Pokémon: Episode Discussion: The Battle Club and Tepig's Choice!

Good episode. Ash and Iris get to Accumula Town and go to the Pokemon Battling Club for Ash to train for the Straiton Gym. However Team Rocket plan on stealing the Pokemon Battling Club's supplies but they all soon find a mysterious Pokemon running around. Will they discover who this mysterious Pokemon is and be able to stop Team Rocket from stealing the Pokemon Battling Club's supplies?

Even If There Is No Gyms There Are Places For Battling:
Upon seeing the next town Ash gets excited about arriving to Straiton City, only for Iris to tell him this is Accumula Town.

Iris: But of course you wouldn't know that, you're a kid.
Comment: OR maybe Ash isn't from Unova and doesn't have here Brock to read a map (Arceus forbid him to read a map though ). But if the reason is if because Ash is a kid, Iris, shouldn't you not know it's Accumula Town either? Albeit Ash should also know it's not a city as it's not big enough to be a city.

Complaining he wanted a Gym Battle, Iris tells Ash that he could go to the Pokemon Battling Club which is where she is heading (so was she heading here before Zekrom's thunderstorm drew her attention away?). They get to the Pokemon Battling Club building where Iris shows Ash a computer of trainers and tells him the rules: You register your Pokemon and then choose the type of Pokemon you want to battle (why allow this though, wouldn't most trainers choose to battle against opponents their Pokemon is strong against?). They get to the battlefield as already see two trainers in a middle of a battle (specifically the two boy trainers we saw on the computer bios Iris showed Ash) and they're using a Servine and Dewott. Servine does a Leaf Blade but Dewott uses a Water Gun and defeats Servine... that must be either a strong Dewott or weak Servine. A guy who I'm guessing is a Club Official tells Servine's trainer to take Servine to be healed as he introduces himself to Ash and Iris as Don George who's the Battle Manager. Ash and Iris introduce themselves and upon seeing Pikachu Don George says it's unusual to see a Pikachu (OKAY! WE GET IT! NON-UNOVA POKEMON ARE RARE! I swear if I hear one more person make a comment about Pikachu not being an Unova Pokemon...)

Dewott's Trainer: Excuse me, is that Pikachu yours?
Comment: Kid you better not make a comment about where Pikachu's normally live or I swear...

Thankfully Dewott's Trainer just wants a battle with Ash as Iris says that if he uses another Water-type then Pikachu would have the advantage (or if he uses Dewott. Also we say his bio on the computer and know his other Pokemon is Patrat, though I guess it's understandable if they don't remember as they were just skimming the other trainers. Also Iris is sitting next to the girl whose bio showed she had a Woobat, maybe they should battle her considering how well they faired against Jessie's Woobat). Ash sends out Pikachu but Oshawott comes out confusing Ash and Iris. Oshawott wants to battle, pushing Pikachu down when it tried to tell it that it's battling right now. Dewott's trainer sends out Dewott and upon seeing its evolution it turns Pikachu toward its opponent (*sigh* Well at least Oshawott knows when it's in over its head, I guess it isn't a complete Piplup expy in that regards). Ash returns Oshawott and Don George tells them to begin.

Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt but Dewott dodges surprising Iris how fast it is but gets hit with Pikachu's Iron Tail. Pikachu then tries a Volt Tackle but Dewott dodges once more as Pikachu slams against the metal part of the windows and Dewott hits Pikachu with Razor Shell.

Who's That Pokemon Is Lying To Me... Or Is It?:
Outside Team Rocket are planning on restocking their supplies from the Pokemon Battling Club's storage room surprised to see there aren't any locks. A small black figure runs out of the storage room and an alarm goes off sending Team Rocket running. Inside they hear the alarm as other Club Members tell Don George that something has broken not the storage room saying it might be the mystery Pokemon (but being the mystery Pokemon was already inside the storage room and it didn't go off despite Team Rocket opening the doors they must have a really bad security system). Don George suspends the battle to go check out the storage room as Ash and Iris also go to see the mysterious Pokemon.

They find not much was stolen and Don George suggests checking the security camera (why didn't Team Rocket see and disable that?). As they check the camera footage Don George tells them food has begun being stolen lately and a mysterious Pokemon has been spotted around (if they knew this then why didn't they lock the storage room?). Ash says if it's a new Pokemon he wants to catch it (which shouldn't be too hard as being he's in Unova EVERY Pokemon is new to him!) when Iris has to be reminded of this too:

Iris: You're such a kid, you can't find a new Pokemon that easily.
Comment: ASH ISN'T FROM UNOVA SO EVERY POKEMON IS NEW TO HIM, or do you not see the Pikachu hanging on his shoulder? I even just got finished telling Ash every Pokemon here is new to him! Though if you're referring to the catching process, well, why should it be different from any other way you catch another Pokemon? Weaken it and throw a Pokeball, and if it breaks out weaken it some more.

They watch the video and see the mysterious Pokemon as well as Team Rocket. Ash tells the Pokemon Battle Club about Team Rocket but Don George says there was something else and has the footage play again and freezes it on the mysterious Pokemon. Iris describes it as dark and skinny and Ash brings up an Umbreon on his Pokedex (I'll give Ash credit, it does fit Iris's description but he forgets that Umbreon isn't an Unova Pokemon). Don George says that being Umbreon don't live in Unova this is a huge find (though who's to say it didn't just snuck aboard a ship or a trainer from another region (come on, Ash can't be the only one) decided to release it for whatever reason) and they all rush out to search for it, the Pokemon Battling Club poking trees and bushes.

Team Rocket hides behind a building thinking they're looking for them but hearing they're looking for an Umbreon decide to use the opportunity to steal more supplies. Jessie takes out a paint can (how did that thing fit into their suitcase?) and we get this:

Jessie: This paint is going to allow Umbreon to lure them far, far away.
Meowth: Sounds like a brilliant plan, getting rid of those guys wit' a can of paint. Now why didn't I think of that before?
*Realizes what the rest of Jessie's plan probably involves and gets worried*
Comment: Meowth, you may not have thought of it, but as you realized you probably helped Jessie think of it.

Next scene has Meowth, as you may have guessed, painted like an Umbreon as he lures the Pokemon Battling Club away (funny thing is, they probably didn't need to paint Meowth, being his species isn't native to Unova either). Ash and Iris however are at the storage room placing Pokemon food down and they split up to watch, but not before Iris says she'll be catching Umbreon which Ash just shrugs (guess he's not that much interested in it if it isn't an Unova Pokemon). Oshawott comes out of its Pokeball and Ash figures it wants to help so tells it and Pikachu to keep watch as he goes to get more Pokemon food. However as soon as Ash leaves Oshawott begins eating the Pokemon food and as Pikachu tries to stop it, it tosses Pikachu into a bunch of boxes which causes more boxes to bounce off Pikachu's head (lol!), then a pan to knock it out (rofl!!), and to top if all off, a box falls and covers Pikachu (roflmao!!!). Oshawott shrugs this off and continued on eating.

BTW, WHO'S THAT POKEMON IS BACK! I guess they must have just forgot about it last episode. Anyway this episode's Pokemon is the same one Ash & co. are after, so being they told us what it is it's an Umbreon! *shows comes back and reveals the answer* Tepig? What? They said it was an Umbreon! What, just because Tepig's image fits perfectly into the silhouette and its name is in the title means it's in the episode, what kind of ridiculous logic is that?

That's No Non-Unova Pokemon, That's A Talking Non-Unova Pokemon:
Ash is the first to spot "Umbreon" (Ash, weren't you going to get more Pokemon food?) and gets ready his Pokeball but after he comes out of the bushes he instead finds a dirty Tepig. Ash realizes the mysterious Pokemon must be Tepig and also sees that someone had tied its mouth shut making it unable to eat (now that's just cruel!). Ash tries to get close to it but it gets scared and runs off just as Iris meets back up with Ash who tells her he knows that the mysterious Pokemon is (though he doesn't tell her it's Tepig, making him telling her he knows what it is completely pointless) as both run after it. Tepig runs into a corner and Ash goes up to it and grabs it as it struggles. Though after seeing Ash isn't going to let it go it blows smoke in his face, though it was probably going for fire as the Pokedex said that when it's sick they blow smoke instead which further proves the poor thing is weak and starving (Gee, a Fire-type Starter that has been mistreated? Where have we heard that before and what happens to most of them ). Tepig sees that Ash isn't trying to hurt it and it calms down as Ash unties its snout, wondering who would do this. They get its mouth freed and begin feeding and cleaning it, all in the while Iris sees the way Ash is treating Tepig and smiles, maybe finally seeing Ash isn't that much of a "kid" (though some will say it's something else but I'm saving that for a later episode...). Though I have to ask if Tepig's mouth was tied then it couldn't have been the one eating the Pokemon Battling Club's food unless this is a recent thing.

Meowth continues to run away but gets cornered when the the Pokemon Battling Club begin to cry in joy for finding the first "Umbreon" in the Unova region. Meowth feels guilty for tricking them and reveals he's a Meowth to them:

*Pokemon Battling Club look at each other in surprise*
Don George: So let me get this straight, you're just a talking Meowth?
Meowth: And I hope you guys have a nice day.
Pokemon Battling Club: Huh?
Don George *gets on his knees*: You think you found the first Umbreon in the Unova Region, but it was nothing but a talking Meowth.
Club Member: Excuse me Battle Manager, wouldn't a talking Meowth be considered rare as well?
Don George *gets up with a shocked face*: You're right! *sees Meowth running off* Rare indeed! NOOOOO! *Don George gets back on his kness*
Pokemon Battling Club *all in tears*: What have we done Battle Manager? What have we done?
Comment: Like I said, Meowth didn't even need to paint himself, though I'm wonder why they're crying instead of chasing after Meowth?

Oshawott has fallen asleep behind a bunch of boxes after eating all of the Pokemon food as Team Rocket take a sneak peak in to make sure no one is there. James had cut the security wire (if he could do this then why didn't he do so in your first attempt?) and goes in to find supplies as Jessie does lookout. After searching through boxes which are empty or have Pokemon food, James then finds a knocked out Pikachu. James wonders what Pikachu is doing here but Jessie doesn't care as long as they caught it, but Oshawott has woken up and hears all this.

Shoot Them Down With Fire:
Ash carries Tepig as Iris says Tepig had returned back to normal (though I think it would be a good idea to have Nurse Joy look at it) and they meet back up with the Pokemon Battling Club. Don George tells them the Umbroen thing was a hoax (though they didn't include the talking Meowth part, probably not to look stupid for not chasing after it) and Ash shows them Tepig. Don George remembers the Tepig saying its trainer abandoned it and tied it to a stake. Don George went out to untie it but it had chewed through the string and ran off (I'm going to guess the string then tied around Tepig's mouth and tightened as it tried to get it off). Don George theorizes that it was probably looking for its trainer and Ash and Iris get angry at the trainer with Iris saying she would teach him a lesson (though we'll probably never meet him so it's nothing to think about).

Team Rocket then come out from behind the building (yes, don't try to sneak around especially when you know Ash & co. are around) and both groups spot each other. Iris says "not them again" even though she KNEW they were around (why didn't Ash go after them? He knows Team Rocket is more dangerous than a mysterious Pokemon). Team Rocket run off but Oshawott comes out forcing Ash and co. to look back at Team Rocket (who had decided to walk now. Even if they didn't have Pikachu do they think Ash & co. would just let them leave?) and Ash hears Pikachu in the bag. As they do their motto Meowth rejoins them but not unnoticed:

Club Member: It's that talking Meowth.
Don George: Which means Meowth is one of the bad guys.
Comment: YOU SAW HIM WITH TEAM ROCKET IN THE SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE!

Team Rocket mock Ash for "abandoning" Pikachu in a box meaning they have owner rights on it now (Gee, you don't think this comment will come to play later considering Tepig got abandoned too?) but Ash had Oshawott use Water Gun on them. However Meowth click a button which puts a bubble shield around themselves and they start to float away somehow as Ash begins chasing them. Ash slips on a puddle but Tepig decides it wants to help out as Ash tells it to do an Ember attack which it uses to blow up the bubble shield and freeing Pikachu who Ash catches from falling. But instead of having blasted off as they did a season ago, Team Rocket exit the scene with hang gliders.

Ash: Team Rocket burns me up.
Comment: Punny.

Ash thanks Tepig and Iris does her cheek pinching and pulling she does to all cute Pokemon and says she wants to catch Tepig. However Tepig refuses (you probably shouldn't have used its face as silly putty before catching it) and goes to Ash in Iris's disappointment. Don George says that Tepig has chosen Ash to be its trainer and confirming it with Tepig, Ash catches Tepig (Ash catching the mistreated Fire-type Starter, who would have guessed! )! After Ash celebrates his newest capture and declares they should challenge the Straiton Gym right away, he asks Pikachu what it was doing inside a box. Pikachu begins explaining things but Ash isn't able to under (despite past seasons showing he could fully understand Pikachu) as Oshawott gives us a shrug. *womp womp womp*

But before we end things, Giovanni calls Jessie, James, and Meowth and tells them to go to Straiton City and then contact HQ once there as there is a certain area he needs them to investigate...

We're moving Forums to the Community pages. Click here for more information and updates.

Pokémon Forums

Episode Discussion: The Battle Club and Tepig's Choice!

SPDShadowRanger

Shiny_missingno

JusticeLeaguer

pikastatic100

stui8

lighting_blond

stui8

Pikachu315111

stui8

syrusfan

pokemon152

crzyazn_9399

Aaerni

stui8