BW069: Cilan Takes Flight!

is the 19th episode of Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies.
==Synopsis==
Ash is surprised to see a long line of Trainers waiting to challenge Skyla, the Mistralton City Gym Leader, and is even more surprised when he’s told he has to make an appointment for their battle! He learns that Skyla has a passion for flying, and to make sure she has enough time to pursue her hobby, she keeps a very tight schedule at her Gym.
And that’s not the only unusual thing about Skyla’s style! As our heroes watch the morning challenges, they learn how Skyla can fit so many battles into a single day: they’re not physical battles, but something she calls "Air Battles," which take place only in her mind! Skyla envisions the outcome of each battle, and within moments, the winners and losers are decided without actually battling.
This infuriates Cilan, who challenges Skyla, Gym Leader to Gym Leader, in an effort to show her what Gym battles should be. She accepts...and wins, much to Cilan’s dismay!
Skyla decides that’s enough for one day, and cancels all her afternoon battles. She’s about to leave when Ash runs up and challenges her, saying that her Air Battles are boring and that Trainers and their Pokémon have to battle for real. Skyla looks over Ash’s Pokémon and declares that she’d beat him easily, so there’s no point in battling, but Ash insists that she has to give him a chance! Can he convince her to battle him for real?
==Episode plot==
Cilan lets Ash and Iris know they will soon see Mistralton City. They encounter an airplane and follow it a bit and are at Mistralton City, where Ash hopes to get his sixth badge. They come to the Gym, but read "Mistralton Cargo Service". Ash goes to enter, but is stopped, as a boy points out he needs to stand in the afternoon like, surprising the heroes. They ask a man, who replies they need to have an appointment. He scans Ash's Pokédex and gives him a number so he can challenge the Gym Leader later. They see the airplane landing, from which a girl comes out. She introduces herself as Skyla, the high-flying girl and Mistralton City's Gym Leader.
Skyla sees she needs to battle 15 challengers, so sends her Swoobat, Unfezant and Swanna. A challenger comes and sends Blitzle, Emolga and Boldore. Skyla announces the air battle, surprising the heroes, for they never heard of it. Skyla imagines Boldore would defeat her Unfezant, Blitzle would shock her Swanna and her Swoobat fainted by Emolga's attack. With that, she thinks the challenger would win and gives him the Jet Badge. Ash is surprised, while another challenger sent Leavanny, Sewaddle and Pansear. Skyla imagines in her mind the battle, making Ash angry, and she does not think the challenger would win. The heroes are told Skyla is quite powerful and can tell by the look of the challenger's Pokémon if they'd win or lose.
As Skyla imagines more battles, Cilan gets quite frustrated. After all the challenges are complete, Skyla goes to fly in her airplane, but Ash and Cilan intimidate her for having those "air battles". Skyla dismisses them, claiming she is too busy and flies off. Cilan is outraged, claiming he does not approve of battles like that. Suddenly, an old man appears, introducing himself as Miles, Skyla's grandfather. Miles explains he was the former Gym Leader of Mistralton City, but retired and started his cargo business so Skyla took over as Gym leader. He informs them Skyla was a powerful Gym Leader and took her battles seriously. However, she became busier when more people came to the gym and because of the amount of battles she had it left no time for flying (which she loves), so she came with the idea of air battles. Cilan does not support that and neither does Miles, but when he tried to talk to her about it Skyla just replied she does not bother herself to battle people, for she knew the outcome already.
Miles advises them to challenge another Gym. Ash declines, for he wants to battle Skyla, for it is already stated she is powerful. Cilan agrees and does not support Skyla's behavior as a Gym Leader. Skyla descends down and goes to do her "air battles". Cilan approaches her and apologizes for his rude behavior and introduces himself as Striaton Gym Leader. Skyla is interested and goes to battle Cilan. Cilan sends his Pokémon and Skyla imagines her Pokémon will defeat Cilan's. Cilan replies how can she be sure she would win. Skyla replies she is too strong and can't waste too much time. Cilan tells at least she could do the battle his way. Skyla accepts this demand.
Cilan sends Pansage and Skyla her Swoobat. Pansage starts off with Bullet Seed, though Swoobat dodges and uses Air Cutter. Pansage tries to bite Swoobat, who avoids the attack and gusts Pansage away, defeating it. Skyla knew Pansage would've been defeated, while Cilan calls Pansage back and sends Crustle. Crustle uses Rock Wrecker, defeating Swoobat. Skyla admits she should've expected that and calls Swoobat back and sends Unfezant. Crustle uses Rock Wrecker, hitting Unfezant, who uses Air Slash, but Crustle hides in its shell. Cilan lets Skyla knows that even if he senses a bond between Skyla and her Pokémon, he thinks she did a poor job of choosing moves, for a Gym Leader's task is to measure the challenger's skill and bond with their Pokémon, which Skyla does not seem to show. He explains the badges are a symbol of bonds between a Trainer and Pokémon during the Gym Battles.
thumb|Cilan and Skyla battling who approach to Gym battles is correct.
Skyla thinks it is just a badge, but Cilan aims to prove her wrong. Crustle uses Shell Smash, followed with X-Scissor and defeats Unfezant. Skyla sees Cilan is a powerful Gym Leader with combo moves like that, calling Unfezant back. Skyla sends Swanna, who dodges Crustle's Rock Wrecker. Swanna uses Bubblebeam, hitting Crustle. It uses Brave Bird, though Crustle comes out of its shell using Shell Smash and uses X-Scissor. Skyla predicted he'd use that move again, so Swanna uses Brave Bird, which defeats Crustle. Cilan calls Crustle back and while Skyla admits Crustle was not bad at all, it still counts as a loss. Skyla still thinks she should continue with the air battles, making Cilan disgusted with such statements. He sends Stunfisk, who uses Thundershock on Swanna, who is hit.
Swanna uses Hurricane, engulfing Stunfisk, who retaliates with Scald, burning it. Swanna laughs, curing its burning with Aqua Ring. Stunfisk uses Mud Bomb, though Swanna evades and retaliates with Brave Bird, defeating Stunfisk. Skyla wins and tells she knew she'd win, terrifying Cilan, who wanted to win to prove Cilan what Gym Battles are about. Skyla decides to cancel everyone's battles. Ash wants to battle Skyla, who thinks she will predict correctly. Ash tells her air battles are boring, for it does not show how well the Trainer and Pokémon have developed. Miles tells Skyla that she said she wouldn’t allow Swanna's wings to get smudged, but thinks they already are. Skyla thinks it is a waste of her time, but Ash decides to prove her wrong and sends his Pokémon. Skyla is impressed, but has no doubt she would win. Ash disagrees, trying to prove she should test her theory in a real battle.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Skyla
*Miles
===Pokémon===
*Unfezant (Skyla's)
*Skyla's Swoobat
*Skyla's Swanna
===Item===
Jet Badge
==Quotes==
*"So, you can't know a battle without trying?  I say, not trying gives the same result, and that's why my air battles are the way I roll." - Skyla after Swanna beats Crustle.
​Cilan: "Hnngh! I'm going to win this and prove that a Gym Leader has no right to make such a horrendous statement, with the help of my third Pokémon, Stunfisk!"
"Stun, Stun, Stun, Stunfisk!" - Stunfisk after being released from his Poké Ball.
Cilan: "Use Thundershock!"
Stunfisk: "Fisk!"
"Since Swanna's a  and -Type, that Thundershock did lots of damage!" - Iris after Thundershock hits.
"Swanna's fine!" - Ash after Swanna shakes Thundershock off.
Skyla: Don't disappoint me.  If you're going to beat my -Types, you'll have to learn a more powerful move like Thunderbolt at least.
==Trivia==
*This is the first episode when a Gym Leader from another town challenges another Gym Leader.
**Also, like Dawn, Cilan is also a main character that fought the Gym Leader before Ash in Crossing The Battle Line!. Excluding the Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma episodes, both battles were fought in the 67th episode of the series.
*Sean Schemmel provided the voice of one of the appointment checkers.
*"Who's that Pokemon?": Unfezant (Male Forme) (US)
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Cilan