EP248

One Trick Phony! (Japanese: バトルパーク！ＶＳカメックス・リザードン・フシギバナ！ Battle Park! VS - - !) is the 248th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on May 16, 2002, and in the United States on May 17, 2003.
==Blurb==
Seeing that Ash just can't get enough battling, a trainer who loses to him suggests as she leaves that he give a local Pokémon battle park a try. She explains that this facility is set up like an amusement park, but with all the attractions built around Pokémon battling. Ash and friends set off enthusiastically toward the park, but get there after Jessie, James, and Meowth, who find the park to be closed for repairs. Always prepared to make the worst of a bad situation, Team Rocket entrench themselves in the park and wait for Ash, plotting to use the park's Pokémon to battle and capture Ash's Pikachu. Ash will have to battle hard: his opponents include Blastoise, Venusaur, and Charizard.
==Plot==
On their way to Blackthorn City, and run into a female . Evidently, fell in love with her, but he was not given much of a chance to display his affection, as the Trainer was eager to Ash. Using her , nicknamed Josephine, against Ash's Pikachu, she begins the battle with a attack. Pikachu leaps over Josephine to avoid the smooches. Smoochum turns around and proceeds with the many Sweet Kisses. Ash urges Pikachu to wait for Josephine to come closer. Just as his opponent is approaching, Pikachu uses and Josephine hits the ground. Pikachu follows up with a from behind. Ash calls for the final attack, a , but the Trainer cancels the battle and admits that she has had enough. Ash pleads for another round, but she explains that she is too exhausted and recalls Josephine to her . The Trainer recommends that Ash should visit the , a challenging facility operated by professional Trainers. She declares that the Battle Park has almost every Pokémon that exists, so the group decides to make a detour.
Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and are busy polishing Poké Balls at the said Battle Park, where they are working as employees. The park warden suddenly enters the room and tells them that since the park is closed, it'd be a good time for them to clean it up, but first, he hands them another box full of Poké Balls. He laughs as they scream, and explains that he has the hard work and leaves to go shopping for supplies. Jessie furiously slams her fists onto the table. suggests that they should take the Poké Balls and leave, but James reminds them that they need the paycheck. 
A familiar voice disturbs the trio's uproar, and they peek to see Ash and his friends waiting at the park gates. Brock briefly assumes that the Battle Park is closed, as there appears to be no workers or Trainers around. Just as they are about to leave, Jessie approaches and welcomes them to the park, and guides them through to the reception area, where James takes over. He offers them the opportunity to challenge the strongest Pokémon in the park with the Pokémon Pot Luck Grab Bag course. Ash is intrigued and promptly accepts James's recommendations. Jessie escorts the group through the large entrance gates. The group wanders through the facility but sees no Trainers in sight until they are greeted by the Rocket trio posing as a mysterious trio of challenging opponents. Ash looks around for a battle judge, and Brock voluntarily accepts the task.
James decides to be the first opponent, and he picks a Poké Ball from the basket, which turns out to be a . Ash selects his to give him the advantage over Venusaur who is a Pokémon. James starts off with a attack, saying he was used to Grass-type moves from having a . Cyndaquil dodges all the leaves, which instead slice through the surrounding trees. James continues with a , which knocks Cyndaquil into a tree. Venusaur now uses a attack, which Cyndaquil manages to dodge by jumping away, causing the vines to hit another tree instead, which also falls. James tries another Vine Whip, which knocks Cyndaquil to the ground. Another powerful Razor Leaf attack is fired at Cyndaquil, but it escapes in a . Cyndaquil takes control of the round with a attack and follows it up with a . Venusaur stands up and uses , which overpowers Cyndaquil’s counter Flamethrower. The Solar Beam pushes Cyndaquil into a tree trunk, and this turns out to be the end for Cyndaquil. Ash is thrilled to have a challenging battle and is keen for another round of practice.
The second battle has now begun; while James and Meowth are arguing about who is to go next, Jessie sneaks in behind them and grabs a Poké Ball containing a , and Ash responds by choosing his . Jessie, who is used to fighting with her , orders a attack. As nothing happened, Ash lands a direct hit with . After Jessie rejects the guidebook from Meowth, she orders the Charizard to use , which to everybody's surprise, it performs. Totodile narrowly avoids the follow-up attack. Charizard tries to use Iron Tail again, but Totodile dodges it and strikes back with a . Ash orders a attack, but Charizard uses an even scarier face. Jessie and Ash continue to up the stakes until both Totodile and Charizard collapse. Totodile gets up however and uses another Water Gun. After some thinking, Jessie commands the Charizard to fly up and dodge it, before hitting them with a Flamethrower attack. Ash responds to this by using yet another Water Gun, but it is overpowered by Charizard's intense Flamethrower. As Totodile stands to his feet, Jessie has Charizard use another Flamethrower, but Totodile aims a Water Gun towards the ground, causing it to fly up behind Charizard. The maneuver gives Totodile the advantage, and he lands a Water Gun on Charizard, who crashes to the ground, ending the match.
As the third battle is about to start, James and Meowth once again argue, Jessie grabs the remaining Poké Ball and sends out a , so Ash selects his Pikachu. Jessie chooses to battle by the book this time. While she is reading, Pikachu uses a Quick Attack. Jessie gets her act together and orders Blastoise to use , which Pikachu manages to dodge. Jessie reads up on how to counter speed and commands Blastoise to use . Nonetheless, Pikachu gets past the spray of bubbles and uses another Quick Attack. Ash decides to end this battle and has Pikachu use Thunderbolt, but Blastoise s into its shell. A follow-up attack blasts Pikachu into a tree. Blastoise uses another Hydro Pump, keeping Pikachu pinned to the tree. Ash is feeling the pressure now, and Pikachu's Thunderbolt fails to defeat Blastoise. Pikachu proceeds to use a attack so strong that it causes the ground to split. Jessie rushes to Blastoise's aid, only to be hit by the electricity and crushed by Blastoise. 
She quickly recalls Blastoise and sends out her own Arbok. Pikachu evades the Poison Sting, but he is nabbed by James and Meowth, who have since fetched the . Jessie swiftly removes her disguise, revealing her true Team Rocket identity. James also reveals they had taken a sack of park Poké Balls as well. Out of nowhere, the Park warden shows up, informing them that they cannot take those. Just as Team Rocket is about to escape, Ash sends out his Totodile, and Misty selects her . Ash and Misty both command their Pokémon to use Water Gun, but only Totodile actually performs the move, which regardless breaks the steel arm holding Pikachu. Misty, upset with her Politoed as it continues to clap its hands together, orders it to use another Water Gun. This time, Politoed follows the command and blasts a giant hole in Team Rocket's balloon. As Ash, Misty, Brock, and the Park warden approach Team Rocket's crashed balloon, the trio sends out the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. As Team Rocket basks in their power, the three Pokémon turn against them. The Park warden proclaims that they are only obedient within the Battle Park. A combined Flamethrower, Hydro Pump, and Solar Beam hits Team Rocket and sends them blasting off.
 
The group continues their trek towards Blackthorn City by sunset. Misty admits that while Ash just battled against Team Rocket, the opportunity to go up against three very powerful Pokémon is invaluable. Ash agrees and declares that the practice has motivated him to win his final Johto League Badge.
==Major events==
* Ash's Totodile uses for the first time.
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* Female Trainer
* Park warden
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international), (Japan)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (Female Trainer's; Josephine)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s; photo)
* ('s)
* ('s; ×2)
* ('s)
==Trivia==
* This episode aired in the US exactly one year and one day from its Japanese airing. 
* The English title to this episode is based on the saying One Trick Pony.
* This is the first of two times in the where Jessie uses a in a . The other is in Grating Spaces.
** Charizard's Pokédex entry is also mentioned for the first time in the animated series, since it first appeared in Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon, though the one that appears in this episode isn't owned by one of the main characters.
* The Battle Park Poké Ball has its logo on it. Its logo is an orange-colored reversed "B" and a "P" in a black circle.
===Errors===
* In one shot, has his bag on, but in the next shot, is holding it.
* In the dub, dodging is referred to as countering instead.
** Also in the Polish dub, Ash says is a .
** Furthermore, is called , while is mistakenly called "drawing".
===Dub edits===
==In other languages==
248
Category:Episodes written by Shōji Yonemura
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane
de:Abenteuer im Park
es:EP250
fr:EP248
it:OA132
ja:無印編第248話
zh:宝可梦 第249集