A wounded Linoone appears, and Dawn scans it with her pokedex. It helpfully tells her that Linoone hunt their prey by running at them in straight lines, because normal predators... don't take the most direct route possible?
Linoone are really bad at making turns so they have to run in an absolutely straight line not just a generally straight path to the target.
So they need to predict where the pokemon they're chasing is going to end up by the time they catch up to it?
Different Strokes For Different Blokes!
"We're known as Team Rocket! The smartest, coolest, onlyest, the lastiest, cheapest... hungriest... stupidest...""
Score: 6.5/10
The heroes bump into Paul, who chides Ash's Turtwig, saying it looks weak. I happen to know that Torterra is universally considered the weakest of all of Ash's fully evolved starters, so, I’ve got to say, it sounds like Paul may know what he’s talking about. Ash challenges Paul to a battle, and when Paul sends out Chimchar, Ash makes the completely logical choice of Turtwig. When Dawn reminds Ash that fire types have the advantage over grass types, he responds that they do, “but not this time.”
I wish there was a way to, through text, throw up my arms in resignation.
Chimchar is extremely fast, and for some reason, Turtwig won't obey Ash's commands to dodge. Before Turtwig can finish losing, Team Rocket interrupts the battle. I do enjoy how Paul interrupts their motto, but the explosion that blasts them off knocks Ash, Paul, Chimchar, and Turtwig down a poorly rendered cliff.
They're still close enough to Brock and Dawn to yell to each other, so everyone agrees to meet at the far side of the forest, save Paul, who simply leaves, telling Ash that he's in Bewilder Forest, and that he should look out for the Stantler. They part, but as Ash tries to get through the forest, a Stantler keeps messing with him using illusions. Finally, Paul simply rescues Ash, catches one of the Stantler, scans it, decides it's worthless, and releases it, telling Ash that friends are useless. Friends may be worthless, but they’re not as worthless as Stantler.
Ash stops for lunch for… some reason, and figures out why Turtwig didn't dodge earlier: it's stubborn. I don’t really see how that makes sense, but okay. Ash tells Turtwig of the importance of dodging and trusting him, and it agrees to do he commands.
They meet up with Brock and Dawn, and get into a fight with a wild Ursaring. Ursaring wins, and hilariously, Paul saves them again, catching the Ursaring and deciding it's worth keeping. Ash taunts him into another battle, and because Turtwig knows to dodge and counter, Chimchar starts spamming dig, so Ash has Turtwig use the holes Chimchar itself dug. This is a bad idea, however, because Paul is actually competent and can counter improvisation, commanding Chimchar to just launch fire attacks down the hole and leave nowhere to dodge. Turtwig battles well, but it all comes down to a tackle versus flame wheel, and, uh, flame wheel wins. You kind of deserved that, Ash.
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Not changing this sig until I decide to change this sig.
Started: July 6, 2005