GS102: Plant It Now… Diglett Later

is the 9th episode of Pokémon: Master Quest.
==Synopsis==
A village of kind, elderly people prepares a great meal for Ash and friends, and in return requests that the Pokémon Trainers assist them in defending their village against a gang of marauders that invades the village every year and attempts to rustle their sizable herd of Diglett. In explaining this to the children, the village's elderly mayor loses his train of thought numerous times, leaving Ash and friends completely confused by his request, until an unlikely source offers some clarification. The leader of the gang in question appears, succinctly restates the mayor's explanation, promises to return the following day with his gang, and finally excuses himself politely. A bit puzzled by this genteel marauder, Ash and friends nonetheless accept the mayor's request and along with Team Rocket, whose insatiable appetites had brought them to the dinner as well, begin fortifying the town against attack. When our heroes venture into the enemy camp, however, they learn that there is more to the marauders' plot than meets the eye.
==Episode plot==
After the Whirl Cup, the heroes wander to catch a boat to Olivine City at Transit Town, but they get hungry. As Jessie observes the enemies, James and Meowth dig a hole and advise her to work as well. Soon, Team Rocket cover the hole with leaves and dirt, then go hiding. However, Meowth's stomach growls. The heroes wander and fall in the hole. Team Rocket are impressed by this event and go to deal with their enemies, but fall in a hole as well. Meowth notices this is their hole as he left a mark. Meowth believes if he continues leaving these marks, the people will start acknowledging him as the object of worshiping and the land will be called Meowthland, though Jessie and James doubt that. The heroes see that Team Rocket fell in the hole they fall in and also notice a Diglett, who dug the second hole.
A woman approaches and apologizes, causing Brock to be charmed by her. The woman, Rita, apologizes, but Brock flirts with her. Soon, he notices another girl, named Sue, and is charmed once more. The girls tell Team Rocket and the heroes people came into their home. Rita and Sue ask them if they are expert Pokémon trainers. Brock knows that breeders are experts, while Ash thinks "expert" is a strong term, but Misty is confident her training with Corsola paid off at the Whirl Cup. The girls offer a banquet if they help, so the heroes and Team Rocket decide to lend help. They come to the village and soon, the food is presented to them. While the heroes eat the food at a fast pace, Team Rocket wonders if they can eat with their enemies. However, Jessie starts eating and sees it is tasty, so James and Meowth eat the food as well.
Later, the heroes and Team Rocket are filled with food. Sue and Rita decide to go home, leaving the heroes and Team Rocket to talk with the mayor and the town council. Since the heroes and Team Rocket ate a lot of food, the council ask for a favor to help them; they need a rocket. Team Rocket chant their motto, but the council responds they don't need a rocket. They think of rackets and biscuits, but Jessie responds they need help. The council now remembers they need helpers like the heroes and Team Rocket. Suddenly, a man on a Dodrio orders them not to listen to these fools and introduces his gang as the Band of Diglett Thieves. They let them know the band came to get Diglett and evolve them into Dugtrio to shake the earth. Seeing the Diglett around, they go away, promising to come back tomorrow for them.
The council explains that the Diglett they have in the village help tending the fields to grow food, since the young people moved to the cities. These Diglett thieves come and take the strongest Diglett and if it keeps up, the fields may not be tended as they used to. Even the feast the heroes and Team Rocket had may have been the last if something is not done. The council agrees if the heroes and Team Rocket won't help, the council will consider them thankless and insensitive. James gets riled up and knows that was the greatest insult he heard. Meowth thinks there were other insults, but Jessie supports James. James knows even if he is a member of Team Rocket, he is a Pokémon Trainer foremost, as these people have fed him. The heroes promise to stand in the defense. Jessie also supports, but Meowth does not understand this.
The heroes and Team Rocket plan tactics. James knows that there are more than 50 thieves, while there are 20 citizens, 3 members of Team Rocket and 3 heroes. Since they are outmatched, James decides to commence plan No-No Dodrio and selects the twerps and the Diglett for the mission. Jessie asks why the enemies, so James responds it is because the mission is scary. James tells the enemies they need to take out transportation of the thieves - the Dodrio need to be defeated. With that, they wish each other good luck in the mission. The heroes move out, while Team Rocket, the citizens and Diglett dig out pitfalls for the thieves. Jessie notices the old people have a lot of energy. An old woman tells they are young, since she is 120, so Jessie sees the woman is 10 times older.
The heroes sneak into the town and notice the leader. Pikachu warns them and soon, they see Sue talking to the leader. Rita approaches them and the heroes see they are caught. However, the leader takes off his mask, revealing himself to be the mayor of the town. The heroes are told the mayor, as well as the people of this town, are the children of the old people. The mayor explains that this town was a wasteland, so the Diglett were assigned to plow the fields. Once they evolved as Dugtrio, they changed the fields and grew plants. The mayor tells them they built a luxurious retirement home for the old people, but these old people wouldn't want to abandon the Diglett and remained there. They were attacked once by the Diglett thieves, but the thieves vanished, so the townsfolk are assigned to "attack" the village to keep the old people in shape, though they watch out the old people are not hurt.
The old people fought back a lot so it became a part of life for them. So, the mayor asks them to participate in the battle, asking Pikachu to electrocute him. Despite the hesitation, Ash allows Pikachu do it, but the mayor is not electrocuted, since his armor is electric-proof. The heroes decide to join in. Next day, Team Rocket observe the thieves, as the thieves fall in the holes. Soon, the villagers the fight the thieves. Jessie goes to send Arbok, but Wobbuffet comes out instead, causing Jessie to be stomped over the thieves. The heroes arrive, so Ash sends Cyndaquil to use Flamethrower, but it gets negated as the thieves use water. Misty sends Poliwhirl to use Water Gun, but the thieves use safety gear to repel the attack. Brock sends Crobat, who uses Supersonic, but the thieves use headphones to protect themselves. Some old people hear the sound of Supersonic and dance to it.
The thieves use the white flag, as they retreat. However, Team Rocket use bombs to scare off the thieves. Ash goes to say Team Rocket this is a scam, but Misty warns him he'll ruin the whole thing. Ash knows he has to do something, as the bombs might hurt Diglett. With some hesitation, Ash orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt to electrocute Team Rocket, exploding their bombs and causing them to blast off. The villagers thank the heroes for the assistance. For their reward, the heroes receive a Silver Wing. The villagers know that it is produced on Silver Rock Isle. With that clue, the heroes decide to go there and search for the mysterious Pokémon. Later, the heroes take a boat to Silver Rock Isle.
==Trivia==
*The "Who's that Pokémon?" is Sandshrew.
*Jessie's line "No way! Thats 10 times my age." heavily implies that she is 12 years old, though she looks a bit older than 12.
==Gallery==
==References==