Ep 37. Channeling the Battle Zone

Ash, Dawn, and Brock have finally arrived in Sunyshore City, where Ash is eager to take on the Gym Leader and win his eighth badge. But before he can do that, he runs into an old friend - Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson.

Gary has been exploring the region and studying the different battle techniques used by trainers in different parts of the world. He tells Ash about a fascinating new technique called "channeling," which involves communicating with Pokémon telepathically to give them commands during battle.

Intrigued, Ash decides to learn more about channeling and trains with Gary and his own Pikachu to try and master the technique. Meanwhile, Dawn and Brock explore the city and meet a local journalist named Rhonda, who is covering a big battle tournament that is taking place in the region.

As Ash continues his training with Gary, he starts to get the hang of channeling and even manages to pull off some impressive moves. But he soon realizes that it's not as easy as it looks, and that he still has a lot to learn before he can use channeling effectively in an actual battle.

Eventually, the day of the battle tournament arrives, and Ash and Pikachu decide to enter. They face off against several tough opponents, but with Gary's guidance and Ash's newly-learned channeling skills, they manage to win their matches and advance to the finals.

In the final match, Ash faces a formidable opponent, but with his channeling abilities, he is able to anticipate the opponent's moves and come up with a strategy to counter them. In the end, Ash emerges victorious and is awarded a special medal for his performance.

With his eighth gym badge secured, Ash sets his sights on the Sinnoh League and the ultimate goal of becoming a Pokémon Master. But he knows that he still has a lot to learn, and that he will need to rely on his friends and mentors like Gary to continue improving his battle skills.