ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
704: Lost at the Stamp Rally!	710: Satoshi, Dento Tai Sabuwei Masuta!	Twinspotting			Cilan goes on a stamp hunt, Ash and Iris go tourist, it all ends in a battle	Who?	If your Pokémon won't go into a Pokéball, at least hold onto it!

Today finds the twerps rushing into the Nimbasa Subway Station, Cilan leading the confused Ash and Iris down to.... collect a small card at a little booth with a picture of a Tepig on it? It seems Cilan is all eager over the Stamp Rally, an annual event where enthusiastic trainspotters (is there any other kind?) can collect stamps from booths like this one. Whoever collects all the stamps first then gets to battle either of the Subway Bosses, but unfortunately it's a three day event and today is the LAST day. Iris figures this means that Cilan can give up on his dream, but Cilan's enthusiasm can't be dented (little Japanese character name "humour" there for you!) as he vows that he WILL collect all the stamps, and be the first to do so.

Ash doesn't know shit about trains or stamps, but he does know he likes to have battles! Cilan mistakes his enthusiasm for an offer to assist and places one arm around Ash's shoulder, one deformed hand (look at it!) clutching to the stamp card as he proclaims that together they will achieve his dream. Seconds later Ash is gone though, as Iris yells back from halfway across the station that Ash already promised to go sight-seeing with her today. They take off, leaving a despondent Cilan behind, unaware of the bullet he dodged by putting Ash Ketchum into a contest he knows nothing about (Ash always wins those and destroys the dreams of those who truly care about them). But he's left to face the fact that all trainspotters eventually must - he's all alone and nobody wants to hang out with him and talk about trains.



Ash and Iris get off their train and head up to the map, Iris figuring out which way to go. They head up onto the street and spot Small Court and Big Stadium, two of the sights to see. Ash asks where she wants to go first and she points out a billboard of two steroid-crazy muscleheads in gridiron outfits - apparently there is going to be a game between the Gurdurr 11 and Team Darmanitan. Iris supports Girder 11, and Ash is delighted to discover she is a fan.... does he even know what sport they play? Iris explains that Girder 11 get their training in the Dragon Village, and for the sake of competitiveness, Ash decides he'll support Team Darmanitan.

Meanwhile, Cilan has collected 9 stamps now and is congratulating himself on his nerdy knowledge of the subway system. He is positive he will get all the stamps he need before the 4pm Cut-Off.

Iris and Ash emerge from the game, which is apparently over already. Iris is delighted with Girder 11's dramatic win, while Ash isn't really that cut up that his team lost the game at the end. He's more eager to get to Small Court and have a match with Iris, and they head inside the building which houses basketball and tennis courts. They have an energetic game of tennis, though the winner isn't clear at the end of the montage as they shake hands, emulated by an amused Pikachu and Axew.

Cilan continues to collect stamps, while Ash and Iris attend a Pokémon Musical at the theatre.... when they hell did Ash figure out that spending time and doing things with his girl friend was a sensible and sane thing to do? It must be pure coincidence! In any case, inside the theatre they're both enraptured by the musical Pokémon, but not as much as Oshawott who leaps out of his Pokéball to swoon over the gathered Pokémon. Ash tries to haul the excited otter away, and Gothitelle uses its powers to psychically lift them onto the stage. Ash, Oshawott and Pikachu are surrounded and dressed in top hats and bowties and start dancing with the Pokémon, Ash in horror and the Pokémon in delight, while the crowd cheers happily.

Shortly after, Ash and Iris emerge from another subway station and Iris spots the amusement park and the Nimbasa Ferris Wheel. She rushes in ahead of Ash who loses sight of her, but he spots Axew and heads over to ask where Iris is before he noticed a pink ribbon on its tail - this is a girl Axew. Iris arrives with ice creams for her and Ash, her treat, then spots the girl Axew and happily picks it up to hug it. But realising there is no trainer around, she ponders if it is lost. She settles down on a park bench while Ash goes to check if there are any reports of a missing Pokémon. Iris won't leave the little Axew on its own, not if she wants to be a Dragon Master (or a good human being), so they ask it for the first time where it got separated and it leads them forward.

Cilan has completed what looks to be about 35 stamps when a nervous little girl shows up and asks how to get to the amusement park. He gives her clear directions and she heads away, while Cilan goes on to find more stamps. Meanwhile, Ash and Iris have arrived at a train station with Girlxew which spots what looks like her trainer and rushes into the subway train after her. Ash and Iris step inside too, but then the train lurches forward to move and a woman falls on her ass. Rather than point and laugh, Ash and Iris go to help her up, Iris sending Emolga ahead to keep an eye on Girlxew.

Cilan has jumped ahead and now apparently only has one last stamp to find when he spots the girl he gave directions to looking at a map. He heads over and introduces himself and learns her name is Erina, and despite his clear directions she got lost and she thinks her "friend" got on the train for the amusement park without her. Cilan promises to help her, because he is... A METRO CONNOISSEUR!



Oh Cilan.

Girlxew happily leaps up to hug what she thinks is her trainer, but it's some other little girl clutching a grumpy looking Swadloon. Their train passes through the station that Cilan and Erina are in, and Erina spots the ribbon on Girlxew's tail. She squeals in shock, and Cilan doesn't appear to be too pleased when he identifies the train as the Express.

Onboard, the girl is freaking out over having an Axew clinging tenaciously to her knee, and her grumpy Swadloon wraps it up with Stringshot to get it clear. Emolga spots this and doesn't take kindly to it, blasting everyone in the car (including a newly arrived Ash and Iris) with an electric attack.

They get off the Express where they and the Pokémon express their deep felt apologies for the chaos they've caused. The stern looking train official accepts their apology based on the circumstances and tells them to be more careful. They sit down on a bench and eat little club sandwiches, as does Girlxew. Iris suggests they go back to the amusement park, but they should leave a sign for Girlxew's trainer as well. She has an idea, and uses one of the stamp cards, having Girlxew press its paw into the inkpad and then leave its pawprint on the card. She draws the Ferris wheel onto the card as a sign and off they go, as it was far too difficult to write a note or ask the train official to put in a call over the intercom systems or take Girlxew to the Pokémon Center and have Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny do something official.

They happily get onto a train just as Cilan and Erina get off of another trainer. Erina spots the card and recognises Girlxew's pawprint (how!?!), but can't figure out Iris' needlessly obtuse code. Cilan isn't a moron though and realises that it is the Ferris wheel, and Erina immediately rushes away in a panic to try and find the amusement park, which got her into all this trouble in the first place. She and Cilan only just make it onto the train, but their rush means they get onto the wrong train. This freaks out Cilan, who should never have made such a boneheaded mistake, they're now going in exactly the wrong direction.

At the amusement park, Ash hasn't found anybody who is looking for a missing Axew, but he and Iris assure Girlxew that they won't give up till they find her trainer. Meanwhile, Cilan is vowing that he WILL get Erina to the amusement park and find her Girlxew, because as a Metro Connoisseur nobody should ever have to regret riding the rails with him. Just then he spots the subway map, and realises that the station they're heading to is quite close to Nimbasa Central Station, and he gets an idea.

Outside the station near the amusement park, Ash notes that it is getting late (it's almost 4pm). Suddenly a train official rushes up from the subway and spots them, asking if they're Ash and Iris and passing on a message to them.

Soon they find themselves at Nimbasa Central Station, where they've been asked to stand and wait at the platform and have been given absolutely no other information on why, who might be meeting them, and when. All those concerns cease to matter though when Girlxew and Erina spot each other. Girlxew leaps out of Iris' arms and runs tearfully to Erina, leaping into her arms as they hug each other and have a good ol' cry.

Cilan appears behind her... with Ingo and Emmet the Subway Bosses! Ash and Iris are confused, what the hell is going on? Cilan explains he has been helping Irina, and they found their card (which he notes was a clever idea). But that doesn't explain how he knew it was THEM who left the card. Ingo and Emmet explain, Cilan came straight to them and asked for their help, and since the twerps are responsible for covering up their incredible incompetence, they were pleased to do so. Using their computers, cameras and other invasive surveillance material they found out that Ash and Iris had Girlxew, and set a meeting place for everybody to come together.

Iris asks if he got "it" done, and he hasn't got a clue what she means. She reminds him of his stamp collecting and he freaks out, remembering too late that he still has one stamp to get - an Axew stamp! He jumps about in place, freaking out that if he doesn't complete his card in the next 2-3 seconds he's doomed... and then a voice over the speakers declares he is doomed, the Stamp Rally is now officially closed!

He stands and listens in horror, then collapses to his knees and moans that his childhood dream and fantasy battle has gone faster than an express train! But then he's saved by Erina, who steps up and says if he needs an Axew stamp he can have hers! She holds out a stamp card with ONE stamp on it, an Axew stamp. She explains that when she first got off a train and asked an official if he'd seen an Axew around he'd misunderstood and thought she was in the Stamp Rally. Cilan is grateful, but the stamps need to be on ONE card.... but Ingo and Emmet just grin and say that they can let this one slide considering how selfless and helpful they know Cilan to be.

Kind of sucks if you're a nerdy trainspotter who actually did the job right!

He's delighted, and they say since they're both here right now, how'd he like it if they tag-teamed him? Cilan blushes furiously, but they're not talking about running a train on him or A-Framing him, but a tag battle - the two of them versus him and a partner. An excited Cilan turns to his 10 year old "leader" for approval, and is delighted to get it.

They're lead to a door, stepping inside the duo's personal battlefield... which is nothing more than a Subway Car? Not quite, with a snap of their fingers, the twins cause the car to expand and grow, till the proper battlefield appears - it's a giant subway car themed battlefield.



Cilan pretty much just jizzed his pants.

It's Gear Station, the Nimbasa Central Station underground battlefield. Cilan gasps that this is a dream come true for a Metro Connoisseur (and just another in a long series of cool places that Ash has battled). The battle begins, the twins calling out their horrible, grotesque monstrosities of Pokémon - Chandelure and Eelektross. Ash calls out Tepig and Cilan brings in Pansage, and they're right into it.

A Flamethrower and Bullet Seed combo opens the battle, with Ash and Cilan communicating to make sure they're on the same page and not attacking the same target. Ingo and Emmet let them get confident and then start fighting back, kicking up Smog to blind Pansage and then attack it with Will O'Wisp. Tepig protects Pansage with Flamethrower, but Eelektross uses Acid on the floor in front of them and kicks up a poisonous steam.

Cilan is delighted by the smug brothers' skills.... but NOW.... IT'S EVALUATING TIME! PLUS SPECIAL SUBWAY TIME! He tugs at his bowtie, poses and bravely begins pontificating as Iris chuckles to Erina over Cilan about to deliver a lecture. He tells Ash that like a Subway train, their Pokémon need to be in synch. Ash nods and they move into phase two of the battle. Pansage leaps up the walls and swings around the railings, blasting Eelektross and Chandelure with Bullet Seed and leaving them open to a Flame Charge from Tepig. Ingo and Emmet are impressed, Pansage is in charge of the connecting lines while Tepig is heading straight into the heart of the city. But they're Subway Bosses for a reason, and cut off Tepig by Thunderbolting the rails that Pansage is on. Pansage falls straight into Tepig's path, and then Chandelure uses Psychic to hold them in place before another Thunderbolt confuses and knocks them out. The Subway Bosses win - Cilan and Ash lose!

Outside, Cilan is still delighted because it was an absolute honour to battle them both. Ash also learned a lot from the fight, and thanks them, but they say the pleasure was all theirs (well yeah, they won!). They ask if it is true that the twerps are heading for the Driftveil City Gym soon, and Ash says it is their next stop. They're informed the bridge has been repaired, and Ash couldn't be happier. Cilan says they should spend the evening in the Pokémon Center and then move on first thing the next day. Erina asks Girlxew if it wants to go on the Ferris Wheel, and a startled Iris remembers that this is what she had planned to do far earlier in the day. They all head over together and ride around the giant Ferris wheel, looking over Nimbasa at night and drinking in the sights. Erina is just pleased she has her Axew back to see this with, Cilan is in heaven after achieving his Metro Dream, Iris had at least half a day of just getting to do fun touristy stuff, and Ash and Pikachu are stoked for their next Gym Battle. How long till it comes? Well it won't be this episode obviously, as always it is....

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