Today’s episode begins with.... balls! Big balls bouncing towards a couple of little kids as a camera films them.
Oh no!
But wait, it turns out your minds are just in the gutter, because it's a television game show featuring a series of obstacles designed to test the coordination and teamwork of trainers and their Pokémon. The twerps are watching at the latest Pokémon Centre they stopped in at to freeload from, where Dawn is explaining to poor stupid Ash all the popular culture that has whizzed over his head as he has been interminably walking through forest after forest. The show is called "Sinnoh Pokémon Hustle" and Dawn wants to enter!
Meanwhile, Jesse and Meowth are complaining amongst themselves on the street about how they're always outnumbered by the twerps so how could they ever beat them. James isn't listening, as he watches Sinnoh Pokémon Hustle on the televisions in the store window they're standing outside of. He has to explain the show to Jesse and Meowth, and it gives Jesse a brilliant idea. A brilliant, horrible idea! Does she think she'll be the one to be....
The twerps - in Green Station Town - find posters up for the next Hustle show are in this very town.... and the faces on the poster are VERY familiar. As all of the twerps decide to take part, we discover that Team Rocket are using the Hustle sign-ups to scout prospective Team Rocket members. James quite clearly understands that this is an incredibly stupid and terrible idea but Jesse and Meowth are convinced it is brilliant. After all, what could possibly go wrong!?!
There you go!
In addition to the twerps showing up, amongst the crowd of young signees are three adults, acting very mysterious. We'll find out why later, but for now a gaping Team Rocket are trying to figure out how to deal with the absolutely unprecedented situation of the twerps walking right into one of their schemes.
Finally they get over their shock and hand over the entry forms, before conferring amongst themselves and working out they'll need to sabotage the twerps' entry. Then things even get worse for them as Sinnoh Now shows up and asks for backstage access to film the event. Jesse quickly fobs them off with an offer to go and interview the contestants, but when Rhonda tries to interview the two older contestants in coordinated uniforms she gets fobbed off as they walk away, followed by the disturbingly familiar woman in overalls, large sunglasses and a hat with her green hair tucked up inside. Despite the unflattering clothes, Brock seems to pick up on something familiar about her and leaps into her way to profess his undying lust, as pain rises up behind him ready to strike a blow.
Before Croagunk can have its way, however, the woman snaps at Brock that she doesn't have time for this and walks on past him, leaving him rejected again and Croagunk taking it all in its stride.
Jesse kicks things of by asking their contestants to store any extra Pokémon in the refreshment room where they'll be treated to a meal of gateau and berries. They store their Pokeballs in a locker and ask the trainers to do the same, and everyone (including the twerps) agree, thinking it is a great idea, for the first time agreeing with Jesse as she giggles over her own brilliance as they collect up the freely given Pokeballs on the other side!
Jesse announces that they're ready to begin and shows that the winner of the contest will win unlimited travel privileges throughout Sinnoh in a balloon (accurate enough!) but is then interrupted when a fat dude slams his big, hard stick right into the side of her face.
Dude, there's a time and a place!
It's Rhonda's sound man, of course, and Rhonda has to rush up to apologise... Fatty Soundman not doing much to endear himself to either of them in the process.
After she explodes at him, they're taken to the first stage, a traverse over two logs over a pool of water, the second of which spins as you move. The first trainer has a miserable time, and when Ash has his go, Meowth speeds up the log and Ash and Pikachu desperately hold on before making their way over to the other end, followed by Dawn and Piplup incredibly, while Brock..... goes out early.
Haha, we always knew it would happen that way!
More contestants fail, while the stylish man and woman just leap straight over the second log and the green-haired lady and Growlithe leap over in a couple of easy bounds. Jesse and James are impressed with all three of the weirdoes, and decide to keep a closer eye on them.
Stage 2 is a swing across a pond and then across a slippery spinning drum. Byron McLoveFace fails to make the swing, the next contestant struggles to get over drum and crashes.... but Ash is assisted by Pikachu's instinctive ability to run in place on a spinning object.
Once again the three adults easily clear the stage (how did Team Rocket afford all of this anyway?) and James asks why they're even bothering to continue this farce when it is clear which three are the best. Jesse calls for a break and they return to check on their stolen Pokeballs.... but they're all missing! As they freak out, the twerps and the other contestants step up wanting to know what is going on as well. Jesse fights it as hard as she can, Meowth and James even trying to physically hold her down, but in the end, she can't break her own instinctive desire to bare all and go on exhibition and so she leaps out of her clothes!
Hey hey!
Revealing her Team Rocket uniform underneath!
Ho ho.
Flying into full on motto-mode, James can't resist the siren call either and leaps out of his clothes (which hold their shape momentarily before crumpling to the ground) to join her in the motto, followed by Meowth, all three putting on their performance till they reach the end and Jesse realises that the jig is up.
She explains they were trying to recruit new members for Team Rocket, and Rhonda reports exactly what Jesse said, citing "sources". But she admits that they can't give the Pokeballs back because they've been stolen by someone else. At this, the adult man and woman prepare to walk away carrying conspicuous briefcases, but are stopped by overall woman, who tears off her own clothes (Ash's face is hilarious) to reveals to nobody's surprise (except the twerps) that she is Officer Jenny!
Well no shit, Sherlock.
She names the man and woman as Azure and Crimson, two thieves who go around entering contests in order to steal the contestants' Pokémon. Jenny has been working undercover and now she has them.... and Brock has the worst sense of timing ever as he declares his love for her and Pikachu and Piplup have to haul him away in disgust.
Jesse and James grab Azure and Crimson and have them follow them, racing up the final stage ramp and rolling balls down at Officer Jenny and the twerps who dodge, but knock the other contestants away. Team Rocket, Azure and Crimson fly down the zipline, then cut the line as Jenny and the twerps try to follow, sending them crashing to the ground.
With their pursuit momentarily halted, Jesse and James congratulate Azure and Crimson on succeeding and welcome them to Team Rocket.... only to have Azure and Crimson mock the team, the name, its size and their goals of world domination. Jesse, James and Meowth are horrified and offended, but Azure and Crimson prefer to do things their own way, they're happy as a duo, infuriating Meowth while Jesse declares Team Rocket (their trio in particular) are throwbacks to swashbuckling romance!
Azure and Crimson are momentarily taken aback.... and then burst out laughing. Jesse is furious and calls out Yanmega.... but then James reminds her that Yanmega is actually in the case with the others, since they actually DID put their Pokémon in the lockers with the others.
Well that wasn't very smart.
Meowth is still a Pokémon though, sort of, and prepare to fight only to get outclassed by Azure and Crimson's Zangoose and Drowzee. Team Rocket are knocked dizzy, but then Jenny returns and has Growlithe blast them, knocking Pokeballs loose and allowing the twerps to get back in the game. As the fight kicks off, more Pokeballs are knocked loose and Team Rocket get back into the swing of things as well, as James breaks the fourth wall to get in Azure's face.
Jesse has Yanmega use Sonic Boom on Drowzee, but it comes back with Shadowball and knocks Yanmega into Team Rocket, crashing them into the ground and.... somehow sends them blasting off again!
With Team Rocket out of the picture (but reunited with their Pokémon), the Sinnoh Now Team arrive in time for the final showdown.
Drowzee hits Growlithe with Drain Punch, but it uses "no actually I'm okay!" ability to bite Drowzee, while Zangoose knocks down Buizel causing Ash to recall it. Growlithe uses Hidden Power to blast through Drowzee's Psybeam, and Ash sends in ol' Reliable - Pikachu - to Thunderbolt the fuck out of Zangoose and them break its jaw with Iron Tail, and Azure and Crimson are out for the count and off to Federal Pound Me In The Ass Prison!
Speaking of pounding in the ass, when Officer Jenny has finished locking them up in her truck and says her goodbyes, Brock tries to declare his lust for her once again and Croagunk finally gets to have its way with him.
Jenny drives away with Azure and Crimson, Team Rocket have blasted off again, all the Pokémon have been reunited with their trainers, and that leaves the twerps to get all the credit as Rhonda looks for a final shot to end the show. Dawn couldn't be happier to be on television for her Mum to see.... but Piplup? Piplup is proudest of all!
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Beating The Bustle And Hustle! mini Episode Guide (Read 633 times)
