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That's Just Swellow (Japanese: 初挑戦！空中競技・ポケリンガ!! Beginning Challenge! Sky Match - PokéRinger!!?) is the 80th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 354th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on June 10, 2004 and in the United States on May 28, 2005.

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

Synopsis

Ash and company arrive in Crossgate Town, where they immediately help a Swablu who's floundering in the air, that belongs to Shane.

Apparently they were doing training for some sort of game, a battle over a PokéRing. A simple description of the game: 2-4 trainers send out their Pokémon and attempt to capture a ring that's hanging up quite some distance in the air. The Pokémon that first brings the ring to the goal post wins. And, in an amazing coincidence, there's a tournament today, too! There are lots of trainers here, and not all of them local. Shane is forced to admit that this is his first tournament.

Team Rocket make their first appearance. James apparently actually knows a lot about the sport. He had some aspirations to become a player in these games when he was a kid. And, surprisingly enough, his old teacher is part of the tournament. James gets all fired up to compete!

Shane is in the first round. Ash is in the second round, but that includes the defending champion and his Volbeat. Interestingly enough, the only trainer they announce besides the champion is Ash, which makes it seem as though he's pretty well known, especially considering that they weren't announcing anything but trainers names for the first round.

Then James makes a weird entrance. James appears to be in the 3rd block, along with May. May, displaying a characteristic lack of manners, totally ignores James even after his wishes her a good battle. The tournament gets underway and one long battle later, Shane wins the first round.

Volbeat seems to have the early advantage in the second round, having electrical attacks. Taillow actually overcomes the electricity however, and gets the ring! Volbeat isn't beat yet though. Another thunderbolt and Taillow drops the ring dodging the attack; then, Volbeat takes it and goes for the Goal. However, Taillow's counter-attack causes Volbeat to lose the ring! Ash wins the 2nd round.

Now, James and May's bugs are facing off. Unbelievably, James actually wins! May and Beautifly concentrated too much on everyone else, thinking James would be useless. The business scheme that Jessie and Meowth have concocted seems to be raking in the cash and the Pokémon. They're bringing them in out there, from the ranks of all the losers' Pokémon.

One quick flash past segment later, and we learn that Shane, Ash and James are winning all their matches. Next, James and Shane face off! Swablu has the early advantage, but James's experience is paying off tactics-wise it seems. When the sudden sunlight blinds Swablu as the clouds move, James takes it!

The next round is Ash versus James. However, the battle is interrupted by Meowth, and he and James have somewhat of a conversation aided by flags, as though they've suddenly started using the semaphore system. Meowth gets smacked in the face by a flag, and James turns his attention back to the battle at hand.

James has the advantage and uses a Psybeam attack! But Taillow reflected it and hit back with a Wing Attack! James isn't out of it yet though, and then a sand tornado starts.Looks like after the tornado is over, it will be a matter of speed - who can take the ring first...but wait, Taillow goes and flies into it! The wind appears to knock Ash's Taillow backwards, but then we realize that it's evolving!

Swellow just can't lose against this tornado. James makes one last desperate play....and might just win...but it's another Wing Attack, knocking the ring onto the goal! Ash wins! James cries his heart out and Jessie shows up in the balloon! Looks like Team Rocket are up to their old tricks again. But they're simply no match for Swellow. The Pokémon are returned, the balloon is blown up, and they blast off.

However, apparently James won second place in the tournament but wasn't able to receive his award. Comparing them to regular trainers, we see that they aren't half bad in that department. Which leaves us to ponder what they'd do if they weren't chasing Ash and company.

Major events

• Ash's Taillow evolves into Swellow, helping Ash win the PokéRinger Competition.
• James wins second place in the PokéRinger Competition.

Debuts

• Ash's Swellow

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• May
• Brock
• Max
• Jessie
• James
• Volt
• Shane

Pokémon

Pokémon Trainer's Choice: Marshtomp

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Taillow (Ash's, evolves)
• Swellow (Ash's, newly evolved)
• Beautifly (May's)
• Dustox (Jessie's)
• Golbat
• Crobat
• Hoppip
• Skiploom
• Jumpluff
• Yanma
• Skarmory
• Wingull
• Pelipper
• Ninjask
• Volbeat (Volt's)
• Swablu (Shane's)

Trivia

• The episode's title is a reference to the phrase "that's just swell".
• This marks the first time Meowth fills in for James in the Team Rocket's motto.

Errors

• Instead of Wing Attack, Ash commands Taillow to use "Wing".
• When all of Team Rocket's captured Pokémon were in a net, one of the Crobat had fangs like a Golbat.
• When Yanma uses Swift, Swablu dodges it, despite Swift being a move that is impossible to dodge without Protect or Detect in the games.
• Max said that Taillow "evolved to Swellow". This is incorrect grammar. He should have said it "evolved into Swellow".
• While Shane is talking to Max about the competition, the man who is sitting behind him is slightly overlapping Shane's hair.

Dub edits

In other languages

• French: Le tournoi de pokevolanneaux
• Italian: Il gioco dell'anello
• Latin American Spanish: ¡Convertido en un Swellow!
• Spanish: Eso sí que es un Swellow

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