Japanese Title: The Finals! The Strongest Rival Showdown!!
Original Airdate: September 8, 2019
US Airdate: January 11, 2020
The final match between Ash and Gladion is set to begin. Ash's Meltan, however, has a surprise when it calls over its fellow Meltan to help.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Remember all those multiplying Meltan? They've come to Ash's own following its signal in an earlier episode and triggered its evolution to Melmetal.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: Pikachu shoots his Electroweb at Silvally, only for Silvally to dodge it easily... at which point the web sticks to the corner of the battlefield, allowing Pikachu to use it as a springboard in order to gain more momentum for its Iron Tail attack, hitting Silvally as it recovers from the dodge and knocking it out.
- Foreshadowing: Moreso for the Japanese audience, Gladion calls out Lycanroc with a Dusk Ball (when it's shown to be contained in an Ultra Ball). This would tip viewers and competitive players off that this is actually his Zoroark until it uses Night Daze.
- Internal Reveal: Ash and Lusamine learn Gladion has caught a Zoroark. The latter recognizes it as Mohn's, specifically.
- Poor, Predictable Rock: After evolving, all Melmetal does is spam its Secret Art Double Iron Bash which Gladion catches on and used a Fighting Memory on his Silvally to take out Melmetal.
- Spot the Thread: Subverted. After Silvally is defeated, Gladion sends out his Zoroark disguised as Lycanroc. It specifically comes out off a Dusk Ball rather than the Ultra Ball Lycanroc is held in, providing an early clue on what it really is, and then proceeds to attack with Night Daze - a move Lycanroc can't learn. Because he doesn't know about Gladion's newest capture, Ash doesn't catch on until he breaks through the illusion (though not realizing Night Daze is a Zoroark-exclusive move is a bit of an Idiot Hero moment).
- Takes One to Kill One: Subverted, sure Melmetal is an Olympus Mons that rivals Sivally in power and while it did manage to damage Silvally, but it unfortunately gets knocked out leaving Pikachu to do the rest.
