Thank you to the reviewer who pointed out my mistake in the Charmander episode, I will eventually correct it.
"What's the next episode called?" Brock asked as the screen changed again and a new episode began to play.
"Electric Shock Showdown." May said, looking at the running order.
"This is Ash's third gym battle." Misty realised, looking at Brock, who smiled.
"Oh yeah, this was a good fight." Brock told them, as the episode began.
The scene opens up on the gate to Vermillion City, and after two weeks of being lost, the trio had finally arrived in the city. Before Ash can rush to the gym, Brock stops him to remind Ash that everyone needs to eat, especially Pikachu, before he goes anywhere.
"So, why is the episode called Electric shock showdown?" Dawn asked.
"Oh, I remember." Clemont said. "Vermillion is an Electric type gym. That must be it, I imagine Pikachu against the gym leader?"
"You guessed it." Misty beamed at him.
The trio meets Nurse Joy and discovers, like Officer Jenny, they're also all related to one another and share the same name. As they talk, a boy brings in his Rattata, the trio being informed that it is the 15th this month, all of the other people having lost to the gym leader, Lieutenant Surge.
"Wow, he must be a really strong leader." Max said with a look of worry, seeing all of the Pokemon laid out on beds before him.
"Yeah he is, it was a really tough battle." Misty recalled.
"I can't wait to see how Ash won." Serena said.
Ash spoke about how strong Surge must be, before Misty told him they handed him badges out of pity, and Brock remarked that you had to be tough to beat this Surge.
"That's not very nice, Misty." Bonnie frowned at her.
"I know, I was just trying to rile him up, I was being stupid." Misty admitted.
"How is it you don't know Surge, Brock?" Clemont asked. "Don't all the gym leaders know one another?"
"In other regions, yeah, in Kanto though, it's much looser, we know some of the others but not everyone. I mean, nobody had ever even meet the Viridian Gym leader."
Nurse Joy teased Ash and Misty about caring for one another, with the two of them turning away from each other in disgust, as she giggled.
"So, Misty, got a bit of a crush on Ash, do you?" Max teased.
"I do not!" Misty protested with a blush, not noticing the faint blushes on the faces of May, Dawn and Serena as well. (I mean, come on, the show has alluded to all of his female companions bar Bonnie liking him. I'm still wondering whether to end this with a harem or just not ship him with anyone)
A noise played telling everyone that Pikachu and the other Pokemon were recovered, before a boy rushed in a Pidgey on a stretcher. Pikachu freaked out and worried about fighting the gym, before protesting and attacking Ash as he tried to force Pikachu to the gym, which he eventually did.
"Oooh, here it comes." May said excitedly.
"This will be his toughest battle yet." Dawn remarked.
"I'm sure he'll win the first time." Bonnie called out.
The gym doors creaked open to see a few trainers waiting before them, suddenly from behind them, Surge emerged, with Brock stating how large Surge is. Surge mistook Misty for the challenger, before calling Ash baby, and stating Pikachu was a baby Pokemon.
"Why is he calling Pikachu a baby Pokemon?" Bonnie asked, annoyed.
"I'll show you why. Go, Poke Ball!" Surge called out, seemingly responding, before suddenly a Raichu appeared.
"Oh, no!" Clemont exclaimed. "Pikachu is definitely at a disadvantage here."
"Why?" Bonnie asked.
"Raichu. A mouse Pokemon of the electric element. Raichu is the evolved form of Pikachu and can shock with more than 100,000 volts, enough to render a Dragonite unconscious."
"Oh, it's Pikachu's stronger evolution, this will be very tough." May remarked.
Pikachu and Ash were insulted over and over by Surge, with Brock doubting Pikachu can win. The two went into battle, Pikachu using Thunder Shock, Raichu then absorbed it before blasting Pikachu with one, knocking Pikachu out in one move. Brock called on Ash to end the battle, before Pikachu got back to its feet, demanding to continue. Raichu hit Pikachu with a Mega Punch and a Mega Kick before Pikachu got blasted to the side. Behind, Team Rocket discussed whether it was worth catching Pikachu if it lost, with Jessie cheering Pikachu on.
"Well, I didn't expect that." Dawn said.
"We didn't want to have wasted our time, we needed Pikachu to win, to prove it was the strongest." James told them.
Surge ordered Raichu to give it the big finish and Pikachu was blasted once again, unable to battle and waking up in the Pokemon centre. Brock told Ash that Pikachu was demoralised by the loss and totally overpowered, whilst Ash told them that they would win if they tried harder next time. Joy offered them a Thunder Stone, as a way to evolve Pikachu and have a fighting chance against Raichu.
"If I make it evolve just to fight, I'll be just like Surge." Ash said aloud, turning to offer the choice to Pikachu.
"He's giving Pikachu the choice?" May asked, shocked.
"Well we know they reject it." Max said.
"How did he win though, he will clearly use Pikachu again and we've seen Pikachu isn't a match for Raichu?" Serena questioned.
"Just wait and see." Brock offered with some mirth.
Ash told Pikachu he wanted to win but he didn't want to force Pikachu to evolve, whilst Team Rocket discussed the choice it had from outside. Pikachu knocked away the Thunder Stone, determined to beat this Raichu as a Pikachu. It would fight for the honour of all Pikachu, making James and Meowth cry from all of the emotion. Brock and Misty begged him to use other Pokemon against Raichu, Ash and Pikachu both said they were determined that it would be Pikachu wbo did this.
"Surge said he made his Raichu evolve as soon as he got it, didn't he? Then maybe there is a way." Brock remarked.
"What have you got under your sleeve?" Serena asked him.
"You'll see." Misty remarked, shushing Brock before he could reply.
They were stopped on the road by the challenger's cheerleaders, who offered a cheer to encourage Ash and Pikachu.
"Wait, do those guys look familiar to you?" Max asked the others.
"Pretty sure I've seen them before in other episodes, in the background." May said, wondering who these mysterious folk were.
"Are you serious?" James asked as the rest watched the screen in confusion. 'How do none of these twerps realise all these times that it is us, every single time?'
"Bye, Team Rocket!" Misty called on the screen, waving to them.
"Wait, how did you figure out it was us, anyway?" James asked Misty.
"We all know it's always you, we just want to see what you do with the disguises." May said, Max smirking.
Returning to the gym, Surge called Ash out again, sending out Raichu once again against Pikachu. Team Rocket watching from outside, as Pikachu moved to fulfil their plan, Raichu blocking Pikachu's attack then whipping Pikachu with its tail. Raichu then used body slam on Pikachu, before coming in for another, Pikachu dodging the second. Pikachu then used Agility, dodging Raichu's attempts again and again to use Body Slam. Brock then revealed that due to Raichu evolving so fast, he never learned speed attacks like Agility, making Pikachu much faster than Raichu. Confusing Raichu, Ash taunted him. Raichu fired Thunder Bolt at Pikachu, smashing the gym windows but failing to take out Pikachu, who grounded the electricity with its tail. Raichu tried another Thunder Bolt but with no power left, Pikachu took his chance to go onto the offensive, using Quick Attack to finish the battle. Raichu was down, and Pikachu had won.
"Yay!" Everyone cheered, seeing the battle unfold on the screen.
"Hooray, for Pikachu!" James said as well.
Ash and Pikachu were applauded by the others and by Raichu, before Pikachu gave Ash a friendly electric shock. As the rest of them left the town, Team Rocket walked out behind, vowing to capture Pikachu for how powerful it was. Then the screen faded to black, as Team Rocket realised they wasted their time cheering on Pikachu instead of trying to capture it.
"So, that's the end of that episode as well, which one is next?" Dawn asked.