Basic Training

Basic Training is the 28th episode of Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and it is the eighth episode of the second season.

Plot
After Ben's Team defeats Trumbipulor for his crimes of illegal level 3 tech dealing, the Plumbers come and arrest Trumbipulor. When one of the plumbers notices that the team has yet to complete basic training since they were made plumbers in the field (see Darkstar Rising), he states that they have to enter the Plumbers' Academy to complete basic training.

Ben is complaining about attending Plumbers' Academy. Ben met an alien called Tack, he said that Ben was the inspiration for Tack to go to the Plumber's Academy. They also met the Alpha Squad (possibly right-hand of base's Magister Hulka). Kodek Branigen is angry with Ben and the company and Tack (Because Tack ran into Kodek Branigen). They then go to their barracks where they met with Magister Hulka, the strict Magister.

He hates it when his students use super powers because the curriculum is meant to apply to all students, using powers during the lessons is the equivalent to cheating. Like, how Ben uses Four Arms and Swampfire on training site. During their training the fusion grenade they were practicing with malfunctioned and it's mode changed from stun to overload. Tack can't release the grenade on his hand even with the help of Magister Hulka to release the grenade.

But the grenade is still stuck on Tack's hand. The grenade explodes but they are saved by Ben as Fasttrack. Tack was so impressed with Ben but Magister Hulka was unimpressed because he had used his super powers again. Magister Hulka hates it when Ben uses the Ultimatrix. In the team's room they have a conversation. Gwen and Kevin were sleeping while Ben and Tack were still up since they can't sleep and go to investigate who sabotaged the grenade. As a result not only do they not find the saboteur but they are rudely woken up by Hulka and are tired. The team's punishment for Ben and Tack sneaking out is combat training with the Alpha Squad.

The test is to save a fake hostage from the Alpha Squad while not using their super powers (insult on Ben). Gwen was planning for their strategy: She, Kevin and Tack attack to save the hostage dummy while Ben was assigned on back-up. Ben complained about being on back-up, but Kevin said that he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and Gwen said that no offense was meant. Kevin was the first to get caught by Alpha Squad. Gwen was second to get caught and Tack was the last.

Kodek said that no one can lose to Alpha Squad when suddenly Ben makes a Kamikaze run which gives Kevin and Gwen the opportunity to attack most of the Alpha Squad into submission. Ben then transforms into Diamondhead to defeat Kodek.

Magister Hulka was upset with the two. He was furious on Kodek because he was so easily taken down by a group of "rookies". And he was angry at Ben because he had used his super powers again and had broken the dummy which, had this been a real hostage situation, would have killed a innocent bystander. As punishment they were to clean their barracks using their toothbrushes and brush their teeth with them later.

Whilst they were cleaning the barracks, they hear the explosion of a bomb and run over to find that it went off in the Magister's room. Ben transforms into Terraspin to extinguish the fire when Magister Hulka arrives and demands to know what is going on. Instead of being grateful for putting out the fire, he tells the team that after they have finished tidying their room they are to put back together what was left of his.

That night the team decides to trail Magister Hulka to catch whoever was trying to kill him. He went into the weapons room where it appears that Kodek is the saboteur. However, Kodek reveals that he got the same ideal to figure out who's trying to kill Magister Hulka. Meanwhile, Magister Hulka is attacked by Kolar, a blue skinned Tetramand.

Kolar takes Tack hostage and attempts to use him to force Hulka into a Null Void portal which opens up into a sun. Ben remembers Tack's unusual and seemingly useless ability to extend his extremely flexible neck a foot or so, so Tack knocks down Kolar, who gets into a tug-of-war with the others. Magister Hulka then pushes him into the portal, after he changed the coordinates to a prison.

After a few weeks at the academy, the team graduates with flying colors. Hulka drops by to see the team off and thanks Ben for saving him in his own way, by giving Ben one of his medals which translates to an award for creative and effective tactics made in the heat of battle.

Major Events

 * Ben first transforms into Fasttrack and turns into Diamondhead in Ultimate Alien.
 * The gang meets Kolar.
 * Ben and the team go train in the Plumber Academy and pass with flying colours.
 * Ben received a medal for demonstration of a plumbers most essential attribute which is the ability to exercise latitude and creativity in problem solving.

Characters

 * Ben
 * Gwen
 * Kevin
 * Tack
 * Kodek Branigen
 * Alpha Squad
 * Magister Hulka

Villains

 * Kolar
 * Trumbipulor

Aliens Used

 * Ultimate Echo Echo (brief)
 * Four Arms (2x)
 * Swampfire
 * Fasttrack (first appearence)
 * Diamondhead (first re-appearance in Ultimate Alien)
 * Terraspin

Errors

 * Echo Echo should appear in this episode but his Ultimate form had changed directly into Ben (again).
 * During target pratice Ben is shooting at a picture of an alien, in the next slide it is a totally different alien picture.
 * Terraspin's shell is smaller than usual.
 * In one scene, Magister Hulka fighting Kolar, Kolar's stripe on his torso is gone.
 * When Magister Hulka came in after their training was over, when they lined up, Ben tried to face Magister Hulka and he was cross-eyed.

Trivia

 * It seems that Fourarms isn't a very strong Tetramand seeing that he can't hold his own against Kolar.
 * Magister Hulka is shown to be very stealthy seeeing as how he was able to appear in Ben's face without him noticing.
 * This is the 2nd time we see Fourarms hold a weapon/tech; the first was the Null Void Projector in his dream world from Perfect Day.
 * Coincidentally, Both times Fourarms held a weapon involved the Null Void.
 * We find out that there is a sun within the Null Void.
 * The Alpha Squad wore Plumber's suit similar to Water Hazard's exoskeleton.
 * When Ben's grade is a 95/100, he says how people think he doesn't pay attention but he does; the first time he said this was in Where the Magic Happpens.
 * This episode relates to how Ben Tennyson trains the player in the Null Void at a Plumber Training Site in the Game, Fusion Fall.
 * 2 Tetramands appeared together for the second time, the first being in The Galactic Enforcers
 * It seems Ben is now able to go alien and back to human without removing his plumber suit.
 * The name of Kodek Branigen is a reference of the surname of Zapp Brannigan, a character of Futurama.
 * Ben uses an Ultimate form before the intro for the first time.
 * Ben uses an Ultimate form before transforming (on-screen) to a normal form for the 1st time.
 * Echo Echo should appear in this episode but his Ultimate form had changed directly into Ben.
 * This is the second time Ben is unseen transforming into a Ultimate Alien. The first was in Absolute Power. Both times it was Echo Echo.
 * Basic Training is also the name of episodes in Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5.
 * Ben is barefoot for almost all this episode.
 * Ben seems to have lousy accuracy when he is not in any of his alien form.
 * It only takes a score of 72/ 100 to pass Plumber's Academy.
 * When Magister Hulka enters the equipment depot two mechs can be seen off to the left against a wall.
 * Kevin is the only one seen reading the Plumber's Handbook.