This was the first episode to air in 2011 and Golgo wants to know what some of the members expectations and resolutions for this year are. Yamamoto reveals a scroll to everyone which states: "Undefeated champion" (無敗の王者). Shoko-tan brings up the point that Yamamoto isn't undefeated anymore as
he lost his Mijumaru, Chibipero (チビペロ) in a battle last year in a Pokémon Battle against 8 year old Oguro Reina-chan (小黒玲奈ちゃん). Yamamoto explains that it wasn't really a loss though as he received her Mijumaru in exchange, so he still has a Mijumaru.
Shoko-tan then reveals her own scroll that states: Pokémon and Hormone (ポケモンとホルモン) which confuses everyone. She is then asked to explain herself and she says that her banner statement is not a pun and that her New Year's resolution is to love Pokémon and Hormone(-yaki) with all her might. Hormone-yaki is broiled pieces of pig innards. Red then reveals his scroll which states: Nobel Prize this year (今年こそ ノーベル賞). Obviously Red has high expectations but Yamamoto notices that its signed 'Alfred' (アルフレッド) and he wonders if its correct. Yamamoto believes this is 'new evidence' (新事実) in determining Professor Alf'red's real name.
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Baba reveals his banner which states: Defeat Hiroshi Yamamoto (打倒 山本博). Baba states the obvious that he wants to reclaim his position as the champion. Baba tells them he's got his eyes on Yamamoto as he is the current champion and that one of their resolutions wouldn't be fulfilled this year as they conflict. Golgo goes next and reveals his banner which states: Good fortune and happiness will come to Poké (笑う門にはポケ来たる).
Golgo introduces this weeks rerun episode as part of the Pokémon Library and Baba announces this weeks theme, Don't rely on force alone! (まわりの力をあてにしないでがんばろう!). This weeks rerun episode was
Fushigidane's Mysterious Flower Garden (フシギダネのふしぎのはなぞの) from the
original Japanese series.
A full summary of that episode is available in the episode guide. Red said the go-to line 'OK! Pokémon Library!' to start the repeat episode.
The International Division girls arrive after the repeat episode and Hana greets everyone by saying "Happy New Year". Each of the girls also had a banner to reveal. Misaki was first and her banner stated: High School Graduation (高校卒業). As she is turning 18 this year, she will be finishing high school. Hana was next and her banner stated: Always Smile! (いつもSmile!). Maria's stated: Keep on working at kanji (漢字を頑張る). Still young, she is still learning many of the Japanese characters, as demonstrated by her writing one of the kanji on the scroll wrong.
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Zoroark also had a banner which revealed stated: Learn a new move (あたらしいわざをおばえる). Robert decides they will be willing to help and they 'reveal' its newly learned move,
Rest (ねむる). Baba states that it recovers HP. Professor Red though states that Zoroark already knows how to Rest, so it didn't learn a new move. Robert decides they need to show off another 'new' move and this time Zoroark uses
Leer (にらみつける) with a pair of modified glasses on but Red and Shoko quickly state it isn't really using that move. Finally Robert gets Zoroark to show off their final move they have prepared for it,
Attract (メロメロ) but once again Professor Red isn't fooled by the fake hearts in Zoroark's eyes that were used to emulate a real Attract move. Maria gets mad at Robert for trying to fool them with fake moves. Golgo then tells them to go help Zoroark learn a new real move.
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Robert and Zoroark then head out to meet Professor Wazama Shin to see if they can get him to teach Zoroark a new move. Wazama pulls out what looks like a Record Player to Yamamoto from his bag. He pulls out an
Agility (こうそくいどう) TM but Yamamoto thinks its just a record and wonders if the professor is actual a D.J. They hook Zoroark up to the TM machine, insert the TM and begin to teach it to it. When they try to get him to use
Agility it becomes apparent that even though Zoroark learned the move, his Agility was a bit slow still as its side to side movements were a bit lacking. The TM Professor decides to enlist Baba to test out a theory to improve Agility's speed. He also gets the Rope Pull Game Team - Wai Wai Women of Tokyo (つな引きチーム ワイワイレディース東京のみなさん) to help carry out his theory. He attaches Baba to two ropes and splits the team in half, 3 team members grabbing hold to one rope. He hopes by alternatively pulling the ropes, Baba's side to side Agility speed will be increased and they can use the technique on Zoroark to increase his Agility speed. Unfortunately the only thing it really accomplished was almost ripping Baba appart.
The professor dig out another TM disk from his bag, this time its
Hone Claws (つめとぎ). They then send Zoroark to a 'Nails' shop and it comes out 20 minutes later its nails done and hearts and jewels all over it. Robert are all confused until they realize that 'Nails' translates to tsume (つめ) in Japanese and that Zoroark had gone to a Nail Salon.
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The professor goes at it again, this time they decide to teach it
Detect (みきり). Detect enables the Pokémon to evade all attacks and its chance of failing rises if it is used in succession. They decided to test it out by setting up a bamboo practice sword to a pulley system to see if Yamamoto could catch it before it hit him. The test proved to be a failure as it always hit Yamamoto on the head when he wasn't paying attention but luckily he had a helmet on. They decided see if Baba was any better but he got hit on the head as well but without a helmet on. Finally they decide to see how Zoroark would do with its newly learned Detect move. Unfortunately it couldn't reach above its head high enough to catch it before getting hit on the head.
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Zoroark gets a bit mad at the fact that none of the new TM moves it learned were working out as they should and just as that happened it started using a new move which caused Robert and the professor to fall on the ground. They are all amazed by the power of the move that Zoroark just used but they didn't have clue what move it was. They decide to go visit Jun'ichi Masuda to see if he could figure out what move Zoroark learned. He asks Zoroark to try to use the move again so he can see what it is and Zoroark uses it again. Robert, the professor and Jun'ichi Masuda all fall to the ground. He then realizes that the move Zoroark learned was
Bark Out (バークアウト). He explains that Bark Out deals damage and lowers the target's Special Attack by 1 stage as well as hitting all opponents in double battles and all adjacent opponents triple battles. Jun'ichi Masuda then states they will be giving out a present. It will be a Zoroark that knows Bark Out, a move no other Pokémon can learn or use.
The official Japanese Pokémon Website posted more detailed information about the Smash Zoroark event just after the episode finished airing. The Smash Zoroark will be available via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection from
February 15th, 2011 until March 14th, 2011. Below are the full details.
11 year old Taka Erika-chan was this weeks in-studio battler. She faced off against Professor Red and was able to defeat him. For winning she asked to trade his
Kokoromori (ココロモリ). She gave him her
Lowbushin (ローブシン) in exchange.