This episode is essential viewing because: Ash meets Lance.

Ash and company are walking through the woods, talking about Ash's next badge, when suddenly Pikachu and Togepi seem ill. Misty puts her hand on Togepi's forehead, but, strangely enough, it doesn't have a feaver. Brock notices that they're lost and Misty notices that there are lots of bug pokemon, but they also seem drained of energy. A rattata and an oddish also come out, not looking so well. Suddenly they hear a roar in the distance and run to go check it out. They come upon a lake where a red gyarados pops out of the water and attemps to attack them with a water gun. Luckily, they dodge, and Brock points out that gyarados seems to be in pain. Misty suggests that they leave when suddenly a large, muscular man comes and says that they've seen too much (he was never given an English name, so I'll just call him by his Japanese name, Tatsumi). Ash notices that he is a member of Team Rocket. Tatsumi sends out a fearow and Ash responds by sending out Totodile. Totodile is about to use its water gun when it becomes weak like the rest of the pokemon. Tatsumi just laughs and orders Spearow to use drill peck on them. It's about to hit when a hyper beam comes out of nowhere and knocks Fearow out. The hyper beam came from a dragonite with a tall, red-haired man riding on its back. Dragonite lands and its trainer tells the kids to run back into the woods. Ash recalls Totodile and they run back like the redhead told them to do. The dragonite easily defeats Tatsumi and the grunts that he was with. He then takes off with dragonite and Tatsumi yells that next time they meet, it will be the last time.

A few moments later in the woods, the dragonite and its trainer land near Ash and company. Ash thanks him for saving them and the trainer asks what they're doing in the woods. Ash admits that they were headed to Mahogany when they got lost. Pikachu suddenly feels better and Misty then recognizes the man as Lance and Brock mentions that he's the undisputed champion of the Elite Four. Ash makes a comment on how "totally unbeatable" Lance is. Lance chuckles and says that he doesn't think that he's totally unbeatable, but they are correct in saying that he is Lance. Ash and company then introduce themselves and Misty asks what someone like Lance is doing out in the middle of nowhere. Lance says that he is investigating suspected foul play at Lake Rage. He says that he is a member of the Pokemon G-Men. Ash asks what Pokemon G-Men is and Lance says that it is a detective organization that finds and arrests trainers who abuse their pokemon. There are reports that Team Rocket has been conducting experiments and he has a strong hunch that they have something that have to do with the red gyarados. Ash offers to help, but Lance says, "no way". He says that it is too dangerous and he can't take any responsibility for what might happen to them. He insists that they follow the path that will lead them to Mahogany. Ash says that he really wants to help, but Lance still says no.

Meanwhile, Jessie and company are complaining about being hungry and lost when James (I think) notices a building that looks like a barn. Jessie deducts that it must have food in it if it's a barn, so they start to go towards it.

Tatsumi and a pale, slightly freaky-looking scientist are inside the "barn", which is actually a secret base for Team Rocket. They are discussing how to capture the red gyarados, since none of their equipment will go that deep, when grunt reports that there are intruders and Jessie and company are shown on a huge screen.

Jessie and company are looking for the kitchen, but all they can see are persian statues. Suddenly, one of the statues' eyes start to glow red and a cage falls on top of the trio. Meowth yells that they're innocent of whatever crime they're being accused of, when Tatsumi comes and says that they have a lot of nerve, breaking into Team Rocket's secret laboratory. Jessie and company say that they are members of Team Rocket. A grunt checks them out on a computer and says that they were recently demoted and haven't done anything to help Team Rocket. Meowth and James get annoyed and say that they are at least two to three percent worthwhile. Tatsumi notices that it also says that they'll do anything for food. He then snaps his fingers and the cage lifts.

Jessie and company are making pigs of themselves when Tatsumi comes and tells them it's time to earn their food. They ask who the pale scientist is and Tatsumi introduces him as Professor Sebastian, the driving force behind Project R. They ask what Project R is and Sebastain says that it is a project that will put them on the cutting edge of pokemonistic science. Tatsumi then tells them that they have to help capture a gyarados. Jessie and company think that he's "popped his cork", but Tatsumi mentions that if they pull this off they'll go down in Team Rocket history. That of course appeals to them, so they agree to help catch the gyarados. Meanwhile, outside of the base lots of grunts are working. Lance is just inside one of the garages looking around. He hides behind a wall and waits for a grunt to approach him. When the grunt gets close enough, Lance grabs him and steals his clothes for a disguise.

Ash and company are so close to Mahogany that they can see it. Brock and Misty are cheerful about this, but Ash is still disturbed about the situation at Lake Rage. He says that he has to go back, because after all, Team Rocket is involved and who knows what evil they're planning. Brock says that he's right, this is probably just "the tip of the iceburg" and other pokemon will get hurt, too. When Brock mentions that other pokemon include Pikachu and Togepi, Misty is convinced and they all agree to go back to Lake Rage.

The Rockets are now all on a boat and Jessie and company dive into the lake. Jessie tells everyone to dive to the bottom to lure gyarados to the top, but James is the only one who goes. When he realizes that he's alone, he turns around and gets annoyed at James and Meowth. Jessie says that she has to oversee this project from afar and Meowth says that he has to oversee Jessie. James accuses them of being scared and Jessie and Meowth get annoyed. James encourages them by saying that the chances of them running into the gyarados are slim, when suddenly the gyarados appears behind James. They all swim for their lives up to the surface. When they reach the surface, they and the gyarados are captured by a net which then shocks them and the knocks the gyarados out. Ash and company see them and Ash sends out Totodile and Misty sends out Poliwhirl. They try to free Jessie and company and the gyarados, when Sebastian notices them. Tatsumi and Lance then notice Ash and company and Lance wonders why Ash came back. Tatsumi then orders the "Evolution Inducement Wave" to be activated. Lance wonders what the Evolution Inducement Wave is when a radio tower begins to brodcast strange waves. Meowth, Totodile, Poliwhirl, Pikachu, and Togepi are again drained of their energy. Brock then figures out that the experiment is making them ill, when capture rings suddenly ensnare Ash and company. Tatsumi then says that they will become Team Rocket's permanant guests.

They are led to a jail, where Sebastian tells them about Project R (short for Project Revolution). He explains that the Evolution Inducement Wave manipulates evolution. Lance seems suprised to hear this. Ash and company get angry at the Rockets for trying to control nature and Jessie and company get annoyed about not being told about the project. Sebastian says that thanks to Ash and company, they also know that it can be used as a weapon that drains the energy of pokemon. He says that they still have to work a few bugs out of the system, since the red color of the gyarados is probably a leftover trait from its magicarp stage. Ash and company are then thrown in jail.

Jessie and company are told to look after the secret base. Lance and the rest of the Rockets all get in vans and follow the tank holding the red gyarados, leaving Ash and company alone and helpless...

This episode guide has been written by kim rh.

Characters appearing in this episode

Ash

Misty

Brock

Jessie

James

Meowth

Ash's Pikachu

Pokémon appearing in this episode

• Pikachu belonging to Ash
• Meowth

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