Japanese Title: Yogiras Does Its Best!
Original Airdate: August 22, 2002
US Airdate: September 6, 2003
Ash and friends report back to Professor Elm as they reach the base of Mount Silver, where they hope to return their Larvitar to its birthplace. On their way up the mountain, Ash faces a young trainer in Pokémon battle, pitting his Cyndaquil against the trainer's Magby. This Magby -— the pre-evolved form of Magmar -— is much stronger that Ash unexpected, and Ash suffers a defeat. Following a few steps behind, Jessie and James note all of the trainers and their rare and valuable Pokémon preparing to battle in the Johto Championship to be held on this mountain. Setting aside their usual plans for capturing Pikachu—and their usual hot-air mode of transport -— they capture Larvitar and as many other Pokémon as they can muster and drive off with them in a specially made truck. Only Ash and friends stand a chance of rescuing the Pokémon they hold dear.
Tropes
- Ash Face: Jessie gets this when Cyndaquil and Magby burn her face with two Flamethrowers at once.
- Beam-O-War: Cyndaquil and Magby get in one with their respective Flamethrowers. Cyndaquil loses but manages to dodge the attack.
- Combat Pragmatist: Satchel's strategy to win essentially involves taking an opponent off guard with Double Team before sucker punching the opponent with Dynamic Punch.
- Contrived Coincidence: In a gathering of trainers looking to enter the Silver Conference, Ash is the only one training his Pokemon, which also means he's the only one who doesn't get his pokemon snatched by Team Rocket.
- Dumbass No More: Of a sort. Ash's training regimen involves his Pokemon learning how to dodge attacks they're weak to or strengthening their own attacks as a means of securing a knockout easier, showing that he is at least putting effort into this training unlike the lead up to the Indigo League.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: At one point, Jessie decides to just throw Arbok at the twerps.
- Papa Wolf: Ash as usual when it comes to Larvitar. His first concern when Larvitar shows up to save him is that Larvitar could have gotten hurt but upon seeing that he's hurt Larvitar's feelings, immediately reassures him that he's glad Larvitar wanted to save him.
- Took a Level in Badass:
- Larvitar in several ways. It no longer has any problems with uncertain environments like crowds, it becomes confident enough to try and save Ash from Team Rocket and learns Bite.
- Ash tries to invoke the trope by training his team up.
- Satchel's Magby evolves in the climax of the episode.
- Wake-Up Call: Satchel's sound defeat of Cyndaquil right before a bout of Heroic Self-Deprecation makes Ash realize that he's going to need to actually train his pokemon properly if he wants a shot at winning the Sliver Conference. Notably one of the first times in whihc Ash trains his entire team despite only only one of his Pokemon losing.
