Part XXIV: Road to Opelucid

This is the twenty-fourth part of my rewrite series on the Black and White series of the Pokémon anime. If you missed out on the last entry, go to this post!

This 5-episode arc covers the time the group spends travelling towards Opelucid City, and features a last addition to the gang before the plots start to close up.

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BW109 A Surface to Air Tag Battle Team! (rewrite for canon BW099)

This may be the most decent episode in all of Season 16. Not huge into it by any means but alas, it is fun enough!

I have a feeling the episode would work best if these Soren and Rocko guys were just HUGE Cilan fans ever since they saw him in the Gear Station festival or whatevs (they were there ‘cos before they were huge Ingo & Emmet fans). They want to show Cilan how cool their tag battle techniques are, and so they wanna fight… Ash and Iris. They say Cilan is leagues above them still and thus they are not good enough to fight him, yadda yadda.

So it’s their Drilbur and Braviary against Iris’ Excadrill and Ash’s Archeops. Yeah, I know Excadrill is Drilbur’s evolved version, but it’s also true Excadrill has rarely found himself fighting alongside someone so Drilbur’s got the edge there. Like in canon, Soren and Rocko show very cool tag battle techniques, but Ash and Iris create a few of their own to eventually surpass them. Ideas include Wing Run (Wing Attack + Drll Run), Ancient Claw (similar to their Fury Rock, but with Ancient Power and Metal Claw) and idk, Shadow Blast? (just realised Archeops only has 3 moves so I’m giving it Shadow Claw, fight me; plus Focus Blast). Whatever, cool names them all.

The important thing here, besides giving Archeops and Excadrill fight time lmao, is that now the guys fanboying over Cilan makes sense.

Also, instead of a Corphish and Buizel they would catch a Frillish and a Panpour?, idk Unova doesn’t have that many water Pokémon and the comment at the end with the Swanna and the Palpitoad is decent for Cilan’s reflection so can’t have it be them. Again, why did Season 16 make non-Unovan ‘mons so prevalent as wild Pokémon? Seriously, how isn’t Reddit full of “did you realise the entirety of Season 14 they’re like “idk anything but Unovan ‘mons and in Season 16 there’s anything but Unovan mons????”

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BW110 The Mystery of the Tangled Garden! (NEW)

The group stops near a small roadside botanical garden run by Trent, a Unovan researcher (who’s hugely into Professor Fennel, yes, that’s his whole personality) who is also now studying foreign Grass-type Pokémon that were brought thanks to the PWT exhibition. Cilan is very interested, seen as he’s a Grass-type expert.

He explains some foreign species adapt particularly well to Unova’s routes, and some are being particularly useful in helping the botanical garden. During the site’s introduction, we see a Tropius, a Carnivine, a few Roselia, as well as Unovan Pokémon such as Whimsicott, Sawsbuck, Foongus…

The group then finds a path in the garden that is blocked by vines. Trent cannot believe it’s happened again, and explains there have been sights of some odd blue creature that has hidden in here and keeps causing chaos by blocking paths.

Ash’s Leavanny and Oshawott together cut the vines carefully and the group explores the facility trying to find the Pokémon so it stops troubling them.

Team Rocket also happens to be around, of course interested in capturing a few of the preserved Pokémon. They want to act silently, but James’ Foongus starts acting all zesty, forcing them to start posing as tourists. Meowth even dresses up as a Roselia to not raise suspicions!

The gang explores the different routes. Zweilous’ heads disagree on where to go, Emolga and Archeops try to carefully glide over the fields… It is however Cilan who gets a glimpse of the creature, and quickly identifies it: it’s a Tangela!

Soon as he sees Cilan, however, Tangela starts running away. Cilan lets everyone know and so starts a short fun scene where Tangela manages to evade everyone throughout the maze that is the botanical garden.

The group desists, knowing they’ll never catch it, and Trent wonders what could have gotten into it to be acting like that. Cilan proceeds to perform his evaluation time, manages to understand Tangela’s running routes, and soon they corner him. All of them but Team Rocket, who are exhausted and get lost once more.

Cilan tries to approach and grab Tangela, but he only manages to grab a few of his vines before Tangela uses the inertia to jump, bump on Cilan’s head and somehow escape, letting Cilan alone with nothing but a few vines as Tangela’s body seems to heal itself.

Trent observes it’s clear the vines they found earlier are also from Tangela’s body, and that it’s likely he has the species’ Hidden Ability, Regenerator. Oh, how Professor Fennel would love it!

Cilan is fascinated. If that’s the case, Tangela can recover his vines at great speed after losing them, which would explain why the garden keeps being covered in them no matter how often the staff clears them out. Ash asks if that means Tangela is doing it on purpose, and Cilan prepares for another evaluation time… only for Tangela to swing from a nearby branch, headed somewhere. They run after it.

We get another scene of Team Rocket being lost, a real Roselia flirting with Meowth, and Foongus having the time of his life.

The group arrives at a wooden viewing platform that’s beginning to buckle under the weight of a Tropius. The Pokémon had wandered onto it to reach some fruit hanging over the fence, but the boards were old and damp. Tangela drops from above, and wraps vines around the platform’s legs and the nearby trees to keep it from collapsing. Trent observes that the platform was scheduled for repairs the following week.

Leavanny and Crustle hurry in to help, while Iris’ Dragonite lifts Tropius off the platform. Soon as everyone’s safe, Tangela pulls its vines loose and starts running again. Cilan kneels near the platform and notices that the vines he left behind are wrapped exclusively around the cracked supports. Tangela knew which parts would fail. Trent is shocked at such perceptiveness!

Cilan stares after Tangela and wonders if Tangela has a better understanding of what’s going on because he feels what lies beneath it. They see Tangela again and run after it, and keep encountering more and more vines. They are ready to cut them down, but Cilan warns them not to and advises them to find alternative routes.

They finally track down Tangela to a small closed-off greenhouse. Tangela places itself in front of the door, spreading its vines across the frame like a living barricade. Trent explains he hasn’t really checked on the greenhouse ever since they’ve had to allocate the foreign Pokémon.

Cilan suddenly realises what’s going on: Tangela’s been trying to tell them that the greenhouse is about to come down, blocking any path that didn’t take them there to begin with, but the scientists got it all wrong.

They try to come inside and find that the humidity system has malfunctioned: Carnivine vines, Roselia pollen, Foongus spores… all of them, combined, are going wild. The place is near toxic at this point, the Pokémon inside are sickly, and this is damaging all of the soil nearby too.

Trent realizes he was so busy showing off the facility and talking about Fennel’s research that he missed the actual maintenance issue.

Then, Team Rocket intends to cut into the greenhouse from the back and steal the Pokémon. By cutting Tangela’s vine seals, however, they accidentally release the spore mess into the garden.

The team tries to contain the mess, but Trent deems it impossible and tells everyone to run. It’s then that James’ Foongus, alongside every other Foongus around start jumping, seemingly attracting the toxins. James’ Foongus even starts glowing and evolves into Amoonguss!, absorbing most toxins and saving the day!

Team Rocket is subsequently blasted off, but James is beyond excited with this new evolution, the two hugging as they fly away.

Trent thanks the gang for their help and lets them know they’ll relocate all the Grass types to a safer location where they’re better looked at. He also lets Tangela know (while blushing) that he’s already called Fennel and they’ll take him to a research facility where he can stay. Tangela, however, wraps his vines on Cilan’s arm, visibly nervous. Cilan wonders if Trent shouldn’t keep Tangela for the greenhouse, but he lets them know Tangela’s lividness truly does not match the style of this research facility. Ash and Iris point out Tangela won’t let go of Cilan’s arm, and so Cilan decides to catch him.

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BW111 Playing Your Cards Right! (NEW)

The team is resting and grabbing a bite from Cilan’s delicious cuisine. Pikachu and Excadrill exchange hits, Leavanny learns new sewing techniques using Tangela’s vines, Archeops calms Dragonite off by giving him some fruit, Stunfisk and Oshawott have fun in some nearby ponds…

While that happens, Axew and Scraggy play around quite far from the group and stumble upon what seems to be a shiny necklace. They wonder what it is. Then, a dark-looking guy approaches them (scaring them off quite a bit) and says they should give it back, for it belongs to him. Scraggy tries to intimidate the guy with Leer, but the guy’s face alone is enough to make Axew run away. Scraggy stores the necklace in his trousers and the dude is about to snatch it off of him… until Ash and Iris run to see what’s going on, warned by Axew’s screams.

Seeing them approach, the guy hides behind a tree. Scraggy shows the necklace to Ash and Iris, who are amazed at the sight of such a lustrous ornament. They head back, with Scraggy looking around, knowing the guy is still there.

They let Cilan examine the necklace (as he is a Jewelry Connoisseur, too, ‘cos of course he is), and he concludes this is nothing but a cheap copy. Then, the dark guy (who was spying on the gang), jumps out of the bush he was hiding in, both mortified and devastated, and demands Cilan takes that back!, that can’t be true!, it must be a real piece of expensive jewelry!

Scraggy confronts the guy. Cilan explains it’s a very good replica, it would fool mostly anybody, but he is a real expert. The guy tries to snatch it from Cilan’s hands… but Scraggy lunges at him and tries to Headbutt him in the stomach! However, the guy barely shifts aside and Scraggy crashes face-first into the ground. Scraggy adjusts his trousers angrily, trying to look tough, but the guy just looks down on him.

The group demands an explanation from the guy. He gives a dramatic little bow and says his name is Grimsley. Cilan freezes and freaks out: this is Grimsley, of the Unova Elite Four!

Ash merrily asks for a battle, but Iris cuts in and asks what’s the deal with the necklace. Grimsley is about to explain when he realises there’s an opportunity and asks Ash how much he’d be willing to pay for the fight. Ash does not quite understand.

Grimsley explains that his family once possessed a great fortune, but alas, fortunes are like cards!, and if you keep drawing without looking at the table, eventually your hand is empty. Now that most of the heirlooms have been sold, he’s seeking for lost treasures. Cilan asks if he’s found any, and Grimsley says he did, opening a little case that contains all sorts of disgusting looking apparels: a cracked spoon, rusty bottle caps… Cilan stares in polite horror.

Grimsley asks for the necklace back, saying it will for sure be good enough to fool some dumb merchant. Ash says that’s not ethical, and Grimsley, irritated, says it’s fair they don’t want to gift it away. If Ash wants a battle so much, they’ll have one. If Ash wins, he’ll leave. If not, they’ll hand the necklace over.

Iris and Cilan, still hesitant, accept just so that Ash can have that fight he so wants. Ash gets ready. Grimsley takes out a coin that shocks Cilan: that is a true relic, it’s impossible to deny! It’ll be an honour to flip it to see who makes the first move! Grimsley angrily denies Cilan the chance, saying it’s his coin and his alone… and what does he even mean by “first move”? Ash does not understand, are they fighting now or what? Grimsley then shocks everyone by bringing out a deck of cards!

Next thing he knows, Ash is playing a card game he doesn’t even understand. Grimsley even cheats to win a few rounds. Iris cannot believe they’re wasting their time here.

Ash says he didn’t expect this when he asked for a fight! Grimsley points out he said 'battle', and that there’s no fiercer battle than this! A poor choice of words is the first mistake of every gambler! Grimsley claims another round, which is the last straw. Scraggy High Jump Kicks the table, knocking it all over, and Iris claims Grimsley has been slipping cards from his sleeve!

Grimsley gasps in theatrical offense, then admits such eyes are sharp enough to make Iris a terrible opponent… and a wonderful witness, if the situation so demands for one. Iris asks what is that even supposed to mean.

Grimsley smiles and gathers the cards off the ground, encountering Scraggy’s growling face staring at him as he does. Scraggy points at the cards and at Grimmsley’s sleeve, furiously saying he also saw him cheat. Grimsley kneels in front of Scraggy and says he has quite the temper for someone who can barely keep his trousers on. Scraggy tries to Headbutt him again, but Grimsley steps aside again without even looking. Ash manages to catch Scraggy before he hits the ground this time.

Grimsley flips his coin. “Impatience is a poor wager”, he says. “You keep placing everything you have on the first move. That makes you brave, sure, but makes you a very poor card player”

Ash asks for a fight once and for all, and Grimsley argues they’ve been battling all along. Cards, coins, words, even pride, they are all games of risk.

Cilan wonders how can someone of such high prestige and elegance as him go around cheating children out of a fake necklace. Iris demands Grimsley behaves as his position demands, and after staring at Scraggy for a bit… he accepts, but on his own terms. He throws a card into the air and, somehow, a Pokémon comes out of it. It’s a Scrafty!

Scrafty looks down on Scraggy as Grimsley explains the rules. Scrafty and Scraggy will fight for a few minutes. After the time runs out, whomever has the necklace in its possession gets to keep it. Iris asks how that can even be deemed as a fight, but Cilan points out it’s an elegant way of battling that does not require exhaustion. Everyone roots for Scraggy, especially Axew… who can’t even look at Grimmsley’s face without being terrified.

Scraggy starts with the necklace in his trousers and Ash tells him to watch out he doesn’t drop it, but before he knows it Scrafty has snatched it using Thief. Both Grimmsley and Scrafty provoke Scraggy to come get it back as Scrafty puts it on his neck. Scraggy charges in with Headbutt, but Scrafty slides slightly aside and trips Scraggy with one foot. Scraggy crashes into the dirt.

Scraggy leaps back up, furious, and lunges forward again with High Jump Kick. Scrafty waits and, just as Scraggy is about to connect, ducks under the kick. As Scraggy tries to land, Scrafty uses Low Sweep to send him flying.

Ash tells Scraggy to breathe and not let his nerves get to him. Cilan observes Grimsley is not just dodging moves, but making Scraggy angry enough to choose the worst possible attack every time. Grimsley applauds the observation and tells Ash the highest price a battler can pay is not defeat, but predictability.

Scrafty taps the necklace around his neck, taunting him. Scraggy starts to charge again, but Ash tells him to stop. Scraggy nearly trips over his own feet in surprise.

Ash tells Scraggy that Grimsley is right about one thing. He keeps trying to pay back every insult the second it happens… but maybe getting hit does not mean he has to hit back right away. Maybe, he can wait until the moment really matters.

Scraggy fires a Focus Blast that Scrafty jumps to avoid, but while he’s mid air, Scraggy manages to use High Jump Kick right in between Scrafty’s face and the necklace, snatching it back. Everyone applauds, even Grimmsley.

He then flips a coin and says it’s his turn. Scrafty rushes in with Low Sweep, and Ash tells Scraggy to hold his ground. Scraggy covers his head with his skin and takes the hit, which sends him skidding backward… but does not make him fall. Scrafty moves in again with Thief now that the time is nearing the end. Ash tells Scraggy to wait.

Scraggy grits his teeth, Scrafty’s Thief connects, snatches the necklace… and Ash tells him to attack back now! Powerful dark energy bursts off Scraggy’s hands… and he knocks Scrafty back, shocking everyone! Cilan notes that was Payback!

Scraggy and Scrafty jump to reach the necklace, which is mid-air… Time’s over, and Scraggy got there first! Grimsley applauds the effort. He recalls Scrafty and concedes. The necklace is theirs.

Ash says they do not even want it, as it is fake. Grimsley says that may be true, but that it has gained value now that it has a story behind it.

Cilan asks where he’ll go to now, and Grimmsley flips his coin. “Tails”. Iris asks what that means, and Grimsley starts walking away. “I don’t know”, it’s all he says.

The group laughs the encounter off as Axew congratulates his bestie for the achievement.

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BW112 Testing the Taste of Trust! (NEW)

Apologies if this episode reads long. I swear it’s 20 minutes.

The group reaches a small town. Ash asks if this is Opelucid, but Iris and Cilan say it isn’t, since Opelucid is still a few days away.

While walking in the city, a young girl carrying many books comes rushing towards them, crashing with Ash facefront. All the guy’s books and the small notes he had stored in them are now scattered all around the street. The girl cannot believe this is happening to her right now, and to make matters worse a gust of wind makes some of the papers fly away. The girl lies on the street, defeated.

Iris asks what’s up with her, and the girl says it’s all Ash’s fault. She then introduces herself: she’s Rhonda, a B-class Connoisseuse and aspiring A-class, and was supposed to take her bar exam today. She was already very late, but now she has no chance of getting there in time.

Cilan tries to calm her down, and explains his bar exam also didn’t go particularly swiftly either, and that even if she arrives late, it’s all about nailing the exam. Iris then asks how late is she, and Rhonda says it’s less than 2 hours til the exam starts!, shocking Ash who can’t believe that’s “late”.

In any case, Rhonda argues she’s also lost the notes she took in class, so she’s for sure gonna fail.

A small Deerling then rushes in carrying a few of the papers in its mouth. Rhonda gasps in relief and introduces it as her partner. Rhonda starters checking whether any important page is missing.

The group accompany Rhonda to the facility where the exam is taking place, as Cilan reassures Rhonda it’s an extremely easy test any half-decent trainer would pass with flying colours. All it does is separate those truly passionate for the craft from those who are there just for the sake of it.

Upon arriving, Rhonda is glad to see the exam has not started yet. However, Cilan freezes. Not only are there dozens of Connoisseurs taking the exam, but many of these are alongside prestigious-looking men who are, very clearly, sponsors seeking candidates. Rhonda explains the Grand Salon is so nearby, Connoisseurs and sponsors alike are dying to find a good match. Cilan suddenly remembers that, despite all his progress, he still has no sponsor.

Before he can dwell on that, a familiar voice yells his name with all the fury in the world. It’s Burgundy, who announces she is here to become A-class once and for all, and tells Cilan to enjoy his last few hours feeling superior to her. Cilan says he is glad to see her aiming higher, and Burgundy tells him to shut up.

They are then also approached by Lucien, accompanied by his Whimsicott and an old gentleman who introduces himself as Beaumont, an acquaintance of Edwin’s and soon-to-be Lucien’s sponsor. Lucien greets Cilan and Burgundy with surprising warmth, but Beaumont corrects his posture and tells him to focus.

They can enter the building now. Beaumont lets Lucien know he’ll be watching and that he expects Lucien to demonstrate the poise befitting someone of his family’s name. While Lucian nods politely, his Whimsicott circles around Burgundy’s head, interested in her loud attitude. Beaumont clears his throat and Whimsicott returns to Lucien’s side. Burgundy laughs and says that even his Pokémon looks bored of him already, and Lucien simply smiles and says it’s good to see her confidence has not changed.

Rhonda grabs Cilan’s arm and asks whether he can help her review a few things before the exam starts. Deerling nudges Rhonda’s leg, but Rhonda keeps flipping frantically through her notes.

The candidates enter a quiet room and start the written test, and the group awaits in a guest area. They can see several sponsors watching the process from a nearby TV. While they’re there, Cilan is approached by a wealthy sponsor, who says he’s heard he’s seeking for a sponsor and offers him support as long as he appears in a series of luxury commercials evaluating designer Poké Ball cases. Ash and Iris laugh, but soon realise the guy is for real.

Another guy approaches and says Cilan’s little performances would be perfect entertainment at private parties. By the time a third sponsor approaches, Cilan starts getting visibly uncomfortable. Iris argues sponsorship tastes kind of rotten. Cilan declines the three offers and tries to get some distance.

Ash sees two quiet young women observe the scene from a distance.

Cilan argues sponsorship should not merely add a name to a banner, but rather reflect a shared understanding of what one’s craft is meant to achieve. Iris points out that this would sound more convincing if he were not currently hiding behind a potted plant.

From the other side of the guest area, Rhonda’s Deerling watches the exam door nervously, with one of Rhonda’s loose notes tucked in its mouth. Cilan notices and quickly approaches. He asks if it is worried about Rhonda, and Deerling nods and tries to hand him the note. Cilan reads it and realises it is not anything formal, but rather a messy page Rhonda wrote about Deerling: its favorite foods, fears, habits, how it paws at the ground when it’s anxious, how it acts brave yet collected when Rhonda is nervous…

Lucien’s Whimsicott shows up and floats toward Deerling, caressing its back with its cotton head to make it relax.

Burgundy’s Dewott, who’s nearby, gives Whimsicott a judgmental look and crosses his arms. Whimsicott sticks out its tongue and Dewott steps forward, scaring Whimsicott back for a second. Deerling ends up stumbling into a table holding refreshments for the guests. The table shakes and several cups nearly fall, but Cilan’s Tangela reacts instinctively by shooting vines everywhere to hold everything in place. Cilan apologises to the complaining sponsors and thanks Tangela, who wraps a vine around his arm.

Ash still notices the two staring women from afar and tells Iris they’re giving him the chills.

Cilan then notices Deerling is still trembling and realises what’s up: Deerling is afraid Rhonda will fail without it, since the most important part of the exam is knowing your Pokemon. But Cilan smiles and lets Deerling know someone who wrote something about their Pokemon with such detail would never forget anything of what they wrote.

The written exam finally ends and they have a short break until the results are announced. Burgundy is mad because half of the questions were traps set up by disgraceful individuals. Beaumont asks Lucien if he used the exact wording they had practiced with Ricard, and Burgundy, mad, says he should have sent Ricard in instead. Beaumont calls her insolent, and she says she prefers accurate.

Meanwhile, Rhonda, visibly nervous, approaches Deerling and hugs her. She then lets Cilan know she blanked and that she could only write about Deerling, which makes Deerling beyond ecstatic. She at least is satisfied that her Pokémon loves her just as much as she loves her Pokémon.

Finally, results are in. Rhonda didn’t pass. The gang try to cheer her up, but she’s happy. She says that, once you’ve failed 10 times like she has, it stops bothering you! She thanks Cilan and leaves, hoping next time’s the charm.

Burgundy, now very nervous, is shocked to learn she passed! She is about to laugh triumphantly, but her voice cracks halfway through. She passed!!!!!

And Lucien… did not.

Beaumont demands an appeal process. Lucien laughs and says there’s nothing to appeal. He didn’t write anything. He’s not meant for this. He knew it from the start, but seeing how the different trainers commune with their Pokémon… it made him realise this is not his way of loving Whimsicott. Whimsicott floats to Lucien’s side. Beaumonts says Edwin will be disappointed, but Lucien says he’s way too focused on Ricard to even care what he’s up to anyway. Beaumont leaves, outraged.

Lucien smiles at Whimsicott and tells her to go play. Burgundy mutters that failing with dignity is still failing. Lucien laughs and says she may be right, but that he’s more thankful than he is not. He thanks Cilan and Burgundy. Cilan taught him that refinement should let a Pokémon’s nature shine. Burgundy, meanwhile, made it impossible for him to keep pretending he did not know what Whimsicott wanted. Burgundy demands he does not give her credit for his life crisis.

Lucien leaves. Burgundy and Cilan stare down at each other. Burgundy demands to see him in the Grand Salon: after all the work she put into getting there, she refuses to beat some cheap replacement. So he better show up, and lose properly. Cilan argues Burgundy still has no sponsor herself, and Burgundy laughs out loud, as if finding one was gonna be a problem for her! She then looks at the sponsors, sees the snobbish dudes around, gulps, and leaves in a rush.

Before leaving himself, Cilan is approached by the two young women Ash kept seeing. They introduce themselves as patrons representing the “Harmonia Foundation” and talk very softly and elegantly. They explain that, before his ‘business departure’, their honorary president, Mr. Natural, asked them to seek out someone whose bonds with Pokémon reflected true joy. They finish saying that, if they can help out by sponsoring him, they’d be glad to.

Cilan says he’ll think about it, and the two women bow and leave. Ash and Iris ask why he didn't accept once and for all, and Cilan argues the taste of being wanted is, in a way, very sweet. Ash then wonders how he’ll let them know if he accepts, and Cilan rushes for the two women asking them not to leave yet!!!!

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BW113 Team Eevee to the Rescue! (adapted from canon BW102 Team Eevee and the Pokémon Rescue Squad!)

A factoid for you: Sylveon was first revealed on February 14th, 2013. That same day, BW113 was released. There’s no way I’m not hinting at something here, c’mon.

The episode can quite literally stay as it is, adapted for the exact point of the story we’re at (almost at Opelucid), but without any references to Virgil having done the Gym Challenge or him joining the Pokémon league or anything, we’re way past that at this point. This is just filler which, from the business perspective, would help the hype for Sylveon’s release without introducing anything Gen 6 into the anime quite yet.

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Updated summary

• Ash's team: Pikachu, Oshawott, Leavanny, Darmanitan, Archeops, Scraggy, Krookodile

• Iris' team: Axew, Excadrill, Emolga, Zweilous, Dragonite

• Cilan's team: Pansage, Crustle, Stunfisk, Tangela

• Badges obtained: 7

• Season progress: 17/48

Deleted episodes: 28

• New deletions:
  • BW109 New Places... Familiar Faces!
  • BW110 The Name's N!
  • BW112 Team Plasma's Pokémon Power Plot!