RS003: There's No Place Like Hoenn

There's no Place Like Hoenn (Japanese: トウカジム！VSヤルキモノ！, Hepburn: Petalburg Gym! VS. Norman!) is the 3rd episode of Pokémon: Advanced.

Synopsis

Ash and May have made it all the way to Petalburg City—the first city with a gym. Ash is very excited to take on the Gym Leader. May seems a little uneasy—perhaps it's because she hasn't yet told Ash that her father, Norman, is the Gym Leader in Petalburg! When Ash first gets to the gym, he meets May's little brother, Max, who is pretending to be the Gym Leader. Max knows a lot about Pokémon and can't wait until he's old enough to become a trainer. Once Ash finally meets Norman, he learns that he will need three Pokémon in order to battle at the gym. He only has Pikachu with him. When Norman agrees to an unofficial battle, Ash encounters his first Vigoroth. Ash realizes that he will have to train hard in order to win a badge in Petalburg City. After a quick scuffle with Team Rocket, Ash and May are ready to hit the road again. Max has decided to tag along, too!

Episode Plot

Ash and May have arrived to Petalbug City where Ash hopes to fight the Gym Leader. Ash explains to May that he needs eight Badges to get into the Hoenn League. May says that the Petalburg City's Gym Leader is kind and strong, while Ash proposes to go meet him. May runs off, "needing to take care of few things first". When Ash arrives to the Gym, he finds it empty, but a child comes, recognizing Ash, as "the trainer who lost in second round" and tells he is Alan, but Ash corrects him. Max then recites what happened at Johto League - Blaziken and Charizard were fiercely battling one another, until Charizard had lost the energy to fight.

Ash then argues with Max as to how difficult the battle was. Ash then tells him that he wants the Gym Leader, so Max replies it is him. Reciting the rules, Max says it is a 3-on-3 battle (though Ash knows he has only Pikachu) and that the trainer needs to show their Pokémon, to which Ash argues. Suddenly, May comes to the window with her parents. May introduces her family to Ash, while Max introduces (incorrectly) Ash as the loser of second round of Johto League. May's mother then asks about May's bike, so she remebers it got destroyed. Her father wants to show which Pokémon she chose, and she brings her Torchic out. Max is sorely disappointed, mentioning that he would've picked Treecko instead. To that, Torchic attacks Max.

Ash joins for lunch. May asks her father to battle Ash. Ash asks about the (real) rules, to which Max states again that it is on 3-on-3 battle. Ash has only Pikachu and only wants the Pokémon from Hoenn region to battle with. However, May's father respects that - he will battle Ash, but to an unofficial fight. May's father brings Vigoroth out. Vigoroth attacks Pikachu with Scratch attack. Pikachu is unable to dodge it, and as Vigoroth makes another attack. Pikachu manages to dodge it and strikes with Quick Attack, but Vigoroth evades and attacks Pikachu once more. Team Rocket sees the battle and plans to take both Vigoroth and Pikachu.

Pikachu attacks with Thunderbolt, but Vigoroth dodges. Pikachu strikes with Quick Attack, managing to attack the Vigoroth. Vigoroth scratches Pikachu again, defeating him. Team Rocket appears, but May's mother mistakes them to be her friends. Jessie brings sends out Arbok, while James his Weezing. Weezing attacks with SmokeScreen, while Arbok headbutts, knocking Pikachu out. May brings her Torchic out, but as she is trying to think which move should Torchic use, Arbok knocks it out. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but with the smoke, he accidentally attacks Max. Team Rocket disappears, taking Torchic with them, strangely enough. Still, Ash promises to get Torchic back.

Jessie puts her rubber gloves on, taking Torchic (to which Team Rocket thought it was a Pikachu), who uses Ember on James. Meowth then advises to use Torchic as bait for Pikachu. Norma and Caroline split from Ash, May and Max, finding the hot air balloon Team Rocket was using. Max tries to deduce where Team Rocket went to, but May points out they were flying and bashes Max, who cries out. Norman and Caroline reappear, as they located the balloon. Max and May go to rescue Torchic, but fall into a hole. Norman and Caroline go rescue their children, but they fall as well into another hole. Ash then wanted to bring out Bayleef, but he does not have it, so Arbok attacks, though Pikachu counterattacks. Ash helps Max, Carolaine, May, and Norman to get out of the hole. Norman brings Vigoroth out, attacking Arbok. Max sneaks to get Torchic and brings it back to May.

Arbok wraps Vigoroth, but Pikachu tackles Arbok. May orders Torchic to attack with Amber, but Max corrects her. May orders to attack with Ember, but Torchic attacks Max. She orders to attack with Peck, but (again) Torchic attacks Max. Arbok hits Pikachu, so Vigoroth knocks out Weezing nd Arbok. Pikachu attacks them with Thunderbolt, blasting them off. Later, Ash and May are about to leave. Max decides to join them, since he knows a lot about Pokémon. Norman gives May and Ash badge cases, while to Max a Pokémon Navigator. Norman advises Ash to go to Rustboro City, where he may fight against the Gym Leader. Max speeds up, so Ash and May wave goodbye to Norman and Caroline, then run to catch up with Max.

Debuts

Character

• Max
• Norman
• Caroline

Pokémon

Vigoroth (Norman's)

Item

• PokéNav
• Badge Case

Quotes

"Hey Pika...chu?" - Jessie

"Torchic, Amber!

You mean Ember..." May and Max

Trivia

• The "Who's That Pokémon" is Cleffa.
• This episode's name is based on the popular phrase "There's No Place Like Home".

Mistakes

Ash's shoes had different designs between scenes after his Pikachu lost to Norman's Vigoroth.

Gallery

Template:Pokémon: Advanced Generation