Charizard, you're the hottest and the coolest!
—Ash
Japanese Title: Lizardon, I Choose You!!
Original Airdate: July 22, 1999
US Airdate: September 2, 2000
Charizard gets a needed reminder of how much Ash cares for him, in spite of everything.
The one where... Charizard finally gets over his cynical adulthood phase.
Charizard's disobedience reaches a breaking point when it ends up gravely hurt by a Poliwrath's Ice Beam. Can Ash's efforts to save him finally regain Charizard's respect?
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Ash Face: Charizard does this to Ash almost immediately after being sent out. Later Invoked by Ash, who says he'll allow Charizard to use its Flamethrower on him if it'll motivate it to get better.
- Call-Back: Quite a few.
- Misty still finds Tentacruel adorable.
- In one lost on the dub, in Charmander's intro episode, Damien said he couldn't beat a Poliwag. Here he faces a Poliwrath, Poliwag's fully-evolved form. He loses the first battle, but with Ash's help, he wins the second one.
- Poliwrath is wearing the same belt that Ash's Primeape won in the P1 Grand Prix, implying that it was a former champion.
- Determinator: Ash works his hands raw rubbing Charizard to warm him up.
- Double-Meaning Title: The episode’s tile is not only to describe Charizard being frozen in ice, but also Charizard learning to get over its bad attitude and regain its loyalty towards Ash.
- Dub-Induced Plot Hole: The Pokedex lists Charizard's finishing blow against Team Rocket as Rage (which would be a justifiable mistake, as its tail flame getting bigger was also shown that way when Ash caught Primeape), but in reality, it learned Dragon Rage. This was corrected in "Enter the Dragonite".
- Flash Back: Charizard has a couple while watching Ash help him get warm.
- Harmless Freezing: Averted. Charizard's encasement in ice leaves him cold and injured for a while and nearly kills him, leading Ash to stay awake all night to warm him up.
- Jerkass Realization: As Ash works through the night to thaw him out and nurse him back to health, Charizard flashes back to everything Ash has done for him in the past and finally regains his respect and loyalty for him.
- Megaton Punch: Averted. Ash tried to have Charizard use Mega Punch on Poliwrath, but it wouldn't listen.
- The Power of Love: Ash's neverending concern for Charizard is what convinces him to finally listen to Ash.
- Save the Jerk: Charizard is hit with a Poliwrath's Ice Beam and ends up almost freezing to death. Despite how defiant and rude Charizard has become, Ash still does his best to nurse him back to health. This causes Charizard to realize how much of a jerk he was to Ash and strives to become more obedient.
- Saw Blades of Death: This is one of the notable moments in the series where Team Rocket genuinely tries to murder Ash. When trying to kidnap Pikachu once more, the villains fight back against Ash and Charizard by equipping their mech with buzzsaws. With weapons like that, Team Rocket would've definitely killed Ash and his other pokemon if Charizard still didn't listen to him.
- Theme Music Power-Up: Ash and Charizard get one for the rematch to show how they now work together.
- Took a Level in Badass: Charizard learns Dragon Rage in addition to finally starting to listen to Ash full-time again.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Charizard finally grows out of his Jerkass phase.
- The Unreveal: Tad challenges Ash to a two on two battle, but since his Poliwrath defeats both Pikachu and Charizard we never get to see what else he planned on using. Given that he mentions defeating Rudy previously, he presumably has at least three Pokemon.
- Very Special Episode: Charizard nearly freezing to death and Ash nursing him back to health is one of the more serious plots this series has had.
- What Could Possibly Go Wrong?: James makes this mistake. Lampshaded by Meowth.Meowth: Where've I heard that song before? (Jessie and James both furiously punch him in in the face)
