AG033

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Now That's Flower Power!

AG033

EP307

ハルカにライバル！特訓ポケモンコンテスト！！
A Rival For Haruka! Intensive Pokémon Contest Training!!

First broadcast

Japan	July 10, 2003
United States	May 22, 2004

English themes

Opening	I Wanna Be a Hero
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	アドバンス・アドベンチャー
Ending	ポルカ・オ・ドルカ

Credits

Additional credits
Animation	Team Ota
Screenplay	米村正二 Shōji Yonemura
Storyboard	誌村宏明 Hiroaki Shimura
Assistant director	大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi
Animation director	徳田夢之介 Yumenosuke Tokuda

Now That's Flower Power! (Japanese: ハルカにライバル！特訓ポケモンコンテスト！！ A Rival For Haruka! Intensive Pokémon Contest Training!!) is the 33rd episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 307th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on July 10, 2003, and in the United States on May 22, 2004.

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

Blurb

Ash and the gang have arrived at Slateport City and May is busy getting her Beautifly ready for the Pokémon Contest. Beautifly is having some trouble using its Silver Wind attack. A boy starts heckling May saying that she has a long way to go to win contests. Team Rocket is nearby and Jessie is busy training her Dustox, which is equally unprepared for the contest.

After May and Ash have a practice battle using Beautifly and Taillow, a man approaches Ash—not May—complimenting him on his battling style and introduces himself as a Pokémon Contest expert and also a berry expert. He goes into an explanation of PokéBlocks and their uses in contests. He even gives May a PokéBlock Case. He offers to show them how to make berry blocks. When they arrive at the building they discover that Torchic beat them there and ate all the Bluk berries, so they decide to go find some replacement Bluk berries.

Team Rocket, meanwhile is devising a plan to steal the berries and the Pokémon. The gang ends up only finding one Bluk berry, which is also found by the boy who was heckling May earlier. May and the heckler, whose name she finds out is Drew, start a match only to have Team Rocket try to steal the berry. Drew's Roselia and Ash's Pikachu stop Team Rocket's getaway and they recover the berry. The episode ends with the entire group happily watching fireworks.

Plot

Ash and his friends enter the Slateport City Pokémon Center where several Coordinators are already preparing their Pokémon for the upcoming Pokémon Contest in two weeks time. May walks in, very impressed by all of this. Brock comments that she has a lot of competition and Max remarks that she hasn't even begun to train yet. Ash asks when she plans to start and she exclaims that now is as good a time as any. She wonders who she'll train with first. On the beach, Brock becomes excited by all the girls on the beach. May comments that this is the perfect place to practice her routine. While elegantly spinning, May calls out Beautifly who emerges with glistening wings. The beginning gets off to a rocky start as May pauses to stop feeling dizzy from her twirling. May throws some frisbees at Beautifly and tells it to use Gust to blow them back. It does so, but its wind creates a huge sandstorm. The storm sweeps up May, her friends, the beachgoers and their beach furniture into a sandy heap.

The group heads to a more isolated part of the shore, where May decides to show off Beautifly's Silver Wind technique. However, the move fails. May slumps down, groaning that this is going to take a lot more practice. Ash suggests she try the Frisbees again and she agrees. May throws three Frisbees to Beautifly, who gently Gusts them back. May gracefully catches the first two though the third goes flying over her head. The group turns around to see it sail straight towards a green haired boy that is watching from the promenade. He catches the Frisbee easily and twirls it on his finger, stating that May isn't a very good contestant for a Contest. May gets mad as the Frisbee is thrown at her feet. The boy jumps down and May angrily introduces herself. The boy introduces himself as Drew, and tells her that she needs a lot of practice. May becomes enraged and lunges at him, but he just holds his hand up to her face and casually pushes her back. Ash, Max, and Brock approach and ask what is going on. Drew antagonizes May with his sharp comments, and he keeps at bay with his hand as she tries to rush at him. Ash tells him to stop insulting May's Pokémon, but Drew just flips back his hair and laughs. He explains that he plans on competing in the Contest too, and he's staying at a luxury hotel and not some cramped Pokémon Center. Ash and the others turn to leave, but May turns back. She informs him that she'll see how good he really is at the Pokémon Contest. The two glare at each other.

From some nearby rocks, James and Meowth spy on the group. Wobbuffet pops out as James and Meowth overhear Jessie. The two turn to see her instructing Dustox, which she explains is for the Slateport Contest. James and Meowth are shocked upon hearing this. She explains with fire in her eyes that Dustox has the grace to win and she won't let its talents go to waste. Jessie orders it to use Poison Sting, and the barbs hit the ground gracefully. She calls for it to ramp up its performance, though the Poison Stings send the trio and Wobbuffet fleeing to safety. Meanwhile, May and Ash decide to have a practice battle to help Beautifly get used to performing attacks. She sends in her Beautifly and Ash chooses Taillow. Taillow flies towards Beautifly and May orders a Tackle. Beautifly gracefully twirls as it approaches, but Taillow dodges. Taillow comes in for a Peck, but May tells Beautifly to twirl out of the way. It does so and then uses String Shot to trap Taillow. Ash orders Taillow to try to get out, but May sends it hurtling towards the ground with a Gust attack. May leaps up, thinking she has won, but Taillow gets up. Ash tells it to bite away the string and it does so. May orders a Silver Wind, but it fails. Taillow continues to chew its way out of the silky threads before lashing Beautifly with a Wing Attack. May rushes in to catch Beautifly as Brock calls the match over.

Suddenly, a man approaches, clapping loudly. He says that was amazing and May thanks him, however the man was congratulating Ash's effort. May clarifies that she is actually the one entering the Contest. The man introduces himself as Mr. Big and admits that he was a Coordinator. May instantly goes starry eyed, though Mr. Big reminds her that the first step of a successful Coordinator is staying calm. He also reveals that the secret lies in Berries. While they are discussing the Berries, Ash and his friends' Pokémon happily sleep in the corner. Torchic wakes up, looks around, and decides to investigate a nearby building. When it reaches the building, it rushes inside after smelling something good. Meanwhile, May and Max listen to Mr. Big as he explains more things to them. He tells May that to win Contests, she needs to use Pokéblocks that raise the condition of Pokémon. Mr. Big gifts May a Pokéblock Case and exclaims that every Pokémon Coordinator has to have one. He tells May that when you mix Berries, they form Pokéblocks. Mr. Big tells her to follow him to his shop where she can make some Pokéblocks of her own. They soon reach the shop, where Mr. Big explains that he uses Berries to create spectacular Pokémon fireworks. However, he admits that he is struggling to develop different colors and has to showcase a rehearsal tonight. Torchic suddenly emerges with black juice covering its face, which instantly shocks Mr. Big. He enters into his storeroom, revealing that his Bluk Berry supply is now gone. Brock reads from his Berry guidebook that Bluk Berries stain anyone’s mouth black. Mr. Big adds that the Berries are good for making a Pokémon's coat shiny. May forces her Torchic to apologize, though Mr. Big admits that he shouldn't have left the storeroom door open. May, however, feels particularly apologetic and declares that she will find some Bluk Berries for his fireworks. Team Rocket overhears the conversation and sets their sights on stealing the Bluk Berries. Meowth proposes they should deliver the berries to the Boss to give his hair an incredible sheen. Jessie adds that the Bluk Berries will also help Dustox to shine.

Later, May and her friends meet up in a forest, with no one having any luck finding the berries. Ash queries where Torchic has run off to, and May realizes it's gone. She calls out and soon receives a chirpy response. They rush over to see Torchic hanging from a Bluk tree on the side of a steep cliff. The branch suddenly snaps, but May has her Beautifly use String Shot to catch Torchic. May hugs Torchic, happy to have it back. She turns to see Drew standing on a rock above them holding the Berry branch in hand. May demands the Bluk Berries back, so Drew proposes a match with her Beautifly to determine who gets the Berry. May agrees to this. The Rocket trio peer from the bushes and hope to nab the Berries while everyone is distracted with the battle.

Brock calls for the mock Contest match to begin. May spins as she calls out her Beautifly. Drew calls on his Roselia, which Ash scans with the Pokédex. Drew offers May the first move, and she orders a Tackle from Beautifly. Roselia uses Petal Dance, which hits Beautifly and stops its flight path. Roselia follows up with a Stun Spore which knocks Beautifly to the ground. Drew laughs, saying he expected a little more of a fight from Beautifly. May begs for Beautifly to get up, and it slowly opens its eyes. Drew orders Roselia to finish it off with Magical Leaf. It charges the attack up, as Ash and Max remind May of Mr. Big's advice to remain calm. May thinks it over as Roselia launches the attack. Beautifly flies back up as May orders a Silver Wind. It launches the attack, deflecting the leaves and sending Roselia tumbling. May jumps for joy, exclaiming that Beautifly performed Silver Wind successfully. Drew is shocked and Brock says it looks like the match is over. Suddenly, the Bluk Berries are pulled away. Everyone looks to see Team Rocket in their balloon. James reels in the Berries as they recite their motto. Team Rocket taunts May before floating into the distance. May tells Drew that the match is over, as someone needs the Berries, before joining her friends to pursue Team Rocket. Drew looks at her without any change of expression.

Team Rocket laughs as they make their escape. Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but a special satellite under their balloon absorbs it. Meowth laughs, saying electricity will do no good. Ash tells Pikachu to try it again, but the same thing happens. Suddenly, a Solar Beam strikes the satellite frying it, and the group realize Drew has come to assist. Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt and Drew orders Roselia to use Solar Beam. The attacks combine and strike the balloon, sending Team Rocket blasting off and the Bluk Berries falling. Everyone watches Torchic rush towards the branch. It leaps high into the air and grabs it. It seems happy with itself, and then realizes it's falling off a cliff. Beautifly, however, saves it with String Shot and Torchic, still with the Berry branch in beak, is safely returned to May's arms. May hugs it and then she turns to Drew to thank him for his help. He replies that he cannot wait to battle her at the Contest, adding that provided she can pass through the preliminary rounds. Drew recalls Roselia before signing off with a finger salute and walking off. May is quietly confident as she happily watches Drew walk away.

That night, Ash and his friends stand on the beach with Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip. Mr. Big signals that it's time, and the fireworks begin going off. Everyone watches in awe, and the committee member commends Mr. Big's efforts. Even Drew observes the display with Roselia from the promenade.

Major events

May's Beautifly is revealed to have learned Silver Wind.
May meets her first rival, Drew.
May receives a Pokéblock Case from Mr. Big.

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

Debuts

Humans

Drew

Pokémon debuts

Roselia (Drew's)

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Dragonite

Pikachu (Ash's)
Meowth (Team Rocket)
Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
Taillow (Ash's)
Treecko (Ash's)
Corphish (Ash's)
Torchic (May's)
Beautifly (May's)
Forretress (Brock's)
Lotad (Brock's)
Mudkip (Brock's)
Dustox (Jessie's)
Roselia (Drew's; debut)
Butterfree (Coordinator's)
Mudkip (Coordinator's)
Poochyena (Coordinator's)
Zigzagoon (Coordinator's)
Shroomish (Coordinator's)
Kecleon (Coordinator's)

Trivia

Advance Adventure is used as background music.
The episode title's name is derived from the phrase "flower power", a slogan used in the late 60s and early 70s. The phrase was also the basis for the title of a Johto episode.
This episode is featured on the Volume 1: Grass copy of Pokémon Elements.
This is the first episode where Meowth's boss fantasy involves an item instead of a Pokémon; the Bluk Berries in this case.
Kids' WB incorrectly promoted this episode as consisting of May's first battle. Her first battle, short as it was, actually occurred in In the Knicker of Time.
Despite having existed since Generation I, this is the first time that Petal Dance is used in the anime.

Errors

The blurb for this episode formats Pokéblocks as PokéBlocks.
When May is practicing with Beautifly, its mouth disappears for a scene.
When May lunges at Drew, her capris disappear.
When everyone agrees to join Mr. Big at his shop, the ears of May's bandanna are colored the same as her hair.
In one scene, the lines on Meowth's charm disappear.
In the Polish dub, during the firework show, the Pichu-themed firework is mistakenly referred to as a Pikachu.

May's miscolored bandanna
Meowth's charm error

Dub edits

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		小遙的勁敵！特訓！神奇寶貝華麗大賽！
Danish		Se, det er flowerpower
Dutch		Dat is Flower Power!
European French		Le pouvoir des fleurs
German		Das Probe-Pokémon-Feuerwerk
Hebrew		עוצמת הפרחotsmat haperakh
Hindi		फ्लावर पोकेमोन की ताकत Flower Pokemon ki Taakat *
Italian		Fuochi artificiali
Korean		포켓몬 콘테스트 봄이의 라이벌 등장
Norwegian		Litt av en blomst!
Polish		Niezwykła moc kwiatów
Portuguese	Brazil	O Poder Floral! *
Portuguese	Portugal	O Verdadeiro Poder das Flores!
Russian		Ничего себе цветочек! * Власть цветов *
Spanish	Latin America	¡El poder de las flores!
Spanish	Spain	Eso si es Flower Power
Swedish		Pokémonfyrverkerier!
Thai		คู่แข่งของฮารุกะ! ฝึกพิเศษเพื่อโปเกมอนคอนเทสต์!!