Pokemon Episode 316: Watt's With Wattson?

Scenario:
The episode begins with the narrator reminding everyone of Ash's previous gym battles. It then turns to a shot of the group in front of the Mauville Gym. Ash makes a fist exclaiming that he will do well. Brock tells him not to be overconfident and May and Max add in little pep talks. Ash then approaches the door and places his hand out to open it. As he does, the door gives way and falls down causing Ash to stumble inside. His friend's join him all standing on the fallen door. Bars suddenly pop up on the sides and Brock notices there's an electrical track below them.

The door has now turned into a horizontal escalator. A sliding door closes behind the group as it begins to move forward. Ash and co are a little nervous as it speeds along the trail. It begins to wind drastically and then goes uphill. Max is now extremely nervous at this, and May screams that she wants to get off. They make it to the top and the platform begins to plummet down roller coaster style. Everyone screams as the scene is viewed on a video screen. It zooms out to show that Wattson is that one enjoying his little prank. He laughs to himself as he watches them.

As he laughs away, a nerdy looking assistant approaches. He nervously asks Wattson if all this is really necessary, and Wattson replies that it keeps trainers on their toes. He then continues to laugh away. The platform speeds into an indoor lake and bounces forward. Ash and co are still holding on nervously. The assistant sighs again and says he should focus more on being a gym leader then having fun. Wattson tells him to close his mouth as the group is approaching the grand finale.

The platform leaves the lake and heads back into a tunnel. May shouts that the gym leader must be insane to put his challengers through this. The platform turns a corner where a sliding door opens. On the other side is a Raikou! Max is overjoyed to see it but something seems weird about the Pokemon. The Raikou roars and releases a massive thunderbolt, causing Ash and co to duck. Pikachu leaps off Ash's shoulder and uses thunderbolt, but the Raikou withstands it easily.

Pikachu then uses iron tail right on its head. Suddenly, electricity begins to build up and Pikachu cries out. Ash and co wonder what's happening as electricity sparks around Pikachu. An explosion then sends them all flying. When the dust clears, Raikou is missing its head. Max exclaims that it was actually a robot. Ash asks if Pikachu is all right and it turns around. A large grin forms on its face and it sparks wildly.

A door then opens and Wattson steps out laughing away. His assistant wearily follows. He begins to laugh hysterically while telling Ash and co they made it through his little prank. May is somewhat annoyed and demands to know who the gym leader is. Wattson laughs again and exclaims that he is the Mauville Gym leader. He then introduces his assistant. Ash is overjoyed and exclaims that he is here for a match. Wattson accepts and makes a small joke. He then laughs again.

On top of a hill overlooking the city, Team Rocket stands in front of a large power station. Jessie and James wonder what they are doing here and Meowth explains that it would be the perfect place to set up a Team Rocket base. This sparks an interest in his two friends, and they instantly agree. James opens the door to find the room is full of Voltorbs, Magnetons, and Magnemites. Jessie and Him shriek and close the door. Seconds later they open it to peek back inside. When they see the Pokemon are still there, they nervously close the door again.

They lean against the door wondering how to get rid of the electric types. After some pondering, they give up and start to walk off. Meowth instantly stops them. He explains to them about capturing the electric Pokemon and giving them to the boss. It then shows his daydream of the Voltorbs giving Giovanni a mild jolt to wake him up in the morning and the Magnetons powering his blow dryer. He ends by exclaiming that the boss will give them a promotion if they give him all those Pokemon. Jessie and James's interest is sparked anew, and they go all goo-goo eyed. They then all begin to cheer.

Back at the gym, Ash and Wattson have taken their sides of the battlefield. Wattson's assistant declares the usual rules of the match; exclaiming that it'll be a 3 on 3 match. Wattson tells Ash he is in for a hard match, and then begins to laugh. A Voltorb, Magnemite, and Magneton surround him. Max also thinks Ash will have a hard time. He remembers that Treecko is tough against electric types, but then adds in that it's also not good against steel types. May adds in that Corphish is weak against electricity, and Brock finishes with adding in that Taillow is as well. They all wonder what he's planning.

Pikachu then leaps from Ash's shoulder and he decides to go with it. Brock and May think it's the best choice. Wattson says Ash is good for a laugh, and then he does just that. He exclaims that using an electric type against his Pokemon is not a good choice. He then sends in Magnemite. It uses swift, but Pikachu easily dodges. Ash then tells it to counter with thunderbolt and Wattson laughs again. Pikachu launches the powered up attack, KOing Magnemite in one hit! It falls hard to the ground as Wattson looks on stunned.

Wattson's assistant also is amazed, but he puts the flag up signaling Pikachu a victory. Brock, Max, and May are all trying to figure out how Pikachu got more powerful. Wattson laughs exclaiming that it must have been a fluke. He then sends in Voltorb, but before it can attack, Pikachu shocks it too. Voltorb falls to the ground smoking. The assistant declares Pikachu the victor again. Wattson then sends in his strongest Pokemon- Magneton. It launches a massive thunder, but Pikachu counters with one of its own. The attack causes the ground to shatter and strikes Magneton hard. It too falls KOed.

Ash is declared the winner as Wattson looks on stunned. The battlefield is now smoking from the attack. Ash congratulates Pikachu as May and Brock remark on how strong it's gotten. Wattson is now looking very depressed, but he then cheers up and walks over to Ash. With a fake smile, he presents him with the Dynamo Badge. Then with a fake laugh, he walks off. His assistant watches him go, knowing he is down. He then turns to Ash who is holding Pikachu in his arms. It seems to be really ill.

At the Pokemon Center, Wattson hands his Pokeballs to Joy. She tells him to pick then up later and he thanks her. He then picks up his case and starts to walk off. Joy calls out, asking what is wrong with him. She remarks that he's not his usual cheery self. Wattson just says he isn't in the mood and heads out of the building. Seconds later, Ash and co rush in with Pikachu. Ash holds it out to Joy and she looks worried.

By the ocean, Wattson looks out to sea. He goes through the match in his head exclaiming that it was a total shut out. He then remarks that he may not be cut out for leading a gym. Suddenly, something pulls on his shirt. He turns to see an Electrike growling happily. Wattson smiles and asks what its doing. The Pokemon comes to his side and places its head on his lap. Wattson pets it as the Pokemon relaxes. He then takes out some Pokemon food and feeds it. As the Pokemon happily eats, Wattson lets out a low laugh.

At the Pokecenter, Nurse Joy has Pikachu connected to a large machine. Ash sadly watches as sparks fly everywhere. Nurse Joy studies the machine and explains that Pikachu has overloaded on electricity. She says though it may have powered Pikachu up, it also can't contain all of it. She turns to Ash and says it must have been caused by contact with a large amount of electrical activity. Ash recalls the Raikou incident and thinks it must have something to do with it.

Nurse Joy continues reading the machine and asks if they can recall anything. Brock speaks first, exclaiming that it came in contact with a Raikou. Nurse Joy is shocked and Ash explains what happened with the mechanical Raikou at the gym. Nurse Joy wonders why Wattson would play a prank like that, and then activates the machine. It begins to drain the electricity out of Pikachu. Soon it stops sparking and Pikachu seems better. Nurse Joy unhooks it and tells Ash that Pikachu will be fine. Ash thanks her and asks if Pikachu is ok. It smiles and puts up a paw, signaling it is.

Suddenly, Wattson's assistant rushes into the room. He tells Joy that Wattson is missing. Nurse Joy ponders for a second and them remarks that he wasn't his usual self at the center this morning. He then hands her a letter that he found at the gym. It's from Wattson, and it explains how he has gone to the mountains to think. It adds in that his loss to Ash has hit him hard, and he's trusting his Pokemon to the Pokecenter till he returns. Ash and co are shocked, and May tells Ash that the battle really wasn't fair. The assistant asks why and Ash explains how the Raikou bot powered up Pikachu. The assistant steps back surprised and Joy asks him where Wattson could've gone. He tells her that Wattson likes to go to the power plant, so there's a good chance he's there. Ash agrees to help find him as he feels bad.

Back on the mountainside, Wattson hugs Electrike. It licks him and he laughs, exclaiming that Electrike has made him forget all his troubles. Electrike then leaps from his arms and growls as electricity sparks around it. Wattson laughs exclaiming that it has a sparking personality, but then he realizes what it's growling at. Team Rocket is behind him in a giant Pokeball-like car with a vacuum sticking out the front. They head straight for the power plant. Meowth laughs as the vacuum smashes down the door and begins to suck the electric Pokemon out. They all appear in back of the car in a large cage. Jessie remarks on how easy this is and James puts his arms behind his head, exclaiming that he can just sit back and let the vacuum capture them. The Pokemon try to shock their way out of the cage, but it does nothing. Meowth giggles as he explains about the electricity proof cage.

Wattson rushes up and asks what they think they are doing. Team Rocket says their motto and Ash and co approach at the end of it. Wattson wonders what they are doing here and his assistant pleads for him to come back to the gym. Wattson puts his head down and says he can't. Ash then exclaims of how the match was a fluke and wasn't won fairly. Wattson turns around confused. Meowth then exclaims that now's the perfect time to catch Pikachu. The vacuum sucks it up and then Jessie says they should get Electrike too. The vacuum pulls it up as Wattson calls out to it. Ash tries to release a Pokemon, but James fires a net over the group. The car then speeds away as Pikachu and Electrike call out sadly.

Ash pulls the net off and begins to go after them, but Wattson stops them. He laughs as he says he has a better plan. Team Rocket cheers as they speed along the road. Suddenly, the Raikou bot appears in front of them. James recognizes what it is, and Meowth says there is something strange about it. Ash and co step up behind the bot and tell them to hand the Pokemon over. The Raikou roars and begins to spark. James says it sure acts like a real Raikou and Meowth nervously tries to tell them that it can't do anything. Jessie agrees with James and Meowth begins to as well.

Brock releases Forretress and May calls out Torchic. Forretress tries to rapid spin the car as Torchic embers them. James stares at Raikou who still isn't doing anything, but he and Jessie are still unsure. Wattson then tells Raikou to hold and his assistant wonders why. Wattson remarks that Raikou is to scare them while they get the Pokemon. He then makes a joke and laughs. His assistant just sighs. Pikachu tells the Pokemon to stop shocking the cage. It then begins to iron tail the bars and Electrike bites at them. The Pokemon all begin to ram it.

Jessie and James continue to watch the Raikou as it does nothing. James says it sure is taking a while, and Jessie says it's their chance to destroy it. She calls out Seviper and James releases Cacnea who hugs him like usual. Seviper uses poison tail on the Raikou, but to their surprise, the bot breaks into pieces. Team Rocket is shocked by this and Meowth exclaims that it really was a robot! Suddenly, the bars break from Pikachu and Electrike's attacks. The Pokemon rush out as James sees this. He informs the others and Jessie gets mad. She asks Meowth why he didn't make the cage durable, and he explains that all the money was put into making it shock proof. Jessie then pushes his head down.

Pikachu rushes to Ash and he picks it up. Electrike runs to Wattson who bends down to hug it. Jessie gets mad and wants to get the Pokemon back. She releases Seviper and James calls out Cacnea who hugs him. Jessie tells Seviper to use poison tail. Pikachu dodges and James has Cacnea use pin missile. Pikachu dodges again and uses thunderbolt on the Pokemon. It then sends them flying into the car with a quick attack. Jessie still isn't willing to give up and releases Dustox. It uses gust to blow Pikachu back. It then prepares for a psybeam, but Electrike uses thunder wave. With Dustox paralyzed, Pikachu uses thunderbolt, shocking all of the rockets and sending them blasting off.

Pikachu smiles pleased with itself. Ash congratulates it and then the other Pokemon. Pikachu walks up to Electrike and signals that it helped. Ash then walks up to Wattson and holds up the Dynamo Badge. With his head down, he explains that Wattson should have it back as the match was a fluke. Wattson is confused and his assistant explains what happened with Pikachu. Wattson turns to Ash and tells him to keep it. Ash wonders why and Wattson explains that Pikachu us strong even when it isn't powered up. He adds in that Ash showed his skills by defeating Team Rocket, and it was his fault Pikachu as powered up anyways.

Ash thanks him and holds up his new Dynamo Badge. Brock, May, and Max all congratulate him on his victory. Wattson then picks up Electrike and says he's made a new friend. It growls happily in his arms. His assistant then asks if he will be returning to the gym. Wattson explains that he was feeling pretty low, but Electrike cheered him up and made him realize that gym leaders are not unbeatable. He then adds in that he has no remorse for loosing to a skilled trainer like Ash. His assistant begins to cry; moved by the speech. Wattson then makes a joke and everyone laughs as the scene rises to the sky.

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Pokemon Episode 315: A Pokéblock Party!

Scenario:
Well, Ash and co have finally made it to Mauville City. Ash overlooks the city as his friends catch up. Ash is now getting excited to compete for his third badge. Our heroes enter the city to find a billboard. On it is a poster for the Pokemon Trick House. Ash wonders what it is and Max reads the sign out loud. When he gets to the point about whoever makes it through gets a lifetime supply of Pokeblocks, May instantly wants to go. She hops up and down exclaiming that the Pokeblocks would help her greatly in the next contest. Brock agrees and Ash continues to read the sign.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, Team Rocket is also reading the sign on a pole. Meowth remarks that the lifetime supply of Pokeblocks would prove useful. Jessie agrees as they would help Dustox win. James adds in that they could sell some for profit. In another part of the city, our old friend Jigglypuff notices the sign. With a grin on its face, it happily heads towards the trick house.

Ash and co make it to the Trick house to finds loads of people waiting outside. Ash wonders why it's so packed and Max remarks that the Pokeblocks must be enticing. Suddenly, he is knocked forward. Max holds his head and turns around to come face to face with a Whismur. Max recognizes what it is and Ash scans it with the Pokedex. May remarks that it's pretty cute. Suddenly, a girl rushes up and picks Whismur up. She scolds it for running off, and then apologizes to the group. Ash and co say it was no problem and the girl introduces herself as Akina. She explains that like the others, she is here to win those Pokeblocks.

Suddenly, a man's voice is heard on the loudspeaker. Everyone turns their attention to the stage in front of the trick house where a funny looking man appears. Next to him is the boxes of Pokeblocks. He announces that today only he has opened his Trick house to the public. Inside is floor after floor of puzzles and mazes. He then points to the Pokeblocks and exclaims that whoever emerges victorious will receive them. At this, the crowd begins to applaud. The man then turns to the building where three entrances are. He tells everyone that the first task is to choose a door. After some more talk, he begins to descend back into the floor.

May comments that he is quite the inspirational speaker and Akina nods. Ash runs up to the doors and tries to decide which one to pick. Max rushes off into the right one. Brock calls out to him and follows. May asks Akina if she would like to join them and she agrees. Ash, May, and Akina then rush into the left entrance. Team Rocket appear by the doors disguised as troop scouts. They wonder which door to pick and Jessie suggests they each pick one to triple their chances. James and Meowth agree and they all cheer.

Ash, May, and Akina walk down a long corridor with Whismur by their side. Seconds later Jigglypuff appears. It grins and continues to follow them. Ash and co make it to a large maze complete with many doors. Akina and May think it looks difficult, but Ash isn't worried. He begins to brag as he walks confidently into the maze. He doesn't go to far when he comes to a dead end. May laughs and Ash sulks.

Somewhere else in the maze, Max and Brock argue over which way to go. Brock says they should go left, but Max points down the right hallway. He exclaims that he picked right before, so he wants to again. Without Brock, he starts to walk down the hall, but comes to a dead end. Brock sighs and says he told him so as Max stares awkwardly at the wall.

Ash and co come to a part of the maze with doors on either side. May and Akina discuss which one to take, when suddenly the door behind them opens. Out pops the announcer man from before. He gives them a riddle about which door to take, then opens a nearby one and rushes inside. What he forgot is that the doorway is blocked and he smashes into it. Dazed, he comes back into the hallway and makes a joke. No one laughs but him. Ash and co stare awkwardly at him till he disappears back into the door. Akina thinks he's funny but May just thinks he's weird. Ash then directs them down the hall.

As they walk down it, James and Meowth spy them. James notices Whismur and Meowth says they should follow the twerps and nab it. James wonders why and Meowth has a day dream of it acting like an alarm clock for Giovanni. He then adds in that it could signal lunch time too. With a final thought of getting a raise, James is enticed. The two put their hands up and cheer.

Ash asks May if her path lead anywhere. She replies that it's a dead end. It then shows a top view showing that each of them have taken a separate path. Ash and May have come across dead ends, but Akina comes to a fork in the maze. She tells Whismur to check one while she checks the other. Whismur happily walks down the path when James grabs it. Meowth and him rush off happy. Akina returns seconds later after coming to a dead end. She calls to Whismur, but it doesn't respond. Ash and May approach and she says she can't find Whismur.

Jessie is walking close by and hears them. She watches them call for Whismur and notices Pikachu. She laughs to herself, exclaiming of how perfect it is. As Pikachu calls out, she sneaks up behind it with a sack. Just as she reaches it, it starts to turn. Thinking she's been spotted, Jessie rushes back down the path, but Pikachu takes no notice. Suddenly, Jigglypuff appears in front of Ash and co. May and Akina think it's adorable, but Ash is nervous. He recognizes it and begs it not to sing, but it's too late. Jigglypuff begins its song putting Ash and co along with Jessie asleep. Like always, it becomes mad and pulls out the marker!

May and Akina wake up laughing hysterically at each other's faces. Ash wipes the marker off his and explains to them that they should stop fooling around and find Whismur and a way out. May and Akina agree, and the group heads off down the path leaving Jessie asleep. James and Meowth soon find her. James holds Whismur in his hands covering the mouth. Jessie wipes the marker from her face as James shows off his capture. She suggests they get a move on and Meowth points down the hall. He starts to walk down it, but smashes into a wall. Jessie and James look on embarrassedly.

Ash and co have now met up with Brock and Max. Akina explains how she can't find Whismur. Max asks where they last saw it and Ash explains that it's been gone for awhile. Brock reminds them that there are countless halls in the maze and it could take a while to find it. Max walks up to the wall and begins to inspect it. Ash and co wonder what he's doing and he explains that mazes always have secret doors. Suddenly, the wall swings open and Max falls forward. Ash and co exit to find they have made it out of the maze.

To their shock, the trick house man climbs over the wall to greet them. He congratulates them on making it out of the maze, but its cut short when he slips and falls. Ash and co sigh. May then reminds Akina that Whismur is still lost in the maze and suggests that they go back and look for it. Akina isn't too sure about that plan. Just to the left, Team Rocket emerges from another hidden door still holding Whismur. Happy to be out, they start to walk off. Akina notices Whismur and rushes up to them. She thanks James for finding it and pulls it away as Team Rocket looks on stunned.

Ash and co approach to thank them as well. Jessie and James just sigh. Suddenly, Jigglypuff appears above them. It happily smiles and Max is excited. May says he shouldn't be and Jigglypuff begins to sing. Soon, everyone is asleep. Jigglypuff gets angry and pulls out the marker. It then notices Whismur is wide awake and happily dancing. It becomes confused, and then jumps for joy. It happily leaps down and joins Whismur's dance.

May and Akina wake up laughing at each other again as the others wipe their faces. Akina then looks to Whismur and wonders why it wasn't markered. Max cuts in explaining that Whismur has the sound proof ability which causes it not to be affected by attacks like sing Akina says she didn't know that. The group then heads off leaving Team Rocket and the trick man sleeping. Team Rocket awakens several minutes later. Jessie and James are crying at their loss of Whismur and Meowth suggests they catch up with the twerps and resteal it.

Ash and co have now come to the second obstacle, a set of log bridges over a waterfall. Ash reluctantly begins to cross one. The other follow and the trick man appears on the second log. He starts to speak, but his log breaks and he falls into the waterfall. With a small riddle, he sinks under the water. May says he is starting to get on her nerves as they continue over the log. Team Rocket appears at the other end. They remark on how following the twerps will make winning the Pokeblocks a piece of cake. Just for some insurance, Jessie smashes into the log and causes Ash and co to fall into the water. Team Rocket then rushes laughing across the log.

Ash and co surface wondering what happened. Team Rocket then makes it to the third obstacle, which are a bunch of ropes over a river. They easily swim over as the trick man announces that they have taken the lead. He then tries to swing over himself, but the rope falls short and he crashes into the wall. Ash and co look over embarrassedly. They then each grab a rope and Akina asks if Whismur is ready as she picks it up. It nods and they all swing. At the halfway point, James launches a large mechanical hand which smacks into the group and causes them to fall into the river below. The three laugh and head off to the next challenge.

The next challenge is a set of ropes that all lead up to a colored box. The trick man climbs one and explains that only one of the ropes tops leads to the next floor and the rest are booby trapped. He makes it to the top of his and a hammer hits him over the head. He falls down stunned as May sighs. Ash picks a rope and begins to climb. Everyone follows, but when they make it to the top James appears. He grins and cuts the rope sending them falling down. Ash holds his head in pain and remarks that he's beginning to think those three don't play fair.

Team Rocket makes it to the next challenge. A bunch of others are already trying it, but they all fall into the ground. This challenge is a big room of sand that contains pitfalls everywhere. With a few encouraging words. The three start across, but fall into a hole moments later. Ash and co see this and wonder what they have to do. The trick man appears and says the group must carefully make it across, but he suddenly falls into one of the holes. May and Akina look down into it and sigh. Ash is overconfident and begins to walk across, but immediately falls into a hole.

After some time, they manage to make it to challenge six. They enter to find an empty room. Suddenly, Jessie and James appear disguised as employees of the trick house .They say the next challenge is the jump rope one, in which all of the group must jump rope. Ash and co are confident they can do this one well and they each begin to jump as Jessie and James spins the rope. After some time, the group thinks they've won and they stop jumping. As they cheer, Jessie and James tie them up with the rope and stuff Pikachu and Whismur into a sack.

Ash and co soon realize that they aren't trick house employees. Team Rocket grins and pulls off their costumes to return to their scout ones. As they say their motto, they then reveal themselves as Team Rocket. Ash asks what they are doing here, and they explain that they came for Pikachu, Whismur, and the Pokeblocks. Ash pulls his hand through the rope and releases Corphish. It cuts the rope with vice grip and Ash thanks it.

Jessie calls out Seviper and James releases Cacnea. It hugs him, and then uses spike cannon. Corphish uses harden and the spikes bounce off. It then uses crab hammer on Meowth, sending the bag flying. Akina rushes up and grabs Whismur. After making sure Pikachu is ok, she sends her Pokemon into battle. Jessie laughs at how pathetic it looks. She then orders Seviper to wrap it. It does so, but Whismur then uses uproar. Everyone winces and grabs their ears as the uproar continues. Akina then orders a supersonic which causes Seviper to let go. Finally, she has it use hyper voice. The attack strikes both Cacnea and Seviper, hurting them badly. Ash then has Corphish use crab hammer, sending the team smashing through the roof and blasting off.

Back outside, Ash and co join the crowd who are watching the winner receive his prize. The trick man hands him a certificate and the boxes of Pokeblocks. The kid struggles to hold it all as the announcer continues his speech. He finally looses his balance and topples over. May sighs and Akina laughs. May then asks Akina if she's disappointed in loosing, but she says she isn't. She happily smiles at Whismur who is breathing heavily in her arms. May comments that all those loud attacks must have taken a lot out of it. Max then comments that they should head to the gym now and Ash agrees.

May suddenly remembers Jigglypuff and wonders what happened to it. Ash and co do to when it suddenly appears on stage. It begins to sing, and the trick man along with everyone else falls asleep. Jigglypuff gets angry, and then notices Whismur in the crowd. It happily jumps down and dances by it, but Whismur collapses from exhaustion. Jigglypuff becomes enraged, and soon everyone including Whismur is covered in graffiti. With everyone asleep, Jigglypuff angrily storms off into the forest.

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Pokemon Episode 314: A Different Kind of Misty!

Scenario:
It's a beautiful and foggy morning in the forests of Hoenn. On top of a large hill is a lighthouse that overlooks the entire area. At the top a small boy is polishing a stone. He suddenly hears a noise behind him and turns to see Team Rocket. Meowth demands that he hand over the stone, but the boy refuses. Jessie and James say he doesn't have a choice and grab him. The boy tries to scream but they place a sticker with a red X over his mouth and tie him up. After throwing him aside, Meowth grabs the stone and the three do a happy dance. They then leap into the balloon and float away.

The boy's older sister happily walks up the stairs. What she sees when she reaches the top is her brother struggling on the ground. She unties him and asks what happened. The boy frightfully cries out that the lighthouse stone, the source of light for the surrounding area, has been stolen!

Meanwhile, Ash and co are now traveling up a steep mountain cliff. The fog is very thick and May is a bit scared. Brock agrees and says they should make camp till it clears. Ash however, doesn't want to let the fog get the better of them and proceeds to head on. He then gets his foot caught in a root and trips into a puddle. Everyone laughs as he lies there stunned. The group takes a break in the forest so Ash's clothes can dry. Ash is a little perturbed by his fall, and he mopes on a rock. Max checks the Pokenav to see that the only way to Mauville is through these woods, so they'll have to head through the fog sooner or later. Ash suddenly hears a familiar voice.

Team Rocket is now floating through the fog in their balloon. Meowth wonders what kind of affect the stone will have on electric types and the three suddenly hear Pikachu. Jessie exclaims that she could have sworn she just heard Pikachu and James says he did as well. They look through the fog to see that their balloon is passing by a cliff. On this cliff are Ash and the others.

Ash gets up and asks why they are here. Jessie exclaims that they didn't come for Pikachu, and Meowth cuts in exclaiming that they might as well steal it now that they are here. James releases Cacnea and tells it to use pin missile. The attack heads straight for Ash and co, but Ash has Pikachu use iron tail. It strikes the barbs and deflects them back at Team Rocket. Their balloon blows back and the stone falls out. Pikachu leaps on it and uses thunderbolt. The attack strikes the balloon while causing the stone to glow. The balloon then pops and Team Rockets falls down the cliff and into the river below.

Ash and co's celebration is short-lived when they notice the glowing stone. Pikachu leaps off of it and it stops. Ash picks it up and exclaims that it is no ordinary stone. Suddenly, the brother and sister from before rush up. The girl calls Ash and thief and tells him to drop the stone as her brother stays quiet. Ash says he didn't steal anything, but she still doesn't believe him. She calls out a Magnemite and Ash has Pikachu quick attack it. To the girl's surprise, it is KO'd in one hit.

She looks at her brother Kazuchi and tells him they have to retrieve the stone. He begins to say that they don't look like the thieves, but she pressures him so much that he pulls out two Pokeballs. He tosses them and a Plusle and Minun appear. Ash and May step up and scan them with their Pokedexes. Kazuchi tells his Pokemon to use helping hand. They rush to Magnemite and begin to charge up electricity. Ash and May wonder what they are doing when they touch tails. Lightning emits from them and launches into the sky. After some time it falls back to the earth and revitalizes Magnemite.

Magnemite launches a thunderbolt at Ash and co just missing them. Ash yells for the girl to cut it out and Brock waves his hands, exclaiming that he wants a truce. The girl says they want the stone and will do whatever it takes to retrieve it. Ash looks down at it and realizes that he's holding it. He walks up and hands it to her and the girl apologizes.

As they do, Team Rocket appears from the cliff. They are battered and bruised but still demand the stone. Ash and co refuse and the team lunges. Kazuchi holds on to his sister, exclaiming that they are the ones who took the stone. Ash steps up and has Pikachu use thunderbolt sending them blasting off. Kazuchi is in awe at Ash and Pikachu. After, Ash hands the stone back to the girl. She apologizes again for what happened and introduces herself as Izuna. May, Max, and Brock introduce themselves also and Ash asks what the stone is for.

Izuna takes the group to the lighthouse. There she places the stone back into the pedestal. She then begins to explain what it is. She begins by explaining that the surrounding forest is always thick with fog and the only way for travelers to get through it is to light the way with the lighthouse. She then explains that the stone has been the source of light for centuries. Ash asks how it works and Izuna has Plusle and Minun show him. The two leap onto the pedestal and touch the stone. It begins to light up. She explains that electric Pokemon have the power to charge the stone.

Izuna comments that the group seems to be very fond of Pokemon. Brock blushes and begins to flirt but Max reminds him that she was referring to Ash. May then remarks that Ash must be cold up here. He gets the chills and sneezes exclaiming that he is a bit. He then remembers his vest and pulls it out. It seems to be dry so he puts it back on. At this, Kazuchi goes insane with excitement. He exclaims that Ash must be the one. Izuna isn't so sure but Kazuchi says he matches it perfectly. Ash is confused.

Izuna and Kazuchi show Ash and co a small inscription on the pedestal. They explain that it states that one day the stone will fall under attack and a mysterious boy in blue with a Pikachu will cease the attack. Kazuchi adds in that the person will teach the stone's protector how to defend himself, and in doing so, the protector will dispend whatever evil befalls it. Izuna tells him not to get his hopes up, but Kazuchi insists that Ash is the one. He grabs Ash by the arms and asks if he will teach him. Ash is nervous, but says he'll try. May and Max are shocked.

Kazuchi leads the group through the forest. He explains to them that he has to tell everyone in the town about this. Izuna sighs and apologizes to Ash for what is happening. Ash doesn't seem to mind. Izuna explains that when Kazuchi gets something in his mind, it's very hard for him to give it up. May smiles and says he must be a determined kid. Max thinks they are wasting their time. Ash is starting to get excited.

The group makes it to a small town where Kazuchi declares that they have found the one. The townspeople begin to look at him and an old man appears from a nearby door. He asks what's going on and Izuna whispers into his ear. The old man happily declares that Kazuchi should invite his mentor for lunch. Kazuchi does so and adds in that May and the others can stay too. Brock begins to flirt with Izuna.

Ash sits on the back porch sipping tea when Kazuchi and his Pokemon approach. He nervously explains that he would like to be more like Ash, and asks if he can teach him to be a confident trainer. Ash looks at Izuna. She nods signaling for him to go along with it. Ash agrees and Kazuchi, Plusle, and Minun jump for joy. Izuna seems happy that her brother is. Ash begins by explaining the basics of calling on your Pokemon. He shows off his battle smile and has Kazuchi do the same. He doesn't do it the best, and Ash shows it off more while Pikachu leaps up smiling. Kazuchi does it again and his Pokemon leap up.

Ash then moves on to lesson 2. He teaches Kazuchi some battle poses and they both begin to run around the field. Max and May laugh at this, and Izuna is happy to see her brother working so hard. She explains that he used to always cower in the lighthouse unconfidently even when Plusle and Minun tried to bring his spirits up. She then notices the fog is starting to come in bad and the lighthouse needs to be lit up. She rushes off. Ash tells Kazuchi that it's time to use what he learned, so they follow.

At the lighthouse, Izuna has Magnemite charge up the stone. As Ash and Kazuchi approach, a giant Zapdos robot appears through the fog. Team Rocket emerges on top of the head and say their motto. They then leap inside and explain how they aren't giving up their chances at the stone. James tells Meowth to get on with it and he presses a switch. Two saws appear from the Zapdos and begin to chop away at the top of the lighthouse. It ends up falling off and exposing Izuna and the stone. The top lands in front of Ash and Kazuchi who back away.

Izuna tells Magnemite to shock the robot, but it isn't affected. Meowth presses another switch and two hands emerge. One grabs the startled Magnemite and the other grabs the stone. Ash and Kazuchi make it to the top just after. Pikachu also tries to shock it, but nothing happens. Izuna turns to Kazuchi and tells him to try. Kazuchi tells Plusle and Minun to power Pikachu up with helping hand. Izuna stops him, exclaiming that he needs to learn to battle himself instead of powering up others to do it for him. Kazuchi knows this, but he becomes nervous and a hand nabs Pikachu. Brock and the others approach just as it happens.

Pikachu tires to shock the hand, but nothing happens. Jessie comments that with Pikachu they don't need Magnemite. Meowth agrees and presses a button. The hand tosses it away and Izuna catches it. Team Rocket then laughs and begins to fly away. Ash calls out as they disappear into the fog. Kazuchi falls to the ground moping. He is mad at himself for letting them get away with Pikachu. Plusle and Minun try to console him. Ash then says it wasn't his fault and they'll get Pikachu and the stone back. He leaps up and calls out into the fog, telling Pikachu to thunderbolt the stone to show them where it is. Kazuchi doesn't think it'll be able to hear him. Brock cuts in. He explains that though they may be apart, Ash and Pikachu share a special bond, and it will hear him.

Ash calls out again, and Pikachu hears him. It begins to thunderbolt the stone, lighting it up. Ash sees it and begins to rush off. As he passes Kazuchi, he exclaims that now's his chance to prove the inscription right. Kazuchi nods and follows. Team Rocket sit outside the robot having a victory feast. The stone stops glowing and Pikachu shocks it again. It is beginning to tire and Jessie laughs. She says it's just wasting energy and Meowth and James remark that Ash and co will never find them.

Suddenly, Ash and co appear next to them. Izuna demands they hand the stone over, but Team Rocket refuses and retreats to the Zapdos mecha. They begin to take off, but Kazuchi has Plusle and Minun shock it. They touch tails and release a massive thunder, but the mecha isn't affected. Team Rocket laughs inside. Suddenly, Brock notices Pikachu is glowing. Everyone realizes that the attack is charging it up. Pikachu releases a massive thunder frying the bot. The hands let it and the stone go. Ash catches Pikachu while Izuna catches the stone. The Zapdos bot falls to earth frying. Jessie yells that it isn't fair and Meowth remarks that Pikachu always ruins everything. The mecha crashes and Kazuchi tells his Pokemon to charge each other up. They face each other and use thunderbolt. Once they gather enough energy, they race at the mecha and smash into it, sending Team Rocket blasting off as the mecha explodes.

The smoke clears and Plusle and Minun leap back to Kazuchi. Izuna congratulates him and May says he could be a great trainer. Max adds in that using Plusle and Minun's in combination was great. Kazuchi thanks them and congratulates his Pokemon. They happily smile.

With the stone back in place, Ash and co say their goodbyes to the siblings. Kazuchi comments that the inscription was right, and Ash is now his mentor. Ash laughs embarrassedly as May grins back. Brock begins to flirt with Izuna, but Max pulls him away. Ash and May say goodbye to the siblings and begin to head off. They wave to each other, and Plusle and Minun call out as the scene rises.

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Pokemon Episode 313: Jump For Joy!

Scenario:
The episode begins at a Pokemon Center on a high cliff. Nurse Joy is in a small room busily typing away at her computer. A small wind begins to rustle some papers on her desk and she turns to see the window is open. Confused, she gets up to close it. Suddenly, a large creature smashes through and lands behind her. Nurse Joy turns to see a large brown Pokemon with gleaming red eyes. She screams in horror as the scene changes.

Meanwhile Ash and co have made it to the front door of the center. Ash wonders why they built the center so high on the mountains and Brock turns. He looks out over the forest where a very large tree towers above the others. He exclaims that it gives them a great view of the surrounding area. Max then cuts in, exclaiming that Ash should get his Pokemon checked on from Nurse Joy before they head off to the next gym. Brock hears Nurse Joy's name and gets all lovey-dovey. They all agree and walk inside.

Inside, Ash and co approach the front desk. The lobby is very elegant, with a chandelier above and stairs leading to an upper area of the center. Brock calls for Joy, but she doesn't respond. Ash wonders where she could be when Pikachu smells something. It begins to ascend the stairs as Ash and co give chase. Pikachu ducks into a room and everyone follows. Inside is the computer room Joy was in minutes before. However, there is no Joy, papers litter the floor, and the window is open. Ash then notices Pikachu is asleep on the ground. He rushes in and tries to wake it, but ends up falling asleep as well. May wonders what happened.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket relaxes in the branches of a tree. Jessie leans against the trunk, exclaiming how relaxing it is. James and Meowth agree. Suddenly, the large brown Pokemon flashes by with Nurse Joy slung over its shoulder. It a gust of wind, Team Rocket is thrown from the tree. They land hard in the bushes below. They hold their heads in pain and Meowth looks up. The large Pokemon can now be seen as a Shiftry. It lands on a branch where several Seedots have hung themselves up. It gives out a call then proceeds to leap away.

Jessie and James wonder what's up and Meowth gets an idea. He says that if they capture the Shiftry and send it to the boss; he'll have someone to fan him in the morning when he wakes up. He then adds in that the boss will be so happy that he'll give them all promotions! Jessie and James are enticed by this and they begin to cheer. After, Wobbuffet pops out and Jessie tells them to get moving.

Back at the center, Brock has finally gotten Ash and Pikachu to wake up. He examines Pikachu and finds some dust on its nose. He inspects it and exclaims that something left sleep powder in the room. May examines the computer to find a document Nurse Joy was working on. Brock goes heart eyed and hovers behind her. Max then notices a security camera and states that they can watch the video to see what happened.

In the security room, Max rewinds the tape to when Nurse Joy was at the computer. They watch the whole scene play out, and Max recognizes the Pokemon as a Shiftry. Ash scans it with the dex, and they watch some more as Shiftry blows sleep powder onto Joy. She falls asleep and it grabs her, and then leaps out the window. Brock is now in a rage. He exclaims that they have to find Joy as Ash, Max, and May wonder where it could've taken her. They look out the window to see the giant tree, and Ash says it must have something to do with Shiftry. Brock jumps up with fire in his eyes, exclaiming that they are going there.

Shiftry continues to leap through the forest with Joy slung over its shoulder. It crosses a lake and into the forest again. Some Nuzleaf then enter the scene behind it. Ash and co are heading down the trail through the forest. The tree appears ahead and the group begins to pick up the pace. Suddenly, a large amount of Oddishes enter the road. They begin to spray sleep powder. May is ready though and has Beautifly blow it away with gust. The Oddishes disappear and the group presses on.

Meanwhile, Shiftry has finally made it inside the big tree. Outside, Ash and co begin to see large red eyes glare at them from the bushes. May is frightened, but they just turn out to be a group of Seedot. They launch a barrage of bullet seeds at the group, who leap into the bushes. Ash and co wonder why the Pokemon are attacking them and Max exclaims that they must be protecting the tree. Brock agrees, and exclaims that they have to find a way inside.

Inside, Shiftry places Nurse Joy down on a platform and watches her. Outside, Ash and co continue to get pelted with bullet seeds. They take refuge behind some bushes as May freaks out. Ash orders Pikachu to shock them, but Max reminds him that they are grass types which aren't too hurt from electric attacks. May agrees and releases Torchic. She has it use ember, causing all the grass Pokemon to rush into the forest. May thanks her Pokemon as it happily jumps into her arms. The group then heads back toward the tree. Team Rocket emerges from the bushes. Jessie exclaims that they have to get there first and they rush off with Wobbuffet trailing behind.

Inside, Shiftry continues to watch Nurse Joy. She begins to stir and opens her eyes to see the Pokemon right in her face. She backs away frightened, but notices that Shifty doesn't move. Ash and co are now at the lake Shiftry passed by. Pikachu leaps onto a rock and signals that Shiftry passed by here. Brock becomes more enraged when suddenly rocks begin to smash everywhere. Ash and co watch as several Nuzleaf emerge. They launch bullet seeds at them as Ash and co run.

Meanwhile, Nurse Joy begins to back away from Shiftry. She breaks into a run, but soon stops. She looks down to see she is very high up in the tree. Ash and co continue to run as the Nuzleaf give chase. Max suggests that Ash use Taillow as grass are weak against flying. Ash releases it and it wing attacks the group. They rush off into the forest and Ash recalls his Pokemon. Max and May wonder why the Pokemon are going to such lengths to protect the tree, and Brock thinks there is more to this puzzle then what seems. Ash suggests they make it to the tree and find out.

Team Rocket emerges from the rocks. Jessie exclaims that the twerps are doing everything for them. James agrees and says they don't have to break a sweat. Meowth comments that they just let the twerps take care of every Pokemon and follow them to the Shiftry. They all cheer once more. Inside the tree, Joy gets nervous as Shiftry takes a step toward her. She finally builds up the courage and asks what it wants when all the grass Pokemon rush inside. She wonders what they are doing here and the wind begins to pick up.

The Pokemon begin to separate creating a trail. A Seedot approaches Joy and motions to follow it. She does so and at the top is a very sick Nuzleaf. Joy rushes to inspect it as Shiftry approaches. She realizes why it kidnapped her and says she'll do whatever she can, but they have to trust her. Shiftry nods. Suddenly, a Nuzleaf enters and motions that intruders are approaching. Shiftry becomes enraged and the winds pick up as it leaps out of the tree.

Ash and co rush along the trail when Shiftry appears in front of them in a gust of wind. Ash tells it to hand Joy over, but it refuses. He then calls out Treecko. It starts out with a quick attack, but misses Shiftry by a long shot. It looks up to see Shiftry above. Shiftry releases a bullet seed and Treecko back flips away. Ash orders a slam and Treecko leaps into the air. Both Pokemon are now sky high and Treecko comes down to smash Shiftry, but it blows away. The Pokemon land facing each other.

Ash tells his friends to head to the tree. They agree and Pikachu follows. Some Nuzleaf try to bullet seed them, but Pikachu shocks them. Treecko and Shiftry continue to fight, each one missing. Shiftry then gets off a hit, but Treecko gets one of its own. Both Pokemon lunge and smash into each other. They fall back breathing heavily. Suddenly, Team Rocket appears laughing. They begin to say the motto, but Meowth and Wobbuffet cut in saying their names instead of the usual. Jessie and James get mad and bat them away and a fight for the motto ensues.

After the scene, the team demands that Ash hand over Shiftry. He refuses and they stare each other down. Brock and the others continue to head for the tree. They begin to climb it as they reach the bottom. Inside, Nurse Joy places a wet towel on Nuzleaf's forehead. Suddenly, Brock and co rush in. The other Pokemon crowd angrily around and Joy asks who they are. Brock introduces himself, exclaiming that he has come to rescue her. Joy interrupts, saying she doesn't need rescuing. Brock is confused and the group then notices the sick Nuzleaf.

The approach and realize why the Shiftry kidnapped her. May then explains that one of their friends is battling it right now and Joy becomes worried. She exclaims that it needs to get back here as Nuzleaf is very ill and needs water. Meanwhile, Shiftry angrily glares at Team Rocket. They begin to worry and are rewarded with a razor wind dead on. As they blast off, Wobbuffet holds the rose in its mouth and applauds.

Shiftry then releases another razor wind on Treecko, but it leaps up. Shiftry join it and uses bullet seed, smashing it hard into the ground. Ash runs up as Joy tells Shiftry to stop. Brock explains to Ash what happened. Nurse Joy then informs Shiftry that Max and May are taking care of Nuzleaf right now, but they need some water for its leaf. Brock agrees to accompany it and he leaps on its back. It begins to leap away as Brock screams struggling to hold on.

Nurse Joy wipes Nuzleaf leaf with water and they all wait in anticipation. Come morning, Nuzleaf is healed! Everyone cheers and Nuzleaf smiles. Shiftry nods in thanks then heads off. At the Pokemon Center, Ash and co wave goodbye to Joy and the grass Pokemon. As they head off, Nurse Joy looks out at the large tree to see Shiftry watching from the tops. She smiles and the episode ends.

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Pokemon Episode 312: The Spheal of Approval

Scenario:
Ash and co are now heading through the streets of Slateport after May's Pokemon Contest. May begins to exclaim how exciting the contest was and how she can't wait for her next one. Max is confused and reminds her that she was very depressed when she lost. May says she forgot all about that and is going to win next time. Ash laughs and says she is like him and Pikachu when it comes to winning. Brock agrees and then suggests that they stock up before heading out. May hears shopping and instantly wants to join him. Max heads off in the opposite direction with Ash, and they agree to meet up later. Ash and Max decide to head to the Sea Museum, but to their shock; it's closed. Ash checks the guidebook and says it should be open. Max gets angry and walks to the side of the building. He begins to try and climb up, but ends up falling.

He holds his rear in pain as a small boy approaches. He yells at Max ands asks what he's doing here. Max nervously says that he just wanted to get a closer look, but the kid gets angrier. He says that he is Yousuke, the protector of the museum. Ash steps up and asks what's going on. Yousuke says they are trespassing, and Ash is confused. Yousuke releases a Spheal and tells it to attack. It appears clapping happily. Ash scans the Pokemon with his Pokedex. Yousuke orders a water gun, but his Pokemon just happily claps away. He sighs and tells it again, but Spheal just turns and water guns him in the face! Yousuke is now even angrier and he orders a body slam. Spheal leaps at Ash and Max, but they dodge and it hits the wall. It ricochets off and back into Yousuke. Yousuke falls to the ground as Spheal happily claps on top of him. Ash and Max embarrassedly laugh. Ash says he could use a few pointers in battle and Max agrees. Yousuke leaps up exclaiming that he's a great trainer. He orders a powder snow, but Pikachu uses thunderbolt taking it out. Yousuke is shocked as his Pokemon rolls back. He wonders why it was a 1 hit KO and Max steps up. He explains that Spheal is a water type and therefore is weak to electric attacks. He then adds in that he and Ash think he needs some more practice in battle. Ash apologizes and tries to explain that he meant it in a nice way.

Yousuke realizes he needs to get Spheal to the Pokemon Center and recalls it. A man steps out from behind the building. He looks a lot like Yousuke. He recognizes Yousuke and says he has been looking for him. Yousuke turns and refers to him as Kusunoki, his father. Ash and Max are confused and Yousuke explains that his father runs the Sea Museum and gave him his Spheal. Max is intrigued and says he's pretty lucky. Yousuke laughs and begins to brag. He then tells Max that at least he has a Pokemon. Max gets mad and reminds him of how his battle skills aren't too good. Yousuke falls off his high horse at this. Kusunoki then steps up and formally introduces himself. Ash and Max do the same and Kusunoki offers to give them a tour of the museum. Team Rocket spies on the scene with binoculars. James remarks that they should figure out a way to snatch Pikachu and Jessie agrees. She then adds in that Spheal is incredibly cute and she fakes a cuddle. James suggests that they sell something to cool people off. Meowth nods and they cheer as Wobbuffet pops out. Inside, Ash and Max admire a large Wailord sculpture hung from the ceiling. Kusunoki then shows them to some more sculptures of water Pokemon. Yousuke approaches them and says that water Pokemon are the greatest, but he really wants a Gyarados. Ash is shocked and says that Gyarados is a strong Pokemon. He then adds in that Yousuke should train Spheal more first. Max agrees and says that Gyarados is a hard Pokemon to train, and if he can't train a Spheal, he certainly will have no luck with one. A sweat drop appears on Yousuke and he changes the subject. Yousuke shows the group to a model of an underwater exploring device.

He explains that his father uses them to pick artifacts from the ocean floor and to study the habits of underwater Pokemon. Ash and Max think it's neat. Kusunoki then goes over to his desk and pulls a case from it. He returns to Ash and Max and opens the case up. He explains that he recently found this on one of his dives. Ash and co wonder stare at the large black stone and wonder what it is. Kusunoki explains that it is a volcanic rock that formed underwater. Ash and Max wonder how that's possible, and he begins to explain. He tells them that volcanoes litter the ocean floor. He then adds in that it is said in many legends that an ancient Pokemon of the land can cause them to erupt. When the magma connects with the water, it hardens and forms the rock. Max is intrigued and asks if such a Pokemon really exists. Kusunoki believes so. The group then hears two familiar voices from outside. One yells that they are selling ice cream. Ash, Max, and Yousuke instantly want some, and Kusunoki says to go ahead. He then shuts the case. Outside, a Team Magma grunt slips a key card into one of the Sea Museum door slots.

The card is connected to a computer device and the grunt enters a code into it. After some time, the door clicks and opens. Ash, Max, and Yousuke exit the building to find Team Rocket disguised as Hawaiians selling the cold treats. Yousuke asks for four and Jessie tells Meowth to prepare some. He does so and the three sit down. She places an ice cream in front of each of them, and the fourth to Pikachu. Ash takes a bite and instantly says it's good, but sweet. He makes a Wobbuffet like face. Pikachu and Yousuke try it and make the same face. Max stares at Jessie and says she looks somewhat familiar. James cuts in exclaiming that they get that all the time. After some convincing, they finish their ice cream. The ice cream was so sweet that everyone begins to get a ringing in their ears. James grabs Pikachu as it holds its ears and a cage drops down on Ash and co. Jessie and James laugh and begins to say their motto. Meowth then places Pikachu in a cage. Inside the museum, a Magma grunt cuts the power. Kusunoki looks around confused as he walks through the hall. Inside his office, the same Team Magma agent from the secret base episode falls through the ceiling accompanied by two grunts. He grabs the case from the desk as Kusunoki enters.

He asks what they're doing and notices the case. He immediately orders them to drop it, but the agent refuses. He exclaims that items like this should be in the possession of Team Magma, and not a nitwit scientist. At that, he releases Mightyena and has it use shadow ball. When the dust from the attack clears, the Magma members are gone. Outside, Yousuke orders Jessie and James to release them. Jessie and James just laugh. Pikachu tries to shock them, but the cage just conducts the electricity. Team Rocket then begins to discuss what to do with their new capture. They then notice Team Magma making their escape. Jessie instantly wants revenge and rushes after them with James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet following. Yousuke wonders who they are and Max explains it to him. He then adds in that they better find a way out of the cage to stop them. Yousuke agrees and decides to try out Spheal. He releases it and tells it to body slam the bars, but it just happily claps. He orders it to again, but it just body slams him to the ground. Ash and Max sigh. Ash then releases Corphish and has it use crab hammer. As Team Magma rushes off, Seviper and Cacnea form in front of them. Jessie and James then step up and laugh. They know the case must be important to Team Magma, so they tell the agent to hand it over. He just smirks and Jessie orders a poison tail. Seviper lunges, but Mightyena tackles it away. James then orders a spike cannon, but Mightyena uses double team. Jessie and James are shocked and can't tell which one is real. The agent grins as Seviper lunges in for another poison tail.

He orders an iron tail. Mightyena's tail smashes into Seviper and causes it to fly into the rockets, sending them blasting off. Pikachu's cage lands on the ground and smashes open. The Mightyena growls at it. Ash and co suddenly approach and Pikachu rushes to them. Ash and the Magma agent glare at each other. Ash stands up ready to fight when Kusunoki appears. He tells Ash to let him handle this and releases a Sealeo. He orders an aurora beam, which smashes into Mightyena, who in turn smashes into the agent. The case flies from his hands and Yousuke catches it. Max tells him he made a nice catch and he thanks him. Yousuke then hands the case to his dad. The Mightyena is then back up. Ash and co look on as the grunts also release their Mightyenas. Now they have a battle on their hands. In the city, May and Brock have finally finished shopping. After May exclaims how much she loves to shop, Brock suggests they find Ash and Max. She agrees. Back at the museum, the Magma agent tells Ash and co to hand the case back over. They refuse and he grins. He says that they want to make things fun. Ash releases Corphish and Pikachu steps up. Kusunoki tells Max and Yousuke to stay back. Max doesn't want to but Yousuke agrees.

All three Mightyenas launch hyper beams. Ash has Corphish use bubble, Pikachu use thunderbolt, and Sealeo uses another aurora beam. The attacks collide and an explosion occurs. Whilst the dust rises, Kusunoki tells the boys to run. Yousuke nods and drags Max away. He and Max come to the edge of the hill and Max asks what they are doing. Yousuke smiles and says they are going to jump into the sea. Max freaks out and doesn't want to go, but Yousuke says that Spheal will be with them the whole way. The Pokemon claps. Mightyena releases a shadow ball as Yousuke grabs Max and jumps. Spheal happily follows and the attack strikes where they stood. The Agent frowns and turns back to Ash. Max surfaces and Yousuke calls him over. They both grab onto Spheal and Yousuke tells it to bring them to shore. Spheal begins to swim forward like a torpedo, and Max screams as he struggles to hold on. May and Brock head on down the beach. Suddenly, Max, Spheal, and Yousuke rush up to them. Max waves and May is confused. Back at the match, the Mightyena growl at Ash and Kusunoki.

Kusunoki then hands Ash the case and tells him to run for it. Ash doesn't want to, but he insists. Ash and his Pokemon rush off as Sealeo releases a powder snow. The agent puts his arm in front of him and orders a shadow ball. Mightyena releases the attack and it blows up in front of ash. He falls back and the case flies from his hand. The agent orders Mightyena to retrieve it. The case hits the ground and opens as the stone falls out. It breaks into two pieces. Mightyena grabs the large piece as Pikachu leaps up. Mightyena just growls and rushes back to its master. It hands him the piece and he turns to see their escape helicopter waiting. With a final shadow ball from Mightyena, the team rushes off. When the dust from the attack clears, Ash and Kusunoki are forced to watch the helicopter disappear into the horizon. Suddenly, a bunch of police cars race up. They are too late, but they place police rope around the museum anyways.

That evening, Ash apologizes to Kusunoki for letting Team Magma escape. He says it's fine as he still has part of the stone. He holds out the small piece that broke off. He then adds in that he can still do his studies. May is in awe of it and Brock says they missed a lot today. Yousuke then steps up and asks Ash if he's heading to the Mauville gym. Ash says he is, and Yousuke wishes him luck. He then adds in that he's going to do his best to train Spheal, and one day he'll beat him. Max wishes him luck and the group then heads off waving down the road.

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Pokemon Episode 311: Win, Lose or Drew!

Scenario:
After all that training with Beautifly for the Slateport Pokemon Contest, May is determined to get there in time, as they hurry through Slateport City to get there on time. Out of breath, May shows the counter lady her Contest Pass, and she scans it, and gets accepted in! She decides to go for the Beauty Contest, since that's what Beautifly is best at. Suddenly, Ash's stomach growls, so they decide to go out to eat in the meantime.

Team Rocket then enter the contest house, excited to enter with Dustox. They show the lady their Contest Pass, but unfortunately she can't accept them, because they came in a few minutes too late. They all give sighs of dismay, and go outside and sit on the bench to plan their next move… suddenly, they see a Frisbee fly by, and a Poochyena jumping and catching it! Then, its trainer congratulates it, and gives it a few Pokéblocks. Team Rocket then decide that Pokéblocks are probably the answer…

As the first part of the Beauty Contest starts, the hostess introduces the three judges: The mayor, a small man, and Slateport's Joy. Meanwhile, May and co. are sitting in the waiting room, watching this on the screen, waiting for her turn. She seems really nervous, but Ash, Brock, and Max help her feel more confident and ease her on. Unfortunately, Drew has been eavesdropping…

The Contest begins, and as the first members make their appearance, Shroomish, Wingull, Azurill, Bellossom, etc., those seem to go by pretty fast for May… but then, she gets a surprise, and sees that the next person to make their appearance is her rival Drew! He does a pose as he sends out Roselia, and starts off with a Petal Dance, as the opening fireworks, which looks pretty cool, and impresses them a lot. Then, he has it use a combination of Stun Spore and Magical Leaf, which impresses them even more, since Roselia looks cool in the middle of all that (even May gets impressed)! Finally, he finishes his turn off with another fireworks-like Petal Dance, and then he pops them with a Magical Leaf, which gets greater applause and cheers than ever! Then, the hostess asks the judges for their ratings out of 10: The mayor gives a 9.8, the small man gives a 9.9, and Joy gives a 9.7. Drew's total average so far is 29.4/30. Then she interviews them to hear their comments: Joy says he has a clever combination, the small man said it all looked beautiful, and the mayor said that he really did use excellent strategies to make it that far, but not quite perfect. This gets May even more nervous and determined to beat Drew.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket are pulling some sort of scam to collect Pokéblocks, and holding out boxes and signs that say that it's like some sort of charity drive for Pokéblocks. They don't seem very successful, but then, a tiny old man with a cane approaches them, and he seems to be interested in what they're doing. They explain, and he decides to help them out…

Drew returns to the waiting room until the next stage starts, and greets May, noticing she seems to be a little nervous he wishes her luck. Then, they continue watching on the screen as the hostess introduces the next person: A tall, blond, mysterious looking trainer named Robert, and he's using a beautiful Milotic! He has it use a Safeguard, giving it a beautiful green glow, as the judges and audience watch in amazement and cheer. Then Ash seems interested, so they creep into the room to get a closer look. Milotic starts wagging its tail, and this seems to get a lot of applause, because it makes it look even more beautiful and friendly, and everyone seems to love it. Beautifly, who is also watching, looks a little jealous of Milotic. Meanwhile, Team Rocket are out there, listening to old man's advice, as James takes notes and writes down what he says, but it doesn't seem that interesting, since Jessie looks bored…

Finally, May and Beautifly are up! May is overly nervous though, as she slowly walks up, with a worried face. She takes a deep breath, and decides to just pay attention, pretend their not there, and try to look cool instead of nervous. Then, she manages to pull herself together, and throws the Pokeball hard to send out Beautifly… so hard, that she trips. A few people laugh, and the judges don't look too thrilled. The hostess helps her up, and she just laughs and says that that was part of the show. Beautifly comes out, and it certainly looks beautiful, and gets a lot of applause. May starts with showing off it's Frisbee talents: May throws the Frisbee, Beautifly from far away uses it's String Shot to whip it right back at her directly. They keep doing this for a while, and they seem to be rocking the hall with applause, as they get faster and faster, and the judges look impressed. Now they decide to try a different technique.

May throws the Frisbee, and this time Beautifly attempts to send it back at her with a Gust. She manages to touch it, and fumble with it for a while and go crazy, but luckily she manages to save it before it hits the ground… but it still looked rather geeky. Well, she still has a chance, so she decides to end with something special: Beautifly uses Silver Wind, then spins to make it stronger and less nervous! A great pillar of Silver Wind stands in the middle of the stage, and now the cheers start to come on. This seemed to pay up for all that embarrassment, since people seem to really like it. Then, it gets time for the judges to rate her: Joy gives 8.1, the mayor gives 8.3, and the small man gives 8.5. May's total is 24.9. Dissapointed, she goes back to the waiting room… she didn't win this stage, but oh well. Suddenly, to her surprise, Drew comes in, and gives her a rose, to help cheer her up. She blushes, thanks him, and they decide to make this a friendly rivalry, but no one is going easy on anyone. Meanwhile, that man is still giving Team Rocket his “important” lecture on advice to get Pokéblocks, and they seem to be drifting off, but James is still taking it all down…

Next, the hostess announces the next stage of the contest: Battling. On the screen the trainer's profiles rearrange themselves into brackets… and apparently, May has to battle Drew! They stare at each other for a moment, and then agree to make this a fair battle, and not taunt, but not go easy on one another.

The rules of this battle have one small difference… instead of battling until someone faints, they have a 5 minute time limit, and whoever has more energy at the end wins, and if someone faints in the middle the automatically win, obviously. Roselia and Beautifly come out, Roselia starts with a Magical Leaf, and Beautifly tries to fend them off with a Gust. It manages to fend a few off, but then it runs out of energy for it, and the leaves hit it. Beautifly loses about 20% of its energy. Roselia then uses a Stun Spore, and Beautifly seems unaffected! Thinking quickly, Beautifly uses a String Shot, but another Magical Leaf from Roselia cuts the String, and hurts Beautifly more. Now, May loses another 20%, and has about 60% of her energy left. May decides to try her luck with Silver Wind, but Roselia kinda cancels it out with a Petal Dance. Just as the Petals are about to hit Beautifly, Beautifly manages to barely dodge it, and not get hurt at all.

They notice that the time is half up, as Roselia starts to gather energy for a Solar Beam. Beautifly aims a String Shot right at it from a distance… and JUST when the attack is about to connect, Roselia fires the Solar Beam, which injures Beautifly a lot, making it faint. May desperately tries to urge it to get up, but the judges all hold up big X's. The hostess declares Drew the winner!

May is very disappointed, as she goes back to the waiting room, crying. Ash and co. try and comfort her, but she seems like she was so intent on winning the contest, she practiced SO hard with Beautifly… and now it's over. She lost. Ash tries to tell her she's making a big deal over nothing, but she's depressed. Suddenly, on the screen, Drew is about to battle in his next round, so May seems interested and decides to watch. Apparently, to Drew's luck, he has to face that Robert dude with the Milotic! Milotic starts with Iron Tail, and Roselia counters with Magical Leaf. Then, Milotic uses a Twister, sending the leaves flying, as they fall and fail to hit Milotic…

Eventually, time runs out, and Robert has about 80% of its energy left, and Drew has 20%, so the victory goes to Robert. Surprised, May decides to wait for Drew in the waiting room, and comfort him…

Meanwhile, the old man is STILL lecturing Team Rocket, Jessie and Meowth have fallen asleep with Wobbuffet, but James is still working hard taking notes… Drew passes by, May congratulates him on his good job, and they both wish each other good luck in future contests! But Drew gives her advice to try the Normal Rank contest first.

The old man is still giving his complex lecture, now even James seems to be half asleep while taking the notes. Eventually, he just stops, and collapses. But the boring old man, too into this PokeBlock business, continues drawling on…

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Pokemon Episode 310: Having a Wailord of a Time!

Scenario:
Ash and co are still at the Pokemon Center. May watches a boy practice double team with his Wingull, a girl and her bouncing Azurill, and another boy polishing his Aggron. Brock says there looks like a lot of competition and Ash agrees. May reminds them on how Drew is a leading contender in contests. She has a flashback of them meeting him, and her doing well against him in a battle. She then remarks that she has some more training, but she feels confident. She then tells Brock to look after Torchic while she and Beautifly train. Before he can reply, May rushes off with Beautifly. Torchic is heartbroken and calls out to her, but she says she'll be back soon. Max looks down at the sad Pokemon.

At the Pokemon Center diner, Max exclaims that it isn't fair to Torchic what May is doing. Torchic hears this and begins to happily listen as he pities it. Ash and Brock wonder why he thinks that, and Max explains that she is favoring Beautifly. Ash disagrees. He explains to Max that May and Torchic share a bond that could never be broken, because Torchic was her very first Pokemon. Brock agrees and they tell him that no matter how many Pokemon May has, Torchic will always hold a place in May's heart.

Ash then looks down at his Pokemon happily eating. He says he likes them all the same, but Pikachu has been with him from the start. Pikachu leaps up onto his shoulder and Ash laughs. Max starts to understand and Brock cuts in. He exclaims that he'll never forget the wonder of his first Pokemon. He then has a flashback of him sleeping and Onix coming in with a bow wrapped around it. He explains that his father gave it to him for his 10th birthday. The two boarded Onix's head and watched the sunset together. Brock then added in that he never felt closer to his father then, and he wanted his brother Jiroo to feel the same way for him.

Ash laughs, exclaiming that Brock is a pretty sensitive guy and Brock embarrassedly laughs. Max then wonders what Pokemon he wants to start off with when he becomes a trainer. He exclaims that he can pick from Torchic, Treecko, and Mudkip. The Pokemon that he mentioned look up as he says their names. He then exclaims that his father always wanted him to start off with Slakoth, but when he first tired, Slakoth crushed him.

Suddenly, Nurse Joy walks by and Brock is on his feet. He begins to flirt with her, when she nervously spies the three beginners. She asks Ash if they belong to them, and Ash says they do. Nurse Joy smiles and says that they would be a perfect help to her. Ash asks why and Nurse Joy exclaims that she happens to be giving the same Pokemon check ups before a new trainer comes to pick one up as her starter. Brock cuts in exclaiming that he will do whatever she asks. She nervously laughs and explains that it would be really helpful to her if they could look after them for a little while. Brock instantly agrees and Max is excited.

Meanwhile, May is training Beautifly on the beach. She has it use silver wind and it does the attack successfully. May congratulates it and tells it they just have to practice a bit more to make it perfect. Beautifly nods and turns to try again, but it stops. May wonders why and she turns to see an injured Wailord beached ashore some feet down the beach. She is completely shocked.

Ash and co are taken to the back of the center, where Nurse Joy does her analysis on the Pokemon in some huge machine. She then removes the Pokeballs and hands them to Max. She tells him to just let them out of their Pokeballs to get some exercise while she attends to the injured Pokemon. Max nods and throws the first Pokeball. A mean looking Torchic appears. May's Torchic happily rushes up to greet it. Next, Max releases a crybaby Mudkip. It begins to cry hard and Brock's Mudkip holds out its tail. The Mudkip stops crying and plays with it. Finally, Max releases a female Treecko. Ash's Treecko turns interested.

Joy then receives a call from the nearby videophone. She picks it up to find May on screen. She explains that A Wailord has beached itself and it looks injured. Joy nods and Ash looks it up in the Pokedex. The dex mentions that Wailord is the largest of all Pokemon, and Ash exclaims that this will be rather difficult. Joy turns and tells them to watch after the Pokemon while she is gone. She then rushes off. Ash turns to the others, but Brock rushes after her. He exclaims that she'll need help. Ash freaks out, as only he and Max are left to care for the Pokemon. He looks down at them, and Max says they can do it.

Team Rocket has their usual sound amplifier on them and is listening in on this. Jessie asks James if he's thinking what she is, and he exclaims that they can catch the three starters. Jessie turns around annoyed and tells him that they should go for Wailord instead. James agrees and Jessie explains that they won't have to worry about the twerps with a huge Pokemon. Meowth adds in that they won't have to keep buying and repairing their sub if they had a Wailord. The three are then set on it and they cheer as Wobbuffet pops out.

Back inside the center, Ash and Max chase Joy's Torchic around. Max runs ahead of Ash exclaiming that he has to get it back. Ash calls for the others and they all begin to chase. The Torchic leaves the backroom followed by May's Torchic, Mudkip, Treecko, the female Treecko, and finally the crybaby Mudkip. The Torchic turns around and pecks May's Torchic until it falls back. It then tackles Mudkip away and keeps running. Pikachu leaps in front of it and prepares to shock it. The Torchic freaks out and begins to give it the puppy dog look. Sad music plays and Pikachu decides not to hurt it. Torchic then smiles and embers it. Pikachu falls back and Torchic runs off.

Ash's Treecko then leaps in front of it and stares it down. Torchic is intimidated and it backs off. Max picks it up and thanks Treecko, but Torchic pecks him and rushes for the door. Ash calls out Corphish who lands in front and tries to crab hammer it, but Torchic scratches it. It then leaps over it and rushes outside. Ahs and co chase as Corphish gets up in a rage.

The group continues to chase Torchic up a hill. Treecko turns to see the female Treecko with a flower in her mouth, obviously to copy off of its twig obsession. The crybaby Mudkip trips and begins to cry and Mudkip consoles it. Corphish makes it to the head of the group and tackles Torchic. The two then stare each other down and lunge. Both Pokemon smash into each other and Max thinks it's over, but Corphish falls down! Torchic shakes its rear at it and rushes off. Corphish gets back up and everyone continues their pursuit.

Meanwhile, Brock, May, and Joy have made it to the giant Pokemon. Joy comments that it will be fine and May is happy. Brock comments that she can heal anything and Joy laughs. Back at the fight, Corphish crab hammers Torchic. Ash and Max beg them to stop fighting, but they don't. Torchic embers Corphish and it falls down one final time. At this, Torchic begins to glow! Max is shocked as it evolves into Combusken! Ash scans it with the Pokedex and freaks out. He has a vision of Nurse Joy asking a young girl to pick her first Pokemon. She sees the cute Treecko and Mudkip, then the giant Combusken and is scared silly. She rushes off screaming. Ash doesn't like this too much. Max suggests they give it to May and say Torchic evolved, but he then has a vision of her screaming at him. They sigh and wonder what to do, but Ash then has a plan!

May and Beautifly are now at the diner having some lunch. Max appears and hands her some tea. He explains that she has been very busy today and some tea would do nicely. (He is obviously distracting her.) She thanks him and asks why he's being so nice. He laughs and says that's what brothers are for. Meanwhile, the little girl is presented with Treecko, Mudkip, and May's Torchic. Combusken is locked in the closet and beats against the door. Nurse Joy wonders what that sound is, but Ash assures her it's nothing. He looks at Torchic hopes she'll pick the other two. The girl looks at the crybaby Mudkip and Ash begins to say how great it is. She then turns to the female Treecko and Ash again tells her to take it. She then looks at May's Torchic and exclaims that it's really cute. Ash shouts, exclaiming that she doesn't want it. Brock ass what's wrong and Ash nervously explains that he just really wants her to pick the other two.

May finishes her tea and asks Max where Torchic is. He freaks out, exclaiming that it's playing with Pikachu. May gets up and heads towards the door, saying she wants to see her Pokemon. Max gets in the way, exclaiming that she can't see Torchic right now as she'll interrupt the game. May gets mad and asks why he's distracting her. Max gets really nervous.

The girl is now trying to decide which one she wants. Ash still tries to push Treecko and Mudkip on her, but her father tells her to pick the one she really wants. Suddenly, May rushes in with an angry face. Torchic sees her and rushes from the table and into her arms. Everyone is confused and May yells at Ash. Max nervously steps up and says he couldn't hold her back. Brock asks Ash where the real Torchic is, and the closet door breaks down. Combusken comes out and everyone looks on confused. Ash and Max apologize to Joy and explain what happened.

Before she can react, Wailord flies by the window. Ash wonders how Wailord can fly, seeing as how they are at the top floor of the center, but they then notice it is actually in a Team Rocket harness. They rush outside and demand that they return it, but naturally the Rockets refuse. They say their motto and Meowth laughs. He explains that with the heavy duty fans attached to their balloon, carrying Wailord is a breeze. Nurse Joy is worried and explains that Wailord is still not fully recovered and needs water.

Ash tells Pikachu to attack, but Combusken approaches. It uses flamethrower on Team Rocket, then leaps up and cuts the ropes with double kick. Wailord falls and smashes into the ocean below, creating huge waves. With Wailord not holding them down, Team Rocket's balloon flies way up into the sky. It then returns seconds later. Ash has Pikachu thunderbolt them, and they are sent flying.

The girl's father comments on how great a trainer Ash is and he thanks them. Nurse Joy then asks if she has made her selection yet, and the girls says she wants Mudkip. At this, the female Treecko gets teary eyed and the father feels bad. He exclaims that he wants the Treecko and asks Nurse Joy if that's all right. She says it would be fine and he picks it up. The girl picks up her new Mudkip and thanks Joy. The Female Treecko is overjoyed at being picked too. Ash then asks what Joy plans to do with Combusken and she explains that she'll keep it here to guard the Pokecenter. Max congratulates it and it happily nods. He then looks back at the father and daughter happy with their new Pokemon and rushes to the beach. He yells out to Wailord. It lets out a spout of water and a giant wail as the scene rises.

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Pokemon Episode 309: Now That's Flower Power!

Scenario:
Ash and co are now taking a break at the Slateport City Pokémon Center. As they enter, it becomes apparent that many trainers are preparing their Pokémon for the contest. Several of them litter the lobby. One trainer flicks his fingers and his Kecleon disappears. May walks in very impressed by all this. Brock comments that she has a lot of competition and Max remarks that she hasn't even begun to train yet. Ash asks if when she plans to start and she makes a fist, exclaiming that now's as good a time as any. She then wonders what she'll train on first.

On the beach, Brock becomes excited by all the hot girls in bikinis littering the sea shore. May comments that this is the perfect place to train. She releases Beautifly while elegantly spinning, who comes out in a shower of stun spore. Ash tells her when she plans to start and she turns around. Her eyes are all swirly and she exclaims that a trainer being hit by their Pokémon's stun spore isn't too graceful. She then collapses. Ash and co then fall down anime style.

May then throws some Frisbees at Beautifly and tells to whirlwind them back. It does so, but its wind creates a huge sand storm! The storm catapults May through the air, then sends Ash and co flying with it. Soon, the people relaxing on the beach are covered in sand. Max pops out exclaiming that whirlwind on the beach isn't such a good idea.

The group then heads to a more uninhabited part of the beach. Max asks what attack she plans to practice next, and she exclaims that Beautifly needs to work on silver wind, seeing as the judges loved it in Megumi's contest. She tells Beautifly to use silver wind, but it can't seem to get off the attack. May falls down depressed, exclaiming that this is going to take a lot more practice. Ash suggests she try the Frisbees again, and she agrees.

May throws three Frisbees to Beautifly, who gently whirlwinds them back. May gracefully catches the first two, but the third goes flying over her head. The group turns around to see it sail straight towards a green haired kid that is watching from the boardwalk. He catches the Frisbee with no sweat at all and exclaims that May isn't a very good contestant for a contest. May gets mad as the Frisbee is thrown at her feet. The kid jumps down and may angrily introduces herself. The boy introduces himself as Drew, and exclaims that she needs a lot of work. May becomes enraged and lunges at him, but he just pulls up his hand and holds her back.

Ash and co approach and ask what is going on. Drew begins to explain to May how her Pokémon is second rate and there's no way it can win. May is now in a rage. She tries to lunge again, but he just smashes his hand into her face. She still tries to run at him, but he easily keeps her at bay. Ash tells him to stop insulting her Pokémon, but Drew just flips back his hair and laughs. He explains that he plans on competing in this contest too, and he's staying at the luxury hotel and not some cramped Pokécenter. Ash and co turn to leave, but May turns back. She informs him that she'll see what he's got at the Pokémon Contest. The two begin to glare at each other.

From some nearby rocks, James and Meowth spy on the group. Wobbuffet pops out and they then hear Jessie. The two turn to see her instructing Dustox on attacks. James approaches and asks what she's doing. She explains that she is preparing her Dustox for the contest. James and Meowth go pale. She explains with fire in her eyes that Dustox has the grace to win and she won't let its talents go to waste. She then tells it to use poison sting. It does so, and the barbs hit the ground gracefully. She grins and gives James an "I told you so" look. The barbs then start to go haywire and the three run screaming. Wobbuffet follows with many barbs stuck into it.

Meanwhile, May and Ahs decide to have a practice battle to help Beautifly get use to performing attacks. Brock announces the rules of the match, and May sends in her Beautifly. Ash releases Taillow. Taillow flies towards Beautifly and May orders a stun spore. It flies towards Taillow as well, leaving stun spore as it goes. It gracefully twirls as it approaches, but Taillow dodges. It then comes in for a quick attack, but May tells Beautifly to twirl out of the way. It does so, and then uses string shot to trap Taillow. Ash tells it to tackle the net around it, and May begins to worry. She thinks for a second, and then orders a whirl wind. Beautifly does so, and Taillow crashes to the ground. May leaps up, thinking she's won, but Taillow gets up!

Ash tells it to bite away the string and it begins to do so. May is now very worried and she wonders what to do. She orders a silver wind, but like before, it fails. Taillow continues to bite at the net and it then breaks through! It flies into the air and wing attacks Beautifly extremely hard, sending it falling. May rushes to it as Taillow lands on Ash's arm. She asks if Beautifly is ok and it happily flies up.

Suddenly, a man approaches clapping loudly. He says that was amazing and May thanks him. The man passes her up and approaches Ash. He exclaims that Taillow battled so elegantly and he would like to see it in Pokémon contests. A sweat bead appears on May's head and she exclaims that she is the one training for contests! The man laughs and says she did well too. He then exclaims that he is actually a leading expert in Pokémon contests, and he may be able to help her out. The man introduces himself as Hanabishta. Everyone introduces themselves and Max goes starry eyed. May also does and she begins to approach him, exclaiming that she wants to know all the secrets. He pushes her back and says that the secret lies in berries. He tells the group that he grows many berries for Pokémon Contests and he'd be happy to help.

Whilst they discuss the berries, Ash and co's Pokémon happily sleep in the corner. Torchic has a little bubble coming out of its beak. It pops, and Torchic wakes up. It looks around and spies a building not to far off. Torchic decides to investigate it. When it reaches the building, it smells something good and rushes inside.

Meanwhile, May and Max listen to Hanabishta as he explains some more stuff to them. He tells May that to win contests, she needs these special Pokéblocks that raise the condition of Pokémon. He then pulls out a Pokéblock case and exclaims that every Pokémon contest contestant has to have one, which is used to store Pokéblocks. He tells May that when you mix berries, they form Pokéblocks. She becomes really excited and he hands her the case, exclaiming that she can have it! May is overjoyed and hugs her new contest item. Hanabishta then tells her to follow him to his berry building where she can make some Pokéblocks of her own!

Team Rocket watches this from the bushes. James informs Jessie that she needs one of those, and Meowth suggests they steal it and the berries. Jessie is intrigued and they all agree. As the group walks along, Hanabishta explains about the Carnival of 7 Nights. Ash and co listen as he explains that just off of the beach is a small island where they hold it. He tells them that the first day of the carnival is tonight, and he'd be happy to show them the fireworks. May is overjoyed and definitely wants to go.

They reach the building to find Torchic's rear sticking in the air just outside the door. May wonders what it's doing and it turns around. Its beak is covered in purple goop and it happily looks up at her. Hanabishta goes insane, exclaiming that the goop is actually berry juice!

The group heads inside to find an empty box covered in the purple berry juice. Hanabishta sighs, exclaiming that those were his freshly picked Bluk berries. Brock checks the guide and explains that Bluk berries make Pokémon's coat's extra shiny, but their juices stain. May is a little mad, but Hanabishta assures her that it's all right. He then sighs, exclaiming that he would really like to find some more before the contest though. He adds in that they are pretty rare in this area. May shoves Torchic's face into the ground, but Hanabishta says it isn't Torchic's fault.

Ash exclaims that he wishes they could do something. May then cuts in, exclaiming that it was Torchic's fault. She then tells Hanabishta that she will find more Bluk berries for him so she can make Pokéblocks. She becomes determined, and Hanabishta thanks her. Outside, Team Rocket listens in. Jessie says this will be easy, as all they have to do is let the twerps find the berries. Meowth agrees and says they can give some to the boss. He then has a daydream of Giovanni sipping Bluk juice and his hair turning shiny. James agrees and cheers, but Jessie interrupts, exclaiming that all the berries are for Dustox. The three then imitate Wobbuffet as it pops out.

Ash and co meet up in the forest. Not one of them has had any luck. Ash then asks where Torchic is and they all call for it. May hears it in the distance, and they head off. Torchic stands at the edge of a cliff looking up at a Bluk berry tree. It gets a determined face and rushes up the side of the hill chanting like the little engine that could. It makes it halfway up, and then topples back down. It tires again, but the same thing happens. It tries one more time, and this time uses its beak to propel itself into the tree.

It bites onto the branch and hangs there. Ash and co approach and see Torchic hanging. May congratulates it on finding the berry just as the branch breaks! Torchic falls fast, but Beautifly catches it with string shot. May hugs it; happy to have it back. Drew stands on a rock above them holding the berry. May notices him and asks what he wants. Drew laughs and informs her that he would like a match with her Beautifly to determine who gets the berry. May agrees.

Team Rocket watches from the bushes and decide to steal the berry when both Pokémon are wiped out. The battle starts and May does her spin move to release Beautifly. It comes out in a shower of stun spore. Drew releases a Roselia, which uses stun spore to do an acrobatic dance in the sky. Ash scans it with the Pokédex as it gracefully lands. The battle starts with a stun spore from Beautfily. Roselia uses magical leaf, which envelopes Beautifly and sends it flying. Roselia then uses stun spore. The attack hits Beautifly and smashes it to the ground. Drew laughs, saying he expected a little more of a fight from it.

May begs for Beautifly to get up, and it slowly opens its eyes. Drew orders Roselia to finish it off with bullet seed. It charges the attack up, and Ash tells May she better forfeit. May thinks it over as Roselia launches the attack. Beautifly flies up and May orders a silver wind. It launches the attack, deflecting the seeds and sending Roselia tumbling hard! May jumps for joy, exclaiming that Beautifly used silver wind successfully!

Drew is shocked and Brock says it look like the match is over. Suddenly, the Bluk berry is pulled away. Everyone looks to see Team Rocket in their balloon. James reels in the berry and they say their motto. They taunt May, and then float away. Everyone gives chase and may looks back to Drew. She says the match has to be put on hold, as she needs that berry. Drew looks at her; his expression doesn't change.

Team Rocket laughs as they make their get away. Ash tells Pikachu to shock them, but a special satellite under their balloon absorbs it. Meowth laughs, saying electricity will do no good. Ash has it try again, but the same thing happens. Suddenly, a solar beam strikes the satellite frying it! Ash and co turn around to she Drew give them a little grin. Ash has Pikachu use thunderbolt and Drew has Roselia use solar beam. The attacks combine and strike the balloon, sending the rockets blasting off and the Bluk berry falling.

Everyone watches, but Torchic rushes towards it. It leaps high into the air and grabs the berry! It seems happy with itself, and then realizes it's falling off a cliff! Beautifly saves it with string shot, and Torchic is placed in May's arms. She hugs it then turns to Drew. She tells him she can't wait to face him the contest, and Drew says he looks forward to it. He adds in that she surprised him today, and he can't wait to see what she can do at the contest. He recalls Roselia and then heads off. May happily watches him go.

That night, Ash and co stand on the beach with Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip out of their Pokéballs. Hanabishta signals that it's time, and the fireworks begin going off. Everyone watches them in awe. Even Drew watches with Roselia from the boardwalk. The scene then ends with a happy May watching the fireworks. She is now ready for her first Pokémon Contest….

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Pokemon Episode 308: Abandon Ship!

Scenario:
Ash and co are now traveling the seas in a small speed boat. Ash pulls out his badge case and admires his two Hoenn badges. Brock then checks the map and informs the group that the nearest city is Slateport, which contains a Pokemon Contest competition. Max then checks the Pokenav and exclaims that a gym is in the next town past that. Ash steps up, exclaiming that he wants to head there as soon as possible, but May interrupts. She informs him that she wants to visit Slateport first so she can compete in the contest. Ash remembers and says that would be fine. May then pulls out Beautifly's Pokeball and exclaims that she should do well with it.

Jessie peeks out from the corner of the boat, laughing to herself as she watches the twerps. James and her then approach them wearing disguises. They give the group some lemonade then Jessie pulls out some electric Pokemon food for Pikachu. It happily eats it, but James then snatches it up in a bag. May exclaims that they aren't sailors and Jessie and James reveal themselves. They say their motto and Meowth and Wobbuffet surface next to the boat in the Magikarp sub.

As Jessie and James retreat, Ash releases Corphish. It slices the bag open and frees Pikachu. Jessie becomes angry and releases Seviper. It uses poison tail, but Corphish dodges and uses crab hammer. May then releases Beautifly, which whirlwinds the rockets into the sub. Finally, Pikachu sends them blasting off with thunderbolt.

Ash and co then enter the captain's quarters and try to start the boat back up. To their dismay, the boat's engines just whine, and won't start up. The group is saddened and sit down outside. Brock remarks that the weather looks bad, and the group begins to get hungry. Ash then notices a large shadow in the distance, and Max recognizes it as a large ship. Their boat seems to be floating toward it, so the group decides to check it out.

The group jumps on some rocks surrounding the ship. Brock remarks that they can use some ropes hanging off the side to scale it. May jumps in pretending she's a reporter and gives a little insight on to herself on what she is about to do. After scaling the side of the ship, the group makes it to the deck. They walk around for a bit, and Brock exclaims that this ship is long abandoned. Ash checks the other side and finds a small fishing boat down below. Brock says someone else must be here.

May continues her reporting when a door opens and a teenage kid steps out of a nearby door. May notices this and does a picture frame with her hands, exclaiming that a mysterious man has just approached them. The man steps up and introduces himself as Hiromi. He asks what they are doing here and Brock explains that they floated in when their boat stalled. Hiromi understands, and he begins to explain to them why he is here.

He informs that that this ship used to be a great ocean liner, but it crashed into the rocks years ago and it's now abandoned. He then explains that he and his Marshtomp used to come here and train all the time, but he and it became separated a long time ago. He then says that he is now searching the ship high and low trying to find it. Ash takes out his Pokedex and looks up Marshtomp. Hiromi then offers to take the group back to shore, but he needs to search some more first. They thank him and he heads off.

Morning comes and the group waits on deck. Apparently, Hiromi gave them some food before leaving, as May is chowing down. Pikachu and Torchic happily eat some Pokemon food. Torchic then notices a nearby door swing open and a mysterious face glare at it. Torchic rushes inside to see what it is and is confronted by a huge creature! Torchic screams bloody murder, and Ash and co rush inside. May looks around, but Torchic is nowhere to be found. Hiromi approaches and asks what's wrong, and May explains that her Torchic is missing. Hiromi tells them they should start searching right away.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket has landed inside the ship after their blast off. They moan for a bit, and then decide to head off. As they leave, the mysterious creature watches from behind a cargo box. They continue down the hallway when Meowth spies an open doorway. He turns to go in, but some blue hands reach out and pull him in before he can turn. Jessie and James look back to see no Meowth and wonder what just happened.

Ash and co are now searching a large room of the building. Max calls out for Torchic as he passes by a large hole in the floor with water inside. The creature leaps from the water and pulls him under before he can say boo. Everyone looks around to see Max missing as well. May begins to worry. Max wakes up to see a sad Torchic next to him. He then sees Meowth next to Torchic and then realizes they are hanging above ground!

The group presses on as May wonders where Max has gone too. They notice a door shaking up ahead and begin to freak out. The door then opens and a Marill and two Azurill happily bounce by. Everyone sighs and Hiromi explains that water Pokemon love to explore the ship.

Meanwhile, Max tries to break the string holding them up. Meowth tells him to forget it as they already tried. The two begin to argue when Max gets an idea. He tells Meowth to use his feet claws to cut his string. Meowth is a little hesitant, but he begins to swing toward Max. After some time, he strikes the string and frees him. Max happily gets up and starts to untie Torchic. Meowth gets mad, saying he freed him so he goes first.

A Spinarak then approaches and Meowth points it out. Max wonders what it is doing here, when it string shots him. Max then finds himself back where he was. Meowth laughs, exclaiming that his plan worked well. He then begins to swing into Torchic, who swings into Max. Max does the same and Torchic swings into Meowth. The then two continue to use Torchic to batter each other.

Jessie and James walk down one of the eerie hallways. They approach a box that is shaking and freak out. The box pops open and a Golduck jumps out. It waddles away and Jessie yells at it. She then turns back and walks down the hall. James begins to follow, but is pulled back by some blue hands. He tries to call out for Jessie, but she has turned the corner. James now finds himself next to Max. Meowth laughs at James, who yells at them. He then tells Meowth to get him down. Meowth laughs and begins to swing toward him, but Max says that won't work. He then swings into James and the group all collides with Torchic in the middle.

Ash and co walk down a corridor when May is suddenly pulled underwater. The group looks over and Brock releases Mudkip. It surfaces seconds later and tells them that she's not underwater. Ash and co wonder what to do. May is now tied up next to James. The rockets begin to tease her and she says they didn't fare to well themselves. Meowth and James then begin to laugh, saying they can't wait till Jessie is caught.

Jessie tiredly walks down a hallway. A noise is heard in front of her and she freaks out, but a Wooper just happily walks by. She yells at it, exclaiming not to scare her like that. As she collects herself, the mysterious creature appears behind her. She screams as she is pulled into the darkness. Jessie now finds herself being mocked by James, Meowth, May, and Max. She becomes annoyed and slams into them. Meowth flies to the side and comes back, smashing them the other way. The group begins to swing into each other again, as Wobbuffet pops out. It is then tied upside down next to Jessie as she exclaims that it isn't good for anything.

Ash and co continue their search for the others when a blue hand emerges from some water. Pikachu notices this and thunderbolts it. Ash and co turn to see something leap from the water. It lands next to them and Brock notices it as a Swampert. Ash scans it with the dex and knows that this must be the creature that took the others. Hiromi then recognizes it as his Marshtomp! It angrily glares at him, then turns and rushes down the hall. The group gives chase, but it leaps into a pool of water and disappears.

Brock has Mudkip follow it, and the three jump in too. After some swimming they emerge at another hallway. Mudkip notices an open door and they rush in to see Swampert. Above it are the others all tied up. May tells them to get her down, and Team Rocket begs they do the same for them. Brock motions Mudkip to get ready as Swampert and Spinarak glare at them. Swampert uses mud shot, but the group just stands their ground.

Ash decides to release Corphish. It uses crab hammer, but Swampert dodges and iron tails it away for a 1 hit KO. Ash tells Pikachu to attack, but Hiromi stops him. He explains that this Swampert is actually his Marshtomp! The group backs away and Hiromi steps up to it. He explains to it that he is its trainer, but it just uses mud shot on him. He stands his ground and continues to explain to it how he accidentally dropped its Pokeball here and searched forever to find it. Swampert just roars and Mudkip steps up. Hiromi tells it to remember when it was a Mudkip like this one, and how they were inseparable. Swampert still glares at him.

Swampert then has a flashback of it as a Mudkip and Hiromi as a child. It hits some cans with water gun and Hiromi congratulates it. It happily looks up at him, and then evolves into Marshtomp! The scene comes back to Hiromi who continues to beg with Swampert. He reminds it that he taught it iron tail, and Swampert has a flashback to it as a Marshtomp. Hiromi teaches it to use iron tail and it smashes a nearby rock. The two then hug and the scene returns. Swampert's expression changes and it walks up to Hiromi. He hugs it and says he is so glad to have it back.

Brock says it remembers and Ash agrees. The others are then freed and May hugs Torchic. Max approaches Hiromi and congratulates him on getting Swampert back. Team Rocket does some stretches, then decides to take this time to catch Pikachu and Swampert. Jessie releases Seviper and has it use poison tail, but Swampert just swats it away. It then uses hydro pump, sending the rockets blasting off again.

On the deck of the ship, Ash and co talk with Hiromi. He informs him that he learned a lot today, and he will never loose a Pokemon again. He then looks up at some Wingull and explains that there is so much to the world of Pokemon. Ash and co agree and Hiromi says he plans to keep training for the Hoenn League. Ash admires him and Hiromi offers to give them a ride to Slateport. The boat heads out and Hiromi points out Slateport in the distance. May can't wait to compete in her first contest and Ash is now one step closer to his next Hoenn Badge.

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