PS317

← PS316 : Skirting Around Surskit II

Emerald arc

PS318 : Sneaky Like Shedinja II →

Sneaky Like Shedinja
Scott's Intentions

VS ヌケニン

VS Nukenin

Info

Shogakukan full volume	Chapter 317 in Vol. 27
VIZ Media full volume	Adventure 317 in Vol. 27
Series	Pokémon Adventures

Other

Location

Battle Arena S.S. Tidal

Sneaky Like Shedinja (Japanese: VS ヌケニン VS Shedinja), titled VS. Shedinja in the Chuang Yi translation, is the 317th chapter of the Pokémon Adventures manga, and the 15th chapter of the Emerald arc.

It is subtitled Scott's Intentions (Japanese: オーナーの真意 The Owner's Real Motives) in the VIZ Media translation and The Owner's Real Motive in the Chuang Yi translation.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Anabel claims that Scott knew about Jirachi and Guile Hideout from the start. The press note how the Frontier Brains look injured in addition to the serious conversation between Anabel and Scott. To distract the crowd, Tucker has his Salamence release a large ball of fire into the air to start a show. Tucker creates a lie stating that the Frontier Brains were busy training and simply forgot to fix themselves up before they came back.

He grabs Greta and claims that their training would bring an exciting result for the next battle. Inside the Battle Arena, Greta starts her battle against Emerald. Todd Snap heads off to find the Frontier Brains and Scott. Back in the front of the Battle Arena, Scott confirms Anabel's suspicions. He reveals that he purposely withheld the information so that he could make the Frontier Brains stronger.

He reveals that everything started because of a report about Jirachi. The report holds detailed information about Jirachi, such as where it would wake up next after its one thousand years of slumber. He reveals that the person who deciphered the report was none other than the scientist Professor Oak. Scott states that one day, Professor Oak called him to inform him that the place where he would build the Battle Frontier just happened to be where Jirachi would awaken next.

In a flashback, Scott asks Professor Oak how he learned of this, to which he replies that he was given it from a woman named Ultima, who had acquired it through questionable methods. Oak reveals that he intends to capture Jirachi, as there is a very difficult wish that he needs granted, and only Jirachi can do it for him. Although Scott gives him permission to look for Jirachi, Professor Oak reveals that someone else is looking for Jirachi, and broke into his lab the night earlier to get information on it. Although he is glad that he was only able to decipher only a little of the ancient language on the Jirachi Report, it still means that the villain knows where and when Jirachi will awaken. Oak guesses that the thief will aim to capture Jirachi on the dates it will be awake: July 1 to July 7.

Worried that since the opening ceremony of the Battle Frontier will coincide with the dates of Jirachi's awakening, Professor Oak suggests postponing the opening ceremony till later. Scott refuses, as he states that his Frontier Brains will be strong enough to stop the villain. Oak trusts Scott's decision, but states that he is sending a Pokédex holder to the Battle Frontier to capture Jirachi, which happens to be Emerald.

Back in the present, Tucker is angry at Scott for not telling them in advance so that they would be able to prepare for Guile's arrival. Scott questions whether or not them knowing anything in advance would help them win. Scott states the weak will always lose, but the strong will win, even if they don't know anything. He goes over to watch Emerald and Greta's battle, and guesses that after seeing his skills in Artisan Cave, Greta wanted to see Emerald's skills first hand.

Inside the Battle Arena, Emerald has Sceptile strike Greta's Heracross with Leaf Blade. Heracross manages to deflect the attack with its horn, but Sceptile rushes in to deliver several punches and throw it to the ground. Scott notes how Emerald refuses to let Greta have any room to breathe. He also points out that Emerald had no surprise attacks in his battles against Lucy and Brandon. Although he states that he is angry for what happened to Noland, he states that if Noland was stronger, things would have ended differently. Scott makes all of the Frontier Brains promise to get stronger so that they can defeat Guile the next time they meet in battle. Anabel agrees with Scott's decision, and tells the other Frontier Brains that they will defeat Guile before the Frontier officially opens.

Back at the battle, Tucker and Brandon cheer Greta on. Greta has her Heracross send Sceptile flying with Megahorn, heavily damaging it. Since three turns have ended, a virtual Trainer will assess the battle to determine the winner. With a score of five to one, Greta's Heracross defeats Sceptile. While a five-minute break is called, Todd asks Emerald if he's still alright after the battle in Artisan Cave. Todd notes how the Sceptile, Sudowoodo, and Dusclops that protected Emerald in Artisan Cave have gotten attached to him. The break ends, so the battle between Emerald and Greta continues.

Emerald has Dusclops use Psychic on Heracross, which will give him good marks on his skill as well as mind and body. Since Heracross can't use any skills to damage Dusclops, it loses points. Todd notes how in the Battle Arena, the result of a battle is determined through assessment. If a Pokémon doesn't attack, it will lose points in the mind section; if it performs a move well, it will gain points in the skill section; depending on how healthy it is once the assessment starts, a Pokémon will lose or gain points for body. In the next assessment, Emerald's Dusclops wins the battle with a score of five to two.

For her second Pokémon, Greta sends out Umbreon, which has an advantage over Dusclops. Umbreon kicks with a powerful Faint Attack. Emerald tries to counterattack with Dusclops's Will-O-Wisp, but Umbreon dodges it and confuses Dusclops with Confuse Ray. Umbreon wins the next assessment with a score of five to one. Emerald sends out his last Pokémon, Sudowoodo. Dusclops's Will-O-Wisp begins affecting Umbreon with a burn, so it recovers some its health with its Leftovers.

Emerald quickly finishes Umbreon off with Sudowoodo's Low Kick, giving him the win with a score of five to two. Greta sends out her final team member, a Shedinja. Greta points out that although Shedinja is weak, its Wonder Guard Ability makes it so that only a few moves can hurt it. Emerald counters with Rock Slide, a move that can defeat a Shedinja, but it uses Endure to survive the hit. Greta refuses to let the last round end with an assessment, and has Shedinja fire off a SolarBeam at Sudowoodo. As the battle gets chaotic, Todd expresses his shock to find out that Emerald was sent to the Battle Frontier from Professor Oak. He wonders what wish Professor Oak intends to have Jirachi grant.

Meanwhile, on the S.S. Tidal, Ruby and Sapphire watch Wanda and Riley from nearby. In the ship's hold, Mr. Briney tells his subordinates that they're carrying five statues to the Battle Frontier's Battle Tower. After Briney tells them that he doesn't want a scratch on the statues, the subordinates begin covering the statue's container in plastic to protect them.

Major events

• It is revealed that Emerald caught the Sudowoodo and Dusclops that were following him.
• Emerald begins his battle against Greta.
• Scott reveals that Professor Oak was the one who sent Emerald to the Battle Frontier to capture Jirachi.
• Ruby and Sapphire set sail on the S.S. Tidal to the Battle Frontier.
• Mr. Briney sails on the S.S. Tidal, which holds the statues of Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Silver.

For a list of all major events in the Pokémon Adventures manga, please see the history page.

	Spoilers end here.

Characters

Humans

• Crystal (flashback)
• Ruby
• Sapphire
• Emerald
• Professor Oak (flashback)
• Noland (fantasy)
• Greta
• Tucker
• Lucy
• Spenser
• Anabel
• Brandon
• Todd Snap
• Scott
• Mr. Briney
• Ultima/Kimberly (fantasy)
• Wanda/Wallene
• Riley

Pokémon

• Sceptile (Emerald's)
• Sudowoodo (Emerald's; new)
• Dusclops (Emerald's; new)
• Kangaskhan (Kanga; Professor Oak's; flashback)
• Fearow (Professor Oak's; flashback)
• Ledyba (Bach; Professor Oak's; flashback)
• Stantler (Antch; Professor Oak's; flashback)
• Chansey (Seych; Professor Oak's; flashback)
• Heracross (Greta's)
• Shedinja (Greta's)
• Umbreon (Greta's)
• Salamence (Tucker's)
• Seviper (Lucy's)
• Crobat (Spenser's)
• Raikou (Anabel's)
• Pelipper (Peeko; Mr. Briney's)
• Whismur (Wanda's; ×4)
• Makuhita (fantasy)
• Torkoal (fantasy)
• Psyduck (fantasy)

Trivia

Errors

• In the Chuang Yi version, the category names on the assessment board are written in Japanese.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		VS 脫殼忍者 (Taiwan) VS 脱壳忍者 (Mainland China)
French		Le plan de M. Scott
German		VS. Ninjatom (Teil 1)
Italian		VS Shedinja I
Korean		VS 껍질몬
Brazilian Portuguese		Vs. Shedinja
Spanish	Latin America	VS Shedinja: Las intenciones del dueño
	Spain	Contra Shedinja (1ª parte)
Vietnamese		VS Nukenin - Động cơ thực sự

← PS316 : Skirting Around Surskit II

Emerald arc

PS318 : Sneaky Like Shedinja II →

This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga.