Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...
Ash is once again challenged by Gary, but for the third time around, Gary requests a rule change: cut the prizes and number of useable Pokemon down to two, which is the reqirements for a speed duel!
However, Ash proves to Gary that the strongest is not necessarily the fastest. Miffed by his defeat, Gary leaves in a huff, vowing that he will earn the Legendary Cards...
...or will he? Can the Pokepals gain the remaining four Crests and refute Gary's boastful prophecy? What awaits our heroes today? Find out!
The Heart of the Cards, part 25: The A-Maze-ing Pikachu
Ash smiled as the group strolled down the sidewalk. "It sure is nice today, isn't it?"
"I'll say..." Brock agreed as he stopped to soak up some of the warm sunshine. "It's rained every day this week! I'm just glad it decided to stop..."
Misty, meanwhile, was cooing to Togepi. "You're such a sweetie, you know that? Are you having fun going bye-bye?" Togepi just chirped in delight.
"I think the Pokemon will like the new exhibit at the museum..." Ash started as Pikachu clambored on top of his head. Before he could say any more, he found himself staring into Pikachu's face! "Well, hello there!"
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, struggling to balance himself on the brim of Ash's cap.
"Come here..." and Ash deposited Pikachu on his shoulder. "So...what is this exhibit we're going to see?"
"It's called 'Extreme Mazes: The Perceptions of Memory'" Maya explained. "Basically, it explains how memory works, using the example of going through a maze to illustrate the concepts."
"The best part is a competition!" Michael added. "They have this big, obstacle-filled maze set up, and the Pokemon have to race to the exit at the bottom. Whoever gets there with the best time wins a prize!"
"Sounds fun!" Misty smiled as the group got in line for tickets.
---------
"Wow..." Ash gasped, awed by the various optical illusions scattered about the chamber: double pictures, color illusions, puzzles, light tricks, and various other interactive games. Brock had found a light kaleidoscope, and was hard at work projecting beautiful patterns of red, blue, yellow, green, and purple light on a canvas. Misty was helping Togepi figure out a block puzzle, periodically helping Togepi place each piece.
Maya was staring at a swirly picture, trying to guess the image hidden inside. Michael stood nearby at a 3-D viewer, thinking about to figure out the illusion inside.
But, Pikachu noticed a giant mountain at the end of the hall, where a large crowd was gathering. "Pika pika pi?"
"I think that's the maze Michael was telling us about." Ash replied. "Come on!" and he raced into the open area to get a closer look at the mountain, where clear orbs containing Pokemon thumped and bumped their way to the bottom. There were TV monitors scattered throughout the room, so the audience could see inside the maze.
"What is it?" Misty asked as she and the others settled down at one of the TV monitors.
"Pikachu found the maze..." Ash explained. "and I think he wants to try it." at this, an orb with a Rattata inside rolled into the finish platform at the bottom of the magnificient structure, while a scoreboard projected the maze time: 1:40:25.
"New record!" a referee announced as the Rattata's owner opened the orb, cradled the Rattata, and returned to her chair. The crowd applauded as the next competitor carried the orb with his Sandshrew inside up to the start of the maze.
"Who's that?" Ash asked, pointing at the girl, who was brushing her long black hair as she listened to the roar of the cheering crowd.
"That's Camille, last year's 'Maze Runner' champion." Michael explained. "I've been told that she trains for this one exhibit, and she's either won or placed every time she's competed!"
"Well, I want to try and see how I do in the maze! Come on, Pikachu!" and Ash started towards the competitor's line...
"If you think you're going to beat my record, then all I can say is, good luck, newcomer!" Camille called, smirking confidently as the scoreboard displayed the time: 1:47:56
"Oh yeah?" Ash retorted. "I bet I can get a faster time than you!"
"Tell you what..." Camille purred. "If you can beat my record, even if it's only by a thousandth of a second...I'll give you my favorite souvenir magnet!" At this, she displayed a sparkling rainbow magnet depicting a globe, with the words 'TITIAN MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY' at the top.
"You're on!" and Ash took his place in the line...
---------
"So, you want to enter your Pikachu in the Mt. Maze Time Trials?" and attendant asked as she led Ash into a room filled with the clear orbs and a drawing of the inside of the maze.
"Yeah!" Ash cried, setting Pikachu down on a table. "I've been challenged, and I'm taking it!"
"Good luck breaking Camille's record...her Rattata's quite fast." the attendant cautioned as she grabbed an orb from a cabinet.
"Then, I'm going to prove that Pikachu is faster!" Ash agreed.
"Okay, then, put your Pikachu in here." the attendant replied, opening the orb.
"Pika..." Pikachu sighed as he was closed inside the orb and placed on the floor, where he began rolling around, trying to get used to his new surroundings.
"What are the orbs for?" Ash asked as he watched Pikachu dart and weave around the room in erratic figure 8's.
"They're used for two reasons: speed and the Pokemon's safety." the attendant replied. "The chart on the wall shows you what the maze looks like on the inside."
"I see..." Ash replied as he admired the array of bumpers, loops, speed traps, jumps, pipes and other obstacles...
---------
"You ready?" Ash called as he climbed the stairs leading to the maze's entrance. Pikachu nodded confidently. "Think you can beat Camille?"
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, pointing out the group down below, who waved as Ash reached the start platform, where the ref stood waiting.
"New racer at the start!" the ref called to the crowd below as the scoreboard reset to display 0:00:00. "Pokemon ready?"
"Good luck, Pikachu!" Ash called as he set Pikachu on the platform marked START, then stepped on the elevator leading down to the ground, where he ran to join the others...
----------
"Are you sure Pikachu can do this?" Misty asked as one of the monitors changed to display Pikachu eyeing a small door.
"Sure he can!" Ash assured Misty. "He was pretty calm rolling around..."
"Okay!" the ref called. "On your mark...get set..." and a bell sounded, causing the door at the entrance to drop, allowing Pikachu to race inside!
"And, he's off!" Brock commented. "He's maintaining a brisk pace as he goes down the opening slope...now he's going down a pipe, which leads into a section with some sharp turns...."
"Round and round and round he goes, where he stops, nobody knows!" Michael joined in as he watched Pikachu run down a twisting slope, which lead down into another pipe.
"Now he's at an intersection--wonder if he'll pick the fastest route?" Misty asked. No sooner had she said this, Pikachu darted down the left path, which lead into another set of twisting paths that went up, down, and even upside-down! At the end of that path, was a steep slope...
"Here comes a jump!" Brock commented, noting a huge gap coming up on the screen.
"If he hits the bell at the peak of the jump, his time will stop for 10 seconds!" Maya explained. Everyone winced as Pikachu soared into the air, ringing a small bell on the way up...then landed with a plop at the bottom of the landing area, which led down into more sharp turns lined with bumpers.
"Pikachu needs to be cautious here...if he's not careful, the bumpers will send him the wrong way, costing him time!" Brock continued, giving his play-by-play as Pikachu continued on his way.
"He's got the bumpers covered..." Ash assured everyone as Pikachu raced down the next turn, which led him onto a launch pad...
"He's almost there!" Misty cried. "I can see the exit!" The crowd began to cheer as Pikachu was launched into a loop, followed by one last set of zigzag turns before running down the slope that led out of the mountain and onto the FINISH platform.
"Did he break the record?" Maya asked, anxious to hear Pikachu's result.
The ref consulted her time sheet, then looked at the scoreboard, which finally displayed Pikachu's time: 1:30:25! "New record!"
"YES!!!!" Misty cheered. Brock whistled in agreement as Ash ran to retrieve Pikachu from the maze...
---------
"Pikachu, I'm so proud of you!" Ash cooed as the group relaxed in their room that evening.
"Camille acted pretty calm about losing..." Misty mused.
"She told me that Pikachu was a good racer, and that I deserved the magnet she promised me more than she did!" Ash mused, turning to look at Pikachu, who was fast asleep in the Pokemon area...
Maya smiled as she turned to leave. "I'm glad you guys had fun today...but remember, dueling starts early tomorrow, so I'll be here at around 7:30, okay?" With that, she closed the door behind her...
What does the fifth round hold for our heroes? Stay tuned!
Ash is once again challenged by Gary, but for the third time around, Gary requests a rule change: cut the prizes and number of useable Pokemon down to two, which is the reqirements for a speed duel!
However, Ash proves to Gary that the strongest is not necessarily the fastest. Miffed by his defeat, Gary leaves in a huff, vowing that he will earn the Legendary Cards...
...or will he? Can the Pokepals gain the remaining four Crests and refute Gary's boastful prophecy? What awaits our heroes today? Find out!
The Heart of the Cards, part 25: The A-Maze-ing Pikachu
Ash smiled as the group strolled down the sidewalk. "It sure is nice today, isn't it?"
"I'll say..." Brock agreed as he stopped to soak up some of the warm sunshine. "It's rained every day this week! I'm just glad it decided to stop..."
Misty, meanwhile, was cooing to Togepi. "You're such a sweetie, you know that? Are you having fun going bye-bye?" Togepi just chirped in delight.
"I think the Pokemon will like the new exhibit at the museum..." Ash started as Pikachu clambored on top of his head. Before he could say any more, he found himself staring into Pikachu's face! "Well, hello there!"
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, struggling to balance himself on the brim of Ash's cap.
"Come here..." and Ash deposited Pikachu on his shoulder. "So...what is this exhibit we're going to see?"
"It's called 'Extreme Mazes: The Perceptions of Memory'" Maya explained. "Basically, it explains how memory works, using the example of going through a maze to illustrate the concepts."
"The best part is a competition!" Michael added. "They have this big, obstacle-filled maze set up, and the Pokemon have to race to the exit at the bottom. Whoever gets there with the best time wins a prize!"
"Sounds fun!" Misty smiled as the group got in line for tickets.
---------
"Wow..." Ash gasped, awed by the various optical illusions scattered about the chamber: double pictures, color illusions, puzzles, light tricks, and various other interactive games. Brock had found a light kaleidoscope, and was hard at work projecting beautiful patterns of red, blue, yellow, green, and purple light on a canvas. Misty was helping Togepi figure out a block puzzle, periodically helping Togepi place each piece.
Maya was staring at a swirly picture, trying to guess the image hidden inside. Michael stood nearby at a 3-D viewer, thinking about to figure out the illusion inside.
But, Pikachu noticed a giant mountain at the end of the hall, where a large crowd was gathering. "Pika pika pi?"
"I think that's the maze Michael was telling us about." Ash replied. "Come on!" and he raced into the open area to get a closer look at the mountain, where clear orbs containing Pokemon thumped and bumped their way to the bottom. There were TV monitors scattered throughout the room, so the audience could see inside the maze.
"What is it?" Misty asked as she and the others settled down at one of the TV monitors.
"Pikachu found the maze..." Ash explained. "and I think he wants to try it." at this, an orb with a Rattata inside rolled into the finish platform at the bottom of the magnificient structure, while a scoreboard projected the maze time: 1:40:25.
"New record!" a referee announced as the Rattata's owner opened the orb, cradled the Rattata, and returned to her chair. The crowd applauded as the next competitor carried the orb with his Sandshrew inside up to the start of the maze.
"Who's that?" Ash asked, pointing at the girl, who was brushing her long black hair as she listened to the roar of the cheering crowd.
"That's Camille, last year's 'Maze Runner' champion." Michael explained. "I've been told that she trains for this one exhibit, and she's either won or placed every time she's competed!"
"Well, I want to try and see how I do in the maze! Come on, Pikachu!" and Ash started towards the competitor's line...
"If you think you're going to beat my record, then all I can say is, good luck, newcomer!" Camille called, smirking confidently as the scoreboard displayed the time: 1:47:56
"Oh yeah?" Ash retorted. "I bet I can get a faster time than you!"
"Tell you what..." Camille purred. "If you can beat my record, even if it's only by a thousandth of a second...I'll give you my favorite souvenir magnet!" At this, she displayed a sparkling rainbow magnet depicting a globe, with the words 'TITIAN MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY' at the top.
"You're on!" and Ash took his place in the line...
---------
"So, you want to enter your Pikachu in the Mt. Maze Time Trials?" and attendant asked as she led Ash into a room filled with the clear orbs and a drawing of the inside of the maze.
"Yeah!" Ash cried, setting Pikachu down on a table. "I've been challenged, and I'm taking it!"
"Good luck breaking Camille's record...her Rattata's quite fast." the attendant cautioned as she grabbed an orb from a cabinet.
"Then, I'm going to prove that Pikachu is faster!" Ash agreed.
"Okay, then, put your Pikachu in here." the attendant replied, opening the orb.
"Pika..." Pikachu sighed as he was closed inside the orb and placed on the floor, where he began rolling around, trying to get used to his new surroundings.
"What are the orbs for?" Ash asked as he watched Pikachu dart and weave around the room in erratic figure 8's.
"They're used for two reasons: speed and the Pokemon's safety." the attendant replied. "The chart on the wall shows you what the maze looks like on the inside."
"I see..." Ash replied as he admired the array of bumpers, loops, speed traps, jumps, pipes and other obstacles...
---------
"You ready?" Ash called as he climbed the stairs leading to the maze's entrance. Pikachu nodded confidently. "Think you can beat Camille?"
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, pointing out the group down below, who waved as Ash reached the start platform, where the ref stood waiting.
"New racer at the start!" the ref called to the crowd below as the scoreboard reset to display 0:00:00. "Pokemon ready?"
"Good luck, Pikachu!" Ash called as he set Pikachu on the platform marked START, then stepped on the elevator leading down to the ground, where he ran to join the others...
----------
"Are you sure Pikachu can do this?" Misty asked as one of the monitors changed to display Pikachu eyeing a small door.
"Sure he can!" Ash assured Misty. "He was pretty calm rolling around..."
"Okay!" the ref called. "On your mark...get set..." and a bell sounded, causing the door at the entrance to drop, allowing Pikachu to race inside!
"And, he's off!" Brock commented. "He's maintaining a brisk pace as he goes down the opening slope...now he's going down a pipe, which leads into a section with some sharp turns...."
"Round and round and round he goes, where he stops, nobody knows!" Michael joined in as he watched Pikachu run down a twisting slope, which lead down into another pipe.
"Now he's at an intersection--wonder if he'll pick the fastest route?" Misty asked. No sooner had she said this, Pikachu darted down the left path, which lead into another set of twisting paths that went up, down, and even upside-down! At the end of that path, was a steep slope...
"Here comes a jump!" Brock commented, noting a huge gap coming up on the screen.
"If he hits the bell at the peak of the jump, his time will stop for 10 seconds!" Maya explained. Everyone winced as Pikachu soared into the air, ringing a small bell on the way up...then landed with a plop at the bottom of the landing area, which led down into more sharp turns lined with bumpers.
"Pikachu needs to be cautious here...if he's not careful, the bumpers will send him the wrong way, costing him time!" Brock continued, giving his play-by-play as Pikachu continued on his way.
"He's got the bumpers covered..." Ash assured everyone as Pikachu raced down the next turn, which led him onto a launch pad...
"He's almost there!" Misty cried. "I can see the exit!" The crowd began to cheer as Pikachu was launched into a loop, followed by one last set of zigzag turns before running down the slope that led out of the mountain and onto the FINISH platform.
"Did he break the record?" Maya asked, anxious to hear Pikachu's result.
The ref consulted her time sheet, then looked at the scoreboard, which finally displayed Pikachu's time: 1:30:25! "New record!"
"YES!!!!" Misty cheered. Brock whistled in agreement as Ash ran to retrieve Pikachu from the maze...
---------
"Pikachu, I'm so proud of you!" Ash cooed as the group relaxed in their room that evening.
"Camille acted pretty calm about losing..." Misty mused.
"She told me that Pikachu was a good racer, and that I deserved the magnet she promised me more than she did!" Ash mused, turning to look at Pikachu, who was fast asleep in the Pokemon area...
Maya smiled as she turned to leave. "I'm glad you guys had fun today...but remember, dueling starts early tomorrow, so I'll be here at around 7:30, okay?" With that, she closed the door behind her...
What does the fifth round hold for our heroes? Stay tuned!