Just as an all-out battle was about to erupt, a yellow blur shot through the sky like a bolt of lightning, effortlessly piercing the sandstorm conjured by Tyranitar.
In the next moment, a brilliant beam of light crashed down from above—Hyper Beam! The devastating attack tore through the battlefield, engulfing Carr and Orm's Pokemon before they could react.
Explosions thundered one after another, sending thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the air. The ground shook beneath the force of the blast.
John looked up, eyes widening as he recognized a familiar yet distant figure—a middle-aged man with fiery red hair, clad in a blue combat uniform. Standing atop a Dragonite, his cape billowed in the sandstorm's fierce winds.
The Champion of the Johto Region had arrived.
John sighed in relief, recalling his Pokemon into their Pokeballs. "Looks like my ten minutes are up." With Lance here, there was no need for him to keep fighting. At least he had managed to capture the Red Gyarados before the Champion's arrival.
As the smoke cleared, all six of Carr and Orm's Pokemon lay sprawled across the ground, completely incapacitated.
"Damn it! How did the Champion of Johto get here so fast?!" Carr clenched his teeth, glaring at Lance soaring above them.
Orm, however, had already taken off running toward the forest.
"You sneaky bastard! You act all righteous, but when it comes down to it, you're the first to bail?!" Carr spat in frustration.
Orm didn't even look back. I may be honest, but I'm not stupid. This was Lance—the man even Giovanni might struggle to defeat. There was no way he was sticking around to fight him.
Carr turned to run as well, but Dragonite had already locked onto him. From above, it dived like a dark green meteor streaking across the sky. The sheer force of its descent sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
Carr froze, his face turning pale. Raising his hands in surrender, he gulped. "I-I give up!"
What else could he do? Stand his ground and get obliterated?
Dragonite landed heavily, its massive fist stopping just inches from Carr's face. He felt his knees buckle.
Lance dismounted, completely ignoring Carr. Instead, Dragonite took care of restraining him with a pair of handcuffs. The Champion walked straight toward John.
"Well done, young Trainer. I heard reports of a rampaging Gyarados here—where is it now?"
Lance had no interest in the defeated Rockets. His main concern was the crisis at the Lake of Rage.
John held up a Premier Ball. "Already caught it."
Lance glanced at the Pokeball and gave a small nod. He didn't seem overly concerned. His mission had been to quell the chaos caused by the Red Gyarados—if someone else had handled it already, all the better.
"You're not going after the one who ran?" John asked.
Lance smirked. "No need. The rats always scurry back to their nest. I'll round them all up soon enough."
John nodded in understanding. It made sense—why waste time on small fry when you could take down the whole organization at once?
"Oh, by the way," Lance continued, "the one who reported the rampage was Pryce, the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town. Have you seen him?"
John gestured behind him. "Yeah, he's back that way."
"Good." Without another word, Lance jumped onto Dragonite's back and took off, disappearing over the horizon.
As the dust settled, John's surroundings wavered and dissolved. His dorm room materialized before him.
The mission was over.
The game's settlement screen popped up on his Gameboy.
[Quest 'Lake of Rage' Complete. Rewards Earned:Advanced Pokemon Item, Rainstorm Scarf (Bonus Reward)]
A rock materialized in John's hands—a Smooth Rock, classified as a secret treasure-tier item.
[Erosion Smooth Rock: Extends Sandstorm duration to fifteen turns. Each time a Pokemon takes Sandstorm damage, their physical and special defense decrease by 1%. Stacks up to twenty times.]
John inspected it closely. Normally, a Smooth Rock extended Sandstorm from five turns to eight. The treasure-tier boosted it to eleven, and now this secret treasure version stretched it to fifteen.
In-game, this was measured in turns, but in reality, it influenced the intensity and control of the weather itself. His Tyranitar had already absorbed the benefits of a treasure-tier Smooth Rock—upgrading to this would push its control over Sandstorm even further.
As for the scarf, it was something he had never seen before—a complete surprise.
[Rainstorm Scarf: Automatically sets Rain Dance upon entering battle. When it's raining, Water-type moves no longer consume energy. (Exclusive to Magikarp and Gyarados.)]
John's eyebrows shot up. This thing is insane.
Previously, he had encountered exclusive items like Haunter's Gastly Barrier, but this was on another level. Not only did it provide Rain Dance instantly, but it also removed the energy cost of Water-type moves.
In the games, PP represented how many times a move could be used. But in reality, it was about stamina and energy consumption. No Pokemon could just spam moves indefinitely—eventually, they would tire out.
But with this scarf, a Gyarados under Rain Dance could keep attacking indefinitely without wearing itself down.
If I use the Red Gyarados as a core... John's mind raced with tactical ideas. I could build an unstoppable rain team.
Pocketing the items, John exited the game and returned to Mahogany Town.
With the Red Gyarados gone, the rain had stopped. The stormy atmosphere had dissipated, leaving behind a city still reeling from the destruction.
After a quick visit to the Pokemon Center to heal his team, John set out for the Mahogany Gym, hoping to challenge Pryce.
But when he arrived, the Gym Leader shook his head.
"No battles for now. The Red Gyarados caused too much damage to the town, and I need to focus on rebuilding. Not to mention, there's always the risk of another Rocket attack."
John sighed. "So when can I challenge you?"
"Come back in a few months."
A few months? John frowned. He wasn't about to sit around and wait. Maybe it was time to head back to Hoenn.
As he left Mahogany Town, he considered his next move. Maybe he'd check in on Jasmine in Olivine City. If she wasn't back yet, he'd take a flight home.
Just as he stepped out of town, he spotted Lance and Dragonite landing outside a small house. The Champion moved quickly, heading straight inside.
A few seconds later, a loud boom echoed through the air. The side of the house exploded, revealing a hidden staircase leading underground.
John's pulse quickened. He stepped forward, and a new prompt flashed on his screen.
[Enter Quest: 'Rocket Hideout'? (Special Rewards for First-Time Completion)]
[Recommended Level: 70]