This was a good episode, pretty much an episode just to answer "what would happen if Oshawott didn't have its Scalchop" though Oshawott did get some development (if not in anything else but training). Ash & co. encounter a trainer named Stephan who challenges Ash to a battle against his Blitzle. Ash accepts his challenge when Oshawott pops out and decides it wants to battle despite having a type disadvantage because it has its Scalchop to protect it. However during the battle Blitzle sends Oshawott's Scalchop flying into the forest and they postpone their battle until tomorrow and start looking Oshawott's lost Scalchop (title drop). Can Oshawott find its Scalchop before the rematch tomorrow? If not what can it do to battle Bltizle? A replacement Scalchop? A different battle strategy? And if it does come to finding a replacement Scalchop, what stupid items are they going to try before using something sensible? All these questions (yup, no nonsense question this time) are just a read below:

Shell Shock:
Not wasting any time, we start the episode with Ash being challenged by a beginning trainer named Stephan which Ash of course accepts while accidentally calling him Stephen (are we going to go with a "Butch" running gag here?). Stephan sends out a Blitzle and after checking his Pokedex Iris says Ash could use Snivy or Pikachu though Cilan says even then Ash should be careful as Blitzle knows many moves (only move I see that might be a bit tricky is Flame Charge). Pikachu gets ready to battle when Oshawott pops out and pushes Pikachu to the sidelines. Obviously Ash doesn't seem too sure about letting Oshawott battle but Oshawott flings its Scalchop (if you know the joke involving Oshawott and Scalchop then you'll know that looked a bit... yeah...) which has Ash decide to use Oshawott.

Stephan is a bit annoyed Ash is "selling him short" using a Water-type against his Electric-type and plans on "mopping the floor" with them and Blitzle starts with a Shock Wave. But as always, Oshawott uses its Scalchop to deflect the Shock Wave surprising Stephan and Blitzle as Iris and Cilan compliment on it. Blitzle next uses a Flame Charge (Stephan gets annoyed for Ash using a Water-type against his Electric-type but now he's using a Fire-type move on a Water-type? Who's selling who short again?) and Oshawott tries to counter with an Aqua Jet, emphasis on "tries". As you may remember back in the Nacrene Gym Battle, Oshawott has yet to master Aqua Jet and winds up flying all over the place and eventually smashes its head against a rock as everyone comment with an awkward tone. Oshawott is quick to recover and uses... Shell Blade? Ash, that's Razor Shell's Japanese name! Anyway, Blitzle in turn uses Double Kick which knocks Oshawott but more importantly sends its Scalchop flying into the forest behind everyone.

Oshawott starts rushing to the forest and Stephan says it looks like a forfeit but Ash says he'll get Oshawott back and runs after it. Stephan gets upset that his opponent and their Pokemon just ran off but Cilan tells him because Oshawott's Scalchop is a part of Oshawott them going after it technically doesn't count as a forfiet. Stephan asks what's he suppose to do and Iris says she's sure they'll be back soon as we hear Ash in the background searching for Oshawott but Stephan says he got things to do so Cilan suggests they battle tomorrow which Stephan agrees to saying he's camping close by anyway.

Accept No Imitations:
Meanwhile Oshawott is looking in several fields of grass spotting something shining but only to find it's a bottle cap and throws it away (I can only imagine James would be horrified at this idea). Ash and Pikachu catches up to Oshawott asking if it found its Scalchop but after giving them a sad expression Ash says they'll help Oshawott look which cheers it up. Now with all three searching through the fields (did they ever think maybe it's not there?), Ash sees something shining which Oshawott rushes over and put on its stomach... only to reveal its a Joltik (wow, I know they're the smallest Pokemon, but I didn't think they were THAT small). Jotik starts shocking Oshawott which Ash has because use Iron Tail to knock it off and after checking it with his Pokedex it runs back into the grass as Ash cheers up Oshawott saying they'll keep looking for its Scalchop.

Iris and Cilan come running up asking if Oshawott found its Scalchop and Ash says it didn't before asking where's Stephan and Iris tells him they postponed the battle until tomorrow and Cilan says if they don't battle Oshawott would have to battle without it. Asking some thinking, Iris comes up with an idea and runs off saying she'll be back and calls them over to a tree where she hands Oshawott an Iapapa Berry (yeah... Iris, no). Cilan says it looks like its Scalchop and after swinging it around Ash says they'll test it by battle Pikachu (and if all goes according to plan, you'll have fried Iapapa Berry for dinner... wait, that's the plan right?). Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt and the Iapapa Berry holds up for all of 2 seconds before splitting and shocking Oshawott leaving both it and the Iapapa Berry well done (maybe they should have tried a Wacan Berry).

Iris: It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Comment: Yeah, for all of one second before remembering IT'S A FRUIT. You know, something you're meant to EAT!
Cilan: The Iapapa Berry isn'y as strong as we thought.
*Iris, Axew, and Cilan take a bite out of the burnt berry*
Iris: But what a nice smokey flavor.
Cilan: It's too sour when raw, but cook it like this and it takes on a delicious mellow taste.
Comment: HA! I knew their plan was just to cook berries!

Ash tells them to get serious and Cilan says that it looks like they have no choice (you still have an entire day to look for Oshawott's Scalchop) and gives Oshawott his serving dome (you know, his item the Ducklett Trio stole in BW020 "Dancing With the Ducklett Trio!"). Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt and Oshawott gets shocked frying it again along with Cilan's serving dome for a very obvious reason:

Iris: It's metal, duh!
Comment: Iris if you knew this then why didn't you speak up?

Cilan cradles and mopes about his fried serving dome (what, you thought it wasn't going to get damaged while BATTLING?) which Iris tells him that's what polish is for as Ash tells them they have to figure out what they're donna do. Cilan sends out Dwebble and asks it to carve a "shell shield" out of a rock which it does and I got to admit is a pretty clever idea (and why didn't Cilan think of this before risking his cooking ware?), only problem is that it's as big as Oshawott. Test battle time and Pikahu uses a Thunderbolt which the rock shell shield was able to deflect, however Oshawott is barely able to pick it up and eventually gets crushed by the thing.

As Pikachu fans off Oshawott, Ash figures Oshawott really needs its own Scalchop but Iris says that maybe Oshawott depends too much on it however Ash tells her Oshawott's Scalchop is more then a tool and is really important to Oshawott. With that said Cilan suggests going on the offensive and Iris suggests they can improve Oshawott's speed however Ash asks how they'll be ready by tomorrow and decides they'll have to use the shell shield as a substitute. Ash tells Oshawott they're going to do some special training to help Oshawott use the shell shield as well as it could use its Scalchop as everyone shows some concern. Now you and me are probably thinking the same thing: why don't they just have Dwebble make the shell shield the same size as Oshawott's Scalchop? Well my friend, we're using something I call "constant logic", where we're constantly using logic to think up new solutions. However in this show they only have something called "limited logic". What does "limited logic" mean? It means that though they think up new solutions, when one solution doesn't horribly fail (though still fails) they stop using logic and focus on wasting time "adjusting" the solution they came up with. For example, they could have Dwebble make the shell shield smaller, but they're not going to do that, instead we're going to get a training sequence of Ash and Oshawott hauling heavy things, exercising, and Pikachu constantly knocking Oshawott back with a Thunderbolt.

As first it seemed things are working according to Iris and Cilan, though after they see Oshawott being launched into the sky several times their attitude changes to show some concern and we come back to Pikachu fanning Oshawott. Iris says she thinks Oshawott is done but Ash tells Oshawott "a little bit more" surprising Iris and Cilan as Oshawott struggles to get up and Ash tells it he knows how tough it is. After a "Who's That Blitzl... I mean Pokemon", we cut a Oshawott sitting by a pond at night thinking about its battle with Stephan's Blitzle but this time it's Scalchop vanishes and Oshawott starts to panic before getting shocked which wakes Oshawott up from the thought. Oshawott looks into the water and thinks it sees its Scalshop but turns out to be the reflection of the moon as we get a flashback of Ash telling Oshawott he knows it's strong which gives it confidence.

Ash and Pikachu are looking for Oshawott concerned that it hasn't eaten when Pikachu hears something and they find Oshawott doing push-ups with the shell shield on its back. Ash decides to join Oshawott and calls out to it which distracts it causing it get get crushed by the shell shield again and Ash picks it up asking if it'll like to do some more special training and we repeat the previous training sequence except this time Oshawott is able to use the shell shield to successfully block Pikachu's Thunderbolts.

A Battle With Flash And Splash:
Next morning they wait for Stephan with Oshawott having the shell shield strapped to its back but after almost falling over Iris asks is Oshawott is okay after all that training and Ash says it's alright as they've been training all night (kind of doesn't answer Iris's question). Cilan says that Stephan is late and Ash says they'll go look for him and find him on some kind of bike machine which shoots out an electric bolt at Blitzle who looks to have absorbed it (must be planning on battling a Rock-type Gym Leader). They greet each other (Ash getting Stephan's name wrong again, "but whatever") and Ash asks him what's the machine and Stephan explains it's a generator he built (Tauros mulch) to recharge Blitzle as Cilan explains it a bit more and Iris says Stephan has been working hard for this battle. Stephan said he was going to come over when he finished but since they came to him they'll battle right there and Ash assures Oshawott that after all their special training it can do it.

Blitzle starts with a Shock Wave but Oshawott blocks it with a shell shield (though now Cilan is calling it a rock shield) which surprises Stephan (what, he couldn't see the OSHAWOTT-SIZED shell until Oshawott blocked an attack with it?). Stephan says it looks like they powered-up as well and tells Blitzle to use a "full power" Shock Wave which Oshawott manages to block but starts to crack the shell shield. Taking their opportunity, Blitzle uses a Double Kick to destroy the shell shield which Cilan can't believe and Iris saying one more Electric-type attack will finish Oshawott. With that said, Blitzle uses a Shock Wave but Oshawott quickly picks up a rock and blocks it though it sent flying back as Ash thinks on what to do and remembers Cilan's suggestion of going on the offensive. Blitzle uses another Shock Wave but Oshawott goes in with a Tackle and quickly dodges all the Shock Waves before knocking Blitzle back which looked to have surprised Oshawott and Cilan says the special training must have increases Oshawott's speed along with its strength. Oshawott keeps on attacking with Tackle and we hear Ash's inner monologue on how he wants to finish with a Razor Shell but can't and Aqua Jet is too risky and thinks on what can he do (and what is wrong with Tackle? Are you afraid of running out of PP which doesn't exist in the anime?). With Oshawott above it Blitzle uses Double Kick but Oshawott quickly dodges as Blitzle starts using Flame Charge one after another which Cilan says is increasing its speed and Iris says eventually Oshawott is going to get caught. Oshawott is chased to a tree and Stephan tells Blitzle to finish Oshawott with a Flame Charge (um, why not Shock Wave? Also I doubt Flame Charge will finish Oshawott off considering you haven't hit it and it's resistant to Fire-type attacks) and Ash decides to "go for broke" and tells Oshawott to use Aqua Jet. Oshawott uses Aqua Jet which Iris says has gotten faster but Oshawott soon starts flying in another direction as Cilan points out as Stephan tells a Flame Charging Blitzle to go after it. After racing and smacking into each other both Pokemon run into a rock and are sent flying back, with Blitzle fainting and Oshawott getting back up meaning Ash and Oshawott wins the battle!

Ash congratulates Oshawott as Stephan returns Blitzle and goes over to congratulates Ash (who gets his name wrong, etc.) and says he's going to be stronger and when he does they should battle once more and Ash agrees to it with a handshake. Axew starts running out of the forest making a lot of noise but for good reason as it has Oshawott's Scalchop in hand (how did Oshawott's Scalchop end up all the way where Stephan was camping?)! Cilan and Iris notice this and Oshawott jumps down from Ash's arms to reclaim it's Scalchop and now that it has it back, Oshawott falls over with Ash asking what's wrong and Iris saying it was a tough battle. However with the narrator starting to speak that means the episode is over and hopefully next time we'll get closer to Nimbasa City.