BW010

BW10 redirects here. For the TCG release with the series identifier BW10, see Plasma Blast (TCG).

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Pokémon the Series: Black & White

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A Rival Battle for Club Champ!

BW010   EP667 ライバルバトル！強敵プルリル！ Rival Battle! The Strong Opponent Pururill!

First broadcast Japan November 18, 2010 United States April 9, 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 藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita Storyboard 山田浩之 Hiroyuki Yamada Assistant director 古賀一臣 Kazuomi Koga Animation directors 夏目久仁彦 Kunihiko Natsume 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

A Rival Battle for Club Champ! (Japanese: ライバルバトル！強敵プルリル！ Rival Battle! The Strong Opponent Pururill!) is the tenth episode of Pokémon the Series: Black & White, and the 667th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on November 18, 2010 and in the United States on April 9, 2011.

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

Blurb

Ash is on his way to Nacrene City, where his next Gym Battle awaits. Before he gets there, he decides to stop by the Pokémon Battle Club in Luxuria Town for a warm-up battle. He’s surprised to find his Unova region rival, Trip, is there, too! Ash challenges Trip to a battle, and although he’s reluctant at first, Trip eventually agrees to a five-on-five battle. The battle starts out with Trip’s Tranquill making quick work of Ash’s Oshawott and Tepig.

Meanwhile, at the Dreamyard, Team Rocket is surrounded by Officer Jenny’s police force! Unfazed, they stand their ground until a new agent named Pierce comes to their rescue, and they all glide safely out of sight.

Back at the Battle Club, Ash finally defeats Tranquill using Pikachu, and Trip sends out his Servine—who evolved from the Snivy Ash battled on his first day in the Unova region! When Pikachu is defeated, Ash counters with his Snivy. Snivy manages to defeat Trip’s Servine with its powerful Attract move, and Trip next chooses his Frillish. Ash then switches to his Pidove to let Snivy rest, but the strategy doesn’t work—Frillish quickly takes Pidove down. Ash brings Snivy out one more time, but when Frillish defeats Snivy as well, Trip is declared the winner. Instead of being angry, Ash redoubles his efforts and vows to train harder than ever for the next time he and Trip have a battle!

Plot

After arriving in Luxuria Town, Ash enters the Pokémon Battle Club and starts searching for Trainers while Iris and Cilan catch up. Iris sarcastically comments on Ash's reaction to the Battle Club, telling him he behaves like a small child. Ash, unaware, searches through the Trainer database, where he finds Trip. Cilan explains that Trip was awarded the Trio Badge after defeating the Striaton Gym. Iris becomes even more puzzled, and Ash explains that Trip was the Trainer he met in Professor Juniper's lab and the one he first battled in Unova.

Ash shouts in excitement when Don George suddenly appears behind him, seemingly unable to remember Ash. Ash wonders if he is from Accumula Town, and soon learns that there are Battle Clubs located everywhere in Unova, each club is run by a Don George of an identical, extended family. Don George shows them his family picture before activating the built-in Xtransceiver in the Trainer-searching machine and tries to contact Trip. Trip is taking pictures when his Xtransceiver rings. He attends to it, and Don George greets him, informing him that Ash requests a battle with him. Ash appears soon after and subsequently, Iris and Cilan, who both introduce themselves. While Trip is surprised that Cilan is not at his Gym, Ash interrupts. Trip admits he isn't interested however, explaining that his new first partner Snivy easily defeated Ash's Pikachu. Ash rebukes, saying that it was due to Zekrom that Pikachu was unable to use Electric attacks, and he has since obtained other Pokémon as well. Ash begins kicking the machine in agitation.

Trip then appears at the entrance of the Battle Club, requesting a Full Battle. Ash pauses for a moment and reveals that he only has five Pokémon. Trip looks at him in disbelief and Ash shows off his Trio Badge, but Trip replies that he already has two Badges. He goes on to apologize to Don George, saying that he will not battle a Trainer with only one Badge and five Pokémon. Following that, he taunts Ash and wonders if all Trainers "from a countryside area like Kanto" behave the way he did. As he taunts him even further, Trip finally prepares to leave. However, after Iris passes a sarcastic remark calling him a "kid", and Cilan recites short prose on his battle expectations, Trip changes his mind and declares that he wants to battle Ash, 5-on-5.

As the referee, Don George stands in the center side of the field, reciting the rules of the battle while Ash and Trip take their positions. As Don George waves his hands and declares the battle open, Trip sends out Tranquill, the evolved form of Pidove. Ash checks his Pokédex, then sends out Oshawott. Proudly announcing that Oshawott once belonged to Professor Juniper and helped him win his Trio Badge at the Striaton Gym, Ash starts the battle by telling Oshawott to use Water Gun. Tranquill turns abruptly and dodges it, moves lower to the ground, and uses Aerial Ace - first striking the Sea Otter Pokémon from the front and knocking off his scalchop, then finally returning from the back and hitting him, causing him to faint. Don George declares that Oshawott is unable to battle.

Ash was left awestruck, unable to comprehend what had happened as Trip tells Ash that Tranquill has the Ability Super Luck, allowing Tranquill to land more critical hits. Ash recalls Oshawott, then sends out Tepig. As Trip tries to taunt Ash, Ash starts the round again by telling Tepig to use Ember. As red flames shot out from Tepig's snout, Tranquill dodges it again and sweeps past Tepig, clearly displaying its skill and speed. As Tepig continues firing into the sky, Tranquill continues dodging and switches into a Double Team. Tepig stares blankly at the Tranquill clones when Ash calls out to him - Tranquill is now using Work Up, increasing its attack power; it glows a bright red and turns around, facing Tepig and readying its next attack. Once again, Trip tells it to use Aerial Ace, and Tepig stares at the flock, unable to determine which one is real. Quickly, the flock of Tranquill combines into one and strikes Tepig out of the battle with an Aerial Ace. As Ash recalls Tepig thanking him for his hard work, Trip taunts him for not knowing his basics as a Trainer. Ash, feeling slightly angered and knowing he's falling behind quickly, now decides to send Pikachu into battle for the next round.

Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio, are gathered at the center of a garbage dump in anticipation of a person's arrival. Officer Jenny suddenly shows up, with her fellow policemen having surrounded the trio. Apparently, the Jenny at Striaton City had informed all the other Jennys about them, and the trio are now the most wanted criminals in Unova. Nevertheless, Team Rocket remains calm and composed.

Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but Tranquill is able to dodge. Trip notes his surprise that Pikachu is actually able to use Electric-type attacks and has Tranquill use Work Up again. The Flying Pokémon glows red and attacks Pikachu from the front and then the back with its Aerial Ace. Pikachu lies on the ground, but he picks himself up. Trip is determined to repeat his Aerial Ace sweep. Ash, spotting his attack pattern, tells Pikachu to grab hold of Tranquill's feet. Pikachu takes the first hit but grabs hold as Tranquill flies by sending both crashing to the ground. Ash tells Pikachu to toss Tranquill, and Pikachu responds and swings Tranquill into the air and out of control. Pikachu charges ahead with a Volt Tackle, scoring a direct hit and knocking Tranquill out, finally putting Ash on the board.

Iris, Axew and Cilan watch from the sidelines and cheer Ash on. While Ash is savoring his victory, he is surprised when Trip sends out his next Pokémon, Servine, the evolved form of Snivy. Trip explains that he has been training hard since their first match, and Cilan explains that Trip obtained the Trio Badge with his Servine by defeating Chili and his Pansear.

As Jenny prepares to arrest the Team Rocket trio, a rushing truck barges into the dump and causes the surrounding policemen to flee from the dangerous vehicle. The truck drifts, swerves, and skids to a halt beside Team Rocket. As the door opens ready to pick the trio up, the driver is now revealed: the agent which Giovanni had arranged for them to meet – Pierce. Officer Jenny gives chase on her motorcycle, but the truck continues along the closed unfinished bridge. Reaching a gap in the road, the truck begins falling. As Officer Jenny banks her motorcycle and skids to a halt, she watches the explosion from the truck below, though the Team Rocket trio and Pierce escape with jetpacks. Pierce hands over a briefcase to James before he goes his separate way and the Rocket trio flies towards the Desert Resort to continue their mission.

Ash starts the battle against Servine by having Pikachu use Iron Tail. However as Pikachu powers it up, Trip tells Servine to counter with Cut which successfully repels Iron Tail. Trip then has Servine use Leaf Tornado which draws Pikachu into the vortex before smashing him onto the ground. Pikachu recovers, and Ash decides to go for broke and has Pikachu use Volt Tackle. However, just as Pikachu is about to hit, Servine side-steps and scores a direct hit against Pikachu with Cut, taking him out of the battle.

As Trip remarks that he has four Pokémon as compared to Ash's two, Ash sends out his Snivy. Iris wonders why Ash does not send out Pidove, which is a Flying and would be an advantage against Grass Pokémon, while Cilan reassures her that Ash has plans of his own. Snivy starts the round by using Vine Whip, but Servine dodges them completely. She attempts to use Leaf Blade, but misses and Servine follows up with a Leaf Tornado. The tornado, like it did on Pikachu, draws her into the vortex and then slams her into the field. Though she gets back on her feet almost immediately. Trip taunts Ash that his Servine is an evolved form of Snivy. Ash, however, does not take the bait but actually has a plan. First, he has Snivy use Vine Whip, and Servine, once again, dodges it easily as he had before. Next, while Servine is distracted by her Vine Whip, Ash has Snivy use Attract, causing Trip's male Servine to become infatuated and too distracted to attack. Eventually, with a series of Vine Whips and a well-aimed Leaf Blade, Servine succumbs to Snivy's attacks and faints, leaving Trip with three Pokémon. As Ash celebrates, Trip recalls Servine and admits he did not expect the move Attract.

For the next round, Trip sends out his third Pokémon: a Frillish. Ash checks his Pokédex, before calling out Pidove. Pidove begins by using Air Cutter, only for it to be blocked by Frillish's Protect. Trip tells Frillish to use Water Pulse, and the Floating Pokémon traps Pidove in a water sphere. As the Baby Pigeon Pokémon struggles to breathe, the sphere of water suddenly bursts, sending her flying toward a window and causing her to faint. Don George declares Pidove unable to battle, leaving Ash with only Snivy to take on Trip's remaining three Pokémon.

As Ash sends out Snivy and tells her to use Vine Whip, Cilan gasps loudly and Iris shouts out immediately in protest. However it is too late, and Snivy's direct attack has trigged Frillish's Cursed Body Ability which can cause any physical attacks used against Frillish to become disabled. Iris also lambasts Ash for being ignorant and acting like a small child. Snivy attacks again with Leaf Storm, but Frillish blocks it with Protect, followed by a successful Night Shade. As Frillish celebrates his achievement, Snivy uses Leaf Storm and catches Frillish by surprise. Immediately, Snivy attempts to use Attract but fails as Frillish evades it. Ash decides to take a risk and tells Snivy to use Leaf Blade on Frillish. Snivy lands the attack, but unfortunately, it isn't enough to take Frillish out, and even worse, Snivy is hit with Cursed Body again which blocks Leaf Blade. Trip has Frillish trap its opponent in a Water Pulse again, with Snivy emerging in a confused state. Trip now takes advantage of the situation, telling Frillish to use Hex, which does double the damage as Snivy is already confused. Snivy soon collapses onto the field. Don George rules Snivy unable to battle, and subsequently Trip the winner of the match. Ash recalls Snivy.

Following the battle, Trip taunts Ash for being a poor Trainer and tells him that while Pikachu and Snivy show promise, Ash's other Pokémon are pathetic and Ash should reconsider using them in the future. As Trip is about to take his leave, Ash challenges him to another battle in the future, which Trip promises to consider. As the door closes behind him, Iris and Cilan try to console Ash. However, Ash was not at all disappointed, but he remains determined to surpass Trip and become the best Trainer ever.

Major events

• Trip is revealed to have won the Trio Badge from Chili, as well as another Badge.
• It is revealed that, like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, there is a Don George that runs a Battle Club in multiple cities across the Unova region.
• Ash re-encounters Trip, whom Iris meets for the first time, while Cilan reveals that he has met him before.
• Trip is revealed to have obtained five new Pokémon, including a Tranquill and a Frillish.
• The Team Rocket trio meets Pierce, another member of Team Rocket, for the first time.
• Trip's Snivy is revealed to have evolved into a Servine.
• Ash's Snivy is revealed to know Leaf Blade.
• Ash battles Trip for the second time and loses again.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Pierce

Pokémon debuts

• Trip's Servine
• Frillish
• Tranquill

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Iris
• Cilan
• Jessie
• James
• Officer Jenny
• Trip
• Don George
• Pierce
• Citizens
• Police officers

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Servine

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Axew (Iris's)
• Pidove (Ash's)
• Oshawott (Ash's)
• Tepig (Ash's)
• Snivy (Ash's)
• Snivy (Trip's; flashback)
• Servine (Trip's)
• Frillish (Trip's; male; debut)
• Tranquill (Trip's; debut)
• Dewott (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Servine (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Patrat (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Deerling (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Sandile (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Tranquill (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Pidove (Trainer's; computer screen)
• Woobat (Trainer's; computer screen)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster: Pokémon battle
• This is the second time that Ash has participated in a 5-on-5 Pokémon battle in the anime, the first time being against Sootopolis Gym Leader Juan.
• Frillish's Hex did more damage to Snivy because she was confused. In the games, Hex's damage does not increase due to an opponent's confusion.
• Frillish's Cursed Body Ability was stated to only work on an opponent's physical moves when it will work on any type of move in the games.
• Trip's Servine is confirmed to be male in this episode.
• The cover of the Japanese script for this episode reveals that Frillish's Japanese name was originally プルンス Purunsu.

Errors

• When Iris and Cilan first see that Ash commanded Snivy to use a physical move against Frillish, part of Cilan's hair is colored the same as his skin.
• In the Polish dub, Trip's Servine is incorrectly referred to as a female.
• Confusion is a volatile condition so the move Hex should not have doubled.

• 

  Cilan's miscolored hair

In other languages

Language		Title
British English		A Rival Battle for Club Champ!!
Mandarin Chinese		勁敵對戰！強敵輕飄飄！
Croatian		Borba rivala za Klupskog prvaka!
Danish		Rivalers kamp om Klubmesterskabet!
Dutch		Wie wordt de vechtclub kampioen?
Finnish		Kovaa peliä ottelukerholla!
European French		La lutte des rivaux au club de combat !
German		Zwei Rivalen im Pokémon-Kampfklub
Greek		Μάχη Ανταγωνιστών για τον Πρωταθλητή της Λέσχης!
Hindi		क्लब चैम्प के लिए राइवल बैटल! Club Champ ke liye Rival Battle!
Indonesian		Pertarungan Rival! Lawan Terkuat Frillish!!
Italian		Una lotta tra rivali!
Korean		라이벌 배틀! 강적 탱그릴!
Norwegian		En kamp for klubbmesteren!
Polish		Starcie rywali w Klubie Bitew!
Portuguese	Brazil	Uma Batalha Para o Campeão do Clube!
	Portugal	Combate de Rivais Para Campeão do Clube!
Russian		Битва за клубное чемпионство!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Una batalla rival para el Campeón del Club!
	Spain	¡Un combate entre rivales por el Campeonato del Club!
Swedish		Rivalers kamp för klubbmästerskap!
Thai		การประลองครั้งสำคัญ! พูรูริรุตัวเก่ง!!
Turkish		Şampiyonlar Kulübü'nden Çekişmeli Bir Maç!

← BW009 : The Bloom Is On Axew!

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

BW011 : A Home for Dwebble! →

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