A secret door will open to the Rocket base, which was revealed by a Rocket Grunt to be an old ninja hideout. When the player returns to Mahogany town and enters the Souvenir Shop, they will find Lance and his Dragonite threatening the man in the shop. When the player defeats or captures the Red Gyarados rampaging in the lake, Lance will arrive and congratulate the player for their battling and requests that the player help him find the source of the radio signals. They begin with petty things (such as cutting off the tails of Slowpoke to sell as food for a high price) before becoming more devious, such as a plan to use radio frequencies to artificially induce evolution in some Pokémon at the Lake of Rage near Mahogany town. Team Rocket has returned with a new attitude, since the disappearance of their leader Giovanni, and once again tries to take over the world, starting with the Johto region. This Trainer will become the player's rival for the course of the game, having several conflicts with the player as to what it means to be the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer. Upon the player's return to New Bark Town, they are informed that someone has broken into Professor Elm's lab and has stolen a Pokémon, the same Pokémon that the Trainer from earlier battled with (the Pokémon that the player's starter is weak against) even more so, that very same Trainer fits the description of the Pokémon thief. On the way back, the player is attacked by a spiteful and mysterious Pokémon Trainer.
Oak, convinced that the player has started their own Pokémon journey, gives them a Pokédex. The player meets Kanto's own Professor Oak during the errand for Elm. He provides the player with one of three Pokémon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile to help them get to Mr.
The player is called to Professor Elm's lab to run an errand. Pokémon Crystal Version's boxart, depicting Suicune.īoxart of Pocket Monsters Crystal Version.