XY035

The Forest Champion! (Japanese:  森のチャンピオン！ルチャブル登場！！ Champion of the Forest! Appears!!) is the 35th episode of the, and the 834th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on July 10, 2014 and aired in the United States on September 13, 2014.

Blurb
En route to Shalour City, our heroes happily watch three forest Pokémon help each other gather berries. Suddenly, an Ursaring grabs their berries and scares them out of their wits! Then, just as suddenly, a brave Hawlucha attacks the Ursaring, giving the forest Pokémon time to retrieve their berries. But Hawlucha can't resist striking an artistic pose right before its last move, and Ursaring escapes.

Forest caretaker Keaton explains that Hawlucha is the Forest Champion, protecting weaker forest Pokémon from the more aggressive ones. Ash is quite impressed with Hawlucha and offers to help it figure out how to strike more quickly without losing its "battle artistry." During a battle between Hawlucha and Froakie, Ash figures out how Hawlucha can incorporate its signature pose into its favorite finishing move. When that proves to be a huge success, Hawlucha decides to join Ash on his journey!

Plot
The episode begins with and  returning from Pomace Mountain and heading out to Shalour City for Ash's upcoming gym battle with Korrina. They witness a, and  working together to gather berries in a tree. Ash and the others, not wanting to disturb their work, continue on with their journey. After they leave, however, Patrat and the other two Pokémon encounter an, who is trying to take their berries from them. Ash and his friends hear their cries and decide to check on what's going on.

Ash arrives seeing the three Pokémon hiding and commands to attack. However, before Pikachu could intervene, a wild masked flies into the scene with a dramatic entrance. Ash scans Hawlucha with his Pokédex. Just as Ash remarks on how it looks different from the one shown, Hawlucha removes its mask, revealing its true face.

Hawlucha then dives in at Ursaring, slamming it to the ground. Ursaring becomes enraged, but is easily defeated in battle by Hawlucha's and. Ash and his friends comment on how amazing Hawlucha is. Hawlucha then jumps to the top of a nearby tree, and shows off its victory pose. A nearby man explains to the group that Hawlucha does its pose before launching into its finishing move. And much the same, Hawlucha then begins to use its final move,. However, Ursaring dodges it at the last minute, causing Hawlucha to crash onto the ground. Ursaring then begins to approach Hawlucha, still dazed on the ground, with a large boulder. Ash blocks Ursaring's path and commands Pikachu to break the rock with. The shattered boulder then hits Ursaring, causing Ursaring to collapse and run away. Ash helps Hawlucha get up, and Hawlucha leaves. Ash, excited about Hawlucha, asks the man, who reveals himself to be the caretaker of the forest, to tell him more about Hawlucha.

At the man's home, the group share a hot drink, who now introduces himself as Keaton. Keaton tells the group that there had been many strong Pokémon in the forest when Hawlucha first arrived. Hawlucha had then defeated them one by one, earning its nickname "Forest Champion". Keaton then offers to show them the site where Hawlucha trains, and Ash and friends agree.

Meanwhile, Ursaring has recruited to fight against Hawlucha, and also convinces  to agree to its cause.

Keaton has brought Ash and the group to Hawlucha's training spot, and the group see Hawlucha practising its Flying Press near a waterfall. Ash introduces himself to Hawlucha and then asks Hawlucha to practice Flying Press on himself so that it can perfect the move. With a log in front, Ash helps Hawlucha perfect the move, ensuring that the move could not be dodged, without sacrificing Hawlucha's victory pose. However, as they train, the forest bullies – Ursaring and Conkeldurr appear, along with their leader, Machamp. Keaton reveals that Machamp had been the previous "Forest Champion", and had disappeared to train in the mountains after being defeated by Hawlucha.

Machamp then begins a fierce one-on-one battle with Hawlucha. Machamp begins by attacking Hawlucha, and Hawlucha retaliates with multiple Karate Chops. However, Machamp remains still, withstanding all of Hawlucha's hits. Keaton reveals that Machamp must be sizing up Hawlucha's resolve. As Hawlucha continues to attack, to both Hawlucha's and Machamp's surprise, Ursaring and Conkeldurr come forward to attack Hawlucha. The two bullies slam Hawlucha to the ground and continue to attack. Machamp in response attacks the two bullies and stops the fight. Machamp, now carrying the two fainted Pokémon, walks off, agreeing with Hawlucha to battle at another time.

After Machamp has left, Ash offers Hawlucha to join his team, and Hawlucha agrees. Ash then begins a battle against Hawlucha with. Froakie starts off with and, allowing it to avoid Hawlucha's High Jump Kick. After attacking with, Ash commands Froakie to jump up and grab Hawlucha. However, Froakie misses, and lands into the water instead. Ash then commands Froakie to use Double Team as it jumps out of the water, followed up with. Hawlucha counters with High Jump Kick, and finishes off with its newly practiced Flying Press. Froakie counters with Cut just as Hawlucha slams into Froakie, causing both to faint.

As Hawlucha is about to join Ash's team, Machamp arrives. Keaton tells Hawlucha that the forest will be fine even when it leaves. Hawlucha then agrees to join Ash's team and enters into Ash's Poké Ball.

Major events

 * catches a.

Humans

 * Keaton
 * Keaton
 * Keaton
 * Keaton
 * Keaton

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international) Pokémon Quiz:  (Japan)
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Trivia

 * Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster:
 * For the TV Tokyo airing, instead of the Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster segment, a trailer for the upcoming Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, along with the giveaway, was shown.
 * On a similar note, this was the last episode to air before the debuted in Japanese theaters.
 * ,, and narrate the preview for the next episode.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of a other than the one Dawn owns in the main series.
 * Music from Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice and Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade is used in this episode.

Errors

 * When, , and are helping each other to hide the Berries in the tree, 's hairpin is colored the same as her hair.
 * When is telling  that  stole the berries from Patrat, Sentret, and Pachirisu, Patrat's mask near its eyes is colored red instead of black.
 * In the dub, after  leaves with  and  and Ash says his first line, his English voice can be heard.

In other languages
Der Wald-Champion! EP839 XY035 XY035 XY編第34話 精灵宝可梦 XY 第35集