By Trainer_Auro
Three episodes; three Pokemon. At this rate, Ash’s party will be full in no time. Last time, he caught the adorable water type; Oshawott. Well, technically, he didn’t catch it. It was the Oshawott from Professor Juniper’s lab, which she told Ash to take care of after its escape. Watching Pikachu and Oshawott interact was amusing, but now we should get a better idea of Oshawott’s character. We start off this fourth episode with Ash approaching a city, excited for his first Gym battle.
Introductions aside, it’s time for a play-by-play review. Warning, the following WILL contain spoilers. I recommend you watch this series on your own, but if you’re in a hurry, want another opinion, or just don’t feel like watching, this will be quick, and to the point without losing the details.
*SPOILERS*
Iris starts off instantly by bursting Ash’s bubble, telling him that the city he was looking at was not his destination of Striaton city, but was in fact Accumula town, which has no gym. It does however, she says, have a “Battle Club.” She brings him to it, and shows that trainers can enter they’re information into a computer, and have it arrange a battle for them. Ash goes to the arena to watch a battle take place between a Janovy and a Futchimaru (both of which have no OFFICIAL English name yet, but are the evolved forms of Snivy and Oshawott respectively) After beating the Janovy, the trainer with the Futachimaru sees the now-ultra-rare Pikachu, and challenges Ash to a battle.
Ash sends Pikachu out to battle, but Oshawott releases itself from its Pokeball, and insists that it battle. However, upon seeing its evolved form, it “graciously” allows Pikachu to battle instead.
Pikachu starts off with a Thunderbolt, but the nimble otter dodges. Pikachu follows up with an Iron Tail, sending it reeling. The Futachimaru recovers, and dodges an incoming Volt Tackle, sending Pikachu crashing into the wall. Futachimaru then hit Pikachu with a Shell Blade.
As the battle continues, the scene changes to Team Rocket as they attempt to break into one of the Battle Club’s storerooms. However, as they, an alarm goes off, and a small black blur shoots out of the building, and away. Ash’s battle is interrupted by the alarm as they go to investigate.
Due to a string of break ins, a security camera was installed. The faculty checks the tape, and sees Team Rocket, the owner of the club, Don George, spots the black shape, and tries –but fails- to identify what it might be. Ash opens his Pokédex, and says that it might be an Umbreon, despite there being none in Unova.
Everyone heads off to catch the Umbreon, as it would be a great catch due to its incredible rarity. Because everyone is now searching the grounds, Team rocket requires a distraction to escape undetected. Overhearing that the faculty is searching for an Umbreon, Team Rocket disguises Meowth as an Umbreon and sends him to lure everyone away.
In another area, Ash and Iris set up bowls of Pokemon Food to lure the Umbreon out. Ash heads off to another area to set up more food, leaving Pikachu and Oshawott (who has once again released itself from its Pokeball) to watch over the warehouse. Oshawott starts sampling the bait, and Pikachu tries to stop it. Oshawott pushes Pikachu into a pile of boxes. Several heavy looking boxes and a metal pan fall on Pikachu’s head, knocking it out. An empty box lands up-side-down on Pikachu, covering it. Oshawott simply continues eating.
Ash hides in the bushes, watching his bait, when he sees the black shadow from the surveillance tapes approach. However, it wasn’t an Umbreon as expected. He pulls out his Pokedex, and identifies it as Tepig (Pokabu). The Tepig has a rope tied around its mouth, and is coated in dirt. It is also extremely thin, probably due to it not being able to eat. Ash approaches the famished Pokemon, but upon seeing him, and hearing Iris around the corner, it runs.
Ash tells Iris that he has identified the Pokemon, and they both follow it, until it traps itself in a dead end. Ash moves slowly toward it, and picks it up, trying to calm it down long enough to pull the rope off its mouth, and clean it up. Iris brings it some food, and it quickly wolfs it down.
Meowth, disguised as Umbreon, is finally cornered by the staff of the Battle Club. The staff is so moved by the achievement, that they begin crying. Meowth wipes of some of the paint used to disguise him, and reveals that he’s not actually an Umbreon, but a simple passing Meowth. The manager becomes disappointed at the loss of the Umbreon as Meowth passes by, saying how much of a shame it was that it was just a talking Meowth after all. (My word… I can feel the vein bulging as I type this) One of the less head-injury-prone staff members points out that a talking Meowth is even rarer than an Umbreon, but by then, Meowth has already high tailed it out of there.
Jesse (Musashi) and James (Kojiro) go back to the warehouse during the commotion, and begin looking through the boxes for something worthwhile to steal. Oshawott is taking a nap somewhere out of sight as James searches a box to find –what do you know? – Pikachu, still unconscious.
Ash and Iris, along with the napping Tepig meet up with Don George and the staff. Ash explains that it was actually the Tepig, and not an Umbreon that was breaking into the warehouses. Don George says that he recognized the Tepig as one that a trainer had tied to a post and abandoned after it had lost a battle. The rope around its mouth was the rope that had held it to the pole, and had wrapped around its mouth as it escaped.
Oshawott comes out from behind the Battle Club, and calls to Ash, pointing out Team Rocket, who was trying to escape. Pikachu wakes up from inside a bag, and calls out as well. Team Rocket says that they found Pikachu in a box, so it was theirs to keep. Ash tells Oshawott to use Water Gun on them, but Meowth activates some sort of bubble shield/floatation device that protects them from the attack as they fly away.
Tepig jumps out of Ash’s arms, and uses Ember on the device, destroying it. Pikachu falls from the sky, and Ash catches it, and Team Rocket soars off on hand gliders. (because why not?)
Tepig decides to travel with Ash, who happily obliges by catching it. The episode ends with Ash asking why Pikachu was in a box. Pikachu tries to explain with a series of incomprehensible hand motions, and “Pika”s.
Tags: Best Wishes, Futachimaru, Generation V, Iris, Oshawott, Pokemon TV Show, Tepig, Umbreon