ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
565: Shield With A Twist!	570: Yosuga Jimu Sen! Bui Esu Merissa!	Fantina and the Fantastic Fifth Fight!			Ash has his Fifth Gym Badge rematch with Fantina	As always, successful at everything but being bad guys!	Don't rely on one move... unless your opponent is too!

Okay okay that's it, enough is enough! It's time! No more bullshit, no more distractions, no more excuses, it's time Ash finally got his goddamn fifth badge and no more delay! He's got Barry invited to see him prove there is a different way to Paul's (efficient!) brute strength method, and he's too dim to be distracted by Fantina's hidden Adam's Apple - it's time goddammit, no more! This far and no further, get that badge!



It's Ash versus Fantina the "Dancer" (more like the MAN-cer!) inside her Gym, which looks like a stripped out church. Meanwhile outside, James and Meowth have discovered that a Pokémon Contest is taking place THAT DAY! Surprisingly Dawn doesn't seem aware of this, but Jesse is! Dolled up in her normal Contest costume and taking Yanmega along to win her a new Contest Ribbon, she rushes off and leaves James and Meowth behind. Inside the Gym, Ash is calling out to Barry to watch and learn, but Barry tells him he already knows what a loser Ash is.

Ash.... beat him in their fight.

It's the standard 3 on 3, with only Ash allowed to substitute. Fantina sends Gengar out first so Ash sends out BUIZEL BROTHER! They're all set to show off their "special training" and Fantina declares in her disastrous French accent that she likes the sound of special training (like the training she had to undergo after the operation, perhaps?). Ash gets the first move so calls for an Aqua Jet, and Buizel blasts past an easily dodging Gengar, and Barry shouts out the obvious, it dodged!

Gengar floats about Buizel but Ash isn't worried, and calls for Sonic Boom. Gengar easily dodges the move and Fantina giggles that there won't be a battle to see at this rate, and has Gengar use its speed to dart about a confused Buizel and then land a remote Shadow Punch.

Buizel gets back up (TAKES MORE THAN A PUNCH TO PUT DOWN THE BUIZELSTER BROTHER!) and Fantina calls for Hypnosis, which is just what Ash was waiting for, as he finally reveals his secret strategy for dealing with Hypnosis.

BREAKDANCING!



Oh hell yes!

Buizel spins about on its back while Water Gun spins about crazily and slaps around Gengar which can't dodge, because the water gun is coming from EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME! Barry is so startled he forgets to be dismissive, and Fantina tells Gengar to not move AND avoid the water! Gengar can't get control and Barry tells Ash to keep doing it but Buizel comes to a stop (THE BUIZELSTER DOESN'T PULL OUT MORE THAN 5 MINUTES FOR ANYTHING BUT A PPV, BROTHER!). Fantina compliments Ash on his strategy to defend with an attack and refers to it as a "Counter Shield", a name that Ash seems delighted by.

Fantina is more than a one trick pony though and calls for Nightshade, Ash shouts for Water Pulse and both moves hit. The smoke clears and Gengar is down, as is Bui..... NO HE AIN'T! THE BUIZELSTER DON'T LAY DOWN FOR NOBODY BROTHER!

Barry is miserable, Ash "didn't even break a sweat" whereas his own attempt for the badge saw him fail to take out even one of Fantina's Pokémon. Ash recalls Buizel so he can use it later, and Fantina recalls her beaten Gengar and tells Ash he is quite the challenger, causing Barry to pop out of his seat in outrage, she didn't say anything nice to him!

Speaking of deluded dimwits who don't grasp how much of a joke they are in their chosen profession, let's see how Jesse is doing at the Pokémon Contest! She is... she's letting her hair down!

Yanmega's Silver Wind blows the ribbons out of her hair and lets it flow open and free, and the audience.... falls in lust! Yes, every single male and female in the crowd with the EXCEPTION of James and Meowth are enthralled by her.... with no twerps there, she's doing fine!

Back at the Gym, Ash is getting a little overconfident (read, arrogant) but Fantina is just having fun, and sends out Mismagius and reminds him that it can't use Hypnosis.... so how is he going to deal with it? Barry is surprised she is giving out information but Brock explains that it is common for a (good) Gym Leader to present their challenger with a wide variety of differing challenges/information in order to see how they react and strategise. Ash meanwhile is raking the worn and desiccated husk that is his brain for memories, and remembers how Fantina's Mismagius used Psychic moves and Magical Leaf when she fought Zoey, so he sends out Chimchar to deal with it.

Chimchar kicks off with Flamewheel and gives chase to a dodging Mismagius, leaping flaming through the air after it. Fantina is surprised Chimchar jump while in the middle of a Flamewheel, and Barry gasps that it shows real power. Brock corrects him, this isn't a matter of strength but agility. But while Chimchar is fast and agile, Mismagius still has it where it wants it and uses Psi-Wave to slam it backwards into the ground.

Ash checks on Chimchar and Fantina asks if he is surprised? Because she has more to show him (in her pants or behind her choker?), so Ash goes back to the Countershield Wheel and has Chimchar use a spinning Flamethrower. Fantina isn't surprised and appears to have planned for this, ordering a Psy-Wave.... but it fails against the spinning flames and Mismagius is sent flying back with its throat ON FIRE!

Ouch!

Fantina orders a Magical Leaf and it smashes against the flames and both moves cancel each other out, Ash shocked to see his Flame Countershield broken. But Fantina explains that the moment he first used Countershield, she knew everything she needed to know to beat it. She orders a Dark Pulse and Ash calls for a Flamewheel along with Flamethrower Countershield, and the two moves smash against each other in a test of strength that forces Fantina to call for a Psy-Wave..... and this is what Ash wanted! Fantina is shocked as the Psy-Wave wipes out the Flamethrower and creates a haze of smoke that obscures its vision of Chimchar.... still in its Flamewheel!



And Mismagius is out! Chimchar hoots in delight, Ash is up 2-0!

Ash reveals once again that despite being a moron he does have a talent for battling, and Barry tears at his hair, he can't believe it! Ash recalls Chimchar and Barry reveals that he remembers having seen Paul battle with Chimchar in the past, and despite winning then, Chimchar seemed less happy than it is now.

Well that would be because Paul's an ASSHOLE!

Meanwhile, the winner of the Pokémon Contest is being announced..... JESSE!



HOORAY!

James, Meowth, Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. are in tears and the crowd is cheering, she actually did it! She won fair and square with no twerps getting in the way!

Back at the Gym, it's Pikachu vs Drifblim, and Ash kicks off immediately with a paralyzing Thunderbolt, and Ash asks what Fantina will do about Pikachu's Electric Shield. Fantina reminds him that despite paralysis it can still use Psychic, and it clears away the paralysis. Now Fantina gets a little less charming and a little more sinister as she happily tells him that his strategy, while effective to this point, has sprung a leak now, because all good things must come to an end. She orders Will O'Wisp, controlling them with Psychic. Ash orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, and..... oh shit, Fantina has turned his strategy around on him!

It's a Psychic Shield! A Counter Counter Shield!

Drifblim blasts the Psychic Shell around Pikachu and holds it in place as it tries to use Thunderbolt, but the move is contained within the Psychic Shell, and Drifblim has a captive audience for Hypnosis and then.... Ominous Wind!

Ooooooooh shit!

Pikachu is blasted back into Ash's arms, out of it and unable to continue, it's 2-1, the advantage still Ash's but with Fantina making a comeback. Ash sends the Buizelster back in and orders a Spinning Aquajet that blasts through the Will O'Wisp and smashes into Drifblim, knocking it back. But Fantina is prepared, ordering Ominous Wind and putting a stop to Aqua Jet. Ash tells Buizel to use a Water Pulse but it is crashed short by Will O'Wisp and Buizel is caught around the cheeks and hit with a Hypnosis/Psychic combination, and Buizel goes down!



It's just like their original battle all over again!

Things are even at 2-2, and Ash only has Chimchar left, Barry amazed by Drifblim's strength. Fantina telling Ash not to discount the power of the Hypnosis he thought he'd beaten. She orders Will O'Wisp and Ash orders Flamewheel, and the now all business Fantina tells Ash that's just more of the same (much like her constant use of Hypnosis!). The Will O'Wisp smashes into Flamewheel and catches on fire, creating an explosion and knocking Chimchar back.... and Ash gets an idea!

Oh no! That's dangerous for everyone!

He has Chimchar use Flamethrower against Drifblim's Psychic Shield, and now it is Fantina's turn to learn that you can't rely on the same move over and over again! As the Psychic Shield catches on fire, this time it is against a move that is moving FORWARD! The fire from the resulting explosion joins the Flamethrower, creating a blast of purple flame that smashes directly into Drifblim!



Fantina is horrified, Barry amazed, and Ash smug! He tells Fantina she doesn't know EVERYTHING about Counter Shield after all! She laughs and admits this may be the case.... but now it's time to end his rematch. She uses Ominous Wind, but Chimchar uses Dig to get under it and reappear behind Drifblim. Grabbing it around one flapping arm, Chimchar Judo Tosses it into the ground. Fantina goes back to her OTHER one big move and orders Hypnosis, but Ash was hoping for this, as it turns around to get its face directly level with Chimchar's and Chimchar..... BLASTS IT FULL FORCE POINT BLANK IN THE FACE WITH FLAMETHROWER!



Hardcore!

Drifblim is down and out! It's 3-2 to Ash, the battle is over and Ash wins the MOTHERFUCKING RELIC BADGE!



Barry can't believe it!

That night at the Pokémon Centre, Ash asks Barry where he is going now and he tells them he is returning to train at Iron Island at the Canalave Gym. Dawn shows Ash where it is on the map and he decides to head there as well for his Sixth Badge, causing Barry to reveal that it is a Steel Type Gym and if Ash can win there then MAYBE Barry might finally deign to think of him as a rival.

He's a dullard, but an enthusiastic dullard.

Ash is all for earning the respect of someone he has beaten easily and outclassed in every aspect since they first met, and so it seems we're not QUITE done with Barry yet..... YAY!

BEST QUOTES

"This contest exists for one reason only! To find the World's Top Coordinator....MEEEEEE!" "But Jesse, what about we!?!"

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