Things quickly spiral out of control when the incessant bickering between Ash and May overlaps with the never-ending squabbles between James and Jessie. To make matters worse, both groups had previously been defeated by a couple that was both in love and in battle.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Compressed Vice: After spending the series mostly on good terms with each other (before and after this whole fiasco), Ash suddenly gets more short-fused than usual, and May's vanity gets played up. And then they get beaten by a Battle Couple, and it just opens up a whole can of worms...
- Enemy Mine: Team Rocket get into an argument around the same time as Ash and May have, leading to a sudden teamup of boys versus girls.
- Everyone Has Standards: Even though they're at each other's throats in this episode, Ash and May are hesitant to join Team Rocket for a Girls vs. Boys Plot battle. In addition, May is actively against Jessie cheating during said battle.
- Feud Episode: Never has Ash and May ever get riled up in this argument before, although at the end of the episode they reconcile.
- Girls vs. Boys Plot: Ash and James engage in a double battle with May and Jessie after both groups (Ash's friends and Team Rocket) get into arguments over who is more competent. It ends with Jessie deciding to cheat by using an extra Pokémon, which Brock says disqualifies the girls' team, but by then Team Rocket are only interested in stealing Pikachu, anyway.
- Here We Go Again!: The exasperated looks on Brock and Pikachu's faces show that they know the situation all too well, having to mediate arguments with Ash and a certain redhead before.
- Hilarity Ensues: The third double battle got a little insane, and it's best we leave it at that...
- Insane Troll Logic: Oscar and Andi see Ash and May arguing and decide that means they're in love. Nothing to do with what the argument was about, or any other indications; just a straight-up "they're yelling at each other, therefore they're in love".
- Irony: It's the villains who made up first, picking up their acts together faster than the heroes did. As a matter of fact, the Rockets' decision to nab Pikachu was what allowed Ash and May to work together again.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Oscar wears a princely blue jacket; Andi wears a pink princess dress.
- Say It with Hearts: Oscar and Andi's Combination Attacks (Submission and Hyper Beam) inexplicably take the shape of hearts.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After seeing his trainer blow up, Pikachu decides to spend most of the episode on Brock's shoulder. Brock and Max themselves seem to be dragging their feet on purpose, walking far behind hoping not to get into the line of fire...
- Shipper on Deck: Oscar and Andi are ones for both Ash and May and later, Jessie and James. Said targets don't appreciate it very much.
- Ship Tease: Probably the episode that most explicitly hints at Advanceshipping note .
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Two pairs of them trainers and Pokémon. A bit noteworthy is that this is probably the only time we'll ever see a Nidoking acting lovey-dovey!
- Troll: When James and Jessie are arguing, the former calls the latter ugly specifically to make her mad for his own amusement.
