AG101

Vanity Affair (Japanese: 海の男！四天王ゲンジ登場！！ Man of the Sea!  Appears!!) is the 101st episode of the, and the 375th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 4, 2004 and in the United States on November 12, 2005.

Blurb
Ash is battling with another Trainer by the waterfront, not realizing he is being watched by a mysterious sailor. After he wins, Ash is confident and boastful. The kids decide to grab something to eat.

Team Rocket is currently working in a small restaurant, when the old sailor walks in and demands some hot milk. While he is there, Ash and friends sit down outside and talk about battling. The man approaches them, and Max recognizes him as Drake of the Elite Four!

Drake invites all of them (including the disguised Team Rocket) to his boat, where he challenges Ash to a battle. Drake sends out his Shelgon, and though it is slower, it waits for Pikachu to get just close enough to take it down with Dragonbreath and Dragon Claw.

Ash calls out Grovyle against Drake's Altaria, and though Grovyle has a better time leaping on the masts of the ship, it gets knocked out by some powerful moves from Altaria, including Aerial Ace and Solar Beam.

Team Rocket takes advantage of a weakened Pikachu to steal it, but Drake calls out his Salamence. It uses Dragon Claw and Flamethrower to send the thieves blasting off. With Team Rocket thwarted and a few lessons learned, Ash and friends have dinner with Drake and his crew on the boat.

Plot
is another  and his  with  while his opponent has called out. Scizor goes for a, but Torkoal uses , forcing Scizor to dodge it and stop its attack. Scizor responds with a, but Torkoal , negating the effects of the attack. As Torkoal emerges from its shell unharmed, Ash smiles and throws up a peace sign. Scizor's onslaught doesn't stop as it charges in with. Torkoal responds with, which hits the. Scizor faints from the attack, and, who has been refereeing the match, declares Ash to be the winner. Ash's opponent compliments him afterwards, saying that Ash must be a skillful Trainer because he's earned seven Hoenn League Badges. Nearby, Drake is seen watching the battle from afar.

In a nearby restaurant at the dock, Jessie, James, and are having a part-time job. As Jessie and James are cleaning, they wonder where the twerps could be at that moment. After looking longingly at the ocean scenery, Drake walks through the door. Jessie and James inform Drake that the regular staff isn't there today, but Drake doesn't seem to care. He orders a hot milk with sugar, and tells the trio that it had better taste the same as it would if the regular staff was there. is intimidated.

Meanwhile, Ash and are looking for a place to relax after the recent battle. They spot the restaurant and they decide to sit at one of the tables outside the building. After settling down, Max brings up the recent battle, and how Torkoal had a type advantage, and Ash states that he won't lose to anyone who challenges him. Just then, James comes outside to take everyone's orders, but does a double take when he recognizes Ash and his friends. James nervously runs off, confusing everyone. Drake has now noticed Ash and the others sitting outside.

In the restaurant's kitchen, Jessie and Team Rocket plot to kidnap. However, they decide against their regular tactics when they imagine Drake making them blast off again with his massive punch. They decide to bide their time for the time being.

Back outside, Brock asks about her next. Just at that moment, Drake approaches the group and tells the young that her choice of  is very important. She thanks him for the advice. Suddenly, Max recognizes Drake as a member of the Elite Four, surprising the group. Inside the restaurant, Team Rocket is also impressed by this bit of news.

Outside, Drake compliments Ash on his battle with Torkoal, pointing out that he had good timing. Ash thanks him and introduces himself, and his friends follow suit. Drake then invites everyone to his boat, and his invitation is eagerly accepted. Suddenly, Jessie shows up, and although she's intimidated by the Elite Four member, she is relieved when she's complimented on his drink. Drake then invites Jessie and James to come to his boat as well.

The group (including Team Rocket) is led to the edge of one of the docks. Drake stands at the edge and stares at the ocean, waiting for his boat to arrive. The boat swings into view from the distance, but it looks more like a pirate ship than the small boat Ash and the others were imagining. The ship's crew greet their captain as the ship docks. As fly overhead, Brock marvels at the ship's large masts. Max then asks Drake to show them his Pokémon, and Ash eagerly joins in. Drake instead asks for a battle with Ash, and the young Trainer agrees almost immediately. Brock yells at Ash to wait and think about his decision, but Ash is confident that he'll win. Meanwhile, Team Rocket realize that this may be their chance to nab Pikachu.

The battle begins with Drake choosing while Ash chooses Pikachu. Ash seems confident, thinking that Pikachu’s will give it the advantage. Pikachu starts off by using, and it hits Shelgon directly. However, Drake seems calm. Pikachu repeats the attack, but this time Shelgon dodges it, although barely, with. Meanwhile, May and James comment about Pikachu's attack.

Shelgon keeps changing at Pikachu, but the mouse Pokémon is easily able to avoid it with a. Believing that he has Shelgon all tired out, Ash tells Pikachu to use. Drake doesn't seem to react, but just when Pikachu's attack is about to make contact, he had Shelgon counter with, and then follow up with. The two attacks prove to be too much for Pikachu, and the little Pokémon faints. Ash retrieves Pikachu as Brock comments favorably on Drake's strength in battle. One of the crew members describes Shelgon's incredible endurance and how strong the captain is as the battle resumes.

Drake brings out, and Ash responds with. Max is worried because are weak against, but Ash seems to have a plan. He tells Grovyle to jump from mast to mast, allowing it to reach the flying Pokémon. It then uses, but Altaria is able to avoid it by ducking behind one of the masts. Grovyle then uses, but Altaria seems to have disappeared. Suddenly, it appears from behind with a attack. With its opponent starting to wear out, Altaria then uses Dragon Breath, knocking Grovyle to the ground. Drake then tells Ash that he needs to fully focus on the battle if he hopes to win. Altaria then charges downward with a, but Grovyle is able to dodge it with Quick Attack, before throwing out a Leaf Blade at the opponent. However, Altaria dodges the attack with and fires a, which sends Grovyle crashing through two barrels before slamming into a wall and knocking itself out.

Drake gently picks up Ash's Pokémon and tells the young Trainer that Grovyle's injuries aren't too serious but it should be taken to a Pokémon Center immediately after the battle. Ash agrees and recalls Grovyle. Drake invites everyone to have dinner on his ship after Ash's Pokémon have been treated at the Pokémon Center, and everyone happily accepts. Off to the side, May is holding the now-conscious Pikachu. As Jessie puts on a pair of rubber gloves, James offers May a drink. When she tries to take it, Jessie quickly snatches the Pokémon from her hands, and Team Rocket jumps into their balloon, which is seen floating nearby. The trio recites their as they reveal who they are to the group.

Drake wastes no time in calling out his, which uses a Dragon Claw on the balloon's basket, causing the balloon to shake violently. This, in turn, causes Jessie to drop Pikachu and Salamence swoops in to save the little Pokémon. With Pikachu riding on its back, Salamence unleashes a Flamethrower attack on the balloon, sending Team Rocket blasting off again. May checks her Pokédex for information about Salamence, while Ash, watching Drake's Pokémon in action, comments that this must be the true power of the Elite Four.

That same night, Drake, Ash and his friends, and Drake's crew enjoy a hearty dinner. Drake tells Ash that he shouldn't focus so much on losing, but should always seek stronger and stronger opponents, having suffered from overly large self-confidence in the past as well. Ash nods at this advice, having learned a lesson in humility, and is now ready for his next adventure.

Major events

 * and meet Drake, a member of Hoenn's Elite Four.
 * Ash has a with Drake and loses.

Humans

 * Drake

Humans

 * Max
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Drake
 * Drake's crew members
 * Fitzwilliam
 * Drake
 * Drake's crew members
 * Fitzwilliam

Pokémon
Pokémon Trainer's Choice:


 * (Drake's)
 * (Drake's)
 * (Drake's)
 * ('s)
 * (multiple)
 * (Drake's)
 * (Drake's)
 * (Drake's)
 * ('s)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)

Trivia

 * This episode was initially intended to be the 102nd episode of the, and the 376th episode of the Pokémon anime overall, but it was moved up in the schedule due to occurring in Niigata Prefecture nearly a week before the airing of AG100.
 * The title is a pun on the fashion magazine "".
 * This episode marks the only time a member of the Hoenn Elite Four appears in the anime.
 * This is the first episode that makes a running change in an English dub opening. From this point, Unbeatable replaces the and  scene with Pikachu using Iron Tail, and edits out  and  from the Team Rocket scene. This is due to the fact that Lucario, Mime Jr., and Weavile had not yet been revealed to American audiences.
 * is shown using five moves during its battle against, instead of only four.

Errors

 * After has dodged 's, it lands for a second and jumps for more speed. However, when it leaves the screen, its foot gets stuck on the corner of the screen, even though 's, Max's, and 's faces can be seen moving after this, clearly following Scizor.

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

 * Question: Trainers, which Pokémon is Pikachu most effective against?
 * Choices:, ,
 * Answer: Okay, Trainers! If you chose, you were right!

In other languages
Übermut tut selten gut! EP378 AG101 AG101 AG編第101話 精灵宝可梦 超世代 第101集