A/N: This chapter got out fairly quickly. I guess it was mainly because the Lake of Rage Arc turned into three chapters rather than two. On the bright side, that means the next chapter should be up fairly quickly, as well, as it will probably be a little on the shorter side compared to these last two. Well, anyway, enjoy the chapter! Also, please no more asking if Ash is getting the red Gyarados. You'll see it when it happens. Whether he does or doesn't catch it, I'll explain my reasoning...probably even within the chapter itself.

A cool side note. With this chapter, I have now surpassed the word count of the Kanto Arc!

A/N: I don't own Pokemon.


Chapter 54: A Switch of Sides

Ash pumped his legs as he, Serena, and Calem continued running to the Lake of Rage as fast as they could. If they were fast enough, they might catch up to Lance. Of course, if they saw him, they would have a lot of explaining to do…especially Calem. Nevertheless, they were still determined. It was just over a thirty minute walk to the Lake of Rage from Mahogany Town, but only about fifteen to twenty minutes if one was running. Thankfully, they were in great shape from all the exercising they did from walking.

The group finally came off from the main trail and into the Lake of Rage clearing. They tried not to focus on the still dozens of dead Magikarp that had floated to the lake's surface. Unfortunately, they didn't see the red Gyarados or Lance anywhere.

"Do you think the red Gyarados went back underwater?" Serena suggested.

"I think so," Ash replied.

"Is it really a good idea to lure it out again without Lance here?" Calem inquired.

"I wonder where Lance could've gone, though, now that you mention it. Didn't he say he was coming to the Lake of Rage?" Ash inquired.

"I think he may have decided to search for clues around here first. He may be in the area, just not within our sight," Calem suggested.

Calem then went to the edge of the lake and took a look around. All the black-haired boy could see were dead Magikarp, and no sign of Lance in the surrounding…wait. Calem's eyes widened when he could see three very distinct shapes that were definitely not Magikarp out there. Calem took out his binoculars, and he gasped when he saw the shapes out there were two people and one Pokemon. Their breathing tubes were out of their mouths so they weren't merely snorkeling. The worst part was they were completely limp!

"Guys!" Calem cried as he turned to face Serena and Ash. "There's someone out there!"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed as he and Serena ran to the edge of the lake and looked.

"Oh no! We have to help them!" Serena yelped.

"Croconaw, I choose you!" Ash shouted and threw the pokeball forward.

Much to his relief, Croconaw looked completely healthy again and gave no sign that it was once writing on the ground in agony. The big jaw Pokemon dove in the water and sped through the lake until it reached the helpless trio. It then used its powerful arms to grab all three of them and paddled back to the shore.

As Croconaw got closer to the shore, Ash and Serena couldn't believe their eyes. It was Jessie, James, and Meowth…notorious Team Rocket members! They hadn't seen them since Goldenrod City, and before that when Serena helped them out of the Ruins of Alph.

Calem's eyes also hardened when he saw the red R that was on their scuba gear. Was the fact that they were here mean Team Rocket was involved in this crisis, after all, or was it just a coincidence? Regardless, the group was still confused and disapproving of who Croconaw was dragging back. Pikachu and Togetic couldn't help but sweat drop.

Croconaw reached the shore and dropped the trio on the ground. Ash thanked the big jaw Pokemon and returned it to its pokeball as he, Serena, and Calem gathered around the trio. It was clear they were unconscious. As they laid there, the group exchanged glances as they tried to decide what to do with them.

"We should take them straight to the police," Calem said. "Even if they have nothing to do with the Lake of Rage incident, that doesn't change the fact that these guys are members of Team Rocket."

"Yeah, but they're a little bit different," Serena muttered. "At least from how they used to be."

"What do you mean?" Calem wondered.

"We've ran into them more than once throughout Johto, and they haven't been hostile to us at all this whole time. They had the perfect chance to restrain me or kill me at the Ruins of Alph when I was unconscious, but they chose not to," Serena explained.

"I say we wake them up and try to squeeze some information out of them before we take them to the police," Ash suggested. "I at least want to know what they were doing unconscious in that lake.

Ash then looked to Pikachu and nodded his head. The yellow rodent smiled deviously as it had wanted to do this to Team Rocket members for quite a long time. It charged up its cheeks and unleashed a Thunderbolt. It wasn't too powerful so it could avoid hurting them, but it would be enough to jolt them back into consciousness. It was rather ironic that electricity was also what caused them to pass out in the first place.

The result was immediate. Jessie, James, and Meowth sprang up from the ground and yelped in surprise and pain, and Pikachu quickly stopped the attack. The trio swayed a little bit as they tried to regain their footing. They couldn't hold themselves up and instead fell back to the ground on their hands and knees where they began spluttering up lake water.

As the group watched the trio cough and wheeze, they couldn't help but feel a bit of slight pity for them, but it was only slight. How long had they been in the water before the group found them?

"I don't know…who you are but thank…you," Jessie gasped as she, James, and Meowth looked up to their saviors.

Upon seeing Ash and Serena, they immediately jumped to their feet and struck a pose as if nothing was wrong with them five seconds ago. The group watched with revulsion as the trio started their motto. To be honest, they looked quite ridiculous since they were still in their scuba gear.

"Prepare for trouble because we're out of the lake!" Jessie began.

"And make it double because we're alert and awake!" James began.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of the Lake of Rage!"

"You better lesson well so we're on the same page!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket comes back to life at the speed of light!"

"We're no longer coughing water so prepare to fight, fight, fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Wooooooobbuffet!"

"What are you doing?" Ash asked as he and the others gave the trio a deadpan expression.

"You should watch your mouth around us, twerp!" Jessie declared as she pointed her index finger forward. "Don't forget that we're dangerous members of Team Rocket!"

"And don't forget that we're the ones who just saved your lives. How about a thank you?" Serena retorted.

The trio's tough attitude deflated considerably once Serena said that. James sighed and took off his flippers while Jessie tended to wringing out her long hair. Meowth stripped off his scuba gear and gave a mighty shake to rid the water from his fur. A lot of the water ended up spraying Wobbuffet, who was still outside its pokeball, but the blue blob didn't appear to mind.

"Alright. Despite the less than gentle awakening, you still did save us," Jessie began as she, James', and Meowth's face contorted as if what they were about to say was repulsive, but eventually, the look caved.

"Thank you so much!" they said gratefully with a bow.

With that, the trio turned and began to walk away from the group. They had no idea where they were going, though. Logic told them to forget about Team Rocket since Attila and Hun had left them to die in the Lake of Rage. However, fear was telling them they should just go back to the base. If someone, specifically Proton, spotted them not among Team Rocket, things would be bad for them.

"Wait a minute," Ash uttered with his arms crossed. "You still haven't told us what you guys were doing here."

The trio stopped at those words. They looked back and forth as if trying to choose what they should say to that. Finally, they turned around and Jessie was the one who answered.

"Look, kid. We appreciate you saving our lives, but these sorts of matters don't concern you. You and your pals have no reason to get into our business," she replied.

"Are you still part of Team Rocket or not?" Serena asked this time.

The trio hesitated at Serena's question. They weren't quite sure what they were now. It was almost as if Attila and Hun had left them to just drown not long ago. They never officially received a slip that would state their dismissal from Team Rocket, but did anyone even expect them to return?

"W-Well…we don't' know," Jessie admitted.

"Do you know anything about what's happening here?" Ash asked again.

"Maybe," Jessie answered, trying to gain back her pride.

"Then it is my business!" Ash suddenly shouted, which startled the trio. "I don't know what's going on here, but it's hurting my Pokemon! I've never seen Pikachu or Togetic in so much pain before! I've also never seen so many dead Pokemon! It isn't just my Pokemon or the Magikarp in the Lake of Rage, either! It's Serena, Brock, Misty's, and everyone else's Pokemon in Mahogany Town, too!"

"Think about if this was happening to your own Pokemon, or even you, Meowth!" Serena added. "Would you be able to bear to see them like that?"

Jessie and James averted their eyes while Meowth seemed to shiver. Yes. They had seen how much it was hurting the other Pokemon, and it angered them to see Team Rocket would use such cruel methods to get what they wanted. They couldn't imagine what they would do if they saw Arbok, Weezing, Victreebel, or Wobbuffet disoriented and writhing on the ground.

"Weezing and Victreebel are like family to me. I wouldn't ever want to see them go through that," James shuddered.

"Not mention my Arbok and lovable blue blob," Jessie muttered.

"Or Meowth," Meowth finished.

"You don't think that they would actually use it on us, do you, Jessie?" James asked hopefully.

"I don't know. It's hard to say after how they just treated us in the Lake of Rage," Jessie mumbled.

"So, Team Rocket really is involved," Ash figured.

"Even if we did tell you, what do you plan to do about it? You're just a twerp!" Jessie snapped.

"I'm going to stop Team Rocket," Ash replied without missing a beat.

"And you think you kids can really do that?" James asked.

"I think so. We did force your leader to disband the whole gang over a year ago. I think we can do it again," Ash retorted.

"Yeah, right. Thanks, but no thanks," Jessie snorted.

With that, the trio turned back around and marched away from the group. They didn't get far, however. Ash ran ahead of them and stopped right in front of them. He then spread his arms out and gave them a very serious look. The trio went to move around Ash, but he was quick to jump in front of them once again.

"Move it or lose it!" Jessie growled.

"I'm not moving until you tell us what you know," Ash stated with determination. "You have to. I know Team Rocket, and so do you. We both know that they won't just stop at the Lake of Rage. They could soon do this to the entire world. Think of all the Pokemon that could get hurt or worse because of this. If you three have any shred of humanity, you have to tell me. Please."

Jessie, James, and Meowth sighed. Here was a boy whom they met over two years ago. Back then, he was just a twerp who they believed would never amount to anything and was just another easy target to steal Pokemon from. He wasn't that boy any longer. He had grown into a strong Pokemon trainer who even had the strength to spoil their plans at the Silph Company and most importantly, take down their boss. Maybe this kid really was the key to get them out of this nightmare that Team Rocket had become. They turned and saw Serena and the other teen boy had the same defiant looks on their faces. It looked like the trio didn't have much of a choice…not that it was a bad one.

"What do you think, Jessie?" James questioned.

Jessie frowned that James and Meowth were leaving it up to her. She then turned back to Ash and looked him straight in the eye.

"Tell me something," Jessie began seriously. "Do you truly believe you can stop Team Rocket and save us from them? Don't forget that if we help you, we're taking a huge gamble. Our lives are on the line here. If they catch us helping you, they'll kill us."

"Would they really go that far on their own teammates?" Serena gasped.

"Kid, you don't know half of it," Jessie muttered.

"You have no idea how much Team Rocket has gone downhill ever since the boss left. Those horrible executives have been in charge, and they only care about themselves. They treat everyone else on our team like garbage, especially the ones they don't like. Grunts are terrified of them. We're terrified of them, and even the ranking scientists, and Cassidy, and…Butch…are terrified of them. They'll never admit it, though. Proton is by far the worst," James shuddered.

"When the boss was in charge, it wasn't like that," Meowth muttered sadly. "How I miss those days."

Ash rolled his eyes that they were speaking highly of Giovanni. However, he held his tongue. What was most important right now was getting as much information out of Jessie, James, and Meowth as he could.

"Don't worry. You have my word. I promise I'll stop Team Rocket," Ash declared.

"Okay," Jessie nodded. "Listen well."

"There you are!"

Everyone jumped at the sound of a man's voice shouting. They all looked and saw Attila and Hun marching towards them. Ash's fists clenched at the sight of seeing more Rocket members here. He also glared when he saw Jessie, James, and Meowth snap to attention.

"I must say, I'm rather impressed you're out of the water," Hun stated. "You three are tougher than we thought you were. I'm sure Ariana would be pleased."

"W-what? She would?" James questioned in confusion.

"Oh, yes. We just delivered the red Gyarados and were coming back to get you from the lake. However, it seems that there was no need for that," Hun smirked.

"You captured the red Gyarados!?" Ash suddenly shouted.

Attila and Hun looked in surprise at Ash like they just now noticed he was there. They then saw Serena and Calem behind them.

"Heh. Who might you pipsqueaks be?" Attila sneered.

"None of your business. The only thing you need to know is that I'm stopping you crooks right here!" Ash said and drew Croconaw's pokeball as well as Serena and Calem.

"Put those away before someone gets hurt," Hun said coldly and took out a remote control and pushed a button

The effeminate man then looked over Serena and Calem. He then noticed the outfit Calem was wearing and got an amused look on his face along with Hun.

"I recognize that uniform. You're with the Pokemon G-men. What? Have they fallen so far that they sent the peewee division here?" Attila laughed along with Hun.

Calem frowned but said nothing. He wasn't about to let them know that Lance was around here somewhere, too. Speaking of the man, where was he? They could seriously use his help right now! Ash had enough of these two and went to throw his pokeball, but something unexpected happened.

It was at that moment that Pikachu and Togetic's eyes drooped down. Pikachu keeled over while Togetic couldn't keep in the air and fell to the ground. They weren't the only ones, though. Even Meowth did. He looked a bit woozy and fell over on his back.

"Meowth!?" Jessie and James gasped.

"I don't feel so great…," Meowth muttered.

"It's that experiment again!" Calem exclaimed and pointed to the remote control that Hun had. "So, you crooks are behind everything!"

"What is it, though?!" Serena cried

"What are you doing?!" Ash shouted. "Turn it off!"

"Pipe down, kid. We're just making sure there aren't any interruptions with our plans. It seems you've seen too much," Attila said.

"We'll have to take you three as our permanent prisoners," Hun added and crossed his arms.

"I'm not letting you get away with this!" Ash hollered and charged at Attila.

The large, blond-haired man just laughed and placed his hand on Ash's head to keep him from going further. Ash shouted angrily and swung his arms as he tried to hit Attila, but it was to no avail. Attila smirked and leaned in a little closer.

"Heh. Not so tough without your Pokemon, are you, kid?" Attila taunted before he shoved Ash to the ground.

Serena and Calem both ran over to help Ash to his feet. Ash glared hatefully at Attila and Hun. It seemed Jessie and James wanted to step in and say something, but they didn't. They exchanged glances between Meowth, Pikachu, and Togetic, and the group could tell it was painful for them to watch, too.

"Now, you kids have two options," Hun started. "You can either come quietly, and we'll turn off the radio waves immediately, or you can continue to resist us, and who knows what will happen to your Pokemon then."

Ash clenched his fists and growled angrily to himself as tears burned his eyes. He looked back at Pikachu and Togetic who looked close to passing out. Sending out his other Pokemon wouldn't do anything, either, as they would be affected by the waves, too. Did he make a big mistake again by charging in to the Lake of Rage? The worst part was he got Serena and Calem involved, too. He then glanced at Jessie and James who were now kneeling over Meowth and were trying to wake him up. It seemed like he didn't have a choice.

"Ash, we should just do what they say," Calem stepped in. "The most important thing is just keeping everyone safe. They have us beat here."

Ash tore his eyes away from Pikachu and Togetic before he glared again at the two scientists.

"Alright. We'll come with you. Just please turn that thing off," Ash relented.

"Very well. First of all, we have to restrain you," Hun said and turned to Jessie and James. "You two! Tie those kids up!"

Jessie and James were then thrown a rope by Attila. They looked hesitant to leave Meowth's side, but they knew that this was the quickest way to help him. They went over to the group and forced Ash's hands behind his back by tying him up first. Ash could've sworn he heard Jessie and James mumble an apology to him, but he was too focused on Pikachu and Togetic who were still writhing on the ground. Jessie and James then restrained Calem and Serena by wrapping the rope around their hands, too. Once they were done, they saluted to Attila and Hun.

"There. We're caught. Now please turn it off," Ash pleaded.

"One more thing," Hun said and pulled out what looked like a gun before he pulled the trigger.

A net shot of it and quickly spread around Togetic and Pikachu, who made no effort to resist it. Ash gasped as he stared at his Pokemon.

"Pikachu! Togetic!" he yelled.

"Don't have a Miltank, kid. We're just making sure they can't escape once we turn the waves off. That net is shock proof, by the way," Attila sneered before Hun pressed the button on his remote control again.

Pikachu, Togetic, and even Meowth visibly relaxed as soon as that happened. Attila walked over to the net that held Pikachu and Togetic and unceremoniously swung it over his back. Ash growled at the rough treatment but said nothing.

"Now, come with us," Hun ordered and began to walk away with Attila.

"Man. Lance is going to kill me for this," Calem mumbled.

James picked up Meowth since he was still feeling weak and got behind the group with Jessie. They all then began to follow Attila and Hun back to where their base was presumably. Ash couldn't help but glance at Jessie and James to see how they felt about this. They were avoiding eye contact with Ash and looked a bit guilty at tying Ash, Serena, and Calem up after they just saved their lives. Still, they were clearly too scared to try anything to defy Attila and Hun.


The group soon found themselves at the Team Rocket hideout outside Mahogany Town. They immediately spotted the red Gyarados being hoisted up by a crane operated by several grunts. It was then placed in a large tank of water which closed up as soon as it was in. A red-haired grunt standing by saw Ash, Calem, and Serena, and his eyes widened. What were they doing here?!

"Hey! What do you plan on doing with that Gyarados, anyway?" he asked.

Attila and Hun stopped and turned to face with boy with a smirk on their faces. "Well, seeing how you're going to be our prisoners for the rest of your lives, I see no harm in us about telling you of Project R," Hun said.

"What's Project R?" Calem questioned.

"It's short for Project Revolution," Hun explained. "It's an excellent system that we and Professor Namba created. It actually allows us to manipulate Pokemon evolution."

The group's eyes widened at that. So that's what this experiment was! The group thought back to everything going on. It explained everything. It explained why all their Pokemon felt so weak and helpless. Most of all, it explained the red Gyarados. Ash then briefly wondered if they had kept using that machine if Pikachu would've evolved into a Raichu. Ash forced the thought away and clenched his teeth. Unknown to them, the Rocket grunt nearby with red hair also looked surprised and interested with what was said, but nobody took notice of him.

"You can't do that! It interferes with nature!" Serena cut in.

"Oh, but I believe we can and already have, little girl. That red Gyarados proves that our system is a complete success!" Attila grinned evilly. "That evolution inducement wave is incredible!"

"Evolution inducement wave," Ash muttered.

"We blasted it straight at the Lake of Rage where it appears a Magikarp promptly evolved into a Gyarados," Hun said. "However, it appears there are a few bugs we have to work out. That red coloring is clearly a lingering trait of its Magikarp form. We'll have a do a complete examination of it, and then we'll be able to perfect Project R."

The group continued to stare angrily. It looked like Lance's theory about the red Gyarados was correct, after all. If only he was around to here all this! Where was he?!

"Heh. We also learned that wave is a great weapon against anyone who tries to stop us. You kids can't do anything to us as long we have control of that machine," Hun laughed.

"Yes. This remote control that allows us to operate the wave from a distance sure does come in handy," Attila smirked.

"Once we perfect our machine, we'll be able to evolve all the Pokemon, including ours, stronger and stronger. Then we'll have the ultimate Pokemon army, and we can always sell anything we don't feel like we need. Team Rocket will make a great comeback with this experiment. I assure you," Hun grinned evilly.

The two Rocket scientists then gave cold laughs at that. Jessie and James didn't join in and continued to watch. Despite how twisted this plan was, they couldn't help but be slightly impressed. It truly was a good way to bring Team Rocket back. If they weren't so desperate to get out, they would probably be on board with this plan, too. Still, the thought of their Pokemon or Meowth being hurt by this experiment was too much for them to take. It had already proven to have killed dozens of Magikarp, after all.

"You…really don't care about the Pokemon you're hurting because of this," Calem said as his voice shook. "Those poor Magikarp."

"Of course not. Any Pokemon that dies in this experiment is weak and not worthy to be sold or added to our army," Hun uttered.

"How could you say that?" Serena whimpered.

"You'll never get away with this!" Ash hollered.

"We already have, kid," Attila smirked and thumped Ash on the head.

Hun then turned to Jessie and James. "Take them to the dungeon. Make sure they are locked up tight. Also, change out of those clothes already. You look ridiculous."

"Oh…uh…sure," the two muttered.

"What's wrong?" Attila asked as he noticed their hesitation.

"Oh…um…nothing!" Jessie said brightly! "We'll do as you say!"

"Will Meowth be okay?" James couldn't help but asked as he looked at the weakened Pokemon in his arm.

"It'll be fine in about ten minutes," Attila waved off dismissively. "Just get those brats to the dungeon and relax. I'm sure Ariana will let you know if she needs anyone else."

Jessie and James sighed before they nodded their head and signaled the group to follow them. Ash didn't move as Attila still had Pikachu and Togetic swung over his back. The raven-haired boy's eyes watered. He couldn't just leave them like this. Pikachu opened its eyes and gave a slight nod to Ash that it would be okay. Ash forced himself to turn away. He would just have to trust Pikachu.

Ash remained expressionless as he continued to remain transfixed on the trio. He had been so close to getting them to listen to reason, but to no avail. Ash knew that Jessie and James knew it, too, as they hadn't looked at him once since he, Serena, and Calem were captured.

As they walked off, the red-haired grunt, who turned out to be Lance in disguise, watched them go with a frown on his face. Why did they disobey his orders to stay away from the Lake of Rage!? Calem should especially know better! Now, this has happened! It looks like uncovering the secrets of this experiment would turn into a rescue operation, as well. He couldn't expose himself right now, though. He hated to do it, but Ash, Serena, and Calem would have to endure the dungeon for a short period of time while he formulated a plan.


Nobody said anything as the Team Rocket trio led the group down to the dungeons. They each had their own individual thoughts going through their mind. They soon entered a restricted area in the base, and Jessie said the first sentence of anybody.

"You may not like what you're about to see," she muttered before she entered the access code, and the door slid open.

"What is it?" Ash couldn't help but ask despite the aggravation he was feeling.

"This was…the research area where Dr. Namba, Attila, and Hun conducted their experiments on Pokemon during the beta stages of Project R," James answered.

The group then stepped into the room, and it was a rather disturbing sight. Though it wasn't as bad as seeing all the dead Magikarp in the Lake of Rage, it was still enough to make the group gasp.

There were several Pokemon in either cages or tubes, and they were all barely conscious. They were clearly malnourished and in very bad shape. Pokemon of many species and sizes were there. What stuck out most to the group was that they were all evolved, and though some were similar, they were all the color of their pre-evolutions. There were Beedrill, Gloom, Nidorina and Nidorino, and even an light brown Ursaring.

"So, I take it that these were the Pokemon who passed the experiments," Calem figured.

"Yes, but the more proper term is how many survived," Jessie mumbled.

"How many did…you know…not make it?" Serena inquired.

"We don't know, but we were told that different Pokemon were replaced every week," James sighed.

"You guys really are the lowest of low," Ash spat.

"Hey, kid! We didn't want any part of this experiment! We only did it because we were ordered to!" Jessie said angrily.

"So, what are you going to do now? Lock us up? After everything we said to you? After we saved your lives?" Ash uttered.

"Yes. We only agreed to help you because you said you would be able to stop Team Rocket if we told you what we know. Now look at you. You and your little crew were captured at the first opportunity. Face it, kid. You guys are out of your league with Team Rocket. We have no reason to help you anymore," Jessie stated.

Ash wanted to retort, but he knew Jessie was right. He rushed into the Lake of Rage without thinking because he believed he was the one to stop Team Rocket, and he had convinced the trio to help him put an end to this experiment. Yet, as soon as two Rocket members came, he was powerless to prevent his, Serena, and Calem's capture. As long as they had that machine, there was no way he would be able to use his Pokemon. He just hoped Lance knew what was going on and would be able to save them. Afterwards, well, he would have a lot of explaining to do.

Serena sadly watched all of the captured Pokemon as she passed them. They all looked so pitiful. As she passed the Ursaring, she noticed it weakly look in her direction, and when it spotted Serena, it sat up a little bit. It was a little hard to tell with how weak it looked, but it almost looked surprised to see Serena. It was a little unnerving for Serena to see such a large Pokemon watching her. The Ursaring never took its eyes off of her as they passed through the room.

"That was weird," Serena thought to herself as they exited the room.

The group soon found themselves going down a stairwell, and the plastered walls were becoming rough stone. The lights were turning to torches. It was clear they were getting close to the dungeon. Ash couldn't help but roll his eyes at how stereotypical this dungeon looked.

They got off the stairwell, and the group immediately spotted the three cells lined up against the wall. Jessie and James muttered for them to each get into a separate cell which they complied. They then shut the door and looked it with the key.

"What's going to happen to Pikachu and Togetic, and our other Pokemon that those two scientists have?!" Ash cried.

"We don't know," James sighed. "We'll at least try to make sure nothing bad happens to them."

"So, that's it then," Ash muttered. "You three are just going to leave us here."

"Of course. What did you expect us to do? Play nice? You did this to yourself, kid. Had you just stayed out of Team Rocket's way, this wouldn't have happened," Jessie snorted.

"And if we hadn't come to the Lake of Rage to save your lives, or help you out at the Ruins of the Alph, you wouldn't even be here," Serena countered.

Jessie and James didn't have a proper reply to that. What were they supposed to do?!

"Attila and Hun would've saved us in the lake. They said they were coming back for us," Jessie defended.

"Come on. You guys know you might've drowned by then," Ash said.

"Look, kid! There's nothing you can do against Team Rocket right now, and neither can we!" Jessie shouted.

Ash glared at them, but he finally grit his teeth and turned his head away. It seemed as though he had nothing more to say to them. Upon seeing the raven-haired boy's look, Jessie and James' expression softened a little bit.

"Look, we'll try to make sure you're treated well while you're here, but us helping you now for all of our sake is out of the question," Jessie sighed.

With that, the trio turned to leave. Ash kicked the bars in frustration since his hands were still tied up. Calem and Serena both sighed at sat down as they had no idea what was in store from them for them now.

"I shouldn't have trusted them," Ash growled. "At the end of the day, they're still in Team Rocket."


"Nnngh…what'd I miss?" Meowth muttered as he woke up from the effects of the evolution inducement wave.

"Oh, you're awake now," James said with a smile and set Meowth down on the ground. They all were finally out of their scuba gear and back in their Rocket uniforms.

"Meowth feels tired," the scratch cat Pokemon yawned. "The last thing I remember we were going to help those twerps. Where are they?"

"Well, they're locked up in the dungeon now," Jessie muttered and looked away.

"What? They went and got themselves captured after we helped them?" Meowth questioned.

"We…never got the chance to hep them," Jessie sighed. "Attila and Hun used the evolution inducement wave, and those kids could to do nothing to stop them."

"Well, why didn't you two do anything? You could've talked your way out of it to help them. Attila and Hun still think we want to be a part of Team Rocket," Meowth argued.

"What do you know? You were passed out like some drunken alley cat the whole time. Attila and Hun wouldn't have listened to us!" Jessie snapped.

"How do you know? Didn't you at least try? These kids were offering us a chance to get out of this nightmare! Why didn't you take it?!" Meowth asked pointedly, now fully awake.

Jessie and James sighed and looked away. Surely, Meowth knew the answer to that. If they tried to go against anything Attila and Hun said, they would've been reported to Ariana. Still, was there truly a convincing story that they could've told Attila and Hun to keep those kids out of trouble?

"Look, take this from a Pokemon's point of view like me. That little evolution wave is bad news! I've never felt so bad in my life, and that's saying something. That wave was worse than any abuse Proton's ever given us. Meowth would do anything to not go through that again!" Meowth yelled. "I'd probably kill myself if I ever became a Persian against my will!"

"What do you suggest we should've done then, Meowth?!" Jessie shouted back.

"Let those kids help us, of course! Not lock them in a dungeon!" Meowth hollered.

"We can't do that! We'll get caught, and who knows what will happen to us!" Jessie yelped.

"They'll probably kill us," James shivered.

Meowth had enough. "Numbskulls!" he shouted and scratched them across the face.

Jessie and James fell silent as they stood there in shock. They looked down at Meowth who was breathing heavily and looked quite angry. Normally, they would respond back and punch the daylights out of him for that, but they had no reaction this time.

"Look at you two. You're pathetic. I'm a coward, too, but if something comes along that gives us a chance to get out of this nightmare, we should take it, even if it involves bending the rules a little. Have you two really lost any spine you have left?" Meowth growled. "This wave is evil, plain and simple. Even you two should be able to see that."

"But Meowth…," James began, but Meowth cut him off.

"Look, remember that promise we made in Tohjo Falls? How we'd always be together no matter what? Even in the good times and bad? If we ever hope to get out of this nightmare, we have to take a risk at some point," Meowth reasoned.

"You aren't scared?" Jessie questioned.

"Of course I am," Meowth muttered. "But I'm more scared about what will happen if we don't do anything. Remember what that twerp said? Team Rocket isn't going to stop using that machine here. They could use it on the whole world if they come back to power! I'll never let that happen! If you two won't me help me, then I'll do it myself. Anything's better then being under the effects of that wave again!"

Jessie and James were at a loss for words by Meowth's speech. He had such passion in his eyes as he spoke. It was clear he was determined to put a stop to this thing whether Jessie and James were going to help him or not. They were even more surprised when their pokeballs wiggled, and Weezing, Arbok, Victreebel, and Wobbuffet came out of their pokeballs and stared at the two with disapproving expressions.

"What? You all, too?" Jessie asked.

"Charbok! Charbok!" Arbok nodded.

"Weeeezing!" Weezing said followed by screech of agreement from Victreebel.

"Woooooobuffet!" Wobbuffet finished.

Jessie and James gasped at their Pokemons' words. Though they couldn't understand fully, Jessie and James knew what their Pokemon were asking. They wanted to know if Jessie and James would ever let that inducement wave hurt them. Though they were already evolved, that wouldn't shield them from the harmful effects of the radiation if it was ever aimed at a place where they were at.

"No! We would never let that happen to all of you!" Jessie shouted forcefully.

"Chaaaaarbok!" Arbok pointed out.

"What? You're saying that not doing anything about this machine is the same as approving of it?" Jessie asked, to which all of their Pokemon nodded.

Jessie shut her eyes and clenched her fists as tears came to her and James' eyes. They were having a disturbing image of their Pokemon writhing on the ground in pain, passing out, or even worse because of that evolution wave. The two didn't think they would ever be able to bear it if that ever happened to their Pokemon.

"W-We would never want that to happen. Of course we care about you," James cried.

"We just…don't know what will happen to us, or you, if we go against Team Rocket like this," Jessie said as her voice shook.

"Hey. We're in this together. Remember. I know that if we team up with those twerps and destroy that machine, there will be nothing that could stop us," Meowth told them.

Jessie and James looked at each of their Pokemons' serious expressions. These were not just their Pokemon, but their friends. They were the ones that were always there to lift Jessie and James up just like they did that night on the roof of the Goldenrod Radio Tower. That was their way of showing Jessie and James that they were always there for them, even if Victreebel would sometimes rather make James its lunch. There was no way Jessie and James would pay them back by letting them fall under the effects of Project R. Just like their Pokemon would be there for them, they would be there for their Pokemon.

"You're right. We're not going to let you go through something like that. Let's put a stop to that machine, and let's do it together," Jessie stated and finally smiled.

"I'm in, too!" James added.

"That's more like it! All in!" Meowth declared and stuck out one of his paws.

It was followed by Arbok's tail, Victreebel's vine, Wobbuffet's arm, Weezing's…smaller head, and finally Jessie and James' hand. No more cowering in front of the other members. They were going to stand up for what they believe in! They knew exactly what they had to do!


Ash looked up as he heard the door to the dungeon opening. It was accompanied by footsteps hurriedly coming down the stairs. Ash growled to himself and forcefully turned away as he was sure it was some Team Rocket grunts who had come down to taunt him. Right! He knows he messed up! It was wrong to think that he could change any Team Rocket members' mind about what they were doing was wrong. Now, it was going to get rubbed in his face.

That was when he was surprised when he heard keys jingling and the sound of his cell door unlocking. He turned and stared in confusion when he saw Jessie, James, Meowth, and all their Pokemon outside the cell door. What were they doing?

"What's going on?" Ash wondered.

"We're bustin' you and your pals out, twerp," Meowth answered.

"You are? Why?" Serena couldn't help but ask.

"Because what Team Rocket is doing is despicable! We're not going to let them harm Meowth, our Pokemon, or any other Pokemon with that machine!" James responded as he finished undoing the lock to Ash's cell door. He then went to work on Serena's door.

"It took the words of our Pokemon to knock some sense into us," Jessie said.

"So, you guys are going to help us?" Ash questioned.

"Yep. We're gonna to take you straight to the machine that's powering that evolution wave," Meowth replied.

James then finished unlocking Calem and Serena's door. Once they were out, Ash still noticed one more little problem.

"Aren't you going to untie us?" Ash asked.

"Not yet. We need to make it look like you're still our prisoners. We'll untie you as soon as we get to the room with the machine it," Jessie said.

Ash nodded his head as he decided that made sense. The trio then made Calem, Serena, and Ash line up, and they each stood on one side of them and had their Pokemon behind them to make it look convincing.

"Do you guys know where Pikachu, Togetic, and the others are?" Ash asked.

"We think so," James replied. "Now don't talk."

With that, they began to walk forcefully out of the dungeon and up the stairs. The group couldn't believe that Jessie, James, and Meowth had finally seen the light. Two years ago, they never would've guessed that they would be teaming up to get rid of a common evil.

"Thank you," Ash finally said.

"Don't get mushy on us, kid! We didn't do it for you!" Jessie snorted.

"Still, you guys actually came through. Maybe you aren't as bad as we thought," Ash stated.

Jessie's face contorted as if she was about to smile but trying to force herself not to. "Well, whatever," she said instead.

The group was soon was back in the room that had the experimented Pokemon. Once they entered, the Ursaring from before looked up, and it once again looked straight at Serena as if it couldn't believe its eyes. Serena gave the Pokemon a confused look. Why was it looking at her like that? Furthermore, why did it look vaguely familiar?

"Wait," Serena said and broke free out of the line.

"What are you doing? We'll save these Pokemon after Team Rocket is taken care of," Jessie called her back.

"It's not that," Serena muttered and took a few tentative steps to the Ursaring.

As she got closer, the Ursaring gave a weak moan and placed one of its large paws against the cage it was in. As Serena got closer, she noticed something even stranger about it. It was the Ursaring's eyes. They looked adorable, yet full of mischief. Where had she seen those eyes before? It especially looked familiar because of the Teddiursa-coloring still on it. Serena gasped as she ran forward the rest of the way.

"It can't be," she gasped as she reached the cage.

She then inspected the Ursaring from head to toe. If this was the Pokemon she thought it was, it would have a very distinct scar on its ear. She had never taken much notice of it before, but all Pokemon with markings like that would even keep them upon evolution. Sure enough, there was a small, crescent-shaped scar on its right ear. Serena gasped again and took a step back.

"I can't believe it. It's you," Serena breathed, and the Ursaring gave a low growl to indicate she was correct.

"What is it, Serena?" Ash asked.

"It's that Teddiursa! The one I released!" Serena exclaimed.

"What?!" Ash cried as he broke free to get a closer look.

"Hey! We haven't got all day! What if someone comes in here?!" Jessie cried.

"Just wait a minute," Serena told them before she turned back to the Ursaring, still unable to believe it was the same Teddiursa. "How did…what happened? How did you get here? I left you in the reserve park where I knew you'd be safe."

The Ursaring finally turned its eyes away from Serena and looked away guiltily. Serena frowned as while this Ursaring truly did look pitiful and regrettable for its actions, Serena had seen this trick before. As despicable as Teddiursa had been, no Pokemon did deserve this.

"Don't worry. I promise we'll set you free as soon as we stop Team Rocket. You'll be back out in the wild soon," Serena told it.

At that, the light brown Ursaring turned back to look at her and weakly shook its head. It gave a low moan and went to nudge her hand with its paw and pointed at an empty pokeball on her belt. Serena knew what it was wanting and turned to look at it in surprise.

"You…actually want to come with me?" she asked, which prompted a nod from Ursaring.

At that, the girl frowned and gave Ursaring a suspicious look.

"Why do you want to come with me?" Serena questioned.

Ursaring looked down. Did she really have to ask it that? Yes. It knows it was a total jerk the entire time and even was enough trouble for Serena to get sick of it. It had ruthlessly put her in harm's way at the National Park and didn't even care. Only when it was about to be cut down by a Scyther did it finally realize that Serena did really want to look out for it and care for it. Unfortunately, Serena's patience had run out by then, and she released it right there. Teddiursa had tried to beg for her to come back, but she never did. It wanted to come with her because it truly did want a trainer.

Serena sighed and looked down herself. "I really want to believe you, but how can you expect me to do that after all that's happened?"

Ursaring said nothing as it continued to look down. It really couldn't blame her. Ursaring didn't even try to put on its fake cutesy act anymore. It probably wouldn't work anyway now that it was no longer a Teddiursa and instead a scary Ursaring. Maybe it got what it deserved.

Serena then came up with an idea. "Hold still, Ursaring," she told it and turned back to the trio. Untie my hands."

"What? We can't do that, yet! What if someone walks in?!" Jessie cried.

Serena gave them a hard stare which showed she meant business which caused them to shrink back a little bit. "Just do it. You can tie me back up afterward," she uttered.

Jessie and James slowly nodded her head before they walked over and began to untie her bind. They had no idea what she was planning, but it was clearly important, whatever it was. Once Serena was free, she took a second to stretch her arms out and looked straight at Ursaring.

Ursaring looked up and saw Serena reaching both her hands to it. As she did, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She really hoped this worked. She hadn't tried to use her ESP since Cianwood City when she stopped her fall, and that had turned out to be a disaster. Her ESP had remained completely dormant since then. She wasn't sure if she could even still use it properly after all that happened.

The Team Rocket trio was clearly getting impatient, but they also couldn't help but be curious at what she was doing. Calem also watched in interest as he had never seen this, either. Finally, Serena rested her hand on Ursaring's head. She then concentrated as hard as she could to delve into its thoughts. What she saw completely surprised her.

She saw it all. She saw how Teddiursa had been regrettable of its actions after Serena saved it. She saw how Teddiursa had chased after her and wanted to beg her for another chance and how it really wanted to be her Pokemon. She saw it was captured by Proton while trying to look for her. Serena then grimaced as she started to see all the horrible experiments Teddiursa had gone through and how mistreated it was. It looked to be in such agony. Finally, she saw Teddiursa's inevitable evolution into an Ursaring, and the Pokemon looked like it had gone through absolute torture while doing so. Most Pokemon were happy or pleased upon evolving, but Teddiursa wasn't. Upon seeing its new form, it gave a horrified and agonizing roar until it was shocked into submission by the Team Rocket scientists who had evil smiles on their faces…

Serena tore her hands away as she broke links with Ursaring's mind. She couldn't bear to look at that anymore. Serena looked scared for Ursaring as she continued to stare at it while Ursaring stared sadly back at her. Ash looked on in concern as Serena had begun shuddering at what she had seen.

"Serena, what did you see?" he asked in concern.

"I saw everything," Serena whispered. "This is all my fault. All of this happened to Ursaring because it was looking for me and wanted to apologize. This never would've happened had I not given up and released it."

"Wait. What do you mean you saw it?" Calem wondered.

"Wait! We've seen this before from you and that other twerp at our boss' gym! It's that voodoo psycho stuff, isn't it?!" Meowth accused.

"I wouldn't call it that, but yes, that was my ESP," Serena answered, still breathing heavily at the trauma she saw. Thankfully, she didn't have a headache after using it.

"Serena…you're…," Calem began with wide eyes.

Serena turned and faced Calem while giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I never told you Calem, but there was never really a good time to do it. The last time I saw you, it was still really new to me."

"No. It's fine. I just think it's amazing," Calem told her before he looked to Ash. "So, based on what that talking Meowth said…"

"I don't have ESP, but I do have aura, but I'm not great at using it yet," Ash muttered.

"Woah," Calem uttered and shook his head as he seemed to be clearing his mind. "That's a lot to take in."

"We'll have to explain everything to you one day then when we have time," Ash said.

"Yes! Yes! We get it! So, what are you going to do now, girl?!" Jessie asked impatiently.

Serena turned back to look at Ursaring. She didn't ever think it possible based on its previous deceptive ways, but Ursaring truly did seem to regret the way it treated her before. She really did feel sorry for it. What it had gone through here was horrific, and no Pokemon should have to endure that. She gave Ursaring a tender look.

"Ursaring…there's a lot of apologizing both us need to do," she told it, and Ursaring nodded before she continued. "I think…we never got a chance to truly understand each other. I'd like to have that opportunity and start over with you."

Though it still felt like garbage from the effects of being malnourished, Ursaring couldn't help but have its eyes shine with hope. Serena was willing to forgive it after everything it did to her? It would get the chance to apologize, after all?! Once it had been captured by Team Rocket, it thought its life was over, and it pretty much was. Yet, Serena had come to save it and take it back, after all. She really was a trainer it wanted in its life.

"Meowth, pick the lock on the cage," Serena told it.

"Uhh…sure," Meowth muttered and leaped up before it used one of its claws to unlock the door. The cage door then swung open.

Serena unclipped the empty pokeball from her belt and pointed at Ursaring. She didn't even need to officially ask it to join her team again. She knew this was what Ursaring wanted, and truthfully, Serena wanted it, too.

"Don't worry. I'll get you to a Pokemon Center and heal you as soon as this is all over. I look forward to having you with me again, Ursaring," she said.

With that, she pressed the button on her pokeball, and the beam shot out and struck Ursaring. The hibernator Pokemon didn't think the sensation of going back into a pokeball could feel so great. It was as if all its troubles and worries would finally go away. Serena forgave it, and Ursaring felt like it could finally belong. It soon turned to energy, and the beam retracted back into the pokeball. Serena looked at the pokeball now containing Ursaring and couldn't help but smile.

"Welcome back," she whispered.

"Alright! Enough of this mushy stuff! We need to hurry and tie you back up. Who knows what could be going on, right now?!" Jessie cried.

Serena spun around and nodded her head. "Right! We still need to rescue our Pokemon and destroy that machine!"


The group was now back in their binds as Team Rocket led the way. Well, that was if one could call it leading. They appeared to be wandering around aimlessly and taking a lot of turns. After a few minutes, Ash couldn't help but sigh.

"You guys do know where you're going, right?" he inquired.

"Of course we do! We know exactly where the room with the machine is!" Jessie insisted.

"But…you don't have a clue where our Pokemon are being kept, do you?" Serena asked.

"Well, no," James admitted, and the group face-faulted. He quickly added, "But we have a plan to find them!"

"What's the plan?" Ash asked, but then he fell silent as he saw a Team Rocket grunt approaching.

"Oh, you three. What are you doing?" the grunt asked curiously.

"We're transferring these prisoners," Jessie replied. "They were caught trying to snoop in our plans at the Lake of Rage, and we can't have that. We're making sure to keep them heavily guarded."

"Huh? These kids? They don't look too threatening. Besides, I didn't hear we were moving criminals," the grunt scoffed as he took a closer look.

"Of course not! You're just a grunt!" Meowth pointed out.

Despite that, the grunt eyed the group in an appraising manner. Ash, Serena, and Calem tried to look as…unhappily natural…as they could. They avoided eye contact with the grunt. The grunt then looked at Jessie, James, Meowth, and their Pokemon. They appeared to be totally serious…even Wobbuffet. However, unknown to him, the only thing they were serious about was stopping that machine.

"Alright. Works for me," the grunt shrugged and saluted Jessie, James, and Meowth before he began to walk off.

As soon as he did, James did something unexpected. He leaped forward and did a karate chop right on top of the grunt's head. The grunt looked dazed for a second before he fell to the floor, knocked out. Jessie, Meowth, and even their Pokemon and the group looked at James in surprise. James dusted his hands and looked sheepishly at the group.

"Wow, Jimbo. That was pretty hardcore," Meowth noted.

"I didn't know you had it in you? Where did you learn moves like that?" Jessie asked.

"Oh. Just one of the many things I learned in my lessons at my old manor. I can't wait for the day I can use those moves on Proton," James muttered and looked at the grunt of the floor. "We can't have him blabbing what we're doing, or the whole plan could be ruined."

"Right. We should hide him," Jessie nodded and turned to Arbok. "Take care of him."

Arbok slithered over the grunt and wrapped its long body around him. Wobbuffet then opened a nearby door which led to a closet, and Arbok tossed the grunt inside. The trio then nodded for a job well done, but they didn't get to celebrate as they saw another grunt was approaching them. This was going to be a little harder than they thought.

The grunt kept his head low as he continued to approach them, and he was carrying a sack. He said nothing which was a little unnerving for the group. Once he reached them, he lifted his head only slightly, and the group could make out red hair underneath the hat.

"Where are you taking them?" the grunt asked.

"Prison transfer," James replied.

"There's no need. I'll take them," the grunt said immediately.

"Hey! Who do you think you are, buster!?" Jessie snapped.

The grunt then fully lifted his head, and Ash, Serena, and Calem gasped. "Lance!" they all exclaimed.

"That's right. I'm here to rescue you guys and take out that machine," Lance replied and reached for one of his pokeballs. "However, it seems like they need to be dealt with first."

"Wait! You have it all wrong! We're on your side!" Meowth cried.

"Wait. What?" Lance questioned in confusion and ignored the fact that he saw a Meowth just speak.

"They're actually helping us out," Calem intervened. "They're leading us to the room where the machine is that's the source of that wave."

Lance looked back and forth between the group and the former Team Rocket members. They were clearly worried and didn't wish to face Lance. Even they knew that he was a member of the Pokemon G-men as well as the Elite Four. They breathed a sigh of relief when Lance nodded his head and put away his pokeball.

"My apologies," he said and added, "Are you all really Team Rocket agents?"

"Well, we were, but no longer!" Jessie declared, fired up. "We're deciding to fight for what's right, for a change! We're tired of being in this nightmare and are ready to break free from it!"

The trio and their Pokemon then struck a pose that sort of made them look like they were agents of justice. Everyone else couldn't help but sweat drop at how overly dramatic they were being. Nevertheless, they were still thankful for their help.

"Lance, before we go to the machine room. We have to get back our Pokemon!" Ash told him

"You mean these?" Lance asked with a smile and opened the sack he was carrying. "I picked these up on the way over here."

"Our Pokemon!" Serena exclaimed as and the group looked into the sack and saw all their pokeballs in there. Pikachu and Togetic jumped out, too!

It was relatively easy to figure out which Pokemon belonged to them. There was just something about a trainer's bond with their Pokemon which let them know. After they were finished getting clipped to their belts, Serena watched one her pokeballs teleport away and immediately remembered the reason why. Ursaring had joined her team again.

"So, I don't believe I have your names," Lance inquired to Jessie, James, and Meowth and held out his hand. "I'm Lance."

The former Rocket members stared at the open gesture in shock. A Pokemon G-man, Lance, was actually accepting them and offering a handshake?! That's something they never thought they would experience in their lifetime. If there was one thing the trio and their Pokemon had learned in this, it was that the good guys are a lot nicer to them than their own teammates.

"I'm…Jessie," the redhead woman said slowly and took the handshake.

"I'm James," the blue-haired man introduced and shook Lance's hand after Jessie.

"And I'm Meowth, but that was obvious!" Meowth said.

"Woooooobbuffet!" Wobbuffet piped up.

"You aren't that important, blobby!" Meowth yelled at it.

"So, you're a Meowth that can talk…fascinating," Lance noted in interest as he rubbed his chin.

"Well…I try," Meowth blushed and kicked at the ground.

"Well, there will be plenty of time for talk later," Lance stated and looked at Jessie, James, and Meowth. "I believe I heard that you know where that awful machine is being kept?"

"Oh, yes. We're going there right now," James responded.

Lance nodded. "Excellent. Please lead the way. I turned off the security cameras in the Persian statues just before I found you so we should be okay."

"Pika!" Pikachu cried and pumped its fist into the air. Now that they were all back together, it was time to kick some Team Rocket butt!

James, however, let out a squeak. "Eeep! What if they saw us let the twerps out?! I didn't even think of that!"

"I think it'll be fine," Jessie reassured. "That grunt we just took out didn't question us."

"Right! We're as slick as ice!" Meowth nodded.

"Well, I guess…," James mumbled, though he didn't look convinced.

With that, the group set off down the corridor with the still disguised Lance in tow. The Persian statues were all around them, but they were useless now. They were now free to head to the control room and destroy that machine!

However, despite the fact that Lance disarmed the Persian statues, there was still a cleverly placed micro camera in the corner of the corridor. It had seen the exchange just now, and Jessie and James were in fact spotted when they released the group from their cells.


Oh boy. The trio wasn't being as sneaky as they thought they were! One can only guess what's in store for them now.

Yeah. Serena got Teddiursa...err...Ursaring back. That's all well and good, but how do they plan on bonding when they almost couldn't stand each other when they parted? Awkwardness to ensue.

The last part of the Lake of Rage arc is next! Until next time, have a good one!

Chapter 55: Proton's Deal