GS139: Why? Wynaut!

is the 46th episode of Pokémon: Master Quest.
==Synopsis==
Having defeated Clair and earned his eighth gym badge, Ash must now set out for the Johto League championship, which he learns is to be held on Mt Silver in three months time. As Ash heads toward New Bark Town, where he will register for entry in this competition, he is stopped by two reporters who ask for a shot of the trainer making his triumphant return. The reporters turn out to be none other than Jessie and James of Team Rocket. They trick Ash out of all eight of his badges, but the plan backfires when a passing Wynaut steals the badges from Wobbuffet. Remembering each of the eight victories that earned him these badges, Ash sets out after Team Rocket, determined to get back what is rightfully his.
==Episode plot==
Clair comes to the heroes with her cookies. Ash is glad he has all the badges for the Johto League. Clair corrects him, as the official name is the Johto League Silver Conference. She then informs him it'll be held in three months, at Silver Town, near Mt. Silver. Ash already wants to go, but Brock and Misty think it is too early and needs to register. Clair tells he can register at the place where he registered for the Johto Gyms. Ash sees his destination is New Bark Town, where they started the Johto journey.
Team Rocket thinks they should steal the badges, considering them to be worth a lot of money. Jessie wants the badges for herself, wanting to enter the League. James and Meowth remind her what happened at Indigo League, but Jessie still wants to compete. She goes to take some food, but sees it is gone. She, Meowth and James accuse Wobbuffet of eating the food, who objects. The heroes and Clair go out of the town, but are approached by Jessie and James, disguised as news reporters. They want some info about Ash's final win. Jessie takes his jacket off and gives it to Meowth, who takes the badges, while James puts a mantle on Ash, looking like a king and takes photos. Once done, Jessie gives his stuff back and goes with James.
Ash thinks he should've been asked questions and was prepared for it. Jessie and James are to chant their motto, but Meowth stops them. Ash thinks they should, considering the trouble. With that word, Jessie and James take off their disguises and chant. They declare they stole the badges, so Ash sees he only has bottle caps. So, the heroes and Clair chase them. Meanwhile, Wobbuffet was given the task of watching over the badges. It sees berries and thinks Team Rocket would praise it for finding them. Wobbuffet harvests the berries and sings a happy song. It sees someone is taking the badge case and finds out a Pokémon thief. Team Rocket arrives and want the badges. However, Wobbuffet reports it was stolen and draws the image of the thief.
Jessie thinks it was a Wooper, so declares a search for it. The heroes did not find Team Rocket, so Clair believes the badges can be re-issued if the theft is reported. Ash responds those badges have a sentimental value, each one has a memory of a Gym battle attached to it. Clair, Brock and Misty see the value of the badges and promise to get them back. Team Rocket encounters a Wooper and goes to get it. However, it jumps away, so Team Rocket tracks it. Ash sends Bayleef and Noctowl to search, while Clair scouts away with Dragonair. Noctowl comes to Bayleef, who has not seen the badges.
They see the Pokémon thief, who has the box. Noctowl and Bayleef approach it, who cannot open the box. Bayleef opens the box, revealing the badges inside it. Noctowl goes to report to its master, while Bayleef stays with this Pokémon thief. Noctowl comes to Ash and reports the badges. Meanwhile, Wynaut goes away with berries, as Team Rocket tracked Wooper and see the badges. Bayleef stands to protect the badges, so Jessie sends out Arbok and James' Victreebel, which attaches itself to James' head. Arbok uses Poison Sting, though Bayleef takes the badges and Wooper away. However, Victreebel's Vine Whip causes Bayleef to trip over.
Arbok uses Poison Sting, but the Pokémon thief jumps and uses Counter, reflecting the attack back to Arbok. Team Rocket is still pleased the badges are present, but Ash comes to take them back. Arbok uses Poison Sting to distract Ash, as Team Rocket flees into the balloon. James warns the twerp he can buy off the badges, but Jessie still wants to enter the League. Per Ash's order, Bayleef launches Ash to the balloon. However, Team Rocket flies up, preventing Ash to get onto the balloon. Noctowl goes to pull him, but Ash falls down, onto Clair's Dragonair. Ash thanks Clair and tells her that Team Rocket has the badges.
Pikachu goes onto Noctowl, to track Team Rocket. Pikachu fires his signature Thunderbolt to blast off Team Rocket and throw them into a tree, destroying the Meowth balloon. The badges fall down, though Ash, Dragonair, Clair, Bayleef and Pikachu manage to collect them back. However, Ash sees he misses the Rising Badge, so everyone goes to search for it. Bayleef and Noctowl are approached by the Pokémon thief, who gives the Rising Badge to them. Bayleef presents the badge to her master. Ash is glad, so Bayleef and Noctowl point at the thief, but see it is gone. Ash tries to search in the bushes, but thinks the two are imagining things. However, Bayleef and Noctowl say goodbye to the thief, who is on a boat in the nearby river.
Misty, Clair and Brock come and see Ash managed to find all the badges. Ash contacts Oak and reports he got all the Johto badges. Oak thinks Ash is having respect from his Pokémon as he does, then gets crushed by Snorlax, Kingler, Bulbasaur and Muk, so Oak logs out, leaving Ash and Pikachu confused. Later, Clair gives directions to New Bark Town. Brock wishes he can stay with Clair, while Misty drags him away. The heroes part ways with Clair, towards New Bark Town.
==Quotes==
:"Let's eat our donut holes to celebrate. Aaah! Where'd they go? There was a whole bag of donut holes here!" - Jessie
:"Wobbuffet!! Grr!" - James & Meowth
:"Last time, you ate eleven of our donuts!" - Jessie
:"Dis time's, da whole's out of 'em!" - Meowth
:"And what do you have to say for yourself?!" - James
:"Wob! Bu! Wob! WOBBUFFET!!!" - Wobbuffet
:"Meowth. Dere was no stopping them." - Meowth
:"Say, what does the Twerp's Bayleef think it's doing here?" - James
:"Hey, you! Back away from the Badges and get outta here!" - Jessie
:"Bay! Bay!" - Bayleef
:"Oh, yeah? Ya wanna become a Bayleef-salad?" - Meowth
:"You're just as blockheaded as your Twerp Trainer!" - Jessie
==Trivia==
*Pocket Monster TV: Wynaut (JA)
*Who's That Pokémon?: Steelix (EN) 
**Hint: "The body of this Pokémon is harder than a diamond!"
*Wynaut, along with Kecleon, were the only Generation III Pokémon to be seen before the digital transition.
**In Pocket Monster TV, the Pokédex number is given as "???". This is due to the Pokémon being from the following generation.
*This is the first episode in which, though in flashbacks, all the Gym Leaders in one region were present.
===Mistakes===
*In the original version of the English dub, the title card erroneously refers to the episode as "Why? Why Not!" This was amended in later releases such as the later home video releases with the title card correctly stating the episode's title as "Why? Wynaut!"
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Wobbuffet
Category:Episodes featuring alternate colored Pokémon