With Mohn finally found and safe, Ash and co. accompany Lillie's family back to Alola to celebrate his return. In honor of this momentous occasion, and to also help celebrate Ash's ascension into the Masters Eight Tournament, Professor Kukui decides to host a Battle Royal, and he's going to be participating! Ash is all fired up, and everyone is eager to see the Champion in action. Who's going to come out on top?
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Always Someone Better: Despite putting up a good fight, Gladion's Nihilego is quickly eliminated by a super-effective Iron Head by Kiawe's Marowak, but Marowak in turn is taken out by Kukui's Incineroar.
- Big Brother Worship: Lei imitates Ash's cheer of excitement for the Battle Royal.
- Big Eater: Both of Ash's teams from Alola and the World Coronation Series are shown chowing down on the feast prepared in Mohn's honor.
- Birds of a Feather: Chloe's Eevee and Sandy immediately start playing together when they first meet.
- Book Ends: Chloe and her Eevee started their journey to figure out what Eevee wanted to evolve into when it couldn't. It ends when Lana suggests that Eevee doesn't have to evolve, just like Sandy.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Besides all of the Alola Gang and Ash's old Alola team, Principal Oak, Hau and his Decidueye, Hala, Wicke, Faba, Hobbes, and even all of Team Skull show up or make cameos to watch Ash's Battle Royal.
- Kukui also busts out his old "Masked Royal" persona briefly, and uses his Incineroar in his match against Ash. This is particularly notable because after Ash's battle with Kukui in the SM series, all of Professor Kukui's Pokémon had vanished for the rest of the series including Incineroar.
- Tapu Koko shows up at the end to wish Ash luck in the Masters Eight.
- Didn't See That Coming: Ash gets Pikachu to dodge Marowak's Inferno Overdrive by having it use Thunderbolt to propel himself into the air. Kiawe is taken aback briefly, but is no less impressed with his rival.
- Hidden Depths: It turns out Lillie the Nihilego has an interest in battling, which is surprising given its more timid disposition in the last episode.
- Loved by All: Alola shows up all at once to see Ash—their Champion—battle against Kukui, Gladion, and Kiawe. Even Team Skull.
- No-Respect Guy: Averted. Throughout the series, Ash was never given much credit for his major accomplishments—in fact, at his first League conference, they booed him!—but all of Alola comes out to cheer their Champion on. Kukui even declines to bring out his old "Masked Royal" persona because he wants the show to be about Ash, first and foremost.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Defied. Though Kukui is tempted to dress up as the Masked Royal again, he declines because he wants the Battle Royal to be about Ash.
- Take a Third Option: Or rather, take a ninth option. Chloe has met all eight Eeveelutions and isn't sure what to evolve her Eevee into, but Lana suggests that she doesn't have to evolve Eevee at all.
- Tears of Joy: Hobbes and Faba break down in joy upon seeing Mohn alive and well.
- Took a Level in Badass: It's noted In-Universe by Kukui, who sees that Ash has gotten even stronger since the Alola League. Ash certainly backs up his growth by using Pikachu's Quick Attack to dodge a three-on-one assault and has Pikachu dodge a Z-Move using Thunderbolt.
- The Unreveal: It's never shown who won the Battle Royal, as it cuts to the beach just as Pikachu and Incineroar's Z-Moves collide.
