BW081

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Crisis at Ferroseed Research!

BW081

EP738

テッシード研究所！アイリスとバイバニラ！！
Tesseed Research Institute! Iris and Baivanilla!!

First broadcast

Japan	May 31, 2012
United States	September 29, 2012

English themes

Opening	Rival Destinies
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	ベストウイッシュ！
Ending	みてみて☆こっちっち

Credits

No additional credits are available at this time.
Animation	Team Kato
Screenplay	藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita
Storyboard	尼野浩正 Hiromasa Amano
Assistant director	吉村文宏 Fumihiro Yoshimura
Animation director	篠原隆 Takashi Shinohara

Crisis at Ferroseed Research! (Japanese: テッシード研究所！アイリスとバイバニラ！！ Tesseed Research Institute! Iris and Baivanilla!!) is the 81st episode of the Best Wishes series, and the 738th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on May 31, 2012 and in the United States on September 29, 2012.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Blurb

Continuing their journey to Virbank City and Ash’s next Gym battle, our heroes are startled to run into a Vanilluxe, and its Trainer, their friend Georgia. She tells them she’s on her way to a laboratory called Ferroseed Research, run by a Professor Malveaux, to get moss grown there that is reputed to improve the skills of Pokémon, and our heroes go along with her.

Once there, they meet one of Professor Malveaux’s assistants, Case, who gives them a tour of the facility. They learn how the research conducted on the Ferroseed helps them to learn how to utilize the many kinds of moss the Ferroseed produce. Suddenly, three Ferroseed who have been absorbing electricity from charged stones start to wildly produce moss that overtakes the research center, and growing so fast it threatens the whole city!

Making Ground- and Electric-type Pokémon sick (including Pikachu), the moss continues to grow out of control. When Iris, Axew, Oshawott, and Georgia’s Vanilluxe get trapped on the roof of the research center, Vanilluxe’s Icy wind eliminates a large part of the moss. Professor Malveaux quickly theorizes that Ice-type moves can stop its spread. With the help of Vanilluxe, Georgia’s Beartic, and Pikachu (who has been cured, thanks to an antidote Professor Malveaux formulated) manage to stop the moss from spreading, and the city is freed from the danger.

After Professor Malveaux thanks our heroes and Georgia for their help, Georgia says goodbye and our heroes board a ship headed for Virbank City.

Plot

Acting upon a suggestion by Mr. Hatterly’s butler, Ash and his friends are walking in a harbor to take a boat to Virbank City. As they walk, a Vanilluxe levitates past them, which sends a chill down Iris and Axew’s spines. Ash finds out more about it in his Pokédex. The Pokémon is returned to its Poké Ball by none other than Georgia, self-proclaimed Dragon Buster and rival to Iris. Georgia dryly explains Vanilluxe's ironic affinity for Dragon types and explains that she only caught the Ice type to defeat the “Dragon Master,” Iris, who denies the honorable title. Georgia and Iris insult one another a bit, but Georgia gives up and says that she’s here to visit Ferroseed Research Institute, where the Grass/Steel Pokémon Ferroseed are studied, to try to acquire some of the moss that they produce, which she says improves a Pokémon’s abilities. Georgia leaves, but since Ash wants to go too, the whole group follows her.

At the Ferroseed Research Institute, a scientist working with Professor Malveaux named Case greets the newly-arrived Georgia, who tells him exactly why she’s there. Suddenly, Ash, Pikachu, Cilan, Iris, and Axew appear and introduce themselves as well, surprising and angering Georgia. Case is pleased with the young group’s enthusiasm and shows them inside. They first come across a room in which three Ferroseed are latched onto a large rock and being observed by scientists and research machines as they glow red. Ash scans them in his Pokédex and witnesses one of the Ferroseed wince and release one of its spikes, which disintegrates upon contact with the ground and creates a patch of yellow moss on the lab floor. Case explains that Ferroseed absorb minerals from rocks, turn them into moss spores, and then release the spores in a spiky casing. Cilan asks why, to which Case replies that according to their theory, oxygen produced from the moss improves the Ferroseed’s environment. The group observes another two Ferroseed absorbing minerals from another rock, but they glow yellow and produce green moss, which Georgia asks about. Case says that the previous group of Ferroseed is absorbing from a Driftveil Mine rock, while these two are latched onto a rock from Desert Resort.

Case takes the group to the third floor, a large room with a variety of different machines and researchers studying the mosses. Among the discoveries being made are the fire resistance of green moss, the absorbency of blue moss, and the integral strength of balled-up green moss as it punches through cement and resists a clamp’s crushing power. Case says that they study the mosses’ properties and apply them to practical uses. Another trio of Ferroseed are latched onto the electrified, levitating stones of Chargestone Cave. Case says that these are new and have yet to even produce moss. Georgia asks for the moss that enhances Pokémon’s abilities, and so Case takes the group to the fourth floor. As they turn away, the Ferroseed they just observed release all of their spikes at once, making electrified, turquoise-colored moss grow all over the inside of the container and short-circuit the door into opening.

On the fourth floor, Case explains that the final floor of the tour is where research into enhancing Pokémon abilities is done using the moss. The mosses that they grow here can raise a Fire type’s Attack, a Grass type’s Defense, and a Psychic type’s Speed. Georgia asks if any work on Ice types and releases her Vanilluxe, who immediately winks at Axew, to his astonishment. Oshawott emerges from his Poké Ball and follows Vanilluxe like an admirer. Vanilluxe’s advances freak out Axew and send him running out of the hallway with Vanilluxe, Oshawott, and a concerned Iris close behind. Georgia turns to Case and asks if there is a moss to change an Ice type’s personality and increase its power, but he says that one has not yet been discovered, which disappoints her. Cilan and Ash console her by respectively saying that it is doubtful moss would change personality and the only way to increase power is to train. Meanwhile, on the third floor, turquoise moss begins to escape its container and grow out of control, startling the researchers nearby.

Georgia rests her head against a glass window in her disappointment. Case tries to raise her spirits by promising to let her know as soon as the research teams find something, but she is still downtrodden. Ash goes to get Iris and the Pokémon, but an alarm sounds, indicating an emergency from the third floor. The end of the hallway Iris and the Pokémon ran off through is now completely engulfed in turquoise moss. As it approaches, Pikachu catches a whiff and goes into a daze. Ash picks him up and follows Case and the others down to the underground control room. Having completely filled the third floor, the moss breaks through the window and begins growing on the outside of the building. An older man with a briefcase sees this bizarre phenomenon and enters the building through the front.

Axew escapes to the roof, still running from his pursuer. Vanilluxe is annoyed by Oshawott and turns to freeze him with her breath. Oshawott tries to block with his scalchop, but is temporarily frozen anyway. Axew runs into Iris’s arms, who gets a puff of cold air from Vanilluxe’s straw-like appendage.

In the underground control room, the researchers, the Ferroseed that they have rescued, and the rest of the tour group appear to be in safety. Case sees the man who just entered the building and identifies him as Professor Malveaux, who goes over to Pikachu and diagnoses that he became sick from inhaling a large amount of moss spores. He then sees why this happened: the Chargestone rocks, still latched onto by the three Ferroseed. He tells Case to prepare a treatment made of Lum Berry, Mago Berry, and White Herb extract. Cilan and Georgia ask if they and their Pokémon are in danger too. Malveaux says that the spores do affect Pokémon, but not people. A video call comes in from Nurse Joy in the local Pokémon Center, and Malveaux explains what is happening and apologizes. Nurse Joy says that all the affected Pokémon are Electric and Ground types. Georgia is relieved that Vanilluxe will not be affected. Malveaux tells Nurse Joy about the treatment and has a message sent to Officer Jenny to close every surrounding bridge to contain the moss’s spread. Case gives Pikachu a drink made from the moss treatment, which appears to bring him out of his daze.

One researcher says that the moss has filled the fourth floor and will soon reach the roof—where Iris and the Pokémon still are. Still unaware of the danger, Iris opens the roof doors and sees the staircase overtaken by moss. She screams in shock until the doors close by themselves. Cilan appears on a nearby video intercom and explains the situation, and Georgia threatens her if anything happens to Vanilluxe. The moss breaches the narrow crack of the sliding doors and rapidly spreads over the rooftop. Iris and the Pokémon try to flee but are stopped at the edge of the roof, where Iris sees that the moss has completely taken over the city. She turns around and releases her Excadrill and Emolga. She orders them to use Focus Blast and Hidden Power respectively to curtail the moss’s spread, but each one’s move fails and they both collapse from the spores. Iris realizes her mistake and recalls them, and comforts an anxious Axew. Oshawott pushes the moss back with Water Gun, but it grows back even larger. Iris desperately calls for Vanilluxe’s help, and the Snowstorm Pokémon blasts the moss with her Icy Wind. The move succeeds in freezing over all the moss on the roof and breaking it into many shards of ice. Those inside the underground control room lose their video feed of the rooftop due to the electrical moss, but deduce that Ice-type moves are indeed effective. Malveaux has Officer Jenny be informed that she should use Ice-type moves to clear the moss from the city. Suddenly, the three Ferroseed detach from the Chargestone rocks and burst out of the container, clearly suffering from the vast amount of electricity they have absorbed, and release more spikes. Malveaux postulates that removing the Ferroseed’s excess electricity should stop the spread of the moss. Without any Ice-type Pokémon, however, they cannot reach the third floor. Georgia volunteers, offering the services of her Beartic. Meanwhile, Vanilluxe begins clearing the staircase as Iris thinks about the irony of being rescued by an Ice type. Cilan, Georgia, and Malveaux take three box-like devices with them as they head for the third floor. Ash says that he will go too when Pikachu feels better.

In the city, Officer Jenny has begun a coordinated plan to freeze all the moss with a team of four Swanna using Ice Beam and Blizzard. From inside the building, Beartic clears the first floor with Ice Beam and Vanilluxe removes all the moss in the fourth with Icy Wind. Those in the control room monitor their progress from the video screens, but Ash wants Pikachu to pull through as soon as possible. Iris and the Pokémon have made it to the third floor and come across the three Ferroseed at the source of this disaster. They release more spikes, but Vanilluxe clears them just as soon as the moss grows. However, the Ferroseed release yet another set of spikes, and it appears that the moss is growing faster than they can fight it.

Suddenly, a voice rings out from the other side of the wall of moss: “Ice Beam!” The wall freezes and shatters into brilliant shards, revealing Beartic, Georgia, Cilan, and Malveaux on the other side. Georgia complements Iris on her efforts, emphasizing her alliance with an Ice type. Malveaux opens up the three devices, which electromagnetically attract the three Ferroseed and begin draining their excess electricity. Meanwhile, Pikachu wakes from his rest and feels great. However, the supercharged Ferrossed break free from the devices, unable to control themselves. Ash decides to step in and head to the scene with Pikachu.

The Ferroseed resume scattering their spikes, beginning the fight anew. Vanilluxe and Beartic use Icy Wind and Ice Beam again, but it freezes just half of the new moss and leaves them exhausted. Cilan warns Georgia not to push them any more, and she reluctantly returns Beartic. Ash appears behind them and releases Pignite to use Flamethrower on the three Ferroseed, who are extremely weak to Fire-type moves. They fall to the ground and Ash quickly recalls Pignite. This allows Pikachu to move close enough to drain the excess electricity of one Ferroseed through his tail. Thinking quickly, Cilan releases his Stunfisk to do the same on the other two. The Ferroseed finally stop surging with electricity and return to normal. Everyone celebrates the success, especially Pikachu and Stunfisk, with supercharged enthusiasm. Malveaux runs over, embraces the Ferroseed and apologizes for putting them through such pain. Ash and Cilan instruct their Pokémon to release their excess electricity through a broken window. The two unleash a powerful torrent of electric arcs to the outside. Oshawott gets close and raises its scalchop in defense when one arc bends right back at him. The electricity bounces off and inadvertently hits everyone else in the room but Malveaux and the Ferroseed. Oshawott lowers his scalchop to see this, but leaves himself open to being shocked as well. They joke about the shock treatment and bring this dramatic chapter to a close.

Officer Jenny observes a now moss-free city as the Swanna fly overhead. Malveaux apologizes once more to Nurse Joy over a video call, who says that all the Pokémon in the Center are fine thanks to the treatment. Malveaux turns and thanks the group for all their help in saving the research institute.

Later, as they walk out of the building, Georgia grudgingly compliments Iris on being able to synchronize with Vanilluxe and suggests that Iris would make a better Ice Master than Dragon Master, but Iris and Axew both decline. Georgia is fine with that, saying with a smirk that she would much rather beat her as a Dragon Master. Iris asks her to thank Vanilluxe for her, so Georgia unenthusiastically responds and walks off with her usual indifferent demeanor. The group bids farewell to a friend and rival.

With another day of chaos and danger under their belts, the three friends and their Pokémon set sail for Virbank City, where Ash’s last Unova Gym battle waits for him.

Major events

Ash and his friends meet up with Georgia again.
Georgia is revealed to own a Vanilluxe.

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series, please see the timeline page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Ferroseed (US and international) Vanilluxe (Japan)

Trivia

Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster: Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 and upcoming episodes*/Klink*.
Music from Arceus and the Jewel of Life and Zoroark: Master of Illusions is used in this episode.

Errors

In one scene, Vanilluxe is without her straw.
Officer Jenny's Swanna used Blizzard, a move that Swanna cannot legally learn.

Dub edits

In other languages


Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		種子鐵球研究所！艾莉絲與雙倍多多冰！！
Dutch		Een Ferroseed crisis!
Finnish		Kriisi Ferroseed-tutkimuskeskuksessa!
German		Krise im Kastadur-Forschungsinstitut!
Greek		Κρίση στο Κέντρο Ερευνών Ferroseed!
Italian		Attenti ai Ferroseed!
Korean		철시드 연구소! 아이리스와 배바닐라!
Norwegian		Krise ved Ferroseed forskningsinstitutt!
Polish		Kryzys w Laboratorium Badawczym Ferroseed'ów
European Portuguese		Crise no Centro de Pesquisa Ferrosseed!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Crisis en la investigación de Ferroseed!
Spanish	Spain	¡Crisis en Investigaciones Ferroseed!
Swedish		Kris på Ferroseeds forskningsinstitut!