"Sorry, you don't have an invitation, so you can't come in," The young girl said, folding her arms across her chest.
John raised an eyebrow, thoroughly puzzled.
The same person who'd just asked if he wanted to enter was now telling him he couldn't? What kind of nonsense was this?
"Let me get this straight," John said, trying to keep his voice level. "You ask me if I want to go in, but then say I can't without an invitation. Where exactly do I get that invitation?"
The girl's response didn't change. She simply repeated, "No invitation, no entry."
John sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get a clear answer from her. Resigned, he began searching the entirety of Ecruteak for this elusive invitation. Hours passed, but his efforts yielded little more than a Rare Candy. No invitations, no leads—just a dead end.
Frustrated, he finally decided to shelve the problem for now. "I'll figure this out later," he muttered to himself, adopting his usual strategy of moving on and circling back when new information came up.
Pulling out his phone, John scheduled some time to use the school's communication machine. Haunter's evolution into Gengar required a connection exchange, and with his solo playthrough, this was the only way to make it happen.
Having explored Ecruteak City as thoroughly as he could, John decided it was time to head to Mahogany Town. His next destination was in Johto , and he'd been itching to catch the red Gyarados he knew would be waiting there.
To reach Mahogany Town, he had to cross Route 42. This route housed Mt. Mortar, one of the Johto Region's most challenging areas—a sprawling mountain filled with wild Pokemon and trainers alike. However, John knew he could bypass the arduous trek through Mt. Mortar by using Surf.
He mulled over the decision briefly but ultimately chose to head straight to Mahogany Town. Mt. Mortar wasn't going anywhere, and as far as he could recall, there weren't any rare Pokemon or major plot events in the area. He'd return later if he felt like exploring.
Riding the waterway east, John reached Mahogany Town in under a minute on the in-game map. The screen transitioned, revealing a quaint, old-fashioned town. Yet something was off.
Dark clouds loomed ominously over the area, and rain poured heavily, blanketing the town in a hazy curtain. From a distance, the faint rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.
"Rain?" John muttered, frowning. The game's cities almost never had weather effects . The sight of Mahogany Town drenched in rain was a first for him.
While wild areas sometimes experienced different weather conditions—rain, hail, even sandstorms—cities typically remained unaffected. He'd seen rain while traveling routes near Fortree City or Mauville, but never in the heart of a town.
Curious but cautious, John directed his character to the Pokemon Center for a quick team recovery. Once his Pokemon were healed, he made his way to the Mahogany Town Gym. However, his hopes of challenging the Gym Leader were dashed when he learned that Pryce wasn't there.
Instead, Pryce was at the Lake of Rage.
Without hesitation, John headed north toward the lake. As he approached, a notification popped up:
[Yes/No: Enter the story quest "Lake of Rage" (disappears after completion)]
[Recommended level: 60]
"Another dungeon," John muttered, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't surprised. The red Gyarados was tied closely to Team Rocket's schemes, so a dungeon was practically guaranteed. But the recommended level caught his attention—60.
"Giovanni's minions wouldn't be that weak, would they?" John wondered aloud, skeptical.
Choosing to enter, John watched as the screen transitioned into a new scene. The Lake of Rage was shrouded in darkness, the storm above raging violently. Rain pelted down, and thunder cracked through the air, reverberating in his headphones.
From her Pokeball, John's Gardevoir materialized and used Barrier, shielding him from the downpour. He smiled wryly at the gesture. "Next time I'll bring a raincoat," he remarked, glancing at his drenched in-game character.
Suddenly, a ferocious roar tore through the air, shaking the ground beneath his feet.
John turned, eyes widening as a crimson behemoth emerged from the water. The red Gyarados towered above the lake, its scales gleaming like polished rubies even under the stormy sky. Its level marker flashed above its head: LV70.
Before John could react, the Gyarados unleashed Hyper Beam, obliterating a swath of land behind him and leaving a trail of scorched earth in its wake.
"There you are," John murmured, his gaze locked on the fearsome Pokemon. This was his main objective in the Johto Region, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.
But before he could make a move, a sharp voice broke through the chaos.
"Hurry up! Get that Gyarados under control! Leave the old man to me!"
John turned toward the voice and spotted a woman in a silver coat emblazoned with a bold "R" insignia. Surrounding her were several black-clad trainers, all bearing the same emblem. Team Rocket.
The group was advancing on the lake, systematically surrounding the Gyarados while their Pokemon launched attacks to weaken it.
Standing in their way, however, was an elderly man with stark white hair and a cane. Dressed in a sharp blue suit, he radiated an air of authority despite his frail appearance.
"That must be Pryce," John muttered. "But which Pryce? The anime version, or the one from the manga?"
If it was the latter, John knew things were about to get intense. Pryce's manga counterpart was a force to be reckoned with, capable of holding his own against Legendary Pokemon.
"Alright, let's see how this plays out," John said, gripping his Gameboy as Team Rocket's grunts began fanning out.
Unfortunately, some of those grunts were heading straight for him.