BW009

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Best Wishes series

BW010 : A Rival Battle for Club Champ! →

The Bloom Is On Axew!

BW009   EP666 ペンドラー暴走！キバゴを救え！！ The Out of Control Pendror! Rescue Kibago!!

First broadcast Japan November 11, 2010 United States April 2, 2011

English themes Opening Black and White Ending

Japanese themes Opening ベストウイッシュ！ Ending 心のファンファーレ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 尼野浩正 Hiromasa Amano Assistant director 山崎友正 Tomomasa Yamazaki Animation director 大谷房代 Fusayo Ōtani Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Bloom Is On Axew! (Japanese: ペンドラー暴走！キバゴを救え！！ The Out of Control Pendror! Rescue Kibago!!) is the ninth episode of the Best Wishes series, and the 666th episode of the Pokémon anime. It aired in Japan on November 11, 2010 and in the United States on April 2, 2011.

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

Blurb

We join our heroes just in time to witness an unusual sight: a battle taking place between Cilan’s Pansage and Iris’s Axew! Of course, Ash wants to get in on the action, but Iris isn’t interested. Because Axew doesn’t have much battle experience, she’s asked Cilan to help her train it by using very restrained attacks.

The battle ends in explosive fashion when Axew’s powerful Dragon Rage attack gets a little out of control. Iris explains that she’s committed to training Axew because it was given to her by an Elder of her hometown, who advised her that the journey to raise Axew into a Haxorus would help Iris learn and grow as well.

Meanwhile, Axew and Pikachu wander off into the woods in search of a snack—and run right into an angry Scolipede! Ash and Cilan spring into action to try to drive it off, and in order to save Axew, Iris brings out her second Pokémon: a powerful, haughty Excadrill. Although Iris can’t get Excadrill to obey any of her own commands, it quickly sends Scolipede scurrying, and Axew is safely returned.

After some wise advice from Cilan, Iris decides that she will continue to train with Axew at her own relaxed pace. Ash is still in the mood for a battle—so when Iris advises him to battle Pikachu, that’s just what he does! We leave our heroes as Ash and Pikachu square off against each other…and Iris wonders just how far her friend from Pallet Town will go for a battle!

Plot

As Ash and his friends are on their way to Nacrene City, Cilan and Iris had stopped somewhere in the forest to battle. Ash, observing them from the side, questions why he isn't the one battling. Iris tells him that he is too serious, and a Volt Tackle from Pikachu would be too unbearable for Axew. She then commands Axew to use Scratch on Pansage. Slowly, Axew trots over, and Pansage starts firing its Bullet Seed - one seed at a time. However, before Axew could even reach Pansage, the extremely gentle Bullet Seed attack proved too much for Axew, and Axew starts crying. Iris runs over to console Axew and Ash hears her telling Axew that it was only a practice. Cilan then explains that they are practising so as to get Axew used to battle, and it was agreed previously that only 'soft' attacks at twenty percent will be used. Ash claims that battles are more productive when full effort is being put in, and Iris rebukes him for not being a gentleman and for acting like a child. Cilan tells Ash that as one of Axew's first battles, they should let Iris decide how it should be conducted, which Ash reluctantly agrees.

When Axew is feeling better, Iris tells it to perform another Scratch attack on Pansage. Slowly, Axew trots over to Pansage, but the latter blocks its attacks by grabbing the fin on its head. As Axew flails its arms around, Iris complains and requests Cilan to be more serious. Cilan tells them that they are being serious; this is the strategy they usually employ in Gym battles: to block the opponent's attacks then follow up with a close-ranged attack. Pansage then charges its SolarBeam. As Iris panics, Ash asks if Axew knows any other moves it could use to counter. Iris then claims that it has one other move, but while contemplating on whether or not to use it, Pansage unleashes the SolarBeam attack which it had been charging: a tiny fleck of light which hits Axew squarely in the head and causes it to roll over. Shortly after, Ash tells Iris to let Axew use 'the other move' as using a variety of moves is also part of training. Frustrated, Iris orders Axew to use Dragon Rage. Axew starts charging energy, its belly glowing in blue light. As its mouth gapes open, ready to launch the attack at Pansage, it suddenly blunders, causing a gigantic explosion and a large crater to form. All but Axew were then covered in soot and severely surprised by the attack.

Meanwhile in an abandoned building, Jessie, James and Meowth are huddled together in front of a computer-like device. Giovanni appears on the screen, and instructs the Team Rocket to travel to the Desert Resort. As it appears, the Desert Resort is at the center of an energy flow with the same energy signature as the one found at the Dreamyard. Obtaining such an energy is a key component of Team Rocket's ultimate plan, and as such, they are to meet up with another Team Rocket agent to investigate a meteorite fragment that is located there.

Taking a break on the trunk of a large tree, Iris glumly explains that Axew has not mastered Dragon Rage yet. Ash and Cilan then joke that it was more like a "sneeze" than a "rage", which only offends Iris. As Iris is troubled by Axew's Dragon Rage, she reveals to them that Axew only knows the two moves it had used earlier on, and with regard to its Dragon Rage, it always explodes instead of being shot out as a ball. Iris was hoping that by taking things slowly, it would gradually improve its performance. Meanwhile, Axew returns with fruits it had plucked from a tree, and was praised by Cilan. It then returns to the tree to pluck more fruits.

As Ash and Cilan comments positively on Axew's potential, Ash then offers to battle with Iris' Axew. However, Iris refuses to, and says she does not want to lose. Ash and Cilan then became curious as to how she got Axew in the first place. She then explains that it was given to her by the old matriarch from her hometown, a place which specialized in raising Dragon-typed Pokémon. There, it was a traditional rite of passage for a young Trainer to be given a Pokémon, and to go on a journey where they would grow together. A Trainer had to raise the Axew he/she was given into an Haxorus, a proof that the Trainer had grown to fully understand its Pokémon and its heart. As they had already left their hometown for some time, Iris became concerned about how Axew was developing and thus requested to battle Cilan. She then realizes that Axew had disappeared.

Meanwhile, Axew stands on a thin branch, trying to pick a cluster of fruit dangling near the edge of the branch. As it inched closer and stretched out, Pikachu cries out in warning. A while later, Axew finally moves close enough and grabs one of the fruit. However, the branch it was standing on now bends threateningly low; as the stalk of the fruit cleaves from the tree, the branch springs up, and Axew loses balance, tumbling down into the bush below and into between the horns of a sleeping Pokémon. Alarmed, the gigantic purple centipede-like Pokémon awakens from its slumber and shakes its head rapidly and violently, trying to free Axew from its horns.

For a moment the Bug Pokémon tried to escape, Pikachu jumps off the tree and attacks it with Iron Tail. Enraged, it charges at Pikachu only to miss and send the tree behind Pikachu flying into the air. Pikachu tries to run away, and Axew attempts a Dragon Rage attack on its captor. However, once again, the attack explodes before it could be launched.

The group notice the explosion, and realizing where Pikachu and Axew were, they run towards it. Pikachu comes running in the opposite direction, and upon seeing Ash, he tries to explain what had happened. The gigantic bug Pokémon pops out from behind a bush and Axew is heard screaming, apparently being shaken wildly again. Ash checks his Pokédex and realizes it's called a Scolipede.

Scolipede appears in front of the group and begins chasing the group, firing Toxic globs that dissolves a large rock and a nearby tree. Ash and Cilan then attempt to battle it and rescue Axew, using Pansage and Snivy. Pansage starts by firing Bullet Seed at its feet, and while the wild Scolipede finches, Snivy grabs its horns. However, Scolipede proved too strong against Snivy when it spun her around wildly, thereby causing her to faint from dizziness. Scolipede then continues its rampage. As it approaches Ash and Cilan, Iris steps in front of them and takes out another Poké Ball, hesitating to send the Pokémon out. After Ash had reminded her about the urgency of the situation, she plucks up her courage and hurls the Poké Ball into the air, releasing a curled up Pokémon. Ash then checks his Pokédex, and it is revealed to be an Excadrill.

Iris begs the stationary Excadrill to assist her in saving Axew. However, after being ignored, she decides to help Axew herself and devises a plan. Pansage starts charging SolarBeam while Ash sends out Tepig. Together with Pikachu, Tepig attacks Scolipede at its feet, delaying its advance and giving Cilan's Pansage time to launch its SolarBeam to stop the Scolipede in its tracks. Right from above, Iris grabs a vine and swings over Scolipede's head, grabbing Axew's leg and then landing safely. The team then celebrate; Ash recalling Tepig, and Cilan, his Pansage.

However, their celebration is short-lived, as Scolipede recovers and turns to Iris, ready to attack. It brushes its hind feet against the ground in preparation to charge, but doing so, it accidentally knocks Excadrill and sends it rolling away. Agitated, Excadrill burrows underground and surfaces, hitting Scolipede in the face. The two Pokémon stare at each other, eyes glowing with fury; a battle is about to ensue. Ash asks Iris to give commands, but Iris simply states that Excadrill will not listen to her, and as such, the team watches as Scolipede launches another Toxic attack at Excadrill. Excadrill, being a partial Steel-type Pokémon, is not affected by Poison-type attacks, and merely slaps the toxins away. Excadrill then uses Drill Run, before tossing a charging Scolipede into the sky and across the forest as it tries to use a counterattack. Excadrill lets out a victorious roar, and as the group express their gratitude towards it, it stares into the sky for a while before grunting and returning back to its dormant drill-like state. Iris recalls Excadrill.

Cilan then encourages Iris to train at her own pace with both Axew and Excadrill, when Ash offers to battle them. Iris refuses again, telling Ash that if he wants to battle so badly, then he should battle with Pikachu. Taking her comment literally, Ash excitedly agrees and both Trainer and Pokémon stand across each other in the open ground, taking their places and ready to battle. Ash tells Pikachu to shock him with Thunderbolt, and subsequently ram him with Volt Tackle, to which the Electric Mouse Pokémon complies. Cilan comments that they both are a truly unique couple while Iris is awestruck that they took her seriously. Ash and Pikachu continue their electrifying battle while lighting up the entire forest, as both Iris and Cilan watch, speechless.

Major events

• Ash and Cilan learn from Iris how she got her Axew.
• Iris's Axew is revealed to know Scratch and Dragon Rage.
• The Team Rocket trio is told to head to the Desert Resort.
• Iris is revealed to own an Excadrill.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Elder

Pokémon debuts

• Scolipede
• Excadrill (Iris's)

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Iris
• Cilan
• Jessie
• James
• Giovanni
• Elder (flashback)
• Pierce (monitor)

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Axew

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Axew (Iris's)
• Tepig (Ash's)
• Snivy (Ash's)
• Pansage (Cilan's)
• Excadrill (Iris's; debut)
• Scolipede (debut)
• Axew (multiple; flashback)
• Fraxure (×2; flashback)
• Haxorus (fantasy)
• Pidove (multiple; flashback)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster: Gym Leader
• Music from Arceus and the Jewel of Life is used in the background.
• This is the first episode where Iris's Axew is seen using any moves.
  • This is also the first episode where a Steel-type Pokémon has displayed an immunity to Poison-type moves, despite it has been valid since Generation II.
• When rotated 90 degrees, some continents or parts of them shown on Team Rocket's computer highly resemble areas of the real world, such as Greenland, Fennoscandia and Novaya Zemlya.
• Pikachu's talent for impressions is referenced again in this episode, as he is quickly seen doing imitations of both Axew and Scolipede.
• The English dub title may be a play on "The blame is on you."
• At the beginning of this episode, Ash does not seem to be familiar with the concept of helping an opponent by holding back, despite doing so twice before.

Errors

Excadrill's missing ridges

• When facing off face-to-face against Scolipede, the ridge in front of Excadrill's left middle claw is missing and when the battle was over both ridges on the right middle claw are missing as Iris and company thanks Excadrill.
• During the break in Iris and Cilan's battle, Ash's eyes are colored the way they were prior to the Best Wishes series.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		蜈蚣王發飆！救出牙牙！！
Danish		Axew's træning!
Dutch		Laat Axew opbloeien!
Finnish		Axew kiipelissä!
European French		Coupenotte fait de son mieux!
German		Lilia’s große Prüfung
Greek		Μάχη για τον Άξιου!
Hindi		Axew में बदलाव! Axew mein badlaav!
Indonesian		Scolipede Mengamuk! Selamatkan Axew!!
Italian		Il timoroso Axew!
Korean		펜드라의 폭주! 터검니를 구하라!
Norwegian		Axew trener! *
Polish		Axew w opałach!
Portuguese	Brazil	O desabrochar de Axew!
	Portugal	Axew, Devagar Se Vai Ao Longe!
Russian		В борьбе за Эксъю!
Spanish	Latin America	¡La Flor esta en Axew!
	Spain	¡El entrenamiento de Axew!
Swedish		Axew i hårdträning!
Thai		เพนโดราอาละวาด! รีบไปช่วยคิบาโกะ!!
Turkish		Axew'in Açtığı İşler!

← BW008 : Saving Darmanitan from the Bell!

Best Wishes series

BW010 : A Rival Battle for Club Champ! →

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