Update update update! WHEEEEE!!! Sorry for the wait. I sense an ending. Stick around for these next few updates! Promise it won't be too long next time. 

Lance raced through the base, trying to find an exit. He didn't even bother blending in anymore- the fate of the region was at stake. 

"Hey! You!" A voice called. Lance kept running. 

"Listen to your commander!" Someone else said. A grunt stopped him. 

"S-sorry, sir. I didn't see you there," Lance said, saluting. He knew it. Now he'd be caught! Why did he have to be in such a rush? He should've been patient and taken it slow. Now he'd be caught and the mission would fail. All because of him, the region was going to ruin. No, maybe even the world. 

"This one has manners," the purple-haired man said, looking pleased. "I noticed you're in a hurry. You like to get things done quickly?"

"Yes, sir," Lance said. He sighed in relief inwardly. So he wasn't getting busted. Okay, then what was going on?

"Fine then. I'd like to place you on my elite team. Finish your current task and replort to my office as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir. Um, very good." Lance saluted again and walked quickly away. This was the best possible scenario! If anything, it was good that he'd been running. Now he could spy from a higher up position in the fort! 

Lance made it outside and grabbed for the small handheld walkie talkie in his pocket. 

"Hello?"

"Heya," Whitney said. She sounded bored. "Got something so soon, hotshot?"

"Give me that, Whitney!" Steven said in the background. 

"Yup," Lance said. "Listen, they're using an electrode-powered generator to transmit sound waves into the lake. They make the pokemon violent and cause them to evolve prematurely. But they have these huge satellite-disk things that could probably drown out the whole region. If they spread this to other regions. . . "

"Wait, wait, wait. You sound like Steven. Repeat that in English, please," Whitney said. 

"It's okay, I got it," Steven called. 

"Then tell me what he said!" Whitney demanded. 

"Give me the walkie talkie, Whitney. The fate of the world is at stake."

"Ugh, fine. Whatever." Whitney's music could be heard as she turned it up to an ear-shattering volume. 

"Whitney, turn that emo shit down!" Lance hissed. "They might hear it!"

"But it's the only way I can express myself!" 

"Whitney. . . " Steven said in a threatening tone. 

The music turned off. 

"Alright, Lance. We've picked up a massive flow of energy coming from the lake. It seems one of the magikarp has taken in more energy than it should have and if Team Rocket manages to unleash it on Blackthorn City, it could be disasterous. 

"I've got it," Lance said. "Oh, and I got in good with one of the bosses here. He wants me to be on his elite squad."

Whitney whistled. "Damn he's good."

"Great work, Lance," Steven said. "You'd better get back to it, then."

"Alright. Over and out."

Lance hid the little radio in his pocket once more and got directions from someone inside to find the commander's office. His door had a little plaque saying 'Petrel'. 

Lance knocked on the door. "Commander Petrel?" 

"Who's there?" asked Petrel's creaky voice. 

"It's Lance, the grunt from a few minutes ago. Can I come in?"

"Alright."

Lance opened the door, finding it unlocked. That could prove useful in the future. He saluted and stood at attention until Petrel told him to stand at ease. All that experience from his childhood had actually come in handy. 

"So what will I be doing for the new position?" Lance asked. 

"Whatever I tell you to."

"That's good to know," Lance said, somewhat skeptical. 

"Good. Now that we've got that settled, your first job is to transport the Red Gyarados to the river near Blackthorn City."

"Right! Yes, of course. Where are the, um, vehicles? Is there already a crew in place?"

"In the garage. It's over to the West. The others are already gathered in the vicinity."

"I'll go there now. Thank you, Sir." Lance saluted again and left. He was really getting the hang of this kissing up to superiors thing. 

Lance found the garage without a problem. It was a huge hangar, basically, filled with Team Rocket cars and trucks. Most of them were already occupied, and vehicles were streaming out of the hangar. Lance spotted a cluster of helicopters outside. Between them a huge net was strung. 

As he watched, the choppers lifted off and left in the direction of the lake, probably to pick up the Red Gyarados. 

The group was so disorganized Lance was surprised they'd managed to last this long. His guess was that only Petrel knew what was going on at any given time, so it would be harder for anyone to interrupt the plans. It was certainly working.  

Lance hurried to claim a car, chasing after the tail end of the caravan as they left for the river. He knew the helicopters were for transporting the pokemon, but Lance had no clue what all the cars were for. 

The red-head contacted Steven and Whitney on the way to Blackthorn City. "Hey, we've got a problem."

"Dude, you just got there. CHILL," Whitney said. 

"Well, the world is sorta at stake here, so this is just maybe important," Lance said, slightly distracted as he careened around narrow corners on his way to the river. 

"What's the emergency now?" Steven said. 

"There are cars. Lots of cars. And a very angry Gyarados, all heading for Blackthorn City."

"Wait, why would they need cars? Oh. Oh god, this is bad. Lance, you need to stop those cars. NOW." Steven sounded extremely worried. 

"Uh, that might be a little hard. . . "

"Find a way! Right now! They have the Gyarados, so they won't need the sound waves at the base anymore. Most likely, the cars are for taking their equipment to the city so they can make the pokemon there violent. There are innocent civilians there, Lance! You need to stop those cars!"

"Okay! I've got an idea," Lance said. 

Releasing Dragonite, Lance had it soar to the front of the caravan and blast a few tall trees to create a block. Tossing off the uniform to reveal his brand new G-men uniform underneath, Lance hopped on Aerodactyl and rushed to the helicopters just in time to see Gyarados escape into the river.

"Dragonite! Hyperbeam!" Lance ordered. Gyarados screamed in pain as the attack stopped it in its tracks. It fired an ice beam at Aerodactyl, incapacitating a wing. Lance had it return as he plummeted toward the river. "Little help here, Dragonite?"

The huge orange dragon swooped down, catching Lance on its back before curving gracefully up again. It fired another attack at Gyarados but the serpent was able to knock Lance off its back with its own hyperbeam. 

Lance found himself clinging to the crest atom Gyarados's head, with a very angry and powerful pokemon seething beneath him. Not a good position to be in.