AG180

← AG179 : Slaking Kong!

Advanced Generation series

AG181 : Thinning the Hoard! →

May, We Harley Drew'd Ya!

AG180   EP454 開幕！ポケモンコンテスト・グランドフェスティバル！！ Raising the Curtain! Pokémon Contest - Grand Festival!!

First broadcast Japan June 15, 2006 United States December 11, 2006

English themes Opening Battle Frontier Ending

Japanese themes Opening スパート！ Ending 私、負けない！ ～ハルカのテーマ～

Credits Animation Team Iguchi Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 石川敏浩 Toshihiro Ishigawa Animation director 柳昇希 Shōki Yanagi No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de

May, We Harley Drew'd Ya! (Japanese: 開幕！ポケモンコンテスト・グランドフェスティバル！！ Raising the Curtain! Pokémon Contest - Grand Festival!!) is the 180th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 454th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on June 15, 2006 and in the United States on December 11, 2006.

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

Synopsis

The long anticipated Kanto Grand Festival is finally just moments away as our heroes stride towards the glorious city stationed below. Just over the hilltop, the marvelous city can be viewed from overhead. May runs ahead speeding down the hillside and racing ahead to meet the inevitable Grand Festival.

Inside of the city, lines form to begin registration for the festival and a woman resembling Jessie with a Mime Jr. perched atop her shoulder makes a brief broadcast while a news crew comprised of a Wobbuffet, Meowth, and a younger man. May makes her way towards the counter and presents her five ribbons confirming her entry into the contest. Trainers anticipate the contest, preparing their Pokémon with utmost care. The young red-haired woman finally finishes the broadcast as Lilian approaches her and congratulates her on the effort and broadcast.

Meanwhile, May places a call to her mother wishing each other luck as Aipom manages to locate Ash and scurries down towards the ground. As the telephone screen shuts off, a scream is heard in the distance while Aipom races across the floor collecting hats and apparel. The stack of hats continues to grow in size as Aipom walks towards Ash and turns slightly to the left causing the mountain of hats to fall down crashing onto Ash. While Ash manages to recover from the collision, Aipom hops over and grasps his hat escaping off into the distance. Pikachu races after the escaping Aipom and manages to crash into a tree. Drew notices the chaos brewing in the lobby and directs Roselia to assist in capturing Aipom. Roselia releases an assortment of red blossoms which surround and envelop Aipom as a young peach-haired woman and her Slowbro use its psychokinesis to move Aipom into Ash's arms. Ash removes his hat as Aipom escapes outside of the lobby doors. The young woman introduces herself as Solidad while Brock performs his usual romance ritual to attempt to entice the usual woman. Our heroes only sigh as Brock introduces himself taking part in the great profession of Pokémon breeding. Solidad notices Drew a few feet away standing with his Roselia. Solidad had defeated Drew in his first contest. Drew exits the lobby as Solidad wishes May good luck in the contest.

Night falls upon the land as our heroes are situated at table where many other trainers enjoy drinks and concessions. Solidad explains to May that she had defeated Drew in his first contest. Max holds an empty glass as a mysterious man collides with him and gives him a black rose to deliver to May and walks off into the distance. Max interrupts May and Solidad's conversation presenting the rose to May startling her. As May grabs the rose, it explodes leaving May in confusion. A new day arrives as Lilian begins content preparations officially starting the contest as magnificent fireworks explode overhead. A spotlight showers overhead of the golden festival trophy. The usual contest judges are introduced with one judge being replaced by an older woman resembling Lilian. The young red-haired woman with her news crew temporarily replaces Lilian shouting the mysterious phrase "Here we Go!".

The crowd explodes as we ignite into the beginning of the festival with multiple rounds depicting a marvelous Rapidash spouting flames around its body and a Goldeen exploding from underneath a pool of water. Other contestants include Venusaur and his Vine Whip scoring 77, a Tropius scoring 86, Pichu scoring 88 with an electrifying Thunderbolt, Jigglypuff with its marvelous voice claiming a 82, Tyrogue claiming 91, and a devious Salamence claiming a marvelous 93.

May's round finally arrives as she explodes onto the stage releasing Combusken. May releases the usual circular frisbee as Combusken blazes towards the rotating object and propels into the air slicing the frisbee. Combusken lands gracefully on the ground as the crowd explodes. Ash, Brock, and Max cheer May on for her first round. Jessie, the red-headed announcer, introduces Solidad and her magnificent Lapras. Lapras splashes into the pool creating a wave of water and simultaneously freezes it into place creating a glorious pillar of ice. Drew finally takes his place in the first round calling upon his Masquerain. Masquerain begins rotating at a high speed creating a magnificent gust of wind to rotate around its body.

Harley finally makes his debut removing the cape and reveals himself dressed exactly as May. Ash falls from his seat with the sight of Harley. May covers her face with the sight of Harley on the screen as he calls upon his Banette. Banette displays its marvelous Will-O-Wisp attack as tiny blue flames glow surrounding Banette's body. As Banette gives out its evil laugh, Harley begins dancing as May watches the screen in disgust.

The contestants for the second round are announced including Solidad, May, Drew, Harley, and 21 other contestants. Dusk falls upon our heroes while May feeds Combusken. After a few seconds, Harley comes running down a pathway, still dressed in his May-centric attire, as our heroes shriek in terror. Aipom manages to snatch Ash's hat while Ash and Pikachu race after him.

Will May be able to finally overcome her rival Harley or have her dreams crushed in the second round?

Major events

• May and her friends meet Solidad, a Coordinator from Pewter City and an acquaintance of Brock, Drew and Harley.
• Solidad, Drew, Harley and May advance from the preliminaries to the first round of the Grand Festival.
• Ash discovers that the Aipom he met previously is following the group when it steals his hat again.

Debuts

• Solidad

Pokémon debuts

• Drew's Absol

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• May
• Brock
• Max
• Jessie
• James
• Harley
• Drew
• Caroline
• Lilian
• Nurse Joy (four)
• Contesta
• Sukizo
• Vivian
• Solidad
• Coordinators
• Receptionist
• Audience

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Mime Jr. (James's)
• Aipom (recurrent)
• Combusken (May's)
• Roselia (Drew's)
• Masquerain (Drew's)
• Absol (Drew's)
• Banette (Harley's)
• Slowbro (Solidad's)
• Lapras (Solidad's)
• Venusaur
• Butterfree
• Pidgey (flock)
• Jigglypuff
• Rapidash
• Grimer
• Koffing
• Rhyhorn
• Goldeen
• Ledian
• Pichu
• Espeon
• Magcargo
• Remoraid
• Mantine
• Houndoom
• Tyrogue
• Breloom
• Grumpig
• Tropius
• Salamence

Trivia

• This episode begins the three-part Kanto Grand Festival arc.
• There are 270 participants in the Grand Festival, Which would mean that there are have been at least 1,350 contests.
• It is revealed that Drew and Harley are from LaRousse City and Slateport City, respectively.
• The next episode preview is narrated by Harley.
• The title of this episode might be inspired by the Irish song, "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya".
• For unknown reasons, the title of this episode was changed to make letters all capital. The following episode remained similar to previous titles.
• Although only one Pokémon can be entered in the Appeals Round, a Mantine had a Remoraid with it.

Errors

• At one point the screens above the stadium read "Grande Festibol". It was left as is in the dub.
• When Max drags Brock away from the table they were sitting at with Solidad, their chairs disappear.
• Just before Jessie introduces Harley, her feet disappear.
• At the end of the episode, Harley is back in his normal clothes. This is left for Thinning the Hoard!.

In other languages

• Chinese (Taiwan): 開幕！神奇寶貝華麗大賽．華麗大型慶典！！
• French: Flora, Harley et compagnie...
• German: Zeig´s ihnen, Maike
• Italian: Vera, facciamo il tifo per te
• Iberian Spanish: ¡Aura contra Harley y Drew!
• Latin American Spanish: May contra Drew y Harley!

← AG179 : Slaking Kong!

Advanced Generation series

AG181 : Thinning the Hoard! →

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