Warning - Spoilers For The Latest Season Of The Pokémon Anime Ahead. Some Names Might Be Different In The Official English Dub.

The latest episode of the Pokémon anime involves Ash returning to the Vermillion City Gym, where he once battled Lt. Surge for the Thunder Badge back in 1998. Ash is currently competing in the Pokémon World Championships and in order to increase his rank, he needs to battle trainers with a higher ranking than his own. The nearest competitor is in the Vermillion City Gym, but when Ash gets there, he meets a new Gym Leader named Pisces.

Related: Ash's Pikachu Has A Gigantamax Form In The Pokémon Anime

Who Is The New Gym Leader?

Pokémon Pisces Cover

Pisces is the substitute Gym Leader of the Vermillion City Gym, with a Pokémon World Championship ranking of 2109. He has a ponytail in the shape of an electrical socket, matching his role as the Vermillion City Gym Leader and its Electric-type trainers.

Pisces is introduced during a Gym battle, where he gives a speech about the meaning behind the Gym challenge. He uses his Raichu to dispatch an enemy trainer's Hypno. Ash is able to challenge Pisces once all of the Gym challengers were done for the day. Both Pisces and his Raichu love to lift weights, with the latter using its tail.

When Ash appears at the Vermillion City Gym, he's surprised to learn that Pisces has already heard of him. Lt. Surge had told Pisces about the spectacular battle he once had with a boy named Ash from Pallet Town. Pisces' Raichu was trained by Lt. Surge, but it's unlikely to be the same one that Ash & Pikachu battled years earlier.

Ash's battle against Pisces is his first in the Pokémon World Championships. The trainers are restricted to two Pokémon in the battle. Ash sends out Pikachu and Pisces sends out Raichu and the Pokémon have a battle that is reminiscent of Ash's fight against Lt. Surge. Ash withdraws Pikachu and sends out Gengar, who offs Raichu with its psychokinesis. Pisces sends out Electrode, which overwhelms Gengar with a discharge attack. Ash sends Pikachu back out and it wins the battle.

After the battle is over, Pisces tells Ash that he will recount their battle to Lt. Surge, who will likely want to fight the new and improved trainer from Pallet Town. Ash says that he would love to battle Lt. Surge again.

What Happened To Lt. Surge?

Ash asks about Lt. Surge, with whom he had one of the best battles in the series during the early days of the Pokémon anime. According to Professor Sakuragi, Lt. Surge has gone off to train, in order to complete his mastery over Electric-type Pokémon.

This excuse isn't that surprising, but at least the writers mentioned Lt. Surge and even showed a picture of him and his Raichu. It's possible that he could reappear during the Pokémon World Championships as a rival for Ash so that they can continue their feud from all those years ago.

Next: Ash Continues His Gen 1 Pokémon-Catching Streak With Gengar