Ash arrives in what he believes to be Striaton City and is excited for his first Unova gym battle, only for Iris to suddenly appear and inform him that it's actually Accumula Town, and Striaton City is still a day away. Ash is disappointed but Iris cheers him up when she shows him Don George's Battle Club, one of multiple facilities in Unova where trainers can customize their training regimens and battles as they see fit. Ash is obviously delighted and begins a battle, but his training is interrupted when Team Rocket raids the warehouse. Everyone also notices a small black Pokemon dashing out of the warehouse, which at first appears to be an Umbreon. Ash and Iris try to lure it out of hiding but the supposed Umbreon turns out to be a malnourished, soot-covered Tepig, the Unova Fire-type starter.
Tropes
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: While the truth was less severe compared to Charmander and Chimchar, Tepig's condition when it was initially found is much like a pet pig who's been abused.
- Recycled Premise: A Fire-type starter that was abandoned by a Jerkass trainer? Didn't we already have this with Charmander? And how about Chimchar?
