Japanese Title: Gym Battle! Z-Move VS Mega Evolution!!
Original Airdate: September 21, 2017
US Airdate: December 2, 2017
The gang's all here!
Professor Oak and Professor Kukui give the Pokémon School students a taste of how Kanto conducts their trials with the help of Brock and Misty. The climaxes are a pair of Gym leader-style battles between Brock and Kiawe, and Misty and Ash. Can Ash finally settle an old score as it turns into a battle between Z-Moves and Mega Evolution?
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Apologetic Attacker: Mallow and Lana apologize in shock when Popplio and Steenee's attacks cause Psyduck to drop to the ground headfirst. Of course, neither of them realized what it was capable of with a strong headache...
- Attack the Mouth: Ash has Pikachu hit Misty's Gyarados in the mouth with Iron Tail during the climax of the episode.
- Battle in the Rain: Misty invokes this in her battle with Ash by using Rain Dance to enhance her own attacks.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Misty has, somehow, managed to make Psyduck deadly. Just how she actually managed to do that, we'll never know...
- The Bus Came Back: Returning in this episode are Psyduck, Steelix, and Gyarados.
- Continuity Nod:
- Brock has taught Geodude and Steelix to use Counter-Shield via Gyro Ball, mentioning that a "certain challenger" of his taught him to use attacks for defense while looking towards Ash.
- Brock and Misty embarrassingly point out that the badges Ash got from them were out of pity.
- Didn't See That Coming: Until now, Ash's classmates save for Lana weren't familiar to the concept of Mega Evolution before Kiawe and Brock's battle. explanation
- End-of-Episode Silliness: Bewear is still jetting across the ocean with Team Rocket in tow after their defeat last episode.
- Foreshadowing:
- Professor Kukui tells Professor Oak that he intends to establish a Pokémon League for Alola.
- In addition, Jigglypuff stows away on the airplane to Alola.
- I Hate Past Me: Ash tried to hide some of the events of his first journey from his current friends when Misty and Brock brought up how he got their badges for petty reasons over winning them in battle, which shows that he isn't entirely proud of who he used to be.
- Mythology Gag: Misty and Brock both do their original poses when they were battled in Pokémon Red and Blue to accompany Mega Evolving their Pokemon. Brock even takes off his shirt to do his!
- Mr. Exposition: Kukui explains Mega Evolution for the other kids sans Ash when Mega Steelix shows up.
- Oh, Crap!: Three examples of this occurs.
- Played for comedy from Ash, when Brock and Misty point out he got his badges from them out of pity and suddenly has to deal with looks from Kiawe and Mallow.
- Kiawe also gets one when not only he learns about Mega Evolution firsthand and that Turtonator's Inferno Overdrive barely fazes Mega Steelix.
- Gyarados roars at Pikachu. Pikachu, who is holding on for dear life, looks absolutely terrified.
- One occasion is averted as neither Misty or Brock are surprised that Ash is capable of winning.
- Season Finale: In the US, this is the final episode of Season 20.
- Seen It All: Due to traveling with him for so long, Brock is not surprised in the slightest when Ash manages to quickly find a counter to Misty's strategy in such an unorthodox manner.
- Misty is a little surprised, but is more impressed at how far he's come.
- Self-Serving Memory: Misty once again claims that Ash only got badges out of "pity", only this time, Misty now claims that she herself gave him the badge out of pity. She did not. Her sister gave Ash the badge because he stopped Team Rocket from stealing their Pokémon.Brock joins Misty in gloating about Ash only getting bades out of "pity", despite the fact that when Ash battled Brock for the Boulder Badge, Brock's brothers and sisters guilt-tripped Ash into forfitting, therefore it was Ash who felt sorry for Brock.
- Sequel Hook: Ash offers Misty and Brock to come to Alola and meet up with him again, an offer the two accept, possibly setting them up for another return appearance in the near future. This comes to fruition two seasons later in the episode "Alola, Alola!"
- Ship Tease: When Misty reveals her Key Stone, she teasingly asks Ash if it looks good on her and winks.
- Sore Loser: Alohan Marowak wasn’t happy with Kiawe losing.
- Stepping Stones in the Sky: Pikachu somehow does this with his own Electric-type attacks to escape the trap set up by Misty.
- Super-Breath: Misty has Gyarados use this technique
◊ to defend against and stop Pikachu from using Electro Ball. - Took a Level in Badass:
- Both Misty and Brock have Mega Stones, and Steelix and Gyarados can Mega Evolve.
- Misty has taught Psyduck to be a competent battler, although he still has shades of The Ditz. How she managed to make him a competent battler, we'll never know...
- Wham Shot: Brock and Misty revealing Key Stones during their battles.
