Episode Stats:

Japanese Episode 152: "Airmd vs. Hinoarashi! Steel Wing!!"
English Episode 347:  "Hot Matches"
Pokemon Dare Da?  Eaamudo (Japanese), Aipom (English)
Orchid-Hakase Pokemon Lecture:  Nidoking
Japanese Air Date:  June 15th, 2000
American Air Date:  May 12th, 2001
Important People:  Miki (Miki)

Satoshi, while visiting a Pokemon Center, hears about a trainer who has a very powerful steel-type pokemon.  Wanting to battle it for himself, Satoshi goes to the spot where the trainer is supposed to be and is surprised when his Hinoarashi is beaten by her Eaamudo.  The Eaamudo trainer, Miki, tells Satoshi that she does everything her Eaamudo does when they're training, so Satoshi decides to try that with his Hinorashi.  Satoshi trains and trains, finally getting the little pokemon to work up its agility and fire abilities.  Satoshi and Miki have a rematch, and Hinoarashi uses its training to win Satoshi a victory.  Miki, impressed with the little fire-type, decides that there is nothing more she can learn by staying in the area.  She decides to travel around Jouto, and Satoshi-tachi wish her well as they continue on the road to Kogane City.

---

Thoughts
At first glance, this episode is nothing but filler.  Satoshi-tachi don't go to any place that's in the game (in fact, the bridge where Miki's hanging out at looks awfully similar to the bridge that broke in the Upa episode).  They don't perform any task or event that you do in the game.  They don't meet up with a character from the past and give that character further development.  And, last time I checked, there was no trainer with an Eaamudo between Hiwada Town and Kogane City. 

However, this episode is an important one.  We actually see Satoshi do something that we've never really seen him do before--train a pokemon.  Sure, he's been in tons of battles, but we've never really seen him pinpoint specific problems that he saw in his pokemon and worked to correct them.  He knew that Hinoarashi couldn't get his flame going fast enough, so he worked on that.  He realized that his pokemon wasn't very fast, so he worked on getting Hinoarashi to run faster.  At the start of this episode, Hinoarashi is pretty weak.  At the end of the episode, it's a lot stronger than it was and is comparable to his other pokemon.

Edit-wise, it's a boring Jouto episode.  I mean, I never thought I'd say this, but I just wish there was some digital paint or cut or something I could report.  Even Miki (whose pants look really really form-fitting) keeps her Japanese name, which is something I never expected. 

Pokemon Hara Hara Relay:  Hard Version replaces Pokemon Hara Hara Relay as the ending theme as of this episode. 

Side Note
During the first airing of this episode, Kids' WB! decided to air the Johto version of the Pokérap at the end of this episode.  Well, the Pokérap is kinda long (as well as incredibly crappy), so to make time for it they cut 38 seconds out of the episode to make room for it.  The 38 seconds cut occurred after we see Hinoarashi's agility training.  Kids' WB! cut out the scene with everybody in the cabin, eating breakfast and asking where Ash is.  We see Ash, outside and hungry, and he tells Cyndaquil to tackle him again.  The pokémon obeys, and Ash kinda slams against the apple tree.  End of cut.  For that one airing, Kids' WB! went from the agility training Ash talking about how good an apple would be.  The cut isn't permanent was restored for future airings of the show, so that's why I don't have it listed as an edit. 

Really, that's how desperate I am to have something to say in these comparisons.  Sad, isn't it?

Previous Comparison

Next Comparison (Episode 155)