ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
669: Rematch at the Nacrene Gym!	675: Saisen Shippo Jimu! Shin Waza Sakuretsu!	Big (Natural Born) Mama's House 2			Ash trains for and takes part in his rematch for his second Gym Badge	Nowhere to be seen	Training generally doesn't get results in less than a day

Last episode, Ash got his ass kicked by Lenora of the Nacrene City Gym. In order to train up for his rematch, Ash has gone to the Battle Club to train under the tutelage of Don George. The large moustached man takes them into the Battle Club Training Room, filled with equipment and tells them they need to work on speed, power and coordination to beat Lenora. Tepig comes out first to use a treadmill to work off some of the fat that Ash piled back onto it from back when it was painfully thin, but then Don George shoves Ash towards it as well. He needs to train as well; a trainer needs to remain calm when Lenora pulls something like her Roar/Mean Look combo - so Ash is going to be running some fat off of his scrawny ass too! But sacrifices must be made for the....



Ash and Tepig get moving on the large treadmill - slow at first but speeding up gradually as Don George controls the speed. Axew gets excited to see them running and stumbles towards it to join in, but Iris grabs it up and warns that it isn't a toy. It certainly isn't, as Don George hits a switch and balls start firing out of the wall towards them. Don George wants them to imagine them as Shadowballs, and Ash enthusiastically cheers on Tepig... and then takes a ball blast right to his face.

Well this is what happens when you follow strange men into empty locked away rooms for "special training", Ash!

He gets up and tries again, him and Tepig dodging as the balls come at them faster and faster. Don George cranks it up again, now balls are coming at them from behind, and Ash tries to have Tepig blast through them with Ember... and they both end up on their asses again!

Ash realises that they need more power, and Don George offers a hand up, telling him that if he keeps training like this he'll have that power and speed he needs in no time. So they train away, improving and knackering themselves out, so Don George tells him to give Tepig a rest and get in some training with Oshawott, which will involve Ash taking his shirt and pants off.

Well this is what happens when you follow strange men into empty locked away rooms for "special training", Ash!

They head into the pool where a delighted Oshawott starts backstroking in the water as Ash yells at it that they're not here to play but to train. Ash dives in to join Oshawott, and Don George sets up a current in the pool for them to swim against. Meanwhile Iris and Cilan have organised some food for Tepig's fat little belly, but as they're feeding it they notice that Axew has disappeared. Iris looks around, concerned, but there is no sign of the little Pokémon. Where is it? It's gotten into the pool area and clambers happily up onto the control panel as Don George and Pikachu walks alongside Ash and Oshawott swimming. Spotting the buttons and bright lights, it eagerly begins slapping at them with its paws. The current immediately speeds up, and a wall of water swamps Ash and Oshawott and sends them flying backwards. Iris and Cilan arrive as Pikachu is scolding Oshawott, but Ash isn't giving up. Cupping Oshawott under his arm he moves back up against the now reduced current till they reach a waterfall in the pool. He gives Oshawott a push and it swims upstream, up the waterfall, leaping into the air and sliding back down, creating an Aquajet. Don George tells it to aim at a target on the far wall, but it doesn't quite make it, crashing down just before it can reach it. While Cilan thinks the flavour is a little underdone, Ash is just ecstatic to learn that Oshawott knows Aquajet. He celebrates a little too much though, slipping on the steps and crashing back into the water.

That night, Ash and Tepig are back on the treadmill and dodging/blasting every ball that comes their way. As they push it up the stairs, Tepig bursts into flames - is it a new move or just a variation on Ember? They don't say so I don't know!

And then, wonder of wonders.... the next day they go straight to the rematch! No fucking around for 3-7 episodes, no heading off into the wilderness! Just straight up into the rematch! Lenora is impressed that Ash's spirit hasn't been dampened any, and tells him that this means she will double her own efforts. Ash struggles to understand this incredibly straightforward statement so she shows him the Pokémon she will be using. Watchog, of course, and.... Herdier?



What happened to pup pup Lillipup pup pup friend?

It seems the little puppy evolved, now it looks more like a dignified old English gent (next to an undignified English gent in a terrible bathing costume in Watchog!). But the Pokédex warns that its fur acts like armour and reduces the attack of opponents.

Ash is pleased though, beating a stronger Pokémon is just what he wants! He calls out Tepig to start the match, and it reacts to Herdier's growl with a little blast of fire from its snout. Tepig uses Ember, but has its speed increased enough? Will it be able to get the jump on Herdier or will the doggy be able to escape in time? The answer is... it doesn't have to, it just uses Protect!

Next comes a series of spiralling Shadowballs, though Tepig is able to dodge the first couple and then blast the remaining two with Ember. Lenora is impressed, and Ash puts Tepig on the offensive, but Lenora's old tricks remain as she has Herdier use Roar, sending Tepig back into its Pokéball and dragging out Oshawott before its time. Lenora recalls Herdier and sends in Watchog, instantly using Mean Look to trap Oshawott in the battle just like last time. Ash watches grimacing... then grins, happily declaring that she did this in their last battle. Lenora mistakes this for the opening gambit in a subtle reveal of match strategy, but Ash is straight up just saying what he sees! She tells him if he knew it was coming he had better have prepared for it, and he says he has.... and orders a Razor Shell from Oshawott!

Isn't this the same strategy he used last time?

Watchog prepares to dodge but... it's not fast enough! Oshawott has improved its speed, and now Ash can't wait to use his brand new move - Aquajet! And.... Oshawott crashes into the ground far away from Watchog! Ash is horrified, and asks if it able to continue, then tells it.... use Aquajet again!

Oh... oh Ash.

Once again it crashes into the ground far from Watchog, and Lenora compliments him on his improved speed and the new move... but notes that Oshawott still needs to work on it. Ash has Oshawott use Water Gun, but Watchog dodges and then uses Confuse Ray, leaving the proud little otter completely bamboozled and stumbling about like a drunk. Ash tries to get through to it what moves to use, but it doesn't manage a complete block of a Thunder Shock, blasts Water Gun at the walls uselessly, and essentially is unable to do anything. Ash can't even recall it thanks to Mean Look, so it seems like he is going to lose again despite all his training. Luckily for Ash, he's too stupid to realise he's fucked, and he orders another Aquajet. Oshawott takes off, careening around so wildly out of control that Watchog is unable to hit it with Thunderbolt (and in fact Aquajet as one point slaps the attack out of the way!), and suddenly finds itself completely exposed to a totally random and unfocused direct shot of Aquajet!



OUCH!

The smoke (smoke? From Aquajet?) clears and Watchog is out.... but so is Oshawott! It's 1-1 and Cilan is surprised at the unconventional "mistakes" of tastes have combined into a blah blah blah he thinks it was cool basically.

Ash calls out Tepig to face Lenora's Herdier, using Ember again but seeing it wasted once more against a Protect. It tries Tackle and scores a shot, knocking Herdier backwards, so Ash goes back to the well and tries another Tackle, and Tepig crashes right into several close-range Shadowballs. Cilan notes to Iris that its extra speed got it in close, but that was too close to adequately dodge the Shadowballs. Lenora is impressed by the bond between Ash and Tepig and how much it wants to live up to his expectations... but she has expectations for her Pokémon too, and now she wants to see Herdier's very best... Giga-Impact!

In a blatant display of massive overkill, it leaps up, mouth glowing bright, then shoots forward like a dog-rocket directly into Tepig's face, sending it crashing backwards. Iris complains that Cilan's complimenting of Lenora is making her wonder whose side he is on, while Ash is only concerned with Tepig. It's gotten back up, and he tells it that he believes in it. It dodges Shadowballs but is obviously exhausting, making little sqouinking noises as it heavily pants. Lenora tells Herdier to keep up the pressure, and Ash has it continue to dodge, moving in closer and letting loose with a Flame Charge (oh that's what the move from earlier is?) directly into another Giga-Impact and.... BAM! CRASH!


Jesus Lenora it's just a Gym Battle, they give you plenty of those badges you know!

The smoke clears and Lenora and Ash yell to their respective Pokémon to get up, and they do. They stare across the battlefield at each other and... Herdier goes down! Ash wins! Tepig wins! Little Sneezey-Pig did it!

Iris and Cilan rush to join Ash and congratulate him, and Lenora and Hawes compliment him too saying they admire his battle style. Lenora hands him the Basic Badge, and there it is, Ash has his second Gym Badge!



At the Pokémon Center, Ash gets his egg back from Nurse Joy who tells him she gave it an exam and it is in good health and set to hatch soon. She tells him to look after it, and they head out to review where to next now that Nacrene City is finished with (but all the art galleries and outdoor cafes!). The nearest big city/town with a Gym is Castelia City - so that's where they're off to next to get Ash his third Gym Badge.

Hopefully he won't have as much trouble as he did with his second!

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