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| Season | Pokémon the Series: XY (Season 17) · New wings & other worlds arc (XY035–XY038) |
| Episode | Season 17, episode 34 · English episode 829 · Japanese episode 835 · Bulbapedia code XY035 |
| English title | The Forest Champion! |
| Japanese title | 森のチャンピオン！ルチャブル登場！！ Mori no Chanpion! Ruchaburu Tōjō!! — “Champion of the Forest! Luchabull Appears!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 10 July 2014 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 13 September 2014 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Junki Takegami |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Mega V (Mega Volt) – Yūsuke · Pīsumairu! (Peace Smile!) – J☆Dee’Z |
| English opening | Pokémon Theme (Version XY) – Ben Dixon & The Sad Truth |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Hawlucha (US) |
| Previous episode | The Bonds of Mega Evolution! (XY034) |
| Next episode | Battles in the Sky! (XY036) |
Plot episodeAsh catches Hawlucha
The Forest Champion! is the 34th episode of Pokémon the Series: XY, the seventeenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 829th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 835, Bulbapedia code XY035). It first aired in Japan on 10 July 2014 and in the United States on 13 September 2014. It falls within the season’s New wings & other worlds stretch (EP35–EP38).
Synopsis
Ash helps a masked Hawlucha, the self-styled champion of a forest, perfect its Flying Press, and catches it after it protects the forest’s Pokémon from bullies. Hawlucha slams into an Ursaring stealing Berries from Sentret, Patrat and Pachirisu and beats it with Karate Chop and High Jump Kick, but crashes when its Flying Press is dodged, and Pikachu’s Iron Tail shatters the boulder Ursaring throws.
The forest’s caretaker, Keaton, explains that Hawlucha became the “Forest Champion” by beating the Fighting types that once ruled the forest, and Ash helps it train at a waterfall, using a log as a target so it can land Flying Press while keeping its pose. Machamp, the former champion, returns with Ursaring and Conkeldurr to challenge Hawlucha, but when the bullies attack from behind, Machamp turns on them and carries them off, agreeing to a fair battle another day.
Ash invites Hawlucha onto his team, and it accepts after a test battle: Froakie uses Double Team and Water Pulse to dodge High Jump Kick, but Hawlucha wins with Flying Press. Machamp reappears, Keaton assures Hawlucha the forest will be fine without it, and Hawlucha enters Ash’s Poké Ball.
Major Events
- Ash catches Hawlucha. The masked Forest Champion and the caretaker Keaton
- Flying Press training
- The former champion Machamp and his bullies
- Hawlucha beats Froakie
- Ash’s first single-stage catch since Torkoal
- The last episode before the seventeenth movie opened in Japan
- TV debut of Hawlucha
Pokémon making their anime debut
Hawlucha#0701 · XY035
Captures and evolutions
- Hawlucha#0701 · Ash · the masked Forest Champion, after a test battle with Froakie
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kalos storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- Music from Kyurem VS. the Sword of Justice and Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade
Part of our Pokémon the Series: XY guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.