Funny / Traveler

• Ash tells Steven about how Celadon City sells the capes Lance is always seen wearing, complete with an actor in cosplay advertising them. Steven then finds a way to make capes a part of the ACE uniforms. In retaliation, Lance has the League start mass producing Ash's old League Expo hat, angering Ash since he had to send in multiple postcards to get one of the original 100 produced.
  • When Lance wonders aloud how the ACE trainers got their capes, Ash responds by telling him of the sale Celadon Department Store had of them, leaving Lance to contemplate getting royalties.
• During dinner Ash asks Steven if he ever had the black goo some of the more elite trainers eat in the field. Steven admits that Lance pranked him once with it, making it for him to alleviate an illness. The illness in question that has Steven verbally backspacing? A hangover.
• Despite the situation, Claydol's antics manage to input some rather dark humor concerning the fact that Groudon is under Mt. Chimney and Steven's justified freak out.
  Ash: Groudon lives under Mt. Chimney.
  Steven: What was that?
  Ash: Groudon lives under Mt. Chimney. I thought you should know.
  Steven: I… Excuse me?
  Ash: (attempts to repeat himself for a third time)
  Steven: I heard you! What do you mean 'Groudon lives under Mt. Chimney?' You were sent to speak with the Eruption, Ash! How did you even discover that? (glares at Claydol) Why didn't you tell me?
  Claydol: I didn't want to steal his thunder.
  
• In his letter to Ash following the boy's victory over a Pokémon Master, Lance signs off his letter as "your favorite teacher, Master, and Champion" as well as thanks Ash for coming out on top and winning him a bet.
• Most of the antics during the Origin Festival in Sudmauna:
  • Steven decides to wear a disguise so nobody recognizes him. He ends up drawing attention anyway because he wore bright neon colors and socks with sandals, drawing more attention to himself. The only thing Steven finds wrong with his outfit is that he is wearing shorts with the Silph. Co. brand logo on them.
    • People still recognize him anyway since he has come to the festival before and has a few fans among the townsfolk.
  • According to one of the locals, Steven is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. They then proceed to get Steven tipsy before he goes souvenir shopping, where Ash worries the man will spend all his money on the minerals and rocks for sale.
    • Turns out he's a lightweight by their standards. It takes a good bit to get him drunk, complete with Claydol leading him through the festival while Metagross follows.
  • Claydol contemplates stealing any photographs the locals take of Steven to sell, noting that Winona specifically would pay for some.
  • Steven's fake name for Ash while they are incognito: Dash.
  • The fact that Drake's personal brew of booze is called Drake's Piss.
  • Ash contemplates dumping a pitcher of water on Steven the day after the festival as revenge given Steven's antics during their training but decides against it, only for Metagross to levitate the jug and dump it on his hungover trainer.
  • Steven apparently travels with his own personal set of monogrammed silk bed sheets.
• Steven tries to teach Ash how to shave, despite not actually knowing how to shave himself. Ash watches Steven bumble through the explanation, and realizes why Steven doesn't know how: Metagross shaves for Steven. Steven attempts to deny the allegation, but eventually admits the truth.
• Steven attempting to give Ash The Talk, complete with Steven's Pokémon expressing various forms of second-hand embarrassment, only for Ash to reveal that his mother already gave him the talk and Lance was probably just pulling a prank on his friend.
  • Turns out to be a Brick Joke. During his two week break from training after Greenfield Ash battled Cynthia, during which Bruiser broke Princess the Garchomp's leg. In the aftermath, Cynthia joked that Princess was going to hunt down Bruiser, to which Ash misunderstood that Princess was going to hunt down Bruiser for revenge. Cue laughter from Cynthia, the female members of her team, and Plume along with Cynthia getting the brilliant idea to talk to Lance about Steven giving Ash The Talk.
• Steven's Claydol poking fun at his trainer's nervousness about his date with Winona. It gets to the point that Metagross has to mute Claydol with its psychic powers.
• Ash walking in on Steven getting ready for his date, watching as Metagross uses his powers to flatten out any wrinkles on Steven's clothes.
• Ash is given command of Fortree Gym, complete with the official Gym Leader Badge getting pinned to his chest, while Winona and Steven investigate some matters. The entire meeting/ceremony happens while Ash is in his pajamas.
• If the Origin Festival was the universe's way for Ash to get some laughs at Steven's expense, the aftermath of Ash's 24 Hour Gym Challenge, which becomes known as the 'Fortree Challenge' by the news, is Ash's comeuppance.
  • The media was alerted as to what Ash was up to and to escape news crews, Ash and Flannery have to hide out in the trees. This leads to Flannery almost falling out of the tree when Steven and Winona teleport to where she and Ash are hiding.
  • Steven apparently approving of Flannery's disguise.^note  Said "disguise" consists of a pair of bright green sandals, giant sunglasses, a horrible shirt and a literal Bucket Helmet.
  • Steven is not amused when scolding Ash about how his announcement drew over half the trainers in Hoenn and a majority from the surrounding regions to Fortree while Winona asks if Ash can help out more often since Ash helped the tourism industry during a slow time.
    • Since most of the region's trainers flocked to Fortree, Ash has many messages from various Gym Leaders thanking him for the surprise break/vacation from battles.
  • Ash falls asleep to recover from his Gym Challenge, only to find that the news outlets have been interviewing every trainer who battled him when he wakes up over eight hours later.
    • Despite winning the Feather badge, the footage of Paul leaving the Gym angry is used by the media as stock footage when discussing trainers who were defeated by Ash.
  • Ash is woken up by Claydol doing an impression of a police officer demanding he come out with his hands up.
• When informed by Steven that Phoebe is waiting for him at Mt. Pyre, Ash asks if the promise of training with the Ghost Master is an elaborate trick to steal Spiritomb from him. Steven is forced to admit that it is a possibility.
• Apparently Ash has a reputation for being a spooky boy, according to Phoebe.
• Ash finds out that he was signed up for the Wallace Cup from Phoebe only three days in advance. His first reaction is to call Steven and demand to know what the former Champion did.
• Steven comes to see Ash concerning the exhibition match with Wallace, only to see that the younger trainer has made a board full of notes held together with pins and string attaching various points to each other.
• Dazed goes on a full blown rant over how next time she fights Mateo, she will destroy him before the Wailord has the chance to use Attract on her again.
• Gary started a rumor about how Ash is open to sponsorships, leading Ash to get offers from companies specializing in effect raising and Rare Candy based products.
• Apparently the Indigo Elite Four found out about Ash's Battle Challenge in Fortress during another viewing of Dragon Trainer.
• Cynthia's nickname for Steven when they were younger was Stevagross since it was obvious that Steven subleases half his brain to Metagross.
• Despite it being a rather touching moment, Dazed makes sure that she will share the memory of Lance's Jaw Drop over Ash's speech about him with the rest of the Champion's team.
• Ash slips to Lance that he did his challenge during a time when Steven was helping out Winona.
  • Before this, Lance comments that he wishes that he thought of doing a battle challenge when he was Drake's apprentice. He admits that Drake would probably have stomped him over it but would have gotten a kick out of it afterwards.
• Ash uses the Concept of Lightning on Dawn to help her get through the New Year's festivities. Johanna later asks him if he saw her eat or drink anything out of the ordinary.
• Flannery gets in an arm wrestling battle with a former challenger's Meditite, starting an arm wrestling contest in Lilycove.
• Flannery gets another when teasing Lisia, as according to her ancestor's journals from 300 years ago those from Sootopolis only bathed once a year due to religious reasons.
• Ash thinking that Drake has a pretty nice mustache.
• Delia comes to visit Ash in the aftermath of Zinnia's assassination attempt. During her vigil, she was able to get Claydol to be silent for at least an hour, a feat Steven finds impressive.
• Ash's signature hat gets damaged to the point that people are having bets as to when it will finally fall apart or get retired.
• Lucian commenting that Cynthia does not do well in warm weather and burns easily.
• Ash turning down Drake's offer of a cigar, noting that Delia would kill him if she ever found out. The old Champion agrees and respects the decision.
• Drake shutting down Lance by bringing up embarrassing moments from the former's training days.
• The Mega Stone Ash receives was something Drake kept in a sock and just forgot about for a few years.
• Dazed commenting that Ash cannot chain himself to the Sky Pillar when the latter gets inspired for a new training regiment for Torrent.
• Cynthia reveals that the newest addition to her team is an ancient Hisuian Braviary that is revered as the "Sage of Acuity"... and who has chosen Mint Chocolate Chip as his nickname.