While Dawn is training for the Solaceon Contest, the group meet up with Kenny, and Ash decides to have a battle with him. Meanwhile, Team Galactic comes to steal something from the ruins, intriguing Team Rocket.
- Action Girl: Dawn is more than capable of dealing with the enraged Unowns, even defending Team Rocket in the process, and very quickly adapts to the strangeness of thne ruin.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Team Galactic succeds in getting the Spear Key, and the heroes didn't even realize they were there.
- Canon Foreigner: The Spear Key doesn't exist in the games.
- Continuity Nod: Dawn recalls that the last battle between Ash and Kenny has been interrupted by Team Rocket.
- Ash mentions his battle against Gardenia.
- Team Rocket remember when Saturn hired them to steal the Adamant Orb.
- Dub-Induced Plot Hole: Due to the below mentioned
Translation Correction, how Saturn and his grunts escaped the horde of crazed Unown is never elaborated upon. - Harmless Villain: After being left with the Unowns, Team Rocket has to rely on ten years old Dawn for protection. She even lampshades it:
Dawn: "You guys are so lame!"
- Mythology Gag: The three plates Team Galactic use to summon the Spear Key (Dragon, Water and Steel) are a reference to Dialga and Palkia's types.
- Naïve Newcomer: Unlike Ash and Brock ( and, on a smaller scale, Dawn) Kenny doesn't have experience with the strangest things of the Pokemon world, and is freaked out by the Pocket Dimension. Ash calms him down, explaining that as a trainer he has the duty to stay calm to guide his Pokemon.
- Not Me This Time: Dawn quickly accuses Team Rocket of causing the mess with the Unowns, but the trio explain they are victims as well.
- Pocket Dimension: The powers of the Unowns transforms the ruins in this, complete with Bigger on the Inside, strange gravity, moving stairs and walls...
- The Scapegoat: After getting the Spear Key, Saturn has his Bronzor use Confuse Ray on the Unowns guarding it, making the Pokemon think Team Rocket did it.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After escaping from the temple, Team Rocket makes a hasty retreat not wanting to stick around any longer.
- Took a Level in Badass: First, Aipom learns Double Hit. Then it evolves into Ambipom (which is how it works in the games).
- Translation Correction: In the Japanese dub, after using Confuse Ray, Saturn ordered Bronzor to use Teleport. Since it can't learn that move, the English dub cut it.
- Win to Exit: Averted: the heroes and Team Rocket don't get out the ruin by beating all the Unowns, but when Piplup plays the peacekeeper and explain they weren't the one to disturb them.
