Sorry for the delay, everyone! I was busy working on a new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's story and real life kept me distracted. Now I'm back with a new chapter. I hope you will enjoy it.
It's time for the next Team Rocket organization, and two new Rocket Executives from the games will show up.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 39: Rage of Innocence
It had become August by the time we finally reached the outskirts of Mahogany Town… Or that's what we thought. We had relied on Brock's guidebook to find the right path to the town, but we were currently lost in a forest.
"Don't tell me we're lost again…", Misty sighed in defeat, adjusting her arms to properly carry Togepi.
"Toge…", Togepi chirped unusually quietly.
"I think that's the case, Misty", Ash laughed sheepishly and scratched his cheek, cradling the egg incubator with his other arm.
"P-Pi…", Pikachu mumbled tiredly from my brother's shoulder, looking a little weak.
I let out a tired sigh at the current circumstances, so I picked up my PokéGear and checked the digital map. "It turns out we are near Lake of Rage that's located north of Mahogany Town."
"Lake of Rage?" Brock repeated before he flipped a page in his guidebook.
"Why is that lake called like that?" Misty wondered.
"It says here Lake of Rage is connected to the ocean through a secret underwater tunnel and when it's mating season for Gyarados, they will become violent as part of the mating ritual for males to show the females their strength by defeating other males who are courting them", Brock explained.
Misty turned pale by the tale. "G-Gyarados…?"
I put away my PokéGear and turned to my brother noticing Pikachu wasn't looking so well. "Ash… I think Pikachu is ill."
"Huh?" Ash turned to his partner who looked exhausted and a red blush was painted on his face. "Pikachu? Are you feeling okay, buddy?"
"P-Pi… Pika…", Pikachu whimpered in response.
I took the incubator from Ash so he could cradle Pikachu in his arms. "Pikachu doesn't look good", Brock commented.
"Togepi too", Misty said concernedly and touched her baby Pokémon's forehead. She raised a confused eyebrow. "That's weird. She doesn't have a fever."
"Toge…", Togepi sobbed tiredly.
"Now that I think about it… The forest is unusually quiet", Brock mentioned and looked around. "We've barely seen any wild Pokémon and the ones we did spot looked weak and sick."
"You don't think…there is a virus spreading around here?" I asked worriedly.
"If there is, then the whole forest should be closed off by the government to make sure the virus doesn't spread any further", Brock replied while rubbing his chin. "We didn't encounter any barricades when we stepped into the forest, so maybe they aren't aware of this."
"E-Even so, we should get out of here fast before the rest of our Pokémon get sick too!" Misty called out.
"Right!" Ash nodded. "Ashley, can you hold the incubator for me?"
"Of course", I nodded, making sure I had a firm grip on the egg incubator. The egg had showed signs this morning, moving a little, so we suspected it could hatch in the next couple of days.
Just as we were about to evacuate the forest did we hear a loud shriek coming from the opposite way where we had come from. "What was that?" Ash wondered.
"I-I hope it's not a Gyarados…", Misty gritted teeth expressing her fear for the water Pokémon.
I had a bad feeling so I listened to my instincts and rushed toward the source of that cry. It did sound like a Gyarados, but its tone felt different than usual. "Ashley, where are you going?!" my brother yelled behind me.
"I need to see what's wrong with that Pokémon!" I shouted back.
I ran across the forest until I found an opening that led me out to a large lake. It looked like it was at least two kilometers wide with crystal clear water. "This must be Lake of Rage!" Brock exclaimed behind me.
A fountain of water sprayed up from the lake right in front of us. The water poured around us like a light rain before we encountered a red Gyarados. "GHYAAAAH!"
"A Gyarados!" Misty screeched in fear while I inwardly flinched by the wild Pokémon's shriek.
"But this one is red!" Ash pointed out. "Does it have such a high fever its blue scales turned red?"
Gyarados barely paid any attention to his surroundings. He moved around like he was in deep pain and pushed water everywhere with his tail, almost drenching us.
"Whatever made it red, I've never seen anything like this!" Brock called out. "And I don't think it's safe here either!"
I was stunned for a couple of reasons. The first reason was I had heard that a shiny Gyarados was actually red colored. The second reason was I noticed he was in pain like he was struggling with something within himself. He was beyond control and fired random Hydro Pumps at the forest. The ground shook at the impact and cries of many wild Pokémon was heard as they ran away from danger.
"Guys, we better get out of here!" Misty yelled. "This Gyarados is dangerous!"
"I agree!" Brock nodded.
"No!" I called out, surprising my brother and our friends. "We can't leave Gyarados alone with his suffering! We must help him!"
"But how, sis?!" Ash exclaimed.
"I'm gonna try catching Gyarados and bring him to a Pokémon Center!" I retorted.
"But you don't have Hikaru with you right now, Ashley!" Brock pointed out. "And this Gyarados looks way too powerful for any of our Pokémon to defeat it!"
"We have to try!" I argued and turned to Gyarados, seeing tears in his eyes.
"You are not going to try anything here, children!" a new voice called out.
Gyarados screeched one more time before he dived under the water and disappeared from our sight. I now paid attention to the voice and spotted a group of familiar grunts standing several meters from us with a woman who looked like she was in charge. She had a white dress with a large red R on the chest and she had red hair that looked weirdly similar to Silver's.
"I'm afraid you four cannot leave now that you've seen the red Gyarados!" the woman chuckled amusingly.
"Team Rocket?!" my friends, brother and I exclaimed in shock.
"I can't believe we stumbled upon another secret Team Rocket operation in Johto!" Ash growled angrily. "Wha have you done to Gyarados?!"
"Sounds like you've had a run-in with our organization before", the leader said while she grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt. "Well, that gives me more the reason of keeping you hostage! Go, Honchkrow!"
"Kroooo!" a large Honchkrow hissed aggressively.
"You're not taking us hostage!" Ash retorted and threw his Lure Ball. "Go, Croconaw!"
"Crocoo…!" Croconaw snapped his jaw playfully, but his whole demeanor changed like the snap of a finger. His body turned lightweight and his head dropped like he was feeling really down.
"Croconaw?!" Ash called out worriedly.
"He's caught the virus too!" Brock realized it fast.
I noticed Honchkrow didn't behave like a sick Pokémon. Was it immune to the mysterious virus or did Team Rocket have something to do with this? The leader did imply they had done something to the red Gyarados, so that was highly possible.
"Honchkrow, use Drill Peck on Croconaw!" the red haired woman yelled.
"Hooonch!" Honchkrow shrieked and flew toward Croconaw while controlling the air current around its beak to make it look like a drill.
"Croconaw, dodge it!" Ash yelled panicked.
Just seconds away from impact, a blue lightning bolt appeared out of nowhere and struck Honchkrow. The bird Pokémon screeched in pain and collapsed on the ground, twitching due to paralysis.
"What was that?" Misty wondered.
Honchkrow's Trainer was also stunned to say the least. "Who used Thunder Wave on my Honchkrow?!"
"That would be us!" a voice yelled above us.
A Dragonite landed between us and a tall man with bright scarlet red spiked hair and a black dragon tamer suit with a cape jumped off his dragon Pokémon. I nearly shrieked in joy as I instantly recognized the Trainer. It was none other than my biggest idol!
"Champion Lance!" I exclaimed loudly.
Ash and our friends gasped in surprise when they recognized him. "No way! Lance?!" my brother exclaimed.
"Kids, turn around and run back into the woods quick!" Lance instructed us, keeping his eyes on Team Rocket the whole time.
"Okay! Croconaw, return!" Ash nodded and recalled Croconaw before we took off to the forest, hoping Team Rocket wouldn't come chasing after us.
We must have run a whole kilometer before we came to a halt to catch our breath. I settled the incubator on the ground to rest my hands against my knees while trying to get fresh air into my burning lungs.
"Y-You think…we're far away…from the lake, guys?" Misty gasped as she leaned against the trunk of a tree.
"Y-Yeah, I think so…", Brock's voice hissed as he gasped for air.
Ash was silent while he collected his breath. Pikachu sat on his shoulder so my brother could rest his hands on his knees as well.
"L-Lance…must have taken care of Team Rocket… I hope", I gasped, feeling my breath returning to normal. I straightened my back just as we heard the sound of wings flapping. I looked up in time to see Lance's Dragonite landing in front of us.
"Are you alright, kids?" the adult asked as he got off his Pokémon.
"Yeah, we are now", Ash nodded with a tiny smile. "Thank you, Lance. And long time no see."
"I remember you now", Lance nodded. "You're the kids who helped save Saffron City from Team Rocket last year. I didn't expect running into you again."
"Pika pika!" Pikachu chirped happily.
"Pikachu, do you feel better now?" Ash smiled.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded.
"Togiprii!" Even Togepi chirped happily like nothing was wrong with her before.
"Togepi is feeling all good again too", Misty giggled in relief.
I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I picked up the egg incubator and pushed it into Ash's arms before I walked over to the adult. "E-Excuse me…"
"Yeah?" Lance smiled warmly.
"I…", I began nervously, suddenly getting cold feet. I really wanted to talk to Lance and pour out my admiration, but there was an invisible barrier holding me back. I didn't want to feel like that, so I decided to finally crush my inward Light Screen with a Brick Break. "I'm a big fan of yours! Thank you so much for signing the book last time! And thank you and Dragonite for protecting us just now!"
"Grooh!" Dragonite purred in delight.
"I have so many questions about raising dragon Pokémon, so I hope you can share some of your experience with me!" I continued before I bowed deeply.
"I wish I could share them with you right now", Lance spoke with an apologetic voice. "But, tell me, how did you guys end up in this forest?"
I straightened my back and stepped to my brother, feeling a teeny tiny disappointed that Lance couldn't help me give me advice on how to train dragon Pokémon. "We were on our way to Mahogany Town when we got lost", Ash explained to the adult.
"What are you doing here, sir?" Misty asked politely.
"I'm part of the Pokémon G-Men organization that investigates illegal Pokémon activities and arrests related criminals", Lance explained. "I'm here to uncover any foul play at Lake of Rage."
"Foul play?" I repeated confusedly. I had heard the term before, but I still didn't understand what it truly meant.
"The information G-Men received indicates that Team Rocket is conducting some kind of experiment by Lake of Rage", Lance explained. "And that red Gyarados might be involved with those experiments."
"Could they be behind of this strange virus that affected our Pokémon?" Brock wondered.
"That is highly possible", Lance nodded.
"Experiment…", Ash growled to himself, clenching his hands into fists.
I was just as angry as my brother knowing that some nasty people were using Pokémon in experiments, especially Team Rocket. They had inflicted so much pain to tons of Pokémon and even took it too far by creating a whole new Pokémon with the help of science.
"Please, Lance, let us help you!" Ash begged the Champion. "I can't stand here knowing Team Rocket is up to no good again! I want to help the Pokémon!"
"I appreciate your concerns, but I'm afraid this mission is too dangerous for you", Lance shook his head.
"B-But we survived the Saffron City incident…", I pointed out. I remembered how big of an event it was. I could still get a little stunned that I did something so risky and I survived that. "We can do it again."
"No. Last time you were lucky you made it out alive", Lance retorted. "I won't be able to take full responsibility if anything happened to you four. The best thing you can do now is leave the forest and stay out of it until I track down Team Rocket and put an end to their evil conducts. There's a riverbank that way that will lead you to Mahogany Town. You should hurry before Team Rocket find and kidnap you."
"Well… If you think it's going to be way dangerous than the incident in Saffron City, there's nothing we can do about it", Brock hummed.
"Now that I think about it, Pikachu, Togepi and Croconaw got sick when we were close to Lake of Rage", Misty mentioned. "If we were to help you, our Pokémon could catch the weird virus again."
"But how come that woman's Honchkrow and Dragonite didn't get affected by that virus?" I spoke up.
"I suspect Team Rocket is using some kind of technology that affects different Pokémon", Lance said and turned to Dragonite. "You didn't feel sick by Lake of Rage, did you, Dragonite?"
"Grooh!" Dragonite rumbled with a soft shake of his head.
"Good, then I know you can fight if the worst comes down", Lance sighed in relief and patted Dragonite's jaw before he became serious. "I mean it, kids. Get out of the forest as fast as you can."
"Okay…", Ash mumbled quietly.
"Pika…", Pikachu hummed in the same tone.
Lance climbed onto Dragonite before they took off to the sky leaving us behind. I couldn't get rid of the nagging worried feeling about the red Gyarados I saw before. Seeing it in pain and knowing Team Rocket had something to do with its suffering made my heart ache. I wanted to go back and help that wild Gyarados before Team Rocket could do more harm to it, but Lance told us it was too dangerous.
We found the riverbank and walked down a path that led south to where Mahogany Town was located. Even so, I couldn't shake my thoughts out of my head. I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face the forest, holding the incubator like a stuffed toy.
"Ashley?" Misty said.
"Togi?
"I need to go back", I spoke out loud.
"What? But Lance said it could be dangerous", Brock said.
"Yes, it's dangerous for Gyarados and all the other Pokémon!" I retorted. "I can't abandon Gyarados knowing it's in pain! I can't turn my back on it!"
"She's right!" my brother exclaimed. "And we know Team Rocket are brutal when it comes to treating Pokémon! We've seen it with our own eyes! Who knows what they will do to Gyarados!"
"You could be right, guys", Brock said as his tone switched. "That Gyarados might only be the tip of the iceberg. It's obvious Team Rocket are desperate to get all kinds of powerful Pokémon, and whatever experiment they're conducting it could hurt other Pokémon! We saw it ourselves when Pikachu, Togepi and even Croconaw got ill!"
"So they could hurt my sweet Togepi too…", Misty mumbled in fear, cradling the baby Pokémon closer to her bust.
"Togi?"
"Alright, guys! Let's go back to Lake of Rage!" Misty called out determinedly. "I'm not a fan of Gyarados, but I can't leave a water-type Pokémon in pain and in the hands of Team Rocket!"
"Thanks, guys! We've stopped Team Rocket multiple times before, we can do it again!" Ash nodded determinedly.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu shrieked with the same determination.
"If it comes down to it, I will try catching Gyarados before Team Rocket can touch it", I growled as my anger toward the organization grew for each second. "I will make sure to protect it."
We hurried back to the forest and tried finding the path leading to Lake of Rage. It took some time, but we finally managed to find our way back to the large lake. This time, we not only saw one red Gyarados but actually two of them and a ship. That ship had caught both Gyarados with a net and it was pulling the wild creatures toward shore.
"Look! They got Gyarados!" Ash exclaimed in shock. "Hold on! There was another one?!"
"Piika!"
"Those poor Gyarados look weak", Misty mumbled.
"They must have hurt them to catch them", I growled, hating to see a dragon Pokémon in that condition.
"Wait!" Brock called out. "I think I see Jessie, James and Meowth caught in that net too!"
I squinted and spotted the familiar trio. Somehow they got tangled into the net with the two Gyarados. They must have had some kind of mission that had involved Gyarados because I knew their Pokémon were too weak battling the Pokémon.
"We must set the two Gyarados free!" Ash snatched his Lure Ball from his belt. "Croconaw, go and rescue the Gyarados!"
"Crocoo!" Croconaw shrieked as he dived into the water and swam toward the ship, acting energized like usual.
"Poliwhirl, you go and help out too!" Misty called and threw her Poké Ball, releasing her Pokémon.
"Poliwhiirl!" Poliwhirl shouted and swam after Croconaw.
I wanted to call out Queendra to assist the two Pokémon, but she didn't have any hands or fangs that could help ripping the net apart, so I stayed silent and watched the scene unfold. Croconaw and Poliwhirl made it to the net, but no matter how hard they pulled and bit the net didn't come loose.
"C'mon, you two! You can do it!" Ash shouted to encourage the Pokémon.
The next things we knew, Croconaw and Poliwhirl lost their strength and lost their grip on the net. They just floated on the surface of the lake while the ship kept moving away. And not only did they get weak, Pikachu and Togepi got the same symptoms like before.
"Pi-Pika…", Pikachu whimpered and literally collapsed onto my brother's shoulder.
"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in shock.
"Oh no, Togepi!" Misty shrieked worriedly as Togepi became limp in her arms.
"It's that mysterious virus again!" Brock gasped. "Hurry and call back your Pokémon! They are affected by that experiment Lance mentioned before!"
"Okay!" Ash nodded. He and Misty recalled their Pokémon in the nick of time before we were assaulted by a powerful Screech attack that came out of nowhere. It was so sudden my body reacted instinctively. I dropped the egg incubator to cover my ears, forgetting I was carrying precious cargo.
I couldn't hear what my brother and friends were yelling over the Screech move. Before I knew it, we were caught in steel rings, trapping our arms so we couldn't move them. The awful noise had stopped and a group of Team Rocket grunts approached us along with a man in his fifties. He had purple hair and beard and was wearing a different uniform, which told me he was another Team Rocket leader. A Crobat flew above him as he chuckled at us.
"Well, Ariana informed me about intruders before, but I didn't expect kids like you would try interfering our business", the old man smirked amusingly.
"Croo croo!" Crobat hissed.
"Why you…!" Ash growled angrily.
"Once somebody has seen Team Rocket's operation, they will never become free people", the purple haired man said. "You are now our prisoners. Grunts, we are bringing them to base!"
"Yes, Executive Petrel!" the grunts responded.
One of the shorter grunts picked up the incubator and revealed the egg inside was safe, which was a huge relief. We were surrounded by the group as we had no other choice but to walk with them to their base. It was located north of the lake, built to look like a farmyard which was clearly a disguise.
The ship dragging the two red Gyarados docked by the shore shortly before we arrived on foot. The grunts used large cranes to pick up the Gyarados from the water and put them into a large container each before sealing them to make sure the wild Pokémon couldn't escape. Petrel's colleague Ariana, the same woman we encountered before, was waiting for us by the base with another man who had a sinister scientist aura.
"You made a terrible choice coming back to the lake, children", Ariana chuckled.
"We came back to save the Gyarados!" Ash growled. "What are you going to do with them?!"
"Well, since you are going to be our permanent guests, I see no harm of telling you about Project R", the scientist spoke up with a deep calm voice.
"Project R?" I repeated.
"Listen closely to Professor Sebastian, children", Ariana said firmly.
"It's short for Project Revolution", Professor Sebastian explained. "It's a revolutionary new system that allows Team Rocket to manipulate a Pokémon's evolution."
"You mean you are going to control Pokémon and evolve them?! That's wrong!" Brock yelled out.
"Yeah, evolution is part of nature and you can't interfere with nature!" Misty added.
"Pokémon should choose themselves when they want to evolve!" I nodded, feeling my anger toward the organization grow within me.
"Those two Gyarados we caught are undeniable proof the evolution-inducement wave is working", Professor Sebastian chuckled, not feeling threatened by our glare.
"You're using radio-waves to force Pokémon into evolving?!" Ash growled through gritted teeth.
"When we performed our first test on the evolution-inducement wave here at Lake of Rage, only two Magikarps successfully evolved into those red Gyarados which is a mild small side-effect that seems to have no further harm to the Pokémon."
"How could you…?" Ash growled.
"I must thank you because if it weren't for you kids…we wouldn't have learned the radio-waves can be used as weapons", Professor Sebastian chuckled.
"Thanks to your Pokémon, that is", Petrel chuckled.
I turned to take another look at Pikachu and Togepi. They were still showing signs of illness and could barely move a muscle. Even James had to carry Meowth as the cat Pokémon was knocked out by the radio-waves.
"I don't think Meowth would've liked it if you had turned him into a Persian", James commented. "Although, I'm very impressed by the evolution of Team Rocket science."
"Next time you should tell us about your schemes and not leave us in the dark!" Jessie frowned.
"The tests aren't complete yet as we have encountered a few bugs in the system", the evil professor revealed. "That includes the red scales of the Gyarados. Once we make a throughout examination, we can complete the evolution-inducement wave and create a powerful army of fully evolved Pokémon at Team Rocket's disposal."
"Pokémon aren't weapons!" I yelled out angrily, having enough of hearing about Pokémon armies. "They are living creatures! They feel pain when they get hurt just like us when we get hurt! Why can't you understand something so simple?!"
"She's right!" Ash spoke up. "You can't treat Pokémon with such disrespect!"
"Pokémon can only evolve and grow stronger with the help of caring and love from Trainers!" Brock stepped in.
"Your plan will never work!" Misty glared at the bad guys.
"Silence, children!" Ariana threatened us. "You have no say in adult matters. Besides, it's not good for kids to get so upset, so I think you should be separated from this."
Two grunts walked up to us and took Pikachu and Togepi. "Hey, what are you doing?! Give our Pokémon back!" Ash tried taking a step forward, but he got pushed back by another grunt.
"Togepi!" Misty shrieked worriedly.
"Calm down", Petrel chuckled while another two grunts strapped steel rings onto Pikachu and Togepi, making sure their arms were trapped. "We're just taking extra precaution."
The male executive and his group of grunts escorted us inside the base and down to the basement where we got thrown into a prison along with our Pokémon. The grunt that carried the incubator gently placed it on the floor inside the prison before he stepped outside so they could lock the door.
"You won't get away with this!" Ash yelled at Team Rocket.
"Let us out of here!" Misty shouted.
"No can do, kids", Petrel shook his head. "Not while you're so hotheaded. Sit down and relax because soon… You will have no other choice but to become members of Team Rocket, if you want to keep living. I hope when we come back, you've made a good decision."
Petrel and his group walked away from the prison and up from the basement leaving us alone in the darkness. I sat a little defeated on the cold ground, but my determination hadn't been extinguished yet.
"What do we do now?" Misty wondered.
"I don't know, but we've got to get out here", Ash replied while he struggled in his trap. "We have to stop them before it's too late."
"It's a good thing they didn't take our Pokémon", Brock pointed out. "Even though I can't reach for my Poké Balls."
I tried reaching for my Poké Balls, but my arms were completely immobilized. "Same. And even if Pikachu and Togepi wake up, who knows if they are still going to be affected by those radio-waves."
"Pi-Pika…", Pikachu whimpered weakly.
"Togi…", Togepi was just as weak as Pikachu.
"Oh, Togepi…", Misty sniffed worriedly.
I snapped my head up when I heard a commotion coming from the stairs. Ash and the others froze as we listened to the noise that became louder. Ariana appeared from the corner along with an Arbok that was larger than Jessie's. It slithered after her and pulled a grunt along. It was the same person who had carried the egg incubator. He was wrapped by Arbok's long and thick tail and couldn't get out of the grip.
Ariana unlocked the cell door and opened it before she turned to the grunt. She casually removed the hat and dark-tinted glasses, revealing the grunt's true identity.
"Silver!" Ash and I exclaimed in shock.
"So you know of him, hmm?" Ariana hummed amusingly as she looked at us. "I caught this little Rattata sneaking around and decided to throw him in here with you for some company."
"Shaaar!" Arbok hissed.
Silver growled like an aggressive hound Pokémon at the woman. "You…!"
"Save your insults, Silver", Ariana hummed and snapped her fingers. Arbok slithered into the cell and dropped the redhead boy on the ground. He was also trapped in one of those rings that we had.
Arbok slithered out of the cell before Ariana locked the door. "Be good children and stay there while we take care of the Gyarados."
Silver sat up and glared at the woman. "I want answers, Ariana! Stay here and listen to me!"
"I wish I could, but I've got some business I need to take care of", Ariana replied. "We'll talk when I come back. Be good kids and stay put."
"Ariana!" Silver yelled after her as she and Arbok left the basement.
The redhead boy kept glaring until he sunk down on his knees with a frustrated expression. Now that I thought about it, Silver and Ariana looked awfully similar to each other.
"Are you okay, Silver?" Ash wondered.
Silver snorted loudly, a frown still pasted on his face. "Does it look like I'm okay?"
"What were you even doing here dressed like a Team Rocket grunt?" Misty asked, nodding at the uniform Silver was wearing.
"It's none of your business!" Silver retorted irritably. His tone scared Misty so she moved back with a frightened look.
"Hey! Don't yell at her like that!" Ash came to her defense. "She was just curious."
Silver threw a dirty glare at my brother and turned away with his back facing us.
"I noticed it before, but… Are you and Ariana related, Silver?" Brock asked.
Ash and Misty gaped in surprise at the question. Silver even grew stiff when Brock spoke out the question that was in my head. Now that I had the chance comparing the boy with Ariana, it was obvious they were family.
Silver turned away refusing to answer any questions. None of us pushed him to say anything, but we were still staring at his back. It must have irritated him so he decided to tell us the truth. "That woman…is my mother."
"Your mother?!" Ash and Misty exclaimed in surprise.
"But she's not my mother!" Silver hissed angrily, his shoulders started shaking in anger. "She and our father…abandoned me and my big sister when we were kids."
"You…have a big sister…?" Misty mumbled softly.
Brock walked over to Silver and crouched down next to him, taking up the role as a big brother. "Did you perhaps steal Totodile from Professor Elm's laboratory because you needed a Pokémon that could help you finding your parents?"
Silver hummed irritably, probably answering it as yes. "I heard rumors…of Team Rocket setting up secret bases across Johto and Ariana overseeing one of them. One of the bases was supposed to be underwater, so I stole Totodile to somehow get out in the ocean."
"The ocean base… That must be the one that was involved capturing Lugia!" Ash gasped in realization.
Silver looked over his shoulder. "You infiltrated that hideout?"
"It's a long story, but yes, we did and defeated them", Misty explained.
"What happened…to your sister?" I asked cautiously.
Silver looked down on his lap. "She got shipped from Johto after a weird man caught her attention. I don't know where she is now."
"I'm sorry…", I swiftly mumbled, feeling awful for asking such a sensitive question.
"I want answers…", Silver growled. "I want to know why Ariana and my father threw us away."
Before I knew it, Ash started tackling the bars in an attempt of breaking them. "Hey! Get us outta here right now!"
"Ash, you're going to hurt yourself!" I told him.
"This is nothing compared to the pain Gyarados and the other Pokémon feel!" Ash growled and continued body slamming the cell door.
I was scared of feeling pain, but my brother was right. The Pokémon were in much deeper pain because of Team Rocket. I couldn't stay inside my shell and avoid every little pain. I love Pokémon and I want to protect them!
I got up on my feet and started tackling the iron bars with the side of my body. It did hurt a little, but I bit together and continued slamming myself onto the cell door with my brother.
"Pipe down!" Jessie growled as she and James peeked into the basement to check the ruckus. "Your banging is giving me a headache!"
"We're about to become part of Team Rocket history and that will include convincing you twerps into joining Team Rocket!" James cackled.
"Wooobbuuuffet!" Wobbuffet appeared behind the duo looking all nice and healthy compared to Pikachu and Togepi. Meowth was nowhere to be seen, so I suspected he was still knocked out by those radio-waves.
"Chaa…", Pikachu whimpered behind us.
"Togi…"
"Pikachu! Togepi!" Ash and Misty called out in relief seeing their Pokémon had woken up.
"Pikachu, can you use Thunderbolt on the door?" Ash asked.
"P-Pika…chuuu…!" Pikachu's cheeks sparkled, but he couldn't unleash a Thunderbolt.
"He's still affected by that inducement wave!" Brock exclaimed.
"Well, with Pikachu this weak, we can finally steal him and bring him to our boss to finally get a promotion!" Jessie cackled as she and James approached the cell.
"And with our achievement in this mission, we'll swiftly jump up the ranks to become Rocket Executives!" James laughed.
"Shut it!" Silver hissed aggressively.
I noticed a weird light from the corner of my eyes. I turned around and gasped in shock when I realized it was Ash's egg! It was glowing which meant the baby Pokémon was about to be born! "Ash! The egg is about to hatch!"
"What?!" my brother exclaimed in shock and checked the egg. "Not now! Not here!"
"Oh? So that egg belongs to you, twin-twerp?" Jessie asked amusingly.
"Well, looks like we're gonna get a triple bonus once we take Pikachu, Togepi and the new Pokémon that's about to hatch", James chuckled.
"We need to get the egg out of the incubator fast!" Brock informed us.
"But we can't do it with our arms tied up!" Misty pointed out.
"Please, Team Rocket!" Ash turned to our enemies. "Help us get the egg out of the incubator before it hatches!"
"And why shall we do that?" Jessie wondered with a cocky grin. "I know you will try running out of here as soon as we open the cell."
"Unless…we remove the straps from just one of you twerps so you can take care of the egg", James suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea, James!" Jessie nodded and aimed a remote controller at my brother. "I'm only going to remove the strap from you if you promise you won't do anything stupid."
"I promise!" Ash replied with a panicked voice.
Satisfied with the answer, Jessie pressed a button on the remote controller and Ash's strap came off. And not just his… The other straps popped off of us and fell down onto the floor, freeing the rest of us. Jessie and James shrieked in pure shock before they started arguing about the gadget.
We ignored them as Ash hurried to open the incubator. He grabbed the egg from it and cradled it to his chest just as it started glowing in a bright light. I had to turn away to not get blind. The light kept shining until it faded away seconds later, revealing a baby Phanpy in Ash's arms.
"Phaaanpy!" Phanpy whined and blew a noise from its trunk.
"It's a Phanpy!" Brock exclaimed in joy. "And it looks as healthy as it can be!"
"Which means the radio-waves doesn't have an effect on Pokémon eggs!" Misty realized.
"Awesome! Welcome to the family, Phanpy!" Ash smiled.
"Phaaan!"
"Time-out! Time-out!" Jessie growled as she and James marched inside the cell. "We're gonna put the straps back on you, so stay put!"
"You're not going to do that!" Silver growled at them.
"Phanpy, you think you can battle already?" Ash asked the baby Pokémon.
"Phaan!" Phanpy nodded.
"Alright, use Rollout on Team Rocket!" Ash called.
Phanpy jumped out of his arms and dashed toward Team Rocket before it curled itself into a ball. It rolled toward the adults and knocked them out of the cell, sending them away like bowling pins.
"Alright! That's a strike!" Ash cheered.
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered as he and Togepi started looking a little better.
"Let's get out of here and rescue the Gyarados!" I called out.
The five of us ran out of the cell with Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, Phanpy in his arms and Togepi safely tucked in Misty's duffle bag. We ran up the stairs to get out of the base that was entirely abandoned. Team Rocket chased us after they collected themselves from Phanpy's Rollout. Even Meowth had recovered from the effect by the inducement wave.
"You won't get away, twerps!" Jessie growled. "Arbok, use Poison Sting!"
"Shaaar-"
A blue lightning bolt appeared out of nowhere and struck Arbok before it could attack us. The Thunder Wave sent it flying back onto Team Rocket making them crash into a pile. Lance's Dragonite landed in front of us while a car skidded to a halt next to the base. A Team Rocket grunt got out of the vehicle, but they ripped their uniform off revealing Lance dressed in his signature tunic and cape.
"Lance!" my brother, our friends and I called out in relief.
Silver just frowned at the Champion, not saying a single word.
"Glad to see you're fine, kids", Lance said before glaring at Team Rocket who stood up from the ground. "Dragonite, send those people away with Twister!"
"Groooh!" Dragonite screeched and flew up to the sky. It flapped its wings intensely and used the wind to form a large twister that sucked in Jessie, James, Meowth, Wobbuffet and Arbok. With one final flap, the twister sent them away like projectiles through the sky and far away from the lake.
Now that we were no longer in danger, Lance glared at us. "I told you guys not to come back!"
"Sorry, Lance, but we had to", Ash apologized. "We were too worried about the Gyarados."
"Piika…"
"Phan."
"I get it", Lance's frown shifted into a smile. "You are just as worried about the Pokémon like I am." He glanced up and noticed Silver, which made him frown again. "I recognize you, boy. You're the Pokémon thief who stole a Totodile from Professor Elm's laboratory months ago."
Silver lightly flinched and took a step back. "I refuse to get arrested before I can confront Team Rocket's leader!"
"I don't know what your deal with Team Rocket is, but I'm willing to hear you out after we stop Team Rocket now", Lance said. "But first I need you kids to get away from this base."
"Why?" I asked.
"We are going to destroy it and make sure they can never use the evolution-inducement wave again."
Lance first drove the car away to a safe place where we stayed and watched how Dragonite put the hideout into ruins with Hyper Beam. Everything turned into debris that couldn't be used again to repair the base. Even the small radio tower was put out of commission, ending the suffering for hundreds of Pokémon.
We packed ourselves in the car and drove toward Mahogany Town where Team Rocket were going to fly away with the two Gyarados, but Lance had called the town's police department to inform them about the illegal activity, so we had some backup. I thought Silver was going to run away again, but he came with us saying he had unfinished business with Ariana.
We drove by the riverbank which became wider the closer we got to Mahogany Town. We saw no choppers in the sky, but we did spot two large red serpents swimming down the riverbank toward the town.
"There's the Gyarados!" I exclaimed.
"They must have woken up during transportation and are on rampage!" Lance said while the Pokémon fired Hydro Pumps around them. One Hydro Pump nearly hit us, so Lance pulled to a sudden stop. If we hadn't had the seatbelts on, we would've flown around inside the car.
Ash and I jumped out of the car and ran after the Gyarados by foot. The others cried after us, but we ignored them. Our attention was on the two Gyarados and we refused to let them out of our sight.
"We're so glad you escaped Team Rocket, Gyarados!" Ash yelled to the Pokémon in an attempt to break them out of their angry trance. "You did great!"
"You can calm down now! No one is going to hurt you!" I added.
"Ghyaaaaah!"
For a mere second, it looked like the Gyarados had calmed down, but it was just a trick. I shrieked when my brother and I were thrown back by the force of Hydro Pumps. I crashed onto the ground, thankfully not seriously injured.
"Ash! Ashley!" Misty and Brock yelled when they ran to us.
"Pika pika!"
"Phaanpy phaan!"
"Are you two alright?" Lance asked concernedly.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine", Ash grunted as he sat up.
"Me too…", I groaned while I got help from the Champion standing up.
The two Gyarados' screeches echoed as they continued swimming down the riverbank destroying everything around them with repeated Hydro Pumps.
"No, Gyarados! Calm down!" Ash yelled after them.
"They're out of control with anger!" Lance said. "There's a very little chance we can calm them down!"
"But how can we save them?" Misty wondered, her voice shaking a little.
"We either have to battle them…or catch them, I think", I said.
"You might be right, Ashley", Lance nodded and threw a Poké Ball. "Dragonite, go!"
"Grooh!" Dragonite growled when it was called out.
"I'll fly ahead with Dragonite to slow them down with Thunder Wave", Lance informed us.
Brock looked over his shoulder and gasped warningly. "Guys! We've got company!"
Three military-like cars drove up to us before Ariana and Petrel got out of one of them. The cars then drove past us and chased after Gyarados as their target.
"Well, so it's true the Champion himself decided to interfere with our operation", the red-haired woman commented and threw a glance at Silver. "And saved you kids too."
"Ariana…!" Silver growled and grinded his teeth.
"You should have stayed put", Petrel said. "Now you'll have to pay for the consequences."
"Lance, we'll protect Gyarados from Team Rocket!" Ash said quickly.
"Go!" I yelled and immediately rushed after the cars with hope we could stop them from catching the red Gyarados.
Ash, Misty and Brock ran with me while Lance and Silver stayed behind to deal with the Rocket Executives. I glanced swiftly over my shoulder seeing Silver calling out a Feraligatr at the same time as Ariana and Petrel released Honchkrow and Weezing for a multi battle.
"I hope they'll be fine", Misty panted, also looking over her shoulder.
"With Lance by Silver's side, they can beat Team Rocket!" Brock said.
"And we're gonna beat the rest of the grunts!" Ash yelled determinedly.
"Yeah!" I nodded.
It didn't take long before we caught up with the Rocket caravan. They had caught the two red Gyarados and stunned them with an electric shock through the net. Now they were pulling the Pokémon up on land.
"They got them!" Brock gasped.
"We need to cut the net right away!" I shouted.
"I'll take care of that!" Ash yelled and threw a Poké Ball. "Bayleef, use Razor Leaf to cut the net!"
"Baaay!" Bayleef shrieked and swung her head leaf, sending several razor-sharp leaves at the net, splitting them apart from the rope the grunts were using to pull the wild Pokémon.
"Stay away from our business, kids!" one of the grunts yelled aggressively.
"You are the ones who should stay away from the Gyarados!" Misty yelled back.
I grabbed Cedric's Poké Ball and threw it to call him out. "Time to send the rest of you flying! Cedric, use Sandstorm!"
"Pupitaar!" Cedric growled before he summoned a large twister made out of sand. The grunts had come running toward us to harm us, but now they were running away as the sandstorm chased after them. They weren't able to retreat into their cars, so they got sucked into the tornado before Cedric used his power to manipulate the Sandstorm move. He threw the grunts up to the sky and far away like how Jessie, James and Meowth were sent flying.
"Hope they'll land in jail", Brock commented while carrying Phanpy.
"Phaan."
I sighed in relief and patted Cedric's shell. "Great job, Cedric. One less trouble for us."
"Taar!" Cedric's eyes smiled.
"Now we need to keep Gyarados here until Lance can help us calm them down", Ash said as he reached to pat one of them.
"Ash, don't touch them!" Misty warned him before she caught his hand and pulled him back. "Even a simple touch can aggravate them!"
"Then what should we do if they wake up?" Ash wondered.
I got an idea and reached for a side-pocket on my backpack. I grabbed the Fast Ball I received from Kurt a long time ago. I hadn't used it yet, so perhaps I should do it now. I walked toward one of the male Gyarados despite everyone's warning and lightly touched the side of his face. The Fast Ball reacted and opened up while Gyarados transformed into red energy and was absorbed by the capture device. It shook in my hand three times while the button blinked red until it stopped and made a ding noise.
"Ashley, what did you do?!" Misty shrieked in disbelief.
"I caught one of the Gyarados", I replied while the Fast Ball vanished from my hand, teleporting itself to Professor Oak's laboratory.
"What were you thinking catching it?" Brock asked.
"I just thought…Gyarados might calm down if it stays inside a Poké Ball", I explained. "A Poké Ball is a safe place for all Pokémon, so it could make him feel comfortable and slowly let go of his anger."
"That's a smart idea!" Ash nodded and grabbed a Poké Ball. "I should the same with the other Gyarados-"
"Baaay!" Bayleef screeched out warningly.
The other Gyarados had woken up and thrashed around on the ground, trying to crawl back to the riverbank. We backed away from him in case he was going to try attacking us in the middle of his rampage. Thankfully, he spared us and made it back to the water, but he was still full of anger while he swam toward Mahogany Town.
"No, Gyarados!" Ash yelled. "Don't go there!"
"We've got to stop him before he enters Mahogany Town and put it in ruins!" Brock exclaimed.
Ash and I called back Cedric and Bayleef before we rushed after Gyarados. He started showing signs of exhaustion as he was now swimming slower than usual. We actually outran him and reached a bridge hoping we could make it stop going any further.
"Gyarados! Stop!" my brother yelled at him.
"Pika pika!"
"We know you don't want to hurt anybody!" Misty shouted.
"Togiprii!"
Gyarados had now started firing random Hyper Beams around him, destroying nature and paths around the riverbank. He must be at the edge of anger, having enough of being in pain for such a long time.
I gasped as I got a new idea. "Brock, why don't you send out Onix to stop him?"
"My Onix?" Brock said confusedly.
"Phaan?"
"Yeah, Onix is a rock-type Pokémon and much larger than Gyarados, so he could restrain him until Lance arrives to deal with him", I explained.
"It might work if Gyarados doesn't stay in the water!" Brock retorted. "Onix is four times weak to water!"
"Then make Onix use Rock Tomb to trap him!" I said.
"Gyarados, listen to me!" Ash yelled. "We don't want to hurt you! So, please, calm down! Let us help you!"
"GHYAAAAAAAH!" Gyarados screeched before he fired a Hyper Beam at us. The attack was coming fast toward us and we knew we wouldn't be able to dodge it. I closed my eyes, waiting to feel the impact and pain.
"Dewgong, use Ice Beam!" a brand new voice yelled out.
I opened my eyes but had to close them again when that Ice Beam collided with the Hyper Beam and forced a bright explosion. We got engulfed by smoke that swiftly faded away revealing the river got completely frozen around the bridge, making it unable for Gyarados to pass through and even break the structure.
"Wow! That Ice Beam froze the river!" Misty said in awe.
"And it even canceled Gyarados' Hyper Beam", Brock added.
"No ordinary Pokémon can do that", I pointed out.
"Hey!" an old man with white hair walked to us with a Dewgong by his side. He had a big frown on his face like he was very displeased. "I heard you talking to Gyarados like you want to be friends with it. Such nonsense!"
"What?" Ash gasped in disbelief.
I got surprised by the man's statement as well. "B-But humans and Pokémon can be friends, sir-"
"Listen to me!" the man snarled, which scared me so I hid behind Ash. "Humans and Pokémon were never meant to become friends!"
"That's not true!" Ash retorted.
"Your foolishness has put you, your friends and the countryside in danger, boy!" the man shouted.
"But Gyarados needs a friend who can help him calm down!" my brother argued.
Gyarados screeched and turned around, swimming back up the riverbank and away from the town. "Gyarados' swimming back!" Brock said in relief.
"Ash, Ashley, let's go after him and make sure he doesn't hurt anybody else", Misty said.
"Right!" my brother and I nodded.
I felt a little nervous passing by the old man who kept that frown on his face. His odd statement about Pokémon and humans aren't meant to become friends was really weird. If he thought so strongly about it, why did he have a Dewgong in the first place?
I got rid of the negative thoughts and rushed with Ash and our friends back to Route 43. It didn't take long before we met up with Lance, Silver and Dragonite who had started attacking the wild shiny. We watched the battle unfold with Dragonite paralyzing Gyarados and dealing enough damage that Gyarados was completely out of energy. He crashed down on the side of the river and didn't move a budge, grunting and shaking by pain.
"Is it…over?" Ash asked cautiously.
Lance didn't answer the question verbally. Instead he threw a Poké Ball at Gyarados and caught it after some anxious seconds. He picked up the device carrying the shiny Pokémon and gave it a warm smile. "His suffer is now over."
"Thank Arceus…", I sighed in relief.
"Promise me you'll take good care of it, Lance", Ash told him.
"What happened to the other Gyarados?" Silver questioned.
"Ashley caught it", Misty replied.
"Togi."
Lance instantly turned to me with wide eyes. "What?! You caught the other red Gyarados?!"
"Y-Yes…", I flinched by his raised voice. "I-I thought…he might calm down in a safe place."
Lance sighed deeply with a light shake of his head. "That was a reckless move of you, even when you had good intentions."
"Sorry…", I mumbled softly.
"I'll have to see his condition", Lance said. "Do you have Gyarados on you?"
"No… He got sent to Professor Oak's lab."
"Then we've got to go to Mahogany Town and retrieve him."
"What about Silver?" Brock spoke up. "He's a wanted fugitive and he's going to get arrested as soon as he enters the town."
"Silver and I have talked through this", the Champion replied with a tiny smile. "Don't worry, he will be fine."
Ash and I glanced at the red-haired boy who turned away with a frown. He probably felt uncomfortable, but he must have realized it was just a matter of time before he would get caught by the authorities.
XXXXXXXXXX
After this long day, I was eager to go to bed and get some good sleep. Before that, we had to deal with the aftermath of this operation. We met up with Mahogany Town's Officer Jenny who informed us they had arrested every Team Rocket member involved with the Lake of Rage case including the executives. A few managed to get away before they lost control of the Gyarados like that evil scientist and we had no idea where they could be.
I contacted Professor Oak due to Lance's request and switched Axel with my red Gyarados that I decided to nickname Poseidon, like that mythical man who once controlled the ocean thousands of years ago. Even Ash switched his shiny Noctowl with Heracross to prepare himself for the Mahogany Gym after we learned the Gym Leader specialized in ice-type Pokémon, and also added Phanpy to the party so the newly hatched Pokémon could get some experience.
I let out Poseidon by the riverbank outskirts of the town just in case he was still full of anger. Luckily he was all calm and Lance inspected him carefully. After giving the clear, I comforted Poseidon and gave him lots of affection. He was accepting the love and cooed calmly by my touch. I could even tie a ribbon to one of his whiskers.
Silver was brought in for interrogation with Lance by his side. It took a couple of hours and only ended by the evening. We waited outside of the police department when they got out. Silver had his hands in the pockets of his jacket while Lance had a hand resting on his shoulder blades.
"How did it go?" Ash wondered.
"Pika?"
"Everything went smoothly", Lance replied. "We contacted Professor Elm so he got to see how Feraligatr was doing. After seeing him in good health, the professor allowed Silver to keep him."
"So the charges against Silver got dropped?" Misty asked.
"Prii."
"Yes", Lance nodded, but then his eyes narrowed. "But Silver is going with me."
"How come?" I asked.
"Silver has some important information about Team Rocket, so I'm taking him to G-Men's headquarters for further interrogation."
The boy in question shrugged his shoulder lightly. "If it can help me get closer to Team Rocket and finish my business with my parents… So be it."
"Is this the last time we're going to see you two?" Brock wondered.
"Silver is going to be released once we've finished interviewing him", Lance replied. "So you might see him again. As for me… I know I'll see you in the Johto League."
"Next time… I hope I can ask more questions, Lance", I smiled lightly. "And I promise I will take great care of Poseidon."
"I know you will, Ashley", Lance smiled.
Ash stepped over to Silver with a friendly smile. "Hey, Silver. I hope we can have a Pokémon battle when we meet again."
Silver looked at my brother like he was an alien. I guess he wasn't used to people being friendly or kind to him. He shrugged with a frown. "I want my Pokémon to become powerful, so… I'll accept your challenge."
Ash smiled widely at the reply. "Great! And keep taking good care of your Pokémon, okay? They are your family."
Silver blinked confusedly. "Pokémon…are family?"
"Yes, they are", I smiled as I stood next to my brother. "Family doesn't have to be by blood. It's about the bond you share with humans and Pokémon."
That was what my heart said and believed in. I didn't share the same feelings like that rude old man with the Dewgong. Whatever he was carrying in his luggage, it was his business and not mine.
"Bond you share…with Pokémon…", Silver mumbled, looking away to think deeply about my words.
"Well said, Ashley", Lance nodded. "And it's thanks to that bond Trainers and Pokémon alike can become much stronger because they share that power. That's why everyone should cherish their bond with the Pokémon."
The Champion called out Dragonite to leave Mahogany Town even though it was getting late. Lance and Silver climbed onto the dragon Pokémon and took off to the sky while we said goodbye to each other and waved to each other. Silver hesitated for a moment before he lightly waved to us.
Silver may be a coldhearted person, but now I knew he had a troubled past and that caused him to put up barriers around him to protect himself. I hope he would get all the help needs and perhaps receive a parental figure in his life. Lance was a great man, so perhaps he would take up the role of acting like a father to him.
XXXXXXXXXX
I thought long and hard if I should give Ashley a shiny Gyarados. I made the decision that if it gets caught on my first try, I'll add it to her Pokémon family. The only Poké Ball I had was the Fast Ball and it worked without even battling Gyarados.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's party:
Cedric the Pupitar (male)
Mystic the Togetic (male)
Victor the Houndoom (male)
Lily the Espeon (female)
Queendra the Seadra (female)
Poseidon the shiny Gyarados (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:
Trica the Furret (female)
Wanda the Gyarados (female)
Aria the Lapras (female)
Hikaru the Ampharos (male)
Axel the Scyther (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's party:
Pikachu (male)
Bayleef (female)
Cyndaquil (male)
Dunsparce (male)
Heracross (male)
Phanpy (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:
Tauros (male)
Ivysaur (male)
Snorlax (male)
Kingler (male)
Poliwrath (male)
Wartortle (male)
Shiny Noctowl (male)
Croconaw (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Misty's party:
Staryu (genderless)
Psyduck (male)
Togepi (female)
Poliwhirl (male)
Lanturn (female)
Corsola (female)
XXXXXXXXXX
Misty's Pokémon in the Cerulean Gym:
Goldeen (female)
XXXXXXXXXX
Brock's party:
Geodude (male)
Onix (male)
Crobat (male)
Pineco (male)