Ep 15. Trials and Adulations!

Ash and his friends are continuing their journey through the Sinnoh region, and have arrived at a town where a famous Pokémon contest is taking place. They decide to enter, with Dawn and Ash hoping to compete and win.

As they prepare for the contest, they meet a Trainer named Ursula, who is known for winning many Pokémon contests with her Eevee evolutions. However, Ursula is also known for being a bit competitive and focusing more on her own success than the happiness of her Pokémon.

The contest begins, with Dawn and Ash performing well in their first rounds. However, when Ursula takes the stage, she immediately begins to berate her Eevee for not performing perfectly, causing the Pokémon to become uneager and unhappy. This draws criticism from the judges and the audience, who begin to see the true nature of Ursula's priorities.

As the contest continues, a storm begins to brew outside, and the power goes out in the building. The contestants are forced to continue the contest by using flashlights and improvising with their Pokémon's abilities. In the chaos, Ash gets separated from his friends and ends up encountering Ursula, who is struggling to keep her Eevee from panicking.

Ash offers to help, and together they work to calm the Eevee down and prepare for the next round of the contest. Ursula begins to realize the error of her ways and how her single-minded focus on winning has caused her to neglect her relationship with her Pokémon. She thanks Ash for the help and goes back on stage with a newfound appreciation for the importance of working together with her Pokémon rather than focusing solely on winning.

As the contest comes to a close, Ash and Dawn do well in the final rounds but ultimately fall short to another Trainer. Ursula, however, does surprisingly well thanks to her new approach, and earns a spot in the next round of the competition.

The episode ends with Ash and his friends continuing on their journey, reflective and hopeful for their next adventures with their Pokémon.