ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
703: Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym!	709: Raimon Jimu! Karei naru Dengeki Batoru!	Ash Ketchum: Sun Tzu's Worst Nightmare			Ash competes for his 4th Unova Gym Badge	Who the hell knows?	Sometimes you should just trust your instincts

Tonight fights Ash hunkered down on his bed with Pikachu, trying desperately to come up with a strategy to use against Elesa in tomorrow's Gym Battle. Cilan and Iris are watching them, surprised to see Ash actually going over strategy complete with pen and paper rather than going off a vague feeling/instinct.

Pikachu is enthusiastically trying to follow along with his poor dim trainer's attempts to think, but is less than pleased to hear Ash ponder that he's been leaning on the same Pokémon far too often recently and it is time to change things up a bit. He heads down to the video phone banks and puts through a call to Professor Juniper, asking her to transfer a Pokémon to him. Which one? We won't find out just yet, but soon we'll discover who is....



The next day at the Gym, an excited Ash is finally ready for his next Gym Battle. They ride on the rollercoaster and Ash hands over Pikachu to Iris asking them to keep an eye. Pikachu does not look very pleased to be dumped, and watches despondently as Ash steps through the doors and is greeted by Elesa, who again attempts to overwhelm her challenger with flashing lights and loud noises. Her ecstatic fans squeal with delight from the stands, but Ash isn't smart enough to notice all the screams and bright lights and other attempts to dazzle him. He says a greeting to Elesa, ignores her attempts to put him on the backfoot with flirtatious behaviour and steps onto the battlefield.

The rules are announced, it's a 3-on-3 battle and only Ash can substitute Pokémon. Iris and Cilan are interested in seeing what strategy Ash settled on, and they're about to find out as the battle begins. Elesa literally shakes her titties at Ash who is completely oblivious (though her bi-curious horde of teen fans certainly aren't!) and calls out her first Pokémon - Zebstrika, the Pokémon that had a clean sweep of Bianca's Pokémon the previous day. As Cilan and Iris talk up how good Zebstrika was, Pikachu doesn't seem too pleased.

Ash calls out Palpitoad, which isn't a particularly "dazzling" choice of Pokémon according to Elesa, but does show that Ash is using his head. Palpitoad has advantages against Zebstrika, and Ash obviously means to use them. It opens with Mud Shot, but Zebstrika uses its speed to dodge and then kicks in with Flame Charge and sends Palpitoad crashing back... but to little effect. Zebstrika tries again and only succeeds in recycling animation, and Palpitoad has a bit of a giggle at the ineffectiveness of the move. Iris is confused why Elesa used Flame Charge twice, but Cilan is trying to think further ahead in his evaluation, declaring that she is up to something by doing this.

Palpitoad uses Hydropump but Zebstrika is able to dodge thanks to an increase in speed from using Flame Charge. It moves in with Double Kick and keeps it up, its increased speed too much for the stocky, armless Palpitoad which ends up taking a kick directly to the face! It staggers back, giddy from a concussion, and Elesa laughs that she managed to dazzle it after all.

She orders a Quick Attack and Zebstrika hits hard, Palpitoad dropping down to the ground. Pikachu sparks with frustration over with the others, and Zebstrika seems to surprise Elesa by tossing its head up contemptuously. But Palpitoad isn't done yet, it struggles back to its feet and shakes off the damage, still ready to fight. Ash orders a Super Sonic and it blasts Zebstrika with noise, confusing it and causing it to stagger about on weak feet. Palpitoad follows up with Mud Shot and Hydropump and hits Zebstrika with direct shots that crash it into the wall. The smoke from the impact clears and....



Teehee, look at the funny horsey!

So Ash is up 1-0, having already far surpassed Bianca's miserable result. Elesa is gracious in her heavy-hitter's defeat, while her fans are beside themselves and weeping miserably. A delighted Ash calls out that if it isn't broken, don't fix it! It seems he means to keep using Palpitoad rather than give it a break, a notion that Iris and Cilan don't appear to agree with.

Elesa calls out her next Pokémon - Emolga. An Electric/Flying Type, it uses Acrobatics to get the jump on Palpitoad before it can use Super Sonic, confusing it by spinning around and then headbutting it. Palpitoad gets back up, but before it can use Super Sonic, Emolga uses Attract and leaves Palpitoad staggering about with lust in its eyes as Ash yells at it to snap out of it. Elesa laughs that she told him she'd dazzle them, but Ash remains utterly unaffected by her human version of "attract" and keeps his simple mind fixated entirely on the battle. He tells her that electric attacks still won't hurt a confused Palpitoad, but Elesa chides him by reminding him that Emolga can use Flying moves too. It uses Aerial Ace to smash Palpitoad around and finally put it down, and it's 1-1 now!

Ash is horrified, inadvertently revealing what his "strategy" was - he planned to win the entire battle with nothing but Palpitoad! Iris and Cilan have very different reactions to this revelation.



Even Pikachu and Axew seem horrified, while a pondering Ash is reminded by the judge that he has to call out his next Pokémon or be disqualified. He gapes for a moment, then laughs nervously that the battle isn't over yet and.... asks for a couple of minutes before turning and running out the door! Oh... oh Ash. He returns a short time later triumphantly clutching a Pokéball in his hand and apologising for taking so long. A wide-eyed Elesa asks if he really ONLY brought Palpitoad with him and he laughs nervously, and she reacts surprisingly tolerantly, saying she's going to ignore that.

The next round begins, as Ash calls out Snivy. Elesa immediately opens with Attract and Snivy replies with the same, confusing everybody - isn't Snivy a girl!?! The Attracts pass around each other, hit and... do nothing. A surprised Elesa asks Ash if Snivy is a girl, and he gapes and declares that he totally forgot! It's unclear whether he forgot that Attract works on gender alone or that Snivy is a girl, but regardless his friends (including Pikachu and Axew!) are utterly dismayed at his stupidity. Iris moans that he needs to learn Attract doesn't work between girls, though the stands full of blushing, moaning girls there to see Elesa might suggest otherwise. Cilan laughs that this is Ash they're talking about, while Ash recovers enough to mumble that at least Emolga's electric attacks won't be very good against Snivy. Elesa chuckles that he's forgotten it's also a Flying Type, and their moves are super-effective against Grass Types.

Ash you... how could you be THIS stupid? I mean, normally you're this stupid but not when it comes to battles! Come on!

Frantic, Ash tries to take the initiative and has Snivy use Vine Whip immediately. Emolga dodges quickly and darts out of the way of Leaf Blades, and then follows through with Leaf Storm... but it really doesn't do much of anything to Emolga. Using Acrobatics, it smacks Snivy about as Pikachu sparks with frustration at not being in the battle, and finally has had enough and just lets loose with a blast of electricity. Axew stumbles back in a panic and Pikachu snaps out of it, looking a little embarrassed when Cilan notes that watching Ash battle gets him fired up.

Elesa is impressed that Snivy is still standing after taking such heavy shots, but she means to finish it now. She has Emolga use Aerial Ace to smash Snivy about and Pikachu lets rip with electricity again, while Snivy goes down and out and Elesa is not 2-1 up over Ash. She waves happily to her over-excited fans, while Pikachu is also getting over-excited as he sparks heavily enough to start smoking.

The referee tells Ash to call out his next Pokémon as he sits on the field trying to think what to do now, and he asks the exasperated official for a time-out while he ponders. She sighs as he mumbles over the fact none of his Pokémon have an advantage of Electric/Flying Types, and she demands he hurries up or be disqualified. He freaks out, taxing his poor under-used brain to come up with an idea, and Pikachu can't stand it anymore. With a blast of power he zaps the shit out of Ash, then leaps up beside him and lets loose with a roar to get his attention. He turns and asks angrily if Pikachu has any ideas, and it grumps back sparking at him. The ref tells him to make his goddamn decision already, but he's busy having an epiphany. He was trying to go against his strengths - pre-planned strategising has never been his strong suit, and he was attempting to work out something all his own, some super-awesome strategy to take down Elesa. But he's always worked best in conjunction WITH his Pokémon, not using them as tools but via a developed relationship... and he doesn't have a stronger relationship with any Pokémon than the one he has with Pikachu. He holds out his hand to the angry yellow rat and it delightedly leaps up onto his arm. Ash is back to what he does best, running headlong into a fight and coming up with on the fly innovative bullshit to survive!

Iris and Cilan seem pleased with his return to form, and since both Pokémon are Electric Types the battle will be decided on fighting spirit alone. They open with dual Electro-Balls that cancel each other out, and then Pikachu uses speed to great advantage with a Quick Attack so quick that Emolga is out for the count before Elesa even realises what has happened!

It's 2-2!

Elesa recalls Emolga's broken body out of the shattered remains of the wall and then turns her full charm on Ash. Declaring that he and Pikachu are shining brighter than the sun, she goes over as flirty as possible as she moans that she will have to be all the brighter. Giving Ash a come-hither look, even the utterly oblivious little boy seems to realise that something is going on here, taking a nervous step backwards. Up in the stands, Elesa's sweating female mans gasp that they've never seen her so "serious" and maybe she'll actually use THAT Pokémon! Indeed she is, she's bringing out her "Electric Queen", it's... TYNAMO!



AHAHAHAHAHA LOOK AT THAT UGLY ASS SPERMFISH THING!

By a remarkable stroke of luck, Tynamo was this episode's "WHO'S THAT POKEMON!?!" so we're all aware that it exists - the writers sure were lucky that happened, huh?

The twerps are amazed that such a teensy, pathetic looking thing is her big shot killer. Ash checks it out with his Pokédex and learns that it normally lives in groups and lets loose electricity when it is distressed. Ash doesn't think it sounds so tough by itself but he isn't so stupid as to believe a Gym Leader would bring it out as her big gun if it didn't have some kind of edge. He quickly learns how true this is when Elesa orders a tackle and Tynamo slams almost instantly into Pikachu and crashes him hard back into the wall. Despite smashing the concrete, Pikachu seems to be okay, but now Tynamo's speed and power have been revealed and Ash knows he has to be careful.

Tynamo uses Tackle but when Pikachu goes to dodge it disappears, leaving them confused as to where it is. The answer is above! It zooms down and hits Pikachu hard enough to drive him into the ground like a nail, where his fat ass is stuck and he can do nothing to stop Tynamo smacking him about with more and more tackles. Elesa taunts Ash and Pikachu, asking where the sparkle is now. Ash tells Pikachu to keep fighting and he manages to haul himself out of the dirt, delighting Elesa to see that sparkle is back.

Tynamo uses Tackle again and Ash tries to figure out what to do... then sees Pikachu turn and smirk back at him. They know each so well that Ash immediately knows exactly what Pikachu means, and with delight he orders a HUGE Thunderbolt, and Pikachu delivers, laying out massive tendrils of electricity all over the arena floor, kicking up rocky debris and smoke. Elesa stares on with awe to see a trainer and Pokémon with such a shared mindset, and then gapes as the smoke clears and she sees that the debris has left Tynamo with nothing but a direct path straight to Pikachu. Ash tells Pikachu to get ready and Elesa realises that they're up to something, but before she can warn Tynamo it leaps ahead, unable to resist the tantalising target of Pikachu directly in front of it. Unable to zip to the sides due to the rocks or above due to the smoke, it comes in a direct line straight for Pikachu.... and Iron Tail!

Tynamo slams straight back past Elesa and into the wall,and unlike Pikachu only a couple of minutes earlier, Tynamo doesn't survive, getting knocked the fuck out! Ash and Pikachu embrace and dance in delight, just like Iris and Axew are doing. Cilan is impressed, so is Elesa who recalls Tynamo and tells it that their loss isn't its fault.

She approaches Ash and congratulates him on reminding her that being dazzling isn't everything - the most important thing is the bond between trainer and Pokémon. He tells that Pikachu always reminds him of that, and then she presents him with the Bolt Badge... and there you go, Ash has his 4th Gym Badge!



Soon after he stands outside with the others and Elesa, placing the Bolt Badge into his case. Iris tells him that he really had her worried for a while and her head was spinning and her heart racing. As she says this, she cocks a hip and places a hand on her head, almost in emulation of Elesa's own flirtatious moves earlier - in fact Elesa appears to be giggling behind them as she watches. If this means anything or Iris is just mocking/emulating Elesa is unclear, because Cilan immediately starts talking and Ash turns to look at him, Iris seeming less than pleased to have lost his attention. Elesa asks where he will go next and he says he hasn't really thought about it yet, so she suggests Driftveil City.

Delighted at the notion, he begins stomping forward eagerly only for her to call him back and tell him she almost forgot that the Driftveil Drawbridge is currently closed for repair and nobody can get over there. He crashes to a stop, and she tells him he could hang around in Nimbasa City for the time being. He admits he is pretty hungry and laughingly bets Pikachu that he can eat more than the small mouse.

So the episode ends, and Ash has won his 4th Gym Badge. More importantly than that though he's been reminded that for Ash the best strategy is to trust his Pokémon, get himself into a battle and figure out where to go from there. It wouldn't work for most people, but it sure as hell works for Ash!

BEST QUOTES

"How many times will it take for Ash to learn that attract doesn't work between girls!?!"

Previous Episode Next Episode Episode List