Ash and Paul begin their Sinnoh League full battle, with Ash eager to settle the score from their battle at Lake Acuity. Paul's first Pokémon is Aggron, while Ash sends in Pikachu, but Aggron begins to overwhelm Pikachu with its powerful offenses and Special Defense-lowering Metal Sound, so Ash substitutes with Infernape. They trade attacks and while Aggron's Rock Head protects it from the recoil damage normally caused by its Double-Edge, Infernape's newly learned Flare Blitz causes serious damage and burns it, and he defeats Aggron soon after. Paul then sends in his second Pokémon, Gastrodon, so Ash recalls Infernape and sends in Staraptor. Seeing those three Pokémon in Ash's lineup, Paul now figures out that Ash is using the same Pokémon he used at Lake Acuity, wanting to give them a second chance at victory. Paul's Gastrodon proves to be a difficult opponent for Staraptor, using Ice Beam for super-effective damage and keeping it at bay with Muddy Water, surprising Ash by using his own counter-shield technique against him. Although Staraptor finally manages to get in close with Aerial Ace, Gastrodon uses Body Slam to pin Staraptor to the ground and launches Water Pulse directly into the air, intending to jump off at the last second before it comes crashing back down. Fortunately, Staraptor escapes before this can happen by using Close Combat to bang on the ground and break free. However, it still can't stand up to Gastrodon, so Ash substitutes with Buizel. His Ice Aqua Jet and Ice Punch attacks finally defeat the Water/Ground-type. But Paul now sends in his third Pokémon, Drapion, who quickly proves to be much more difficult than his previous two, and the episode ends on a cliffhanger with Buizel caught in Drapion's grip, seemingly with nowhere to run.
Tropes
- All According to Plan: As Reggie reveals, Paul intentionally allowed Aggron and Gastrodon to go down to figure out Ash's team and wear it down as much as possible. With over half of Ash's team weakened, the stage has been set for Drapion to start evening the score.
- Arc Words: Cynthia's saying "When every life meets another, something will be born" is brought up again, serving as an Armor-Piercing Response to Paul who was about to leave. The main trio and Paul are still unsure what it means, but Dawn figures they'll find out in today's battle.
- Cast from Hit Points: Played straight with Infernape's Flare Blitz, but averted with Aggron's Double-Edge thanks to its Rock Head ability.
- Character Development: Both Ash's and Paul's are on full display and closely mirror each other, reflecting on their respective journeys and how their relationship with each other has evolved. Both have taken everything they've learned and incorporated it into their battles, and know that now is the time to put it all to use.
- Chekhov's Skill: Buizel's Ice Aqua Jet strategy makes a return against Paul's Gastrodon, taking advantage of its Ice Beam for a massive hit.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Buizel trapped in Drapion's tail, Ash screaming for him to escape as Paul prepares to unleash his counterattack.
- Crazy-Prepared: Paul's extensive knowledge about Ash's battle style is on full display here, especially when Staraptor is battling Gastrodon. Knowing that Ash would target the weak point of Gastrodon's Counter Shield, Paul baits him in and traps Staraptor with Gastrodon's Body Slam, then has it aim Water Pulse into the air to come crashing down. Ash gets Staraptor free by having it use Close Combat on the ground, but Paul still figured it would somehow escape and prepares Ice Beam for that contingency as well. However, Ash brings out Buizel after this.
- Didn't See That Coming: Ash uses Infernape and Buizel to beat Aggron and Gastrodon after they give Pikachu and Staraptor trouble.
- Enemy Mine: Team Rocket cheers for Ash’s Infernape.
- Exact Eavesdropping: Dawn just happens to walk into the empty Pokémon Center as Paul is talking with Reggie about Ash and their rivalry. Paul notices soon after, leading to an awkward Beat.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Played for Laughs. Try as he may, Barry simply doesn't share all the experiences, drama, and Character Development that led up to this final battle, much to his annoyance.
- No-Sell: Drapion destroys Buizel's Sonic Boom with a single strike from its tail and grabs Buizel from behind its back without even looking.
- Power Copying: Paul turns out to have copied Ash's Counter Shield, incorporating it into Gastrodon's Muddy Water.
- Status Effects: Aggron is burned by Infernape's Flare Blitz which weakens the Steel-Rock type enough for Infernape to finish off.
- Wham Line: Paul finally reveals why exactly he didn’t like Ash:Paul: He reminds me of my brother.
- Willfully Weak: Addressed. Ash admits he could just bring a team of his best Pokemon to fight Paul in the Sinnoh League, but he wants to prove a point by beating him with his Sinnoh team specifically.
