SS028

(Japanese: アイリスVSイブキ！ドラゴンマスターへの道！！ Iris VS ! The Road to Become a Dragon Master!!) is the second spin off of the of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on March 27, 2014 as a one-hour special with XY021.

Plot
and are excitedly strolling through the streets of Blackthorn City, as they make their way towards the Blackthorn Gym. However, their journey is suddenly interrupted when a rogue appears, using  erratically while ferociously wrecking the city. This strikes fear into the community, angering several residents. Subsequently, they corner Gible, trying to "catch" it physically using their nets. However, Iris intervenes, claiming that there isn't such a thing as a "bad". She tells the angered residents that she will try and reason with Gible. However, the decision to do so backfires, with her intervention enabling Gible to escape and her solely taking the blame for it. When questioned on what she will do regarding the rogue Gible, she promises to prevent it from causing mischief again. Moments later however, Iris finds Gible causing trouble again, wildly digging holes in a resident's garden. Iris recalls a past event when she was able to become one with Axew and connect with his heart, and attempts to connect with Gible in the same way. However, she is unable to and Gible is able to escape once again.

Sometime later, Gible can be seen stuck on top of the Blackthorn clock tower, in which he is heavily endangered by high winds. As a group of people watch on, Iris assumes responsibility and attempts to rescue him. She is able to save Gible against the odds, enabling her to finally connect to Gible's heart. The crowd of people applaud her heroics and bravery, and she realizes that the reason for Gible's erratic behavior was that it was lost, having been separated from its home. This had caused it to be alienated, startled and insecure, resulting in its abnormal, chaotic behavior. Despite being able to connect to his heart, Iris still is unaware of where exactly this home is, as all she knows is that this is vaguely a "flower field". However, Clair is able to bring control to this situation of uncertainty, showing up and claiming to know where Gible had come from. She takes Iris to a field of flowers where she and her are. Gible is happy to once again be back home. Clair then asks Iris to come to the Blackthorn Gym and have a match against her, which Iris excitedly excepts, so she and Clair bid farewell to Gible and head for the Gym.

At the Gym, Clair uses her, the one which she caught at Decolore Islands. Iris is excited to see Druddigon as she recalls her times traveling in the Unova Region, sending out her to face it. At first, Dragonite seems to have the upper hand. Just then, in the middle of the battle, Gible shows up and bites on Axew and Iris pulls the two of them apart and then continues her battle. She knows moves are super effective so she has Dragonite use  on Druddigon, who dodges and then uses  at Clair's command. Just then, Dragonite becomes annoyed and reverts back to the way he was back when Iris first caught him, not listening to any of her commands and just attacking willy nilly. Iris worries for Dragonite because she doesn't understand what's getting into him. She then is able to connect to his heart and realize he's feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, and she tells him she's able to understand, but he's not the only one battling and that the two of them need to work together as a team to win. Dragonite agrees and Iris orders him once more to use Ice Beam which Druddigon dodges and then Druddigon uses Dragon Tail and Dragonite is hit hard, and he ends up getting smacked against the wall. Clair then instructs Druddigon to use at full power, and Iris instructs Dragonite to use his Ice Beam at full power. Druddigon's Dragon Rage overpowers Dragonite's Ice Beam knocking out Dragonite, thereby resulting in Clair winning the match.

Outside the Gym, Clair asks Iris where she's going next, and Iris responds she doesn't know yet, and that she'll go wherever the wind takes her. Just then Gible shows up again and Iris realizes he wants to go with her, so she catches him with a Poké Ball. She then lets out and lets him ride on her shoulder with Axew. As Iris walks she remembers, , and as she wonders how they're doing on their journeys. Just then Iris sees the Legendary Pokémon flying in the sky, which excites her and she decides to follow it to see where it ends up.

Major events



 * arrives in Blackthorn City and meets up with Clair again.
 * Iris has a with Clair and loses.
 * Iris catches a.
 * Iris sees a and decides to follow it.

Pokémon debuts

 * Iris's Gible

Humans

 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * Clair
 * Kaburagi
 * Citizens
 * Citizens

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (Japan)
 * (fantasy)
 * (new)
 * (Clair's)
 * (Clair's; )
 * (flashback)
 * (Clair's; )
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Trivia

 * This episode was aired the same day as XY021 in Japan.
 * reads the title card.
 * This episode was first previewed in a trailer at the end of BW138 along with the last episodes of the and SS027.
 * The title of this episode was first revealed when it was briefly listed on the official Japanese Pokémon website as an episode that had already aired, placed after SS027.
 * This is the second side story episode in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon, after Cerulean Blues, and also the first one in which a main character a wild Pokémon.
 * The title of this episode is a reference to the Japanese title of The Dragon Master's Path!.

In other languages
Iris VS Ibuki! Dragon Master e no Michi!! EE14 Épisode spécial BW 2 BW編第144話 精灵宝可梦 超级愿望 第144集