ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
799: Lumiose City Pursuit!	806: Mega Shinka to Purizumu Tawa!	Enter Professor Sexymore			Ash tries to calm an enraged Garchomp on the Eiffel Tower	They think a labcoat lends scientific credibility	Gym attacked by an angry landshark? Some random kid will sort it out!

Today finds Serena in a rather unflattering pink jumpsuit trying her best to stay on the back of a bucking Rhyhorn. Fletchling, Serena's mother, and Serena's mother's spectacular rack all watch, the mother shouting encouragement. Serena is NOT having a good time, squealing and panicking as she tries to live up to her mother's reputation as a world class Rhyhorn rider (not like that!). She's thrown clear and lands right on her face, grunting and shouting out how much she hates doing this.



Ash, Clemont and Bonnie rush the injured Froakie from the previous episode towards Professor Sycamore's. Clemont is struggling to keep up, weighed down by his backpack of inventions and his awkward gait, and he tells them not to wait for him. They rush on ahead, passing the tree where Team Rocket have landed after being blasted off the previous episode (and only a few minutes ago from their perspective). They overhear Bonnie say the building across from them is Sycamore's Pokémon Lab, which gets their interest - there must be plenty of strong and rare Pokémon in there. Wobbuffet pops out of his Pokéball to happily agree, overweighting the tree branches and causing them all to crash to the ground.

Ash and Bonnie enter the darkened entrance hall of the lab, which looks more like a mansion. With a yawn, Professor Sycamore makes his first appearance.... and it seems he went to Male Model University in Marseilles, because goddamn that's a good looking dude! Tall, lean, square-jawed and with the hair of a romance novel cover - Sycamore looks like he just rolled out of bed with at least 3 Nordic beauties. He spots Froakie and is immediately concerned, and Ash picks up that he knows this particular Froakie. Indeed he does, as he takes the frazzled frog from Ash he tells it that he has been in contact with its trainer, though it doesn't look particularly pleased by that information.

Froakie's assistant rushes in to take Froakie away, and Ash asks if its trainer is on the way to pick it up. Sadly not, they contacted Sycamore to let him know that they had decided to give up on Froakie, they've essentially abandoned it. Well no, not essentially, they've flat out abandoned it!

Clemont arrives at last, panting roughly despite slowboating his ass there. Bonnie is mortified, he's soooo slow, but he concentrates on Froakie's condition, how is it? They head into the lab, where Froakie sleeps under a glass dome while Sycamore's assistant - Sophie - tends to it. Sycamore tells them that Sophie is the best at what she does (hopefully he's talking about looking after Pokémon and not handjobs) and takes them into a small lounge to have a cup of tea. Ash introduces himself and explains he arrived today from Kanto, and Sycamore welcomes him and thanks him for saving Froakie. Ash admits that Froakie actually saved them, and asks what the deal is with Froakie's trainer? It turns out that they are not the first - this particular Froakie has been problematic for awhile now, and several trainers have returned it. Froakie has a tendency not to listen and just do its own thing, and the inexperienced new trainers haven't really known how to deal with that.

The twerps are horrified, though Clemont says he had heard rumours about a troublesome starter Pokémon that he hadn't believed. They hear an odd noise and turn to see a Garchomp looking through the window at Froakie being tended to, obviously concerned. Sycamore explains that Garchomp lives at the Lab, and that it has a good heart, and Ash approaches without the slightest hint of fear to tell it that Froakie will be fine, and pets it on the snout. It seems to enjoy the touch, and Bonnie wants to do it too, though she has the sense to ask Sycamore if it is okay first. He tells her it would be fine, and scoops her up so she can pet Garchomp on the head.

Clemont asks if it is true about Sycamore's Pokémon Research, and he says it is.... he really does do his job! There are other Pokémon at the lab, and an excited Bonnie wriggles against his crotch (he has that effect on ladies, it seems) and says she wants to see them too. He asks Cosette - yet another pretty lady - to look after Garchomp, and takes Bonnie and Clemont with him. Ash doesn't come though, saying he wants to stick around with Froakie for awhile. He goes into the treatment room and thanks the tired Froakie again for helping them, and says that any trainer who wouldn't want it as a Pokémon is making a big mistake.

In an inside garden, various Pokémon play around an artificial pool of water, including a Psyduck staring with pained confusion at the water. Bonnie dances around happily and Ash joins Clemont and Sycamore, telling Clemont that Froakie is showing improvement. Pikachu joins the other Pokémon while Ash asks exactly what type of Evolution does Sycamore research. He and Clemont are both shocked to learn that Sycamore's theory is that "fully evolved" Pokémon are actually capable of evolving further. Sycamore explains further, there have been rumours/sighting of Pokémon who have seemingly evolved beyond their usual final evolution. But nobody knows how or why it happens, though Sycamore believes it is linked to a mysterious type of stone as well as an unusually strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. What's more, these "Mega-Evolutions" are apparently temporary, so the Pokémon is able to go back to its normal final evolution.

This all sounds a little Digimon-y for my liking, but I'd like to petition for Weezing to be named a Mega-Evolution so it can go back to being Koffing.

Team Rocket are listening in from up on the glass roof, somehow able to hear everything being said. They're delighted at the idea of Mega-Evolution too, and Wobbuffet leaps out to happily and loudly agree, and they have to quickly shush him, pressing their hands against his mouth. His presence does give them an idea though, and moments later they execute one of their more extraordinarily retarded ideas. Present themselves in the front hall of the lab dressed in labcoats, ties, glasses and facemasks, they declare themselves fellow Evolution Researchers here to research Evolution! Sophie seems surprised, particularly by the fat scientist in the middle with the fur and whiskers who keeps wobbling from side to side! In the treatment room, Froakie spots the new arrivals on the viewscreen and leaves its incubator to investigate.

Cosette and Garchomp arrive, Sophie expressing confusion as nobody said anything about new Evolution Researchers. Cosette decides to go check with the Professor, while Froakie comes bouncing into the hall angrily croaking at the trio. The fat scientist raises one hand, sleeve hanging limply, and shouts that this is the Froakie that blasted them off again - my God you guys, it's Team Rocket!

"LET'S GET READY TO RESEARCH!" yells James, grabbing out a small rectangular device as Jesse pushes the confused Sophie aside, telling her that the "procedure" is not for the faint of heart. James throws the device at Froakie, but Garchomp gets in the way and the device slams against its throat, an energy collar surrounding its neck and crackling energy. Horrified, Froakie watches Garchomp's eyes glow blue as Team Rocket shrug at getting the big ol' land-shark instead of the tiny little frog and decide to go with it. It seems the device is a reverse-engineered version of Colress' control machine, and James hits some buttons on a holographic display and commands Garchomp to come with them. Froakie leaps on the collar to try and pull it clear, but is zapped away, while Garchomp resists the control device as best it can, slamming against furniture and shelves and roaring in fury. Sycamore and the twerps rush in just in time to see it has done some kind of damage to the collar, which now glows red instead of blue... and Garchomp turns an angry look Team Rocket's way. Sophie tells Sycamore the trio are to blame, and he demands to know who they are... and you all know what that means!

"Prepare for trouble all right, we're us!"
"And make it double, no muss, no fuss!"


Ash ends the motto before it really gets started, explaining to Sycamore that they're bad guys who try and steal Pokémon. Jesse and James laugh that they don't try, they succeed (haha, since when?), while Sycamore is left more interested in the novelty of a talking Meowth! But as they talk themselves up, they've forgotten that they've got a pissed off Garchomp glowering at them, and it isn't long before the inevitable happens.



Do I really need to say what just happened!?!

But Garchomp is still feeling the pain, and it blasts at the twerps and the scientists as well. They spot the collar on Garchomp's neck and Sophie explains where it came from, and can only watch as it smashes its way out of the building and into the street. Staggering about in pain, it crashes into buildings and cars and stumbles up the street - a nice bit of animation.

Inside, Ash wants to get out there and help Garchomp if he can, and a tearful Bonnie clings to Clemont and says she is scared for the poor Pokémon, so he tells her they'll join Ash to help him too. Froakie gets in Ash's way as he goes for the door, and he figures that it wants to come along too, and happily agrees.

Garchomp flies through the air as the sun sets, blasting attacks at random, crashing into the ground and taking to the air as it can. The streets fill with cars trying to get clear, Officer Jenny amongst them calling out warnings on a loudspeaker about the danger they're all in. A media helicopter follows Garchomp at a distance, a reporter explaining that Garchomp is heading for Prism Tower. It crashes into the side and struggles to find purchase on the smooth surface, blasting a Hyperbeam at the helicopter and then just at random out over the city.

Far from Lumiose City, Serena's mother watches the action on the television and calls to her daughter to come see what is happening. Serena is still pouting about the damage to her face from her Rhyhorn ride, bandaids slapped into place where she has been cut up. Her mother sweatdrops a little, but Serena joins her and looks on in surprise at what is happening, mistaking the action for a movie at first till her mother explains it is actually happening - "Paris" is being destroyed by a landshark just like we always feared it would be!

Ash, Pikachu and Froakie arrive at Prism Tower, closely followed by Clemont and Bonnie. Ash says he needs to get close to Garchomp somehow, and when Clemont says it is dangerous, he points out that Garchomp is the one in danger. Since the Gym Leader inside Prism Tower who tries to kill little boys is apparently not going to do anything, Clemont agrees to help Ash. He thinks he knows a way to get them to Garchomp, and takes Ash and Bonnie around the corner to a side-door that leads to an emergency stairwell. It is electronically locked, but that is no obstacle to Clemont. Confident and self-assured now that they're in his area of expertise, he reveals that his heavy backpack doesn't just contain air mattresses! A mechanical arm emerges and interacts with the lock, unlocking the door for them. Ash and Pikachu swoon in approval, science is amazing! Bonnie swells with pride, and Clemont admits sheepishly that yeah... he's pretty cool!

But as they enter the door, Garchomp blasts the ground between them. Ash, Pikachu and Froakie make it inside, but Clemont and Bonnie (who Clemont clutches tightly to him) are blown back the other way. The entrance has been blocked by rubble, but Clemont assures Ash they're okay and that he needs to get up to Garchomp.

Professor Sycamore arrives outside to see Officer Jenny, and a guy in the crowd spots Ash climbing up onto the outside of the tower behind Garchomp. Sycamore is horrified, he knew that Ash was going to try and help Garchomp, but this is insane! The helicopter flies around the tower filming everything, the "boy" caught on camera and watched by Serena and her mother. The latter ponders whether this boy is Garchomp's trainer, and Serena just watches in open-mouthed astonishment.

At the tower, Garchomp flies up higher and Ash follows by climbing an exterior ladder, apparently determined to ensure that Prism Tower be the thing that finally kills him after all these years. Bonnie is amazed by Ash's bravery, and Clemont remembers how Ash protected and cared for a hurt Pikachu and Froakie. Realising this is the way that he wants to be too, Clemont heads to the rubble and uses his mechanical arm to pull it away, planning to head up after Ash. Bonnie wants to come too, and Clemont doesn't tell her it is too dangerous, because hell it's too dangerous for him too! So he grabs her and helps her through the gap, and they head up the stairs in pursuit of Ash.

Serena watches on television as Ash reaches near the top of the tower and is attacked by Garchomp again. Pikachu prepares to fire back but Ash stops him, knowing that none of this is Garchomp's fault. As Clemont and Bonnie arrive further down the tower and realise how much further they still have to go, Ash slowly approaches Garchomp and tries to get through to it - telling it he understands it is in pain, but he is here to help. He seems to get through, as the red in Garchomp's eyes fade for a second, but then the crackling of the collar zaps it again and it stumbles backwards, coming close to the edge of the tower. Froakie leaps up and throws that weird ass sticky stuff from around its neck at Garchomp's feet, locking it into place. Ash runs and jumps up onto Garchomp's chest, arms wrapping around its neck and calling for Pikachu to use Iron Tail on the collar. Pikachu leaps up and scores a shot, then grips roughly to Garchomp's head as it struggles and bucks... then calms and falls to its knees, in control of itself again. Ash is relieved, saying it must be exhausted, but then the ground beneath Pikachu crumbles and he falls!

Ash, not hesitating even a moment, just leaps directly off of the tower straight after his little buddy! Clemont and Bonnie squeal in horror, Sycamore is startled, the crowd gapes, and Serena gasps as Ash catches Pikachu and realises that now he is going to die. To his great credit, he immediately turns his body to try and shield Pikachu from the impact as best he can.

Everybody can only watch helplessly - though maybe the Prism Tower Gym Leader is jerking of while watching Ash fall to his death again - but then a streak of fire crosses the sky, snatching Ash out of mid-air and sailing him and Pikachu to safety. What is it? It's Blaziken, the same one he saw at the airport... but it’s not a regular Blaziken. Landing, it nods to Ash and then disappears into the night, leaving him confused on the ground (his regular state of mind!). Professor Sycamore runs up and Ash tells him Garchomp is okay... but what was that Pokémon he just saw? They look up to the rooftops and see the Blaziken standing next to a masked and caped man. It changes back to its regular appearance and the two disappear in a flash of light, and Sycamore tells Ash that this was Mega-Blaziken, his theory was right!

But while everything seems okay now, there is one more little mystery. At Serena's home, she is relieved that the situation was resolved so happily. But then she sees a close-up of Ash on the television screen and gasps again - it seems she recognises him from somewhere? Well technically the boy should be world-famous from all his League appearances by now, but I have a feeling there is more to it than that!

The next day, Sycamore admits his damaged lab is a mess but hopes they got some sleep anyway. Exhausted by their efforts, they all slept incredibly well and seem rested. He wishes them good luck on their real journey which is now about to begin, but before they go, he offers Ash a Kalos Pokédex. Ash thanks him and asks Pikachu if he is ready to go, turns to leave and... gets thumped in the face by some of Froakie's gunk. The little frog is sitting next to a Pokéball and it thumps it forward towards Ash - it seems that it wants to come along with Ash. He kneels down and holds up the Pokéball, asking if Froakie wants to come. In answer it rushes up and slaps the Pokéball button, getting sucked into the Pokéball with zero hesitation, the Pokéball button instantly glowing to show Froakie has been captured. Ash is delighted, telling Pikachu they have their first new Pokémon friend, and they celebrate - things are off to a dangerous but good start in Kalos.

At Serena's, she feeds Rhyhorn and pets its horn, and tells it happily that she has a feeling something interesting is going to happen soon. Why? Because of that boy she saw on television, and out of nowhere we see what is either a flashback or a memory or a dream of a fantasy of Ash in a red and yellow tank-top turning to grin at her. Oh my? Does Serena have the hots for Ash or an Ash-looking boy? What exactly is going on here?

Besides, aren't idealised romantic fantasies what Professor Sycamore is supposed to be there for!?!

BEST QUOTES

"LET'S GET READY TO RESEARCH!"

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