Pokemon Company
Airdate: November 15, 2001
Summary: Our heroes meet Janina, but where is Ash?? Getting ready for his gym battle of course with a very motivational group run with his Pokemon with the sun shimmering in the background *cinema*. As we walk to the gym, Ash puts Pikachu on a huge golden good luck Wobbufett… I’m dying.. How dumb are our heroes? TEAM ROCKET HAS A WOBBUFETT! Team Rocket runs off with Pikachu in the RoboWobbu, but Janina and Brock send a double Onix Tackle attack, to no avail. RoboWobbu scales the mountain to escape but a Steelix comes out of nowhere under the direction of Olivine Gym Leader Jasmine. After a Crunch attack and Iron Tail Pikachu is free and we are ready to battle. It is a 2v2 battle for the Mineral Badge, here we go! First up is Pikachu vs. Magnemite, after a few missed electric attacks with both Pokemon evading with their speed. Pikachu decides to ground itself and take a tough Thunder Wave, deliver a strong Thunderbolt/Quick Attack combo to overwhelm Magnemite and win the first matchup. Here comes Steelix, so Pikachu hits it with a tough Thunderbolt to little effect. Pikachu dodges an Iron Tail but can’t hide from the steel snake, losing after a tough hit. Brock says Steelix is strong, bold take Cotton! Ash sends out Cynadaquil but its Flamethrower is cancelled by a Sandstorm/Dig combo. Cyndaquil awaits Steelix’s resurfacing, getting hit by a tough Dig attack right into an Iron Tail and another Dig, this Steelix has mobility and deception. Cyndaquil keeps dodging well, even aiming Flamethrower at the wall. Cyndaquil uses a Smokescreen attack to get close enough to Steelix to hide in a hole and deliver a critical hit Flamethrower to melt this Steel Pokemon. Cyndaquil keeps using the holes Steelix created to hide but Steelix uses Iron Tail to smoke the little Fire Pokemon out and damage it well. Cyndaquil almost loses the match but finds something deep within itself, even before Blaze is an ability, and uses a Smokescreen to set up a Flamethrower after Steelix uses Sandstorm, heating up the tornado so much that Steelix faints in its own cloud of hot sand. Ash receives a well-earned Mineral Badge, off to Mahogany Town!
Best Trainer/Pokémon: Cyndaquil, maybe the best performance by this Pokemon so far!
Worst Trainer/Pokémon: Jasmine’s Magnemite, kinda sucked today with almost no power.
One thing I learned: You can counter Sandstorm with a fire tornado, I will use this knowledge in my daily life for sure.
Who is that Pokémon?: Granbull, I love this Pokemon, one of the best of the entire series and I love that it went Fairy, although I don’t know what they are trying to say about British people or dog breeds here.
Best Quote: “Truly this wondrous machine was inspired by the memories and passions of my childhood” – Jesse relating RoboWobbu to a memory of a pencil box… I don’t understand this one.
Best Scene: Steelix coming out of the fire tornado all charred.
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