BWS02

This article is about a special episode of the Pokémon animated series that has not been dubbed into English. As such, its coverage may contain romanized Japanese names, rather than dub names.

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Pokémon side stories

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SS028 File:SS028.png

SS028   アイリスVSイブキ！ドラゴンマスターへの道！！ Iris VS Ibuki! The Road to Become a Dragon Master!!

First broadcast Japan March 27, 2014 United States Unaired

English themes Opening N/A Ending

Japanese themes Opening 夏めく坂道 Ending 手をつなごう Ｘ海峡Ｙ景色*

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 米村正二 Shōji Yonemura Storyboard 吉村文宏 Fumihiro Yoshimura Assistant director 吉村文宏 Fumihiro Yoshimura Animation director 片山みゆき Miyuki Katayama No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf

(Japanese: アイリスVSイブキ！ドラゴンマスターへの道！！ Iris VS Ibuki! The Road to Become a Dragon Master!!) is the second spin off of the Best Wishes series of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on March 27, 2014 as a one-hour special with XY021.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Plot

Iris and Axew are excitedly strolling through the streets of Blackthorn City, as they make their way towards the Blackthorn Gym. However, their journey is suddenly interrupted when a rogue Gible appears, using Dig erratically while ferociously wrecking the city. This strikes fear into the community, angering several residents. Subsequently, they corner Gible, trying to "catch" it physically using their nets. However, Iris intervenes, claiming that there isn't such a thing as a "bad" Dragon-type. She tells the angered residents that she will try and reason with Gible. However, the decision to do so backfires, with her intervention enabling Gible to escape and her solely taking the blame for it. When questioned on what she will do regarding the rogue Gible, she promises to prevent it from causing mischief again. Moments later however, Iris finds Gible causing trouble again, wildly digging holes in a resident's garden. Iris recalls a past event when she was able to become one with Axew and connect with his heart, and attempts to connect with Gible in the same way. However, she is unable to and Gible is able to escape once again.

Sometime later, Gible can be seen stuck on top of the Blackthorn clock tower, in which he is heavily endangered by high winds. As a group of people watch on, Iris assumes responsibility and attempts to rescue him. She is able to save Gible against the odds, enabling her to finally connect to Gible's heart. The crowd of people applaud her heroics and bravery, and she realizes that the reason for Gible's erratic behavior was that it was lost, having been separated from its home. This had caused it to be alienated, startled and insecure, resulting in its abnormal, chaotic behavior. Despite being able to connect to his heart, Iris still is unaware of where exactly this home is, as all she knows is that this is vaguely a "flower field". However, Clair is able to bring control to this situation of uncertainty, showing up and claiming to know where Gible had come from. She takes Iris to a field of flowers where she and her Dragonite are. Gible is happy to once again be back home. Clair then asks Iris to come to the Blackthorn Gym and have a match against her, which Iris excitedly excepts, so she and Clair bid farewell to Gible and head for the Gym.

At the Gym, Clair uses her Shiny Druddigon, the one which she caught at Decolore Islands. Iris is excited to see Druddigon as she recalls her times traveling in the Unova Region, sending out her Dragonite to face it. At first, Dragonite seems to have the upper hand. Just then, in the middle of the battle, Gible shows up and bites on Axew and Iris pulls the two of them apart and then continues her battle. She knows Ice-type moves are super effective so she has Dragonite use Ice Beam on Druddigon, who dodges and then uses Dragon Tail at Clair's command. Just then, Dragonite becomes annoyed and reverts back to the way he was back when Iris first caught him, not listening to any of her commands and just attacking willy nilly. Iris worries for Dragonite because she doesn't understand what's getting into him. She then is able to connect to his heart and realize he's feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, and she tells him she's able to understand, but he's not the only one battling and that the two of them need to work together as a team to win. Dragonite agrees and Iris orders him once more to use Ice Beam which Druddigon dodges and then Druddigon uses Dragon Tail and Dragonite is hit hard, and he ends up getting smacked against the wall. Clair then instructs Druddigon to use Dragon Rage at full power, and Iris instructs Dragonite to use his Ice Beam at full power. Druddigon's Dragon Rage overpowers Dragonite's Ice Beam knocking out Dragonite, thereby resulting in Clair winning the match.

Outside the Gym, Clair asks Iris where she's going next, and Iris responds she doesn't know yet, and that she'll go wherever the wind takes her. Just then Gible shows up again and Iris realizes he wants to go with her, so she catches him with a Poké Ball. She then lets Gible out and lets him ride on her shoulder with Axew. As Iris walks she remembers Ash, Pikachu, and Cilan as she wonders how they're doing on their journeys. Just then Iris sees the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza flying in the sky, which excites her and she decides to follow it to see where it ends up.

Major events

Iris after catching Gible

• Iris arrives in Blackthorn City and meets up with Clair again.
• Iris has a battle with Clair and loses.
• Iris catches a Gible.
• Iris sees a Rayquaza and decides to follow it.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Iris's Gible

Characters

Humans

File:Dare da SS028.png

Dare da?

• Ash (fantasy)
• Iris
• Cilan (fantasy)
• Clair
• Kaburagi
• Citizens

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Gible (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's; fantasy)
• Axew (Iris's)
• Dragonite (Iris's)
• Gible (Iris's; new)
• Dragonite (Clair's)
• Druddigon (Clair's; Shiny)
• Rayquaza
• Nidoran♀
• Ponyta
• Vulpix
• Wigglytuff
• Doduo
• Marowak
• Machop
• Pidgeotto
• Skarmory (flashback)

Trivia

• This episode aired the same day as XY021 in Japan.
• Iris reads the title card.
• This episode was first previewed in a trailer at the end of BW138 along with the last episodes of the Best Wishes series and SS027.
• The title of this episode was first revealed when it was briefly listed on the official Japanese Pokémon website as an episode that had already aired, placed after SS027.
• This is the second side story episode in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon, after Cerulean Blues, and also the first one in which a main character catches a wild Pokémon.
• The title of this episode is a reference to the Japanese title of The Dragon Master's Path!.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		艾莉絲VS小椿！通往龍之大師的道路!!
Korean		아이리스 VS 이향! 드래곤 마스터로 가는 길!
Thai		ไอริส ปะทะ อิบุกิ! ก้าวไปสู่ดราก้อนมาสเตอร์!!
Vietnamese		Airisu & Ibuki, Con Đường Trở Thành Chuyên Gia Về Rồng

← SS027

Pokémon side stories

SS029 : Mega Evolution Special I →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.