Really good episode, I like Cilan despite him being a Brock expy though Iris is annoying as ever (her character development can't come quickly enough). While heading to Nacrene City Ash & co., with the newly added Cilan to their group, they stop for lunch when they find a Snivy who had taken some of their food. Ash tries to catch it but soon finds it difficult as it's quick at dodging attacks and uses Attract to infatuates Ash's Pokemon. Will Ash be able to catch Snivy? Who is this secret organization which the Team Rocket Trio was told about? Will Iris ever take any of her own advice and shut up? Read on and find out:

Falling Heads Or Heels To Get A Pokemon:
Heading to Nacrene City, Ash's stomach begins to rumble and he says he's hungry with Iris suggesting that they stop for lunch saying she'll set things and head offs. One transition later we find Ash and Cilan sitting at a tree stump (why is there a cut down tree stump in a middle of a forest?) and Iris brings them a bowl of fresh picked fruit (where did she get the bowl from?). Before Ash and Iris dig in though, Cilan stops them and decides to show his Brock expy-ness by cooking up the fruits into muffins and cake having set up a makeshift kitchen area and as well as a table Ash and Iris sit at (if Cilan had this table then why did he and Ash sit at a tree stump? Actually because you need more ingredients to bake muffins and cakes that must mean he also had food on him. Is Cilan holding out of Ash and Iris for some reason?). As Ash enjoys the... cake?... Iris call him a kid and says she prefers eating fresh fruit, however taking a bite into one herself has changed her mind and she says that if they eat like this every day then traveling with them won't be so bad. Cilan tells them they can have seconds and they rush to the makeshift kitchen (despite not having touched the other plate Cilan gave them) but find the food is gone. Ash tells Cilan this and they wonder what happened to the food (gee, I wonder what happened to the food they left out and didn't watch next to a large patch of long grass in a world filled with semi-intelligent creatures running about ). Saying that Iris sees the grass begin to rustle and they watch as whatever is in the grass move further away. An opener and title screen later we see Ash crawling around in the grass and sees a Snivy eating one of their cakes (Hmm, a wild Grass-type starter? Now I'm not implying anything *coughactuallyIamcough* but Ash has always caught a region's Grass-type starter...). Actually there was no need to imply anything as Ash immediately tries catching it.

Iris: Oh no, not again.
Comment: Iris, Ash is a Pokemon Trainer, catching Pokemon is what he does, why do you sound annoyed about him doing that?

Snivy goes into the Pokeball but after three shakes it breaks out and tail flicks the Pokeball back to Ash and runs off. Iris and Cilan come out of the Pokeball and Iris says that because Snivy went into the Pokeball that it must be a wild Pokemon (we kind of figured that out on our own, you know) and they run off to find it. It doesn't take them too long and Ash sends out Pikachu to use Quick Attack. Snivy dodges the Quick Attack and Cilan tells Ash that Snivy are fast and intelligent and won't be easy to catch.

*Snivy looks angrily Ash but then smirks and turns away*
Iris: Um, it looks like you're being made fun of.
Comment: Actually that's just Snivy's normal face, fans nicknamed it "Smugleaf" for a reason.

Not going to take its attitude, Ash tells Pikachu to use a Thunderbolt but as it (or should I say he considering what's going to happen next?) charges up Snivy uses Attract and infatuates Pikachu meaning that Snivy is female (figures, players spend you knows how many minutes to get a female starter (a 1 out of 7 chance) and Ash just so happens to run into one without even looking for one)! Cilan explains how Attract works and hearing this:

Iris: Oh boy, Ash you didn't even know that? What a kid.
Comment: What? Okay, Ash didn't ask what Attract was, Cilan just decided to explain it. Besides Ash already knows about Attract as he seen it used before. And if you're complaining about him being unprepared, how was Ash suppose to know Snivy was female and even if he did know that how was he suppose to know it knew Attract? I hope when we meet Drayden he knocks some common sense into you... now that I know who that person is *shiftyeyes*.

Iris notes that because it worked on Pikachu that must mean it's a girl and Snivy uses Vine Whip on Pikachu. Ash gets inbetween Pikachu and the Vine Whip which surprises Snivy and it stops but it soon snaps out of it and vanishes in a Leaf Tornado. Cilan says that Snivy must be really high leveled and Iris thinks that maybe it was once owned, saying that a Snivy will leave its trainer if they don't like them (why can't it be a high leveled wild Snivy? By saying all this you make the viewer think that this is Trip's Snivy which would be interesting if it was (though I doubt as Pikachu doesn't recognize it) and prove Trip is just a Paul expy). Hearing this Ash wants to catch Snivy even more and ignoring Iris's suggestion to calm down he sends out Pidove to do what all of Ash's Flying-types fate are to be: recon and surveillance.

So Much Smugness In A Little Package:
Meanwhile Giovanni is telling Jessie, James, and Meowth that the secret organization in Unova might be aware that they're there and to keep on high alert and ends the feed. Giovanni must have forgotten the Team Rocket Trio don't know about the secret organization and they begin discussing on who they might be. As Snivy listens in, James says that they'll need more offense power by catching more Pokemon. Snivy of course then decides to leave causing the grass to rustle getting Team Rocket's attention and after James points out it's a Snivy Jessie throws a Pokeball at it (Oh come on Jessie, you already have a Pokemon, give James the chance to catch it). But just to show that it should have been called "Smugleaf", Snivy runs ahead of the Pokeball and then backflips over it. Jessie tells Meowth that it's up to him (Jessie did you forget that you have a Woobat?) and Meowth tries a Scratch but after delivering the attack they find he had missed and Snivy is nowhere in sight.

Snivy is seen jumping up a rocky mountain cliff and upon getting to the top decides to lie down. It stares up at the sky and thinks back to Ash taking the Vine Whip to protect Pikachu but shakes the thought out and takes a nap (Grass-type starter, has an attitude, is female, has an apparent crush on Ash... it's Chikorita all over again!). However Pidove flies overhead and having spotted it, it flies back to Ash & co. and shows them where Snivy is. Snivy waes up to see Pidove flying overhead and looks down the mountain cliff to see Ash and Pikachu running up to the base asking it for a battle. With "battle" mentioned, Oshawott comes out of its Pokeball and asks Ash if it could battle Snivy which he said was alright and the three begin climbing up the rocky cliff. Slightly annoyed Snivy knocks down a rock which causes a rock slide which Ash, Pikachu, and Oshawott dodge by hiding behind a rock and Snivy begins walking away. It doesn't get far though as Ash, Pikachu, and Oshawott reach the top and Ash tells Oshawott to use Water Gun. Snivy dodges the Water Gun with only getting a splash of water on it as Iris and Cilan climb and seeing the battle Iris wonders why Ash is using Oshawott.

Iris: Come on, Ash don't you know a Water-type is at a disadvantage against a Grass-type.
Comment: Why are you complaining about type advantage now when before Ash was using Pikachu against Snivy? Also, yes, I think Ash does know considering last episode Oshawott battled, and WON, against Cilan's Pansage, you know, the guy that's right next to you.
Ash: Hey, not so loud. Of course I know that Iris.
Cilan: Ash is sure an interesting guy. It must be Oshawott's enthusiasm that convinced him.
Iris: Well... if you ask me I think he isn't thinking things through.
Comment: But Iris, thinking things through hasn't stopped you from talking.

Snivy does a Vine Whip and on Ash's command Oshawott blocks them using its Scalchop (well technically Ash told it to dodge the Vine Whip but whatever works and all that). Oshawott then prepares a Razor Shell but Snivy does another Attract and Oshawott becomes infatuate... meaning Oshawott is male! With Oshawott infatuated Snivy lands a Vine Whip and knocks Oshawott back causing Ash to return it. Snivy begins jumping away and Ash & co. start chasing after it as Pidove appears out of nowhere and Ash tells it to keep following Snivy. Iris and Cilan stop running with Iris complaining why Ash just doesn't give up and is stubborn with Cilan saying he thinks a more correct term is "determined". In a forest Snivy is jumping tree to tree stopping only to see Ash not far behind and he tells Pikachu to jump on as he starts swinging tree to tree (Wonder if Iris would be mad for Ash stealing her shtick? ). Snivy jumps off from the trees and onto a lilypad but before Ash could do anything the vine he's swinging on breaks and he starts falling on the lilypad Snivy is on. Snivy jumps away though and Ash lands on the lilypad but as it starts to sink Ash gets stuck in whatever the lilypad was floating on (mud?) and starts sinking himself telling Pikachu to get on his head. As Snivy watches Ash sink, Cilan and Iris throw a vine over to Ash and pull him out, causing the Snivy to leave and Cilan questioning if he still plans on catching it which Ash does.

Iris: Come on Ash, why don't you just give it up? Afterall Snivy isn't just going to let you catch it. So except the fact it's not happening.
Comment: In that case Iris Ash wouldn't be catching any Pokemon as I don't think a Pokemon wants to be captured unless a trainer proves themselves worthy to that Pokemon which is done by battling and catching it!

Cilan says that Ash's determination is quite impressive (though his tone says that he agrees with Iris) but Ash says he's going to catch Snivy which is enough to change Iris and Cilan's minds as they give an "okay then" laugh.

Lucking Out On The Gender:
Walking down a path in the forest, Snivy looks back seemingly expecting to see Ash & co. to be following behind, but when it doesn't see them it gives off a sigh and heads to the river for a drink. But while drinking it hears and sees Pidove overhead and ash and Pikachu runs up to it having it give off a smile before Ash sends out Tepig. Cilan notes that Tepig has the type advantage (though at this point the only reason Ash us using Tepig is because his other Pokemon is Pidove and Arceus forbid he uses that ) and Iris tells Ash to have Tepig watch out for Snivy's Attract (watch, I bet you that having Iris said that Tepig turns out to be female ) and Ash says he already knows that. Ash tells Tepig just that and to use an Ember which it does so by rushing toward Snivy. But like before Snivy dodges and uses Attract which infatuates Tepig confirming that it's male (wow, before it took like 50 episodes before he discovered the gender of single Pokemon of anyone's) causing Ash to return it and Snivy to give a "bring it on" hand gesture. Ash then hears and sees Pidove overhead and decided to let Pidove have a try (BLASPHEMY!).

Iris: Why did Ash stop Pikachu?
Comment: NOW YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT ASH USING TYPE ADVANTAGE!?!?! MAKE UP YOUR MIND YOU F***ING B****!
Cilan: Because a Flying-type like Pidove has an advantage over a Grass-type like Snivy.
Iris: But if Pidove can't deal with its Attract, it'll turn out the same.
Comment: I now REALLY hope Pidove is female so Iris can go eat her words...

Pidove does a Gust but Snivy dodges and does an Attract. Ash tries having Pidove do a Quick Attack but Attract still hits Pidove and after some build up Pidove's gender is... FEMALE (Eat your words Iris! EAT! YOUR! WORDS!)! Iris and Cilan discuss this revelation with Cilan concluding:

Cilan: I'll bet you Ash knew that all along. That's why he let Pidove battle in the first place.
Iris: Oh, that's pretty good. He's better then I figured.
Ash: What do ya know? So Pidove is a girl. Some lucky break. *music cuts and Pikachu comically falls*
Iris *both Cilan and she have a nervous face*: Or not.
Comment: Don't worry folks, Cilan will eventually learn he shouldn't try rationalizing Ash's battling techniques (he better or his head might asplode one day).

The battle music starts up again and Snivy does Vine Whip and then a Leaf Tornado but Pidove dodges both and uses Gust which traps Snivy in a tornado. Pidove then does an Air Cutter but completely misses (maybe there is a reason Ash doesn't use Pidove...) however Snivy still gets blinded by the dust. Pidove uses a Quick Attack and hits Snivy knocking it back. Ash throws a Pokeball but after three shakes Snivy breaks out and struggles to stand up. Pidove tries another Quick Attack but it knocked out of it by a Vine Whip which for some reason Ash congratulates it for getting hit (okay writers, we get it, you don't like Flying-types) before it using an Air Cutter which finally hits and sends Snivy flying back. As Snivy struggles to stand up, it gives a quick smirk before Ash turns his cap around and throws a Pokeball, pretty much telling us it's a done deal. Several shakes later, Snivy is finally caught and Ash, Pikachu, and Pidove do a victory pose! Ash then calls Snivy out and asks it to help him win the Unova League which it responds with an agreeing smirk. And with that Ash now has his 5th Pokemon, but possibly more important than that, he has Unova's bird Pokemon and all three starters meaning now his 6th Pokemon is a complete mystery! I wonder what it could be... only one way to find out!