YMMV / Pokemon S 13 E 31 Battling A Thaw In Relations

• Broken Base: Paul's personality turn after Ash wins. After spending the series antagonizing Ash and mistreating his Pokemon, some felt it a lazy copout that he takes Ash finally beating him, with a Pokemon he considered worthless no less, in stride. Even before the battle, Paul seemed to already have softened significantly compared to how he was for most of the series. Those who were expecting a Villainous Breakdown over Ash finally beating him were left disappointed. Others, however, feel that it was fitting for the anime's themes, and defend Paul's Character Development throughout the series, arguing that Ash beating him with Infernape was the perfect way to end the rivalry and fully earn his respect. It ultimately comes down to how one felt about Paul beforehand.
• Catharsis Factor: Seeing Ash finally triumph over Paul in battle after so many failures is extraordinarily satisfying, especially because it was through Infernape, the Pokemon Paul had so thoroughly abused and cruelly released.
• Moment of Awesome: In addition to the Signature Scene below, the entire battle is generally considered one regarding the show's story buildup and payoff. As Paul had been established since the beginning of the series, and had more consistent buildup than any other rival before or since, the series being able to culminate to such an epic finale has led a large part of the fanbase to consider it one of, if not the greatest battle in the anime (mainly rivaled by Ash vs. Professor Kukui from Sun and Moon, which aired nearly a decade later).
• Signature Scene: The entire battle between Infernape and Electivire is by far the most iconic part of the Diamond and Pearl series, but especially the moment where Infernape activates Blaze, being the ultimate payoff to four long years of buildup.