327: Going, Going, Yawn
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330: Hito Bajji! Moeru Batoru de Getto-daze!
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The twerps arrive at the Gym and Ash says he has his strategy all figured out, and Max tells May Ash can be confident because Flannery uses all Fire Pokemon, so he'll be using Corphish!
They head inside and prepare to fight, Old Man Moore acting as Judge and not Gym Leader. He chides Flannery for calling him Grandpa, warning her that as a Judge he is impartial, then explains the rules to Ash. It will be a three on three battle but only Ash can make substitutions, and Flannery is horrified, which horrifies Grandpa even more, she doesn't know the rules!?!
Ash is anticipating an easy win considering this is her first Gym Battle, and Flannery sends in Magcargo against Ash's wide-eyed jerk Pokemon, Corphish. As they prepare to fight, they're watched from the cliffs above by Team Rocket. Meowth explains their plan, one so simple that even a child could draw it!
As Meowth and Jesse get to digging, James suddenly has a stroke of deja vu... haven't they done this before? But they tell him less thinking, more digging.
Ash has Corphish use Bubblebeam but Magcargo manages to dodge most of it, then comes back with Flamethrower. Corphish hardens and absorbs the heat, grinning happily and waving his claws about in delight as Brock warns Ash to remember that Corphish may only be taking slight damage, but it adds up over time. As Ash laughs that he'll be fine, the normally cheerful Flannery starts getting pissed, and his attitude isn't exactly respectful.
Ash orders a Bubble Beam which bursts out of the Flamethrower, but Magcargo uses Double Team to confuse Corphish. Now it is Flannery's turn to laugh, as she points out that Ash is only hitting the fakes, but he has a plan, ordering Corphish to jump high and blast EVERYTHING until he hits the real one... and it works!
Flannery is horrified to see Magcargo in trouble and cries for him to get up, and Grandpa thinks to himself that she needs to relax. She looks to him to help but he can't, he's a Judge and can't interfere. So she thinks back to the advice he gave her back when he was Gym Leader, which unfortunately she mostly slept through, meaning she couldn't appreciate the irony of him telling her to always remain calm and then shitting a brick when he found out she wasn't paying attention.
So now she remembers to stay calm, and when Corphish comes in with Vice Grip, Magcargo... uses Reflect! The twerps are surprised, Magcargo can use Reflect? Brock warns Ash can't rely on power alone, and Magcargo kicks up a Sandstorm and sends a sweating and panting Corphish staggering back. Corphish tries Bubble Beam but is overpowered by Sandstorm, and Ash orders it to blast through with Crab hammer. It leaps high and the Sandstorm follows, but then it smashes its way through as Flannery yells for it to dodge and... it doesn't!
Magcargo is put out for the count and Old Man Moore gives the victory to Corphish. Flannery calls Magcargo back and tells it it needs a rest, while underground, Team Rocket wail us with PUN-ishment after PUN-ishment.
"Gotta admit I'm digging this plan!" grins James.
"Can't pick no holes in it," adds Meowth.
"Call.... a spade a spade!" throws in Jesse.
"Let's bury the hatchet!" finishes James and they start pounding away at their half completed tunnel and... strike water!
And yes, they're blasting off again!
Flannery sends in a Slugma and Ash calls back Corphish, Brock guessing it is part of his strategy despite Corphish's type advantage. He sends in Treecko, which as a Grass Type has a serious disadvantage but as Clint Eastwood has a serious asskicking advantage.
Treecko avoids Flamethrower and zooms in with Quick Attack.... and bounces off of Reflect! Yes, Max explains that even once a Pokemon is replaced (or even knocked out) the Reflect effect remains behind! Flannery orders another Flamethrower but Treecko again Dodges and smashes Reflect with Pound, but is still doing no damage to Slugma. It uses Smog to make it impossible for Treecko to see a target, so Ash goes for scorched Earth and has him pepper the entire Smog Cloud with Bullet Seed, all of which miss as Slugma leaps through the air and crashes down with Body slam! It looks like Treecko is both down for the fight AND about to get raped, but Clint Eastwood is straighter than a steel rod and soon puts an end to that nonsense.
Flannery orders Flamethrower but Treecko dodges, but takes a burn anyway due to their heat. Grandpa thinks to himself that Flannery is beginning to grow in confidence and get the hang of things, and Ash begrudgingly admits that she's better than he thought. He recalls Treecko and sends Corphish back in, and again Slugma uses Smog, but Ash is prepared this time and orders a Crab hammer to blow the smoke away, the wide-eyed jerk Pokemon being very creative and spinning about like a... well... a spinning top.... and blowing away the smoke before charging in for Vice Grip... and Flannery smirks and orders.... YAWN!
The Yawn Bubble pops against a surprised Corphish and it drops to the ground, twists about and goes to sleep!
Flannery tells Ash this is her little surprise attack and Grandpa thinks to himself that maybe she's REALLY getting the hang of this, while Ash screams for Corphish to get up and Slugma blasts it with a full on Flamethrower.
HEY TRAINERS, WHICH OF THESE POKEMON IS THE BEST TO FIGHT FORETRESS WITH? MINUN, SWELLOW OR SEVIPER? THE ANSWER IS SEVIPER BUT REALLY IT SHOULD BE SWELLOW BECAUSE A DRUNKEN SCOTSMAN WILL KEEP POUNDING ON FORETRESS'S SHELL LONG AFTER THE OTHER TWO POKEMON GET BORED AND GO HOME TO THE WIFE!
Corphish crashes down, still asleep but not technically knocked out. Ash calls it back and wonders who he should u.... and Pikachu leaps in to man up. Slugma tries Flamethrower but Pikachu dodges with Quick Attack, smashes against Reflect and... BOOM!
Slugma uses Smog leaving Pikachu none the wiser to its location, and Ash tells it to try and sense it, so it closes its eyes and.... leaps in with an Iron Tail, only for Slugma to dodge and then blast Pikachu right in the back with Flamethrower! Ash roars at it to come back with Thunderbolt, and it lets rip with a massive burst of energy as Flannery smirks and tells Ash he was right earlier when he told her that a powerful attack is pointless when it misses... and then promptly eats her words as the electrical discharge of the Thunderbolt rolls through the Smog Cloud and zaps the hell out of Slugma, doing a ton of damage!
She tries to order another Attack but Pikachu hits it hard with Quick Attack and then Thunder, and Slugma is down and out!
As she calls it back dejectedly, Grandpa thinks to himself that she thought she had Ash's number and let down her guard... to be a great Trainer, she must always be ready for anything and never stop fighting until the battle is over.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket are... naked!
Okay, not quite, but it's about as close as you're going to get, you filthy Dodgers. They've settled down into a hot spring, Jesse declaring it makes her already beautiful skin just glow. Meowth decides they have to give the Boss a hot spring, and tells them to imagine the Boss trudging through the snow, upset with his incompetent underlings! Jesse and James ask to which incompetent underlings he is referring but he goes on, telling them that once Giovanni gets into a delightful hot spring he'd quickly decide to reward them with promotions! And that patented Crazy Meowth Giovanni Fantasy is more than enough to make them forget the implied insult and bask in the warmth of Meowth's lunacy.
Back at the battle, Flannery sends out Torkoal, which Ash was expecting and has prepared for . He orders a Thunderbolt but Torkoal blocks with Iron Defence, retreating into its shell and then coming back with a Flamethrower. Pikachu dodges and tries Iron Tail, but bounces off of Iron Defence and then is hit by a Sludge Bomb, sending it staggering back.
Ash sends Pikachu back in with a Thunder but again Torkoal uses Iron Defence, and Ash can't figure out how to get in a hit... nothing seems to work. Flannery orders Overheat then and..... Pikachu gets slammed with an absolutely massive blast of Overheat that knocks Pikachu... OUT!
Damn!
Ash carries Pikachu back and then heads back in, left with a sleeping Corphish and injured Treecko. He sends in Treecko which tries to fight through the pain but takes a knee when its injured leg twinges and.... gets blasted by Overheat and knocked out!
Meanwhile Team Rocket continue to relax in the Hot Springs, having apparently had a little nap but now woken by the calls of Murkrow. Looking over into the distance they spot three vague shapes and figure word is getting out about their little spot. Meowth snaps that the Hot Spring belongs to them now.... and the fog clears to reveal some furious (and probably horny) Ursaring.
And it looks like for the second time this episode, Team Rocket are blasting off again.... almost naked!
Back at the battle, it's down to a 100% Torkoal against a still sleeping Corphish. He calls it out and tries to wake it as Flannery tells him to admit defeat, but he says never. Torkoal blasts Corphish with an Overheat that.... doesn't seem to do any damage, though Corphish remains asleep. Brock points out that Overheat loses power over time, and Flannery seems to realise this too and has Torkoal use Flamethrower.... and Corphish wakes up with its briskets burning!
Corphish lands, shakes its head and then focuses angrily on Torkoal and moves in with Vice Grip, but bounces off of Iron Defence and then has to block Sludge Bombs. Brock yells that it is too much damage and it has to pull back, but Ash tells it to hold on and it seems to Harden. Ash tells Corphish to use Crab hammer, but again it bounces off of Iron Defence. Ash realises that unless he gets Torkoal out of its shell it is useless... and then realises that is it! He orders another Crab hammer, then tells Corphish to hit it on the side! Torkoal is sent spinning like a hockey puck and pops out of its shell looking dizzy... and takes a direct Bubble Beam straight to the face and goes down!
ASH WINS!
Ash hugs Corphish and tells it that it was awesome as Flannery calls back Torkoal and tells it that it did a great job despite going down from one hit.
Old Man Moore approaches and tells her she got carried away and used Overheat too early.... but she also gave Ash a battle unlike any he has ever seen, and says if she can keep her passion but also retain some level of calmness and control, she will make a great Gym Leader. She thanks him, then hands Ash his Fourth Hoenn League Gym Badge, the Heat Badge!
| BEST QUOTES |
 "Gotta admit I'm digging this plan!" "Can't pick no holes in it," "Call.... a spade a spade!""Let's bury the hatchet!""What luck landing in a natural hot springs!""Making my all ready beautiful skin just glow"Imagine Da Boss, exhausted from slogging froo da winter snow, upset wif his incompetent underlings,""Uh... to which incompetent underlings are you referring?""Yes, anyone in particular?"
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