BW039: A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!

A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition! (Japanese: 釣りソムリエ・デント登場！, Hepburn: Fisher Connoisseur - Cilan appears!!) is the 26th episode of Pokémon: Black & White.

Synopsis

After winning against Burgh at the Castelia Gym Ash and co. head to Nimbasa City, home of the next Gym and Gym Leader Elesa. Next they have a run-in with their old friend Bianca, by bumping into Ash and knocking just him into the water. She informs them of a fishing contest in Castelia City and Cilan explores his newfound fishing possibilities. Little do they know that the contest was just another Team Rocket trick. Cilan chooses his rod with care. He later catches a Blue-striped Basculin. Will he keep it and why does that female Frillish like Ash so much?

Episode Plot

The gang arrives to a town where Cilan checks the map - Nimbasa City is not far away. Ash is happy knowing his Gym battle will come soon. Suddenly, Ash is knocked in a nearby river by Bianca. Ash floats on the river, being watched by a Pokémon. Bianca apologises to Ash and shows them a poster she saw. It is the fishing competition, making Cilan excited for the event. Bianca admits it is great she can do what she wants away from home. Ash admits he should enter, too, as he also participated in the fishing contests. Iris thinks he can't catch as many as she can. However, Cilan gets too excited, thinking they don't know how tough the contest is, determined to win it, being a fishing connoisseur. They all go to the tent where they should register.

Team Rocket, in disguise, oversee the contest. They consider themselves lucky, as they can take a lot of Water-type Pokémon and give them to the boss. James gives the twerps the papers they should register on to get started. The heroes see the prize, a golden fishing stick. Ash wants to use it, but Iris thinks he is a kid, as he can't use the prize for the contest. Bianca chooses a fishing stick, but Cilan thinks it is a wrong one, so he chooses a different one for her, as she is a beginner to fishing, while Cilan obtained his own rod for this contest. They go out and see the area for the fishing and the one to battle the fished Pokémon. Bianca swings her rod, but the hook attaches to Ash. Cilan detaches the hook, as Bianca does not know much about fishing. Cilan gives Ash, Iris and Bianca tips how to catch the water Pokémon. After a while, Cilan fishes one out and sends it on the other side where he can catch it.

It is a Basculin, so Cilan tosses it to the battleground and sends Pansage to battle. Pansage gets attacked by Water Gun and bitten, followed by Aqua Tail. Pansage uses Bullet Seed, then swims and gets on shore just before Basculin attacks. Basculin bangs its head on a platform (with Pansage's Solar Beam hurting it more), so Cilan captures it using the fishing ball. Ash and Bianca see Cilan is good, for he caught a Water Pokémon already. Iris tries to capture one, but it takes a long time before she decides to capture it with her own hands. However, James says it is only allowed to capture Pokémon using the fishing rod. Cilan gives the Basculin to Jessie to analyze, but is surprised when she won't weigh his captured Pokémon. Jessie assures him they'll weigh it at the end of the contest. She takes the box in the back room, while Meowth tells her and James he has an escape plan. As Ash fishes, Iris joins him. Bianca throws the hook and gets a bite. Ash, Iris and Cilan go to help her. The Pokémon is Frillish, who hugs Ash.

Iris and Cilan go to help Ash, but get hurt as well. As a last resort, Pikachu uses Thunderbolt to drive Frillish away, even if he hurt the heroes. Team Rocket see the fuss, so they grab the Poké Balls and go. However, the boat goes away as the Frillish pushed it. Team Rocket yell at Frillish, but the contestants are behind them, hearing them. The heroes notice the bag with the Poké Balls, so Team Rocket undisguise themselves as their plan got foiled. Jessie sends Woobat and James his Yamask. Cilan is insulted by Team Rocket's thieving plan, sending his Pansage and Ash Pikachu. Pansage uses Bullet Seed and Pikachu Thunderbolt, though Yamask uses the mask to protect. Pikachu uses Iron Tail on Yamask and Pansage bites Woobat. Team Rocket notice that Frillish opened all the Poké Balls they stole, including Cilan's Basculin. Yamask uses Haze for distraction and Team Rocket retreat in jetpacks, promising to capture Pikachu.

The tent crashes, so Cilan goes to find the golden fishing stick. However, it is an old repainted stick and now broken. Ash still wants to challenge the Nimbasa City's Gym leader, so Bianca runs to get as soon as possible to challenge the Gym leader before Ash does. The heroes go on their own way.

Debutes

Pokémon

• Basculin (Cilan's) (blue)
• Basculin (red; explanation)

Trivia

• Like "Hook, Line, and Stinker" episode, a fishing contest was featured. The main characters, Misty and Cilan, caught a heavy Water Pokémon, but were later released.
• This episode was originally supposed to air earlier but was delayed due to the 2011 earthquake in Japan, so the scene in Castelia City was removed and a scene of Bianca departing was inserted.
• Professor Oak's Live Caster: Scraggy
• Who's That Pokémon?: Basculin (US)

Mistakes

• In the end of the episode Bianca leaves, but in the start of the next episode she is again travelling with them. This is because the episode was aired out of production and chronological order.
• The gang was surprised to see James using his Yamask in battle, despite seeing it prior to this episode. Again, this is due to the episode being aired out of production and chronological order.
  • This was changed in the dub to make it look like Bianca was the only one who was surprised, and wanted to know what a Yamask was.

Gallery

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