Saved By The Beldum

            One day to the start of the Hoenn League Championships and Ash is leading all the pokemon in some stretches.  Ash wonders if Morrison has registered yet, but Brock just checked and he hasn’t.  Max thinks maybe he didn’t make it, but Ash doesn’t believe that.  He begins some battle training and who should run right into the middle but Morrison chasing a sandwich…  Morrison is impressed with Ash’s pokemon and then lets his own out.  They then start a race… but it is cut short when they both fall into a hole dug by Team Rocket.  Ash’s friends have disappeared, but Tyson and his Meowth show up and the two meowths get in a fight that ends with Team Rocket blasting off. 

            And here we discover where are friends went!  Brock comes and says he just checked and Morrison still isn’t registered.  He just makes the cut off.  Then Tyson’s Meowth walks out and Tyson says he’s had a tough time and then follows after them.  He says he’ll see them in the preliminaries.  Morrison doesn’t even know what preliminaries are, and Brock has to explain.

            The next day as Ash and the others watch Morrison’s first battle, Tyson and his Meowth prepare by thinking calming thoughts.  Morrison is using his beldum, and that single attack isn’t very effective against electabuzz.  Fortunately beldum evolves mid-battle into a metang.  Morrison manages to win the match and then they all head over to Tyson’s match. 

            Team Rocket is back and they’re selling snacks… at least they admit it’s an old trick…

            Our heroes make it just in time to watch Tyson, and they get a seat in the front row.   His match is against Vivica and her Persian.  Meowth seems very upset by something, and Tyson has to remind it to calm down.  Menwhile, Team Rocket has chosen this stadium to sell in, and their Meowth is watching.  Mewoth isn’t doing well against Persian, but it is determined, and Tyson isn’t losing his cool.  They manage to turn it around and win, but Tyson’s mewoth doesn’t want to stop attacking and Tyson can’t hold it back so he is forced to make it return.

            Tyson explains to Ash and the others how he met Meowth.  Early in his journey in Hoenn Tyson came across a Meowth and a persian fighting in the snow.  The Mewoth lost and all its followers left with the Persian.  Tyson took Meowth in and treated its wounds.  It went slowly and its legs were very injured which is why he put boots on it.  Tyson thinks the battle was for leadership of the pack and that his Meowth always remembers that battle and wants to prove it can defeat a Persian.  Team Rocket’s Meowth overhears and fully agrees.  He hates Persians too after all.

            It’s time for Ash’s battle, and he’s doing very well, only he isn’t using any electric attacks… Brock thinks maybe he’s trying to use one attack like Morrison.  Fortunately Pikachu doesn’t have any of the tough moments Morrison and Tyson had, and he easily wins with his opponent’s hitmonlee only getting one hit in.  That means all our friends get to go on to the actual championships.  And Ash gets to run the final leg with the torch and light the stadium torch!  Everyone is watching back home and Ash is ready for his toughest competition ever.     

            Location: Evergrande city

            Notes: Morrison has quite a diverse collection.  Pokemon from all three areas…

                        Ash and Morrison are ridiculous…

                        How did Team Rocket dig that hole without anyone noticing?  And where did Brock, May, and Max go…

                        Ash can’t explain preliminaries… give me a break…

                        Poor beldum… and Morrison doesn’t lose?  How stupid.  I think we’re supposed to like Morrison, but I think he’s a poor substitute for Richie, or even Gary.  He’s stupid… literally.  And he makes Ash act stupid.

                        The rest of the stadium is packed, but Ash and co. just happen to get an empty area?

                        How are there enough people to fill all those stands… they are using quite a few stadiums.

                        I think it’s ridiculous how they turned normal pokemon into “pocket knife” pokemon.  It was so much better originally.

                        Pikachu is so strong he should wipe out the competition…  too bad they aren’t consistent like that…

                        Why should this championship be any more difficult than the others?