652: Memories Are Made Of Bliss!
Dodgy Synopsis
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658: Omoide wa Paru! Yujo wa Daiyamondo!
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She gets dressed (but isn't wearing her scarf!) and runs downstairs, saying good morning to Brock, Pikachu (playing on a ball) and her mother. Ash is nowhere to be seen though, and Brock informs her that he's still fast asleep. Dawn is delighted, deciding that she, Pikachu and Piplup can go wake him up, ignoring her mother who suggests that maybe they left the poor boy actually enjoy sleeping in a comfortable bed. She tiptoes upstairs and sends a delighted Pikachu creeping in while Piplup giggles uncontrollably, then Pikachu.... BLASTS THE LIVING FUCK OUT OF THE BOY WITH 1,000,000 VOLTS OF ELECTRICITY! Ash jerks up screaming, arms flailing uncontrollably in immeasurable agony... then collapses back down to the bed and makes a sleepy, barely open-eyed smile at Pikachu while Dawn saunters her entirely too short skirt right up beside his stupid uncomprehending face.
She tells him its breakfast time and he eagerly leaps up, revealing that he sleeps in the pants he wears during the day (FILTHY!). Grabbing Pikachu by one paw he hauls ass out into the hallway and.... stumbles straight down the stairs, doing immeasurable damage to his spine and loving it!
They settle down to eat, and Johanna tells the boys to be careful not to be late for the ferry which leaves in the afternoon. Piplup seems to finally pick up on what is going on as Brock suggests they get an early start so they can pick up plenty of Sinnoh presents for his family. Piplup listens with wobbly eyes as it overhears them casually discussing the break-up of the group, Ash saying he hasn't decided exactly what he is going to do next but he means to get back to Pallet first. Why? Well he wants to see all of his Pokémon and thank them for their efforts in the Sinnoh Tournament, and Johanna has to gently remind him that he should probably see his mother while he's there. She's very thankful to both Ash and Brock for taking her adolescent daughter wandering about the countryside unaccompanied with them but they insist it was their pleasure (OH REALLY!?!). Dawn drops in that maybe she will go to Kanto too, much to Piplup's delight, especially when Ash says that in this case they could go together. But then Johanna remembers that something came for Dawn in the mail, a copy of PokeChic Magazine, edited by Hermione who Dawn met at the Hearthome Contest. Ash remembers his own rather bizarre entry into that same Contest, and Brock happily remembers the Stylist Idol Paris.... and remembers her too well and gets asspunched by Croagunk for daring to dream. But Hermione apparently had a message for Dawn too; she wants to speak with her about Buneary.
Meanwhile on Route 202, a Hoot-Hoot is interrupted from its busy day of sitting on a sign doing nothing by approaching vagabonds. Meowth, James, Jesse and Wobbuffet are miserable and tired, hungry and exhausted. Meowth wants a groovy gift from the Boss to stoke the fire, and right on cue... MOTHERFUCKING DELIBIRD IS BACK!
The fat little bird flies in and Team Rocket are ecstatic, has it brought them a sack lunch? It happily hands them a message, then turns and flies away carrying its mail sack with it, leaving behind a still hungry Jesse and James. But Meowth has all the sustenance he needs, a tenuous link to the Boss! He opens the message and reads it; they're to contact Headquarters as soon as possible. What could it be for? Why... for "being us!", that in itself deserves a reward they're sure! They get into a little video phone booth along the road and call Headquarters, and are informed by the rather harsh Team Rocket Mistress that it was HER who sent them the message. They're crestfallen, it WASN'T their "Dear Boss"? But it seems that "Mr. Giovanni" actually does have a mission for them, and for them alone! They're to get back as soon as possible to learn more, and the call is broken off leaving an ecstatic Team Rocket to cry into each other's arms that it's all been worth it, that report sealed the deal!
What report? Meowth can't remember but Jesse and James do, it seems they wrote up a report and sent it in shortly after THEY defeated Team Galactic and Pokémon Hunter J! Self promotion has done the trick! It's a perfect day and Team Rocket couldn't be happier, they've finally won!
At Team Rocket Headquarters, Giovanni is informed that the agents have been requested to return. He thanks her and dismisses her, throwing down the file showing Jesse, James and Meowth. What does Giovanni have in mind? And how will they deal with encountered a Giovanni who isn't their bizarre fantasy version!?!
Back at Dawn's, we learn that Buneary has been chosen to become a Pokémon Model, and they want them to head to Hearthome City for a photoshoot and quite soon. Piplup stares wide-eyed, suspecting what this all will mean for its own hopes and dreams. Brock plunges the dagger in deeper by noting that this means they won't be able to travel to Kanto together, and Dawn twists it by seemingly not giving a fuck, casually mentioning "yeahthat'stoobadanyway BUNEARY GONNA BE A MODEL!", while Ash is just chuffed at the idea of getting to brag to people he knows a real-life Pokémon Model.
Piplup loses it shit, bursting into tears and flailing its chubby little arms about and leaping up and down throwing a huge tantrum. The twerps can't understand what the problem is and Pikachu tries to restrain it, and Piplup hits back with a massive burst of whirlpool, soaking them with water and running away leaving them completely bamboozled.
Johanna steps outside and hears what happened, and is the only one of them with any goddamn sense, suggesting that maybe Piplup is freaking out because it doesn't want to face saying goodbye to everyone. They all seem to consider this for the first time, and send out Togekiss and Staraptor to look for Piplup, joined by Pikachu in the air as the twerps follow after. Dawn recalls Buneary to its Pokeball, it's a model and doesn't need to deal with stuff like this, it just needs to look pretty!
In the sky, Pikachu spots Piplup and calls out to it, and it angrily blasts Water Gun at them, separating Pikachu and Staraptor and causing Pikachu to crash into Piplup. Piplup angrily tries to run from Pikachu and bashes into Togekiss, which gives it a nice motherly hug and causes Piplup to just burst into huge agonized tears. Staraptor heads off to get the twerps, while Piplup runs over to Pikachu and buries its head in its chest, then begins clubbing softly and then wildly at Pikachu while crying. Pikachu stares in astonishment and bursts into tears as well, and Togekiss tries its best to comfort both crying Pokémon when ANOTHER Pokémon joins in the tear-fest - Meowth!
He tells them that he knows how hard it is to have to say goodbye, it's lower than low and he can relate to them more than they know.... so it's going to make sure they stick together like glue! WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT! Faking his tears to lull them into a false sense of security, he gets them close enough to allow Jesse and James to scoop them up in a net dangling from their Happy Buddha Face Meowth Balloon.... he's lied to them through sympathy!
Team Rocket are delighted, they've got the Pokémon and there is no sight of the twerps.... and thus the twerps appear! Ash demands them back, and Meowth happily waffles on about all the reasons why they're going to keep them and....
Oh. Turns out Ash wasn't listening.
Staraptor's Brave Bird attack tears the basket apart, while Torterra's Leaf Storm cuts open the net and frees Togekiss, Piplup and Pikachu. Team Rocket are pissed off but not out yet, having crashed to the ground they're right back up and ready to fight some more.... which can only work out well for them surely! Surprisingly the twerps and their Pokémon kick seven shades of shit out of Team Rocket's poorly trained and badly commanded Pokémon, smacking them back into Team Rocket before Pikachu and Piplup combine a Volt Tackle and Hydro Pump to absolutely cane the shit out of Team Rocket and send them blasting off again. Meowth is horrified, they don't have a gift for the Boss when they return to Kanto, but Jesse begs to differ, they have the greatest gift of all... themselves!
Piplup's celebration with Pikachu is cut short though, when Dawn approaches and tells it (kindly) that it's time for them to go home. It tries to hold back the tears as they all stare (including Togekiss, Staraptor and Torterra), and Dawn tells Piplup that they're ALL sad, including herself. But this won't be the last time they ever seen them, and then she does the one thing that all girls must surely know how to do when the men in their lives are feeling inadequate - she lets it nuzzle into her breasts and tells it,"You're a big boy!"
Back at Dawn's house, the twerps are settled down watching the television where a major event is happening. It's not a Terrorist Attack, Flint of the Elite Four is facing Cynthia for the title of Champion Master! Infernape vs Garchomp, Flair Blitz vs Draco Meteor, straight up punches to the face and in the back of the head, attacks with rocks and fire and all the while Ash is watching and imagining himself in Flint's place.
Massive attack after massive attack between both Pokémon stretches them both to the limit, as - unlike Tobias - they don't rely on pure overclassed legendary power but use skill and tactics and technique against each other.... but there can be only one winner and finally after one last massive effort one of the Pokémon falls and... it's Infernape! Garchomp wins, Cynthia wins! Cynthia is STILL the Champion Master of Pokémon! Can ANYONE beat her?
Dawn says that came out of nowhere, but he replies that this is ALWAYS on his mind, one day he will win the Champion's League and become the Champion Master... and that will mean that he will finally be a Pokémon Master. They're all delighted by his energy, but then Brock has something to tell them too. He has decided to give up on his dream to be a Breeder (snicker, not like it was working out for him anyway!) and become a Pokémon Doctor!
But there's a flipside, to achieve his dream will require a whole shitload of study and that means.... he won't be able to continue on at Ash's side! Wait wait what!?!?! Hang on a fucking second here, okay lose the girl, fine, even though we like Dawn it's not like Misty or May didn't set the scene.... but lose Brock? BROCK!?! How the hell will Ash last more than three days without Brock there?
Regardless, Ash and Dawn are both fully supportive of his decision, and Dawn happily points out that this means that one day Brock will be a Pokémon Doctor, Ash will be a Pokémon Master, and she will be Top Coordinator! She claims there is no need to worry, and Ash laughs that when she says that is when he worries the most, but she insists that this time, she's right. They all laugh, but then Johanna points out it is 3 o'clock, almost time to go. They head for the ferry where they pick up some presents, Brock far more than Ash since he does have 9 brothers and sisters... not to mention all the lovely Nurse Joys and Officer Jennies waiting for him in Kanto!
They rush to the boarding ramp for the ferry, stopping to say their final goodbyes. Dawn thanks them for everything and they tell her no, they want to thank her. They all smile, then have an awkward silence as they realise that this is it... this is goodbye. They turn to leave, and then Dawn calls them back for one last thing, throwing her hand up high. Ash gives her the high five, while down at their feet Pikachu and Piplup do the same before having a happy hug... awwww!
They get on board as the ferry signals it is ready to leave, and Dawn finally starts to break down as the ferry pulls away. But Ash calls out to her from up on deck, telling her,"NO NEED TO WORRY!" She laughs and runs alongside the ferry, thanking them again and waving her final goodbye as the ferry sets off across the sea, turning and happily hugging Piplup, ready to look to a future without them.
Some undetermined amount of time later, the ferry arrives in Kanto. Brock and Ash move on, finally reaching the point where the road goes in two directions, one to Pewter and the other to Pallet. They say their own goodbyes, each telling the other they know he can do it - Brock will be a Pokémon Doctor and Ash will be a Pokémon Master. They bro-shake as is only appropriate, and then turn and finally after all these years go their separate ways.... ahhh man.
Not long after, Ash and Pikachu arrive at the outskirts of Pallet Town and head down towards Ash's home and abandoned mother. He's returned to where it all started, Gentle Dodgers, and his new goal returns him to the basics of where he started, wanting to be a Pokémon Master. But the similarities end there, because next episode there is no Brock, no Dawn, and a remarkably skilled and talented Ash Ketchum ready to move on to a new beginning.... and as always, we'll be there too!
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