Pikachu Shocks Back
1 - The Human Race and the Pokemon Race
Ash and Brock are on a bus, discussing how Brock frequently shuts down Pewter Gym as Brock gets the urge to travel. Ash thinks this life of a wanderer is cool, and the two agree to travel together... although Brock does have a weakness of pretty girls.
The duo head north to join a famous Pokemon race in Fuchsia City. It's more like a festival than a race, commemorating the nomad's independence day. The nomadic tribes around the area compete in the races, but others can too. When the two are about to register, Pikachu runs off, and finds...
Misty! ^_^. She is with her sisters, and they are enjoying the festival. Ash is so smitten with the sisters that he forgets Misty, but remembers her when she starts biting his hat. ^_^;; Brock flirts with the sisters, offering them a bouquet (Vileplume).
Ash and Misty hang out, while Daisy tries to avoid Brock. Ash angers Misty, who challenges him to a battle. The first one of them to catch a wild Tauros will win. However, before they can even send out a Pokemon, the Tauros charges. A Ponyta, ordered by a girl with her arm in a sling, leaps in the path of the Tauros and sweeps the two children out of the way.
The girl, Lara, takes Ash and Misty back to her tent. She is one of the nomads. Her Ponyta is a thoroughbred, which is very fast, and has a white coat (most Ponyta have orangey fur). Lara was going to enter the free-for-all race with Ponyta, her pride and joy, but her broken arm prevents her. The free-for-all is so dangerous that this will be the last year it is held.
The favourite to win is Dario. Lara had won two years in a row, but with her out of the way, Dario has no real competition. He is on TV and is pleased about Lara breaking her arm, commenting that as her Ponyta bucked her off, it must not be trained well. In reality, there is a rumous that Dario spooked Ponyta, causing it to rear up, but there is no proof. Dario is a master of dirty tricks.
Ash, upon hearing this rumour, immediately rushes off to confront Dario, but he dismisses Ash as a child.
Dario: Listen! The free-for-all is a historic race that gives the winner bragging rights for the year. Everybody's fair game the second they register.
Ash: Then you DID do it!
But Ash can't back it up. After Dario leaves, he declares that he will ride Ponyta in Lara's place. Misty shouts at him that he can't possibly do it, and they fight, but Ponyta moves up to Ash and tilts him onto its back. It wants him to ride it, because it is mad at Dario too. However, Ash had never ridden anything before!
Lara gives Ash tough training, shouting at him, scolding him and giving him challenges. She is harsh, but needs to be; the free-for-all is hard.
The next day, everyone is talking about how Ash has no chance. This race has riders run to Mt. Spirit and grab the flag at the top. Any non-flying Pokemon can be ridden. They begin to race, with Dario on Dodrio first and Ash last. A rider falls off his Rapidash, and a Rhyhorn/Tauros fight breaks out. The Pokemon come to a swimming section (one girl has an Omanyte!). The nomadic tribes used to war with each other, but now this race is the substitute for that. So this is the toughest test of a Pokemon trainer's wisdom and courage.
The race enters the foothills, shrouded in heavy fog. Ponyta knows the roads and bounds up. Other competitors have more trouble, and Dario, at the top of a ledge, has been dropping boulders down the cliff. He has some goons take care of the opposition, but Ash manages to crawl up, with Ponyta. Dario's goons, on Doduo, fight, but Ponyta beats them.
Dario sends a huge team of turtle Pokemon, but Pikachu zaps them with electric hairballs. ^_^. One Blastoise hydro pump renders Ponyta near unconsciousness, but Ponyta thinks of its trainer...
Dario is alone, racing towards the flag. No competition. Watching, Misty and Lara are sad. But Ash, riding Rapidash, gallops up and gets the flag first!
2 - To Evolve Or Not to Evolve, That Is the Question!
Brock and Ash intend to "do some male bonding" (Misty's words) on Route 20 to Seafoam Islands. Misty decides to come too, to visit Stone Town on Dream Island. She's on vacation and has trainer's leave from school, so it's okay. They head off.
On a hovercraft-thing, Misty quizzes Ash on Chansey's attacks. Ash misses one, so Misty claims his lunch. Ash complains to Brock, but Brock isn't listening - they're there, the origin of all evolution stones.
Misty: If you can name every type of evolution stone, I'll buy dinner!
Ash: You're on! Let's see... "Thunder stone", "Water stone", "Moon stone"... and... uhh... "Rolling stone?"
Misty: WRONGO! I guess dinner is on you!
Ash: Broooock! If this keeps up, I'll go broke! Make Misty stop!
Brock: Actually, Ash, I was just about to compliment you on your flirtation technique.
Misty: Don't be reading anything into it, okay?!
Ash: WHAT "FLIRTATION"?!
Brock: Ash and Misty, sittin' in a tree...
Brock prances off, laughing. ^_^.
A boy is walking along with an Eevee. Eevee looks sad. Meanwhile, Misty, Ash and Brock are looking at evolution stones in a store window. They are very expensive, but cheap ones can make evolution go bad. Misty wanted to evolve her Poliwhirl. (Error here; she actually says she wants to evolve her Poliwag, but the pic is of a whirl-wrath.)
Ash: And I thought you were going to buy a stone to evolve YOURSELF.
Misty (big and scary): Repeat that! I DARE YOU!
Ash (timid): Didn't say nothin'.
Brock: Women - like wine - don't evolve - they only mature over time. A hundred years oughtta do it!
Misty: BUT MEN *NEVER* MATURE!
Ash (being pounded into the air): You LOOK like a guy anyway!
Misty (chasing them): Why, you...
Ash (running): Nyah nyah
Brock (running): Her temper could sure use a little evolution!
The boy with the Eevee interrupts the rampaging Misty to press a box into her hands. He runs off. It is a three-piece evolution stone set. (Fire, Thunder, Water.)
A Pokemon League lady tells them the set is from The Knights of the E Stone, a fellowship for people whose Pokemon have evolved with a stone. The boy was a pledge who didn't want to evolve his Eevee. Ash thinks about evolution, worried that his Pokemon will become different creatures who might not be friends with him any more. Misty laughs at him, saying evolution is necessary in real battles.
The Knights of the E Stone meet in Machop Grill, and Ash-tachi sneak in. The fellowship is weird, like a cult, all discussing stone evolved Pokemon and all wearing strange costumes. The head yells at the boy, Mikey, in front of everyone, and Mikey says that he likes his Eevee the way it is. Mikey's brothers scold him, and the enter organisation shouts that he should evolve his Pokemon NOW.
Ash can't help himself, he runs forward to defend Mikey. Mikey wants to be part of the organisation, due to social standing. Brock proposes Eevee battle its evolved form to prove its worthiness. The club members shout at Brock to shut up ("open your eyes when you talk, why don'tcha?") but they decide to do just that: Mikey/Eevee, assisted by Ash, will battle against representatives.
At Mikey's mansion, Ash-tachi eat with him, and Ash encourages Mikey to be confident. His brothers show up and scold him for shaming their family. Evolving Eevee is the family tradition. Mikey's Eevee looks sad. But Misty defends Mikey, leading them to mistakenly believe she is his girlfriend. >_<.
After the brothers leave, Misty and Mikey talk to each other. Mikey tells Misty to keep the evolution set, and they talk a little about evolution. Misty thinks Mikey has a crush on her (which he seems to) and worries she might have a weakness for younger men herself!
The next day, the battle begins. Pikachu and Eevee are to take on two Vaporeon, two Flareon and a Jolteon. (Gee, not too much! O.O.) The battles begin, with Pikachu KO-ing both Vaporeon in one hit. Then it KOs both Flareon in one hit. The leader realises that Eevee is not fighting, and says it must fight Jolteon alone. So Mikey opposes Sparky, his brother.
Little Eevee only knows Tackle and Reflect, and is not fast enough to challenge Jolteon effectively. Ash calls a time-out and pulls out a cube with "31" written on it. It is a TM. He opens the TM over Eevee's head, spraying the new attack over it.
Eevee Reflects, then uses Mimic to mimic Pin Missile, fainting Jolteon. Mikey is inducted into the fellowship. The leader offers Ash membership too, but Ash doesn't want to. ^_^;
3 - Pikachu's Excellent Adventure
Some Pokemon Centers are places where trainers can just relax and take a break. At one such place, a number of trainers we know from the show are there. A girl, Duplica, is on stage in front of many trainers, performing with her Ditto. Giselle and Joe watch.
After the performance, Misty talks to Duplica. Ditto is so well-trained, it can vary how closely it imitates. Misty wants a Ditto too, so Duplica offers to show her where she caught it. Ash and Brock, however, have been talking to AJ and Samurai, discussing a hidden village for Pokemon who have been abandoned by their trainers. Apparently, there are lots of great, strong Pokemon there, but they are all protected by a goddess of Pokemon.
Misty goes off with Duplica, and Ash/Brock (Brock is all smitten with the idea of a goddess of Pokemon ^_^.) go to look for the hidden village. As the guys walk towards a bus, Pikachu gets distracted by a Squirtle shell.
Pikachu talks to Squirtle, and the language is translated to English. Squirtle was abandoned (by Gary?) and says that Pikachu has been too. Sure enough, Ash is gone. Squirtle and Pikachu team up with a Charmander who has been waiting for ten days for its master to return. Squirtle, cynical, says that this is what comes of trusting humans. The tree go to look for the hidden village. Pikachu is eager, remembering that Ash wanted to go there.
Meanwhile, Ash frantically looks for Pikachu, even calling Misty to see if it went with her. Misty is worried, and gives up Ditto-hunting to go to Ash.
Squirtle-tachi travel, but Squirtle, being a turtle Pokemon, gets tired easily, and is not much of a traveller. A boy, Tommy, comes up to them, and can speak Pokemon language. He is travelling with a Kangaskhan, his mother. Kangaskhan raised Tommy after he was abandoned. They all decide to team up to go to the Pokemon paradise.
Ash is still looking for Pikachu, and becoming very upset.
The next day, Kangaskhan carries Pikachu-tachi and they meet a Meowth, carrying a big fish. They all want to go to the hidden village, so they offer to let Meowth come with them, but Meowth says he'll treat them to breakfast first. He takes them back to Jessie and James, who have been waiting for breakfast and are hungry.
Team Rocket have been looking for the hidden village for ages. Now, they can be led straight to it. Pikachu-tachi are reluctant to trust them, being from Team Rocket (although they give the excuse that no humans like them, so they want to go live in peace somewhere), but can't resist fish - and besides, they outnumber them.
They travel for quite some time, before finally reaching the village. The goddess of Pokemon is just an ordinary girl, Melanie, with slightly messy hair and an overall-dress. The Pokemon view her as a goddess though. ^_^; Pikachu is sad because Ash doesn't seem to be there, while Team Rocket is dancing around exclaiming over all the great Pokemon.
They are about to catch an Arcanine, but a razor leaf intercepts, and a Bulbasaur stops them. They send out Ekans and Koffing. Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, Tomo, Melanie and Kangaskhan yell at them and fight back. After battling, Kangaskhan's Mega Kick sends them all flying.
An Officer Jenny in a helicopter sees them fly past, and orders them to pull over (*lol*).
Back in the Pokemon village, a man staggers up, covered in bandages and barely managing to walk, clutching a stick for support. It is Damian, Charmander's old trainer. He was in an accident and in a coma in hospital. He came to look for his Charmander as soon as he could.
Pikachu is inspired and leaves to look for Ash. They finally find each other and are happy.
4 - You Gotta Have Friends
Pikachu is tired from so many battles, and Nurse Joy recommends it has some rest and relaxation in the country to recover from psychological stress. Misty, Brock and Ash take Pikachu to the great outdoors, and Pikachu finds a whole herd of wild Pikachu.
The Pikachu don't get along with Ash's, because of the human-smell on it. Ash tries to make friends with them, but they are scared of him. Then, all the Pikachu are attacked by a wild Pinsir, and Ash's saves them with a thundershock.
A cute female Pikachu is watching, and is impressed, but falls into a stream, swept along by the current. Pikachu, with the herd's help, saves her. Team Rocket watch, admiring the teamwork of the herd, and want to steal them.
Days pass. Ash is sad, because Pikachu has been gone for a while. It has not been with other Pikachu for a long time, and now fits in with the herd, having won their respect. Ash decides to play with his other Pokemon instead. He has Charmander, Oddish, Bulbasaur, Fearow and Squirtle. But they fight each other, and then Charmander accidentally torches Ash.
Ash gives up in this idea, recalling his other Pokemon. At that moment, Pikachu does return, hungry, but Ash is upset with it. Pikachu grabs the food and runs off with the girl Pikachu. Ash is REALLY upset. ^_^;
Pikachu sleeps with all the other Pikachu, but it is a little sad, thinking of Ash. A flying craft flies overhead, waking Ash-tachi up nearby. It is Team Rocket, and they start throwing Pokeballs at Pikachu. But they are in a protected area for Pokemon, and Ash defends them, Pikachu helping him, as Team Rocket had captured the cute girl Pikachu. Pikachu beats Arbok and Weezing, with a little help from Misty's Starmie and Brock's Onix. Ash is happy with Pikachu's victory, but it leaves him to run off with its girlfriend.
The next day, Ash, Brock and Misty leave the area. Ash is very sad, and keeps looking back. Then Pikachu runs up to him. It still wants to go with him.
