AG016

← AG015 : Gonna Rule the School!

Advanced Generation series

AG017 : Stairway to Devon →

The Winner by a Nosepass

AG016   EP290 カナズミジム！ノズパスの秘密兵器！！ Kanazumi Gym! Nosepass' Secret Weapon!!

First broadcast Japan March 13, 2003 United States January 10, 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 そこに空があるから

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 木村竜二 Ryūji Kimura Assistant director 大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi Animation director たけだゆうさく Yūsaku Takeda Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Winner By a Nosepass (Japanese: カナズミジム！ノズパスの秘密兵器！！ Kanazumi Gym! Nosepass' Secret Weapon!!) is the 16th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 290th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on March 13, 2003, and was first broadcast in the United States on January 10, 2004.

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

Synopsis

A day after their adventure at the Trainer's School, the episode begins with Ash and Pikachu having some last-minute training with Iron Tail. Over breakfast, Ash confides that Iron Tail is still hit-or-miss, but what is more surprising is that May wants to pass up on the Gym battle. When the others ask why, May admits that she started her journey as an excuse to travel, and not having liked Pokémon when she began, but later had found her true calling in Pokémon Contests. Thus, she decides to become a Coordinator. Ash is particularly supportive of her decision, and he and Brock agree to do whatever it takes to help. Meanwhile, at a nearby playground, Team Rocket learns that Roxanne is the Rustboro Gym Leader, and vows to take their revenge for what had happened the previous episode.

At the gym, May and Max remarks that it is different compared to the Petalburg Gym, they are greeted by Roxanne and some of her senior students working at the Gym as interns. Expecting two battles in succession, Roxanne respects May's decision to pass and become a Coordinator instead. After exchanging more formalities, including allowing the battle to be filmed for the Pokémon Trainer's School, Ash and Roxanne begin their two-on-two Gym Battle. Max is also excited due to this being the first Gym Battle that he will see in person (to Brock's surprise), as he explains that Norman did not permit May or Max to watch his battles since he believed that they would distract the challenger.

Roxanne leads off with Geodude, while Ash sends out Treecko. Though Treecko has the type advantage, Brock notes that Treecko does not know any Grass attacks, rendering the point moot. Ash starts with Treecko using Quick Attack, which Geodude replies with a Mega Punch, sending Treecko flying. Treecko recovers from the fall to hit with a midair Pound, which makes its mark, but does not knock it out. Geodude recovers with Rollout, but when Treecko tries to jump and dodge, Geodude follows, and it knocks out Treecko with another Mega Punch.

Ash decides to send in Pikachu, surprising the senior students and Roxanne. Undeterred, Pikachu starts by destroying the rock field with Thunder. Meanwhile, Team Rocket begins their plan to tunnel into the Gym and stealing Pikachu by shoveling by hand — as James notes, this would save them money because they waste so much with their more elaborate schemes. Back at the battle, though Pikachu has destroyed the field, it has yet to damage Geodude. Roxanne notes that it allows Geodude greater maneuverability, and better use of Rock Throw. Pikachu dodges the rocks with Quick Attack, but takes a Mega Punch. When Roxanne tries to use Rollout to finish Pikachu off, though, Geodude gets stuck on the softer battlefield, making an opening for Pikachu to get close with Quick Attack and get the knockout with Thunder. Roxanne admits talent, as Geodude had never been knocked out by an Template:Type2 attack alone.

Roxanne next sends out Nosepass, a Pokémon unfamiliar to Ash. Pikachu starts off with Iron Tail, which makes its mark, but when Pikachu tries to use it again, it fails. Nosepass responds with a Rock Tomb, trapping Pikachu. However, Pikachu breaks free with Thunder. Nosepass then uses Sandstorm, making Pikachu unable to find Nosepass, and allowing Nosepass to pin Pikachu to the battlefield. However, Pikachu escapes, and also manages to escape another Rock Tomb with a Quick Attack. Pikachu attempts to disorient Nosepass by running circles around Nosepass, which allows another shot with Iron Tail. However, the move fails again. Brock notes that Pikachu is too worn out from running around, and thus does not have the time to store up energy for a successful Iron Tail. Nosepass tries to finish off Pikachu with Thunder Wave, but Pikachu dodges in time. The attack, however, hits James' shovel as it breaks through the Gym floor, shocking Team Rocket and sending them flying out of their tunnel.

While Ash ponders why Nosepass could use an Electric attack, Roxanne tells him that Thunder Wave was inspired by Ash's own strategy of keeping a surprise attack (as was the case with Pikachu and Iron Tail). Pikachu, however, though worn out, can still battle. Anticipating another Iron Tail, Nosepass uses Zap Cannon, to which Ash tells Pikachu to take the hit head-on. As he is low on power, the Zap Cannon recharges Pikachu instead, paralyzing Nosepass and allowing it to be hit by another Iron Tail. This time, it is successful, and Nosepass is knocked out. This earns Ash the match victory and the Stone Badge.

Major events

• May reveals her intentions to participate in Pokémon Contests instead of Gym battles.
• Pikachu masters Iron Tail.
• Ash defeats Roxanne and earns his first Hoenn badge, the Stone Badge.

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series, please see the timeline page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Nosepass

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• May
• Brock
• Max
• Jessie
• James
• Roxanne

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Pupitar

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Treecko (Ash's)
• Geodude (Roxanne's)
• Nosepass (Roxanne's, debut)

Trivia

• The dub title is based on the saying "the winner by a nose."
• This episode is featured on the Volume 10: Rock copy of Pokémon Elements.

Errors

The error

• For a brief second, when Pikachu is using Thunder on the entire field, Pikachu is seen on Ash's shoulder if one looks very carefully.
• In the original, Roxanne's Nosepass uses Hyper Beam, which it can't learn in the games. However this was most likely an error because the attack visibly looked like an Electric-type attack. Also Pikachu was able to absorb electricity from it. In the English version, both references to Hyper Beam are removed, instead replaced with Thunder Wave and Zap Cannon.
• Ash's Pikachu uses Thunder on Geodude, but Geodude is a Template:Type2 and is immune to Template:Type2 attacks.
• When Team Rocket is about to finish tunneling and Jessie's Wobbuffet pops out. the Poké Ball sounds even though he is already out of his Poké Ball.

Dub edits

• Roxanne commands Nosepass to use Hyper Beam in the orginal version, in the dub, it was replaced with Thunder Wave and Zap Cannon.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		卡那茲道館！朝北鼻的秘密武器！
Danish		Pas På Nosepass
Dutch		Winnaar met een neuslengte!
Finnish		Voitto kärsän mitalla
European French		Des Pokémon de pierre
German		Der erste offizielle Kampf
Hebrew		מי ינצח את הנוזפאס mi yenatseakh et haNosepass
Italian		La prima Palestra
Polish		Kto wygra z Nosepassem
Portuguese	Brazil	Por uma Cauda de Vantagem
	Portugal	Vencer o Nosepass
Spanish	Latin America	¡Una batalla contra Nosepass!
	Spain	Ganando a Nosepass

← AG015 : Gonna Rule the School!

Advanced Generation series

AG017 : Stairway to Devon →

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