BW049

 Enter Elesa, Electrifying Gym Leader! (Japanese: ジムリーダーはカリスマモデル！カミツレ登場！！ The Gym Leader is a Charisma Model! Appears!!) is the 49th episode of the, and the 706th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on September 22, 2011 and in the United States on February 18, 2012 as the start of the fifteenth season, Pokémon Black & White: Rival Destinies.

Blurb
In Nimbasa City, our heroes run into their old friend Bianca, who’s planning to challenge the Gym Leader, Elesa. Bianca tells her friends that Elesa is also a supermodel, and takes them to one of her fashion shows so they can check out her style before the battle!

After the show, they gather at the Gym, where they discover Bianca’s dad waiting for them. He’s decided that Bianca isn’t ready for her journey and wants to take her home. She points out that he started his own journey as a Pokémon Trainer when he was young, but he won’t listen. At Elesa’s suggestion, Bianca makes a deal with her father: if she can beat the Gym Leader, she gets to continue her journey, but if she loses, she’ll have to go home with him.

Unfortunately, Elesa’s powerful Zebstrika is more than a match for Bianca’s team. She sadly makes plans to leave with her father, but first Ash tries to convince him to let her stay. When words don’t work, he decides to challenge Bianca’s dad to a Pokémon battle instead. The stakes are similar: if Ash wins, Bianca gets to keep traveling with them…but if Ash loses, both he and Bianca have to go home!

It turns out Bianca’s dad has quite a reputation as a powerful Trainer—in his younger days, he was known as the Red Meteor, and loved to battle with his Darmanitan, the Red Flash! Ash and Oshawott take them on, and during a lull in the battle (with some help from Iris and Cilan), he tells Bianca’s dad about all the good times they’ve had traveling together as friends.

Bianca’s father ends up winning, but the battle and Ash’s stories of their travels have reminded him of his own journey. He changes his mind and advises Ash and Bianca to keep traveling and growing stronger together.

So Bianca’s journey continues, thanks to our heroes—and Ash gets ready for his own battle with Gym Leader Elesa!

Plot
As, , and depart from the Battle Subway, Ash is eager to finally challenge the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City. As they arrive at the Nimbasa Gym, runs in from out of nowhere and bumps into Ash sending him into a nearby fountain. Bianca has arrived to challenge the Gym Leader, a well-known model in Unova, Elesa. Unfortunately as they approach the doors to the Gym, the doors don't open. A notice nearby says that Elesa is in a Fashion Show at the moment. Rather than just stand outside Ash, Cilan, Iris, and Bianca decide to go see her show. At the show Elesa struts down the runway in the latest Unova fashion. While everyone is amazed by her beauty, Elesa notices and jumps down to see him. She gleefully looks at Pikachu stating it's the first time she's seen a real one in person. Ash and friends introduce themselves to her, and Bianca and Ash announce that they wish to battle her for the Bolt Badge, which Elesa accepts.

Ash and return to the Gym, now open. After riding a roller coaster to enter the Gym battle field Elesa welcomes everyone. She decides to battle Bianca first since she reserved her battle beforehand. Elesa tells Bianca that someone has been waiting for her. As a pair of doors open, Bianca's father walks in, having arrived at Nimbasa to bring Bianca back home but Bianca doesn't want to go back yet. Her father tries to persuade her that her journey is way too dangerous but Bianca refuses to end her adventure now. Elesa suggests that Bianca should battle her to show how much she's grown since she started. However her father tells her that if she loses to Elesa, she must return home, which she accepts, much to Ash's surprise. Without any further delay, Elesa guides Bianca to the field while her father, Ash, Cilan, and Iris head to the sidelines to watch the battle. The Referee announces that the battle will be a three-on-three match.

Elesa sends out a. Bianca sends out her newest Pokémon, a, which Ash promptly checks with his Pokédex. Bianca starts off the battle by having Shelmet use, but Zebstrika dodges. Shelmet then fires multiple s but Zebstrika's speed allows it to dodge all of them. Elesa commands Zebstrika to use which hits Shelmet. Zebstrika finishes Shelmet with a. Bianca decides to send out. Minccino starts off with a followed by  but Zebstrika evades. Zebstrika, once again, unleashes a Flame Charge which knocks Minccino down. Minccino stands back and uses Hyper Voice which manages to hit Zebstrika. However Zebstrika uses Flame Charge to escape and lands a Double Kick, knocking out Minccino.

Down to her last Pokémon, Bianca sends out her. Pignite starts off with a but Zebstrika dodges then tries to attack Pignite with a Double Kick but Pignite dodges. Pignite uses a Flame Charge of his own which manages to knock Zebstrika down to the ground. Pignite follows up with a Flamethrower but Zebstrika uses its Flame Charge, cutting through the flames and knocking Pignite to the floor. Zebstrika tries to Double Kick, but Pignite dodges. Pignite jumps up and uses, which manages to hit Zebstrika. Pignite uses Flamethrower again and Zebstrika counters it again with Flame Charge. Elesa decides to wrap up the match and has Zebstrika use which, after an explosive hit, knocks out Pignite. Bianca has lost the match.

Ash, Cilan, and Iris are saddened by the result, knowing that Bianca would have to return home now. Outside of the Gym, Bianca's father praises his daughter for doing her best, but still plans on taking her home. Bianca still doesn't want to go home despite the promise. Bianca calls out her Shelmet to make sure it's okay. Iris gives it some medicine. Elesa exits the Gym and invites all of them to go to the Pokémon Center first to heal their Pokémon. After lunch, Bianca's father decides it's time to return home, but Ash tries to stand up for Bianca. Bianca's father reminds him about the recent Pokémon thefts. Worried that such misfortunes may fall upon Bianca, he wants her to wait until she is a little older and a little calmer. Bianca's father begins to leave but Iris and Cilan tell Ash to challenge Bianca's Father to a Pokémon battle. If he wins Bianca can continue to travel. However if Ash loses, he must return to Pallet Town. Despite the extreme wager, Ash accepts.

Elesa referees the match, making it a one-on-one battle. Bianca's Father admits that Ash has guts, then changes into his battle suit, revealing that in the past he was referred as the "Red Meteor" when he traveled as a Trainer. He calls out his "Red Flash", a. Suddenly pops out of his Poké Ball to battle which Ash happily agrees. Darmanitan disengages its Zen Mode and starts off the battle by using Flamethrower which hits Oshawott. Oshawott uses but Darmanitan dodges. Oshawott tries to Darmanitan, but it counters with. Oshawott uses but Darmanitan dodges. Oshawott uses and Darmanitan tries to counter with Fire Punch but Oshawott dodges and manages to hit Darmanitan. Darmanitan uses multiple Fire Punches which, after a few misses, manage to hit Oshawott. Oshawott is tired; Bianca doesn't want to see anymore. She tells Ash that he doesn't have to risk going back home to fight for her to continue traveling. Bianca's Father ask why Ash is fighting for her despite the huge risk. Ash tells him that Bianca is his friend. Ash, Iris, and Cilan tell him about all of the times they've crossed paths during their journeys. and how important she is to them now as their friend.

Bianca's father smiles and decides to wrap up the battle. He orders Darmanitan to use while Ash has Oshawott use Aqua Jet. After the two attacks collide and the steam disperses, Darmanitan is standing just fine but Oshawott is knocked out. Ash loses the battle, which means he will return to Pallet Town. However during the battle Bianca's father seems to have had a change of heart and tells Ash that he doesn't need to return to Kanto. By battling Ash, Bianca's father remembers when he used to travel around. He encourages Ash to continue to grow stronger. Most importantly he approaches his daughter and tells her it's okay for her to continue on her journey through Unova as long as she has friends like Ash, Iris, and Cilan. Bianca promptly thanks her father and hugs him.

Bianca decides that she'll get stronger so she runs off to go to Desert Resort to train. She gives her last goodbyes before leaving the center. Iris notices that Bianca left her bag there, and Bianca's father grabs her bag and leaves to give it to her. Ash, Iris, and Cilan are all relieved that Bianca is able to travel. Elesa approaches Ash and promises to battle him tomorrow for her Gym Badge, which Ash looks forward to doing.

Major events

 * and meet  again and also meet Elesa, Nimbasa Gym's Gym Leader.
 * Bianca's father appears to take his daughter home with him, not wanting her to continue her Pokémon journey.
 * Bianca is revealed to have obtained a.
 * Bianca has a Gym with Elesa but loses.
 * Ash has a battle with Bianca's father and loses.
 * Bianca's father decides to allow her to keep traveling.

Humans

 * Elesa
 * Bianca's father

Humans

 * Nurse Joy
 * Elesa
 * Bianca's father
 * Female referee
 * Elesa's fans
 * Bianca's father
 * Female referee
 * Elesa's fans
 * Elesa's fans

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?:
 * (Elesa's)
 * ('s; debut)
 * (Bianca's father's)
 * (Elesa's)
 * ('s; debut)
 * (Bianca's father's)
 * ('s; debut)
 * (Bianca's father's)

Trivia

 * Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster:
 * This is the season premiere of Pokémon BW: Rival Destinies.
 * It is revealed in this episode that 's Pokémon were included in the ones that were stolen from the Pokémon Center by in the previous two episodes.

Errors

 * During the final shot of and Elesa, Elesa's black leggings are missing.
 * In the dub, Ash calls by its Japanese name, Shell Blade, during his  with Bianca's father.
 * In the previous episode, Emmet already revealed the Gym Leader as Elesa. Despite this, asks who the Gym Leader is in the beginning.

In other languages
Kamilla, die elektrisierende Arenaleiterin! EP711 BW049 BW049 BW編第49話 精灵宝可梦 超级愿望 第49集