Ash and Goh are called over to an abandoned shipwreck being used as a Pokémon nature reserve so Goh can participate in another Project Mew research mission. This time, it's a winner-take-all elimination round, and only the last trainer standing can win. With this possibly being the last chance for Goh to qualify to be a chaser, can he come out on top?
This episode contains the following tropes:
- The Ace: Although he's not seen in the episode, Gary manages to win Quillon's mission with ease, and is shown as having 12 total tokens out of everyone participating to become a chaser.
- Always Someone Better: Sterling, Lyla, Gary, and Horace are far ahead of Goh in their standings for collecting tokens for Project Mew. In fact, Goh's right on the cusp of elimination, with only seven tokens to his name.
- Battle Royale Game: An In-Universe version of the Last Man Standing variation. Each potential Chaser must defeat all of their opponents using only one Pokémon each, but nothing in the rules says that players can't team up, and is actually a subtest to see if they will. Horace winds up being the winner, with Goh coming in second.
- Character Development: Unlike his last Project Mew mission, where his inability to work as a team cost him, Goh moves in much better sync with Horace this time, and the two are able to coordinate their way to being the last team standing.
- Cheaters Never Prosper: Downplayed. Lyla and Sterling do get one token each for tying for third, but they don't get any more because they pulled a cheap stunt on Goh and Horace, who weren't in any mood to show them mercy and knocked them out of the running.
- Friendship Moment: When it comes down to Goh and Horace for the winner, Horace is prepared to resign. Goh refuses to let his friend give up on his dream and convinces him to settle the match in a one-on-one.
- Loophole Abuse: The mission may be a winner takes all battle, but there was never a rule that said they couldn't team up until there were only two people left. Danika had secretly hoped those who partook in the mission would figure it out.
- Nice Mean And In Between: The manipulative and deceitful Sterling and Lyla are this compared to Horace and Goh's Nice and Gary's In-Between.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Downplayed. Goh refuses to let Horace call the mission quits just so he could win and insists they battle to the last bout so they can decide the winner. Horace wins and gets all three tokens, but since Goh came in second, he's granted two.
- Out of Focus: Justified for Ash, who's barred from aiding Goh in his mission. At the very least, he is allowed to watch.
- Properly Paranoid: When Lyla claims her Liepard was cheap-shotted by Sterling's Vikavolt, Goh suspects foul play since the drone reporting eliminations hasn't shown up. Unfortunately, Horace falls for the trap.
- Secret Test of Character: One of the unwritten rules of the test is to see if the players will team up with each other. Those that do pass the secret subtest.
- Spotting the Thread: Goh doesn't buy Lyla's claim that Sterling stabbed her in the back when he notices the elimination drone never showed up. Sadly, Horace doesn't take notice, and his Gardevoir gets paralyzed.
- The Starscream: Subverted. It appears that Sterling double-crossed Lyla so he could win the mission for himself, but it was a ploy to get Goh and Horace to let their guard down.
- Token Evil Teammate: Sterling and Lyla are amongst the more manipulative and deceitful characters aiming to become Chasers.
- Wham Shot: After Quillon declares that all potential Chasers with less than 4 tokens will be disqualified, a list pulls up showing who's still left in the running. Gary, unsurprisingly, has 12, but Goh only has 7—if he fails to get any more, he could be eliminated from consideration.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Lyla feigns having her Liepard being wounded by Sterling's Vikavolt in a double-cross to lure Goh and Horace into a trap. While Goh is suspicious, Horace falls for it, and his Gardevoir is paralyzed.
