The Pest

"The Pest" is the seventh episode of Season 4 of The Amazing World of Gumball. It is the 123rd episode overall.

Synopsis
Gumball and Darwin help Anais deal with a student who is bothering her.

Plot
One morning, Gumball and Darwin awaken when they notice noises coming from the attic. They go to investigate, and find Anais practicing her kickboxing with plush animals. Worried that it may be in retaliation for what he has done to her in the past, Gumball confesses, but Anais assures that it has nothing to do with him. Instead, she states that there is a kid who has been bothering her at school, and she intends to beat him up. However, Gumball and Darwin reason that violence is not the answer, and insist that she should resolve her issue peacefully.

At school, Gumball and Darwin walk Anais through various means of resolving her conflict with the kid without violence, but each time it does not quite succeed for her. While she appreciates her brothers trying to help, she claims that this kid is so annoying that nonviolent resolutions would not work. Eventually, Gumball prepares Anais to face the kid -- who turns out to be Billy.

Initially Gumball is amused at the notion of Billy being the bully, but as soon as he starts harassing Anais, he realizes she has been serious about him. He and Darwin give Anais permission to beat him up, but she backs out and escapes. Having had enough of Billy, Gumball literally throws down the gauntlet and challenges him to a duel. Almost immediately he regrets having done so.

Gumball and Billy meet at the playground for their duel. They then engage in a mostly one-sided fight throughout the school building, with Billy doing most of the offensive and taunting while Gumball tries to reason with him. Eventually their duel ends when Gumball swallows Billy's weapon (which is a stick) and demands his reason for bullying his little sister.

Billy narrates his sad tale of being a little boy who has everything: loving family, toys, being the top student of his school -- except for Anais who has rejected his affections, and since then he has become a bitter bully. Gumball responds by exclaiming how ridiculous it is to be upset over a girl who does not reciprocate his love, and explains how life has its ups and downs, and that fighting does not solve anything. Billy realizes how foolish he has been, and is grateful for Gumball's advice. They are about to hug, when Anais rushes into view and kicks Billy as hard as she can (she reveals she has given herself a run up in order to concentrate all of her power in a single kick.)

Main Characters

 * Gumball
 * Darwin
 * Anais
 * Billy

Minor Characters

 * Nicole (mentioned)
 * Football Players
 * Carmen
 * Penny
 * Miss Simian
 * Eggheads
 * Bobert
 * Leslie
 * Anton
 * Teri
 * Carrie
 * Alan
 * Felicity (mentioned)
 * Mr. Parham (mentioned)
 * Principal Brown
 * Tobias
 * Sarah

Trivia

 * This is Billy's third major role in an episode. The first two were in "The Extras", and "The Egg".

Continuity

 * This is the seventh time an episode makes references to past episodes. The first seven episodes were "The Finale", "The Fan", "The Name", "The Oracle", "The Nobody", "The Egg", and "The Nemesis".
 * This is the second time Gumball tries to go Super Saiyan, the first time being in "The Others". However, he succeeds this time.
 * When making fun of Gumball's sweater, Billy says, "2011 called and said to keep it, as it wasn't cool when you started wearing it," which is a reference to the year of the show's premiere.
 * Music from "The Signature" is reused.
 * Anais spins the same way she did in "The Ape" when the Wattersons were chasing Miss Simian.
 * After the football players walk on Gumball, his face looks exactly the same as when he beat himself up in "The Society".
 * This is the fourth episode where Gumball has to fight someone against his will. The first three were "The Fight," "The Knights," and "The Sweaters."

Cultural References

 * At one point while advising Anais, Gumball goes Super Saiyan.
 * When Billy is telling his story, The Aquarium from Camille Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals plays in the background.
 * "Elmopedia" is an obvious parody of Wikipedia.

Errors

 * When Gumball is meditating, he is outside of the white line on the football field. In the next scene, he is in the middle of the field.
 * When Gumball runs away from Billy after freeing himself from the rope, Billy's eyebrows are gone.
 * For a single frame in Gumball's Super Saiyan transformation, his tail is missing.