Before Ash can set off to earn his final badge, the group is suddenly thrown into a limo and taken to a fancy manor. The owner's daughter is about to set off on her Pokemon journey, and he's hired Cilan and a rival connoisseur to figure out what Pokemon from his garden would be perfect for her to use as her starter. Soon enough, the two connoisseurs clash over what that Pokemon should be, while Burgundy, not happy about being hired, try to get in on the action as well!
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: You expect Ash to go to Opelucid City to earn his final badge like in the games, but it turns out the gym is currently closed at the moment. Luckily, Mr. Hatterly's butler points out Virbank City and its gym.
- Foreshadowing:
- Iris seems very happy that the Opelucid City Gym is closed to Ash's confusion, and it serves as foreshadowing to her past with Drayden.
- It's noted that Marigold seems uneasy about Burgundy and Ricard's choices for her starter, and Cilan discovers a strange scent on her. The ending reveals why: Cilan smelt a Grass/Poison type on her, but none of the Pokemon in the garden had that typing. It made him realize she had a befriended a Pokemon not from the garden, and that Pokemon is the one she wants as a starter.
- Good Parents: Marigold reveals that she didn't tell her dad about Foongus because she thought he wouldn't approve of it being her starter. He completely understands it and allows her to keep it.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Much to Cilan's discomfort, Ricard's chosen Pokemon for their battle is a Purrloin.
