447: Going For Choke
Dodgy Synopsis
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451: Haruka Bui Esu Musashi! Saigo no Kontesuto!
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The second round begins, with the final contestants fighting off against each other to work their way to the next round. Backstage, Max and the others encourage May to try and stay relaxed. But Jessebella does her best to get into May's head, laughing at her and asking her if she really thinks she can win after tripping over and flailing about earlier. May starts yelling at her and Jesse laughs that she is using "Scary Face", and when May blows her stack again Jesse makes the mistake of mentioning Harley, before realising what she said and rushing off muttering that she mustn't blow her cover.
Drew approaches the Coordinators room with his Roselia, then walks away when he sees the other twerps approaching. This leads to him overhearing a suspicious blue haired man and his furry midget companion with a rough Brooklyn accent who intercept Ash and tell him he has an emergency call from Pallet Town.
Ash, Brock and Max follow the two and are lead into an empty metal room, the door slamming behind them and getting barred shut before they hit a button, making the walls fall away to reveal a metal container with a Happy Buddha Face Meowth balloon attached. The container is lifted up and sails away as James sends a message to Harley to let him know they have "separated the chumps from the chick", as Jessebella and Banette win their first Second Round match against another Coordinator and her Noctowl.
Pikachu is trying to blast the twerps out of the container, but the reflected electric attacks are too dangerous to continue. Suddenly they feel their stomachs lift as they go weightless momentarily, and then the container is falling through the sky, the Happy Buddha Face Meowth Balloon popped by some mysterious force. The container's plummeting is slowed by a whirlwind of air, kicked up by a Flygon of all things.
Back at the contest, May calls out Squirtle to face her opponent's Skarmory. The vicious abomination flies at Squirtle with Steel Wing, but it uses Rapid Spin and Skarmory bounces off of the rapidly spinning little Pokémon, embarrassing the monstrous bird and causing its coordinator to lose half his points straight off the bat.
Meanwhile, the twerps watch as their container is burnt through by Flygon which is then called back into its Pokeball by.... it's Drew! He tells the twerps that May is in big trouble, and they start legging it back towards the Contest.
At that contest, Squirtle tries Ice-beam on Skarmory, but it dodges and tries to use Swift, only for it to be smashed away by Bubble as time runs out and... May wins!
The twerps are still running, desperate to save a May who apparently doesn't seem to need any saving at the moment. As they run, the ground crumbles beneath them and they all fall into a patented pit-trap, a metal grid slammed on the top by James as Meowth laughs that Harley is pretty smart at strategy, James declaring they should get him to join Team Rocket as he strikes a pose....
Inside the hole, Ash is infuriated to learn Harley is a part of all this too and demands to be let out. Oddly enough, however, Team Rocket don't instantly let him out, instead walking off and leaving them behind, trapped in the dirt. Brock calls out Forretress which uses Rapid Spin to smash against the grill, while back at the Contest, the final two Coordinators are announced and it will be.... Jesse vs May! What a huge shock and not at all expected in any way whatsoever!
May is introduced as being from Hoenn and desperate to gain her fifth ribbon to make it to the Grand Festival. Jessebella, meanwhile, is doing everything to can to stop May despite having absolutely nothing to gain for herself but bragging rights and a pretty lone ribbon.
Down in the bowels of the hall, beneath the arena itself, James and Meowth meet up with Harley who asks James to give him his Pokémon. James calls out Cacnea and Mime Jr and.... they LOVE James!
The lovefest is interrupted though, the twerps arriving on the scene infuriated and accusing Harley and Team Rocket of being up to no good. James says that Jesse wants her fifteen minutes of fame and Meowth explains that the last thing you want to do is get on her bad side. The twerps are horrified to learn Jessebella and Jesse are one and the same....
....and Max asks if Harley is a member of Team Rocket, which the androgynous coordinator dismisses immediately, claiming that he is devious but not dumb - then turns the tables by asking Drew if HE is a twerp! He reveals that Jesse is using Harley's Pokémon, and sneers that this isn't breaking any rules. He warns Drew not to make him angry this close to the Grand Festival, then storms off with a bizarre strut you'd expect from some fresh fish after his first his night in prison, while James and Meowth follow, Meowth crying out to him that he doesn't want to be seen walking like that!
Ash thanks Drew for helping, and Drew immediately dismisses Ash by saying he only did it so May would have someone to cheer her on. Upstairs, May sends out Squirtle while Jesse calls out Banette, and May tells Squirtle just to have a good time. Banette smacks Squirtle with Thunder and May loses points immediately as Jessebella grins with delight, practically tasting the victory she has been denied so long. The twerps watch with horror from the stands while Team Rocket and Harley watch eagerly on a TV backstage. Squirtle uses Ice-beam and encases Banette in ice, but it breaks out with Willow Wisp, sending out ectoplasm that Squirtle dodges, the ectoplasm clashing around it and creating sparkles that make the crowd cheer. The twerps suggest that Jesse is doing so well because Banette is powerful, while backstage Team Rocket actually gives Jesse credit where it is due. Banette's next attack is overwhelmed by Bubble and Jesse loses more points, and she angrily growls that Banette should know better, then demands it uses Frustration. It immediately throws a tantrum, kicking and head-butting Squirtle as it retreats into its shell to absorb the attacks.
Drew and Brock explain to the others that Frustration works better when a Pokémon doesn't like its trainer, and in this case, it seems that Banette is REALLY frustrated. May has Squirtle use Rapid Spin, spinning about Banette which falls over as Jesse growls at it that it is crap, and tells it to use Willow Wisp. But Squirtle breaks the rules of physics by flying about all over the place with no visible means of propulsion (outside of really epic farts?), making Banette and Jesse both angrier and angrier as the Judges are impressed by Squirtle's actions. Jesse demands Banette do something and use Thunder, but Squirtle dodges and then tackles Banette, head-butting it and sending it crashing down next to Jesse who moans she can't look, while backstage Team Rocket and Harley are shocked.
Jesse is herself frustrated and insists Banette use Frustration while Squirtle prepares to fight back, but time runs out and the winner is.... no one, it's a draw! Jesse throws a tantrum and says she doesn't want a tie, she wants a win!
Lillian announces that because of the upcoming Grand Festival, they can't settle things with a tie, and thus there will be a Sudden Death overtime, which is fine by Jesse. Whoever reduces the opposing Pokémon to zero (without time limit) is the winner!
Drew says this is when a good relationship with your Pokémon is most important. This is demonstrated down on the stage where May is encouraging Squirtle to just hold out a little longer while Jesse insists that Banette better not screw it up. They both dodge Thunder and Ice Beam respectively, both losing points as Willow Wisp is blasted out and Squirtle Rapid Spins then Bubbles, knocking away the Willow Wisp as Jessebella yells at it to open its goddamn eyes! The Judges note the bad relationship as they confer amongst themselves, while Squirtle uses Ice-beam and then Rapid spin, catching Banette in ice then tackling it as it breaks free, and as Jesse loses more points she starts showing more and more leg.... but it ain't enough to impress the Judges!
Jesse is furious, SHE'S still standing, but Lillian insists that it is over, she has lost all her points, it’s over, and the winner is.... MAY!
Lillian calls for a big hand not just for the winner but also Jessebella, but Jesse roars that only losers applaud for losers as May hugs Squirtle and tells it she can't thank it enough.... she's going to the Grand Festival!
Lillian explains that the Grand Festival will be held an Indigo Plateau, and Ash is ecstatic, he knows all about the Indigo Plateau, that's where all his childhood hopes and dreams were crushed by Richie!
Outside Harley is furious that "Team Rocket" lost and blames Jesse, calling them pathetic and roaring that their loser-itis is rubbing off on him. Harley storms off as James and Meowth gasp that they were going to offer him a job, but as he leaves he can't help but smirk.... there is a silver lining in all of this, at least he will get a chance to put May in her place at the Grand Festival.
May rejoins the twerps outside as the sun is setting, carrying an envelope full of info on The Grand Festival. She spots Drew approaching and is surprised, she didn't know he was in town. Ash tries to tell her about their adventures earlier in the day, but she completely ignores him, running past him to chat with Drew, who walks off with a smirk. May watches him go in surprise, then grins and calls out to him that she is going to win! He just waves an arm dismissively without looking back, while Ash approaches again, completely oblivious to why May is in turn being so completely oblivious to him, and tells her that he can't wait to see those two "go at it".
Oh Ash, you and a million other sad fanboys.....
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