The Clubsplosion Begins!

BW070   EP727 ドンナマイト開幕！ズルッグVSヤナッキー！！ The Donamite Gets Underway! Zuruggu VS Yanakkie!!

First broadcast Japan March 15, 2012 United States July 14, 2012

English themes Opening Rival Destinies Ending

Japanese themes Opening ベストウイッシュ！ Ending 七色アーチ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 大橋志吉Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 古賀一臣Kazuomi Koga Assistant director 古賀一臣Kazuomi Koga Animation director 夏目久仁彦Kunihiko Natsume No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGfClosed Original review thread on BMGf Dub review thread on BMGf

The Clubsplosion Begins! (Japanese:ドンナマイト開幕！ズルッグVSヤナッキー！！TheDonamite Gets Underway!Zuruggu VSYanakkie!!) is the 70th episode ofPokémon the Series: Black & White, and the 727th episode of thePokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on March 15, 2012 and in the United States on July 14, 2012.

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

Blurb

As our heroes arrive with their friend Stephan at Pokémon Battle Club Stadium for Don George’s Clubsplosion Tournament, they soon discover that many of their rivals are there to compete as well: Bianca, Trip, Burgundy, and Georgia!

Stephan takes down his first-round opponent without much trouble—but after the battle, he gets into a heated exchange with another competitor named Montgomery, whose impressive Throh tries to pick a fight with Stephan’s Sawk. Cilan is victorious in his first battle as well, much to Burgundy’s dismay.

Ash and Scraggy go up against Angus and his Simisage, and things look dire when Simisage pins Scraggy down and unleashes a relentless series of kicks—but then, under pressure, Scraggy learns how to use Focus Blast! The tide turns quickly, and Ash wins!

Next up, Iris and Burgundy are about to face off in the fourth match. Will it be the aspiring Dragon Master or the Pokémon Connaisseuse who moves on? Find out next time!

Plot

Ash andhis friends are on their way toAmbiga Town for the upcomingClubsplosion tournament withStephan. Ash states that would be great training for his seventhGym match, so he decides to enter.Iris andCilan also decide to enter. Suddenly,Bianca rushes in, knocking Ash andPikachu into a canal before coming to a stop on Stephan's chest. Cilan dries Pikachu while Ash dries himself which the two aren't so happy about. Bianca apologizes, explaining that she was in a hurry to sign up for the tournament. Ash tells Bianca they were just on their way to the Clubsplosion tournament as well, so all fiveTrainers head to the stadium where it is being held.

There, they run into Ash's other rival,Trip. Bianca eagerly asks what kind of Pokémon he will enter with and he sends outConkeldurr. After scanning it with thePokédex, Ash concludes that Trip must haveevolvedGurdurr since he last saw it during theClub Battle. Stephan states that many Trainers enter the Clubsplosion tournament withFighting-type Pokémon due to their intense passion for combat. Ash seems surprised and Trip begins taunting him for not knowing that. When Ash tries to confront him, Conkeldurr gets in his way. Trip returns Conkeldurr to itsPoké Ball, then leaves the group before Iris remarks what a kid he is. Stephan announces he plans to useSawk and Ash settles on using his own Fighting type,Scraggy.

Moments later, Cilan and Stephan hear a familiar voice from behind and turn to seeBurgundy. Cilan looks pleasantly surprised to see her and asks if she'll be entering the tournament as well. She affirms it and also says that as aConnaisseuse she will battle and win against him this time. Cilan asks if she manage to increase her level and she replies glumly that she's still a C-class. She goes on the defensive, saying that she was too busy with training to study for another Connoisseur's test. Cilan says that it's a shame, which only angers Burgundy, causing her to stick her tongue out at him before leaving. Iris, Ash, and Bianca also hear a familiar voice and look up to seeGeorgia. She knew that Iris would want to participate in the Clubsplosion tournament, which is why she entered earlier so she could defeat her. The two get into a petty argument before Georgia breaks it off and leaves, vowing that she'd show Iris what a real Dragon Buster can do. Iris only refers to her as another pain but Cilan thinks the mixture of different personalities makes for a good flavor. Ash also says that things will be interesting from here on out.

Soon, the tournament opens up and the participants all gather in the stadium.Freddy O'Martian welcomes everyone and introduces the manager of theBattle Club,Don George. Don George explains that the winner of the Clubsplosion tournament will receive a year's supply ofVitamins, containingHP Up,Calcium,Zinc,Carbos,Protein, andIron. He gives words of encouragement before opening the Clubsplosion tournament officially. Freddy O'Martian calls for everyone's attention to the screen and then announces the first round match-ups. They are Stephan andEdmund first,Flora and Cilan second,Angus and Ash third, Burgundy and Iris fourth,Betty andGetty fifth,Gail and Georgia sixth,Montgomery andDelbert seventh, with Trip and Bianca being the final match.

After Freddy O'Martian announces he will give live coverage of the battles while Don George will commentate, the first battle gets underway; the gloomy rain man named Edmund and the brawny young man who loves heated battles named Stephan. However, Stephan is annoyed that Freddy and the audience are pronouncing his name incorrectly. Suddenly, dark clouds appear in the sky and rain begins to fall. Edmund's frown turns into a smile while Freddy announces that it is known to rain every time Edmund battles. Stephan is the first to send out his Pokémon for the tournament, Sawk. Upon his appearance, Montgomery takes notice immediately. Next Edmund sends out his Pokémon,Seismitoad. The referee signals for the battle to start and Stephan is the first to make a move. He commands Sawk to start withKarate Chop. However, Seismitoad quickly dodges the attack.

In an unsettling tone, Edmund explains that Seismitoad'sAbility isSwift Swim which increases its speed when it rains. He commands Seismitoad to useDrain Punch which hits Sawk in the face dead on before he has a chance to dodge it. Sawk is sent flying and crashes along the field but quickly recovers. In order to slow Seismitoad down, Stephan tells Sawk to useLow Sweep. But first he has to dodge a barrage ofMud Shot attacks coming from his opponent. He is successful and lands his Low Sweep right on Seismitoad's left leg, causing it to cry out in pain. Afterwards, Edmund tells Seismitoad to attack withBrick Break and it slams its arm right into Sawk's gut which he also recovers quickly from. The two Pokémon become locked in combat using Karate Chop and Brick Break on one another. However, Edmund notices that Seismitoad is moving slower than usual and asks what's wrong. That's when he finally notices the wound on its leg caused by Sawk's Low Sweep. Before he can do anything about it, Stephan decides to wrap up the battle and tells Sawk to useBulk Up followed byClose Combat. Seismitoad remains standing after the attack but falls down unable to battle seconds later. Sawk appears triumphant and the clouds in the sky disappear letting the sun shine through. Stephan is declared the winner and the entire audience begins cheering for him, pronouncing his name incorrectly, causing him to yell out that they are pronouncing it wrong.

Stephan and Sawk join the other competitors in the balcony of the stadium as Cilan prepares for his match. Ash remarks that Sawk is an incredible fighter. Stephan explains that he and Sawk go through rigorous training together, in the hot sun, the freezing snow, and even the pouring rain. Sawk shows off the result of his training by flexing his muscles which charms Bianca. She reveals that she loves Pokémon with muscles and asks Stephan if she could poke Sawk's. He agrees and she pokes at one of Sawk'sbrachialis muscles causing her to go into a fit of giggles. Stephan looks cocky afterwards saying that Sawk is the best there is. A voice from behind remarks that by his looks, he would not make it pass the second round. Immediately, Stephan whips around angrily and sees Montgomery standing behind him, Poké Ball in hand. Montgomery says that he should not go around saying Sawk is the best until he has defeated his Pokémon. He opens his Poké Ball and aThroh emerges. Bianca was also interested in poking Throh's muscles but Montgomery would not allow her to. He calls for Throh to follow him while passing Stephan and the others. Intentionally or not, the Judo Pokémon bumps his shoulder into the Karate Pokémon's, causing the latter to become angry. But his Trainer calms him down and Montgomery and Throh leave the scene. Stephan remarks that things are becoming interesting.

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Cilan has already begun his battle with Flora. He has chosenPansage for the tournament while she has chosenGothorita. Pansage is commanded to useBite but Gothorita dodges then counterattacks withDouble Slap. Burgundy goes into a rage and starts yelling at Cilan not to lose just yet as she wanted to be the one to defeat him later on. Cilan assures her that he will not lose and announces that it's "evaluating time". Everyone seems excited about it except for Iris. Cilan tells Flora that Gothorita excels in both speed and technique but wasn't sure of its power. Pansage's eyes glow yellow and Cilan commands him to useSolar Beam and Flora tells Gothorita to counter withPsyshock. The two attacks colliding causes the field to become covered in a dust cloud. Cilan takes advantage of the situation and tells Pansage to useDig. He is able to land a sneak attack on Gothorita and it is knocked out of the tournament. Cilan and Pansage smile and wave to the cheering audience while Burgundy is annoyed that he's being so "cocky" about the win.

Ash prepares for the third battle. He gives Scraggy some words of encouragement, but Angus claims that hisSimisage will not lose against him. Right after some encouragement given from his friends, the referee starts the battle and Ash tells Scraggy to useLeer on Simisage. However, Angus's appearance confuses Scraggy and he uses the attack on the Trainer instead of the Pokémon. Angus isn't fazed at all, combs his pompadour and then commands Simisage to attack withSeed Bomb. Simisage throws the Seed Bomb at Scraggy but he quickly dodges it. It is instructed to use Low Sweep once Scraggy lands but Ash tells him to guard himself. Scraggy pulls up his saggy "pants" which acts as a shield against Simisage's attack. Angus tells Simisage to attack withShadow Claw which stretches across the ground to Scraggy but he dodges that attack as well. After another dodge and miss on both parts, Angus is determined to make the next move land. Again, Simisage gets ready to use Low Sweep again but this time steps on Scraggy's pants so he can't move and lands the hit directly and he is sent across the field. Angus does not wish to give him a chance to recover and tells Simisage to attack withGiga Impact. However, Scraggy counters withHigh Jump Kick which lands right on Simisage's face which sends it flying backwards.

Seeing how well it worked, Ash tells Scraggy to use High Jump Kick again. This time though, Simisage dodges it and Scraggy bashes his knee into the ground, causing him to wallow in pain from thecrash damage. Using it to his advantage, Angus tells Simisage to use Low Sweep repeatedly on the downed Scraggy. Ash's friends are worried that Ash will lose at this right whileAxew cannot stand to watch it go on. Finally Angus decides to end the battle by having Simisage attack with one last Giga Impact. Ash cries out to Scraggy begging him to focus himself. Suddenly, a ball of energy begins to form in Scraggy hands and he is able to ward off Simisage's Giga Impact. He was starting to learnFocus Blast, which surprises his Trainer. Off the field, Iris and Pikachu praise Scraggy while Axew watches on proudly. Once again, Simisage is sent flying and Ash tells Scraggy to finish it with another Focus Blast. However the move swerves uncontrollably before disappearing altogether, revealing that Scraggy cannot aim it properly. Not even flinching at the failed move, Scraggy runs up to Simisage and Leers at it which drop its defenses. Then he wraps it up with one finalHeadbutt knocking out his opponent. Angus is shocked by the outcome and his pompadour goes flat. Meanwhile Ash and Scraggy celebrate while Iris, Pikachu, and Axew cheer for Scraggy's learning of Focus Blast. She realizes that it's her turn to battle.

The fourth match gets underway and the battlers are on the field; the wild child who is one with nature, Iris, against the "evaluating princess" and Pokémon Connaisseuse, Burgundy. Both girls soon send out their Pokémon andExcadrill andDewott appear on the field. Seeing Iris use Excadrill instead ofDragon-type Pokémon causes Georgia to go into a fit but Iris tells her it's part of her strategy. The Dragon Buster says she would not forgive Iris if she lost now. Meanwhile, Burgundy tells Cilan to watch the battle carefully to see how strong she has become and he tells her that he looks forwards to it.

Major events

• Ash,his friends, andStephan arrive inAmbiga Town and reunite withBianca,Burgundy,Georgia, andTrip, all entering theClubsplosion.
• Trip and Bianca meet each other for the first time.
• Trip'sGurdurr is revealed to haveevolved intoConkeldurr.
• Stephan andCilan defeatEdmund andFlora, respectively, advancing to the second round.
• Ash's Scraggy learnsFocus Blast, although it is not perfected.
• Ash defeatsAngus and advances to the second round.
• Iris and Burgundy begin their battle.

For a list of all major events inPokémon the Series: Black & White, please see thetimeline page.

Debuts

Humans

• Montgomery
• Flora
• Angus
• Betty
• Getty
• Gail
• Delbert

Pokémon debuts

• Conkeldurr
• Simisage

TV episode debuts

• Throh

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Iris
• Cilan
• Don George
• Trip
• Bianca
• Burgundy
• Stephan
• Georgia
• Freddy O'Martian
• Montgomery
• Edmund
• Flora
• Angus
• Betty
• Getty
• Gail
• Delbert
• Referee

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?:Conkeldurr(U.S. and international)Simisage(Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Axew (Iris's)
• Scraggy (Ash's)
• Excadrill (Iris's)
• Pansage (Cilan's)
• Gurdurr (Trip's; flashback)
• Conkeldurr (Trip's; debut)
• Dewott (Burgundy's)
• Sawk (Stephan's)
• Throh (Montgomery's)
• Simisage (Angus's; debut)
• Gothorita (Flora's)
• Seismitoad (Edmund's)
• Timburr (fantasy)
• Pignite (fantasy)
• Mienfoo (fantasy)
• Gurdurr (fantasy)
• Scrafty (fantasy)
• Sawk (fantasy)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster:Bouffalant
  • Professor Oak presents a trailer for thefifteenth movie as well as some additional promotions instead of the usualProfessor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster.
• Iris andGeorgia narrate the preview for thenext episode.
• This episode begins the four-partClubsplosion arc.
• Irisbreaks the fourth wall close to the end of the episode by shoving a split-screen featuring Georgia away.

Errors

• WhileBianca is fawning overMontgomery'sThroh, the shading on her hair flashes to gray multiple times.
• During the final shot of all of the Clubsplosion competitors, the side of Throh's nose is colored red instead of black, andScraggy's arms are colored orange.
• DuringStephan'sbattle againstEdmund,Sawk was seen using five different moves during his battle againstSeismitoad instead of only four.
• In thePolishdub, theHP Up is omitted when theVitamin drinks are introduced, thus other Vitamins are referred to as Max Calcium,Zinc, etc.

Dub edits

• In the original Japanese version, Montgomery says that his Throh will make the entire competition deplore him, which causes Bianca to laugh, thinking that he was making a pun using "ナゲキ (Nageki)", Throh's Japanese name, and "嘆く (nageku)", the Japanese word for "deplore". In the English dub, she mistakes his comment "they don't want to be thrown by Throh" for a pun instead.

In other languages

This episode article is part ofProject Anime, aBulbapedia project that covers all aspects ofPokémon animation.

• Pokémon the Series: Black & White episodes
• Episodes focusing on Ash
• Episodes focusing on Stephan
• Episodes written by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi
• Episodes storyboarded and directed by Kazuomi Koga
• Episodes storyboarded by Kazuomi Koga
• Episodes directed by Kazuomi Koga
• Episodes animated by Kunihiko Natsume
• Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon learns a new move