Trailing a little behind the others, I took a deep breath. If I knew that look on Brock's face, I'd say we were lost. Again. Ash remained in good spirits despite the fact, marching along and trumpeting about how he was going to get his next gym badge, however Pikachu suddenly slumped on his shoulder, cutting off his confident salute as its energy depleted. "What's wrong Pikachu?" Ash asked as I lifted my head and walked around to stand with the others as we all looked at Pikachu and Togepi, who had both suddenly lost all energy.

"Oh what's the matter Togepi?" Misty asked tenderly as Ash cradled Pikachu carefully in his arms.

"Are they both getting sick?" Misty touched a hand to Togepi's forehead, checking for a temperature before frowning.

"That's strange, it doesn't seem feverish." That is strange, both Togepi and Pikachu look totally wiped out. I wonder what could be wrong.

"That's not all that seems strange. Doesn't this spot look familiar to you? I think we've been walking around in circles." I clapped a hand to my forehead.

"I knew it." I sighed before taking a deep breath. "Okay, maybe we should check the map to see where we went wrong." I suggested but then Misty yelled in fear.

"Agh! Bu-bu-bugs!" Whirling around I found a Caterpie, Weedle and a Spinarak all hanging down off a branch by their silk string, but they all looked exhausted and lethargic, almost exactly like Pikachu and Togepi.

"Rattata…"

"Oddish Odd." I turned and saw a Rattata and an Oddish come crawling out of the bushes as other Pokémon also followed, crawling to us for help so I knelt down and picked up the Rattata, holding it carefully in my arms and checked for a temperature but found nothing wrong.

"Looks like all the Pokémon in this forest are sick and not just Pikachu and Togepi." Brock said but I shook my head.

"But Brock, this Rattata is in perfect health condition. I can't find anything wrong with it." I said as I finished checking the gums. Suddenly a piercing pain drilled into my head and I cried out without warning, gripping my head with both hands and the Rattata quickly slipped out of my lap as I felt the pain began to burn my mind, as if someone were drilling a nail into my skull.

"Ruby! Ruby what's wrong?" Ash demanded with worry as tears poured down my face.

"Pain…so much…pain!" I gasped just as a roar came from a short distance away. Now I get it, it wasn't my pain, it was a Pokémon's. Quickly I began to shove the feeling away, building a barrier around myself mentally and the agony began to dull, becoming more bearable as Misty swallowed nervously.

"So…so what was that sound guys?" I stood up and quickly wiped my eyes dry, putting on a brave fast before starting to run forwards.

"A Pokémon in trouble, that's what." I answered. "Come on, we have to help!" I called and they chased after me as I followed the direction of the sound and also the intensity of the pain in my head. The closer I got to the source, the more painful it got until I was clenching my eyes shut and gripping my head again.

"Ruby! Are you okay?" Ash asked again as I shook my head.

"No…there's a Pokémon in pain. A lot of pain. I can feel it." I told him, grunting slightly as I tried to force the pain out of my head. "We've got to keep going." Brock lent me a hand, putting an arm around me and helped to lead me forwards.

"Take it easy, remember what Professor Oak said, using your powers can be dangerous and if it really is aura, then you need to use your own aura to try and block out all other outside influences. I've heard of it being done before." Brock advised so I took a deep breath and began to focus on my inner strength, pushing it out almost like a cloak and instantly the pain disappeared. "You're doing it!"

"Huh?" I looked around me to see myself veiled in a mystical blue shield which moulded to my body. "Neat." I breathed, looking at my hands before turning my eyes to the lake. "It's coming from in there." I pointed as the glow sank back into my skin but remained functional as I kept my focus going.

Suddenly with a rush of water and explosive roars the source of all the commotion rose up from the surface of a great lake. A Gyarados, writhing in agony with scales gleaming as red as anger, causing us all to scream aloud in fear.

"ARGH! A GYARADOS!" The Gyarados swung its head and I began to feel a little of the pain come back. Whatever I felt, I couldn't be anything compared to what that Gyarados was feeling. I have to help it!

"I wonder if it's red because it's so shiny." Ash said as his teeth clattered together so I whacked the back of his head.

"No smart comments genius, this is serious!"

"Whatever the reason, I've never seen it before." Brock said as he stared up in awe and Misty shrank back behind us slightly.

"First those yucky bug Pokémon and now this!" Shaking my head I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, punching my fists together and a burst of my aura shot out towards the Gyarados in an attempt to calm it down. I could feel its pain and fear, but also its typical Gyarados anger. Something was going on in this lake that wasn't natural. We had to figure out what and make it stop.

"Gyarados please listen to me." I said aloud, trying to connect to the poor Pokémon. "I'm here to help you, but I can't hear you if you keep on screaming so loud. You need to calm down so that you can tell me what's wrong." I told it and for a moment, it seemed to respond, going still and trying to calm down its temper but it didn't work for long.

"Ruby watch out!" Suddenly all three of my friends ploughed into me, snapping my concentration as the Gyarados powered a Hydro Pump down at us, making us all yell and dance out of the way as it almost hit its mark. "I'm thinking that Gyarados might be sick too!" Brock said as I shook out my head then looked up with worry.

"Yeah, it's sure acting like it."

"Sick or not, I think we'd better get out of here." Misty suggested but I stepped forwards and shook my head.

"No! We can't just leave it." I told them firmly, stepping forwards and went for a Pokéball. "Jigglypuff, time for a concert!"

"Hold it!" I froze in place, blinking then looked to some tough guy standing there with a couple of dumb looking grunts alongside him. "I regret to inform you that since you've actually seen that red Gyarados, you can't leave!" Says who? Wait a second, don't I know that uniform?

"Hey, that letter!" Ash pointed and we all chorused as one.

"It's Team Rocket!"

"So you've heard of us have you? Just another reason why I wouldn't dream of letting you leave." He told us so I stepped in front of my friends and held out a protective hand.

"You try anything and you'll be the one wanting to leave." I told him boldly with Jigglypuff's Pokéball in hand. The muscle guy smirked before sending out his Pokéball, letting out the Pokémon of his choice.

"Go! Fearow!"

"Jigglypuff, take the stage!" I called and Jigglypuff came out of her Pokéball with an elegant spin, microphone in hand before striking a pose mid-air then landed on the ground with a dainty hop.

"Jigglypuff!" She declared her presence so I clenched a fist before flinging out my hand to Team Rocket.

"Alright Jigglypuff, time for an afternoon nap, use Sing!"

"Jiggly! Jiggly…puff…" Suddenly Jigglypuff swayed on her feet, going all woozy and faint.

"Oh! Jigglypuff!"

"Fearow, use Drill Peck!" Not wasting a second I leaped forwards and grabbed Jigglypuff, rolling on the ground as the Fearow dived for us.

"No!" Everyone yelled as I put Jigglypuff behind me and shielded her from harm before facing the Fearow.

"You stop right THERE!" I bellowed, thrusting out a hand and with it came a rush of energy which I felt from the core of my body before it rose out and formed a shield around me, one that covered myself, Jigglypuff and my friends in a sweeping bubble, making us all gasp in shock.

"Jiggly? Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff suddenly bounced as Pikachu and Togepi perked up as well.

"Ruby, how are you doing that?" Ash asked with a laugh as I just stared.

"I…I don't know. I just wanted to protect you all." I said as the Fearow pecked at my shield. "Go away you stupid bird!" I yelled at him but then without warning, an Ice Beam struck the Fearow from above. In my shock my concentration broke and the shield disappeared, leaving us exposed but then a Dragonite appeared with a passenger, who leaped off with a sweep of its cloak then turned to face us with bright pink hair spiked in all directions.

"Hey you kids, turn and run back into the woods, hurry!" He called and I looked down to see Jigglypuff already going weary and weak again so I nodded my head.

"Okay. Let's go everyone." I said, returning Jigglypuff to her ball then raced into the trees with the others, glancing back to see the Team Rocket members starting to chase after us but the Dragonite rose up into the sky and beat them back with powerful blasts of its wings, allowing us to escape.

After running a fair distance we stopped, gasping for breath. "Who was that?" Misty gasped as I looked up at the sky.

"I don't know but we sure owe him one." I said simply. "Look! There he is!" I pointed as I spotted the Dragonite with the rider, descending slowly but surely down to the ground in front of us where the rare and almost legendary Pokémon looked straight at me. Wow…maybe my Dragonair will end up like that one day.

"That was cool what you did back there." Ash said to him. "Thanks so much." Suddenly Pikachu perked up and beamed brightly.

"Pi-kachu!" Ash turned and smiled with a relieved laugh.

"Hey Pikachu, are you feeling a little better?"

"Pika." Pikachu nodded his head as Togepi trilled happily.

"Togepi! You're feeling better too." Misty said softly as the dragon trainer jumped off of his Dragonite. My eyes were instantly drawn to the beautiful, large brown ones and I smiled. Oh it's just so cute! I reached up and the Dragonite instantly pressed his nose into my hands, making me giggle as I hugged its soft face and tickled its chin. Adorable!

"So tell me, how did you guys end up wandering in the forest?" The trainer asked so Ash answered for us all as I was a little busy admiring this amazing Dragonite, look at how gorgeous its eyes were! And those little paws, aw!

"We got lost. We were just on our way to Mahogany Town so Ruby and I could compete in a gym battle." Ash said a little guiltily but then Misty spoke up.

"Hold on, you look kind of familiar to me. Isn't your name Lance?" She questioned and instantly I froze in place, staring at the guy as I stopped rubbing the Dragonite's belly as it rolled over on the ground in laughter. Lance. You mean the Elite Four Lance?

"That's right! You're the undisputed Champion of the Elite Four!" Brock realised and I gulped. Yup. That Lance.

"Awesome! You're that totally unbeatable Dragonite trainer." Suddenly everyone looked to me, frozen still as a statue in the middle of tickling Dragonite so I gave a guilty smile before leaping back quickly.

"Sorry, it's just I love your Dragonite. It's totally cute." I said with a blush as Dragonite rolled back onto its feet then nuzzled into my neck, blowing hot air against my skin and I giggled as it tickled, making Lance smile.

"My Dragonite seems to like you. Tell me, Ruby is it? Were you aware that you can use aura? What you did back there was something I haven't seen in a very long time." I scuffed my shoe and nodded my head as I twisted and pulled on the neckerchief around my neck.

"Yeah. It's something I've been trying to work on but I haven't got very far with it." I said quietly. "Oh by the way, these are my friends Ash, Brock and Misty." I said and they all waved and said hi though Ash stepped forwards with an excited look on his face.

"Whoa, I can't believe my luck!"

"Wait." Misty said, holding out a hand and shaking her head. "What's a guy like you doing way out here?" She questioned as I walked back over to join the gang.

"I'm investigating. As one of the Pokémon G-Men, I'm here to uncover any foul play at Lake Rage." He explained and we all blinked blankly before chorusing together.

"A Pokémon G-Man?" We all questioned and Lance nodded his head.

"That's right. Our main purpose as a detective unit is to travel the country, investigating and arresting anyone who improperly treats Pokémon." Instantly I punched the air as I leaped up.

"Alright! Now that sounds like my kind of organisation!" I cheered before landing on the ground. "So that means you're here to find out what's been going on here with that red Gyarados." Lance nodded his head then looked over his shoulder.

"It seems that Team Rocket are up to no good again with some kind of experiment going on at Lake Rage."

"You know what kind?" Ash asked.

"I have a strong hunch it has something to do with that red Gyarados you guys just saw." Ash and I looked at one another, nodded our heads once then turned to face Lance.

"We'll help you out." I said and Ash smiled.

"Yeah, that'll be so awesome! Can we please help you with your job Lance?" Ash begged but Lance instantly cut us short.

"No way. The forest is a very dangerous place with lots of twists and turns and I couldn't take responsibility for what might happen to all of you." He said before pointing to the path leading away from where we stood. "I must insist you follow this path until you reach the riverbank which will lead you four to Mahogany Town." Ash and I both just stared at him.

"But…we really want to help."

"I'm sorry but no." He affirmed so I sighed in defeat. Guess that's final then. When it comes to arguing with a champion Dragonite trainer…you just don't go there. So with sullen expressions and hanging heads, Ash and I turned and followed the path at Lance's command.

We followed the path until we found the river, so we then followed the river towards Mahogany Town. We'd got a fair distance out of the woods when I suddenly felt another bought of pain. It wasn't as strong as before, and this time I heard a tiny voice calling in my head.

Help.

That's it. I don't care who tells me to do what, I'm not about to turn my back on a Pokémon that needs my help! If Lance thinks this is dangerous then he's obviously never fallen off of cliffs or nearly drowned before! We've done stuff just as dangerous as this and so it's not going to stop me!

"Ruby what's wrong?" Brock asked, noticing I had stopped walking. I turned around and looked back the way we came.

"I can't go further. I'm going back to Lake Rage." I announced making Misty gasp.

"You can't! You heard what Lance said."

"I don't care." I told her firmly, making her blink in surprise. "You didn't feel it Misty. None of you did. You didn't feel how much pain that Gyarados was in, and it's all because of Team Rocket!" I lowered my head and clenched my fists at my side. "Well I made a promise to myself that I'd be a trainer that would always help a Pokémon in need, and that Gyarados needs me right now! It needs all of us!"

"Yeah! We can't let Team Rocket get away with hurting any more Pokémon. Whatever they're doing, it's affecting that Gyarados and it could affect other Pokémon as well. Including your Togepi and your Pikachu." Brock agreed, making Misty look down lovingly at her Togepi.

"I couldn't bear to think of anything happening to my sweet little Togepi." She said as Ash clenched a fist.

"Ruby's right, it's our duty as trainers to help a Pokémon in need. Let's go back to Lake Rage!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed and Misty nodded her head.

"I agree. Let's go!" Stepping back I pulled out a Pokéball then tossed it up into the air.

"Then everybody climb aboard! Dragonair, it's show time!" Dragonair appeared and instantly I jumped onto her back as she lifted off the ground. "Dragonair, we need you to fly us back to the lake, with your dragon typing, maybe you'll be strong enough to deflect any effect that seems to be hurting all the Pokémon just like Lance's Dragonite, shall we give it a try?"

Dragonair nodded her head then called out determinedly, letting everyone climb onto her back as Ash called out in excitement, laughing as he hung onto my waist and Dragonair suddenly flew forwards, stretching out her neck and spearing through the air like a graceful streak.

It took very little time to head back to the lake and when we got there, the Gyarados was being dragged behind a Team Rocket boat in a net, fainted and unable to battle back. "No!" I gasped, springing off Dragonair's back as she lowered herself down to the ground. "Team Rocket, you get back here!"

"That poor Gyarados looks like it's unconscious!" Shaking my head I took off my hat and flung it to the ground, quickly taking off my pack to throw them down too. "Ruby what're you doing?" Misty demanded as I climbed back onto Dragonair.

"I'm getting Gyarados out of there." I answered. "Go Dragonair!" Turning around Dragonair dove into the water then began to stream forwards after the boat.

"Totodile, go help Ruby free Gyarados!" Ash called, sending out his dancing Pokémon who kicked up his feet then dove into the water.

"I never really liked that big Gyarados, but it needs help. Poliwhirl, you're up!" Misty called and Poliwhirl came to join the ranks too. "Poliwhirl, you help Ruby too!" I looked back over my shoulder to see the both of them chasing after Gyarados, catching up with Dragonair and I as she gracefully sped through the water.

I stood up so that I surfed on Dragonair's back, holding on with one hand as we reached the Gyarados then jumped on. "Hey it's the twerp with attitude and some of their Pokémon." Meowth said dazedly and I stared down at them.

"What are you three doing here?" I demanded but then shook my head. "Never mind. Totodile! Poliwhirl, try tear open the net, Dragonair, you keep anyone who tries to attack out of our way, okay?" Dragonair nodded her head then faced forwards, watching for any advances as I climbed up the Gyarados's body.

"Ow! Hey we appreciate the help but watch the hairdo!" Jessie yelled at Totodile as he accidentally grabbed some of her hair as well. I reached Gyarados's face and took a deep breath before putting my hand through the net and closing my eyes.

"Wake up Gyarados, wake up. You need to try and fight your way out of this." I said to him, trying to shift my aura onto him to help give him strength. "You have to wake up and fight back." Suddenly I noticed Totodile and Poliwhirl falling back, going sleepy and lethargic but Dragonair powered on, the sudden blast of energy I was sensing not affecting her at the beginning but then she slowly began to drift behind. "Dragonair return!" I called and summoned her back to her Pokéball.

"Meowth? Are you alright? What's going on?" Jessie asked as Meowth began to warble to himself.

"I think I'm going to have a nappy-poo." He said before face planting the water, making James shriek.

"Meowth you've capsized!"

"Keep his head above water!" I said to them, jumping down and hanging onto the net and they looked up at me.

"Huh?"

"If Meowth inhales the water, he'll drown, you two make sure he keeps above water, I think your stupid team are using some sort of energy wave which causes Pokémon to go lethargic and weak like this." I told them and James instantly drew Meowth to him for safety as Jessie shook her fist at me.

"Who're you calling stupid?" She yelled at me but then I heard a rush in the air. Looking up with a growl I saw a ring of blue spinning towards me, fired from the deck of the ship so I quickly leaped and rolled out the way, grabbing back onto the net to keep from getting hit as the grunts glared at me though one or two of them were smirking.

"You're not going to get away from us little girl. Second round, fire!" Suddenly I had more than one set of rings shooting towards me and I had to move fast to dodge them. I kicked the first one aside then flipped back over my head, avoiding the next three then sank low to against the Gyarados to miss the last ones.

"Gyarados, please wake up!"

"Don't wake up! We're still trapped in here!" James whined as I saw another bunch of trapping rings coming straight for me. Glancing back to the lakeshore I could see Ash and the others being loaded into a small speedboat, captured by that idiot tough guy we'd met before. Alright, so if that's the game then there's only one thing I could do.

Turning just in time I saw another set of trapping tools being sent my way, making me cry out in shock as I let go and fell back into the water, hearing Ash yelling my name as I dove under. Before I could panic I clenched my fists and touched them together, closing my eyes and tried to repeat what I had done before, thrusting out a hand but nothing happened.

As my lungs began to demand for air, I struggled to keep my mind at ease as I meditated, focusing all my energy on my aura then slowly but steadily pushed it out from within me. The moment I had created a secure bubble I called out Vaporeon and instantly grabbed onto her, pointing up to the surface so she swam upwards.

The moment I broke free I sucked in a deep breath then dove downwards again with Vaporeon, diving deep before pointing ahead where I could see Gyarados still half in the water. "Vaporeon!" Vaporeon nodded her head then chased after the boat and Gyarados, my protective shield keeping her from the effect of the energy waves.

We were led to a Team Rocket base so I let go of Vaporeon for a moment and let the shield go as well, testing the area and found energy waves still going strong so I returned Vaporeon with a smile as she began to be affected then swam for the docks were I broke the surface and instantly gasped for breath, taking deep gulps of air before shrinking back in the shadows.

With the pier as my cover I could hear Ash calling out in an angry tone. "Hey you! What do you think you're going to do with that red Gyarados anyway?" He demanded so I inched closer to listen.

"Seeing as you're going to become our permanent guests, I can see no harm in enlightening you about Project-R."

"So what's Project-R?" Ash asked haughtily and I smiled. Have to admire Ash's spunk, even tied up and with things looking grim, he's still going fight it out to the end.

"Short for Project Revolution. It's a revolutionary new system that allows Team Rocket to actually manipulate a Pokémon's evolution." Instantly my eyes widened in shock. So that means the Gyarados they're lifting out of the water now was the result of some experiment?! And I thought Jessie and James were the lowlifes of Team Rocket. Turns out they're not too bad.

"Manipulate evolution?!" Brock sounded as enraged as I felt.

"You can't, that's interfering with nature!" Misty told them angrily but the scientist merely continued to explain.

"Look at that Gyarados. It is undeniable proof that our Evolution Inducement Wave is a success in every sense of the word."

"Evolution Inducement Wave?" I mouthed along with the others, looking down at the water as I kept myself perfectly still and hidden, listening to the conversation that was going right above my head.

"Just as soon as we had focused my beautiful new invention into Lake Rage, there appeared a single Magikarp which promptly evolved into a Gyarados." Shaking my head I began to try and think up a plan. Think Ruby think! What can you do? What should you do? What's most important at the moment? Rescuing friends or freeing Gyarados? Think!

"But…how could you?" Biting my lip I looked up at the wood of the pier as Ash spoke in utter shock.

"Thanks to you we have also learned that our wave can also be used as a great weapon." The scientist revealed before the dumb muscular grunt behind him added on for good measure.

"Thanks to your Pokémon we should say!" Stupid grunt, I'll get you for this! No one treats Pokémon like this, not on my watch! How's that thinking coming along Ruby?

Oh great, fine, so far I've come up with a start of a plan for a plan.

Yeah, what's that?

…make a plan.

…great. Now I'm talking to myself. Isn't that the first sign of insanity?

"But there seems to be several bugs left to be worked out." The scientist continued so I stopped hitting my head against a post and turned my ear upwards to listen. "You see that red colour of Gyarados is most likely a lingering trait from its Magikarp stage. As soon as we can make a thorough investigation of Gyarados, we can complete our evolution inducement wave. Then we'll just evolve our Pokémon stronger and stronger, allowing us to create the ultimate Pokémon army." Okay, so first step of the plan. Destroy signal tower so that no more inducement waves can be used. Good, that's a great start!

"You think you're getting away with that?" Ash demanded as Brock and Misty joined forces with him.

"Real evolution requires both a Pokémon and a trainer!" Yeah! Go Brock! You tell them!

"Your plan will never ever work!" You too Misty, let's see some of that famous redhead temper!

"Complain all you like, there's not much you little kids can do about it now, is there?" The stupid henchman said to them before leading them away. "Let's get you settled into your new room so you're all cosy and warm."

"Don't forget, our friend Ruby is still out there. She's going to come and then you'll all be sorry!" Ash threatened and I glowed inwardly with pride. Thanks Ash, I'll remember that one. The henchman laughed.

"That little girl won't even make a scratch if she tries to get her nails into this project. Besides, there's no sign of her that my divers can find. She's either gone or she's now resting peacefully at the bottom of the lake. By the way she went in the water, I'd say the latter."

"No!" Misty gasped as the boys both growled. I'll show him. Okay, destroy tower. Good. Then free friends. Extra good. Then go free Gyarados, kick Team Rocket's butt and save the day. Sounds like a plan to me!

So I waited until I heard the trucks had moved out, carrying Gyarados in a tank away from the base so I rose up out of the water, carefully looked around then climbed up onto the pier soaking wet and dripping with water. Just great. Hey, I know someone who can help!

"Charizard, I choose you!" I called, flinging the Pokéball up into the air then caught it again once Charizard was out and flying through the sky, drawing some attention to him from the few grunts left behind but I didn't worry about them. We can handle them no problem. "Quick Charizard, blast down that tower with Flamethrower before it begins to take effect on you!" I called and Charizard instantly flew for the signal tower.

"Stop them! We can't let that tower be compromised!" The grunts all called and began to ran for me so I brought out my next guest star.

"Go, Jigglypuff! It's show time! Sing for us all!"

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff called as Charizard blasted the tower with a powerful Flamethrower, making it bend slightly and crumble but it still remained operational.

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff called then began to sing though her eyes began to droop of their own accord.

"Hurry Charizard, I'm counting on you!" I called up, clenching my fists so Charizard shook his head and roared, setting his body alight with Inferno then powered the signal tower with a Fire Blast, blowing it to pieces and instantly, Jigglypuff perked up.

"Puff? Puff!" Taking a deep breath she began to use Sing, little musical notes floating out of her mouth as she held the microphone there and with each pop, the notes burst in front of a grunt's face and they all fell asleep, snoozing away so I laughed.

"Great job Jigglypuff, you too Charizard, I knew you could do it!" I called. "Now return, there's still a lot to do." I said, returning them to their Pokéballs then ran inside the building where Ash and the others were being held. It was easy enough to find them, seeing as Ash was yelling so loud.

"Let us out of here! You can't do this! Let us out right now!"

"Calm down genius or I might decide to just leave you here." I said, folding my arms and smirking as I walked through the door having past a snoring Jessie James and Meowth.

"Ruby!" Brock and the others instantly beamed, leaping to their feet. "You're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, I'd never bunk out on you guys. How about we set you free?" I suggested, swinging the keys around my finger then pressed the middle button of the remote control I had swiped from James also.

"How'd you get those?" Misty asked as I unlocked the door and the restraints around them unclicked, letting them all go.

"Well, it looks like Jessie and James had a little celebratory feast and now they're snoozing away like babies." I said. "So it was pretty easy. Charizard destroyed the signal tower and Jigglypuff sang everyone to sleep, so if we hurry we can catch up with the others and rescue that Gyarados before it reaches the exchange point." I said, flinging the door open and running for the exit. "Let's go!"

"Hold up Ruby, I think you'll need these." Brock said then tossed me my hat and pack, making me smile as I caught them both. "Thought you'd like them back."

"Thanks Brock, I owe you one." I said before leading the way out. "Hurry!" We raced out of the detention unit and into the main hanger but then Jessie, James and Meowth suddenly were chasing after us.

"Slow down!"

"Arbok, Poison Sting!" Jessie commanded and Arbok cut off our escape with a volley of sharp needles, making Brock lunge for my arms and drag me back out the way before I could get hit.

"Thanks again Brock." I smiled at him then glared at Jessie. "You'll pay for that Jessica!" I yelled and instantly her eye twitched in anger before she roared at me.

"Don't call me Jessica! Arbok, get that insolent little twerp, tie them up into a package Arbok with wrap attack!" I leaped forwards and was about to bring out Dragonair when an Ice Beam struck Arbok, sending it flying back to Jessie and the others as wheels screeched to a halt and Dragonair flew to its side, standing behind a figure dressed in Team Rocket uniform as they got out the vehicle. What's going on?

"Who're you?" Jessie demanded and James shouted out.

"You've got some nerve crashing our capture!" In answer the figure smirked.

"The name's…Lance of the Pokémon G-Men!" He declared, flinging off his Team Rocket uniform then flicked out his cloak stylishly, making me grin. Alright! We're saved! Wait a second, I'm supposed to be leading the rescue mission here! Oh well, can't have all the glory.

"Pokémon G-what?" Team Rocket echoed together.

"G-Men." Meowth told them and James blinked down at him before scratching his head.

"Oh Meowth, I thought you were still asleep." He said and Meowth instantly kicked off.

"Thanks for the concern!" We all ran over to Lance, calling out together.

"Hey Lance!" He looked at us then nodded his head in satisfaction, obviously reassured that we were all okay.

"Ugh, I don't care if you're a G-Man a tree-man or a He-Man, you're soon to be an ex-man! Arbok, use Acid attack let's go!" Jessie ordered and Arbok moved forwards with surprising speed but Lance was just as fast.

"Dragonite, Twister!" Hey, that's one of my favourite moves! Haven't used it in a while though, maybe I should make sure Pidgeot, Dragonair and I haven't gone rusty with it. Focus Ruby! As I watched Dragonite blasted a powerful twisting cyclone at Arbok, sucking him in then dragged Team Rocket in with it, spinning them around and around with power I've never seen before with such a simple move. Definitely we have to work on that!

Team Rocket were blasted into the sky and I punched the air in victory. "Alright! Score one to the Dragonite!" Dragonite beamed down at us before landed behind Lance as he turned to face us with a serious expression.

"I warned you about coming back." He told us and we all hung our heads. Before anyone else could take the blame, I stepped forwards.

"It was my idea to come back, please don't blame the others. We do everything as a team, and if I hadn't insisted on coming back to help Gyarados then maybe we wouldn't be here right now." I said but then Brock lay a hand on my shoulder.

"No Ruby, we would have come back regardless of your influence. We all knew that coming back was the right thing, you only helped us see that sooner." He said before giving a respectful bow to Lance. "So if there's anyone to blame, it should be all of us, not just Ruby." Lance regarded us all carefully, musing his thoughts before giving a small smile and a nod of his head.

"I understand. You're all just as worried about the Pokémon as I am." He said which instantly made me yelp.

"Gyarados! Come on don't just stand there, all of you get in the car and let's go after Team Rocket!" I yelped but sent out a Pokéball. "Dragonair, time to fly again!" Lance's eyes widened as my Dragonair appeared with a dazzling light, glowing with a white aura from the power of its levitating ability.

"You train a Dragonair?" He questioned, not hiding his impressed expression. "It looks very strong."

"Thanks, but we should probably save Pokémon admiring for later, that Gyarados needs our help." I reminded him so he nodded his head.

"Right. Dragonite, give that machine a Hyper Beam to make sure they can't try to start up anything again." Lance said for good measure as everyone climbed into the car and I jumped onto Dragonair's back, rising up into the air as Dragonite blasted the machinery with a powerful Hyper Beam.

Instantly everything began to blow so I quickly directed Dragonair out of the way, escaping through the open gangway with Lance, Ash and the others all driving in the car. Dragonair streaked ahead, soaring over the road and heading in a straight beeline for Mahogany Town, Lance following close behind.

"Hold on Gyarados, I'm coming." I vowed gently to myself, holding onto Dragonair before taking a deep breath to keep calm. Dragonair sped forwards, increasing her speed as she snaked through the air, Mahogany Town coming into view.

After a moment I spotted the choppers spinning out of control with a writhing Gyarados being carried in their net between them, however the moment they crash landed in the water, Gyarados broke free and blasted a Hydro Pump at their airlift base, blasting the truck into smithereens.

It then turned its attack on the cliff which made the road where Lance was driving along but suddenly screeched to a halt as Ash jumped out. Oh great, what' the genius doing now? He raced alongside Gyarados as it head upriver towards Mahogany Town, still in a rage and in great pain.

"I'm really glad you got away from them Gyarados, that's great!" Ash called up but when Gyarados stopped and looked down, I knew it wasn't to say thank you.

"Hurry Dragonair!" I called desperately and she dove down, flying at a steep angle then swept along the ground as Gyarados blasted it apart with Hydro Pump but I managed to grab Ash and pull him up behind me as Dragonair carried us both out of the way of the hit.

"Thanks Ruby, thanks Dragonair, that was a close one." I turned back a smirk.

"No sweat Ash." Suddenly Dragonair pulled up, twisting to try and get out the way as Gyarados fired another attack on some cliff side cabins.

"No! Stop that Gyarados!" Ash yelled so I grit my teeth.

"Dragonair, hit with Ice Beam and get its attention!" I said and Dragonair instantly obeyed, shooting a stream of ice towards Gyarados which struck the back of its head but Gyarados only continued on the rampage, heading straight for Mahogany Town.

"It didn't work! We have to hit with more power." Ash said and I nodded my head.

"You got it Ash, let's go Dragonair!" Dragonair called out confidently then soared forwards, diving into the water then gained speed by swimming, carrying us both on her back as she raced after Gyarados as it continued to rage.

Suddenly I saw cars streaking ahead of us, following the road. Team Rocket cars. "We can't let them get to Gyarados, they'll only trap it again and take it to a lab to be experimented on." Ash said. "Ruby, do you think you could stop them?"

"Sure, we'll try. Okay Dragonair, fly up and block the road with Ice Beam!" I called and instantly Dragonair rose up, calling out mystically to fly ahead above the road then began to build a thick wall of ice which blocked the road, stopping the cars from passing.

"Ash! Ruby!" Brock and Misty yelled, waving their hands to catch our attention so I picked up another Pokéball.

"Charizard, we need your help. Get Brock and Misty then follow us!" I said as I let Charizard out of his Pokéball and instantly he soared through the air, flying low to the ground where Misty and Brock leaped onto his back and together, we flew after Gyarados.

When we found the point where Gyarados had reached, I gasped when I saw three more Team Rocket cars already captured Gyarados in an electric current net. The moment they amped up the volts I felt a wave of pain spark through my mind, making me cry out and before I could do anything to block it, lost consciousness.

"Ruby!" Ash lunged forwards and tried to grab me as I fell from Dragonair's back but I was already too far out of reach and I plunged into the water, however the shock jolted me awake and I was faced with the static struck body of Gyarados as I heard it roar in fury and agony before it collapsed also, sending a wave through the water but I swam against the current and gripped onto the net, holding on as the three trucks dragged Gyarados ashore.

"Gyarados, wake up!" I called, trying to shake it awake but it was too hurt to register my calling.

"Ruby!" I blinked upwards and saw Charizard and Dragonair descending to the ground, my friends all riding their backs so I turned to the net, then to the trucks before pointing.

"Charizard, Flamethrower! Dragonair, Thunderbolt!" I called and instantly they both let loose their attacks, hitting the ground mere inches before the vehicles and they were flung forwards, breaking the ropes on the net also so I sighed with relief. "It's alright now Gyarados, you're safe now."

"I'm going to get those little punks!" One of the grunts declared, arming his net cannon and aimed for us but Ash flung out his arms to try and shield Gyarados.

"Stop it!" Charizard instantly roared with unbridled fury, stretching out his wings to shield me. Maybe I should've warned them that Charizard is very protective of me, and he doesn't like it when people try and threaten me. Oops. However when I felt Gyarados stir, it was nothing like Charizard's roar. It completely dominated everything else as he rose, tossing the net from his body and I had to jump to avoid being tangled in it before landing on his head again.

Gyarados let out a powerful Hyper Beam and directed it at the Team Rocket grunts, ripping up the ground and when one of the cars exploded, they were all tossed up into the air and I don't think they landed for quite some time after that take off.

"Awesome! Great job Gyarados!" Ash praised as I rubbed his head.

"You were amazing Gyarados." I told him softly but then Gyarados collapsed, taking me with him. I yelled and clung onto his head for support as Gyarados clashed into the ground, shivering weakly from the ordeal it had been put through. "Gyarados!"

"It's weak from all the electric attacks and from being dragged out of the water!" Brock called up so Ash looked determinedly at Gyarados.

"You gotta get back into the water Gyarados!" The pain filled Pokémon tried to shift back into the water but without warning, a net clamped down around us and I cried out, still standing on Gyarados's head. "No! Where'd that net come from?!"

"Prepare for trouble, you shall be caught!" Jessie declared and I looked up to see the Team Rocket balloon as it lifted us both off the ground.

"I'm already caught!" I yelled back at them.

"Make it double with the net we've brought!"

"I'll catch you in a net if you're not careful!" I growled back, trying to break free as Charizard growled with worry and Dragonair called out.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend the reach to the stars above…"

"WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET AND JUST LET US BOTH OUT OF THIS NET BEFORE I COMPELTELY LOSE IT!" I thundered, thrashing out at the net and interrupting Jessie and James's motto, trying to tear both Gyarados and I out of the net. "If you don't put Gyarados back in the water right now then it could become seriously weak and maybe even die!"

"Oh boo hoo, you're just trying to scare us into letting the Gyarados go. Nice try twerp but it's not going to work. Ta tah!" I gasped as rockets ignited by the basket and we shot up into the air, making Charizard roar in anger then fly up with Dragonair close behind as Ash raced for the net.

"Oh no you don't!" He grunted as he grabbed on then began to climb his way up.

"Ash be careful!" I called down to him then turned to face Charizard. "Okay Charizard, burn through with Flamethrower!" I called but Team Rocket smartly began to manoeuvre the jet powered balloon from side to side to try and shake off Ash, avoiding Charizard's attacks in the process. "You can do it Charizard! Just focus, aim for where they're going to be, not where they are!" I instructed and Charizard took a deep breath, focusing deeply before aiming another shot but Team Rocket then moved downwards.

"How about a little dip?!" Meowth yelled and dunked us all into the water, making Ash struggle to hold on but before he could let go I stuck my hand through the net and clung to his hand.

"Just hang on!" I yelled, struggling to keep a hold but then, without warning, Gyarados woke up, and he was mad. With a roar he began to struggle and the balloon rose up, Team Rocket staring in shock at their stupid mistake until Charizard finally landed a hit, burning through the rope the same moment Gyarados snapped it open, flinging Ash to the bank and me up into the air with a scream as Team Rocket also crash landed.

My arms and legs flailed uselessly as I tried to somehow make myself fly, but nothing seemed to work. Why can't I evolve like a Pokémon! I'm going to crash! Without warning large arms suddenly curled around me and I gasped, looking up to see Charizard with a smirk on his face and Dragonair floating in the air above him, both looking down at me with glad expressions so I sighed with relief. "Well, at least you guys can fly." I said before sitting bolt upright. "Gyarados!" I turned to see him continuing his war path to Mahogany Town, even angrier than before.

Ash and the others were already running after him, taking the bridge walk to cut ahead of him so I shifted onto Charizard's back then pointed forwards. "Okay, this time, we'll stop him for sure! Let's go both of you, fast as you can!"

With a roar Charizard flew forwards and Dragonair dove after us, diving down into the water then sailed at full pelt after Gyarados. I saw ahead of me Ash and the others facing down Gyarados at the bridge, trying to reason with it but in my own mind, I knew that Gyarados couldn't hear a thing. It was too confused and too angry to understand anything anyone was saying. Just then Gyarados roared and prepared to fire a Hyper Beam attack.

"Dragonair, dive down and then use Protect to shield the others when Gyarados attacks then use Ice Beam on the water to cut off his route." I called and Dragonair instantly dove down. I heard the others yell in fear and turn away from the attack but then Dragonair rose up into the air before them and a strong shield formed around her, protecting them from the blast of Gyarados's Hyper Beam before she lifted her head then froze the water before him, cutting him off. "Now Charizard, get me closer so I can reach Gyarados." I said and Charizard instantly turned in a roll, gliding over Gyarados's head so I dropped down and landed.

Instantly Gyarados began to try and shake me off, roaring and thrashing but the moment I closed my eyes and pressed my hands to his head, he went perfectly still as I shifted my aura onto him, sending him soothing and relaxing waves which instantly made him drowsy. "It's alright Gyarados, you're safe now." I told him gently, keeping the concentration as I spoke. "We're your friends, we're not here to hurt you. We're here to make things better."

"Wow, check it out. Ruby's actually talking to Gyarados." I heard Ash breathe.

"Yeah, that's amazing. She's calmed it down from its rage." Taking another deep breath I gave a small smile.

"I know you're in pain, but it'll go away very soon I promise." But suddenly the pain built back up, overcoming my aura and Gyarados broke free, shaking his head and roared, turning and began to swim back the other way in another rage. "Gyarados no, please listen!" I called, almost losing my balance as it tore through the water, aiming for a cluster of homes. "You've got to stop this!"

"Hang on Ruby! We're coming!" Misty yelled so I hung on for dear life, clenching my eyes tightly shut as my heart hammered wildly in my chest. This isn't good, if I can't calm Gyarados down then the only way to subdue it is by battling, but that could seriously injure Gyarados for life! I can't battle him. "Look, its Lance!" Daring to look up I saw Lance standing with his Dragonite by the bank.

"Ruby, you need to let go of Gyarados so I can battle it." Lance informed me so I instantly clung on tighter.

"No!" I shouted back stubbornly.

"Let go now! I can't attack with you in the way, you could get hurt!"

"No!" Again I shook my head as Gyarados began to fire a Hyper Beam. I can't let Gyarados feel any more pain, it's just not fair. I promised to help Pokémon and so I'm going to help this one too.

"Ruby, get out of the way, now!" Lance commanded, throwing out a hand as Dragonite flew up into the air and caught Gyarados's attention, drawing all fire to him.

"No! I can still do this!" I answered back, pressing my eyes tightly shut as my heart began to hammer faster and faster until it was fluttering as fast as the wings of a Butterfree.

"Get out of the way!"

"Charizard, Dragonair, circle around Gyarados's head!" I ordered and instantly my two Pokémon did as I said, flying around Gyarados and he stopped firing Hyper Beams and Hydro Pumps, unsure of which target to hit as Dragonite also joined the circle, catching on to the plan.

"Ruby, the only way to help this Gyarados is by battling it. Only then will it stop attacking. Now get out of the way before I force you!" Lance told me, voice thick with anger but then my own desperation broke free and burst through my body as I yelled.

"I said NO!" What felt like a powerful surge of energy rushed through me and into Gyarados, sharing the load of pain as I brought it onto myself also, making me cry out and fall to my knees, trembling and sweating until I slowly crossed my legs and touched my knuckles together, suddenly becoming calm as I meditated.

It was the most incredible thing I had ever experienced. I was completely linked to this Pokémon and I felt all of its memories flash through my mind as mine were passed into his, sharing a lifetime with one another in a single moment as every emotion rose up within but with my control, I pushed it aside and Gyarados finally became perfectly calm, listening to my voice as I began to hum a soft lullaby.

The sphere that surrounded me grew larger as the pain increased but I held that back also, taking deep breaths as I lulled Gyarados to sleep and as he drifted away, he lowered his head and the sphere decreased in size as the less work I had to do to contain the pain he felt until finally, he was sound asleep.

I have no idea where that power came from, and to be honest, it frightened me. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before, almost dangerous and I now saw why Professor Oak had told me not to tamper with it. Maybe I should have listened. This time had been different to how I had bonded with Charizard. With him it had been a one way link, but this had been a full flooded bond where we had become practically one being. Had all of that happened just because of aura? I think I need to do some reading on this and actually take it seriously. This isn't just some toy, this is an extreme and dangerous power which could hurt someone if I'm not careful.

Slowly I opened my eyes, feeling lethargic and slow as I slid down off of Gyarados's sleeping head then instantly collapsed with a soft groan but Dragonair was at my side in a moment, sliding her neck under me to keep me supported as Brock and the others ran over. "Ruby! Ruby are you okay?" Sluggishly I lifted a finger to my lips and hushed them.

"Ssh…Gyarados…is sleeping." I told them with a slight slur of my words. Lance looked at Gyarados then nodded his head, lifting up a Pokéball then touched its head.

"Don't worry my friend, you'll be alright soon enough." He vowed, holding the Pokéball as it clicked to reveal the Pokémon had been caught before placing it on his belt. Then he turned to me, my arms slung around Misty and Ash's necks as Brock tried to check for fever or any other signs of illness. "That was the most impressive thing I've ever seen." Lance said to me and I blinked in surprise as he closed his eyes and looked down. "You were so adamant to help a Pokémon in need without causing it harm that your determination unlocked a new level of your powers. I suggest you talk to Professor Oak about this. It is my understanding that he already knows of your gifts and will help to shed a little light."

Lance walked forwards and knelt down in front of me as I struggled to stay awake, blinking furiously as Dragonair and Charizard stood protectively behind me. "You've got great strength in you, Ruby Bates, so I expect to see even greater things in the future. From all of you, in fact. I've never seen a stronger friendship between people and Pokémon." He announced as he stepped back. "I must go, I suggest you get your friend somewhere she can rest and recover for a few days. Good luck to you all."

Lance addressed the rest of the group with the last part, because by that time, I was fast asleep and practically dead to the world.