GS135: Beauty Is Skin Deep

is the 42nd episode of Pokémon: Master Quest.
==Synopsis==
Finally reaching the outskirts of Blackthorn City, Ash pushes to quickly seek out the gym where he hopes to earn his final Johto badge. Before he has the opportunity, he chances into a Dratini and learns that its eager trainer, Clair, is in fact the Blackthorn Gym leader. Ash's attempt to challenge her to a duel—and Brock's attempts at getting her phone number—are both cut short when Team Rocket arrives, intent on stealing the Gym Leader's Dratini right out from under her. After dispatching with these hapless villains, Ash secures Clair's promise to face him in her gym. Cheerfully Ash and friends march the last few miles into the city.
==Episode plot==
Ash runs, so Misty and Brock wonder why is he running. Ash replies the sooner he gets to the Gym, the sooner he arrives to the Johto League. They encounter a sleeping Dratini. However, a Gyarados appears, using Hydro Pump as a warning. The heroes see it shouldn't be hostile, while a woman appears them, questioning what would they want with Dratini. After an explanation, the woman responds Gyarados was protecting Dratini and she introduces the heroes as Clair. The heroes introduce themselves and while Brock tries to charm Clair, but she has her attention at Dratini, who swims away.
Suddenly, a man goes to get Clair revealed to be Kaburagi, who warns her there will be trouble if she does not appear. He trips over, but stands up, shows the peace sign and tells he is "I'm still in one peace". Kaburagi shows the heroes a Dragon Fang, an artifact which is kept in Blackthorn City, working for Clair. Kaburagi admits Clair is the Gym Leader and both of them preserve Blackthorn City's history. Kaburagi tells there was a nasty dragon and the first Gym Leader defeated it and took its fang. Being carried from and by Gym Leaders, today the Purification Ritual must be commenced.
As Team Rocket relaxes, they notice a Dratini. James sends Weezing to get Dratini, but they get swept by a wave coming from Gyarados' Hydro Pump. Clair appears before them and protects Dratini from harm. Jessie still wants it and sends Arbok, who uses Poison Sting. However, Gyarados' Hydro Pump negates the attack and blasts Team Rocket off. The heroes arrive, with Kaburagi who reminding Clair she needs to purify the Dragon Fang. Clair responds she knows that, but also knows Dratini is going to shed its skin and must be with it. Clair follows Dratini, but Kaburagi begs her to complete the ritual. So, they all see they need to wait for Dratini to shed its skin, while Ash sees he cannot ask for a Gym match.
Team Rocket observes, so Meowth thinks they should give Dratini to the boss. Jessie refuses to give it to anyone, but they see they need a good plan to snatch it from the Gym Leader. Clair makes a break and gives some onigiri to the heroes and the old man, who like them. Ash asks for a Gym battle after Dratini sheds its skin, since he needs the last badge. Clair is impressed by his badge collection and accepts his offer. Kaburagi sees Ash won the Glacier Badge and heard trouble at Mahogany Town with the angry Red Gyarados. The heroes admit the story is true when they met Lance, who helped them. Clair knows Lance because she is his cousin, since many Dragon-type Pokémon trainers spend a lot of time at Blackthorn City. She even trained him for a while, after he surpassed her skills.
Suddenly, Jessie and James, dressed as old people, admire Dratini. James takes photos of Jessie and Dratini. Clair asks them to be quiet, since Dratini needs rest. Jessie and James gaze upon Dratini, then Jessie releases a net to capture Dratini. Meowth throws a smoke bomb, distracting everyone as Team Rocket flies away. Clair promises she will not let Dratini down on this. Clair jumps on trees to follow Team Rocket, while the heroes follow her. Team Rocket thinks they should get awards for the previous acting. However, Dratini angrily shakes their balloon, causing it to fall down. As Team Rocket are distracted, Dratini tries to get into the river, but Jessie stops it.
The heroes and Clair appear to stop them. James sends Weezing and Clair also sends Gyarados. Weezing uses Sludge, but gets negated by Hydro Pump. Gyarados throws Weezing away, making Meowth impressed by Clair's skills. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but Wobbuffet's Counter redirects the attack to Ash, Pikachu, Team Rocket and Dratini, but Clair takes the damage to protect it. Suddenly, Dratini evolves into a Dragonair much to Clair's excitement as Dragonair controls the weather creating a blue lightning, who shocks Team Rocket. Jessie is angered, but sees they should capture it, since it is much rarer than before. Weezing uses Sludge, but gets knocked out by Gyarados' Hyper Beam. Team Rocket gets blasted off by Dragonair's Twister.
Clair appreciates Dratini's evolution to Dragonair stating that she should have planned when it is ready to evolve. Kaburagi thinks Team Rocket flies on dragon air. Suddenly, Dragonair swims away and leads everyone to a landscape which happens to be the Riverhead Falls, as it wanted the ritual to commence here. Kaburagi prepares the Dragon Fang. Being at the lake, Clair wishes joy to all dragons of sky, earth and water, then pours some water onto the Dragon Fang, causing it to glow. It releases a beam in a shape of a dragon that goes to the moon, leaving a multi-colored sparkles behind. The heroes think this new dragon became a star, so Kaburagi explains such dragons watch over all Dragon Pokémon. Clair tells with the ritual completed, she will battle Ash. Next day, the heroes come to the entrance to Blackthorn City. Ash is not nervous and is happy to know he will have his final badge.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Clair
*Kaburagi
===Pokémon===
*Clair's Dragonair
*Clair's Gyarados
===Item===
Dragon Fang
==Trivia==
*"Who's That Pokémon?:" Dratini (JP), Goldeen (US)
*The English-dubbed episode title for this episode was taken from a preposition "Beauty is only skin deep".
*Not counting the undubbed episode The Legend of Dratini, this is the first appearance of Dratini in the dub, 216 episodes after it first appeared in the Japanese version. This episode is therefore the final episode to debut a Pokémon from Generation I in the English dub.
===Dub edits===
Clair's lunch that she gives it to Ash and the group and her assistant Kaburagi is an onigiri. In the English dub, it was called a sandwich.
==Gallery==
==References==