Pikachu uses Iron Tail to smack Joltik loose, and the tiny little Pokémon scowls at them. Ash checks it out with his Pokédex and learns it is a little parasite that attaches to Electric Pokémon, absorbs static electricity and stores it in its pouch. So it's.... it's a tick?

Cilan and Iris show up and fill Ash in on what is going on with Stephan, and tell him that if they can't find the Scalchop, Oshawott will have to fight without it. Iris has an idea though and zips away, finding an Iapapa berry that kinda sorta a little bit looks like it might be something that could potentially be confused by somebody with glaucoma as being a Scalchop. Oshawott takes it and tries a few experimental swipes, and Ash suggests they have Pikachu try some electric attacks so Oshawott can see if it can block it. At first things seem to be going well, until the Iapapa berry snaps in two under the attack and Oshawott gets blasted, while the berry gets burned to a crisp. Iris and Cilan check it out and are sad to see the berry wasn't as strong as they thought... but they do like the new smoky taste!

Cilan offers Oshawott his prized possession, a polished serving tray (METAL CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY!) and tells Oshawott it should do the job for it (METAL CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY!) so Ash has Pikachu use an electric attack on the metal object (METAL CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY!) and they're all shocked to discover that apparently metal conducts electricity!

Benjamin Franklin is rolling in his grave... generating electricity, which is then conducted. BY METAL!

Iris sighs that it's metal, DUH! but she never actually mentioned anything BEFORE Oshawott got fried to a crisp. Cilan clutches the burned serving dome to his chest like a giant metal tit and rubs it, moaning that it's now blacker than the night sky and begins quietly sobbing and whimpering. Ash yells at them that they need to stop messing around, so Cilan calls out Dwebble and asks it to carve a new Scalchop out of rock for Oshawott. The little Otter stares with love in its eyes as Dwebble carves away and finally finishes a PERFECT Scalchop... only the proportions are just a liiiiitttttllllleeeeee off.



Pikachu seems fucking delighted by the size though, and soon Ash has it practising Thunderbolts against the Scalchop. Oshawott IS able to use it to block the attack, but goes red in the face from trying to lift it and hold it up. It collapses under the weight and ends up under a tree getting fanned down by a leaf by Pikachu. Ash is worried about what to do (MAKE THE ROCK SCALCHOP SMALLER!) and Iris tells him that Oshawott relies on the Scalchop too much. Ash insists that it is an important part of Oshawott though, and Oshawott overhears and goes over all wobbly eyed at how well Ash understands it. Cilan suggests they work on their offense, asking Ash if he has heard the saying about a good offense being a good defence.

THIS IS THE BASIS OF ASH'S ENTIRE BATTLING STYLE!

Ash insists that the only thing to do is to work on learning to use that Rock Scalchop (MAKE IT SMALLER!), and he and Oshawott set about doing some hardcore training, Ash joining in alongside Oshawott as they carry weights while running, use the rock Scalchop to do sit-ups, do push-ups (with the rock Scalchop on Oshawott's back) and practise more with Oshawott trying to use the rockchop as a shield against Pikachu's thunderbolt. Oshawott is constantly knocked backwards but just keeps rushing back in to the point of exhaustion, ending up under the shade of that tree again getting fanned by Pikachu. Cilan and Iris think Oshawott is done for the day, but Ash insists they need to do just a little bit more and Oshawott jumps up with a,"MOTHERFUCKER ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!" look on its face. Ash tells it that he KNOWS it can do it though, he knows it can!

Make. the. Rockchop. Smaller!

Later that night, Oshawott is dozing by a small pond when it dreams about facing Blitzle again with its Scalchop... which disappears as the electric attack approaches. It shakes its head awake in fright and then sees its Scalchop in the water before realizing it is just the moon's reflection, before recalling Ash telling it that he knows it can do it.

Ash and Pikachu are looking for Oshawott which hasn't eaten yet when they hear it grunting and see it trying more push-ups with the rockchop on its back. Ash decides to go train with it, catching it by surprise and causing it to collapse with the rock on it. Ash picks it up and tells it that it is awesome, and then they get back to same training regime we saw earlier, just at night now. This time when Pikachu blasts at it, it is able to hold onto the rockchop and brace itself in place. Before you know it, the night has passed, it's tomorrow and Ash is facing off with Stephan again, and Oshawott seems determined and brave if still a little off-balance by the size of the rockchop.


Make. the. Rockchop. Smaller!

Ash insists that Oshawott is fine after all of that training (but surely its muscles must be hugely fatigued!), but there is no sign of Stephan. They decide to go looking for him, and find him at the camp pumping along on an exercycle that appears to be generating electricity, which them blasts into Blitzle's mane and is stored there.

You know I thought it was a bit unfair that Oshawott has been given a giant ass shield to carry around, but it seems that Stephan is "enhancing" his Pokémon just as much, so it's pretty much a moot point.

Ash asks "Stefan" what he is doing and Stephan replies that his name is STILL Stephan, but to answer the question he is working on an electricity generator he built specifically for Blitzle (and also to work some of that fat off that ass!). He was going to come find Ash, but since he's found him instead, they might as well kick off the battle now. Ash and Stephan face off, and Blitzle leers down at Oshawott which seems slightly troubled but takes heart in Ash's assurance that it will be fine.

The fight kicks off with a Shockwave from Blitzle, and Oshawott hauls the rockhop up and blocks the attack, horrifying Stephan who didn't realise that Oshawott would actually use the giant ass fucking rock shield that Oshawott was openly carrying with it. But he insists that while Ash and Oshawott might have powered up, he hasn't shown them their full power yet (what is this, Dragonball Z?) and Blitzle hits with an even more powerful Shockwave which... cracks the shield! Blitzle then runs in and uses Double Kick, and the rockchop.... SHATTERS!

Oshawott crashes to the ground, looking up in horror, and Blitzle uses Shockwave. Oshawott frantically grabs a small shattered piece of rock and tries to use it as a shield, but gets blasted hard. Stephan laughs that they can't hold it off with such a small rock and orders a final Shockwave to end the attack. But as Ash worries about what to do, he remembers what Cilan said about the best defence being a good offense and sends Oshawott in with tackle. Using speed (like Iris suggested!) it is able to dodge Shockwave and score a shot on Blitzle, and then darts about keeping Blitzle off-balance as it keeps on the attack. Cilan credits all the extra training that Ash and Oshawott did, but the point remains that Ash is just doing what Cilan and Iris TOLD HIM TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT THAT HE REFUSED TO DO and it is working!

The trouble is, Oshawott has no move to finish Blitzle off - he wants to use Shellblade but there is no Scalchop, and Aquajet is too risky. Oshawott dodges Double Kick but then has to rush to avoid Flame Charge, and is no longer on the offense. It runs in a panic till its back is against a tree and there is nowhere to run. Blitzle uses Flame Charge and Ash decides to go for broke and use Aquajet. Oshawott SCREAMS and blasts into an Aquajet, faster than ever before, but its aim is still completely off and it zips about the field, chased and paced by Blitzle's Flame Charge, the two attacks bumping off of each other till finally they combine into a steamy single move and crash directly into a huge rock. They're both sent careening off through the air and crashing into the ground, Blitzle knocked out... but Oshawott struggling back to its feet! Oshawott wins! Oshawott wins!

Stephan recalls Blitzle and approaches Ash to congratulate him on his victory. Ash thanks "Stefan" who sighs that his name is still Stephan but hey, that's okay. He holds out his hand to shake Ash's, who takes way too long before finally shaking it and agreeing to have another battle with Stephan who is going to go away and get stronger (we'll never see him again!).

Just then Axew comes toddling out of the bushes excited, holding up... Oshawott's Scalchop! It hands it over to an amazed Oshawott, which slaps it onto its belly and beams with pure joy.... then collapses, exhausted after hardcore single-day training and a tough as nails battle. But it did it, it won! It won without its Scalchop, proving that it actually CAN fight when it has to, and win as well! But while that's a valuable lesson to learn, it wouldn't change the outcome for the world, because it has its Scalchop back! Held exhausted and passed out in Ash's arms, it unconsciously rubs the Scalchop on its belly with bliss, everything is right with the world again!

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