as they continued to be shocked. Their struggles became feebler, and they let out a choking sound before they went limp in the water. At that time, the red Gyarados lost consciousness, too, and Attila and Hun smiled deviously as they as finally shut off the electricity. Hun then pulled out a communicative watch and pressed a button. They soon heard Ariana's voice on the other end.

"Go ahead, Hun," Ariana said.

"We've captured the red Gyarados. The mission was a total success. We're bringing it back to the base via the passage outside Mahogany Town," Hun reported.

"Humph, So, Jessie, James, and Meowth were useful here, after all. I'm actually impressed," Ariana seemed to smirk through the communicator

"What do you want us to do with them? It seems like they got caught in our net and passed out," Attila said.

"Leave them for now. The red Gyarados is more important. I don't have a use for them right now and neither does the boss, apparently. If they manage to get out of the lake, they know where the hideout is," Ariana said darkly.

"Understood!" Attila and Hun nodded and shut off the communicator.

With that, Attila and Hun turned the boat back on and began to speed away while taking the red Gyarados with them. Lance saw them taking away the red Gyarados and quickly followed it to see where they were going. This appeared to be Team Rocket, after all, and it looked like he would have to infiltrate them in a disguise to get a closer look. Unfortunately, he didn't see the trio still the water as he chased after the boat.

Jessie, James, and Meowth, meanwhile, were still unconscious and slipped through the large holes in the net as it passed over them. Their motionless bodies then went face down in the water with the dozens of dead Magikarp around them.


Well, that wraps up part one of the Lake of Rage section.

Once again, sorry for not saying which presents Ash got. I simply couldn't think of anything original, and there will be other birthdays even thought his was his thirteenth. Of course, now that Ash is thirteen, he'll notice girls a lot more now if this chapter was any indication. Let's hope he doesn't become attracted to other girls or Serena's not going to like it! Ehh...Ash made sure to be committed so he should be okay...probably.

The next Lake of Rage chapter will be out before the end of the year! Until next time, have a good one!

Chapter 54: A Switch of Sides