Episode Summary
When Ash and co. meet up with Paul and Reggie at Lake Acuity, Ash and Paul decide to start their 6-on-6 battle. Dawn uses her Coin Toss App to decide who goes first. Ash wins. He sends out Buizel while Paul sends out Torterra. Ash recalls Buizel because of the type disadvantage and sends out Gliscor, and the battle begins.Gliscor blinds Torterra with Sand-Attack while Torterra uses Giga Drain, which is dodged. Gliscor then uses X-Scissor, knocking Torterra back. Torterra uses Frenzy Plant, which Gliscor dodges again and it uses Fire Fang. Gliscor uses X-Scissor, then Steel Wing, however, after the Steel Wing, Torterra uses Crunch on Gliscor's tail and hits it with Giga Drain. Gliscor escapes with Fire Fang, but is seriously hurt, so Ash recalls it an sends out Staraptor, who uses Brave Bird, it is sent crashing onto the ground because of Stone Edge. Paul recalls Torterra nd sends out Weavile. Staraptor uses Quick Attack,but Weavile blocked it and used Swords Dance. Staraptor used Aerial Ace, but it was blocked by Blizzard. Weavile then jumps on Staraptor's back and used Metal Claw, knocking it to the ground again. Weavile and Staraptor then used Metal Claw and Close Combat respectively, making a battle of slashes and blows,but Staraptor gets the upper hand and uses Brave Bird. Weavile uses Blizzard, and although having a type disadvantage and getting severely hurt, it wins the match. Ash and Paul recall her Pokémon and they send out Electabuzz and Grotle. Grotle uses Energy Ball, but Electabuzz uses Light Screen to block it. Paul recalls it and sends out Honchkrow. Grotle uses Razor Leaf, but Honchkrow dodges everyone and hits Grotle with Night Slash. Grotle then uses Energy Ball, but Light Screen blocked it, and Honchkrow blinded Grotle with Haze. Grotle uses Razor Leaf, but Grotle gets hit with Night Slash. Grotle heals itself with Synthesis,but Honchkrow is about to use Sky Attack. Grotle uses Rock Climb, but Honchkrow hits first, knocking Grotle out. The episode ends with Pikachu facing up to Paul's newly evolved Magmortar.
Debuts
Pokémon
Trivia
- Music from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea and Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is used as background music.
- This is the first time Pikachu was chosen to battle Paul since When Pokémon Worlds Collide!
- The disguises used by Jessie, James and Meowth in this episode are the same that were used in Holy Matrimony!, which first aired in Japan exactly eleven years before the debut Japanese airing of this episode.
- This is the first episode in which Paul's Weavile is seen using a move which is not an Ice-type.
- When Ash, Dawn, and Brock arrive at Lake Acuity, there is no snow by the lake despite it being surrounded by snow in the games and in May and Zoey's flashback in Pruning a Passel of Pals!.
- The dub's title is based on the saying "Pedal to the metal" and the word "mettle", meaning 'spirit' or 'quality of temperament'.
- Cartoon Network's standard-definition feed starts to become inconsistent in how the anime is aired, switching between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios before consistently being shown in 4:3 four episodes later for 14 weeks; Cartoon Network later stopped their cropping practices during the week prior to the initial dub airing of Sticking With Who You Know!, allowing the 16:9 letterbox presentation. Due to the opening credits now being formatted with the 16:9 aspect ratio in mind, the names in the opening credits are now cut off when Cartoon Network chooses to show the show in 4:3 in standard definition.
- However, if one watched the episode on Cartoon Network's high-definition feed or on Cartoon Network Video, the episode always airs in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
- Also, from this episode until Three Sides to Every Story!, if one watched an episode on Cartoon Network's high-definition feed, the first part of the episode (until the episode's title card appeared) would be shown in a 3:2 aspect ratio.
- Team Rocket uses a variation of their motto in this episode.
- They also don't blast off in this episode.
- This is the first time when Paul's Electabuzz uses a new move since its debut in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!
Errors
- When Honchkrow hits Ash's Grotle, the scoreboard does not show Honchkrow at all, and shows Electabuzz being sent out. Seconds later, when the scoreboard is being updated with Grotle's KO, Honchkrow is seen.
- Brock mentions that Ash has battled Paul's Torterra several times before, though this is untrue. In the many times Ash has faced Paul, Paul has never used Torterra against him.
- Ash has, however, battled against a Torterra before, in The Rise of Darkrai, though it was Maury's, not Paul's.
- When Ash arrives at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy tells him she is looking after Paul's Pokémon. However, when Paul is seen, without him having had any chance to collect his Pokémon, Paul has his team already.
- Ash says that Water-type moves will not work very much on Torterra. However, Torterra is half-Ground type, meaning it would take normal damage.
- When Paul sends out his Magmortar, the screenshot shows that it stands a few feet away from Pikachu. However, when the camera switches to the battle from a distance, (just as the episode is about to end) the space between the two Pokémon has widened so that Dawn, Brock, Reggie, Team Rocket and the Referee can be seen in the middle of the battle.
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