Episode 31 (Season 8) - Island Time

Ash is ready to board the ferry to Ever Grande City when May comes running up - she's won four plane tickets to Ever Grande! Except once the kids are onboard, the flight crew turns out to be Team Rocket in disguise, and the plane is headed for Team Rocket headquarters! Now if only Team Rocket had thought to fill up the fuel tank first...

Out of fuel, the plane makes an emergency landing on an island in the middle of the ocean. As Ash and his friends exit the plane, they meet Robin, a traveling salesman who's been stranded on the island for ages. Luckily, he also made a Wailmer friend to help him out! But Wailmer wasn't strong enough to carry Robin past the whirlpools that surround Wailmer Island, as Robin now calls it. Team Rocket tries to swim for it themselves, and find out firsthand how dangerous the whirlpools are!

Brock realizes that with help from their Pokémon, the group can convert the airplane to a ship. Once the ship is finished, Team Rocket grabs Pikachu and steals the ship, but once again they've forgotten about the need for fuel. The ship ends up wrecked in a whirlpool, and Wailmer helps Ash save Pikachu just in time.

Together, Wailmer and Pikachu stop Team Rocket, and Wailmer evolves into a huge Wailord! Now Wailord is strong enough to carry Robin, Ash, and his friends through the whirlpools and safely back to the ferry. But Robin, who realizes he never truly enjoyed his job in the city, decides to return to Wailmer Island with Wailord and live life to the fullest. As he departs, Ash and company turn their sights towards Ever Grande and the Hoenn League competition two weeks away!

Episode 32 (Season 8) - Like a Meowth to a Flame!

Ash and his friends have finally arrived in Ever Grande city for the Hoenn League Championships, but they're mobbed by a group of Murkrow as they're looking for a place to eat. A snappily-dressed Meowth and its Trainer, Tyson, jump into save the day. After introductions and a friendly lunch together, it's time to see the torch carried to the stadium. Tyson himself turns out to be the torch bearer!

While Tyson heads for the stadium, Ash makes his preparations for the Hoenn league and wonders where Morrison is. Team Rocket is also making their preparations - to steal the torch, which burns with a legendary flame! When Tyson brings the torch to a storage room before the ceremonies, a disguised Team Rocket grabs the torch and runs! Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy, and our heroes all give chase and finally corner Team Rocket.

Tyson's Meowth seizes the torch and dares Team Rocket's Meowth to try and take it back. Meowth, its pride wounded, takes up the challenge, but is quickly defeated by its new rival before Team Rocket is sent blasting off as usual. With the torch recovered, now the Hoenn League championships can get underway!

Episode 33 (Season 8) - Saved by the Beldum!

Where's Morrison? That's the question on Ash's mind as he trains his Pokémon in preparation for the big tournament in Ever Grande City. When Morrison finally makes his appearance, he and Ash immediately start up their friendly rivalry again, which leads to them falling into a Team Rocket pit trap! Tyson and his Meowth in boots show up just in time to help out - Tyson's Meowth defeats Team Rocket's Meowth once more, using Iron Tail to send the villains flying.

Once everyone is registered for the tournament, the one-on-one preliminary rounds get underway. Morrison and Beldum face a Trainer with an Electabuzz, and Morrison is relying solely on Beldum's Take Down attack. This doesn't work too well until Beldum evolves into Metang and wins the match. As for Tyson, his Meowth takes some hits from a Persian, then comes back to win its first round. But once Persian is knocked out, Meowth charges after it and Tyson must recall it to its Poké Ball.

Tyson later explains why his Meowth is so troubled. When he met Meowth, it was lying hurt in a forest after a Persian defeated it in a battle for leadership. Tyson took care of Meowth, which was how it got its boots - originally they were just to help protect its injured legs. But to this day it still has a grudge against Persian.

And now it's Ash's turn to battle! Pikachu handily wins its round, so all three Trainers can look forward to their next challenge in the Hoenn League.

Episode 34 (Season 8) - From Brags to Riches!

The preliminaries are over, and now the Hoenn League Championships begin in earnest! The qualifying round is all double battles, and Ash goes to watch Morrison's match against muscleman Gavin. Morrison's Growlithe and Gligar are up against Marowak and Machamp, and no punches are pulled in this all-out battle! It's not looking good for Morrison until Gligar uses Guillotine to knock Machamp out. But Marowak defeats Growlithe, and Gligar finally wins.

Ash is jogging along after the match, minding his own business, when he falls into another Team Rocket pit trap. But just as they finish their motto, their new boss catches them in the act and shouts at them to get back to work. Team Rocket runs away and Ash wonders what's going on, but not for long - he's up next in the qualifying round!

Ash sends out Torkoal and Corphish. His opponent Dominic sends out Swalot and Tropius, which may grant him an aerial advantage. But Ash's trusty Torkoal gives it all it's got, and takes down Tropius in a double KO. As for Swalot, its resilient body resists Corphish's attacks. Finally Corphish charges in, throws Swalot, and gets up close and personal to deliver a Bubble Beam that knocks its opponent out! Tyson has also won his first match, and now our Trainers move on to round 2!

Episode 35 (Season 8) - Shocks and Bonds!

Ash, Tyson, and Morrison are all aiming for the top of the Hoenn League, but first they have to qualify for the Victory Tournament stage of the competition. In the third and final double battle qualification round, Ash sends out Glalie and Groyle against Clark, a conductor with two strong Fire-type Pokémon - Charizard and Quilava. Grovyle and Quilava are knocked out first, and it's an icy hot battle as Charizard and Glalie battle for victory! Thanks to Ash's quick thinking, Glalie bounces back for the win.

Morrison and Tyson advance to the Victory Tournament, too. In fact, the only ones not getting anywhere are Team Rocket. It's hard to steal Pikachu when they're busy selling snacks at the stadium, but honest work has its rewards... a delicious dinner they didn't even have to steal! Meanwhile, the Trainers have a day off to see the sights and do some extra training.

Now the Victory Tournament begins: 32 competitors, one winner! Ash's first opponent is Katie, a strategic Trainer who takes full advantage of type weaknesses and strengths. She starts out with Venomoth, but switches in Golduck to put Ash's Torkoal out of the match. Next up is Pikachu, but Katie counters with Dugtrio and sends Pikachu flying! Glalie knocks out Dugtrio, but is stopped by Misdreavus and its Destiny Bond attack. With Ash down three Pokémon and Katie only down two, will he be able to hang on to this match?

Episode 36 (Season 8) - A Judgement Brawl!

The first round of the Victory Tournament finds Ash in a tight spot. He has three Pokémon remaining; Katie, his opponent, has four. Katie's Golduck faces Corphish on a water field and uses its attack to confuse Corphish. Luckily, even confused, Corphish is one tough Pokémon! Its haphazard attacks manage to defeat Golduck. Then it's a tense series of battles as Ash rallies and knocks out all of Katie's Pokémon until only her Walrein remains!

Walrein knocks out Swellow and Corphish with no problem, but Ash's spur of the moment tactics and Groyvle's fighting ability are still a force to be reckoned with. Walrein's Ice Beam has the side effect of freezing over the water, which means it can no longer dive to avoid attacks, and Grovyle takes full advantage of the situation to strike fast and hard. Victory to Ash!

The next round draw is completed, and to their mutual shock, Ash and Morrison will be battling each other. Morrison runs off, stunned by the thought of battling his friend. And where has Team Rocket been all this time? Still working hard to sell snacks at the stadium! Their boss will even take them out for dinner if things keep going well. Will the promise of food actually keep Team Rocket out of trouble?

The next day, Morrison and Ash begin their match. Morrison doesn't have the heart to battle, and his Gigafarig is quickly beaten by Corphish. Will he recover in time to make it a good match, or will this experience affect his friendship with Ash?

Episode 37 (Season 8) - Choose It or Lose It!

Morrison and Ash are battling each other in the Hoenn League, and Morrison is so upset he can't bring himself to choose his next Pokémon after his Gigafarig is knocked out! He's almost disqualified before he decides to send Growlithe out against Ash's Corphish. But Morrison doesn't have Growlithe attack, and his Pokémon is quickly knocked out. Ash angrily demands to know why Morrison isn't fighting, which makes Morrison realize his Pokémon are counting on him to give it his best, too.

He rallies and brings out Swampert - both it and Corphish unleash their strongest attacks, resulting in a double KO! It's time for a battlefield change and Morrison apologizes to Ash. Then, Pikachu and Morrison's Steelix take to the grass battlefield. Another head-to-head battle results in Pikachu out of the match, and Torkoal is defeated as well! It's up to Grovyle to beat Steelix, but Morrison's agile Gligar gets the better of their aerial battle. Gligar and Ash's Swellow have another double KO, so this match will be decided by Glalie and Metang. Some clever strategy wins the day for Ash, who becomes one of only 8 semifinalists!

Elsewhere, Team Rocket's work as snack sellers pays off when their boss takes them to the all-you-can-eat buffet as a reward. But is he making a big mistake in trusting them? And Ash and Tyson will face each other in the semifinals, in a match that begins with a real bang!

Episode 38 (Season 8) - At the End of the Fray!

It's the battle between Ash and Tyson to decide who moves on to the final four of the Hoenn League, and Glalie and Sceptile are already out! Tyson's Shiftry is ill-matched against Ash's Torkoal and its fiery attacks, but Tyson sends in Hariyama to beat the heat and defeat Torkoal. Corphish is next, but Hariyama defeats it too!

At the halftime break, Morrison tries to give Ash a pep talk. When the match resumes, Swellow and Hariyama battle until Swellow is the victor. Swellow then goes on to beat Tyson's Donphan, but Tyson has a powerful Metagross waiting! Despite Swellow's determination, Metagross knocks it out - but Swellow did some damage, and Ash sends Grovyle out to hammer on that weak spot. Grovyle still can't stop Metagross but Pikachu finishes the job, so Tyson sends out the ace up his sleeve: his Meowth!

Team Rocket's Meowth cheers its fellow Pokémon on from the stands. Tyson's Meowth can counter Pikachu's Thunderbolt with one of its own, so the battle comes down to Iron Tail vs Iron Tail. Exhausted, both Pokémon finally fall to the ground, and though they get back up, Pikachu cannot continue. Team Rocket's Meowth is delighted, but not for long - Jessie and James have been caught stealing Pokémon by their new boss, who sends all three flying! Tyson goes on to win the Hoenn League and Ash, happy that he battled his best, can now look forward to his next big adventure.

Episode 39 (Season 8) - The Scheme Team

The Hoenn League has ended and our friends must go their separate ways. Tyson and Morrison are off to new adventures; May and Max return to Petalburg while Ash and Brock head back to Kanto. Even Team Rocket goes back to headquarters and reports to a thoroughly unimpressed Giovanni. Butch and Cassidy show off their cool new jetpacks, so Team Rocket demands they get something cool too - and end up with pogo sticks.

Ash is now alone, Brock having headed home to Pewter City. In Viridian City, Ash encounters Scott, a flashy fellow who wants to talk about the Battle Frontier. But first Ash ends up challenging the new Viridian Gym Leader, a woman named Agatha. With typical confidence, Ash sends Pikachu to battle Agatha's Gengar and forgets that as a Ghost-type Pokémon, Pikachu won't be able to hit it with normal attacks.

Although Ash quickly adjusts his strategy and Pikachu does its best, it just can't beat Gengar. Still, Agatha is impressed that Ash at least showed some spirit. It's now that Ash learns Agatha is also one of the Elite Four, so it's great that Pikachu managed to last that long in the first place! Scott encourages Ash to try for the Battle Frontier, a series of seven challenges, but they're briefly interrupted by Team Rocket's latest short-lived Pikachu-snatching attempt.

Once Ash finally makes it back home, he finds Misty and her new Azurill waiting for him - and Professor Birch and Max show up as well! A memorable get-together is in the works.

Episode 40 (Season 8) - The Right Place and the Right Mime

Ash has returned to Pallet Town to find a reunion of friends! May stops by Ash's house but Ash has left for Professor Oak's lab, where Max, Misty, and Tracey are getting to know a trio of Kanto starter Pokémon. Max upsets the Squirtle, which goes running to May just as she arrives with Ash's mother. May wants to know what Max is doing there when he should be at home - it seems he's a guest of Professor Birch, who enters with Professor Oak and Ash in tow.

As everyone takes this opportunity to discuss their plans for the future and meet Ash's other Pokémon, Team Rocket shows up to ruin the fun with their new Sucker for Punishment, a giant vacuuming robot! Ash calls on his old pal Snorlax to knock Team Rocket down a notch, and with the help of May, Misty, Tracey, Team Rocket's plan to nab Pikachu is foiled once again.

With that excitement over, Ash prepares to depart for the Battle Factory. Glalie and Torkoal will stay behind, but Phanpy wants to tag along for the trip. As for May, her Beautifly and Skitty are living the good life at home, but her new friend Squirtle makes a perfect addition to her team. Misty will travel with her friends on her way home too, and they just can't leave without Brock, who catches up to them as they're leaving Pallet Town! Together again, our intrepid group of Trainers sets off in search of another adventure.

Episode 41 (Season 8) - A Real Cleffa Hanger

Ash and his friends are on their way to the Battle Frontier, and Misty joins them for a while as she heads back to Cerulean City. But Daisy calls to ask if she can start giving away Gym Badges - Misty just can't get a break! Brock has left his Ludicolo at home, May is delighted with her new Squirtle, and Max is eager to see Pokémon that live on nearby Mt. Moon, like Cleffa. Sure enough, a Cleffa appears.

So does Team Rocket and their Poké-Vac 5000, which manages to vacuum up all of the kids' Pokémon except for Pikachu. Except Team Rocket accidentally ejects the Pokémon right back out, the Poké-Vac breaks, and in the confusion as Team Rocket blasts off, Cleffa, Misty, Max, Pikachu, and Azurill all fall in a river!

Misty and Max get back onto dry land and start to look for their friends. Easier said than done, as they run from Beedrill and take cover from a rainstorm. Meanwhile, a Clefairy and Clefable team up with Ash and May to find Cleffa. Just as they find Misty, Team Rocket shows up to spoil the reunion.

Clefairy, Clefable, and Cleffa call for backup, and Team Rocket is on the receiving end of a super-powerful Metronome - Solarbeam combo, with Munchlax on the assist. That's it for Team Rocket until next time! That night, Ash and his friends watch a Pokémon moondance, and in the morning he and Misty go their separate ways once more.

Episode 42 (Season 8) - Numero Uno Articuno

The Battle Factory is Ash's next destination - if he can find it, that is. He and his friends have become lost, but they see snow and an Articuno flying overhead, followed by a plane in distress. The group winds up at a Pokémon Center, where Scott gives them a ride to the Battle Factory. There they meet Noland, who's not just the Factory Head but also a bit of a mechanical mastermind, and the pilot of the plane they saw last night.

Ash can pick which of Noland's Pokémon he wants to battle. Noland has befriended an Articuno whom he helped once, and he takes Max and Pikachu up in his plane to fly with the Legendary Pokémon. Team Rocket wants Articuno for themselves, and they show up in their own plane to steal it. It's no match for Articuno, who quickly sends them on their way.

Impressed, Ash decides he wants to battle Articuno. What's more, he wants to battle it with Charizard! It looks like this is shaping up to be quite a match...

Episode 43 (Season 8) - The Symbol Life

Ash has opted to battle Articuno with Charizard in his Battle Factory match. Now he's busy training with Charizard, who has gotten even stronger during its time in the Charicific Valley. Team Rocket, secretly watching from the roof of the Battle Factory, are hopeful they can snatch the impressive Pokémon for themselves. But when the battle gets underway, the roof of the Battle Factory opens and they fall into the main chamber where everyone can see them.

Articuno and Charizard waste no time in clearing out the intruders before Noland and Ash get down to business. This Articuno is tough and knows a Water-type attack, so Charizard is in for a rough time. The two Pokémon wage a fast-paced flying battle that looks like it might end in Noland's favor as Articuno ices up Charizard's wing. Good thing for Ash that Charizard has a new trick in store: Overheat!

Articuno also packs a powerful Steel Wing, but Charizard grabs it mid-attack and turns the move into a Seismic Toss. Articuno tries to get back up and battle, to no avail. Ash is awarded the Knowledge Symbol along with a Frontier Folio to hold his Battle Frontier Symbols, and Noland congratulates him on a battle well-fought. Next stop, the Battle Arena!

Episode 44 (Season 8) - Hooked On Onix

Ash's Battle Factory victory has him eager to reach the next Battle Frontier stop right away, but even he has to stop for food and water. Munchlax takes care of the Pokémon food by eating it all, which sets off a squabble that disturbs the local Geodude. The Geodude chase Ash and May's Pokémon, and some of them are separated in the commotion. Ash and May have to find their missing Pokémon!

An Onix leads the Rock-type Pokémon that live in the area, and they're none too happy about the intruders. Team Rocket sees this and convinces Onix that Ash and his friends are up to no good. Phanpy and Squirtle reunite with Pikachu, Corphish, and then Munchlax, but they're captured by Rock Pokémon working with Team Rocket. Elsewhere, Brock is captured as well!

Ash finds Onix and Team Rocket, but now all his friends and their Pokémon have been snagged! Ash tries to tell Onix that he's not a villain, and Onix decides that they'll battle. If Ash wins, his friends go free. If Ash loses... well, he'd better win! Ash choses Grovyle, who has a type advantage against Onix, and wins the round.

Team Rocket tries plan B: steal all the Pokémon outright. But Ash tells Grovyle to defend Onix against their attack, and it's clear now who the good guys are. May and the others are freed, and together everyone protects the wild Pokémon from Team Rocket. Once the villains are sent flying, Onix makes amends by giving our heroes an escorted ride out of its valley.

Episode 45 (Season 8) - Rough, Tough Jigglypuff

On their way to the Battle Arena, Ash and his friends are snagged by a net trap. But for once, it's not Team Rocket - it's a fellow named Mitch and his Loudred, and they're tyring to catch Jigglypuff! Mitch used to be a company executive until his daughter Lisa requested a Jigglypuff for her birthday, and for six months he's been in the woods trying to get one. Every Jigglypuff comes to tease him, and every day Jigglypuff gets away scot free. Plus, Lisa's birthday is tomorrow!

Ash decides to help Mitch out, but Jigglypuff puts everyone to sleep, even Team Rocket. What's more, it's tough, and it's not impressed when they try to lure it with food! So they trick it into battling Loudred and using Rollout, which rolls it right into the cabin - now covered in sound-reflecting panels. Pikachu battles Jigglypuff until it uses Sing, and the echoes of its attack put it to sleep.

Now Mitch can catch Jigglypuff, but he realizes it belongs in the forest after all. He and the kids return to town, where Lisa is happy to have her dad home even if he didn't bring a Jigglypuff. Just then, Jigglypuff comes flying in, angry at Mitch for leaving. It turns out that Jigglypuff liked playing with Mitch, and it decides to stick around. So now Lisa has two new Pokémon friends!

Episode 46 (Season 8) - On Cloud Arcanine

May and Ash are waiting on line outside a popular bakery when an Arcanine runs past. May wants to catch it, but she sees that Drew is chasing it too! Thanks to Extremespeed, Arcanine easily escapes. May catches up to it while it's eating and sends out Combusken, but Arcanine outruns her Pokémon. So Ash and his friends stop to ask a woodsman about Arcanine, and he points them to locations where it sometimes appears - but he also told Drew the same information about an hour ago.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket has been fired from the bakery for eating the merchandise, and a combination of Wobbuffet and hunger leads them to a Pecha grove. Ash and his friends are waiting in the grove; when Arcanine shows up, they send it towards May and Squirtle. Arcanine uses Roar on Squirtle, and May sends out Munchlax to use Metronome. Metronome gives Munchlax Extremespeed, speed it uses to eat all the Pecha berries. By the time Team Rocket arrives, the trees have been picked clean! They do spot Arcanine, however, and decide to nab it for the boss.

May and Drew again run into each other on a high ledge and see Arcanine run off again. Irate, May challenges Drew to see who gets Arcanine, and Drew's Flygon quickly defeats May's Squirtle. Both Coordinators chase after Arcanine anyway, only to find it feeding Pecha berries to its young Growlithe.

Team Rocket kidnaps Arcanine and the Growlithe, but Drew and May team up to free them and defeat Team Rocket. May and Drew then decide not to break up Arcanine's family, and they let it go on its way. Drew goes on his way too, but not before he tells May to try the Pokémon Contest in Saffron City. Excited, our heroes set their sights on their next destination!

Episode 47 (Season 8) - Sitting Psyduck

A Psyduck is frantically running from a Machop, Machoke, and Machamp when it hurls headlong into Ash and friends, on their way to the Pokémon Contest in Saffron City. Ash sends out Phanpy, who drives off the three Superpower Pokémon. Brock feeds the Psyduck, who makes fast friends with Phanpy and Pikachu.

Meanwhile, the Superpower Pokémon trio returns to their Trainer, a rich girl named Emily who orders them not to return unless they have Psyduck in tow. They dutifully head out again.

The kids and Psyduck walk along until they reach a hill where a disguised Team Rocket coerces them into trying out "grass-sledding." But as they're coasting down the grassy hill, Jessie activates a trap that sends the kids barreling around like pinballs and then Meowth catches Psyduck and Phanpy in a net. Team Rocket begins to escape with the two Pokémon using their balloon, but Machop, Machoke, and Machamp show up just in time to pull them back down. Team Rocket is sent blasting off, and Emily arrives to take her Psyduck home.

Back at Emily's mansion, everyone notices that despite the posh surroundings, Psyduck is not happy there. Ash and May have a practice battle on the grounds, and they find out that Emily never lets Psyduck battle. Brock speculates that it's lonely. Team Rocket shows up again, and this time Psyduck eagerly steps up to the plate to drive them off. Emily doesn't know how to battle, so Max gives her some advice. Psyduck holds its own against Cacnea, Seviper, and Meowth, just before Pikachu sends the thieves off with Thunderbolt.

Emily realizes that she needs to bond with her Pokémon more, and considers going on her own Pokémon journey as the kids resume their own travels.

Episode 48 (Season 8) - Hail to the Chef

Chasing after a hungry Munchlax, Ash and his friends end up at Rhonda's, a restaurant run by a girl named Rhonda with Mr. Mime as its head chef. Team Rocket stumbles across another restaurant, Rhoda's, run by a girl named Rhoda with Sneasel as its head chef. Meowth quickly takes a disliking to Sneasel, but Jessie and James want it for Team Rocket.

Back at Rhonda's, Mr. Mime puts on a fantastic show for Ash and company, but the food is terrible. Over at Rhoda's, Sneasel's food looks terrible, but it tastes fantastic ? except for Meowth's, because Sneasel purposely made him a horrible meal. The two start to fight, breaking through the restaurant wall and right into Rhonda's. Rhonda and Rhoda are actually twin sisters who split up the family restaurant; Rhoda accuses Rhonda, and they challenge each other to see who deserves to run the place.

Team Rocket coaches Sneasel while Brock advises Mr. Mime, and after a night's practice it's time to allez cuisine! Mr. Mime's presentation is great, but now Sneasel also puts on a show. It looks like a close battle until Team Rocket steals the chefs and Pikachu too! Team Rocket hops in their balloon to make a getaway, but Rhonda tells Mr. Mime to use Trick and Psychic. This frees all three Pokémon, who head home and send Team Rocket packing along the way.

Impressed, Rhoda leaves the restaurant to Rhonda. But Rhonda makes Rhoda co-manager and Sneasel the head chef; with everyone working together, the restaurant is now better than ever! And after a wonderful meal, Ash and his friends can happily continue on their way.

Episode 49 (Season 8) - Caterpie's Big Dilemma

On their way to Saffron City, Ash and his friends encounter a Caterpie and its Trainer-in-training, Xander, who mistakes them for lab robbers. Fortunately, Dr. Gordon, the lab owner and Xander's teacher, shows up and things are sorted out. The kids visit Dr. Gordon's lab, where he makes all kinds of strange inventions. Of course, Team Rocket wants to steal them all!

Caterpie helps catch them in the act, but in the process, Dr. Gordon's briefcase opens and blue candies roll out. Caterpie eats some and grows until it's big enough to send Team Rocket blasting off. The Mystery Candy Complete keeps Caterpie growing until it's bigger than a building! The giant Caterpie heads into town as people flee in a panic. Climbing the local radio tower, it then evolves into Metapod.

Elsewhere, Team Rocket discovers that Wobbuffet stole some Mystery Candy too, so they head back into town and kidnap Dr. Gordon. The Candy makes Dustox and Cacnea huge - Dustox is so big that Team Rocket hops on its back and flies away with Dr. Gordon! Metapod evolves into a giant Butterfree just in time for Ash and Xander to give chase.

After some aerial maneuvers, Dustox suddenly shrinks back to normal size. Butterfree catches it but Team Rocket plummets into a pond. No sooner do they emerge than Officer Jenny arrives with Ash's friends, and when Team Rocket puts up a fight, Pikachu and Butterfree send them on their way once more. Eventually Butterfree returns to normal size too, and Ash says farewell to Xander and his newly-evolved friend - as well as Dr. Gordon, who's now more enthusiastic about his inventions than ever!

Episode 50 (Season 8) - The Saffron Con

May and friends arrive in Saffron City, where May is so excited about the upcoming Pokémon Contest that she heads straight for the Contest Hall. She sees people going in to check out the hall, so she goes inside too. On stage is a woman who looks suspiciously like Vivian from the Hoenn region, practicing with an Espeon. May's Squirtle gets so excited that it runs on stage. It turns out that the woman is actually Lillian, Vivian's younger sister.

May takes her Pokémon to the Pokémon Center for a check-up, and is surprised to meet Nurse Joy's new assistant - Harley! Harley is overwhelmingly nice to May, and even tells her that she can switch Pokémon during the contest, which turns out to be true. Harley also tells her that she can register with her Hoenn Contest Pass until 11 the next day - which isn't true. But May believes him since he was telling the truth before.

Meanwhile, a disguised Jessie registers for the Pokémon Contest, and asks James if she can borrow Cacnea. But when Jessie tries to form a bond with Cacnea, it ends up getting stuck in her hair and James and Meowth rush her to the Pokémon Center. At the PC, they get the idea to steal everyone else's Pokémon so Jessie can win by default.

May and Ash begin to battle outside when James and Meowth fly over in their balloon and start snatching Pokémon. May ends up teaming up with Harley to free the Pokémon, and even more unexpected help comes from Squirtle, who uses a newly-learned Ice Beam to send the thieves blasting off.

When May finally goes to register, she turns out to be too late. Luckily, Lillian happens to be walking by, and after hearing mention of May's heroics, the attendant lets her register for the contest.

Episode 51 (Season 8) - The Hurdle for Squirtle

The contest in Saffron City is about to begin! Harley ends up apologizing to May, but it rings hollow given his history of hating May. He goes first, and really impresses the crowd with his Cacturne's combination of Cotton Spore and Needle Arm. A disguised Jessie comes up to the stage, impressing and horrifying the crowd when she embraces James' Cacnea, followed by a firework-laden Pin Missile. May brings Combusken up, performing a great combination of Fire Spin and Sky Uppercut. All three of them make it to the next round.

Jessie and Harley are opponents next, and Jessie's strategy is to send in Wobbuffet knowing that its defensive moves could knock out Harley's Ariados. Harley is quite aware of this, and orders his Pokémon to do nothing. Frustrated and annoyed, Lillian issues them yellow cards, knocking down their points. Harley finally strikes, using String Shot to tie up Wobbuffet and move it like a helpless puppet. Eventually Wobbuffet is thrown in the air and knocked out of battle.

May makes through her next battle fine, and faces Harley in the finals. May has elected to use Squirtle, and the little Pokémon has a rough start, especially when it uses an Ice Beam that is too strong for it! Harley tries String Shot again, stringing up Squirtle near the ceiling. Ariados then uses Spider Web to cover the entire stage. May orders Squirtle to use Ice Beam again, which frees it from the Spider Web and freezes the stage - and Ariados! With the Bug-and-Poison-type out of the way, May wins the Saffron Ribbon. May is thrilled, and Ash is hyped for his next Frontier battle.

Episode 52 (Season 8) - Pasta La Vista

Before they leave Saffron City, the kids have different things they want to check out. May and Brock want to try some awesome noodles. Ash and Max want to check out a Fighting-type Pokémon dojo. Unable to fully agree, the two groups split up.

May and Brock arrive at the noodle place only to see the chef, Kyle, being dragged away by a girl named Terri. May, desperate for food, follows them with Brock. Meanwhile, Team Rocket have come up with their own noodle cart scheme, but abandon it when they see Ash and Max headed for the dojo.

At the dojo, Ash and Max are quickly drafted by Master Hamm into being students at the dojo, even though they just wanted a demonstration. Terri happens to drag Kyle in while Ash, Max, and Pikachu are cleaning the dojo's floors. After May and Brock arrive, it is finally explained that Kyle is the son of Master Hamm, and that Hamm wants Kyle to take over the dojo. Kyle would rather make noodles. Unwilling to compromise, they decide to have a Pokémon battle to sort it out. Master Hamm's back gives out as they start, so Ash offers to take his place. Kyle doesn't like this, so May takes Kyle's place.

Ash and May both practice, using Master Hamm and Kyle's Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. They soon begin a formal battle, but are interrupted by Team Rocket, determined to steal the Fighting-type Pokémon. Terri steps in with her Hitmontop, freeing Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan just before Pikachu sends Team Rocket blasting off.

Everyone is disappointed that the battle wasn't finished, and Kyle admits he's been trying to make noodles as good as his father's all along. Terri offers to take over the dojo, since it happens that managing a dojo like that was her dream. It turns out that Master Hamm's dream was to sell noodles from a cart. In the end, everyone gets what they want, including May, who gets to try some delicious noodles made by Master Hamm!