A/N: Phew. Just in time for the new year. This chapter ended up being longer than I thought, but I still finished it in time. Hopefully, by the end of next year, the Johto arc will be complete, and I'll be in the Hoenn arc. It's a goal, anyway. With that, please enjoy the conclusion to the Lake of Rage.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Chapter 55: Proton's Deal
A helicopter was just now landing at the Lake of Rage. The waters were slightly disturbed as it had parked right next to the water. The occupants of the helicopter weren't really worried about being spotted at the moment. The lake was considered a danger zone right now so no one was coming up here until Lance had deemed it okay. That's why when the helicopter opened that the people came out proudly wearing the red R on their uniforms.
"Ah…smell that air!" Proton said gleefully as he stepped off the helicopter.
"I think I'm going to puke," A Rocket grunt gagged as he followed Proton.
"What are you talking about!? Just look at all of these Magikarp?! I love the smell of dead Pokemon in the morning!" Proton smiled deviously and slapped the grunt on the back.
"Yeah. Sure," the Rocket grunt mumbled.
Proton then opened up the communicator on his wrist. He was eager to hear from Ariana about the red Gyarados and where it was. After learning the evolution inducement wave had been a success, the sadistic man wasted no time in coming over to see for himself. He wasn't worried about the Radio Tower, though. Archer and Petrel were still there, and with the way things were right now, the less Rocket members at the Radio Tower, the better.
Soon, Ariana's voice came through the communicator. "Ah, Proton. You got here sooner than expected," she said.
"What can I say? I've wanted to see this inducement wave in action ever since we began. You have no idea how much I wanted to be here and watch the experiments," Proton replied.
"Yes. Well, please come to our base, but don't use the entrance in Mahogany Town. It's in an uproar right now, and please be careful. We've heard rumors that there are Pokemon G-men in the vicinity," Ariana warned.
"Pah! I'm not scared of them!" Proton scoffed.
"Also, there's something else I think you need to see. I'll explain it once you get here. It involves Jessie, James, and Meowth. I know I said to be careful, but don't delay, either," Ariana said.
"Huh? Oh, sure," Proton answered and wondered what it would be.
With that, the communicator shut off, and Proton growled to himself. What was it those three could've done this time? If they screwed up in any way…the man clenched his fists in anger. Proton imagined himself throttling their necks, and it brought a small smile to his face which actually calmed him down. How the boss put up with that trio was beyond him. Well, whatever. If this was as serious as Ariana said it was, then Proton would make sure to deal with them personally.
"Let's go!" Proton barked to the grunt and the pilot behind him. The two lower ranks then saluted and followed Proton to the base.
"Here it is," James muttered as he and the rest of group reached the shutter doors.
"So, this is where the machine was. I have to admit it, they kept it well-hidden," Lance frowned and crossed his arms.
James then opened up the slot next to the door and typed in a pass code. He then spoke the words "Hail Giovanni" into it, and the shutters slid open as usual. Jessie, James, and Meowth crossed their fingers that no one was in here at the moment. Though they had no doubt that Lance could take care of anyone in the way, they still wished to be seen by as little Rocket members as possible. Namba, Attila, and Huh, were supposed to be with the red Gyarados, and they hoped that was still the case.
The trio breathed a sigh of relief once they stepped in. No one was here. Even though the room was vacant, however, the machine was still active. It was still chugging along and showed no signs of shutting down. The Electrode still looked as miserable as ever as the energy was sucked out them to power the evil device.
"This is terrible," Serena mumbled as they all stepped into the room.
Ash, Serena, and Calem then found their hands hastily being untied. Once their arms and hands were free, they gave them a good stretch. It was nice to finally be able to move them properly again.
Lance then began inspecting the machine and computer next to it. He gestured for Calem to come over and help him to which the boy nodded. Ash, Serena, Jessie, James, and Meowth stood behind, and Jessie was getting impatient. She tapped her foot on the ground as she watched them.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked.
"Hold on. Calem and I are looking for the direct line that's powering the machine," Lance muttered. "Doesn't this have an off switch?"
"No," Jessie sighed. "Namba saw no reason for us to ever turn this machine off."
"Typical Team Rocket," Ash spat, but Jessie ignored him.
"There has to be some kind of emergency shut down," Lance pressed as he turned to face the trio.
"Well, I'm sure there is, but we don't know how to do it. We're pretty sure only Namba, Attila, and Hun know," James said sheepishly.
"Hmm…this could be a problem," Lance said and looked up at the huge computer next to the machine. "I'm not comfortable using an unfamiliar computer to try something like this. I could end up accidentally making the problem worse."
"So, what should we do, Lance?" Calem asked him.
"Could we simply just destroy the machine?" Jessie suggested.
"Bad idea," Lance replied immediately. "If we even try to attack this machine, those Electrode will be disturbed. They won't hesitate to explode. With that many Electrode going off simultaneously, it could bring the whole building down."
The group shuddered at the thought. Ash then worked his brain as he began to think. He looked over every part of the machine. There had to be something they could do. Ash then heard Lance sigh. The raven-haired boy turned and saw Lance call out his Dragonite. He then nodded to Calem, and the Kalos native nodded his head.
"Go, Chespin!" he called.
A small chipmunk-like Pokemon with a hard, green shell on its back and leaf-like spikes on its forehead came out. The rest of the group looked rather intrigued as they had never seen a Pokemon like that before. Well, Serena had, but only in picture books.
"That's a Kalos-native Pokemon, Calem. Where did you get that?" she wondered.
"Well, honestly, this little guy was my starter," Calem replied.
"Your starter? So, you actually began your journey in Kalos?" Serena asked.
"Well, that's where I got my starter Pokemon, but I wanted to check out Kanto ever since I was young so I traveled there first," Calem replied.
Ash wanted to comment how cool it was that he got to see two Kalos-native starter Pokemon now. He could only imagine how cool the water-type starter would be. He didn't dwell on it, though, as there were more pressing issues to deal with at the moment.
"What are you guys going to do?" Ash asked.
"We have no choice," Lance said seriously. "We have to faint these Electrode. Calem is going to use Chespin to cut the wires these Electrode are attached to. That will stun them just long enough to where my Dragonite can take them out before they explode."
"You're going to hurt the Electrode, but it's not their fault!" Ash protested.
"I'm aware of that, Ash, but we're running out of time. If you have a plan, I'm willing to hear it," Lance replied and gave Ash a hard stare.
Ash shrunk back under Lance's gaze. The red-haired man was right. Ash really couldn't think of another solution right now. They were all pressed for time and needed to destroy this machine as quickly as possible. Not to mention, Ash wasn't even supposed to be here. He had to rescued, and it was just supposed to be Lance who would handle everything. Ash then realized just how out of line he was by challenging Lance like that.
"I'm sorry, Lance," Ash said quietly.
"Listen, Ash. I know you care about Pokemon just as much as I do. However, there are some things that need to be done. I'll make sure these Electrode are found and taken care of, but the most important thing right now is stopping this machine," Lance told him, and Ash just nodded his head.
Both Lance and Calem then turned to the machine, and Calem made the first move. "Use Vine Whip, Chespin!" he called.
"Chespin! Ches!" it cried and shot out two long vines.
It then used the vines like a whip, and began snapping all the wires that were attaching the Electrode to the machine. Both Ash and Serena were rather impressed at how quickly and efficiently it was using the Vine Whip. Apparently, Calem's Pokemon had received rather special training as well. Ash didn't think he had ever seen one of his Pokemon use Vine Whip that quickly before. He would like a chance to battle that Chespin one day.
Lance was next. He ordered his Dragonite to use Hyper Beam as quickly as it could. He wanted to take these Electrode out in one shot. One reason was so they didn't have to suffer, and another reason was so they wouldn't explode. His Dragonite launched the Hyper Beam all around the room. As it did so, Ash realized just how much more powerful this Dragonite was then his own, and that was saying something.
The machine slowly began powering down as its source of electricity ran out. It finally stopped running altogether, and that's when Lance finished the job. Dragonite did one last Hyper Beam which destroyed the machine completely without any chance of repair. Everyone smiled when they saw the wretched device was no more, even Jessie, James, and Meowth. Lance turned around to everyone and nodded his head.
"Well done, everyone," he said before he turned to Jessie, James, and Meowth. "Especially to you three. You rescued these children and led me to the control room."
"Oh! It was nothing!" Jessie replied bashfully. There was no need to tell Lance they were the ones who locked the group up in the first place.
"So, is it over?" Serena asked hopefully.
"Not yet," Lance responded and got a serious expression on his face again. "We still need to rescue that red Gyarados and alert the police!"
"You won't take another step!"
The group looked, and their expressions soured. Ariana stood at the doorway to the control room, and she looked very angry. Both Ash and Serena recognized this woman as a top-ranking Rocket executive. It didn't take Lance or Calem too long to piece this information together, either, as Jessie, James, and Meowth looked quite scared.
Ariana continued to glare at the group, and she narrowed her eyes. "I also see that you destroyed our precious machine. I don't think you realize how much hard work we put into that. I hope you plan to compensate that for us."
"So, I take it you're the leader here?" Lance spoke up as he stepped in front of the group protectively.
"Oh my. Is it that obvious?" Ariana mocked as she looked at Lance in an appraising manner. "I knew you seemed suspicious even in that Rocket disguise. I know my subordinates pretty well…especially you three!"
Jessie, James, and Meowth both leaped in fright as Ariana turned her hard gaze onto them. They were sweating bullets with that look she was giving them. Did she know they helped the group? Didn't Lance destroy the cameras? Was their cover blown? Would Ariana believe they were in here trying to stop the group?
"Your concern should be with me, not with them," Lance stated as his Dragonite stood beside him.
"Hmmhmm. You're right. I have to pay you back for destroying my lovely machine," Ariana uttered and took out two of her pokeballs.
"You two go on ahead. Calem and I will take care of her. Alert the police, and find the red Gyarados," Lance told Ash and Serena.
"I don't remember giving them permission to leave. There are a few choice words I'd like to say to those kids, as well. I still haven't forgotten how much they've gotten in our way in the past," Ariana sneered before she turned to the trio. "You three! Apprehend them now, and return them to the dungeons!"
Ash and Serena were both surprised when Jessie and James saluted and immediately and hastily tied their hands behind their back again. They weren't quite sure what the trio was playing at anymore. How can they truly believe that Jessie, James, and Meowth want to change when they keep flip-flopping sides over and over?
"Just trust us," Jessie whispered in Ash's ear.
Lance and Calem must've gotten the message, too, as they didn't put up a fight. They merely glared at Jessie, James, and Meowth to appear as if they were disapproving of their actions. The trio then saluted Ariana once more and not too gently shoved Ash and Serena forward and moved past her. As they did, Ariana had one final statement for them.
"Don't betray us again," she growled.
The trio almost felt their heart stop at that sentence. They swallowed the lump in their throats and hastily muttered that they wouldn't. Then they left the room. Once they were gone, Ariana returned her stare to Lance and Calem and gave an evil smile.
"Hmmhmm. Pokemon G-men. I must admit that it's a treat to battle you. I've always wanted to test how a Team Rocket executive's strength stacks up to one," she said.
"Well, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed with the results. Calem and I won't go down easily," Lance replied.
"Heh. I'm going to enjoy having you as our prisoner," Ariana smirked and threw forward her pokeballs. "Go Vileplume! Go Honchkrow!"
The two Pokemon appeared and gave a dark look at Dragonite and Chespin. Despite its small size, the chipmunk-like Pokemon put on a brave face. Calem wasn't worried that it wasn't evolved. This Chespin had been with him since the beginning and was exceptionally powerful for its size. With that, the four Pokemon charged at each other as the battle began.
As soon as the group was out of the room, the trio began leading the group in the complete opposite way from where the dungeons were. Ash and Serena widened their eyes. If they didn't know better, it seemed as though Jessie, James, and Meowth were leading them to the exit.
"Wow. You guys really are going through with this," Ash said in surprise.
"What about what Ariana said?" Serena questioned.
"Who cares what that hag said?! We certainly don't! Here's what I have to say to anything she tells us!" Jessie exclaimed and made a funny face with her tongue out.
"That's right. Yes. We're terrified that they discovered that were helping you, but we believe you kids and Lance can stop them. You've already destroyed the machine, after all," James told them.
"That's right! We're in this to the end!" Meowth nodded.
Ash was now actually impressed. This was completely different from how they were acting earlier. Before Ash and Serena were placed in the dungeon, the trio was really reluctant to help them. It appeared whatever motivated them after that really reached them. Still, there was one thing they still needed to know about for Ash to make sure they were fully committed.
"You guys do realize that once this is over, you'll probably be in prison along with the other Team Rocket members," Ash mentioned.
"Yeah. Don't remind us," Jessie mumbled. "I won't look good in stripes."
"Even if we do wind up in jail, anything is better than remaining with Team Rocket!" James declared.
"In that case," Ash began, "I'm trusting you guys to help us until the end."
"You got it, kid!" Meowth nodded and held up one of his claws.
"Attention, Rockets! We are now prepared to transport our red Gyarados for further study! I will be joining this," came a voice over the intercom, and trio got confused looks on their faces.
"Wait. That's Proton's voice! When did he get here?!" James exclaimed.
"Is that bad?" Ash asked, as he had only seen the man a few times in life, but none were still pleasant. Proton did refer to himself as the cruelest of the Rocket members, after all.
"Worse than bad!" Meowth answered. "We gotta scram and fast!"
The trio than led Ash and Serena to the exit where surprisingly few Rocket members were. They went outside and saw several Rocket members getting into jeeps. Tied to two of the jeeps was the red Gyarados. Jessie, James, and Meowth instinctively hid their faces when they saw Proton climbing into the lead jeep that was pulling Gyarados, along with Namba, Attila, and Hun getting in the other one. Before the group could react, the jeeps sped off. Ash glared at the rough treatment they were giving that Gyarados…just dragging it along the road like that.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Serena asked.
"Cool it, kid! We'll give you a lift! James is actually a pretty mean driver!" Meowth told them.
Ash and Serena then found themselves untied. They followed the trio over to another jeep. Jessie, James, and Meowth hopped in the front while Ash and Serena hopped in the back. They then heard shouting, and they turned to see several furious Rocket grunts coming after them in the hideout.
"It's Jessie, James, and Meowth! They released the prisoners! They're betraying us!" one screamed.
"Capture them! Report their betrayal to Ariana immediately!" another one screamed.
There was then a flurry of pokeballs up in the air, and several Zubat and Golbat were released. Jessie and James, however, were quick to call out their Arbok and Weezing respectively.
"Weezing! Use Smokescreen!" James yelled.
"Arbok! Poison Sting!" Jessie shouted.
"You're up, Pikachu! Let him have it with a Thunderbolt!" Ash said.
Pikachu and Arbok then shot their attacks through the Smokescreen that Weezing had created. The several flying Pokemon were unable to see the attacks due to smoke, and several of them were hit while others had to fly around wildly in order to dodge the attacks.
Jessie and James then returned their Pokemon before James started the jeep and floored the gas pedal. There was a huge roar as the jeep gave a mighty shake before shooting off. Ash and Serena actually almost fell out due to the sudden change of velocity, but Jessie reached out her hands to steady them.
"Geez! I thought you said James was a good driver," Ash muttered.
"He is, but we're in a hurry! You better fasten your seat belts!" Jessie told them.
Ash and Serena gulped before nodding their heads and doing as told. As soon as everyone had their seat belts tightened, James went even faster, and Ash and Serena had their backs pressed against the vehicle as the jeep sped down the road. The two couldn't help but be in awe of Jessie, James, and Meowth right now. They looked so determined and weren't bothered at all with how fast the jeep was going. Ash and Serena never thought they would think this of the trio, but they were actually acting pretty cool right now.
It was only a couple of minutes later that the group found themselves within eyesight of the leading jeeps, including the one that was holding the red Gyarados. They had to catch up before the Rockets reached Mahogany Town!
"Ugh! Can't this thing go any faster, James!?" Jessie growled.
"It can, dear Jessie!" James smiled and went as fast as the jeep could go. The engine roared loudly which actually drew the attention of the Rocket members in front of them. Proton looked in his side view mirror, and his face contorted with rage at seeing who it was. They were going to pay big time!
"Namba! Attila! Hun! Stay with me! The rest of you take care of those traitors!" Proton screamed into the radio communicator.
At that, the other jeeps began to slow down. They continued to get slower and slower until they were driving right next to the group's jeep. Ash wondered what they were doing until the Rockets gave a mighty swerve and slammed the side of their jeep in theirs. Serena and Jessie both screamed. Those Rockets were trying to make them crash! Ash took out his pokeball and threw it forward.
"Noctowl! I choose you!" he called and released the owl Pokemon. "After that Gyarados!"
Noctowl gave a hoot and flew as fast as it could to catch up. Ash grimaced as one the Rocket jeeps crashed into theirs again. James had to release the gas and keep his hands straight so he could remain in control of the vehicle. Pikachu almost flew out of the vehicle from the sudden jerk, and Ash had to reach out and grab it.
"If we don't do something soon, we're gonna to be dead meat!" Meowth yelled.
"Try to lose them, James!" Jessie screeched.
"I can't! They're keeping even with my pace!" James protested as one of the Rockets crashed their jeeps into the side again.
Meanwhile, Proton saw Ash's Noctowl gaining on them in the rear view mirror, and his face contorted into an angry scowl.
"Get out there, Houndoom! I want roasted bird for dinner tonight! Incinerate that thing!" Proton shouted and released the dark Pokemon into the back of the jeep.
Proton's Houndoom appeared in the back of his jeep and began shooting a series of Flamethrowers at Noctowl. The owl Pokemon gave a hoot of surprise and had to start making evasive maneuvers to dodge the fire attack. This Houndoom was surprisingly good at aiming. If this kept up, Noctowl knew it wouldn't get a clear shot at the net that was holding the red Gyarados.
"Ash! Noctowl's in trouble!" Serena cried as she could see the shots taken at Noctowl off in the distance.
"Grrr…," Ash growled as he thought of what to do. There had to be something! He couldn't have Pikachu shock the drivers of the other jeeps as that was too risky. Their jeeps could go out of control and crash into theirs, or the close proximity could also cause the group to get shocked as well which may cause the jeep to explode. He then saw the tires and had an idea.
"James, listen to me," Ash told him, and James titled his head to indicate to Ash that he was listening. "When I say 'go', I want you to accelerate as fast as you can."
"What are you going to do?" Serena asked.
"You'll see," Ash said and took out a pokeball. He was about to throw it but didn't get the chance.
Both the jeeps slammed into the side of the group's vehicle and began steering them in the direction of the river. James tried to squeeze out from between them, but the evil Rocket drivers were relentless. There was the horrible sound of metal scraping against metal as they continued to be steered to the river. They were about to fall in!
"James!" Jessie screamed.
"Jessie!" James screamed.
"Ash! Serena screamed.
"Serena!" Ash screamed.
"Meowth!" Meowth screamed his own name.
Ash didn't waste anytime and threw his pokeball. "Bayleef! Slash their tires with your Razor Leaf!"
Bayleef appeared from its pokeball and immediately shot a Razor Leaf in both directions. The leaves cut right through the tires and the effect was immediate. The two jeeps began shuttering uncontrollably and gave a might swerve before they began spinning out of control.
"Go!" Ash hollered.
James did as told and sped ahead of the other jeeps before he gave a mighty turn and swerved out of the way just before they fell into the river. Meanwhile, the two other jeeps continued to spin until they tumbled upside down into the river. Ash then faced forward as James floored the pedal again to catch up. They hadn't fallen too far behind as they could still see the red Gyarados up ahead.
"Put the pedal to the metal! Full speed ahead!" Meowth yelled and pointed a claw forward.
Proton saw the group catching up behind them again, and he screamed in anger. The cruel man gnashed his teeth and began cursing. There wasn't enough room in the jeep for him to send out another Pokemon. The veins in his neck began popping out as his anger was reaching its breaking point.
"Kill them, Houndoom!" Proton roared. "I don't care how you do it! Just kill them!"
Houndoom couldn't help but look back in confusion at its trainer. What did he want it to do? Did he want it to attack Noctowl or the jeep? Proton was clearly getting so angry he wasn't thinking clearly. Namba, Attila, and Hun could hear Proton cursing from even their vehicle, and even they turned their heads to look at him like he was crazy…which wasn't too far from the truth.
Fortunately, that hesitation was all Noctowl needed to use its Confusion attack to slow down the vehicles pulling the jeep. With that taken care, it didn't take the group long at all to catch up to them.
"Bayleef! Use Razor Leaf on that net!" Ash called.
"Bay!" Bayleef cried and swung its large leaf.
The leaves spun through the air and easily sliced through the net that was carrying Gyarados. The force caused the atrocious Pokemon to roll off the side and into the river right next to the road. The sudden loss of weight that the two jeeps were pulling caused them to go out of control, as well. James immediately slowed his vehicle to a stop so they couldn't get caught in the chaos.
Namba, Attila, Hun, and Proton were all yelling as they tried to regain control of their vehicle. It was only a matter of time that they steered in the direction of the surrounding river, as well. Their jeeps went plummeting into the river just like the other jeeps before them. There was massive splash as the water stirred for a moment before going still.
The group watched for a moment in complete shock. Was it really…over? Did they save the day? Jessie, James, and Meowth were the first to react, and the trio hugged each other.
"We did it!" they cheered.
"Woooooobbuffet!" Wobbuffet added as it popped out of its pokeball.
"Oh! Get in here, too, you big blob!" Jessie cried as she pulled Wobbuffet into the group hug, as well.
Ash smiled while Serena couldn't help but giggle. Even though they were once former enemies, it was actually nice to see the trio look so happy for a change. The times they had seen them at the Lake of Rage and in the Ruins of Alph, they had looked miserable.
It seemed like everything was okay now. Lance and Calem were taking care of things back at the base. Proton, Namba, Attila, and Hun had been stopped. The red Gyarados was free…wait…the red Gyarados! What were they going to do with it?!
They soon got their answer as the water in the river began to stir again. Ash was getting a strange since of déjà vu as he watched the waters slosh even more. This was exactly what happened before…
The red Gyarados burst out of the water and gave an angry roar into the air. It had just woken up, and it was out for revenge.
Meanwhile, back at the Team Rocket base, Ariana was losing very badly. She was screaming in anger as she watched Dragonite's powerful attacks, and that nimble little Chespin running circles around her Pokemon. A grunt had even run in to help her, and she was still losing!
"Grr…I don't understand! How are your Pokemon this powerful…especially that little runt!" Ariana shouted.
"I could easily say that it's because we trained, but I believe it's because Lance and I have a reason to fight! Our will is stronger than yours! We won't let you harm Pokmeon any longer!" Calem returned as his Chespin tripped up Ariana's Vileplume with its Vine Whip.
"Well said, Calem!" Lance nodded in approval as his Dragonite launched a Hyper Beam at Ariana's Honchkrow and Vileplume, which ended the fight. The grunt's Pokemon were already defeated.
"No! This can't be!" Ariana cried as she looked at her fallen Pokemon and took a step back. She then turned to make a break for it, but Dragonite was quick to block her exit.
"It's over, Ariana," Lance said. "You've lost. I've already contacted the police. They'll be here any second."
As if on cue, there were several sirens that began to sound outside. Ariana looked around for any possible escape room, but there was none. She grit her teeth in anger as she glared hatefully at Lance and Calem.
"You think it ends here?!" Ariana shouted. "It's not even close! Team Rocket still plans to make a comeback! Our boss will return, and we'll be back to our glory days! They'll break me out of jail, and there's nothing you and your G-men can do to stop it! I swear you'll pay for this!"
"We'll see about that, won't we," Lance breathed.
At that moment, two police officers ran into the room, and there were undoubtedly more storming the building. The police officers ordered Ariana to return her beaten Pokemon. They then took the pokeballs into custody and promptly cuffed the Rocket executive and the grunt next to her. Officer Jenny came in the room and saluted Lance.
"Thank you, Lance! Because of you, we were able to discover the Rocket hideout here in Mahogany Town! We'll make sure these Rockets never get out of jail!" Officer Jenny told him.
"That's great to hear, Officer Jenny," Lance nodded.
"Heh. Good luck finding that red Gyarados. Proton is long gone with it," Ariana smirked as the two other police officers took her away.
"They have the red Gyarados!" Officer Jenny gasped as Lance's eyes grew wide.
"Oh no! I think Serena and Ash may have gone after them!" Calem said.
"Then there's no time. We have to catch up! Dragonite! Let's go!" Lance hollered.
"Don't worry about things here, Lance! We'll take care of it and catch up to you in a moment!" Officer Jenny told him.
"Sounds good, Officer Jenny! Thank you!" Lance replied.
Calem then returned his Chespin as he, Lance, and Dragonite hurried out of the machine room. Once they were outside, Calem and Lance promptly got on Dragonite's back, and the dragon Pokemon gave a mighty flap of its short wings before it took off in the direction where the Rocket jeeps had presumably gone. They must've gone in the opposite direction from where the police had come.
As Lance feared, Ash, Serena, or those Rockets that helped them were nowhere in sight. He hoped he could make it to them in time.
Gyarados was thrashing around uncontrollably and roaring so loud that Mahogany Town could probably hear it. Ash and Serena watched the Pokemon in pity. It looked to be in so much pain and so miserable. Seeing a Pokemon out of control like this highly reminded him of how his Aerodactyl use to be. This rage wasn't caused by instincts, though. It was caused by forced evolution and harmful radiation. Ash took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Kid! What are you doing?" Meowth cried.
"I just want to see if I can talk with it," Ash replied as calmly as he could.
"Are you crazy?! You could get killed!" Jessie rebutted.
Ash figured maybe he was crazy. Still, he had to try. If he didn't do it, no else around would. As Ash walked towards the outraged Gyarados, he tried to do anything he could to sense how it was feeling on its inside. He closed his eyes and concentrated. If he could get his aura to activate, maybe he could form a link with it that would allow him to speak with it.
"What is he doing?" James wondered.
"I think he may be trying to use his aura," Serena answered.
"What is it with you kids and your special powers?" Jessie snorted.
"Quiet, Jessie. I want to watch this," Meowth told her.
Ash tried to reach into the depths of his soul as he tried to form a link with Gyarados, but nothing was coming. Why couldn't he form a connection when he needed it most? He could usually activate it when he needed to lately. Why wasn't it working now?
"Ash?" Serena questioned.
"It's not working, Serena," Ash muttered, and he had no idea why. The trio actually sighed in disappointment.
It was at that moment that the red Gyarados took notice of the group. It gave an evil eye to the group before it charged up a Hydro Pump and shot it right at them. They screamed and jumped out of the way as the jet of water sprayed the road with enough force to actually create a hole in it.
Dust when kicked up from the hole in the road as the Gyarados roared again. In then began swimming away in the direction of Mahogany Town. The group gaped at the hole for a moment before their senses kicked in. If Gyarados reached Mahogany Town, things would get bad fast.
"We have to go after it!" Ash cried as he, Pikachu, Togetic, and Serena took off after it.
Serena looked back at the trio. "Are you three coming?"
"Oh! Umm…yes!" the trio answered and stood up and ran after them.
"We must be crazy just like them," Jessie mumbled.
The red Gyarados continued to blast Hydro Pumps along the ground as it swam down the river. There was even the occasional Hyper Beam. That tipped the group off of just how enraged this Gyarados was since it was able to use so many powerful attacks in a row.
"Gyarados! Please stop!" Ash cried.
The Gyarados gave another roar before it looked back at the group and fired off another Hydro Pump at them. They jumped out of the way once again, and Ash grit his teeth. There had to be something he could say to the Gyarados to get it to calm down.
The raven-haired boy then spotted a small bridge he could get onto that would help him get in front of Gyarados. Ash figured if he could at least get Gyarados to stop and listen to him, he might be able to reason with it.
The group then crossed onto the bridge that crossed the river as Gyarados continued to blast Hydro Pumps in every direction. Jessie, James, and Meowth got rather nervous as this Gyarados was showing no signs of slowing down. Gyarados wouldn't really just plow through the bridge and take them out with it, would it?
The Gyarados soon reached the bridge, and stopped and looked around briefly as it decided what to do. That was when Ash decided to make his move.
"Gyarados, please listen to me," Ash said as gently as he could, and the Gyarados turned its angry eyes in his direction. "I promise we don't want to hurt you or battle you. We're not like Team Rocket."
Jessie, James, and Meowth frowned at that statement until they realized they were no longer a part of Team Rocket. Besides, it was best to just let Ash say what he had to say. Hopefully it would be enough so they wouldn't get killed.
"We just want to help you, Gyarados," Ash told it. "I want to be your friend, if you'll let me. I know how much you must be hurting right now, but I want to help fix it. Please."
The enraged look in Gyarados' eyes seemed to soften slightly at Ash's words. Serena and the trio were surprised. They, Pikachu, and Togetic were silent as they watched Ash speak. Was Gyarados actually considering his words?
"I know I'll help you if you let me," Ash continued and gestured to the town behind him. "Besides, there are a lot of other nice people who I'm sure live in that town. They would want to be your friends, too. You can't truly want to hurt them, right. I know you're a better Pokemon than that. Once again, Gyarados. I just want to help you. If no one else will, I promise you I'll be your friend. You can trust me."
Ash had the sincerest look in his eyes as looked at the Gyarados. The atrocious Pokemon stared back at Ash, and its breathing seemed to soften. Serena gave a slight gasp. Had Ash actually done it? Was he really able to calm it down? Ash let a small smile come up as he looked at Gyarados.
"Thank you, Gyarados. I'd knew you'd come through," Ash said.
"Wow. The kid actually did it," Jessie mumbled.
Gyarados then lowered its head to Ash, and Ash believed that it was going to allow him to touch it as that first step of trust. However, that moment was completely shattered as Gyarados stopped just in short of Ash's reach, and it began charging up a Hyper Beam. It probably was only stopping its rage so it could get a better shot at Ash!
"Oh no! I spoke too soon!" Jessie cried
Ash's eyes widened in panic as the angry look returned to Gyarados once again. It then launched its Hyper Beam straight in Ash's direction, and he thought he was finished. It looked like in the end, and he wasn't able to do a thing to help the red Gyarados, after all.
"Dragonite, Hyper Beam!" Lance shouted.
Another Hyper Beam came from the group's left, and it intercepted Gyarados' Hyper Beam at the last second. The group turned and saw Lance and Calem flying in, and the group couldn't help but smile. That was the second time Ash had been saved by Lance. If Lance and Calem were here, that meant that Ariana had been taken care of!
"Ariana and those other Rockets are going to get booked! The police are on their way, here!" Lance confirmed.
"That's great!" Serena smiled.
"What about Gyarados, though?!" Ash cried.
Lance looked over to the red Gyarados and sighed. He wasn't going to like what he was about to do, but battling Gyarados was the only way to save it. Talking to Gyarados won't get through it right now due to the amount of pain it was in. Lance nodded to Calem, and the two hopped off Dragonite, and the dragon Pokemon flew up into the sky where the Gyarados stared hatefully at it.
"What are you going to do?" Ash asked.
"Dragonite! Thunder Wave!" Lance called.
The Dragonite launched an electric wave at the atrocious Pokemon, but it blocked the attack with a Hyper Beam which caused a small explosion. Dragonite then used that opportunity to fly around Gyarados and launch the attack again. This time it connected. The Gyarados roared in pain as the paralyzing effects ran down its body.
"Lance?" Ash questioned.
"Don't you see, Ash?" Lance asked rhetorically. "I have to do this. It's the only way we can truly save Gyarados."
"Lance knows what he's doing, Ash. You can trust him," Calem said.
"I know. I just can't stand to see Gyarados in so much pain," Ash muttered.
"It hurts me, too, Ash, but Gyarados won't have to feel it for much longer," Lance said and continued the battle. "Now use Hyper Beam!"
Dragonite charged up another Hyper Beam and shot the attack at Gyarados. The beam struck Gyarados right in the middle, and it roared in pain again. It was just so sick of everything. It was tired of its anger, its fear, its pain. It just wanted it all to end. Gyarados turned to Lance and saw the sincere look in his eyes. Even though he was hurting it, Gyarados could tell that this man was the deal. Though the other boy was talking to it, his words didn't have the same depth as what this man was speaking to him, even though he said nothing to it all. The boy had just been saying flowery words and wasn't sure if he could help it.
"Soon, my friend. Soon. I promise to rid you of all your sorrows," Lance thought.
Gyarados panted a little and felt itself struck with a Dragon Rage. The blue flames were continuously were shot out of Dragonite's mouth, and Gyarados roared in pain again. It couldn't take this pain anymore and just wanted help. Was there anyone out there who could take the pain away? Was it this man who was attacking it? Unable to stay awake any longer, the red Gyarados collapsed in the water in unconsciousness. Please. Just let it all end.
"All this anger wasn't Gyarados' fault at all," Serena said sadly.
"That's right. Blame it on Team Rocket and the horrible evolution wave," Calem agreed.
Lance took out a pokeball and threw it at the red Gyarados. The beam opened and sucked in the Pokemon. It then landed on the ground shook for a couple of seconds before it dinged to show that the capture was made. Lance walked over to the pokeball and picked it up before he turned around and faced the group.
"Gyarados is going to be alright, now," he said.
"Please take care of it," Ash pleaded.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it just as you would, Ash," Lance replied.
Ash looked off to the side at that remark. Did Lance really mean that? Ash wasn't able to do a single thing to help Gyarados. He tried and offered to be Gyarados' friend, but it didn't listen to a thing Ash had to say. It even tried to kill him and probably would've succeeded had Lance not intervened. It was almost like with Aerodactyl. Ash wasn't able to do anything to help it either and had to let his dad take care of it. This Gyarados was way out of his league just like Aerodactyl had been.
Lance noticed the troubled expression on Ash's face and frowned. "What's wrong, Ash?" he asked.
"It's just…I don't know what I'm missing," Ash muttered. "I tried so hard to get Gyarados to listen to me. I spoke to it as sincerely as I could and wanted to help it. I even believed I could. Gyarados just wouldn't listen."
"Ash, don't take this the wrong way when I say this, but you haven't yet achieved the skill level or bond with your Pokemon that a Pokemon Master needs," Lance told him and took a few steps towards Ash until he was in front of him.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked and looked up to the red-haired man.
"Don't get me wrong. The love you have for people and all Pokemon is very apparent, but sometimes, that may not be enough. You have to not just speak to a Pokemon with words. You have to speak to their heart," Lance said.
"Speak to their heart," Ash echoed.
"It's sort of like with Serena's Larvitar," Calem stepped in. "One can talk to it and love it all day, but if they aren't reaching its heart, they won't get anywhere."
"What does that mean, though?" Ash questioned. "Please tell me!"
"That's something you have to figure out for yourself, Ash. It's different for each person and Pokemon. As your skills as a Pokemon trainer develop, you'll discover it. I know you will," Lance encouraged.
Ash felt a little encouraged by Lance's words despite still feeling a little bit down. Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek. Even though Ash wasn't a Pokemon Master yet, Pikachu still thought he was pretty great. Ash then looked up at Lance.
"Do you really think I'll be able to achieve that bond someday, Lance?" Ash asked.
"Of course. You are Red's son, after all," Lance smiled
"Heh. Yeah," Ash chuckled and adjusted his cap.
"I think you may have seen that bond once already, Ash," Serena told him. "Remember your match with Giovanni?"
Ash then thought back. That had been so long ago. He was in a fight to the death with that evil man. They were both down to their last Pokemon, and Pikachu was on the verge of being drilled right through with Rhyperior's Horn Drill. Ash's aura had activated, but even it wasn't enough. He could hear his friends and mom calling out to him. He had wanted to fight with Pikachu, and just before everything ended, he found himself bonding with Pikachu and Serena. They almost became one, and Pikachu was able to achieve some type of super charged aura mode. That had been completely amazing.
"Yeah. That was really something. It'd be great to have a bond like that all the time with my Pokemon," Ash said.
"It truly is an amazing thing when a trainer has incredible bonds with their Pokemon. They can achieve many things they wouldn't be able to do on their own," Lance nodded. "Some Pokemon may even take on their trainer's appearance."
"Their appearance?" Ash questioned in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
"Their bonds with their trainer are so strong that they almost fight as one. A Pokemon is much more powerful than normal means and can reach their maximum potential. Some Pokemon scientists call it the bond phenomenon," Lance explained.
"Wow," Ash mumbled. "What kind of Pokemon can do that?"
"You'll know it when it happens," Lance answered before he placed his hands on Ash's shoulders. "Ash, I want you to keep training and become the best Pokemon trainer you can be. I believe you have amazing potential. You'll become every bit the trainer your father is, and he's a man I greatly respect."
"Thank you, Lance," Ash smiled.
"And who knows?" Lance added with a wink. "When that time comes, I'd like to battle you."
"You would?!" Ash exclaimed.
"Of course. I always welcome a worthy challenge, and I know you would give me the greatest battle I could ever ask for," Lance smiled.
"It's a deal then," Ash nodded. "I'll work hard on training and increasing the bonds I have with not just my own Pokemon, but Pokemon everywhere. I'll also figure out what you mean about speaking to their hearts," Ash nodded.
"And so will I! I think I learned a lot from you two about how to reach my Larvitar," Serena added.
"It was our pleasure, Serena," Calem nodded.
It was at that moment that several police cars arrived. There had to be more than a dozen of them. Lance looked away from Ash and walked towards the vehicles. Officer Jenny came out and saluted Lance.
"We've apprehended all the Rockets at the base. We even found a few in the river on the way here. They were promptly arrested, as well." Officer Jenny said and gestured behind her.
The group looked where she was pointing, and they smiled when they saw Attila, Hun, and Namba in one of the police cars. Good. They were going to jail where they belong. Now, they can't create experiments to hurt anymore Pokemon. The world would be a safer place. If Lance took care of Ariana, she was probably in one of the police cars, too."
"I can't thank you enough for all your help in this, Lance," Officer Jenny told him.
"Well, it wasn't just me. Ash, Serena, and Calem helped, too, even though Calem did disobey my orders to stay behind," Lance said and gave a disapproving look at Calem who chuckled sheepishly.
"Heheheh. Sorry, Lance. I guess I still have a ways to go before I'm a true Pokemon G-man," Calem said.
"Well, since it all worked out, I'll forgive you. You're still doing a great job," Lance told him.
"Wait!" Serena suddenly cried. "Where did Jessie, James, and Meowth go!? We can't forget about them since they helped us, too!"
"That's right. We couldn't have made it this far without them," Lance realized.
"You mean the wanted criminals of Team Rocket? Those three?" Officer Jenny asked.
"Right," Ash confirmed. "But they aren't members of Team Rocket any longer! They helped us."
The group looked around for the trio, but they didn't see them anywhere. Come to think of it, they hadn't seen them since Lance arrived to help Gyarados. Where did they go?! It was like they vanished into thin air.
"Why did they leave so suddenly?" Serena wondered. "We never got a chance to actually thank them for a change."
"Hmm…I see," Officer Jenny sighed and turned to the other police officers. "Scan the area for those three and apprehend them when you do."
"Wait," Ash started. "You're going to arrest them?"
"I have to," Officer Jenny replied as she turned to the group. "Though they helped you stop this horrible experiment, that doesn't erase all of their past crimes…especially in the Kanto region."
"Still…," Ash muttered, but he knew Officer Jenny was right.
"Their sentences will be lighter compared to the other Rockets, but they will still be spending plenty of time in jail when we find them," Officer Jenny said.
"So. what's the status on other Team Rocket members?" Lance asked.
"Well, we captured one of the executives with Ariana," Officer Jenny replied. "We'll see if we can get any information from her about their plans."
"Wait," Ash said. "Just one executive?"
"Of course," Officer Jenny replied. "That's the only one we saw at the base."
Ash and Serena exchanged glances with each other. If they remembered correctly, the Rocket executive known as Proton had come for a visit, as well. He had been dragging the red Gyarados with Attila, Hun, and Namba in their jeeps. The last they saw of him, his vehicle had tumbled into the river. The police were able to get the others, but had Proton escaped? The group suddenly had an uneasy feeling if that horrible man was still on the loose.
"Is something wrong?" Officer Jenny asked.
"There was another executive here," Ash frowned. "His name was Proton. Please tell me you captured him, too."
"Oh my," Officer Jenny gasped, which confirmed to the group that he wasn't. "We'll do an extensive search of the area. We won't leave a single section of this area overlooked.
"I'd stay and help, but I just got called to a new assignment," Lance said regretfully. "I hope you will find this horrible man and put him in jail with the others."
"You're leaving?" Ash asked.
"I have to, Ash," Lance sighed. "Our work here is done."
"Will we see each other again?" Ash wondered.
"Of course," Lance confirmed which caused Ash to smile. "We did promise to battle one day."
"Goodbye, Calem," Serena said and gave the boy a hug. "It's always great to see you. I just wish we had more time to talk."
"Heh. Yeah. I'll have to take some time off from my training. When I do, I'll give you call," Calem agreed.
"Please do," Serena said.
"You take care of yourself, too, Ash," Calem said.
"You too, Calem. Thanks for everything! That Chespin you had was pretty cool, too. I hope to have my own Kalos starter one day. With you and Serena having one, I kind of feel left out," Ash chuckled as he and Calem shook hands.
With that, the group parted ways. Officer Jenny had gotten back into the police car, and she and several others went to search the area for Proton, Jessie, James, and Meowth. It wasn't long after that until Lance and Calem got onto Dragonite and took flight. With a final wave, they turned around and flew off into the distance.
As Ash and Serena watched them go, they were filled with a new sense of determination about how to move forward. They still had a long way to go, but that was also what made it exciting. There was still much more to know with the mysteries of Pokemon. They were both going to find out what Lance meant and apply it so they could be the best they could be. For now, Ash had his seventh gym match, and Serena had her showcase to look forward to.
With that, they, Pikachu, and Togetic started to head back to Mahogany Town and were ready to tell Brock and Misty all about what they experienced.
"Do you think it was right for us to just leave the kids like that when Lance showed up?" James asked as the trio walked through the woods.
"Of course. Since he was there, that must've meant that the police were on their way, too. They would arrest us on the spot. Though we're not with Team Rocket, jail still isn't something I want to experience," Jessie scoffed.
The trio had no idea where they were going. They were just getting out of Johto. They were in the northern part of the region and a long way from Tohjo Falls. There was no way they could make it there undetected. Besides, wasn't that where Giovanni was?Well, he apparently wasn't there anymore, but there was a high chance they could run into him which would be bad.
"So, where do we go now?" Meowth asked.
"If I remember correctly, if we keep heading north from here, we'll eventually reach the Sinnoh region," Jessie said thoughtfully.
"Great. A new place where we can start over. No one knows us there," James smiled.
"That's right. We did our little play nice act with those kids so now we can leave them guilt free," Jessie smiled.
"Yeah. It actually felt good," James agreed.
"So…Sinnoh it is then?" Meowth confirmed.
"That's right! We'll finally be able to live to our motto now that we're starting over," Jessie smiled.
With that, the trio marched along happily, but they weren't going too slow. They knew the police were going to search this area far and wide for them, but if they kept going straight, they should be okay. The most important thing was that they were finally free of Team Rocket. No more evil schemes. No more Rockets keeping tabs on them. No more, Archer, Ariana, Petrel, and especially no more…
"Flamethrower, Houndoom!" an angry voice shouted.
Jessie, James, and Meowth spun around just in time to see a stream of flames heading their way. They didn't have time to move out of the way and instead just ducked. They felt the heat of the flames pass over their heads, and it probably singed a few of their hairs, but that was the least of their troubles.
They soon heard feet pounding against the grass, and a second later, an incredible force collided with all three of them which sent them flying backwards. The trio landed painfully on their backs before they dizzily stared up at their attacker, and their eyes grew wide with terror.
Proton was standing there with his Houndoom, and he was still wet from falling into the river. If looks could kill, the trio would be dead a thousand times over. Proton was muttering incomprehensible sounds, and he was clenching his teeth so tightly that they trio thought they would break off.
"You…" Proton growled before he gave a battle cry and charged forward once again. "I'll kill you!"
The man grabbed James by the throat and began slamming his face into the ground continuously. Jessie and Meowth grabbed Proton's hands to try to get him to release James, but the man just gave another enraged cry and ordered his Houndoom to use Flamethrower.
The dark Pokemon shot another stream of flames, and Jessie and Meowth had no choice but to release Proton and move out of the way to avoid being roasted alive.
"I'm going to murder you three! Our beautiful plan was ruined because of you! You destroyed that wonderful machine that would've helped us return to our glory days. On top of that, Ariana, Namba, Attila, and Hun have all been arrested! What are we supposed to do now?! Huh?!" Proton roared and continued to slam James' face into the ground with almost every word. The blue-haired man couldn't even whimper because Proton's choke hold wasn't allowing him to breath.
"James!" Jessie cried with worry and ran to help again, but Houndoom knocked her back down.
"I'm coming, James!" Meowth yelled and extended his claws before he leaped at Proton.
However, the Houndoom let out another Flamethrower which caught Meowth in midair. The scratch Pokemon screamed in pain as this wasn't just a normal Flamethrower. It was a continuous one that was aiming to kill. The attack finally stopped, and Meowth skin was almost completely black. He coughed once and fell over.
"No! Meowth!" Jessie cried and looked at Proton with tears in her eyes. "Please stop! Just give us another chance!"
"Ha! Why should I give you losers another chance!? You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this! Now, I have the perfect excuse! I'm going to roast all of you alive, grind your ashes into the ground, and then I'm going to spit on them, and then I'll continue to repeat the process until I'm satisfied!" Proton screamed.
"Please!" Jessie pleaded. "We'll do anything! Anything! We don't care what it is! Just please don't kill us!"
Proton finally halted his attack on James and loosened his grip. The blue-haired man was finally able to gasp for air, but it wasn't pretty sight. His face was bruised and bloody, and one of his eyes was squeezed shut. His face was so swollen that he almost didn't resemble James at all. Jessie gasped in horror at the terrible state James and Meowth were in.
"You'll do anything?" Proton sneered and turned to Jessie with an evil look in his eyes.
Jessie gulped but nodded. "Yes. "We'll do anything."
Proton released James, and James collapsed back on the ground. Jessie crawled over and helped James into a sitting position. The man was moaning in pain as Jessie watched him in worry. She wanted to tend to his and Meowth's wounds, but she didn't have a first aid kit with her, and there were no hospitals around. They were just at Proton's mercy.
"Oh, James," Jessie sobbed.
"Hey! Back to me!" Proton shouted.
"Umm…right," Jessie said and forced her eyes to turn away from James to face Proton.
"I have one simple task for you three," Proton began before he gave an evil smile. "In fact, I'll make this interesting for you. If you three do this for us, I'll forgive you for everything you've done. Your service will be greatly appreciated, and I'll even start treating you better. I'm sure Archer and Petrel would agree to do so, as well. You'll be full, respected members of Team Rocket again. How's that for motivation?"
"You…you would?" Jessie asked hopefully. "What is it?"
There was a pause before Proton answered. "Those brats. Kill them."
"Wh-what? What do you mean?" Jessie asked.
"You know exactly what I mean!" Proton shouted. "Those brats that are always getting in our way! The one our boss despises! The ones YOU three were helping! Kill them!"
"How do we do that?" James mumbled, but it was little difficult to understand him since his face was so swollen.
"Our plan to make our glorious comeback at the Radio Tower is almost complete. Knowing those kids, they'll almost certainly be there in some way to try to stop us! Do what our boss couldn't do! Your job is to kill them once they come! I don't care how you do it! Just kill them! With those brats out of the way, think of how pleased our boss would be knowing their gone. Not to mention, one of our biggest thorns will be gone for good! If you do that, we'll certainly forgive you for everything and gladly welcome you back in the ranks of Team Rocket," Proton explained.
"But I'm not sure if we can," Jessie protested.
"It makes thing easy for me then!" Proton snarled and turned his Houndoom. "Incinerate those three!"
"Wait!" Jessie cried, and the Houndoom stopped its charge up. The woman took a few deep breaths before she continued. "So, we have to kill those kids?"
"That's what I said," Proton uttered before he continued. "Don't even think about trying to run away from the Radio Tower, either. We'll have Rockets and security cameras watching you 24/7. If you show even the tiniest ounce of disobedience, then you're dead, and if you fail in not killing those brats, you're dead for that, too!"
Jessie and James both grimaced. They had been so close to freedom. Now, things were worse than ever. They had a choice to do something they didn't want to do or die on the spot. The trio had actually grown to sort of like those kids after how much they helped them. They even saved their lives in the Lake of Rage. Now, they had to kill them to save themselves? This was not an easy decision.
"Well?" Proton asked impatiently. "I don't have all day! The police will no doubt be breathing down our necks at any minute. If you don't decide within thirty seconds, I'll decide for you and have my Houndoom turn you all into ashes."
Jessie and James took shuddering breaths as they tried to make up their mind. Despite both being horrible options, they had to choose the one that would most likely save them. Jessie shut her eyes and clenched her fists. She said a quick prayer that she and James would never see those kids ever again to avoid doing this.
"Hurry up!" Proton shouted.
With that, Jessie and James nodded their head and gave the most convincing expression they could in their broken state.
"Okay. We'll do it."
Man. Poor Jessie, James, and Meowth. How are they going to get out of this one? They had even grown to like Ash and Serena. Stay tuned...
Yes. Lance still caught the red Gyarados. Think about it. It just didn't make sense for Ash to catch it. He's not at the proper level of skill yet in his journey to handle the red Gyarados. It's sort of the same thing with Aerodactyl. Besides, a twelve year old kid catching it over a skilled Pokemon G-man and Elite Four member? The answer is pretty obvious.
How'd you like the Froakie and Ash-Greninja references in this chapter? Let's see. Fennekin was introduced in Orange Islands, Chespin was introduced here...I wonder when our favorite little frog will have his debut. Heh.
Well, Ash's seventh gym battle will kick off the new year in January. Happy New Year to all of you, and until next time, have a good one!
Chapter 56: A Cold and Icy Gym Battle
