Battamonda’s Final Strategy! is the 22nd episode of Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure and and the 940th episode overall of Pretty Cure.
Battemonda reveals his trump card, one he's been keeping hidden since they first defeated him... a Ranborg possessed by, and possessing the skills of, Captain Shalala...
Tropes Featured in this episode:
- Despair Event Horizon: Sora hits it when she's faced with a Ranborg that's symbiotically linked to Captain Shalala, with Battamonda revealing that the Ranborg is the only thing keeping Shalala alive. (And even then, not for much longer.)
- Downer Ending: The revelation of what happened to Shalala breaks Sora’s resolve and she temporarily loses her powers completely.
- Evolving Credits: This episode showcases both a brand new eye catch and credits, complete with new ending theme.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Tsubasa tries to motivate Sora by saying that heroes would never give up, Sora promptly tells him to stop talking about heroism and then stating that she’s giving up on being a hero. Considering how determined Sora was to be one and how much she tried to stick to her beliefs, this really shows just how much Shalala’s fate (and the very real possibility that they will have to put her down) had crushed her.
- Once More, with Clarity: This goes back over the events at the end of Episode 15, showing that Battamonda turned Shalala into a Ranborg when he found her badly injured.
- Wham Episode: Captain Shalala is revealed to have been taken by Battamonda and infused with Undergu Energy, ultimately ending up symbiotically linked to the episode’s Ranborg. And Battamonda claims that defeating the Ranborg will kill Shalala, causing Sora to fall into an Heroic BSoD where she renounces heroism, causing her Sky Pen to fade and her Sky Mirage to lose its colours.
