EP009: Difference between revisions

As the episode begins, {{an|Misty}} and {{Ash}} are fighting about her broken [[Bicycle|bike]] again. In an effort to get them to cool off, {{an|Brock}} [[Anime physics|pulls a table and some chairs]] out of his [[bag|backpack]], with all the necessities to set it for a nice afternoon cup of tea. Brock sends Ash to collect firewood to make tea and crepes. As Ash and {{AP|Pikachu}} wander around the forest, they encounter a group of boys in suits. One of them is running on a treadmill, while the rest are gathered around, quizzing him about various {{OBP|Pokémon|species}}. He misses a question and is rejected by the other boys, and Ash jumps in to defend him. The boys reveal that they are students of [[Pokémon Tech|Pokémon Technical Institute]], a boarding school which educates [[Pokémon Trainer]]s. They leave, stating they don't want to fight. As Brock reads from the school's brochure, Pikachu started the treadmill and tries to keep up. The school trains its students without sending them to collect [[Badge]]s, and guarantees entry into the [[Pokémon League]] upon graduation. Brock leans on the treadmill, speeding it up, which sends Pikachu flying. The school is expensive, and therefore populated with rich kids.  

The student who was being bullied, {{ka|Joe}}, defends his "friends," who were trying to help him. He explains that he sometimes pretends to know less than he really does because the questions get so much harder. Ash is very upset at this brutal "tutoring" system, and demands to meet the student in charge, with plans to stop it. The head student of the beginner class is a girl; Brock and Ash drool over her photo, which makes Misty angry. Ash then refers to Misty as "someone who treats you bad and looks even worse", which makes her even angrier. {{TRT}} reveal that they both flunked out of Pokémon Tech. Being led there by Ash has brought back some bad memories for [[Jessie]] and [[James]], but {{MTR}} cheers them up.

Joe leads Ash and his friends to the head student [[Giselle]]'s study area. He says it's overall skill as a Trainer, not any one battle, that determines success at Pokémon Tech. He says that even though he is the weakest student in his class, he is still better than someone with two Badges. Misty takes offense, and Joe reveals that he is familiar with her Gym; he usually beats her preferred {{t|Water}} Pokémon on the simulator. Misty demands a real battle, but Joe is doubtful of her ability to beat him. Misty calls her {{TP|Misty|Starmie}}, while Joe calls a {{p|Weepinbell}}, a {{type|Grass}} Pokémon which will have an advantage over Misty's {{t|Water}} type. Nevertheless, Starmie beats the Weepinbell. Giselle walks in and chastises Joe for not realizing that Starmie's real battle experience would give it an advantage. She calls him an embarrassment to the school. Giselle continues to upbraid Joe, and threatens to withdraw the help of the other students.

Misty challenges Giselle, saying that a true friend would not walk away from a friend in need of help, and that Giselle's beauty is only skin deep. Giselle accuses Misty of being jealous. Giselle summons a {{p|Graveler}} to challenge Misty's Starmie. Although {{t|Rock}}- and {{type|Ground}} Pokémon are weak against Water Pokémon, Giselle and her Graveler defeat Starmie easily. Giselle then points out that weak Pokémon can still win if they are better trained. Ash jumps in, saying that there is more to training Pokémon than levels. He brags that he has two Badges, and Giselle insults him. When Ash reveals that he has been on his quest for 2 months, she is shocked that he has not yet trained his Pikachu to go into a {{ball|Poké}}, and snidely remarks, "Maybe your Pokémon are training you!"

Ash protests that his three Pokémon are his friends. Giselle is surprised that he had only three; most beginners have six, and she attributes his two Badges to luck. She is also surprised that he chose Pikachu as his starting Pokémon, as they are known to be hard to handle. She is amazed at Ash having two Badges, given how little he knows, and laughs at him. At this point Pikachu becomes angry as well, and Ash demands a battle. Giselle summons {{p|Cubone}}. Ash calls for a {{m|Thunder Shock}} attack, but Cubone deflects it, to his dismay. Giselle orders Cubone to use a {{m|Leer}} attack, but Pikachu responds by making funny faces at Cubone. The two Pokémon get into a close-range staring contest, until Giselle calls for a {{m|Bone Club}} attack; the bonk on the head staggers Pikachu. She then calls for a {{m|Bonemerang}}, which knocks Pikachu out cold. The next time the Bonemerang is launched, Pikachu jumps over it, and twists the skull on Cubone's head backwards, so it can no longer see. Pikachu then pummels the Cubone, finally ducking away as the Bonemerang comes back to take out its master. Giselle is amazed that Pikachu has won without using electricity, and stunned that she has lost.

Team Rocket takes advantage of everyone's distraction to appear with their {{motto}}. The Tech students, recognizing them as bad guys who flunked out, attack Team Rocket ''en masse'', causing them to flee. Joe decides to leave Pokémon Tech and return home to start over like Ash did. Joe asks if he can keep Giselle's picture; she said she has one of him, because they are now friends. Perhaps one day they will meet in the Pokémon League. Ash then demands to know why he and Misty are not friends like Joe and Giselle are, and she responds that it is because Joe doesn't owe Giselle a bike!