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| Season | Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies (Season 15) · Virbank City & the eighth Badge arc (BW080–BW084) |
| Episode | Season 15, episode 32 · English episode 733 · Japanese episode 738 · Bulbapedia code BW080 |
| English title | Clash of the Connoisseurs! |
| Japanese title | ポケモンソムリエ対決！テイスティングバトル！！ Pokemon Somurie Taiketsu! Teisutingu Batoru!! — “Pokémon Sommelier Showdown! Tasting Battle!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 24 May 2012 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 22 September 2012 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Junki Takegami |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Besuto Uisshu! (Best Wishes!) – Rica Matsumoto · Mite Mite☆Kotchitchi (Look Look☆Here) – Momoiro Clover Z |
| English opening | Rival Destinies – Alex Nackman & Kathryn Raio |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Whimsicott (US) |
| Previous episode | Caution: Icy Battle Conditions! (BW079) |
| Next episode | Crisis at Ferroseed Research! (BW081) |
Filler / stand-alone episodeOpelucid Gym closedConnoisseur contest
Clash of the Connoisseurs! is the 32nd episode of Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies, the fifteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 733rd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 738, Bulbapedia code BW080). It first aired in Japan on 24 May 2012 and in the United States on 22 September 2012. It falls within the season’s Virbank City & the eighth Badge stretch (EP80–EP84).
Synopsis
Cilan is whisked away to a wealthy estate, where he competes against a rival Connoisseur to choose a shy girl’s first Pokémon. Just as the group learns that the Opelucid Gym is closed, a limousine carries them off to the home of Mr. Hatterly in Stonesthrow Town, leaving Burgundy, turned away as only C-class, shouting at the gate.
The A-class Connoisseur Ricard Nouveau and an elderly “S-class” expert named Fauxgundy are also there to choose a partner for Hatterly’s daughter Marigold. Fauxgundy picks a Lillipup that smells of Marigold’s shampoo, but the Lillipup licks the sticker off her badge and exposes Burgundy in disguise. Ricard then proposes Petilil, and when Cilan objects, Hatterly settles the matter with a battle.
Cilan follows a scent to a powder on the garden swing and battles Ricard’s Purrloin with Crustle. After Sand Attack and Fury Swipes wear Crustle down, Shell Smash lets it dodge Night Slash and win with a Rock Wrecker that also blasts the eavesdropping Burgundy over the wall. Cilan chooses Foongus, which Marigold admits has secretly been pushing her on the swing, and her father happily accepts it. Hatterly’s butler then suggests the Virbank City Gym for Ash’s eighth Badge.
Major Events
- The Connoisseurs’ contest. The Opelucid Gym is closed
- Mr. Hatterly’s estate in Stonesthrow Town
- Burgundy as Fauxgundy
- Cilan beats Ricard Nouveau and chooses Foongus for Marigold
- The butler suggests the Virbank Gym
- The dub’s Who’s That Pokémon? voices change
- TV debuts of Petilil and Whimsicott
Pokémon making their anime debut
Petilil#0548 · BW080
Whimsicott#0547 · BW080
Captures and evolutions
Foongus#0590 · Marigold · her first Pokémon, chosen by Cilan
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
- This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Unova story.
Changes in the English Dub
- After Rock Wrecker blasts Burgundy away, Ash “could’ve sworn” he had heard that before — a nod to Team Rocket’s blast-offs (in Japanese he only asks Iris whether she heard something)
- The Japanese title, Pokémon Sommelier Showdown! Tasting Battle!!, becomes Clash of the Connoisseurs!
- The dub’s Who’s That Pokémon? voices change from this episode
Part of our Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.