Ash is preparing for his second rematch against Brandon. Wanting to get back to his roots in order to prepare, he calls on his four oldest Pokémon, Pikachu and also Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard. Ash takes them up into the mountains to train and spend the night camping out. When Team Rocket attacks again and tries to steal Pikachu, Ash and the rest of his old friends work together to free Pikachu and send Team Rocket blasting off. Brandon, having witnessed the whole thing, accepts another challenge from Ash, wanting to see what his four oldest Pokémon are capable of. The next day, Ash and Brandon begin their match, but the battle proves more difficult than Ash anticipated.
Tropes
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: After Team Rocket manages to steal Pikachu and start to drive off in their truck, Jessie mentions that they've waited 9 seasons to successfully capture Pikachu.
- Call-Forward: After Jessie mentions how they've waited 9 seasons to capture Pikachu and Ash comments how it was Team Rocket in disguise, Meowth then comments that they will still be Team Rocket through Season 10.
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: There is a suggestion that Ash's inability to recall that Fighting-type Seismic Toss would be ineffective against the Ghost-type Dusclops is due to the fact that he always relies on it as a dependable move while deciding battles with Charizard. The move's typing has never a concern until this particular instance.
- Darkest Hour: The end of the episode is this for Ash's Battle Frontier journey; this is his third match against Brandon, and even Charizard proves unable to give him a lead and is defeated by Brandon's Dusclops. With his most powerful Pokémon defeated and Brandon still having all four of his, Ash's chances at victory don't seem too high...
- Idiot Ball: Ash directs Charizard to use Seismic Toss on Dusclops to end the battle. However, he did not account for the fact that Dusclops, being a Ghost-type, would be immune to the Fighting-type move. In Ash's defense, Seismic Toss has always been a reliable move for him and Charizard, and this is the first time its typing has mattered in a negative way. Nonetheless, this unforeseen setback has a significant impact on the outcome of the battle.
- Look What I Can Do Now!: Ash's Charizard is revealed to have learned Steel Wing.
- Oh, Crap!: Ash's look when Charizard gets defeated by Dusclops.
- The Worf Effect:
- Ash starts the battle with Charizard, hoping his strongest Pokémon will give him an early lead, but Charizard ends up getting knocked out in the first round.
- In retrospect, it's an even greater example, since Charizard would have an advantage over the other members of Brandon's team note
- You Will Not Evade Me: Dusclops's Mean Look.
