Episode Number: 279 (JP) , 276 (US)
US Episode Name: There's No Place Like Hoenn
Jap Episode Name: Touka Gym VS Yarukimono
トウカジムVSヤルキモノ
Events: Ash and May at Petalburg City; Ash battles Norman but loses; Max tags along
Credit: --------------------
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Ash and May finally have made it to Petalburg City. May, who is falling behind, asks Ash what the big rush is. Ash tells her that he has a gym battle in Petalburg City. On their way to the gym, Ash and May decide to stop at a park to talk. Ash explains to May that once he gets eight badges, he will be able to qualify for the Pokémon League. May tells Ash that the gym leader is really nice. Ash wonders if May knows the gym leader. May tells him that he doesn't really know him. Then May decides to do some things while Ash has his gym battle.
Ash confronts the gym. Being confident, Ash walks inside the gym. Seeing that nobody is there, he calls out. A boy comes out wanting Ash to remain quiet because he is watching a video. Then the boy realizes that Ash was in the Johto League and that he lost in the second round. Ash sighs. The boy guesses that he is Alf but guesses wrong. Then he sees Ash's Pikachu and hugs it. The boy introduces himself as Max. Ash holds up his fist and tells him that he did make it to the victory round. Max goes about describing Ash's match with Charizard against Blaziken. Ash snaps at Max. He tells him that it takes skill to get into the last round of the Johto League, and that it is hard work. Max doesn't care because Ash still lost. Ash decides to end the discussion. He tells Max that he came for the gym leader. Max says that he is the Petalburg gym leader. Ash doesn't believe him, but Max makes a big fuss about it. Ash then believes that Max is the gym leader.
Max tells Ash that it will be a 3-on-3 battle. Ash is worried because all he has is Pikachu. Then Max tells Ash to send out his first Pokémon. Ash pauses and then tells Max that as a gym leader he is suppose to send out his Pokémon first. Both boys get into an argument when May appears. Ash is surprised when Max refers May as his sister. Two other people appear beside May. May introduces the people as her mother, Caroline, and father, Norman, to Ash. She also says that Max is her brother. Norman happens to be the real gym leader of the Petalburg gym. Norman asks about May's bike. May tells him that it got fried by Ash's Pikachu. Ash apologizes, but Norman tells him not to worry about it. Then everyone asks May of what Pokémon she got from Professor Birch. May sends out Torchic. Max is disappointed since she didn't pick Treecko. Making Torchic angry, Torchic begins to peck at Max. Max quietly says that he would've picked Treecko for his starter Pokémon. Torchic hears this and pecks at Max again. Caroline then invites Ash over for lunch.
At lunch, Ash discusses his journeys with his friends. May tells Norman that Ash would like to have a battle with him. Ash asks the gym rules. Max tells him that it is a 3-on-3 gym match and Norman agrees. Ash sighs since he only brought Pikachu with him. Norman thinks that Ash must have a lot of Pokémon since he got through the Johto League. Ash explains to them that all of his Pokémon are back in Pallet Town. Caroline offers Ash to have them transferred to the Pokémon Center. Ash refuses his offer since he only wants to use Pokémon that he catches in Hoenn. Norman decides to battle Ash even if it is not an official gym battle.
Ash sends in Pikachu and Norman sends out Vigoroth. Ash looks up Vigoroth in his Pokédex. He wonders what attacks Vigoroth knows. Vigoroth starts off with a Scratch attack in which Pikachu barely dodges. Vigoroth uses Scratch again which hits this time. Pikachu uses Quick Attack, but Vigoroth dodges that. Team Rocket is watching the battle from outside. They want to capture both Pikachu and Vigoroth to give to the boss. Pikachu tries a Thunderbolt, but with great speed, Vigoroth dodges that attack too. Pikachu aims for another Quick Attack which successfully hits Vigoroth. Another Scratch attack hits Pikachu again. May, Max, and Caroline are impressed at the battle. Another attack from Vigoroth sends Pikachu against the wall. Norman wins the battle. Ash is glad to see that Pikachu is okay.
Suddenly, Team Rocket blasts a hole through the wall and they say their motto. May shouts out, "Team Rocket!" at them, and Caroline thinks that they are May's friends. May tells her mother that Team Rocket are their enemies. Jessie sends out Arbok and James sends out Weezing. Weezing uses Smokescreen. The whole area is filled with smoke. Vigoroth tries to attack, but it can't see very well due to the smoke. Arbok then hits Pikachu with a Headbutt. Max thinks that May should send out her Pokémon. She agrees and sends out Torchic. Before May can call out an attack, Arbok hits Torchic with a Headbutt. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt but ends up hitting Max instead of Team Rocket. The smoke then clears. Vigoroth and Pikachu are both safe, however Torchic is gone. Everyone rushes outside. They see Team Rocket float away in their balloon. May is sad because her Torchic is now gone. Ash promises May that he will get Torchic back.
Who's That Pokémon?
Some believe this Pokémon came to Earth on a meteor!
It's Cleffa!
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Thinking that they caught Pikachu, Jessie puts on her gloves and takes the Pokémon out of the bag. To her surprise, she takes out Torchic. Torchic is not the Pokémon that Team Rocket wants. Meowth suggests that they use Torchic to get Pikachu. Ash and co. walk in the middle of a field. They decide to split up to search for Torchic. Norman and Caroline go one way while Ash, May, and Max look in another direction. Max begins to search for tracks but doesn't find any. May tells him that Team Rocket was in a balloon. May shouts at Max to stop fooling around. Max begins to cry but May knows that Max is faking it. Norman and Caroline come out. They have spotted Team Rocket's balloon. Everyone is led to the place where the balloon is at. Torchic is locked up in a cage. May and Max run out to get Torchic, but they fall in a hole. Norman and Caroline then run out, but they fall in another hole. Team Rocket comes out laughing at them. Ash decides to use Bayleef, but then he remembers that Bayleef is not with him. Ash goes to the hole where May and Max is and helps them out. Arbok attacks, but Pikachu hits Arbok with a Quick Attack. Norman and Caroline then climb out.
Norman yells at Team Rocket for stealing May's first Pokémon. He sends out Vigoroth which attacks Arbok. James sends out Weezing. While they are battling, Max sneaks up and gets Torchic. He brings the cage to May. May opens the cage and takes Torchic out. Arbok regains its strength and wraps Vigoroth in its body. Pikachu slams its body into Arbok. May tells Torchic to use Ember, but it fires the attack at Max. May thinks of another attack that Torchic can do. Max suggests Peck, and Torchic begins to Peck at Max. Norman tells Vigoroth to finish it off. Vigoroth slams its body into both Arbok and Weezing. Both Pokémon fall backwards into Team Rocket. Then Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt, blasting Team Rocket off into the sky. May is glad that her Torchic is back. Max sees May and Torchic bonding with each other.
Now it is time for Ash and May to continue their journey. Max offers to go along with Ash and May since he knows a lot about Pokémon. Norman and Caroline think that it is a good idea. Norman then gives Ash and May a badge case. Ash thanks Norman for the gift. Then Norman gives Max a Pokémon Navigator. With that they will know exactly where they are. Norman suggests that they go to the closest city with a gym. That happens to be Rustboro City. Then Ash, May, and Max say goodbye to Norman and Caroline and they head to Rustboro City.
