XY090

← XY089 : A Frolicking Find in the Flowers!

XY series

XY091 : A Performance Pop Quiz! →

Tag Team Battle Inspiration!

XY090   EP889 タッグバトルは友情バトル！イーブイ初参戦！！ A Tag Battle is a Friendship Battle! Eievui's First Time in a Fight!!

First broadcast Japan October 1, 2015 United States November 28, 2015

English themes Opening Be a Hero Ending

Japanese themes Opening ゲッタバンバン Ending ガオガオ・オールスター

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 面出明美 Akemi Omode Storyboard 樋口香里 Kaori Higuchi Assistant director 前園文夫 Fumio Maezono Animation directors 松田芳明 Yoshiaki Matsuda 中矢利子 Toshiko Nakaya 志村泉 Izumi Shimura 松永香苗 Kanae Matsunaga No additional credits are available at this time.

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

Tag Team Battle Inspiration! (Japanese: タッグバトルは友情バトル！イーブイ初参戦！！ A Tag Battle is a Friendship Battle! Eievui's First Time in a Fight!!) is the 90th episode of the XY series, and the 889th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on October 1, 2015, in Canada on November 21, 2015, and in the United States on November 28, 2015.

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

Blurb

In Anistar City, where Serena is rehearsing for the next Pokémon Showcase, our heroes get a nice surprise when their friends Tierno and Shauna arrive with newly evolved Pokémon! Serena’s new friend Eevee is skittish and shy in the presence of so many others, and she suggests a Tag Battle so Eevee can gain some experience and confidence.

The matchup features Ash and Tierno versus Serena and Shauna! When Tierno and his Blastoise go into their usual battle dance, Eevee starts toe-tapping right along with them, and soon it’s leaping and whirling faster than Blastoise can follow! It gets one good hit in with Swift as Serena watches, starry-eyed...and then she asks everyone to put the battle on hold so her team can rehearse a new performance idea!

Ash and Tierno happily continue the battle on their own as Serena and Shauna go off to practice—because the next morning, it’s time to register for the Showcase!

Plot

The episode begins with Serena, Braixen, and Pancham rehearsing for their upcoming Pokémon Showcase in Anistar City, with Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu, Bunnelby, and Serena's newly caught Eevee watching from the side of the battlefield at the Anistar Pokémon Center. Although the group applaud Serena and compliment her on her performance, Serena assures them that she needs more practice. She tells Eevee to watch their performance closely so that she can participate in the next Showcase and thanks Bunnelby for its help taking care of Eevee.

After Chespin makes a sudden appearance and tries to chase an intimidated Eevee, Tierno arrives with his Blastoise and greets everyone. As Bonnie plays with Blastoise, Ash and his friends are surprised when Shauna and her Ivysaur turn up as well. Shauna, who has also come to participate in the Anistar Showcase, is greeted enthusiastically by Serena. Although Eevee is frightened by the presence of strangers, Serena gently reassures her new Pokémon and introduces her to Shauna. After Shauna expounds on Serena's wide range of performance opportunities for Eevee, everyone heads inside for some food and Tierno explains that although Trevor was supposed to meet up with everyone as well, he found a new Pokémon that he had yet to take a photograph of. Tierno then reveals, much to everyone's surprise, that he already challenged the Anistar Gym but failed to earn a Badge there.

Meanwhile, Bunnelby is still staying close to Eevee in order to help her feel more comfortable with her new friends. After witnessing Bunnelby give Eevee a Poké Puff, Chespin nervously approaches with a Poké Puff of its own and offers it to Eevee, but she is still afraid of Chespin and refuses to take it. While she comforts Eevee, Serena tells Shauna and Tierno about Eevee's gift for dancing, but Shauna points out that in a well-attended event like a Showcase, Eevee is liable to get extremely nervous on stage. To help Eevee adjust to traveling with Serena, several of Ash's and Clemont's Pokémon stand in a line to be introduced to Eevee one by one. Eevee successfully makes a small connection each with Dedenne, Frogadier, and Pikachu, but Chespin is unable to maintain composure as Eevee approaches it and accidentally frightens her away again. Later, Serena reassures Eevee and learns that Eevee very much wants to perform with her new Trainer, but has trouble building up the confidence to do so.

After Aria, the Kalos Queen, appears on television, Serena recalls the time she met Aria and the advice she had been given. Her memory of that day inspires her to challenge Shauna, Tierno, and Ash to a tag battle in order to help build Eevee's confidence. Everyone gathers outside at the battlefield again, preparing for battle - Ash's Pikachu and Tierno's Blastoise against Shauna's Ivysaur and Serena's Eevee. Pikachu and Ivysaur use Electro Ball and Energy Ball, respectively, and the moves cancel each other out in midair. Blastoise then enters the fray with a Rapid Spin attack, which is deflected by Eevee's quick use of Protect. After Blastoise dodges a Razor Leaf from Ivysaur, Pikachu uses Thunderbolt and aims at Eevee. Eevee, who is frightened by Pikachu's attack, trips over her feet and is unable to dodge the powerful move, but is saved by Ivysaur's timely intervention. Serena, Bonnie, and the Pokémon watching the battle all cheer Eevee on, and Eevee begins to feel more reassured as she gets ready to continue the battle. Tierno and Blastoise start their rhythmic dancing, and Eevee easily dodges Blastoise's carefully timed Water Gun and begins dancing herself, effectively confusing Blastoise. At this, Pikachu and Ivysaur jump back into the battle with moves of their own as Eevee lands a powerful Swift attack on Blastoise.

Suddenly, however, Serena asks to stop the battle. Watching Eevee battle Blastoise has given her a new idea for a performance, and she wants to start training right away. She and her Pokémon head to another area to rehearse, and Shauna decides to do the same while Ash and Tierno begin a one-on-one battle against each other instead. Meanwhile, Serena asks Eevee to teach her, Braixen, and Pancham how to dance for the upcoming Showcase, and Eevee agrees. The next morning, everyone is running late and races to the Pokémon Showcase so Serena and Shauna can sign up before registration closes.

Major events

Ash and Tierno facing Serena and Shauna

• Ash and his friends arrive in Anistar City and meet up with Tierno and Shauna again.
• Tierno's Wartortle and Shauna's Bulbasaur are revealed to have evolved into Blastoise and Ivysaur respectively.
• It is revealed that Tierno challenged the Anistar Gym and lost.
• Ash and Tierno have a Tag Battle against Serena and Shauna, which is called off.
• Ash has a battle against Tierno, but the result is unknown.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Tierno's Blastoise
• Shauna's Ivysaur

Characters

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

• Ash
• Serena
• Clemont
• Bonnie
• Tierno
• Shauna
• Trevor
• Aria (video)

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Ivysaur (US and international)
Pokémon Quiz: Blastoise (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Dedenne (Clemont's)
• Frogadier (Ash's)
• Braixen (Serena's)
• Pancham (Serena's)
• Eevee (Serena's)
• Flareon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Leafeon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Umbreon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Glaceon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Espeon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Jolteon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Vaporeon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Sylveon (Serena's; fantasy)
• Bunnelby (Clemont's)
• Chespin (Clemont's)
• Blastoise (Tierno's)
• Ivysaur (Shauna's)
• Charmeleon (Trevor's)
• Delphox (Aria's; video)
• Aromatisse (Aria's; video)
• Lairon

Trivia

File:Title Card XY Serena V2.png

The title card segment focuses on Serena for this episode

• In the Japanese version, the title card segment focuses on, and is read by, Serena.
• Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster: Raichu
• Serena narrates the preview of the next episode.
• Serena's Braixen, Pancham and Eevee remain outside of their Poké Balls throughout the episode.
• Shauna seems to be aware of Serena's crush on Ash.
• DreamDream is used as an insert song during the end of the Tag Battle.
• This episode's English dub title is listed on most TV guides as well as on the Pokémon website as Tag Team Inspiration! without the word "Battle".

Errors

• When Serena is showing Shauna and Ivysaur her Eevee, the insides of Ivysaur's ear is colored dark green rather than black. This error repeats again when Shauna orders it to use Energy Ball.
• When Serena tells Eevee to befriend with Pikachu, Frogadier, Dedenne, and Chespin, Chespin's teeth are missing when it opens its mouth.
• In one scene, Dedenne's tooth is missing.
• When Blastoise is dancing with Eevee, its lower jaw is incorrectly colored blue rather than cream.
• When Serena, Pancham, Braixen, and Eevee went upstairs, Pikachu's brown spot on his tail is missing. This occurred again when Ash is chatting with Tierno.
• When the gang is running at the end of the episode, Serena has her bag on when she comes out of the door. However, when it shows her closeup, her bag is missing. Then, it reappears in the last shot.
• In the dub, after Ivysaur gets hit by Pikachu's Iron Tail and Shauna asks it if it's alright, Ivysaur's mouth moves but no sound comes out.

• 

  Ivysaur's ear error

• 

  Chespin without its upper teeth

• 

  Dedenne's missing its tooth

• 

  Blastoise's lower jaw error

• 

  Pikachu's tail error

Dub edits

• The dub's title card is read by Ash instead of Serena.

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	雙打對戰是友誼對戰！伊貝首次參賽！！* 聯手對戰是友誼對戰！伊貝首次參賽！！*
	Mandarin	聯手對戰是友誼對戰！伊布首次參賽！！
Danish		Tag Team kamp-inspiration!
Dutch		Inspiratie voor het koppelteamgevecht!
Finnish		Tag-otteluinnostus!
European French		Un combat en double très inspiré !
German		Inspiration beim Zweiermatch!
Italian		Una lotta in coppia piena di ispirazione!
Korean		태그 배틀은 우정 배틀! 이브이의 첫 시합!!
Norwegian		Tag-kamp-inspirasjon!
Polish		Inspirująca dwuwalka!
Brazilian Portuguese		Inspiração de Batalha de Dupla!
Russian		Вдохновение от битвы два на два!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Inspiración en un combate en equipo!
	Spain	¡Inspirándose con la Batalla de Dobles!
Swedish		En inspirerande tagteam-strid!
Thai		แท็กแบทเทิลคือศึกแห่งมิตรภาพ! การต่อสู้ครั้งแรกของอีบุย!!

← XY089 : A Frolicking Find in the Flowers!

XY series

XY091 : A Performance Pop Quiz! →

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