ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
688: Gotta Catch a Roggenrola!	693: Dangoro! Rasuta Kanon Hassha seyo!	Shockwave: The Origin			The twerps meet Baby Shockwave and get entombed with a plumber	Straight up attempted murder as a "lesson"	Flesh is more resilient than rock!

Today finds..... Baby Shockwave!?! No, it's not Megatron's cool-ass lieutenant from Cybertron, it's a Roggenrola, a bizarre walking bomb looking Pokémon with no face and a gaping orifice in its belly/chest/face. Basically it's Brock's kind of Pokémon, but Brock ain't there no more, it's all about Cilan nowadays. He's made Ash and Iris a fresh fruit pie and they're enjoying eating it when Roggenrola bursts onto the table making a mess and causing Cilan to squeal out in alarm. Roggenrola jumps about in a panic on the table, what does it want? Is it just causing trouble or does it need help? Only way to find out is clear, they've....



Ash is impressed with the way it wrecked their lunch, saying it demonstrates spirit, and he wants to catch it! He calls out Oshawott and has it used Water Gun, but despite having no eyes Roggenrola is able to see the attack coming and knock it back with one of Cilan's bowls. It dives aside from an Aqua Jet that causes Oshawott to knock itself out by ramming into the table, and Cilan spots something on Roggenrola's back and gasps, wondering what it is.



It appears to be its asshole, Cilan.

Ash recalls Oshawott and sends in Tepig, having it use Tackle. But Roggenrola is able to dodge the attacks, so Ash tries for a Flame Charge instead and succeeds in knocking it backwards (and knocking its asshole off in the process!). But Roggenrola seems mostly unaffected, and Iris warns Ash that Roggenrola has "Sturdy" for a Special Ability, plus fire attacks aren't all that effective against it. Ash responds with a Tackle, causing Iris to stomp angrily and shout out that this isn't effective either, while Cilan just beams happily.

Roggenrola jumps onto its head and spins about, causing a Sandstorm that stops Tepig in its tracks, then smacks it as it is sent flying with Stone Edge. Ash shouts for it to get back up but it can't, collapsing unconscious, and the twerps gasp that they have to get it to a Pokémon Centre. They rush off, Roggenrola squeaking its name frantically as they leave. Ash looks back at it bouncing up and down in a panic, frowns and keeps on going, leaving it behind.

At the Pokémon Centre, Nurse Joy quickly heals up Oshawott and Tepig. As she returns them, one of the poor ass suckers who doesn't get to spend his life bumming around the countryside enters the Centre as well. He's the "plumber", which is a nice way of saying he's come to clear out the shitters in the Pokémon Centre, and he enters while towelling himself off (towelling off SHIT) and tells Joy there is nothing wrong with the plumbing, the problem must be with the original water supply. Joy explains to Iris there has been no running water all day, so the Water Company sent Mr. Garrison over to check it out. Garrison explains that the water comes from a nearby cave and maybe that is where the problem originates, and he and Joy add in that the cave is occupied by Roggenrola. The twerps mention seeing one which kind of shocks Joy and Garrison, since the Roggenrola almost never come out or let themselves be seen. Garrison is going to head over there now, and Cilan comments that he thinks the Roggenrola might have been trying to tell them something, remembering the weird asshole it had. They ask Garrison if they can come with him, surprising him since he's not used to the freeloading little fucks that live a fantastic life of adventure and no mortgage payments wanting to come along to work. Disturbingly he winks and holds up one gloved finger as if suggesting an entirely different type of job, but tells them they can come along as long as they promise to stay out of trouble.

Yeah, that's going to happen.

Meanwhile, Roggenrola has gotten the attention of a large number of forest Pokémon and is desperately trying to communicate with them. Suddenly noise from within the cave alarms them and sends them scrambling, and Roggenrola looks back at the cave in concern (pretty impressive to convey that since it has no face!). Inside, fleeing Roggenrola are grabbed on the back by suckers attached to metallic cables... cables attached to a menacing robot, a robot piloted by, who else, Team Rocket! It seems Doctor Zager provided Team Rocket with a weapon which they need Roggenrola to power. What is the weapon? How does it work? We don't know, because they ain't elaborating!

Outside the cave, Garrison and the twerps arrive and discover there is no water coming out at all. Roggenrola comes bouncing by squeaking at them for help and then rushes inside, and they follow after it. Inside, they find the water has been dammed up by large rocks - but by who and for what reason? The answer is (kinda) answered when the odd machine seen earlier comes bursting through, shooting out a cable to catch up the lone Roggenrola. Ash demands to know what is going on, and he gets his answer... in the form of a motto!

"Such a heartfelt, twerpish question indeed."
"We'll answer you twerps when WE feel the need"
"We bring, the white light of evil into the future!"
"Thrust the hammer, of justice on the blackness of the universe!"
"And carving our names in da rock of eternity!"
"The fiery destroyer, I am Jesse!"
"And with thunderous emotion, I am James."
"Wisest of da wise, I am Meowth!"
"And now... we gather under the name of Team Rocket!" they all finish together, having slightly downplayed the drama of their reveals by chilling on comfy looking chairs.

Garrison still has no idea who the fuck they are so Iris fills them in, and James tells her to learn some manners. Meowth corrects her statement that they "steal" Pokémon since the Roggenrola are wild, and they open the large dish on top of their robot/vehicle to reveal hexagonal chambers containing Roggenrola, including a free spot for the one they just caught.

They demand them let them go, but Team Rocket ignore them, saying they have to head off and do a test firing... plus they're boring them! Dropping back down into the cockpit, they prepare to leave when Ash has Tepig blast "their" Roggenrola clear. James comments they won't miss one and begin backing down the tunnel into the cave, and Ash tells Tepig to save the others. That's it, that's the extent of his instruction. Just "save" them. Somehow.

The Sneezey Pig never gets the chance to impress though, as Team Rocket make the robot flail out mace-ended cables and smash rocks down behind them as they escape. Ash wants to keep chasing, but Garrison warns they're all in danger, and rocks fall right for him.... only for Roggenrola to blast the fuck out of them with Flash Cannon.



It IS Baby Shockwave!

Team Rocket back out of the cave, and inside the cockpit we finally get an explanation of the plan. The Roggenrola have a core of energy that Zager's weapon is able to amplify - their robot is essentially a huge powered up laser cannon, powered by Roggenrola! The twerps are rushing for the entrance as Team Rocket power up their Cannon and let loose with a huge burst of energy, blasting the fuck out of the entrance and sealing the cave shut with the twerps trapped inside! Ash has managed to get Roggenrola clear of the falling rocks, but they're all trapped inside now - Team Rocket not giving a shit, not even remotely considering that they may have just killed the twerps. They head off, pleased with the results of their test firing, leaving behind the twerps entombed forever.

The twerps aren't done though, after some pathetically bland emoting from Garrison - Cilan and Iris have their Pokémon dig them out, and they emerge into the sunlight. Roggenrola begins beckoning them forward again and Garrison tells them that Roggenrola are very sensitive to sound, so it may have figured out where the others are. They set off after it, finding an abandoned old warehouse/factory in the middle of the forest of all places. Inside, Team Rocket are reviewing the results of their test-firing, they're right on schedule and doing well. But as they laugh in delight at everything going right.... the twerps show up to fuck everything up as usual.

Iris yells at them with some APPALLING dubbing to "STOPPPPPP! Using. The Roggenrola!" and Jesse tells HER to stop being annoying, and sends in Woobat to deal with her. It uses Gust to push the twerps back, but Tepig blasts Ember at it and knocks it back. Meowth decides to go into overkill territory and use the Roggenrola Cannon on the three kids and a plumber, and they begin powering it up to blow the twerps up for good.

Roggenrola bounces up to the vehicle and begins squawking its own name, telling them not to fire because apparently it doesn't realise that this isn't actually a choice for them! With their core energy fired up, Team Rocket hit the trigger and let off a blast of energy..... and Roggenrola blocks it with its own Flash Cannon!?! How tough is this one Roggenrola anyway? Team Rocket powers them back up to fire again, and Ash runs up and yells at them to stop, because he too doesn't seem to realise that the Roggenrola are NOT willing participants. Team Rocket smirk that it's too late for anything but teaching Ash a lesson (by murdering him?) but suddenly the machine starts reporting that it has lost control of the Roggenrolas' core energy. They're reversing the polarity (Jon Pertwee would be proud!) and gaining control of themselves again, leaping out of the machine as the machine overloads and rejoining Roggenrola and the twerps. Team Rocket aren't done though, sending in their Pokémon to fight, which ends EXACTLY as you'd probably expect.

As their machine explodes and Team Rocket fly free in their jetpacks, James asks who knew it would end up like this..... once more. Well apparently he should have! But while Jesse admits failure, she claims that they WILL conquer the Unova Region, they will!

Back at the Pokémon Centre, Nurse Joy brings Pikachu, Tepig and all of the Roggenrola out after healing them all up. Ash thanks her for "helping out", and Garrison announces that he.... filed a report. Because that's what these people do, the ones with real jobs and house payments, they have to fill out paperwork and write reports - they don't get to just meander about the countryside getting free food, lodging and the adulation of strangers.

With everything resolved, Roggenrola suddenly rushes outside calling for Ash to follow. Cilan reminds him that he wanted to capture it, and it seems that Roggenrola is giving him a chance to do that. Ash chooses Tepig to fight for him, surprising Iris who reminds him how badly it did before. Ash says that this is Tepig's chance to get some redemption/prove itself though, and they kick off another fight where the last one left off - with a Sandstorm/Stone Edge combo that ends the same way. Tepig goes down and Iris tells Cilan that she KNEW this was a bad choice.... but Tepig gets back up!

Roggenrola uses Flash Cannon, but Tepig uses Flamecharge and..... BAM!



Ouch!

Roggenrola is sent stumbling backwards but it is still standing - after all it IS Sturdy AND Tepig's moves aren't very effective against it. Ash is impressed with it though, and has Tepig use Tackle to crash its head against the hard unyielding rock of Baby Shockwave's head. Cilan and Iris are delighted to watch Tepig bashing its fragile fleshy head against Roggenrola's unstoppable rock one. But another Tackle sends them both stumbling back, and Ash takes the chance to throw his Pokéball and.... and...... and..... Ash caught a Roggenrola!



Somehow I don't think this is what Guy Ritchie had in mind when he promised us a sequel!

BEST QUOTES

"Stoppppp! Using. The Roggenrola!" "Stop being annoying!"

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