AG015

Gonna Rule The School! (Japanese: 勉強します！ポケモントレーナーズスクール！！ Try to Study! Pokémon Trainer's School!) is the 15th episode of the, and the 289th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on March 6, 2003 and in the United States on January 10, 2004.

Synopsis
and finally arrive at Rustboro City, where they do some sightseeing. At a local tower, Ash goes overboard on souvenirs, embarrassing everyone else. As Ash tries to apologize, Max notices a cowering under a bench. When they manage to get Poliwag to warm up to them, they notice a strange arm-band on the end of its tail. Soon, they are met by a local teacher named Roxanne, who has arrived with her Beginners' Class, a group of students Max's age, on a field trip. The Poliwag had belonged to a class member named, who is afraid of touching. Ash and friends are invited to their school, the Pokémon Trainer's School, which is also convenient as it is next door to the Rustboro City Gym, where Ash and will participate in their first Gym Battles.

At the Trainer's School, the headmaster takes them through the academy, including a Contest training class that piques May's interest, as well as a battling class that draws Ash's interest. When they enter Roxanne's class, they are greeted by, in the middle of a lecture by videophone. Max is immediately rendered speechless at seeing his idol for the first time, while Ash,, and May take the time to greet Professor Oak. When Professor Oak asks about whether he or Roxanne had won the Gym Battle, Ash learns that Roxanne is also the Rustboro Gym's Leader. As the headmaster explains, Roxanne is herself an alumnus of the Trainer's School, and quickly earned the title due to her prodigy skills. Roxanne, due to having to teach the Beginner's Class, asks Ash to delay their battle for two days, for which Ash accepts.

Meanwhile, Max is quizzed by a jealous student named on what attacks would work against  Pokémon (Max answers  and ) and those that use  (Max answers  and ), quickly frustrating him. Continuing on with their tour, they are led to a room where the Academy's Poké Balls are kept and rented out to students. Outside the academy, manages to overhear, and plot to steal the Poké Balls. Ash and company are invited to partake in classes the next day. That night, and Ash work on perfecting  by slicing through small rocks (for which one manages to hit Pikachu on the head after it was successful).

The next day at the academy, Max is introduced to Anita, another Beginner Class student. As he learns, neither Anita nor Kenny is into Pokémon, and that their parents make them attend. Meanwhile, Tommy enters to try to bully Max once again. Anita quickly takes a liking to Max due to him having frustrating Tommy by being able to answer all of his questions. Later, after class has started, the kids are interacting with the Academy's Pokémon. May sneaks off for the Contest class (only to leave when they have a pop quiz), while Roxanne asks Ash (who she introduces as an elite Trainer) and Brock (who she introduces as the former Gym Leader of the world's premier Gym) to be her guest speakers, while allowing the students a chance to interact with their own Pokémon. The children are particularly entertained by 's antics, as its delayed response to a order manages to splash Brock in the face. Ash tries to help Kenny to overcome his fear of touching Pokémon by trying to persuade him to pet Pikachu. However, Tommy having "accidentally" stepped on Poliwag's tail sparks another fight between him and Max.

Later on, during the Beginner's Class battle practice, Tommy and Max square off. Roxanne offers six Poké Balls for a one-on-one battle between the two. When the battle begins, Tommy has while Max has Poliwag, putting Max with the type advantage. As Max is contemplating his battle options (including leading off with Water Gun), Tommy begins with a, which Max counters with. When Tommy tries again, Max uses. With increased and  power, Max chooses not to go forward and attack, and on Tommy's next attempt with Flamethrower, it is replied with another Defense Curl - however, repeated hits is taking its toll on Poliwag. Before Tommy can finish, a school alarm bell sounds, and the headmaster appears to tell everyone that the Poké Balls have been stolen. A giant robot, piloted by Team Rocket, appears, with a bag of Poké Balls on its tail. Ash attempts to take back the Poké Balls by Thunderbolting Team Rocket fails, due to the attacks hitting a screen. Brock's contribution with ' is countered by 's, while May's attempt with 's  is met with 's.

Max wants to join in with Poliwag, but is held back by a shy Kenny, who insists on Max to use an actual attack. Taking the advice, Poliwag's Water Gun hits Seviper. Tommy, not willing to let Max take the glory, orders Magby to attack as well, hitting Cacnea. When Ash tries to help the two out, Roxanne holds him back, insistent on allowing the Beginner's Class their chance to take on Team Rocket by themselves. Kenny formulates a plan where Max and Poliwag distract Team Rocket, while Tommy and Magby overheat the Wurmple robot. As they execute their plan, Poliwag uses Water Gun in the same manner as Pikachu and Thunderbolt before, while avoiding Pin Missile by using. This gives Tommy and Magby the chance to attack the Wurmple robot, while Anita and her rental uses  to free the Poké Balls. Finally, Roxanne uses her own to send Team Rocket flying by using. At the end of it all, Kenny and Anita have found renewed interest in Pokémon (Kenny also having overcome his fear of touching Pokémon), while Tommy and Max have resolved their differences.

The episode ends with Ash and Roxanne ready to face each other the next day in their Gym Battle.

Major events

 * meets Roxanne and asks her for a Gym Battle.
 * Max is introduced to.
 * Max visits the Pokémon Trainer's School and takes part in his first Pokémon battle, which is interrupted by Team Rocket.
 * Brock's Forretress is revealed to know.

Humans

 * Roxanne

Humans

 * Max
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Roxanne
 * Anita
 * James
 * Roxanne
 * Anita
 * Anita
 * Anita

Pokémon
Who’s That Pokémon?:
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)
 * (Roxanne's)

Pokémon that belong to the Pokémon Trainer's School

 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)
 * (see errors)

Trivia

 * Ash's souvenirs slightly resemble what one might find in a Seattle airport shop, the shirt with an image similar to the Space Needle.
 * While Brock does not know it yet, he is introduced to his future career goal in this episode: a Pokémon Doctor.

Errors

 * As Roxanne approaches Max after he found the Pokémon Academy's Poliwag, her collar, which is supposed to be white, is the same color as her dress.
 * should not have been affected by 's Poison Tail, as Forretress is a Steel type.
 * When some of the students at the school are shown with the school's Pokémon, one boy is seen holding a but it is wrongly colored pink like the . This, however, could be a  Nidoran♀.
 * The closed captioning incorrectly spells as 'Feraligator'.