BW025: Battling for the Love of Bug-Types!

"Battling for the Love of Bug-Types!"
Information
Series	Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Subtitle	Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes!
Season	Pokémon: Black & White
№	684
Opening(s) and Ending(s)	Japanese Opening Best Wishes! Ending Fanfare of the Heart English Opening Black & White
Staff credits	脚本(きゃくほん) (Screenplay) 米村正二 (Yukiyoshi Ōhashi) 絵(え)コンテ (Storyboard) 西田健一 (Ken'ichi Nishida) 助手(じょしゅ)監督(かんとく) (Assistant director(s)) 西田健一 (Ken'ichi Nishida) 作画(さくが)監督(かんとく) (Animation director(s)) 田島瑞穂 (Mizuho Tajima)
In other countries
Japan	Title ヒウンジム戦！純情ハートの虫ポケモンバトル！！ Airdate March 17, 2011
Japan	Title ヒウンジム戦！純情ハートの虫ポケモンバトル！！ Airdate March 17, 2011
Anglosphere	Title Battling for the Love of Bug-Types! Airdate(s) July 9, 2011 Notes ^ a: Signifies that it only applies to the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and SG
Anglosphere	Title Battling for the Love of Bug-Types! Airdate(s) July 9, 2011 Notes ^ a: Signifies that it only applies to the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and SG
Details
Main	Ash, Iris, Cilan
Recurring	Jessie, James
Minor	Burgh
Character(s) of the Day	Burgh
Pokémon	Ash's Pikachu, Team Rocket's Meowth, Iris' Axew, Ash's Sewaddle → Swadloon, Ash's Tepig, Ash's Oshawott, Jessie's Woobat, Burgh's Dwebble, Burgh's Whirlipede, Burgh's Leavanny, Burgh's Sewaddle, James' Yamask, Cilan's Dwebble (flashback)
Badges or Classes
Major event(s)	Ash's Sewaddle evolves into Swadloon. Ash's Swadloon learns Energy Ball. James captures a Yamask. Ash wins the Insect Badge.
Title cards
Japanese
For other title cards, see here

Battling for the Love of Bug-Types! (Japanese: ヒウンジム戦！純情ハートの虫ポケモンバトル！！, Hepburn: The Castelia Gym Battle! A Pure-Hearted Bug Pokémon Battle!!) is the 25th episode of Pokémon: Black & White.

Synopsis

The time for Ash’s Gym battle with Burgh, the Castelia City Gym Leader and Bug-type Pokémon expert, has finally arrived! Burgh’s first Pokémon is Dwebble, and Ash sends out his Tepig. From the outset, Burgh’s Dwebble shows impressive speed thanks to an extra-light rock on its back, and its powerful Rock Wrecker attack quickly knocks Tepig out!

Next, Ash brings out his Sewaddle. Burgh is pleased to see his old friend from Pinwheel Forest—until Sewaddle makes quick work of Dwebble by knocking the rock off of its back with a well-placed Razor Leaf, evening the score!

When Burgh brings out his tough Whirlipede, Ash decides to stick with Sewaddle—who evolves into Swadloon in the midst of the battle! Swadloon’s powerful Energy Ball defeats Whirlipede, leaving Burgh with only his beloved Leavanny. The Nurturing Pokémon quickly overpowers Swadloon, leaving Leavanny to battle against Ash’s Pikachu!

Pikachu soon finds itself trapped by Leavanny’s String Shot. With its tail all wrapped up, Pikachu is way off balance and having trouble aiming! After several attempts to shake off the sticky string fail, Ash sends Pikachu diving straight into Leavanny’s Leaf Storm. It’s a risky move, but the sharp leaves cut right through the strings, and Pikachu is free! Back up to speed, Pikachu defeats Leavanny with a powerful Electro Ball, and Ash excitedly claims the Insect Badge!

Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio have been getting the silent treatment from their Boss, Giovanni. His secretary advises them to act on their own and do their best for Team Rocket. Jessie, James, and Meowth decide to go back to doing what they do best—annoying Ash while trying to steal Pikachu! And when James befriends a hungry Yamask that wanders into their cave, Jessie proclaims this an excellent omen for their future...

Episode plot

The heroes arrive at the Castelia Gym and remark it is like a big greenhouse. Burgh feeds a Sewaddle and notices the heroes. He jumps down, as Ash wants a Gym Battle. Burgh admits they moved the trees from Pinwheel Forest to the Gym, where the bugs enjoy the atmosphere of the Gym. Ash is excited to have the Gym battle, so Burgh snaps his fingers, which reveals a battlefield. Burgh sends Dwebble, while Iris notices how its rock looks different from the one from Cilan's Dwebble. Ash sends Tepig, who starts with Tackle. Dwebble dodges, while Tepig repeats his attack. This time Dwebble dodges with Dig, hitting Tepig, continued by X-Scissor. Burgh tells Dwebble's rock is much lighter than those of other Dwebble, allowing it to move faster. Tepig uses Ember, but Dwebble blocked it using Protect.

Dwebble uses X-Scissor on Tepig, who Tackles it back. Tepig uses Flame Charge, but gets countered by Dwebble's Protect. Using Rock Wrecker, Tepig is defeated. Ash calls him back, while Cilan thinks Burgh lured Tepig in and defeated him with Rock Wrecker. Ash sends Sewaddle, displeasing Iris and Cilan for that choice. Burgh remembers Sewaddle, as his Leavanny made Sewaddle's cloak. Iris thinks Burgh is at an advantage, knowing Sewaddle, but Cilan tells he never saw it battle. Sewaddle uses Razor Leaf, but gets countered by Dwebble's Protect. Dwebble uses X-Scissor, but Sewaddle uses String Shot to go up, dodging the attack. Sewaddle goes to use Bug Bite, but Dwebble uses Protect to block, followed by Rock Wrecker. Sewaddle uses String Shot to dodge and uses Razor Leaf, but Dwebble protects itself, much to Ash's frustration.

Dwebble uses Rock Wrecker, but Sewaddle uses String Shot to intercept the attack. Sewaddle Tackles Dwebble, countering its X-Scissor, causing Dwebble to lose its shell. Sewaddle uses Razor Leaf and Tackle on Dwebble. With Razor Leaf, Dwebble is defeated. Burgh calls it back and sends Whirlipede instead. Iris and Cilan see Whirlipede is a tough Pokémon, but Ash has no available Pokémon, being at a disadvantage. Whirlipede starts with Poison Sting, though Sewaddle uses String Shot to go up. It uses String Shot on Whirlipede, who rolls to cut the thread. Whirlipede uses Steamroller, hitting Sewaddle. It repeats the attack, negating Sewaddle's Razor Leaf. Sewaddle uses Bug Bite, but Whirlipede uses Iron Defense.

Whirlipede uses Steamroller and fires a Solar Beam. After getting hit by the attack, Sewaddle evolves into Swadloon. Swadloon uses String Shot, but Whirlipede rolls, countering the move. Whirlipede uses Steamroller, so Swadloon uses String Shot to dodge. However, Whirlipede cuts the thread and repeats it's attack, but gets stopped by Swadloon's newly learned Energy Ball. Swadloon uses Tackle, hitting Whirlipede and defeating it. Burgh calls Whirlipede back and sends Leavanny. Meanwhile, Team Rocket contact their HQ, though Giovanni's secretary replies. Team Rocket ask what their next assignment is, but the secretary replies it is up to them and logs out. Team Rocket is surprised, but see they need to go on their own missions, planning on catching Pikachu once and for all. Suddenly, a wild Yamask appears in the warehouse, so Jessie sends Woobat to catch it. However, James thinks it is hungry. After eating the food, Yamask joins Team Rocket, allowing itself to be caught by James.

Swadloon uses Energy Ball, but gets countered by Leavanny's Protect. Leavanny wraps Swadloon with String Shot, so the latter uses Razor Leaf on itself to get free from the threads. Leavanny uses Leaf Storm, hitting Swadloon and defeats it with Hyper Beam. Ash calls Swadloon back and Oshawott comes out. Ash chooses Pikachu, shocking Oshawott, who is called back. Ash sends Pikachu, while Burgh admits one cannot expect what the challenger will send in the Gym Battle. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but misses and uses Iron Tail. Leavanny protects itself and uses Leaf Storm, while Pikachu intercept using Thunderbolt. Leavanny uses String Shot, wrapping Pikachu. Leavanny uses Leaf Storm, while Pikachu cannot use Quick Attack to avoid, as he is wrapped and gets hit.

While Pikachu tries to break the thread, Leavanny uses Leaf Storm, attacking the former, who uses Thunderbolt, but misses. Leavanny uses Hyper Beam, hitting Pikachu. It uses Leaf Storm, but Pikachu rolls, allowing the attack to cut the threads and Pikachu is freed. Leavanny uses String Shot, though Pikachu avoids it with Quick Attack and counters another one with Thunderbolt. Using Iron Tail and Electro Ball, Pikachu defeats Leavanny. Burgh comes to Ash and gives him the Insect Badge and adds it to the case. Later, the heroes bid farewell to Burgh, as they continue onwards.

Debuts

Pokémon

• Whirlipede (Burgh's)
• Swadloon (Ash's)
• Burgh's Sewaddle
• Burgh's Dwebble
• James' Yamask

Move

• Steamroller

Item

• Insect Badge

Trivia

Who's That Pokémon? / Character Eyecatch

• BW character eyecatch 2 (before)
• BW character eyecatch 2 (after)

1/2

• "Who's that Pokémon?:" Leavanny
• Professor Oak's Live Caster: Herdier
• This episode has some elements similar to "Gettin' the Bugs Out".
  • The Gyms are shaped as greenhouses.
  • Burgh encountered the heroes in his Gym on a tree, similar to Bugsy.
  • Ash used Pikachu, a Fire-type Starter Pokémon (Cyndaquil) and a Grass-type Pokémon (Chikorita).
  • Bugsy's Spinarak, like Ash's Swadloon, used String Shot to move and dodge attacks.
• This episode was supposed to air two weeks later but was aired two weeks earlier after the episodes "Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma!" (Parts 1 and 2)'s postponement (and later banishment).
• Jessie and James return to wearing their regular uniforms rather than the black colored ones they'd been wearing in the past couple of episodes.
  • In addition their image has somewhat softened as James offers the Yamask he catches some food beforehand.
• The music motto of Team Rocket in the Diamond & Pearl series is back and added to the Black & White series.
• Like Cacnea, James befriended and fed Yamask to catch it.
• The only places where the preview for this episode can be seen is on the initial printing of the rental DVD and the Amazon Prime library for the Best Wishes series. This preview was not aired on TV because the episode it would've been attached to should it have aired, "Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma! (Part 2)" is currently being postponed along with Part 1, though the promised airing of those episodes has never occurred since. Reruns and the original airing of "A Venipede Stampede!", as well as DVD releases on later printings, have the preview for "Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma! (Part 1)". On both the DVD and Amazon Prime versions that do show the preview, the ending to "A Venipede Stampede!" with the heroes flying off to the Desert Resort is unchanged unlike the dub of the episode.

Gallery

Burgh tends to Sewaddle

Dwebble tackles Tepig

Dwebble uses X-Scissor

Tepig's Ember failed, due to Dwebble's Protect

Tepig uses Flame Charge, but got blocked by Dwebble

Tepig has been defeated

Dwebble uses Rock Wrecker

Sewaddle attacks Dwebble

Dwebble is hit by Sewaddle's Razor Leaf

Dwebble got defeated

Sewaddle uses String Shot

Burgh's Whirlipede uses Steamroller

Sewaddle got hit

Whirlipede prepares for Solar Beam

Ash's Sewaddle is starting to evolve

Sewaddle evolved into a Swadloon and learned Energy Ball

Swadloon tackles Whirlipede

Burgh calls Whirlipede back

James befriended a Yamask

Swadloon got affected by String Shot

Swadloon got defeated

Leavanny used Protect to block Pikachu's Iron Tail

Pikachu uses Iron Tail, attacking Leavanny

Burgh's Leavanny got defeated

Ash won his third badge