Japanese Title: Tag Battle! The Final Gym!!
Original Airdate: August 12, 1999
US Airdate: September 9th, 2000
The one where... We get a preview of double battles.
Ash is anxious to square off against the Gym Leader who holds the final badge of the Orange League. But then he learns that this Gym Leader is none other than the kindly townswoman who just helped him rally against a Team Rocket sneak attack.
Tropes
- An Aesop: Two people in a team must cooperate to win.
- Call-Back: Ash being mistaken as a woman's son to the point of being smothered in her chest also happened in "Hypno's Naptime".
- Demon Head: Jessie gives one after Misty calls her an old witch. James and Meowth are unfortunate to be in her wrath when they remarked about her supposed age.Jessie: I'M NOT OLD!! HOW DARE YOU!!!
- Disproportionate Retribution: Before the double battle begins, Pikachu and Charizard bicker and develop a grudge against each other. Why? Because Charizard accidentally made Pikachu fall over when he stomped the ground. Really, Pikachu? You're more mature than this.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: After Alakazam's Psychic traps Charizard, Ash orders Pikachu to free him with Thunder Shock. Pikachu ends up hitting Charizard instead of Alakazam, not knowing what Ash meant, getting scolded for attacking his own teammate.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: In the opening, Misty and Tracy remark that the island they're going to has enough to do that they'll still be able to enjoy their stay "even if Ash loses and acts like a baby". Ash angrily says they should have a little confidence in him for once (which is reasonable, given he's already won three badges). Misty comments that they have as little confidence in him as possible.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: This episode aired before Double Battles were implemented in the games, so there is a major difference between the Gym Battle here and future battles of this type in the anime: If one Pokémon faints their trainer loses, when in every other Double Battle both Pokémon must be defeated for the battle to end.
- Giant Mecha: Team Rocket's robo-Rhydon.
- Identical Stranger: Ash and Luana’s son Travis. The fact they both have a Pikachu doesn’t help.
- Marshmallow Hell: Luana gives Ash a bear hug, smashing his face into her chest.
- Misguided Missile: Charizard dodges Marowak's Bonemerang attack and maneuvers so that it loops around and hits Alakazam — who's about to use Hyper Beam. Marowak ends up getting blasted, and Luana loses the battle.
- Mistaken Identity: Luana thinks Ash is her son briefly.
- Nothing Personal: Despite her fondness for him, Luana doesn't go easy on Ash during their gym battle.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: While Charizard has finally started listening to Ash again, its ability to work alongside Ash's other Pokémon has greatly eroded during its long period of disobedience, with him and Pikachu quarreling and attacking each other before the battle even started because he accidentally knocked Pikachu over while harmlessly stomping the ground, followed by them getting in each others' way during the majority of the battle and taking friendly fire hits. Even after Alakazam traps Charizard with Psychic and Ash orders Pikachu to save him, Pikachu deliberately hits his teammate with a super-effective Thunder Shock. They only manage to cooperate after Pikachu has a Jerkass Realization and frees Charizard from the Psychic, who then returns the favour by catching Pikachu with his wing after Marowak hit him with Body Slam.
- We Used to Be Friends: Inverted when Pikachu and Charizard finally become friends again and work together to win.
