Ash and friends arrive in Vertress City where the Unova League competition is about to start. They quickly reunite with rivals Bianca, Stephan, Cameron, Virgil, and Trip. The night before the competition Ash can hardly sleep as he is excited for the tournament. The next day the first round matches are revealed. As Bianca, Cameron, Stephan, and Virgil head off to battle, Ash and Trip are matched up right away! The battle soon begins with Pikachu vs Serperior, the same as the duo's first battle. Knowing how powerful Serperior is, Ash is both excited and nervous and hopes to defeat Trip and advance to the next round.