It's the halfway point in the match between Ash and Cynthia, and things aren't looking good for the Pallet Town native. With half his team down, including Pikachu, can he make a comeback? Or will his chances of beating Leon end right here?
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: Everyone expects Cynthia to Mega Evolve her Garchomp. Instead, she Dynamaxes her Togekiss. Just like she was hoping everyone would expect.
- Call-Back:
- Dracovish ends up stuck in Milotic's grasp so Cynthia could take it out using Iron Head, like she did with Iris's Dragonite. However, Dracovish is able to get out a Fishious Rend to damage Milotic before it faints.
- Sirfetch'd uses Brutal Swing to remove the shards from Stealth Rock out of the field, like when Ash had his Infernape use Dig underground to burn the Toxic Spikes Paul had set up during his match in the Sinnoh League.
- Sirfetch'd faints while standing up during its bout with Garchomp, like Ash's Incineroar did when it evolved shortly after beating Kukui's own Incineroar during his exhibition match.
- Cliffhanger: Like last episode, Ash is at a major disadvantage, only now he's down to his last Pokémon, and Cynthia has Dynamaxed her Togekiss to end the match. That said however, he puts up a much better fight, clobbering the majority of Cynthia's team.
- Determinator: Dracovish refuses to go down without a fight and won't return to its Poké Ball until it goes down.
- Didn't See That Coming: For as much as she had the edge the whole battle, Cynthia didn't see Ash using Sirfetch'd's Brutal Swing to get rid of the shards of Stealth Rock.
- Died Standing Up: Non-fatal example; Sirfetch'd faints against Garchomp while still standing, refusing to show any weakness even in defeat.
- Friendship Moment: When Lucario is called out, Cinderace comes out of his Poké Ball to cheer on his friend.
- Ocular Gushers: Team Rocket is so touched by Dracovish's determination, they start crying...except Morpeko.
- Wham Shot: Cynthia's Dynamax Band, which was quite literally hidden up her sleeve up until she used it. This shocks the in-universe audience as much as the viewers, as everyone up until then expected her to use Mega Evolution.
