Finally, Sunyshore City, with the debut of Volkner and Flint!

Well, now we now the ulterior reason for Berry's father suggesting Ash take on Volkner. He must have realized that Ash's spark was just the thing to re-ignite Volkner's during their battle (he did comment his surprise at how hard Grotle was pushing his Rhyperior). We now know why Paul said what he said about the Sunnyshore Gym (as well as to an extent why Barry said what he said). Guess there are some things Ash can agree with him on. It's a shame that Infernape lost its first battle since evolving, but hopefully, it'll have a chance to really show its stuff. I do hope that this Gym Battle between Ash and Volkner comes down to Pikachu and Raichu (what can I say? That's a classic match up). One thing's for sure, when Ash wins this gym battle, he'll definitely have an advantage over Paul and the others at the Sinnoh League. Defeating the strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh who no one has ever beaten before, as well as being the first one to truly earn the Sunnyshore Gym Badge? Yeah, Ash will definitely be a force to be reckoned with at the League.

Hey, incidentally Pikachu, would you say that Volkner went through would qualify as a Heroic BSOD?

Incidentally, anyone who read this post earlier, I want to say my bad about my writing error. I meant to say Berry.

since when did paul and barry become brothers?

in this episode we meet volkner

who's hair is miscolored

Not a bad episode

Awesome episode! We finally get to meet Volkner and Flint! Ash's battle with Flint was also awesome, despite the fact that Ash lost.

Does anyone know who voices Flint and Volkner?

Great episode! The battle between Ash & Flint was epic.

I've been thinking about the Infernape Vs Infernape battle, and I gotta say, I think it would've been more exciting if Flint's Infernape had combated the Flame Wheel of Ash's Infernape with Flare Blitz. Can you imagine those two power fire attacks colliding like that? Of course, Ash's Infernape still would've fainted after it, but still, it would've been a more riveting way for Infernape's first battle since evolving to go. Hey, I just thought of something: Imagine what would happen if Ash's Infernape knew Flare Blitz and used it while it was in Blaze-fury. The way it uses Flame Wheel when it's like that looks more like Flare Blitz anyway.

Well that was a good episode, even though Ash got completely owned, though for a good reason I suppose. We get to Sunyshore City and it looks like the anime remembers it's based off a game so it decides to give the game's storyline a shot. Yup, Volkner is depressed and Flint is trying to find a way to use Ash to get Volkner back into battling and stop giving away Gym Badges (does the Sinnoh League know Volkner is doing this? I mean shouldn't they not allow trainers with a Beacon Badge into the Sinnoh League for this year because they wouldn't know whether they got it for free or battling Volkner?). Well no use stalling for any longer, onto the review:

Your Gym Are Belong To Us:
* With those solar panels there is no doubt we're in Sunyshore City, though of course in the games the panels were built into the sidewalk... which in the anime are moving sidewalks.
* We get the usual info of Volkner being the strongest Sinnoh Gym Leader and Ash being fired up. Though if I were Ash I would remember what Palmer, Barry, and Paul had said and know something is up.
* Sunyshore Tower? Do they mean the Vista Lighthouse? Either way that building kind of looks like a solar panelled version of the Lavender Tower with those "horns" on either end. Oh, and here's Team Rocket, moving on.
* Ash gets to the Sunyhsore Gym and upon saying he's here for a Gym Battle to the automated system... it opens up a vat filled with Beacon Badges and tells Ash to take one! I guess we now know why Paul hates this Gym.
* Being the protagonist, Ash goes ballistic and begins banging on the door demanding to battle Volkner, which only leads to the Gym to send out robot hands to grab Ash to "escort him" off the premises". However an Infernape destroys the hands.
* Infernape, a Fire-type, could it be? YES! IT'S FLINT! (I wonder if Jasmine is also somewhere in Sunyshore?) Liking Ash's determination, he takes Ash & co. to where Volkner is, the Sunyshore Tower.
* Hold it, the Sunyshore Tower generates all the electricity for the entire city? Then why do we see solar panels on many of the buildings?
* Anyway once they get up to the top they encounter a rather angry Raichu which leaps at Flint, but it's only giving him a hug. and right no cue Volkner comes out and... geez, can they make him sound any more emo?
* Flint, how do you know how "electrifying" Ash is, you only saw him trying banging on the Gym door? Also shouldn't you be making fire puns and not electric? Anyway, unsurprisingly, Volkner refuses and goes back to the room he came from (probably to cut his wrists in peace).

Arguing Into A Battle:
* And if that comment didn't cross the line for you, how about this one: Flint, a complete stranger they met only awhile ago, takes them to a BAR! Okay, okay, it's more of a cafe, but still. While Brock and Dawn enjoy the food, Ash still is angry that Volkner is refusing to battle.
* *GASP* Did they actually use the Gym Leader's title! "The Shining, Shocking Star", why yes, yes they did! Anyway Flint begins to go into back story so let's all listen up.
* Sunyshore used to be a place full of "hoodlums" and Flint went around beating them with his Now-An-Infernape Chimchar. He then met Volkner (though it was never really stated if Volkner was a hoodlum of just saw Flint take on the two hoodlums and wanted to battle) and the two battled.
* The now "undefeatable" Gym Leader had is Now-A-Raichu Pikachu easily defeated by Flint and his Chimchar, but they soon battled again and Volkner and his Pikachu won. One day both of them then faced a Poacher (geez, even in the anime they let kids take care of the criminals) and after beating him though being injured themsevles, they became good friends.
* The bartend... cafe owner picks up from here. Many years later, when Flint turned 20, he left off on a journey with his Chimchar while Volkner had become a Gym Leader with a Raichu. Eventually Flint became an Elite Four with an Infernape but Volkner lost interest in winning all the Gym Battles and focused more on machines... um, wasn't this sort of what happened to Cyrus?
* Anyway Volkner built up Sunyshore City (and Flint's error is corrected that Sunyshore Tower controls all the solar panels around the city, not generate the power all by itself), however he then began to give away the Beacon Badge without any battles.
* Flint hoped that Ash would be able to "spark" Volkner into a battle, but Volkner shows up (probably has finished listening to his Marilyn Manson CD) and tells them they're wasting there time. Flint and Volkner get into an arguement but the bartend... cafe owner suggests Flint to battle Ash. And Dawn, considering you battled Lucian and Paul battled Cynthia, battling the Elite Four seems somewhat common.
* Flint accepts the idea and the cafe owner convinces Volkner also to watch being he's battling Ash in Volkner's place (Ash battling an Elite Four in a Gym Leader's place, where have we heard that before?).

Shocked And Burned:
* Back at the Gym, Team Rocket decides to dig there way in thinking Ash & co. are inside when James drops one of his bottle caps. A "clean-up bot" comes by, sweeps it up, and James chases after it. Pfft, M-O is way more funnier then that "clean-up robot".
* Oh, they are inside the gym! Oh for crying out loud, they also have a judging robot? You know, whatever, let's just get to the battle. Flint throws out Infernape while Ash sends out Buizel... BROCK YOU DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THAT MUCH DETAIL, WE KNOW ABOUT TYPE ADVANTAGE!
* So the battle begins and (*blinks*) IT'S OVER? Geez. And then Brock remembers that in the anime Type "advantage" means as much as penny means to a dollar, not much overall. As Volkner remains unimpressed, Ash decides to send out his Infernape for double fire monkey kung-fu action!
* Okay, I'm keeping my eyes wide open this time. Ash's Infernape does attack after attack but Flint's Infernape keeps blocking it until finally it takes Ash's Infernape down in one Mach Punch... I'm going to guess this is how Buizel's battle with it also went. Volkner had decided he saw enough, but of course Ash's next Pokemon is Pikachu.
* *GASP* BROCK SAID "DIE"! Anyway Brock, you have to know by now that the Cafe Owner and Flint perfectly know Ash is going to lose, but that wasn't the main point of the battle. The actual main point of the battle is the battle right now: Flint's Pokemon versing a Pikachu.
* Pikachu tries a Quick Attack but Infernape just stands there and doesn't really feel it. Flint decides to attack and Infernape do another Flare Blitz but Pikachu manages to counter it with a Volt Tackle. However Infernape's Mach Punch overpowers Pikachu's Iron Tail and sends it crashing through the wall. But Infernape then follows up with a Close Combat with Pikachu only able to respond with a Thundershock that Infernape doesn't feel.
* Infernape does another Flare Blitz and Pikachu is in no shape to dodge it. However the cafe owner reminds Volkner that during his and Flint's battle with the poacher that Volkner's Pikachu got overpowered by a Fire-type (though it was a Houndoom, but still). Pikachu does another Quick Attack (Ash, I think Volt Tackle was the only move Infernape even felt...). Infernape does another Close Combat followed by a Flare Blitz and sends Pikachu flying back once more.
* Ash runs and grabs Pikachu taking the blunt of the crash, which seems to have gotten Volkner's attention. We go into the flashback with Volkner and Flint battling the poacher and, as you have guessed, Volkner's Pikachu was hit with a strong Fire-type attack which he then grabbed his Pikachu and took a slam into a tree for it. Seriously this is turning out like the Yugi VS. Rebecca Duel at the end of the first season/beginning of the second season in Yu-Gi-Oh!.
* WHAT! THE CAFE OWNER WAS THE POACHER VOLKNER AND FLINT BATTLED! Wow, I didn't see that coming, well at least they threw in one twist I didn't see. Anyway as the battle continues with Ash having Pikachu spam Volt Tackle (kind of too late though), Volkner begins to remember how hard he battled with his Pikachu. And with what they needed to do done, Pikachu faints and Flint wins (not surprising being any other Elite Four member Ash battled he lost entirely too as well).
* Back at Team Rocket, James had lost the "clean-up robot" and his bottle cap and is weeping oer his loss. Jessie notes how the Sunyshore Tower controls all the power and they decide to steal it, with James vowing revenge for his lost bottle cap.
* Volkner had gotten back to his senses and finally accepts Ash's Gym Battle, which will probably be next episode. And does the "Proprietor" have a name? I mean yay, he was a poacher but he turned a new leaf after Volkner and Flint battled him. Though I guess it doesn't really matter.

Good episode.

Loved the episode.

Volkner was awesome.

So we finally get to Sunyshore City and meet Flint and Volkner. Well, for old time's sake, here's my quickie review...

Sunyshore City... my fave city in Sinnoh (tied with Hearthome City). Flint... my fave Elite 4 member in Sinnoh. And Volkner... my fave Gym Leader in Sinnoh. So this episode earns big win points already. ^^

Of course Team Rocket are being the usual idiots they always are. Nothing new there. Volkner was intense in this episode... I liked it, and Flint was awesome, too. Nice back-story, good tie-in with the ex-poacher, and now Volkner regained his spark to battle. AAANNNDDD... we finally get an episode where that annoying Gible doesn't bash Piplup with its faulty Draco Meteor! Overall, the best of Season 13 so far, and can't wait for the battle between Ash and Volkner!

Flint Sparks the Fire! receives a 9.0