Episode #246 - One Trick Phony!
Ash and Pikachu battle a pretty girl who has a Smoochum for her Pokemon. However, just as Ash is about to deal the final blow, the girl recalls her Pokemon, mot wanting to get it hurt. She directs the kids to Battle Park, a place run by professionals for trainers to battle with powerful Pokemon. Psyched, Ash and friends head there.
Team Rocket is working at the park, with orders to wash the PokeBalls and clean up the fields. They plan to steal all the Pokemon. Our heroes reach the park to find that it appears closed. When Team Rocket sees them, they change the plan slightly. They'll use the park's Pokemon to catch Pikachu. Disguised as park officials, they welcome the kids and suggest that they go to an area where they'll be able to battle the park's strongest Pokemon.
Ash and friends are admitted to a large forested area with battle rings drawn on the ground in various places. With elite Pokemon trainer disguises now, Team Rocket challenges Ash. Brock volunteers to be the judge as James selects a PokeBall at random from a basket. The Pokemon it contains turns out to be a Venusaur, and James thinks that since he has experience with Victreebell, he can't lose. Ash uses Cyndaquil, but is defeated after a hard battle. Impressed, he looks forward to his next match.
James and Meowth argue over who goes next, so Jessie grabs a PokeBall which releases a Charizard. Ash brings out Totodile, dancing happily as usual. Due to Jessie's unfamiliarity with Charizard's attacks, and some unorthodox moves by Totodile, Ash eventually wins. Again an argument breaks out over who goes next, but Jessie orders James and Meowth to steal the goodies while she keeps the kids occupied. The final Pokemon is a Blastoise, against which Ash selects Pikachu. Misty wonders if Ash has realized that he has battled all the evolved forms of Pokemon he previously owned. Jessie desperately flips through a guidebook to find Blastoise's attacks, while Ash uses Pikachu's speed to keep ahead of things. Pikachu wins after considerable effort. In a fury, Jessie looses her Arbok and has it attack. Pikachu is distracted, and suddenly a robot arm descends and grabs it!
Team Rocket sheds their disguises and floats away in their balloon, carrying Pikachu and a bag full of PokeBalls from the park. Water Gun attacks from Ash's Totodile and Misty's Politoed set Pikachu free and bring the balloon down. As the kids and a park employee converge on the crash site, Team Rocket releases the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. To their dismay however, the Pokemon won't obey them now. The park employee tells them that normally the Pokemon are obedient, but only as long as they are in the park! A combined attack from all three Pokemon sends Team Rocket blasting off.
The kids depart, resuming their journey to Blackthorn City. Ash is happy to have the battling experience, Team Rocket or not.
By: Audrey