Talk:Red Gyarados

Very few fans realize that the presence of the red Gyarados in the games is not caused by the induced evolution of the resident Magikarp. The anime intertwined the two events and used the connection as an excuse for the unusual coloring (the Magikarp retained its color upon evolving irregularly); the game dialogue never so much as hints at such a connection.

It is true that battling the red Gyarados triggers Lance's appearance, from which point the battle against Team Rocket ensues, eventually leading to the termination of the source of electromagnetic waves responsible for inducing evolution on Magikarp. However, that is the extent of it; the characters who actually reference the red Gyarados at Lake of Rage have nothing to do with the Team Rocket event.

Also of note is the fact that the report found in FireRed and LeafGreen pertains to plans of the electromagnetic waves incident; the news broadcast in Diamond and Pearl deals with the potential sighting of red Gyarados, not necessarily at Lake of Rage itself. Both of these are instances of a reference to Generation II events from different angles - plot continuity (FireRed and LeafGreen) and contemporary storylines (Diamond and Pearl).

It is incorrect to place Diamond and Pearl's beginning at the time of red Gyarados' appearance in Gold, Silver and Crystal. The news broadcast does not mention the appearance of the red Gyarados before a trainer in Johto, but rather pinpoints the Pokémon's background as being elusive and sought after. Therefore, it stands to reason that the Lake of Rage sighting takes place later on, possibly allowing for the Johto storyline to commence at the same time as that of Sinnoh. --Unown Lord 12:32, 13 January 2008 (UTC)