646: Working On A Right Move!
Dodgy Synopsis
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652: Kyofu no Torikku Rumu! Satoshi tai Kohei!
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Last episode, Paul defeated Barry (unsurprisingly) 3-0 (surprisingly), and now it's time for Ash's 3rd Round battle. He'll be facing the mysterious and creepy Conway, who is clearly Max from the future come back for revenge for being abandoned to the oblivion of former main characters..... but somewhat sidetracked by what's up Dawn's skirt. Conway has been mysterious about his secret tactic for dealing with Ash, and Ash has responded by getting in some training ahead of his match to be as best prepared as possible. His Infernape is practising moves against Brock's Sudowoodo when it suddenly flares up with even more fiery power than usual, it seems it is attempting to use Flare Blitz, much to Ash's delight, who is more than happy to be....
The move hits, Infernape glowing with blue flame, and Sudowoodo is sent crashing backwards as Infernape feels a bit of backlash before recovering. Ash is delighted with Infernape, and Barry rushes up excited to have seen the move as well while Brock warns that he shouldn't rely too much on the move as - like Volt Tackle - it takes a lot out of the Pokémon and has recoil damage. Barry checks out Infernape, Torterra and Glalie and is impressed that Ash is going with a power team (also one of which is a disembodied demon head from hell) but he's giving a bit too much away, as Conway spies from behind a tree on Ash's team AND his Pokémon’s new moves.
Back at the Stadium, Team Rocket have been gifted with yet another upgraded stall location from the Boss Lady. Inside the main concourse in the upper ring of the stadium, Team Rocket have food set up but nobody seems to want to leave their seats and no sales are being made. Just then though they spot Cynthia walking along with some children, and they call out to her in the hope of being seen to have a celebrity eating their food. Rubbing her stomach, Cynthia notes that she is hungry, but then just STARES at their food, unable to decide because everything looks so good. A young couple spot her hunched over unable to come to a decision and are amused by the "antics" of the champion, and decide to grab a meal themselves. Others quickly follow, and soon Team Rocket are selling food hand over fist, all while Cynthia continues to ponder what to have.
Ash and Conway are ready to start their battle on a grass field, and Paul has actually popped in to watch from a standing position high up in the stands. Cynthia seems to have chosen an ice-cream, and the phallic symbolism isn't lost on Mr. Goodshow who stares wide-eyed at her as she licks away. It's a 3 on 3 battle, and Conway starts with.... Shuckle!
But then Ash sends out... Noctowl! Conway is surprised, as is Barry, while Dawn checks it out with her Pokedex having never seen the brightly coloured drugdealer before. Barry freaks out over Noctowl's colour, then wants to know why Ash isn't opening with Infernape, and Brock suggests he may be shaking things up using Noctowl's speed.
Infernape withdrawals to raise its defence, then again in response to Noctowl's prepared Sky Attack. As it swoops down, Conway has Shuckle use ANOTHER Withdrawal, and when Noctowl connects... it bounces off in pain, the Sky Attack completely rendered useless. It staggers back up and looks pissed to have been knocked on its ass and made to look a fool, while Conway smugly mocks Ash for trying to penetrate his defences and has Shuckle use Power Trick. It's a move that switches Attack/Defence Status, so now Shuckle's power will become abnormally high (but conversely, defence abnormally low). Ash tries to zip in as Power Trick works its mojo, having Noctowl use Air Slash, but a Gyro Ball from Shuckle tears right through it and into Noctowl with a hard, attack-enhanced shot. Noctowl gets back up again though despite it all, but Ash recalls it before it can take any more damage and sends in.... Donphan!
Shuckle uses Sludge Bomb but Donphan Roll-outs right through it, crashing into Gyro Ball and losing control of its spin. Ash recalls Donphan as well and sends in his third Pokémon.... Gible!
Conway is surprised, he didn't think Gible has mastered Draco Meteor, but he figures the hell with it and sends Shuckle in with Gyro Ball.... directly into Gible's gaping maw!
Oh God that is sooooo wrong!
Switching its head to the other side, Shuckle tries to pull free but Gible won't let go, biting down into the shell while Piplup just GLARES with a "fuck my life" expression. As Gible tries to chew through to the soft nougat within though, Conway has Shuckle slip back inside of its shell, turn around and.... blast a big load of brown stinky semi-liquid into Gible's mouth!
So, so wrong
Gible is understandably pissed to be getting its mouth shit into, and Conway smugly asks Ash to kindly release Shuckle from Gible's mouth. He tells it to spit it out, but as it leans back he suddenly realises he has another option, and has Gible use Draco Meteor instead, sending Shuckle blasting up into the sky before fireworks spread out all around and crash into the ground all around the interior of the arena floor.... Shuckle is knocked out and Gible successfully pulled off a Draco Meteor, and Piplup didn't even get hit!
Ash is up 1-0 now but Conway knows all of his Pokémon while his others are still a mystery to Ash. His next out is.... Lickylicky! Oh God more creepy Pokémon for a creepy trainer! He tells it to use Lick, and before Gible can do anything it's.... getting a tongue bath! Freaking out as the tongue slaps and slides all over it, it finally recovers and uses Dig to get down under the ground... and is promptly slapped out by Power Whip. Ash recalls Gible to its Pokeball and sends Noctowl back out, and Conway orders another Power Whip.... but that tongue ain't long enough to get the job done!
Lickylicky tries a Thunderbolt but Noctowl dodges, then finally brings out its A-Game with some good old fashioned drug dealing. Using Extra Sensor, it sends LickyLicky on a hell of a trip, lifting it up into the air, disorientating it and crashing it back down into the ground, knocking it out, and it’s 2-0!
What creepy Pokémon is left for Conway to bring out? As the twerps gush over how great Ash (Dawn says he is amazing and somewhere, Kenny dies a little more inside) is, even Team Rocket are in on the act as they are gathered around the monitor in their stall watching the battle, too enthralled to work. The only person who isn't impressed is Conway, who still has an ace up his sleeve, Dusknoir!
The freakish face for a body, arms for ears and an eye for a mouth Pokémon emerges like a monstrous predator fish/genie from its Pokeball and instantly surrounds the Arena with Trick Room, an invisible "room" surrounding them. Brock suggests that Conway may have sacrificed LickyLicky and Shuckle just to get an idea of Ash's Pokémon in order to use Trick Room, which as a strategy makes absolutely zero sense, but regardless that's the situation they're now in, "trapped" inside a room they can't see. Ash tells Noctowl to use Extra Sensor again, but Dusknoir seemingly teleports into place before Noctowl, it moves so fast, and hits a Thunder Punch that knocks Noctowl the fuck out! It's 2-1!
Conway is smugger than ever, explaining that Trick Room has enabled his normally slow Dusknoir to ALWAYS get the first move in no matter how fast the Pokémon Ash uses are. It's a clever idea, but Ash still has two Pokémon left and immediately brings out Donphan to use Rollout... but Dusknoir gets the first move with a Shadow Punch that crashes right into Donphan's soft belly.
Ash tries to recall Donphan immediately, worried about Dusknoir's ability to always hit first, but Dusknoir uses Mean Lock to trap it in place, and scores another Shadow Punch to even it up 2-2, both trainers only have one Pokémon left and Conway's tough Pokémon will ALWAYS get the first move in.
Gible is called out and Trick Room reveals itself for a second again before disappearing. Gible tries to use Dig and gets Shadow Punched into the ground, then digs through and leaps out to attack, but Dusknoir immediately makes to Shadow Punch and Gible..... Gible..... Gible EATS the Shadow Punch!
Wait.... what?
Conway is horrified, how is that even possible? For once Dusknoir is the one left confused and frightened by another Pokémon as it tries to shake the gaping mouthed little land shark jerk clear of its paw. Gible once again uses Draco Meteor, once again successfully, and there's nothing Dusknoir can do about that as it is sent flying up and crashing back down. Ash tries to finish things with Dragon Pulse but Trick Room is still active and Dusknoir manages to hit a shadow Punch... but Dragon Pulse is still forming and blasts out of its wide-jawed mouth and right into Dusknoir which.... goes down! It goes down! Ash wins, it's 3-2 and Ash wins the Third Round! Hell yes!
Team Rocket are impressed and now convinced that they MUST poach Gible for themselves, while Barry appears to have somehow gotten enraged at Ash moving on a round further than him and threatens to fine him. Pikachu and Piplup dance; Brock and Dawn are delighted; Conway recalls his Pokémon and notes that now he has a new battle strategy to consider..... and with Round 3 over, the top eight have been revealed AND paired up for their Round 4 battles, which will be 6 on 6 battles. And one of those four pairings? Oh hell yes, Gentle Dodgers, you guessed it!
Barry is ecstatic, he can finally see them battle it out, while Cynthia seems to take it all in her usual inscrutable fashion, though she later observes as Ash and Paul encounter each other at sunset and comments to herself that she is looking forward to it.
That night, Ash checks in with Professor Oak after returning his Pokémon and exchanging them for others. Dawn rushes in to tell him that "it" has arrived, and Ash leaves excitedly to see what has arrived - he looks up at the moon and is delighted to see a winged shape approaching. Could it be? Is it the mighty Charizard returned to show Paul REAL power? No no, not at all, that would be predictable, instead Ash has gone for something to throw a real monkey wrench into the works. Tune in next week, Gentle Dodgers, to see Ash throw down with Paul in a six on six battle that will include..... Gliscor!
| BEST QUOTES |
 "Gible, look out for that tongue!" |
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