GS042: A Goldenrod Opportunity

is the 1st episode of Pokémon: Johto League Champions.
==Synopsis==
Our heroes have finally reached the next stop on the road to Johto: Goldenrod City! Looking to challenge the city's Gym Leader, Ash finds out the gym is closed for the day. Knowing they must wait until tomorrow, the gang decides to shop around and enjoy the city when they run into a local trainer, Whitney. After a close-encounter with Team Rocket, our heroes realize Whitney is actually the Goldenrod City Gym Leader! Will Ash win his next Johto League badge?
==Episode plot==
The heroes manage to arrive to Goldenrod City. The heroes admire the city, as Misty wants shopping and Brock wants to meet girls. Ash reminds them they are not here for these things. Brock and Misty see delicious burgers (making Brock think they look as delicious as the girls) and Ash is tempted to eat them, but reminds all they are here for his match. Ash goes away, so Misty and Brock follow him, knowing he is correct. However, Ash sees that the Gym is closed, so they all go to do what they wanted in the first place. They go to the Goldenrod Galleria for such things, but they can see it is hard to get there, since most streets lead to a dead end. Pikachu goes away and the heroes follow him, only to see he bumps into a Clefairy.
A woman comes and apologizes for the trouble Clefairy did. Seeing Pikachu a bit hurt, she kisses on his head, making him pleased. Suddenly, Brock bashes his head and asks if she could do the same on him, but Misty pulls him away for that attempt. The woman, Whitney, is glad to take them to the Galleria. Brock proposes that she could go with him and leave Ash and Misty to do their business, but realizes Whitney shows Ash and Misty to go underground. She shows them the underground is the Arcade and at the end is the exit, which provides a traffic-less area. However, they see they are further then they were, so they follow Whitney to a different route. She opens a door, only to see two men that take her Clefairy and Ash's Pikachu for a haircut. Ash and Whitney say they're looking for a shortcut, not a haircut, so they take the Pokémon back and leave. Ash is glad they went away, but is hungry, so Brock proposes to go back to the hamburger stand. Whitney leads them and they find themselves at the Galleria, so she realizes she knows the path when she is not aware of it. Whitney goes to give them a tour, but bashes into a door, which is not automatic.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket is at the Goldenrod Galleria. Jessie is happy she eats good food and so does Meowth, but James reminds them they don't have money to pay. Jessie and Meowth tell him it's a free sample, so they don't have to pay; although James does not know what a free sample means, he eats with his companions, regardless. A woman approaches, and asks if they are going to buy anything. Team Rocket chant a variation of their motto, but are told that one of the dishes was a free sample, not all of it, making them nervous. The woman asks them for money, and, after being told they have none, she orders them to work until they pay for all they ate. As Team Rocket works, they see a Clefairy and go after it. 
As the heroes go out after Misty's shopping (as Ash and Brock carry her stuff), Whitney notices Clefairy is gone and go to find it. Team Rocket track Clefairy and find it, then put it in a bag. The heroes spot them and chase them, but Team Rocket runs away.
Team Rocket spot an advertisement for the Magnet Train, so go to the train station. They ask a man when it will go and are told a year after next Tuesday, since they need to build the trains. The heroes track Team Rocket, who go on a railcar. Jessie and James push the levers, but it is too slow. Pikachu goes to use Thunderbolt, but gets stopped, since Jessie gives Clefairy back, though Meowth captures Pikachu. Clefairy uses Metronome, which turns into Gust, blowing Team Rocket and taking the bag away. Team Rocket try to pull the lever to get the railcar away, but Pikachu electrocutes them using Thunder. This triggers a part of the railcar, causing it to move at a great speed and with that, Team Rocket disappear into a tunnel. Ash and Whitney compliment each other for this battle. Whitney would like to have a battle with Ash, but is told he will prepare for the Gym match tomorrow. Whitney tells him she could open the Gym, but Ash thinks she is the cleaning lady. Whitney is surprised at that statement, but clarifies she is the Gym Leader having a day off.
At the Gym, Whitney and Ash have the battle. Whitney sends Nidorina and Ash his Cyndaquil. Nidorina uses Poison Sting, which fails due to Cyndaquil's Flamethrower. Nidorina goes to use Tackle, but gets defeated by Flamethrower. Nidorina is defeated, so Whitney calls her back and sends Clefairy. Clefairy uses Metronome, which turns into it jumping, as it uses Splash. Cyndaquil uses Flamethrower, so Clefairy retreats to Whitney. Ash sees it is an easy match, but knows he will get the badge the soon he beats her. Whitney responds it is not over yet, as she sends Miltank. Miltank uses Rollout, causing a lot of damage on Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil uses Tackle, though gets hit once more with Rollout. Cyndaquil clashes with Miltank and gets hit again and gets bashed into the wall, defeated. Ash sends Totodile, who uses Water Gun, which proves useless against Miltank's Rollout. Ash thinks of a strategy and tells Totodile to go away, but it is too late, as Totodile gets defeated by Rollout.
Brock thinks an electric attack should prove good against a wet Miltank. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but it has no effect, as Whitney knows Miltank rolls so fast it is dry already. So, Pikachu gets hit by Rollout attacks and faints. Whitney praises Miltank and calls her back in to the Poké Ball. Whitney tells Ash he can have the rematch whenever he needs, then goes away. Brock and Misty see as long as she has Miltank, she is unbeatable, while Ash thinks over.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Whitney
===Pokémon===
*Whitney's Nidorina
*Whitney's Clefairy
*Miltank (Whitney's)
==Quotes==
:"Are you gonna buy anything?" - Saleswoman
:(along with James and Meowth) "Huh?" (laughs with James) "Now you're in for a bunch of trouble!" - Jessie 
:"We're eating lunch, so make it double!" - James 
:"To eat and drink to our hearts' content!" - Jessie
:"Without even having to spend a single cent!" - James
:"To denounce the evils of paying for food!" - Jessie
:"We won't leave a single sample unchewed!" - James
:"Jessie!" - Jessie
:"James!" - James
:"Team Rocket loves scarfing down free samples at the speed of light!" - Jessie
:"Yes, and we like to eat even more than we like to fight!" - James
:"You got that right!" - Meowth
:(while holding up an almost empty plate) "This was a free sample dish. For everything else, you gotta pay!" - Saleswoman
:(along with James and Meowth) "Huh? Uhh..." (by herself) "We're a little short of money." - Jessie
:"Would it be all right if we gave you an IOU?" - James
:"All we accept is cash." - Saleswoman
:"We ain't got none of that." - Meowth
:"Well, then how do you intend to pay for all the food you ate?" - Saleswoman
:"How about our undying gratitude?" - James
:"You're gonna work until you pay for every crumb ya ate!" - Saleswoman to Team Rocket, who groans at the mention of work
:"Aren't you the cutest thing." (She picks up Pikachu) "I know how to make a boo-boo feel better." - Whitney before she kisses Pikachu on the forehead
:"Cha!" - Pikachu
:(bashes his head on the nearest wall) "Ugh! I bet one of those treatments would work wonders for me." - Brock
:"Open your ears, Brock — she kisses boo-boos, not bozos." - Misty
:"Not the ear! Not the ear!" - Brock
:"How did we wind up at the Goldenrod Galleria? Maybe I only know where I'm going when I don't know where I'm going." - Whitney
:"Maybe, but you got us to where we wanted to go to begin with." - Ash
:"Ahehe. That's true, Ash. And now that we're here, I'll give ya a tour of the whole place. Come on, guys. Just follow me through the automatic—" (slams into the doors) "Guess they're not... automatic." - Whitney
:"I get the feeling Whitney doesn't always know where she's goin'." - Ash
:"She may be going to the hospital." - Misty
:"Excuse me, when does the next train leave?" - James
:"A year from next Tuesday." - Train operator
:"A year?!" - Jessie
:"They gotta build the trains before they can run the trains." - Train operator
:"A jumping-jack attack?" - Misty at seeing Clefairy's result of using Metronome
:"Oh no! It's imitating Magikarp." - Whitney
:"A Splash attack?" - Misty
:"Too bad there's no water." - Brock
==Trivia==
*Who's That Pokémon?: Clefairy (JA), Squirtle (EN)
*The design of the title card is changed as of this episode.
*This is the season premiere of Pokémon: Johto League Champions.
*In tune to the theme of the Goldenrod Gym in the games (with the trainers being all female), the referee of the Goldenrod Gym is female.
**Also, the referee was voiced by Lisa Ortiz in the dub.
*The intro theme of the English dub was kept as Pokémon Johto with . It was retroactively changed and corrected for later home releases and reruns due to being part of the fourth season as well as the correct subtitle being , which is correctly reflected in the Who's That Pokémon? segment.
*Many aspects about Goldenrod City in the games were used in the anime, including the Underground Path, the Haircut Bros., the Goldenrod Department Store, and the Magnet Train.
*Ash says "holy cow", a rare reference to a non-Pokémon animal species, especially as how Miltank is apparently the closest thing the Pokémon world has to cows.
*Ash’s only Gym loss in the Johto region, as he would not lose a Gym battle again until two seasons later.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes featuring Ash losing a Gym Battle
Category:Episodes featuring Gym Battles
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash