With the steady flow of vitality from Ash, the pain tormenting the red Gyarados gradually eased, and it finally fell into a deep sleep. Ever since its forced evolution, it had barely rested at all, so its increasingly violent temperament was no surprise. Constant agitation had pushed it to attack anything on sight.
"What are you waiting for, hurry up. I really like this Gyarados. You're not going to compete with me for it, right? You already have Croconaw." Lance's eyes gleamed as he stared at the red Gyarados, his expression almost obsessive, as if he had found a priceless treasure. It made Ash feel slightly uneasy.
"No. We need to deal with Team Rocket first. If I try to help it split new cells now, I'll have to fully concentrate, and that's not suitable given the current situation."
Ash shook his head. This was not the right time to help the red Gyarados stabilize further. Securing the situation and capturing Team Rocket took priority.
"Alright then. What's the plan? We know they have a base here, but we can't search the entire mountain with just the three of us."
Lance gestured toward Ash and Sabrina. The area around them was vast, filled with dense forest and the waters of the Lake of Rage, where the red Gyarados had appeared. Searching blindly was unrealistic.
"Don't worry. I let one of them escape earlier. As long as the red Gyarados is here, they'll definitely come back. Judging from their actions, this Gyarados is the result of their experiment. There's no way they'll abandon it."
Ash's reasoning was clear. The device Team Rocket used to forcibly evolve Pokémon was obviously flawed. Otherwise, they wouldn't need to capture this red Gyarados again, they could simply replicate their results elsewhere.
"Fair enough. Then we wait."
Lance shrugged. With both him and Ash present, two Champion-level trainers, there was little to worry about.
This was only a temporary Team Rocket base. Giovanni was certainly not here, so their overall strength would be limited. On top of that, Ash himself possessed power comparable to Legendary Pokémon.
The group settled near the Lake of Rage. Watching Ash construct a wooden cabin using Mokuton, Lance could not help but sigh in amazement. Wherever Ash had traveled, it clearly was not ordinary training, it felt more like survival in the wild taken to an extreme.
By nightfall, they had finished dinner. The red Gyarados was still asleep, having rested for about five hours. Earlier, Ash had infused it with enough vitality to suppress its pain for at least ten hours.
Just as Ash began to think Team Rocket might not make a move at night, his perception picked up around thirty approaching figures. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"They're here. Don't act yet. Wait until they get closer."
Lance had been about to move, but stopped after hearing Ash's instruction, quickly masking his awareness and pretending nothing was wrong.
Not far from their location…
"Captain, I found them. This is bad, even the Pokémon Inspector is here."
A Team Rocket member from Group A reported urgently.
The Pokémon Inspector was an authority similar to a federal enforcement agent, specializing in dismantling large criminal organizations like Team Rocket. Lance was the head of this division in Kanto.
Team Rocket operated in small squads. Under each executive, there were three elite groups, A, B, and C, each consisting of ten members ranked by strength.
The difference in strength and weakness among these squads was not determined purely by individual power, but by their overall mission completion rate. In other words, coordination, teamwork, and technical execution were what truly defined their effectiveness.
"It doesn't matter. Our objective this time is the red Gyarados. As long as we capture it without alerting them, there's no need to fight."
"Notify Group B. Group A will provide cover while they move in to capture the red Gyarados. Then have Group C prepare for extraction."
After a brief moment of thought, the captain of Group A issued his orders decisively.
"Understood."
"Prepare to act."
With the plan finalized, the operation began. Members of Group A quietly advanced from the left side of Ash's position, while Group B circled from the right, attempting to execute a classic diversion.
"How's the situation…" Lance muttered, sitting by the campfire as if nothing was wrong. Although he could sense Aura, his perception range was far inferior to Ash's, allowing him to detect only a limited area.
"There are two teams, ten people each. Left and right. They're trying to lure us away. I'll handle the left, you take the right."
The moment Ash finished speaking, he vanished from sight. His speed surpassed even most Pokémon. Lance reacted instantly, releasing a Poké Ball as he dashed toward the right flank.
"Captain, the target disappeared. Lance is moving toward Group B. Only the girl is left."
A Team Rocket scout from Group A quickly reported through the communicator.
"This is bad. They've seen through our plan. Retreat immediately."
The captain's expression changed the moment he heard the report, and he issued a hasty withdrawal order.
"It seems you're done talking… then stay."
"What…?!"
Before the scout could react, a voice sounded behind him. As he turned around, Ash's figure appeared instantly above him.
"Boom!"
"AAARGH!"
Ash's fist drove straight into the man's abdomen, slamming him into the ground with overwhelming force, embedding him deep into the earth.