RS011: A Bite to Remember

is the 11th episode of , Season 6 of , and of .
==Synopsis==
As our heroes travel on towards Rustboro City, they stumble into a forest filled with many different kinds of Pokémon. It turns out that the area is actually a Pokémon preserve, and it's looked after by a girl named Katrina. Katrina takes care of all of the Pokémon in the area and helps to nurse them back to health when they are sick. Max takes a particular liking to her Poochyena and he's determined to see it evolve before they leave the preserve. All of the Poochyena's companions who were born at the same time have already evolved, but this one Poochyena just doesn't seem ready. Max decides to coach the Pokémon and leads it out into the forest. Team Rocket has followed Max and they decide to play a trick on him to take the Poochyena. They claim to be researchers working on an evolution machine. Max is too smart too be fooled, but that doesn't stop Team Rocket from taking Poochyena. Luckily, Katrina and Ash show up just in time. This time Poochyena gets in on the action, too. That last battle turns out to be just what this little Poochyena needs—it evolves right before Max's eyes!
==Episode plot==
May and Max spot a wild Zigzagoon. May shushes Max, but this causes Zigzagoon to see them and run away. Nevertheless, May and Max observe a bunch of Stantler and Beautifly, commenting how many Pokémon are in this forest. Ash finds it strange, with so many Pokémon around. Max tries to get closer to Shroomish and the Sudowoodo, but scares them off. May reminds him he should know how they look like because he studied. Max confirms this, but is still fascinated he can see them up close. Ash reminds Max Pokémon are living creatures, like humans and act on their instinct. Brock laughs, since Ash also acts on instinct, rather than intelligence. Nearby, some Pokémon howl and descend. Those are three Mightyena, who are angry and intimidate the heroes. May asks Ash to use his instinct and befriend them.
Ash replies that won't work and sends Pikachu, while Brock brings out Forretress and May sends Torchic to fight them. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but misses one of the Mightyena, who tackles Pikachu. Forretress tries to Tackle, but a Poochyena leaps and attacks Torchic, Ash, and Brock. A woman appears, stopping the battle, warning the heroes they are in a Pokémon Preserve. Ash apologizes, while May claims they are on their way to Rustboro City and they had no idea it was a preserve. The woman introduces herself as Katrina, the ranger, who watches over the area and protect it from poachers. The heroes introduce themselves, with Brock flirting with her. However, the Poochyena and Mightyena attack Brock. Meanwhile, Team Rocket wanders into the woods, searching for food. However, they spot a lot of Pokémon. Wobbuffet shows a sign, marking the area as a Preserve. This pleases the trio, seeing this is their chance to catch a lot of Pokémon.
At a shack, Katrina shows the heroes she is taking care of injured Pokémon. Brock admires Katrina, complimenting her as a doctor and a ranger. Katrina allows Brock to help her, so Brock goes to reach her, to which the Poochyena strikes him. Max claims Poochyena will evolve soon, but Katrina doubts that. Katrina explains all the Poochyena hatched from eggs and evolved into Mightyena, except that one. Katrina thinks the Poochyena didn't battle enough to gain such experience. Katrina claims Poochyena's time to evolve will come soon, but will respect its wish if it wants to remain Poochyena. Max tries to convince that the Poochyena has to evolve, since it would only become stronger. May thinks what her Torchic would look like and wishes it to evolve. She checks her Pokédex and learns Torchic evolves into a Combusken. Ash explains to them that the Pokémon needs experience and training to evolve, it can’t be forced. Max sees he is right, but is still frustrated how long it takes. Brock explains that's what makes the evolution exciting. Ash continues, for the real joy of evolution is through the many battles and experiences a trainer has with their Pokémon.
May and Max wonder why Ash's Pikachu hasn't evolved yet into a Raichu. Brock explains the Evolution; some Pokémon need experience, while others, like Pikachu, need stones, such as a Thunder Stone which allows Pikachu to become a Raichu. Brock also mentions Eevee, a Pokémon which can evolve into three different Pokémon - Jolteon, Vaporeon, Flareon (with usage of stones), or Espeon and Umbreon (with more experience). Brock also makes a poem, wishing them to catch more Pokémon. Max wants to train Poochyena and see it evolving, feeling its time will come soon. Ash reminds them they are going to Rustboro City, but Katrina allows them to stay here for a bit. Brock holds Katrina's hands, promising to do her housework. Outside Max trains Poochyena to attack with Bite, not only Tackle. Torchic attacks with Ember, defeating the Poochyena and even attacking Max. Max comes to Ash, wanting to borrow some of his Pokémon for Poochyena to battle. May, who found out what Max was doing with Torchic, puts a stop to it saying that Max just wants Ash's Pokémon to lose on purpose for Poochyena to evolve. Ash tells Max forcing the opponents to lose won't make Poochyena evolve but also if they were all just staged it wouldn't be right as it would be an unfair battle.
Max watches Poochyena being with the other Mightyena. May and Ash visit him, the latter explaining some Pokémon don't want to evolve and want to be just the way they are - just like his Pikachu. Even though they have been together for so long and Pikachu is strong it likes being who it is. This upsets Max, who runs off with Poochyena to train it more. Katrina arrives, showing a part of a net, for the poachers are in the Preserve. Team Rocket has captured some of the Pokémon, but Meowth spots Max and the Poochyena. Max does not want Poochyena to battle Flying Pokémon, nor Pokémon with special moves, to widen the odds. Team Rocket realize that their enemy wants the Poochyena to evolve and make a plan. After seeing no opponents fit to battle Poochyena, Max spots a strange machine. As Max is about to walk away from this suspicious machine, Jessie and James, while in disguise, come to Max, claiming he saw their secret machine. They place Meowth in the machine and activate it; the result is Meowth having evolved into a Persian (although Meowth wears a costume). To persuade Max more, they activate the machine and Persian is transformed into a Sunflora. Max finds this impossible, but Jessie assures him science advances rather quickly. Meowth disguises himself as Aipom, Murkrow and Azurill, but with the rush, he transforms himself into a Persian/Sunflora/Aipom/Pikachu Pokémon. Despite Max's refusal, Team Rocket place Poochyena into the machine. In a moment, the machine explodes, as Team Rocket goes on their balloon.
The heroes arrive, with Team Rocket unmasking themselves. James captures Pikachu with the mechanical arm and flies off on the balloon with Jessie and Meowth. The heroes track the balloon, with Ash sending his Taillow. Taillow pecks Team Rocket, lowering the balloon down. Max asks Poochyena to use Bite attack, else they won't be able to save it. Seeing the captured Pokémon, Poochyena gains courage, using Bite and setting itself and other Pokémon free. After getting pecked by Taillow, James drops Pikachu, who uses Thunderbolt to blast Team Rocket off. Max congratulates Poochyena, seeing even unevolved it is still powerful. Just then, Poochyena evolves into a Mightyena. This pleases Max, who hugs Mightyena and is glad to have seen Mightyena's evolution.
==Quotes==
:"Now's your chance, Ash. Use that real-life experience you were talking about and make some friends!" - May
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Katrina
===Pokémon===
*Mightyena
*Combusken (on May's Pokédex)
==Trivia==
*"Who's That Pokémon?": Hitmontop.
*This is the first time in Hoenn Ash does not use a Pokédex - in this case, Max examines the Poochyena with the Pokédex.
**This is also the first time in Hoenn that a Pokémon is shown on Pokédex, but it isn't examined on spot. In this case, it is a Combusken.
*This is the first time Brock gets scolded for flirting in Hoenn.
*Meowth mimics a Marill's cry when he is in fact dressed as an Azurill.
*This is the first time where the narrator does not speak in the beginning of this episode. It also happened in an episode of Pokémon The Series: XY, titled: "Breaking Titles At The Chateau!"
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Max