Ash and Iris finally arrive in Striaton City where Ash plans to win his first Unova gym badge. While at the marketplace, they meet an older boy named Cilan, a Pokémon Connoisseur whose job it is to evaluate the compatibility between Pokémon and trainers. He invites them to come with him so he can show them the gym, but they end up at a restaurant. Cilan and two other waiters annoy Ash by pestering him with menu items, seemingly ignoring the reason he thought he was there. Finally, Ash has enough and flips out, saying that he just wants a Striaton City Gym battle, oddly to the delight of the other restaurant patrons. Cilan and the two other waiters, Chili and Cress, his brothers, reveal that they are the gym leaders and that the gym is in the restaurant. They reveal their Pokémon to Ash, the Grass, Fire, and Water-types Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour, respectively. They explain that at this gym, challengers pick which one they want to battle but Ash, apparently thinking this would be too easy, insists that he wants to battle all of them. The brothers are accommodating and decide that if Ash can beat two out of three of them, he will win the Trio Badge.
The first round is Ash vs. Chili and his Fire-type Pansear. Iris, watching from the balcony, assumes that Ash will use Oshawott, but Ash picks Tepig, having previously promised it the first Unova gym battle. Chili's Pansear is a strong battler and able to use Dig to evade attacks, but Tepig hangs tough and lands a few hits of its own. It eventually turns things around and overwhelms and defeats Pansear, winning Ash one of the two battles he needs. The second round is Ash vs. Cress and his Water-type Panpour. This time, Ash picks Pikachu, counting on a type advantage. Unfortunately, Cress has developed counterstrategies against Electric-types, evading attacks with Double-Team and using Water Gun to keep Pikachu off-balance. His tactics eventually prove to be too much and Pikachu is defeated. With the score tied, the final round comes down to Ash vs. Cilan and his Grass-type Pansage. Ash sends in Oshawott, who has a disadvantage as a Water-type. Oshawott struggles to keep up with Pansage and takes damage, even getting its scalchop knocked off in the process. Finally, Cilan calls for Pansage to use Solar Beam. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Oshawott still separated from its scalchop and Pansage's attack barreling towards it. How will Ash get out of this one?
Tropes
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Cress' counterstrategy against Electric-type Pokemon allows his Panpour to completely disorient and overwhelm Ash's Pikachu, resulting in the latter's defeat without landing a single hit on the former.
- Fiery Redhead: Chili definitely gives off this impression, fitting given that his partner Pokémon Pansear is a Fire-type.
- Large Ham: Cilan and his brothers.
- Running Gag: The second Cilan sees Pikachu, he geeks out over seeing a Pokémon not found in the Unova Region.
