463: Once More With Reeling
Dodgy Synopsis
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467: Satoshi Bui Esu Haruka! Rasuto Batoru!
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All the various ferries/boats etc aren't going anytime soon and they're in no rush to part forever. Since there is a festival in town they figure they might as well go take a look at the sights. May notes a sign for a fun Pokémon Contest, and she decides she'll join in.... and to everyone's surprise, Ash decides to join in too! He's not an Official Coordinator, of course, but since it's not an official contest, he doesn't need a pass. He goes and signs up with May, deciding to use Pikachu for the Appeals Round... but who to use for the next round? Hell, why not Sceptile! May is also wondering, and both say it'll be fun WHEN both can make it to the final two. You know, for one more battle between them, to go at it....
Outside, Team Rocket peek at all of the local Trainers and their Pokémon from the bushes, eager to grab some for the Boss. Meowth points out they're all common, everyday Pokémon, but James points out there is nothing wrong with buying in bulk!
Inside the contest is starting, with Nurse Joy both MC AND the only Judge because they couldn't even afford goddamn Mr Sukizo. The prize is a Terracotta Town Ribbon, but Joy states that they're all winners regardless of who wins.
Brock rushes the stage and falls on bended knee in front of Joy, asking if she'll be his first prize, and Max drags him away as the announcer opens the first round - the Appeal Round. First in is May, who he notes was a top four finalist in the Indigo Plateau Final, and the crowd gets on their feet and cheers and chants her name. Brock points out to Max that May isn't just some regular everyday scrub-ass Coordinator anymore like the rest of these goddamn plebs! She's a well known and talented coordinator who has made it all the way to the final four of the Pokémon Grand Festival and been seen by millions around the world.
May calls out Eevee and has it use Dig, which leaves Ash and everyone else confused. Sure they're impressive holes and all, as the announcer notes but.... um.... yeah.... huh? Even Nurse Joy is curious on what she is planning to do with all those holes (Jesus Christ, woman, she's only 10 years old!) But then May shows why she has come so far, by having Eevee use Shadowball out of the various holes to create a pretty fireworks display, much to everyone’s delight.
It's strictly amateur hour, another trainer accidentally knocks out Nurse Joy and the Announcer, and the Coordinator breaks down in tears. Others are better though, like a Charmeleon that leaps through a fire ring and an Ice Pokémon that creates a pretty ice sculpture.
Last is Ash, who is introduced as a top eight finalist in the Hoenn League and gets a polite clap from the crowds who Max insists are "going nuts". Ash has Pikachu use Quick Attack and then Thunderbolt, creating circles and swirls of electricity and knocking the electric circle about with Iron Tail, then more and more, causing multiple electric rings to spin about the floor, much to the crowd's delight.
May is impressed too, and that ends the first round.... and everybody else was so amateurish that they decide to skip straight from semi-final deciders and cut right to the Final two! The first, of course, is May, and the second - as you'll not be surprised to hear - is Ash! The Announcer declares he can't wait to see the battle, and he has a feeling that one of the two will walk out the winner!
Outside Ash is getting Sceptile fired up, telling it that a Contest Battle is still a battle, and they're going to win! But May says she has no plans to lose, and Combusken agrees, both the Pokémon glaring at each other.
"Heave ho! Heave Ho!" comes a cry, and the twerps turn to see a boat of all things come "sailing" in along the grass! There's a Magikarp cannon on the front and a flag sticking out with an image of the Rising Sun prominent. On the boat are three familiar looking figures, wearing white shorts and bandages over their chest (the red haired girl needs a lot of bandage!) throwing Pokémon food to all the local Pokémon. It seems to be a nice promotional gimmick, until they then blast the gathering Pokémon with a net and haul in their catch, a bunch of Pokémon!
Since no one else seems at all taken aback by this strange turn of events, it is left to the twerps to walk up and demand the trio give up the stolen Pokémon.
"Prepare for trouble now there's an original thought!""That's new to me.... not," adds James, kind of cutting off halfway through his usual line.
"An evil as old as the galaxy!"
"Sent here to fulfil our destiny!"
"Meowth's, dat's me!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jesse."
"And James."
"Hey, Meowth's da name!"
"Wherever there is peace in the Universe."
"Team Rocket."
"Will be dere."
"To make everything worse!"
"Wobbuh Wobbuh!"
"Mime-mime, mime mime!"
"Pikachu feeling a little left out? laughs Jesse when Ash yells their name at them.
"Oh poo, there's always room for you!" giggles James, and shoots a net that catches Pikachu, and they haul it in. James suggests they cheese it, but Jesse can't bear to leave any Pokémon behind, it’s like they're letting money fall out of their pockets! James complains his pockets are already full, but Jesse will not be denied, and so they turn back just in time for Meowth to scream a warning about..... Big Foot?
Oh, Combusken! The angry fire-chicken throws a Mega-Kick their way, and when they duck is flies overhead and smashes through the mast, causing it to explode (!?!) and drop the net with the Pokémon inside. Sceptile spins the nets away, Pikachu dropping into Ash's arms and the other Pokémon falling into their respective trainers' arms. Pikachu thunderbolts Team Rocket and then May calls for a Firespin, but Combusken collapses to its knees and moans in pain, gritting its teeth as she asks what is wrong, and then.... oh sweet holy fuck, it evolves!.
Yes it's Blaziken, and it leaps in poorly animated fashion towards Team Rocket, Jesse gasping out,"What a hunk!"
James fires a net at it, but it uses Blaze Kick and smashes through the cannon, exploding the boat and sending Team Rocket blasting off again. James moans that it's never enough for Jesse, and they always end up losing what they've already got. May hugs Blaziken happily while Ash checks it out with Dexter, and gasps that he'd LOVE to battle it.
But he gets his wish, because his Sceptile fights against May's Blaziken in the Final. Brock and Max watch from the crowds, neither sure who to cheer for, while Ash and May meet in the centre of the arena and both promise to give a great show, no matter who wins.
Ash sends in Sceptile as the 5 minute counter begins to tick down, and May sends in Blaziken to take the stage for the first time as the crowd cheers. The two Pokémon leap and flip by each other, bounce off of the roof and land by their respective trainers. Sceptile tries Pound but Blaziken blocks, so Sceptile tries Bullet Seed which Blaziken dodges with Backflips, so Sceptile tries Leaf Blade, but again Blaziken dodges. But while Ash's moves look great, he hasn't quite grasped the true point of Contest Battles yet - it isn't just about making your Pokémon look good, but taking your opponent's style and tactics and turning it to your advantage, demonstrating an utter control of the performance and stylistic theme of a battle. So Dawn's superior use of dodging while also looking good is countering Ash's flashy moves, and he is losing points despite his style! Ash realises he has to be more accurate, but will that be at the cost of style?
He orders Sceptile to chase Blaziken, which runs backwards and hits the wall. Sceptile manages to score a shot by using Pound, and then fire off a Bullet Seed. But the attack is burnt up in a Fire Spin, and May orders a Sky Uppercut... but Sceptile dodges and this time it is May who loses points! Sceptile connects with Leaf Blade and then another Pound, and May loses even more points, leaving things about even at 45% or so each. Sceptile tries Bullet Seed, Blaziken blocking but getting knocked back, and then Sceptile uses Pound and tries a Leaf Blade, but Blaziken leaps away and tries Sky Uppercut, Sceptile hitting Leaf Blade against it. Blaziken comes down with Blazing Kick and Sceptile comes up with Pound, and the attacks knock each other back as we hit the 1 minute mark with points even.
Blaziken seems tired, but so does Sceptile, and when May and Ash call for them both to get up, Sceptile starts to glow! Brock saying it is Overgrow, a move that increases Sceptile's power when its endurance is low. But then Blaziken's Blaze kicks in, with the same result - increased power for attacks in the last 30 seconds.
20 seconds left! Pound versus Blaze Kick and 10 seconds left!
Overheat versus Solar beam, the two blasts create a burst of smoke and.... TIME IS UP!
Everyone turns to look at the screen as the smoke clears to see who won, and..... and....... and.........
AHHHH FUCK!
| BEST QUOTES |
 "The question is, what is she going to do with those holes?"
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