While making a return trip to Earth, the Autobots are captured by an alien gambler named Bosch. Smokescreen offers to help Bosch earn some energon chips in exchange for his friends' freedom, but the two lose the Autobots to the crime-boss Lord Gyconi after gambling away their earnings. Smokescreen and Bosch ally themselves with the Autobot bounty hunter Devcon to rescue the others before they are torn apart in Lord Gyconi's gladiator games.
Tropes:
- Bounty Hunter: Devcon is an Autobot bounty hunter who left Cybertron during the Great War and travelled the galaxy collecting bounties on Decepticon criminals.
- But Now I Must Go: Devcon doesn't stick around after this episode, politely declining Smokescreen's offer to join Optimus Prime's troops on Earth in order to continue his work as a bounty hunter.
- A Day in the Limelight: The episode focuses mostly on Smokescreen as he attempts to rescue his teammates from being sold into slavery. The rest of the Autobots spend the episode deactivated as Smokescreen interacts with the alien characters on Monacus.
- Gladiator Games: Lord Gyconi has a gladiatorial arena where contestants (whether willing participants or not) are pitted against the monstrous Animaliens. Spectators can bet on these games and Gyconi plans to rig the match so the Autobots would be slaughtered by the Animaliens.
- I Owe You My Life: Slizardo pledges his eternal gratitude to Devcon after he saves him from a couple of thugs in the bar. While Slizardo returns to work for Gyconi, he switches sides to help the Autobots and is offered to become Devcon's new partner.
- If I Had a Nickel...: Smokescreen laments how he blew all his winnings, and Bosch lets him know it's a story he's heard many times before:Smokescreen: If only I stopped before that last bet.
Bosch: I know. If only I had an energon chip for every time I've said that. - Lost Him in a Card Game: Smokescreen bets his Autobot comrades as collateral and loses them thanks to a bad (and completely unnecessary) gamble.
- Made a Slave: The Autobots sans Smokescreen are put up as collateral to get a loan of energon chips from Lord Gyconi. Unfortunately, Smokescreen blows their winnings and the Autobots are turned into Gyconi's new slaves.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Smokescreen puts his friends up as collateral to win enough energon chips to buy their freedom. Despite getting enough energon chips to pay off both Bosch and Lord Gyconi, Smokescreen bets everything on one last game and is caught cheating. This results in Smokescreen and Bosch losing all their winnings, and the Autobots being turned into Gyconi's slaves.
- Not So Above It All: After saving the Autobots and restoring Bosch's ship, Smokescreen suggests that they stay on Monacus a little while longer and hit the casinos. The rest of the team anticipates Optimus's response, who takes up Smokescreen's offer and leads the Autobots to take some well-deserved R&R.
- Sequel Episode: The episode directly follows the events of "Child's Play", as the story begins with the Autobots piloting Aron's toy rocket on their return trip to Earth before they're abducted by Bosch.
