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JAPANESE NAME
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TEAM ROCKET
MORAL LEARNT
715: Crisis At Chargestone Cave!    721: Bachuru, Denchura! Denkiishi no Horaana!    Parasite Power                 The twerps investigate the source of power disruptions and a parasite infestation   Got what they wanted and tried to leave peacefully    Sometimes a fight just delays everything being sorted out   


Today finds the twerps walking through another of the endless parade of forests that make up the entire goddamn Pokémon World. Cilan says that according to his map, Chargestone Cave is nearby. Ash is confused by the name and Iris mocks him for his ignorance, then happily and freely admits that she has no idea what the word means either. They both turn to Cilan for an explanation and he gives it to them - Chargestone Cave is made up of electrically charged rocks, and has a mysterious and otherworldly flavour to it. Ash happily notes that this sounds just like Pikachu's kind of place and turns to see that Pikachu.... is dying!

With gaunt cheeks and heavy bags under his eyes, Pikachu can barely stand and in fact collapses before Ash's horrified face. He grabs Pikachu up and discovers a Joltik is latched firmly to his back, absorbing the energy like the disgusting parasite that it is. Ash tries to haul it off but it clutches on tight, and Oshawott leaps out of its Pokéball to help out. Joltik blasts them both before rushing away, and a panicked Ash doesn't know what to do to sort his oldest friend out. Cilan and Iris decide to bring out Stunfisk and Emolga to charge Pikachu up a little to tide him over, but discover Joltiks latched onto their Pokéballs (that's soooooo gross!). They scurry away and the twerps bring the Pokémon out to discover they too are gaunt and near-death. It turns out these kids travelling alone in strange places have gotten in over their heads, and are now facing a....



...or not, as moments later we find the Pokémon fit and healthy again after being taken to a Pokémon Center and healed. I'd presumed they'd have to rush through the cave to fix up their Pokémon in time, but nope! No tension there! Pikachu leaps back up onto Ash's shoulder and he recalls a love-struck Oshawott away from a repulsed Emolga before Iris and Cilan recall it and Stunfisk.

Iris declares with some terrible voice acting that it's great there was a Pokémon Center nearby, and Joy notes that it is unusual to see Joltik around here. The twerps are surprised, and even more so when the door to the Center bursts open and who should come speed-shuffling in but.... Bianca! YES! And you know what that means.....



YES!


She apologizes with a gasp and Ash demands to know why she's in such a hurry this time and she explains that... she can't remember! She ponders for a few moments, then it comes back to her addled brain and she holds up her wrist - her "Cross-Transceiver" (it's a wrist-watch) has stopped working! Joy checks it out and tells her that... the battery is dead. She says she'll give it an express recharge and heads out back, and Bianca bows in appreciate and then eagerly decides to go call Professor Juniper. Ash rudely intrudes on her conversation to say hello (maybe he thinks his mother will be there like she's always at Professor Oak's?) and so does Pikachu and then the other twerps. But Bianca said she was in a Pokémon Center "nearby", and Juniper's research lab isn't anywhere near there so.... ahhh, she's actually in Chargestone Cave, talking on her Cross-Transceiver.

She shows them the interior of the cave and then saunters outside, hand on hip, to show them her camp. But as she invites them to come visit, the power suddenly cuts out to the Pokémon Center. Juniper is confused while at the Center the twerps notice Galvantula passing by the window. At the camp, Juniper's assistant says they are getting strange power readings from Area 4 of the Cave, which appears to have had a passageway blocked off.

The twerps force open the doors of the Pokémon Center, eying up the Galvantula and wondering if they're responsible for the powercut. Nurse Joy steps up behind them and says it's for certain - they usually get their power fix from Chargestone Cave, and the fact they're out and about like they are indicates something is wrong. Perhaps this explains them latching onto the twerps' Pokémon and the power-cut? She switched on the Generator so the Pokémon Center should be fine, but what is wrong with the cave?

Three guesses, Gentle Dodgers, and the first two don't count!



Yep!


Team Rocket are collecting rocks at Dr. Zager's request. They're a source of power and have evolutionary capabilities as well, and they're nearing completion of collecting all that Zager asked for and more besides. A tiny Joltik scampers through a gap in the rocks and is spotted by the trio, and Jesse calls out her Woobat to chase it out. It scutters away in terror, blasted onto its back by Woobat as it slips through a huge set of doors Team Rocket have (somehow) erected. Jesse tells it not to come back, recalls Woobat and closes the huge doors behind her.

Meanwhile Bianca has FINALLY come to the conclusion that a Joltik probably drained the power from her Cross-Transceiver. Cilan notes that she probably would have noticed a Joltik on her arm (this is Bianca we're talking about), and Iris giggles that somebody forgot to charge her Cross-Transceiver and she knows who. Bianca is convinced, however, stating that should Joltik cross her path again then her Minccino will save the day. She calls it out and tells it to distract Joltik with Thunderbolt to allow them to make an escape, impressing the twerps who are pleased to hear it learned a new move.

Meanwhile the little Joltik has been found passed out by the Galvantula. They zap it with a little charge of electricity to get it back on its feet. Meanwhile the twerps are discussing Bianca's upcoming trade - she means to trade her Shelmet for Professor Juniper's Karrablast, and Cilan explains they evolve into Accelgor and Escavalier respectively when traded. Ash shouts out with odd enthusiasm that he would love to be there to see an Evolution Exchange take place (and hey kids, you can do the same on your Nintendo Products and devices!), but then they find their way blocked by the Galvantula. They leer ominously at Pikachu and his sweet, sweet electric sacks, and Bianca has Minccino use Thunderbolt on the non-conductive tree to get their attention. The Galvantula rush up to the tree to get at that energy, and Minccino uses Swift on the branches to knock fruits clear and smack them on the head, knocking them out. The twerps cheese it, but find themselves blocked by more Galvantula. They zap the twerps, wrap up Pikachu and Minccino in webbing and take off. Ash and Bianca chase after them, but Ash gets wrapped up in Electric Webbing and is zapped again. Iris brings out Excadrill to cut him free, and they continue to chase the Galvantula, Excadrill smashing through the webs they put up in their path. But Ash and Iris rush too far ahead and zoom over the edge of a sudden drop - Ash skids down on his ass while Bianca tries desperately to keep her footing in the sudden scramble down.



Deeper in the forest, Pikachu and Minccino are set down and cut free, but find themselves surrounded by the glowing eyes of more Pokémon from the roots of the surrounding trees. They step out and reveal themselves to be a large number of tiny Joltik, which surge onto the horrified Pokémon and begin suckling their electric energy (ewwww), draining the life out of them.

Meanwhile Ash has crashed into the ground and Bianca is still stumbling along behind him, warning him to get outta the way outta the way outta the way too late! He is sent sprawling into a small pond of water yet again, groaning as he asks her if this always has to happen. She drops her head and begs forgiveness, having seen entirely too much wet Ash ass for anybody's liking.

They continue on through the long grass (I hope they have Repel!), but they've lost all track of the Galvantula. Without Cilan and Iris around or somebody to fight, Ash is completely useless, but Bianca of all people has an idea! She unstraps her Cross-Transceiver and reminds Ash that the Galvantula love electricity. So if she turns her on and then holds it up high as bait.... and it works, a Galvantula pops out of nowhere and she tosses the watch high into the air. The Galvantula grabs it out of the air and takes off, and Ash and Bianca chase after it, Bianca declaring herself a genius.

Well... the only other person nearby IS Ash, after all.


Cilan and Iris are having no luck finding Ash or Bianca, and Cilan is still trying to figure out why the Galvantula would need to take power from Pikachu, Minccino and the Pokémon Center itself. Just then they hear voices and spot Professor Juniper and her assistant heading for the outside entrance to Area 4. They call out and tell her what has happened, and how Ash and Bianca have gone missing.

Meanwhile Bianca's plan has worked, and they've found Pikachu and Minccino blasting the fuck out of a swarm of Joltik. Bianca believes the Joltik are attacking and tries to rush to the rescue, but Pikachu makes her stop and Ash realises that the two Pokémon are "feeding" the tiny little parasites. Indeed, they're beaming as they bask in the electricity, a golden shower (ewww) of energy. Galvantula "feeds" the electricity from Bianca's Cross-Transceiver to another couple of Joltik, meaning that when Juniper tries to contact Bianca on her own, she gets nothing.

Juniper, her assistant, Cilan and Iris arrive at the outside entrance to Area 4 and discover a huge door where there was none before. Inside, Team Rocket have finished mining and collecting data on the stones they've picked up. They prepare to move out, while outside the twerps are trying to open the huge door. Iris' excellent hearing picks up a rumbling noise and she warns them all to clear out. The doors open and an armoured carrier with a big R on it drives out, finding its way blocked by the twerps and Juniper, asking what is the world this is.

"Silly question, we're out of this world indeed!"
"The answer MAY come when we feel the need!"
"We bring, the white light of evil into the future!"
"We thrust, the hammer of justice onto the blackness of the universe!"
"And we're carving our names, in da rock of etoinity!"
"The fiery destroyer, Jesse!"
"And with thunderous emotion, James!"
"Wisest of da wise, Meowth!"
"Now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!" they all finish together.


Juniper and the twerps are furious, They're the ones responsible for kicking the Galvantula and Joltik out of the cave? Jesse laughs that it just made mining easier, and the furious twerps say they won't get away with this and Cilan calls out Dwebble to help teach them a lesson.

You know if they just let Team Rocket leave, the Galvantula and Joltik could move back in to their house!


Pikachu and Minccino are playing with the now re-energised Joltik, but Ash doesn't understand why the Pokémon are out in the forest instead of in the cave where they can get electricity. One of the Galvantula returns from where it was eavesdropping on Team Rocket to inform the others that the assholes who kicked them out are now out in the open, and they all take off followed by Ash and Bianca.

Dwebble fails to make any impact on the Armoured Carrier moving at full speed (funny that!) but Iris has a far more effective strategy in mind. She has Excadrill use Dig to create a hole in the ground and let Team Rocket get stuck in it. The trio aren't best pleased, and things start looking even worse for them when the Galvantula and Joltik show up as well.



The armoured carrier is blasted with electricity, causing the rocks in the back to react and become magnetised. The magnetic fields create a levitating effect that makes the armoured carrier rise up, and when the electricity stops flowing the carrier comes crashing down. Team Rocket are able to just barely leap clear before it smashes into the ground. The rocks fall out and the twerps are livid, how dare they take rocks out of a cave on public ground!?! Team Rocket land and the twerps prepare to fight them, Jesse and James bringing out Woobat and Yamask respectively. They blast a combination of Night Shade and Gust at the Pokémon, but Pikachu and Minccino stop Yamask with a combination of Thunderbolt and Swift.

The Gust is still hitting Excadrill and Dwebble hard though, and Dwebble begins to get blown backwards. Cilan shouts encouragement to it, and Dwebble begins to claw its way forwards against the Gust, putting in so much effort that it begins to glow bright! Cilan is delighted, this can only mean that,"EVOLUTION TIME HAS BEGUN!"

Dwebble glows and grows, turning into a Crustle - a huge crustacean now encased in a massive block of rock. It leers at a shocked Woobat, while Cilan is just in goddamn ecstasy at Dwebble's evolution, leaning in close with eager eyes over Ash's shoulder to check out the Pokédex Entry.

Jesse growls that evolution means nothing though (then why did you make Koffing and Ekans evolve!?!) and orders an Air Slash. Crustle smashes the attack aside with Rock Wrecker, making Cilan near-orgasmic that it can use a move like that with suck wild abandon and strength. Jesse and James order a Shadowball and another Air Slash, but they're blocked and overcome by Thunderbolt and Rock Wrecker, smashing back into the wreckage of the carrier and blowing it up. But from the smoke emerges a small box of stones, forming wings and a little propeller to fly it away. Team Rocket quickly join it on jetpacks, James complaining about the troublesome twerps but Jesse and Meowth laughing it off - they got what they wanted and got away.

Soon after, the Galvantula are returning the leftover stones into the cave, and the Joltik eagerly crawling all over the rocks to get their full of energy. Juniper's assistant clears out the blockage deeper down the cave and makes it possible for it to be traversed again. They all return to the base camp, where Bianca and Juniper will be able to make their Evolution Trade at last - something that Ash is seemingly anticipating even more than Bianca or Juniper themselves. Will we get to see it? Will Bianca stick around? We'll have to wait till next episode to find out, see you then!

BEST QUOTES

"Aren't I a genius? Of course I am!"





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