RS027: A Three Team Scheme

is the 27th episode of , Season 6 of , and of .
==Synopsis==
The episode opens up with Brock helping Ash and his team train on the beach. They soon discover that Professor Birch is in the area doing research on Wingull. Professor Birch offers for Ash and the gang to join him in his research. They agree and soon come across a hidden doorway. They discover it is unlocked and it turns out to be someone's secret base. The owner of the base arrives and kicks them all out. They rush away before the boy's Nincada can attack them. Team Rocket sees all this and after Ash and company leave, they force the boy out of his base and claim both the base and his Nincada as their own. They contact their boss to gloat about their accomplishment only to be told that they should be doing a lot more.
Outside, our heroes run into the boy again. The gang introduces themselves, and find out the boy's name is Keanu. They listen to his story and convince him, with their help, to go back and reclaim his base. In the meantime, some Team Magma grunts were dropped off nearby via helicopter and some Team Aqua grunts are somewhere near in a submarine. The Team Magma grunts reach the base and claim it for themselves using their Mightyena. Team Rocket then rushes from the base and the Magma grunts begin to drill. Eventually, the drilling leads to a secret cavern with some sort of shrine in it. Team Rocket is spying on them at this point, hoping to steal whatever it is Team Magma finds.
Team Aqua suddenly arrives and a short battle and argument ensues between the rivals. Their bosses call them both back, claiming to have all the needed information. Team Rocket is marveling at how big their new base is when Ash and Keanu slide down a rope made by May's Silcoon to reclaim the base. Team Rocket is defeated again and the show ends with Keanu and Ash shaking hands as friends.
==Episode plot==
The heroes are training, though May has trouble catching up. Suddenly, Brock spots someone climbing a cliff. The man is Prof. Birch, who is studying a Wingull's nest, but gets attacked, so he lands on a Loudred. The Loudred wakes up and screams at Professor Birch, then digs away. The heroes meet up with Birch, who tells of his research, detecting on Dewford Island the Wingull build their nests at the cliffs. May asks if that isn't dangerous, but Max reminds her Professor Birch is famous for his field research and tends to forget danger when facing something fascinating. Birch appreciates Max's praising, but wonders what the heroes are still doing in here, thinking they would be in Slateport City by now. Team Rocket overhears the conversation, making Meowth suspect Professor Birch can lead them to some interesting Pokémon. Birch sees Ash has to train for the rematch at the Dewford Town's Gym, while May aspires herself to be a Coordinator. Birch admits he would be staying a bit longer on the island and permits the heroes to come with him. Brock reminds them of their training schedule, but everybody says they're going to do so tomorrow, saddening Brock, for he worked on the schedule.
A plane arrives on the island, with people dressed in red clothes. Birch takes them to a Golbat cave, but, at the end of the cave, they notice a wooden door. Max opens the door, as it was already unlocked. The heroes enters the room, seeing that it is actually well-decorated, with bookcases, pictures and tables. Max notices a book about Pokémon battle strategies. Suddenly, a boy, with a Nincada, enters the room, angry they entered his Secret Base. The heroes try to explain they did not thought they were trespassing, but the boy yells out, causing Nincada to attack with Fury Swipes and force everyone to leave the Secret Base. As the heroes flee away, Team Rocket, who has been hiding, saw this Secret Base. The heroes are not pleased by the kid's rudeness, but Birch proposes going to the next cave. The kid calms down, but someone knocks on the door again, with Team Rocket appearing before him and attacking him. The boy flees from the Secret Base, leaving it to Team Rocket, who got his Nincada. Outside, another group arrives, on a submarine marked as Team Aqua.
Jessie's Cascoon (who Jessie thinks is a Silcoon but James and Meowth know it is a Cascoon) has trapped Nincada in a web. Team Rocket contacts Giovanni, their boss. Team Rocket lie that they set up a Secret Base, but Giovanni identifies it as a child's room. Team Rocket plans on redecorating the room, so Giovanni expects them to report back once the process is done and logs out. Team Rocket is displeased, but think they may impress the boss to give them some promotions. The heroes leaves the cave where the Golbat Cave, but May finds the child from the cave. The heroes approach the kid and Ash introduces himself to the kid, Keanu, who cries, as his Nincada was taken away from him. While Nincada is digging under Jessie's supervision, James and Meowth are remodeling the base. Suddenly, the men in red enter the base, who are the same ones Team Rocket encountered before in the ruins. The man asks Team Rocket who they are and they recite their motto, but before they can finish it, they get attacked by Mightyena. The men start digging, using a machine.
Keanu explains he does not like battles, as he never won a battle. He built the base in the cave to train with his Nincada, but feels he is even disappointing Nincada itself. May outrages, yelling at Keanu for not battling against his opponents at all. Max reminds May she is in no position to lecture about battles, but Ash promises to train Keanu, but if he gets his Nincada back, a favor which Keanu appreciates. The men have dug out to another cave with a giant building, the Cave of Origin. As the men continue their work, Team Rocket plans to take whatever is inside the building before these men do and get out. The leader finds two slots and dispatches his men to search for something. "Silcoon" makes a string rope to get to that building. Meowth wonders if they should tell Jessie the truth, but James thinks they should abstain from that. Meanwhile, Keanu finds his room destroyed. The men have been deployed to search the building, but they spotted some other men, coming from the water. The heroes come to the cave and are impressed by the building. The men from Team Aqua arrived, but the men in red are one step ahead; Mightyena uses Shadow Ball, but a Carvanha uses Hydro Pump to negate the attack.
The men identify each other: the people in blue are Team Aqua and the people in red are Team Magma. Team Aqua's leader dispatches her team, since neither Team Aqua nor Team Magma want any fighting in this cave. The commander from Team Aqua, Shelly, and Tabitha, the commander from Team Magma, start taunting each other, claiming both sides are interested whatever is in the ruins. The heroes watch this, but Keanu reports the team, who stole his Nincada, had a Meowth with them. Tabitha wonders if Shelly did manage obtain the Blue Orb for this place. Shelly is troubled, but knows a tactical commander, like Tabitha, would not wield the Red Orb. Shelly knows Team Magma seeks the power of the land, but claims the power of the sea can control everything. Suddenly, both commanders receive info that this cave is only am ancient shrine, not the Cave of Origin.
Both Teams come to their commanders. Just as the battle seems inevitable, both teams retreat, making the heroes wonder about what Team Aqua and Team Magma were searching about. Team Rocket cheers, as they'll take the treasure from the building. The heroes face Team Rocket, as May's Silcoon uses String Shot and Ash gets down to the building, telling Keanu should help out to get Nincada back. Keanu also gets down and knocks Team Rocket down. Pikachu uses Iron Tail to cut the string on Nincada. Nincada uses Secret Power and blasts Team Rocket away. Later on, the heroes support Keanu and Nincada for the battle. Keanu admits he taught Nincada Secret Power to make the Secret Base. Despite his current base destroyed, Keanu promises to make another one. Keanu promises to battle Ash once he gets stronger, amusing May how new rivalries can spout out.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Tabitha
*Shelly
*Keanu
===Pokémon===
*Shelly's Carvanha
*Tabitha's Mightyena
*Nincada
===Move===
*Secret Power
==Trivia==
*Featured Pokémon: Zigzagoon
*The Secret Base feature makes its first appearance in the anime.
===Mistakes===
*The dub version of this episode mistakenly calls Tabitha and Shelly by different names; Harland and Isabel, respectively. This was later rectified in later episodes.
*The Red and Blue Orbs were incorrectly referred to as the Rose Orb and the Indigo Orb.
*The dub version of this episode incorrectly refers to Secret Power as Hidden Power.
==Gallery==
==References==
pl:AG027
Category:Episodes focusing on Team Aqua and Team Magma