A-Maze-ing Race!

### Written by

Sonic876, Punkasaurus0530, Frogadier55, NegimaLover, TMNTHedgehog5, and DragonSpore18

### Directed by

Sonic876 and NegimaLover

***A-Maze-ing Race!*** is the 46th episode of *Josh's Adventures of Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl*.

## Plot

Dawn leads Ash and Brock to a Pokémon Center in a hurry, in hopes of receiving a new application for her Pokétch. When they arrive at the Center, however, the Nurse Joy there states that it is in fact the Pokémon Center on the other side of the woods that is giving away the application. She also states that the giveaway is ending soon, so the party heads out in a hurry for the Center on the other side of the woods.
On the way they are stopped by Team Rocket in disguise, who tell them that they can take a shortcut through a cave, and give them a free map to navigate through a maze at the end of the cave. In exchange for the map, however, the party must take a group photo of them and all their Pokémon inside the cave. While setting up the photo shoot, Team Rocket plan to swipe all of the party's Pokémon, but before they can everyone is interrupted by a group of Graveler and Golem passing by using Rollout. The party is thus split up.

Ash and Pikachu make it out of the cave first, meeting Paul who is attempting to catch a Fearow that is flying nearby. He asks if Paul has seen the others, to which Paul coldly replies no. He decides to go find Brock and Dawn, leaving Paul be. Team Rocket, disguised as rocks, are able to split up Ash and Pikachu by blocking paths in the maze, but are then blasted off by the Onix that was chasing the earlier Golem and Graveler.

Dawn and Croagunk make it out of the cave and into the maze next. They also meet Paul, ask him if he has seen the others, and leave when he rudely replies no. Brock, Ash's Turtwig, Staravia, and Aipom exit the cave last, and follow suit by meeting with Paul, asking him if he has seen the others, and getting a cold reply (this time it's Paul who leaves). Staravia then volunteers to search for everyone by sky.

Pikachu, now alone, meets up with Buneary and Happiny. Croagunk saves Dawn from being squished by the Onix by pushing her into a crack in the maze wall which it made with Brick Break. Ash, regretting being split up with Pikachu, meets up with Dawn's Piplup, Buizel, Pachirisu, and Brock's Sudowoodo. Though Piplup and Buizel quarrel about which way to go, they soon team up and are able to force the rampaging Onix to retreat.

All the separate groups, except Ash's, finally find each other with Staravia's help. When Staravia flies back up to look for Ash's group, however, a recovered Team Rocket snatches it and temporarily escapes. Brock and Dawn finally find Ash by calling out, but are still separated by a single wall. Team Rocket then come back and trap Ash's group by crushing and placing rocks on the maze path. Ash tells Piplup and Buizel to use Bubble Beam and SonicBoom respectively at the Rocket Balloon, in order to free Staravia. He then tells Pachirisu and Sudowoodo to use Discharge and Mimic respectively, but Pachirisu's Discharge zaps Ash's group accidentally, allowing Team Rocket to escape.

Everyone then decides to break a hole in the maze wall, and after a while of their Pokémon executing attacks on it, the wall is broken, but not without Team Rocket noticing them. Pikachu, however, surprises Team Rocket from atop a tall hill, then uses Iron Tail to break Staravia's cage and finally Thunderbolt to send Team Rocket blasting off again.

Everyone, now reunited, make it out of the maze and to the Pokémon Center, where Dawn receives the Coin Toss application. They then continue on their journey, using the new application to lead the way.

## Major events

* Ash and his friends encounter Paul again.
* Paul attemps to catch a Fearow, but it is left unclear whether he succeeds or not.
* Dawn obtains the Coin Toss app for her Pokétch.

## Characters

### Humans

* Ash
* Brock
* Dawn
* Jessie
* James
* Paul
* Nurse Joy

### Pokémon

* Pikachu (Ash's)
* Meowth (Team Rocket)
* Piplup (Dawn's)
* Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
* Mime Jr. (James's)
* Aipom (Ash's)
* Staravia (Ash's)
* Turtwig (Ash's)
* Buneary (Dawn's)
* Pachirisu (Dawn's)
* Buizel (Dawn's)
* Sudowoodo (Brock's)
* Croagunk (Brock's)
* Happiny (Brock's)
* Onix
* Fearow
* Graveler (multiple)
* Golem (multiple)

## Transcript

*Main article: A-Maze-ing Race!/Transcript*
## Trivia

* Music from *Gotta Dance!!*, *Jirachi: Wish Maker*, and *Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias* are used as background music.
* Advance Adventure is used as background music in this episode.
* 4Kids background music is used in this episode.
* 佐藤仁美 *Hitomi Satō* is added to the credits as a composer of the original score.
* Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia: Combee
	+ Pokémon senryū: あまいみつ　みつけてとぶよ　ミツハニー *Amai mitsu, mitsukete tobuyo, Mitsuhanī.* "Sweet honey, find it and fly, Mitsuhoney."
* The episode's English dub title seems to be a spin on the popular reality show *The Amazing Race*. It could also possibly be a pun on the Christian hymn Amazing Grace.
* The events of this episode are referenced by Jessie in *Jumping Rocket Ship!*.
* In this episode, Team Rocket uses a variation of their motto.
* When Team Rocket blasts off for the first time, Jessie breaks the fourth wall by saying "But this is only act one".