Power Play! (Japanese: ブラッキー！やみよのたたかい！！Blacky! Battle During a Dark Night!!) is the 171st episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 2, 2000, and in the United States on October 20, 2001.
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Blurb
When a blackout hits a town on the road to Ecruteak City, our heroes realize it puts the Pokémon in the local Pokécenter in jeopardy. Wanting to help nurse Joy and the ailing Pokémon, the gang takes on the task of finding out what went haywire at the power plant. Before they can help restore the power however, they have to overcome the latest Team Rocket invention: The Mecha-Robo-Wobbuffet! See how Ash and Pikachu team up with Gary and his Umbreon in order to overcome Team Rocket and restore power to the grateful town.
Alakazam starts things off by launching a powerful Zap Cannon toward Umbreon, but misses when it leaps into the air in the nick of time. Alakazam then tries Psychic, but Umbreon is unaffected by it as a Dark-typePokémon. Using its Headbutt next, Alakazam charges at its opponent with alarming speed. However, Umbreon dodges and takes advantage of the situation by tackling Alakazam. Alakazam recovers from the blow and retaliates with Dynamic Punch, which Umbreon easily evades. Alakazam then pulls off a Double Team and sends all clones to strike at once. Gary commands Umbreon to stay calm to sense the real Alakazam, which it does. Just as Umbreon is about to connect with a Quick Attack, Alakazam uses Teleport and disappears. As Umbreon searches for the whereabouts of its opponent, Alex tells Alakazam to end the battle with Hyper Beam. Gary notices the strange light coming from his left and warns Umbreon to dodge the attack. Umbreon jumps up at the last second and finishes Alakazam off using Hidden Power. Seeing that the battle is over, Ash rushes up to Gary and challenges him to a battle as well, but Gary declines, reminding Ash of how Umbreon defeated Pikachu before as an Eevee. Ash tells Gary he doesn't have to use Pikachu to battle Umbreon, and sends out Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Noctowl. However, Ash's attempts to impress his rival backfire as Chikorita goes straight to Ash for attention, Cyndaquil wanders about aimlessly, Totodile starts dancing around wildly, and Noctowl falls asleep. Ash starts to despair, but by now Gary has walked off. Naturally, Ash isn't happy about the brush off and vows to beat Gary and Umbreon the next time they meet.
Meanwhile Team Rocket are trying to come up with their next scheme. After a scuffle between Wobbuffet and Meowth, Jessie suddenly gets an idea.
In a nearby town, Ash tries to ignore Brock and Misty as they talk about Gary's Umbreon. Wanting to bolster his strength in case he meets Gary again, Ash starts stuffing his face with hamburgers the moment they arrive at a Pokémon Center. Brock tries to tell him that it could be weeks before they meet Gary again, but Ash refuses to heed his advice. Without warning, the lights in the Center go out. Nurse Joy comes in and says that the entire town has suffered a blackout and that without electricity the intensive care unit in the Pokémon Center can't function. Eager to impress Nurse Joy, Brock volunteers to go to the town's hydroelectric power plant and see what the problem is. Ash and Misty decide to go along as well. On their way to the plant, they pass by Gary's campsite, who decides to follow them with Umbreon.
At the power plant, they find all of the plant employees tied up, and realize that Team Rocket is responsible for the blackout, having diverted the energy from the plant into their new Robo-Mecha Wobbuffet with a gigantic power cable. Like a real Wobbuffet, the robot has the ability to counter attacks and easily reflects every attack Ash and his friends try to throw at it. Realizing they can't beat it, Ash and company beat a hasty retreat into the woods, with Robo-Mecha Wobbuffet right behind them. However, just when everything seems lost, the Robo-Mecha Wobbuffet suddenly stops, having used up the full length of its power cord. Arriving on the scene, Gary takes advantage of the robot's weakness and orders Umbreon to sever the power cable, stopping the robot dead in its tracks. With Team Rocket unable to do anything, the four Trainers rush back to the power plant and quickly release the imprisoned workers. The workers say that with the damage Team Rocket caused, the only way to restore the town's power is to activate the backup generator located nearby.
On their way to the generator, Ash and his friends are once again interrupted by Robo-Mecha Wobbuffet, which has become fully mobile thanks to James and Meowth's bicycle power. Under Jessie's control, the robot begins to fight against Ash's Pokémon but quickly stops again when an exhausted James and Meowth lose their energy to pedal. Ash orders Pikachu to use his Thunderbolt, but finds that the attack only recharges the robot. With a new supply of energy, the robot resumes its attack with even greater force. Watching its counter attack in action, Ash suddenly gets an idea. He orders Cyndaquil to use Flamethrower, which is quickly sucked into the robot's stomach. Before it can release the attack he orders Chikorita to use Vine Whip and hold the robot's counter mechanism shut. This causes the counter to be released inside the robot, blowing it to pieces and causing Team Rocket to blast off again.
With the robot out of the way Ash and Gary reach the backup generator and combine their Pokémon's powers to get it running again. When they realize the backup generator isn't giving off enough power, Pikachu uses his Thunder Shock to get it up to peak capacity. Impressed, Gary tells Ash that he's gotten a lot stronger since their last encounter, and says that next time they meet it might be him that challenges Ash to a battle. Surprised at having won his rival's respect, Ash says that he looks forward to that day and the two part ways.
The next day, after saying goodbye to Nurse Joy. Ash and his friends continue on their journey.
In the scene where everyone is pulling down on the lever, Togepi is initially pulling behind Chikorita. After panning to Ash briefly, however, Cyndaquil suddenly appears in between Togepi and Chikorita.
In one scene, when Nurse Joy is trying to use the telephone, Ash says there is a blackout, even though there is a bit of light.
Dub edits
The original airing of this episode on Hungama TV in India started it directly from the title card, skipping the part of the episode that comes before it.
