BW002

← BW001 : In the Shadow of Zekrom!

Best Wishes series

BW003 : A Sandile Gusher of Change! →

Enter Iris and Axew!

BW002   EP659 アイリスとキバゴ！ Iris and Kibago!

First broadcast Japan September 23, 2010 United States February 12, 2011

English themes Opening Black and White Ending

Japanese themes Opening ベストウイッシュ！ Ending None (TV Broadcast) / 心のファンファーレ (DVD)

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita Storyboard 金崎貴臣 Takaomi Kanasaki Assistant director 矢嶋哲生 Tetsuo Yajima Animation director 小山知洋 Tomohiro Koyama Additional credits

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

Enter Iris and Axew! (Japanese: アイリスとキバゴ！ Iris and Kibago!) is the second episode of the Best Wishes series, and the 659th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan, as part of a one-hour special along with BW001, on September 23, 2010, and in the United States on February 12, 2011, once again premiering after In The Shadow of Zekrom!.

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

Blurb

After being struck by lightning, Pikachu is having trouble using its Electric-type attacks...but a second strange thunderstorm heals the Pokémon just as quickly! Attributing the ordeal to the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom, Professors Oak and Juniper agree that further research is needed.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket has arrived in the Unova region, and prepares to launch an operation designed to steal both Zekrom and Pikachu! Ash is eager to start his new journey, and armed with a new Pokédex and new Poké Balls, our hero sets out to meet as many Unova Pokémon as he can. While trying to catch a Pidove, Ash runs into a girl named Iris and her Pokémon Axew. It doesn't take long for Team Rocket to launch a plot to steal Pikachu, Pidove, and Axew, too! Of course, Ash springs into action, battling his old enemies Jessie, James and Meowth. He gets some help from an unexpected source: Oshawott, who has been following Ash and Pikachu since they left Professor Juniper's lab. Before long, all the Pokémon are safely returned, while Team Rocket mysteriously vanishes.

The group visits the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy restores Pikachu, Axew, and Pidove to perfect health. Iris admits that although Ash acts "like a kid," she is impressed with the way he sprang into action when saving their three Pokémon. And Ash wonders out loud why Oshawott helped them out the way it did...

Plot

After arriving in Unova, having being struck by blue lightning from a thundercloud and losing to Trip's Snivy, Pikachu is now in Professor Juniper's lab, and is being excessively charged by electricity. Oshawott watches from outside the room, while the two Professors, Professor Oak and Professor Juniper, attempt to restore power to the lab's electronics. Meanwhile, a large blue lightning bolt continuously rains downwards, and the silhouette of the legendary Pokémon Zekrom is seen hiding within the clouds. Its wings glow bright blue and with a burst of energy, it flies up towards the sky.

Pikachu falls to all fours, screaming in pain. Ash, in an attempt to calm him down, immediately grabs Pikachu and is shocked by the electricity. Immediately, the blue lightning and the black clouds disappears suddenly and the sky is calm once again. Ash falls back onto the floor, and his mom rushes to his side. Pikachu lies on the floor on his stomach, cheeks emitting sparks. The electronic systems in the lab then mysteriously regain power.

Mrs. Ketchum, followed by Oshawott who walks up to Ash, both express their concern over him. Ash reassures them and gets up immediately, worried about Pikachu. The Electric Mouse Pokémon gets up, smiles and then charges his tail with electricity, showing Ash he has recovered. In order to test out Pikachu's electricity further, Ash commands Pikachu to use Thunderbolt and Volt Tackle on him. After Ash was given a decent shock from Pikachu, he comes to the conclusion that Pikachu is back to normal, before collapsing due to exhaustion.

Later that night, while having dinner together with Pikachu, his mother, and Professor Oak, Ash announces that he wants to begin a new adventure in Unova, to be able to meet new Pokémon and make new friends, and will be challenging the Unova League. Approving of his decision, Professor Oak tells him that he will take good care of his other Pokémon while he is away, while Ash's mother advises Pikachu to look after Ash. Professor Oak, as a researcher, then requests Ash to occasionally report to him about new Pokémon and discoveries. Right after their dinner, Professor Juniper gives him a Pokédex and five Poké Balls, and tells him that the first Gym is at Striaton City. She also reminds him that he may meet his rival, Trip, while on his journey.

As the sun rises in the morning, Ash is now prepared to leave for his journey. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ketchum, standing beside the two Professors, now rattles off a list of advice and to-dos for Ash on his journey. He tells her that he is not a small boy anymore, and when Professor Juniper informs him about the Pokémon Center after leaving the forest, he turns around and sets off, the three adults cheering him on. Oshawott watches from behind.

Ash walks into the forest, wondering what kind of Pokémon he will catch first. He then hears rustling from a bush he jogs past, and seeing something purple, he checks his Pokédex. The electronic gadget displays a picture of an Axew, apparently green in color. Talking about Axew's properties and behavior, Ash wonders why what he sees is so different from what it is being displayed. Nevertheless, he throws a Poké Ball, and it hits... a girl's head! The girl rises from the bush, enraged at being thought of as a Pokémon. Apparently, it was actually her purple hair that Ash had spotted while she was picking fruit. Ash immediately apologies for his actions. Accepting his apology, the girl raises the fruit she had picked to her hair and an Axew pops out, grabs the fruit and jumps to the ground, eating it.

As Pikachu walks forward towards Axew, the girl excitedly picks him up and starts playing with his cheeks, hugging him tightly and starts cuddling him. She asks Ash about Pikachu, and the two then formally introduce each other. The girl is actually named Iris. During the conversation, Pikachu struggles to breathe and discharges a lot of electricity, causing Iris to drop to the ground. Later on, Iris apologizes to Pikachu, and she questions Ash about the incident that happened yesterday. Upon hearing that Professor Juniper described the Pokémon as Zekrom, she starts further questioning him, but Ash and Pikachu, having spotted a Deerling, became distracted and chases after it.

Somewhere in a cave, Jessie, James and Meowth are reporting to Giovanni, who has learnt that their infiltration to the Unova region was successful. The Team Rocket trio, plotting to capture Pikachu and a legendary Pokémon they had encountered, requests to have their Pokémon that they had left in the Headquarters. However, Matori interrupts, and tells them that using Pokémon that are not native to Unova would raise suspicions, so they will have to catch Pokémon only found in Unova. Meowth then wonders if he will be alright, as he is not native to Unova. Giovanni takes his leave, and the three become very determined to succeed. Back at the HQ, Giovanni once again reaffirms his secretary's doubts by telling her that trusts the trio, and that he is sure that their operations will result in Unova's secret organization revealing themselves. Meanwhile, the trio is inspecting the 'Starter Kit' they have been sent (which comes with Poké Balls), when a colony of Woobat flies towards them.

Back in the forest, Ash spots a herd of Deerling near a pond, and checks his Pokédex. He throws a Poké Ball at one of them, to which it easily deflected with its head. Iris then teases Ash for not battling the Deerling first, to which Ash responds he was trying his luck even though he hasn't done so in a while. Ash is about to send Pikachu into battle when suddenly, one of the Deerling alerts the herd, and they all run away. Apparently, the Deerling was alerted because a scurry of Patrat was on a rampage, rather than it being due to Pikachu's presence.

Night soon approaches and the sun begins to set. As Ash and Iris begins searching for food, Ash picks an apple from the tree and wonders if it could be eaten. However, Iris manages to obtain a mountain of apples from the same tree, significantly burying Ash and Pikachu underneath.

As night falls, Iris and Axew are sitting in the tree, while Ash and Pikachu sit beneath it, all four eating apples. They soon talk about yesterday's incident whereby Pikachu was unable to generate electric attacks due to Zekrom's mysterious powers. Iris then exclaims excitedly about encountering Zekrom, while Ash starts talking about the possibility of meeting mysterious Pokémon like Zekrom everywhere. Ash looks up, and realizes that Iris and Axew had fallen asleep.

Ash and Pikachu begin admiring the brilliant, star-filled night sky, when a shooting star, a symbol of good luck, runs across their field of vision. The two soon become excited about their journey, and as they drown themselves in a babble of energized chatter, Oshawott appears from behind a bush, oblivious to the two of them...

The next day, Ash wakes to find Iris missing, but nevertheless continues with his journey. He sees a Pidove flying above the forest, checks his Pokédex, and decides to catch it before giving chase. Reaching a clearing where a flock of Pidove had gathered, Ash tells Pikachu to engage the closest one. Pikachu, using a super-effective Thunderbolt against Pidove, causes it to faint. However, when Ash is about to throw a Poké Ball, the enraged flock of Pidove attacks them with Air Cutter and Quick Attack, buying enough time for the fainted Pidove to recover and flee. As the entire flock flees, Ash notes that catching Pokémon is never easy, then finds that a single Pidove has remained behind.

Grabbing this opportunity, Ash commands Pikachu to use Quick Attack, and Pidove is sent flying across the ground. She then manages to get onto her feet, recovers and tries to regain an awareness of her surroundings. As she was doing so, Pikachu jumps into the air and lands an Iron Tail attack on Pidove, knocking her down. Ash quickly throws a Poké Ball. For a moment Ash thinks he's caught her, but Pidove breaks free.

Pidove attacks Pikachu with Gust, Quick Attack and then an Air Cutter. Confident, she attempts to finish Pikachu off with another Quick Attack but Pikachu jumps into the air in time to dodge. The surprised Pidove flies straight into a tree. Pikachu then prepares a Thunderbolt as Pidove gets up, scrambling to avoid the attack but fails. Ash throws the Poké Ball again and catches Pidove.

As Ash and Pikachu celebrate the success of their first catch in Unova, Iris shows up with an apple, saying that his celebration over catching a Pidove is typical of a small child's behavior. Ash exclaims that he now has a new partner when competing in the Unova League. During the conversation, Axew splits the apple from Iris and shares it with Pikachu. However, before the two Pokémon could finish eating, a pair of mechanical hands grabs them. Ash and Iris turn around to find the Team Rocket trio, standing beside the 'hands'-machine and reciting their new motto.

Iris questions who Team Rocket are, and she soon realizes that they are a group of people who steal Pokémon for their evil ambitions and aim to conquer the world. Iris immediately demands Team Rocket to return her Axew, but she also notices that Meowth is able to talk. As she is amazed, Meowth then self-proclaims that he's far more intelligent than all other Meowth. Team Rocket then places Pikachu and Axew in a glass box, forcing Ash to send out Pidove. In an attempt to show how strong Pokémon from Kanto are, Jessie sends Meowth to battle, who attempted to use Fury Swipes. Pidove sends Meowth flying backwards with Gust. Jessie then sends out a Pokémon she had caught: Woobat (She only learns of the name only when Iris announces it). Woobat starts attacking Pidove with an Air Slash, but Pidove evades and charges at Woobat with a Quick Attack. Woobat dodges to the side, turns around and uses Gust, knocking out Pidove, and Jessie recalls Woobat.

James then prepares a purple balloon for their escape. Desperate, Ash and Iris both climb a nearby tree and Ash leaps from the crown, ready to grab the glass box that was hanging underneath the balloon. However, he misses and falls back all the way to the ground. Things seem hopeless when Oshawott suddenly appears from nowhere and throws his scalchop at Team Rocket's balloon, causing it to crash which shatters the glass box. As the Pokémon are thrown clear, both Ash and Iris jump forward and catch their Pokémon, while Oshawott catches his scalchop, places it back at his belly and jumps for joy.

However, Team Rocket will not retreat without a fight. Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but Jessie immediately sends out Woobat and the Bat Pokémon uses Air Slash, which hits both Pikachu and Axew before Pikachu's attack could hit. Jessie orders another Air Slash. Just before Woobat can attack, Oshawott jumps in front of the two Pokémon and uses Water Gun on Woobat, sending it flying towards Team Rocket. Pikachu gets up and charges into Volt Tackle, but James throws a smoke bomb, causing Pikachu to run into the smoke. When the smoke clears, Team Rocket is no where to be found. Pikachu and Axew, tired and exhausted, collapse onto the ground. Ash grabs Pikachu and thanks Oshawott, and the Trainers rush off to the Pokémon Center. Oshawott stares blankly as they disappear into the distance, puzzled as to what had happened.

Later that evening, Pikachu, Pidove and Axew are released from treatment at the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy exclaims that it's the first time she's treated a Pikachu, and Ash introduces himself. As a Kanto region Trainer and his first visit to a Unova Pokémon Center, she formally welcomes him on behalf of all the Pokémon Centers. Iris thanks Ash for helping her rescue Axew, but Ash says that Oshawott was the one that did it in the end. As Ash wonders why Oshawott had helped them, the Sea Otter Pokémon secretly peeps into the Pokémon Center and observes Ash...

Major events

• Zekrom appears again, and Pikachu recovers his Electric powers.
• Ash decides to remain in Unova and challenge its Pokémon League.
• Ash receives a new Pokédex and five Poké Balls from Professor Juniper.
• Ash learns the first Unova League Gym is in Striaton City.
• Ash meets a mysterious girl named Iris and her Axew.
• Iris decides to follow Ash on his journey.
• Jessie and James are revealed to have left all of their Pokémon at Team Rocket's Headquarters.
• Ash tries and fails to catch a Deerling.
• Ash catches a Pidove.
• Jessie catches a Woobat.
• Iris meets Team Rocket for the first time.
• Professor Juniper's Oshawott is revealed to know Water Gun.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Woobat (Jessie's)
• Pidove (Ash's)

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Iris
• Jessie
• James
• Nurse Joy
• Professor Oak
• Delia
• Giovanni
• Trip (flashback)
• Professor Juniper
• Matori

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Oshawott

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Axew (Iris's)
• Pidove (Ash's; new)
• Woobat (Jessie's; new; debut)
• Snivy (Trip's; flashback)
• Oshawott (Juniper's)
• Zekrom (anime)
• Deerling (Spring form; multiple)
• Woobat (multiple; debut)
• Patrat (multiple)
• Pidove (multiple)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster: Poké Balls
• Even though Iris debuted in the previous episode, Iris is officially introduced in this episode.
• This and the previous episode are the first episodes to air in Japan after the earliest releases of Pokémon Black and White in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
• This episode marks the first appearance of the redesigned Nurse Joy from Unova.
• This is the second time James has no Pokémon on hand, and the first time Jessie has no Pokémon on hand.
  • Also, as of this episode, this is the longest time a main character has gone without having a Pokémon on hand, lasting for 23 episodes. In the previous occurrence, A Poached Ego!, James had no Pokémon briefly after releasing his Weezing, right before catching Cacnea at the end of the episode.
• Team Rocket's balloon has been redesigned from a Meowth to a purple balloon.
  • This episode is the only appearance of the purple balloon.
• As of this episode, Wobbuffet is no longer a member of the main cast until The Dream Continues!.
• The English dub of this episode aired as a one-hour special along with In The Shadow of Zekrom!. This makes it the first time more than one new episode premiered during the same day since Tag! We're It...!, Glory Blaze!, and Smells Like Team Spirit! aired together back on February 1, 2008.
• Music from Arceus and the Jewel of Life is used as background music.
• This and the previous episode were aired in Italy on DisneyXD one day after the American airing.
  • This marks the first time an episode is aired in Italy one day after the American airing.
• Ash catches a Pidove and Jessie catches a Woobat, but oddly enough, these Pokémon swarm in Nuvema Town after the player goes out, whether in day or night.

Errors

• In the scene where Matori puts the coffee on Giovanni's desk, the yellow stripes on Giovanni's uniform are missing.
• Before Ash catches Pidove, he flips his hat backwards, but when Ash picks the Poké Ball up, his hat is facing forwards.
• When Team Rocket capture Pikachu and Axew, Pikachu is shown to be held in the left arm and Axew in the right. Later on, they are shown in the opposite arms.
• After Iris says "Axew isn't yours. It's mine", Pikachu's right cheek is missing.
• When Pikachu collapses near the end of the episode, a bit of grass can be seen over Pikachu's left ear.

In other languages

Language		Title
Bulgarian		Влизат Ирис и Аксю!
Mandarin Chinese		艾莉絲與牙牙！
Croatian		Ulaze Iris i Axew!
Czech		Přichází Iris a Axew!
Danish		Iris og Axew!
Dutch		Hier zijn Iris en Axew
Finnish		Tavatkaa Iris ja Axew!
German		Die Reise beginnt...!
Greek		Γνωριμία με την Άιρις και τον Axew!
Hindi		Iris और Axew की एंट्री! Iris aur Axew ki Entry!
Indonesian		Iris dan Axew!
Italian		Entrino Iris e Axew!
Korean		새로운 친구 아이리스와 터검니
Norwegian		Møtet med Iris og Axew!
Polish		Nadchodzą Iris i Axew!
Portuguese	Brazil	Entram Iris e Axew!
	Portugal	Entram em Cena a Iris e o Axew!
Russian		Знакомство с Ирис и Эксъю!
Serbian		Ulaze Ajris i Aksju!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Entran Iris y Axew!
	Spain	¡Entran Iris y Axew!
Swedish		Iris och Axew!
Thai		ไอริส กับ คิบาโกะ
Turkish		Iris ve Axew gelirler!
Vietnamese		Airisu và Kibago

← BW001 : In The Shadow of Zekrom!

Best Wishes series

BW003 : A Sandile Gusher of Change! →

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