DP187: A Real Rival Rouser!

is the 30th episode of Pokémon: DP Sinnoh League Victors.
==Synopsis==
The Sinnoh League quarterfinal battle between rivals Ash and Paul is turning out to be one for the ages! Ash still has all six of his Pokémon, while Paul’s Aggron and Gastrodon have been eliminated. But the tide begins to turn at this point as Paul’s true strategy begins to emerge: to predict and counter whatever Ash does! Paul’s Drapion sets up a nasty trap with Toxic Spikes and, mere moments later, a dazzling tactical display renders Ash’s Buizel, Staraptor, and Torterra unable to battle.
Next, Ash’s Gliscor comes in against Paul’s amazingly fast Ninjask. When Gliscor hits the ground and takes a lot of damage from Toxic Spikes, Ash switches it out in favor of Infernape—and this is where some creative strategizing on Ash’s part begins to erode Paul’s strategy, as an underground Flare Blitz burns off the Toxic Spikes!
After his Ninjask is eliminated, Paul brings out his Froslass, while Ash calls on Pikachu. Although Froslass is powerful and its evasion skills are impressive, Pikachu’s tenacity rules the bout, and Froslass is eliminated!
When Paul again calls on Drapion, Ash gets Gliscor back into the battle. Although Gliscor is still feeling the effects of previous battling, the magnificent training it received from the Air Battle Master is evident. We leave the action just as Gliscor is diving directly into Drapion’s Pin Missile! How will this incredible battle end?
==Episode plot==
Buizel attempts to free itself using Sonic Boom, but Drapion grabs its tail and cancels the move. Ash orders Buizel to inflate its sack around its neck, causing Buizel to get free and goes off by hitting Drapion using Water Gun. Drapion uses Toxic Spikes and when Buizel lands down, it gets poisoned by Toxic Spikes, allowing a clear hit from Drapion's Pin Missile. Buizel is defeated, while Brock believes Paul knew Buizel was going to escape. Ash calls Buizel back and sends Staraptor who flies and thus isn't poisoned. Drapion uses Pin Missile, but Staraptor dodges and retaliates with Aerial Ace. Drapion gracefully dodges and binds Staraptor using its tail.
Staraptor gets hit by Cross Poison and thrown to the ground, causing even more damage via Toxic Spikes. Staraptor is defeated, so Ash calls him back and sends Torterra. Paul predicted he was going to use Torterra, as first, Torterra gets hit by Toxic Spikes. Team Rocket gets chills by even looking at Torterra getting poisoned by Toxic Spikes. Brock points out had Adh used a Poison-type Pokémon, it would negate the effects of Toxic Spikes. Drapion uses Cross Poison, but gets repelled by Energy Ball, then follows with Leaf Storm. Drapion uses Pin Missile to counter and an collision is made. Torterra uses Rock Climb, but once again, Drapion binds Torterra. Torterra rolls down as he got hit by Poison Fang. Still, Torterra heals himself using Synthesis. Drapion uses Pin Missile and defeats Torterra.
Dawn feels as Paul waited for Torterra to recover, which Brock confirms, as he broke Ash's confidence as well. Paul asks if he got Gliscor, which Ash confirms. Paul reveals to him he discovered how he battles by having Gastrodon and Aggron and now can predict his moves. Ash smiles to this and responds that there is nobody like Paul and tells he will win, to which Paul responds it will be the other way around. Ash sends Gliscor and Paul Ninjask. Ninjask uses Agility to boost its speed, while Gliscor uses Stone Edge rapid fire, but Ninjask is too fast. Ninjask uses Fury Cutter and hits Gliscor. Gliscor attempts to bite it using Fire Fang, but Ninjask uses Fury Cutter to hit it on the ground and it takes even more damage from Toxic Spikes. Ash calls it back and sends Infernape, but it takes damage from Toxic Spikes. Ash knows he has to get rid of Toxic Spikes and has an idea to do it.
Infernape digs and then uses Flare Blitz. While Ninjask gets hit a bit, the field is no longer under the effect of Toxic Spikes. Paul admits that was clever, but orders Ninjask to use Giga Drain, but Ash and Paul spot that Ninjask is not as fast as it was before assumedly the damage Ninjask took from Flare Blitz. Ninjask absorbs some of Infernape's health, but Infernape defeats it using Mach Punch. Ash calls Infernape back and sends Pikachu against Paul's Froslass. Froslass uses Hail and disappears and appears before Pikachu in the mist, as she has Snow Cloak, which causes this to happen. Pikachu gets hit by Froslass and retaliates with Thunderbolt, but he fails to hit Froslass. Froslass uses Ice Shard and hits Pikachu, while Froslass continues to taunt him. Pikachu uses Volt Tackle, but misses Froslass. Froslass goes to defeat him using Ice Shard, but Pikachu bounces off using Iron Tail and knocks her out. The Hail wears off, while Paul smiles about this.
Froslass uses Ice Beam, causing Pikachu to be frozen. Froslass prepares to use Ice Shard, but gets defeated, as Pikachu used Volt Tackle to free himself and hit her. Dawn and Barry are excited and pleased Ash is winning, but Brock worries Ash is in disadvantage, as all his Pokémon took damage and Paul has not shown his final Pokémon. Team Rocket is exhausted by all this action and Jessie drinks some juice, but realizes that she has to sell the drinks, not drink them herself. Paul calls his Froslass and Ash his Pikachu. Paul sends Drapion and Ash his Gliscor. Ash believes that Gliscor can prevent Drapion from making attacks that can stop his Pokémon from attacking. Drapion uses Pin Missile, but Gliscor evades. Gliscor uses Stone Edge, but Drapion uses Cross Poison to negate the attack.
Gliscor uses Giga Impact and hides itself in the smoke caused by the previous collision. Drapion goes to use Poison Fang, but Gliscor hits it using Giga Impact and disappears, while Gliscor spins in the air. Brock, Barry and Dawn see that Gliscor's experience with the Air Battle Master paid off, as it can move faster and is harder to get hit by Drapion's moves. Paul confesses that Stone Edge got his attention, but orders Drapion to use Pin Missile, while Gliscor evades and uses X-Scissor, gracefully dodging the missiles.
==Debuts==
===Pokémon===
*Paul's Froslass
==Trivia==
*Music from Pokémon Heroes, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, and Arceus and the Jewel of Life is played during the episode.
*This episode marks the first time Pikachu manages to defeat one of Paul's Pokémon.
*The effect of Toxic Spikes is shown differently in this episode to how it works in the games. While in the games Toxic Spikes will poison any Pokémon sent into battle (with the exception of Flying, Steel, Poison type, and Levitating Pokémon), in this episode it is shown to poison any Pokémon that touches the ground affected by Toxic Spikes regardless of type except for Poison-type Pokémon, as Brock mentioned that Ash needed one because they are immune to the effect.
*The title is a play on "rabble rouser".
===Mistakes===
*When Staraptor is knocked out, Drapion is shown as being between Staraptor and Ash. However, when Ash returns Staraptor immediately after, Drapion is not in between them.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Paul
Category:Episodes featuring a Pokémon League
Category:Episodes featuring Champions