DP131: Pedal to the Mettle!

is the 27th episode of Pokémon: DP Galactic Battles.
==Synopsis==
Lake Acuity is said to be the home of Uxie, the Legendary Pokémon, but today it's home to a 6-on-6 battle between Ash and Paul! Paul is already waiting on the shore, where he's been training his Pokémon under the thoughtful eye of his brother Reggie. Once Ash arrives, Reggie explains that this battle is a good way for Ash and Paul to test each other. So, once the referee arrives with Team Rocket (disguised as the referee's assistants), it's time to start the match. Ash plans to start by using Buizel, but changes his mind when he sees Paul send out Torterra. Instead, Ash decides to have Gliscor battle first.
Gliscor tries to obscure its moves by kicking up dust, but the trick has no effect. Then Ash orders Gliscor to stay on the offense-and that overconfidence leads Gliscor straight into Torterra's attack! With Gliscor injured, Ash must switch in Staraptor. Torterra is tired too, but Paul keeps it in the battle just long enough to hit Staraptor with Stone Edge. Next, Paul switches in Weavile, which has the speed to keep up with Staraptor. Even so, Staraptor still beats Weavile, and it's time for another round of changes: Paul chooses Electabuzz, Ash sends in Grotle.
To Ash's surprise, Electabuzz uses Light Screen and promptly switches out for Honchkrow.  Grotle is itching to settle an old score with Honchkrow, but Honchkrow still has a type advantage and the protection of Light Screen. What's more, Ash makes a mistake by ordering Grotle to use a defensive move at the wrong time! Honchkrow knocks Grotle out, and now it's Pikachu's turn to battle. Paul responds by bringing out Magmortar, taking Ash by surprise: is Pikachu ready to face the more powerful, evolved version of Paul's Magmar?
==Episode plot==
The heroes arrived at Lake Acuity, where it is rumored that Uxie, one of the Legendary Lake Trio, lives. Ash cannot wait for his battle against Paul; even Pikachu is confident. Ash gives Nurse Joy his Pokémon to see if they are all right. Brock cannot resist Nurse Joy's charm and flirts, which causes Croagunk to almost stab him as usual, but this time Nurse Joy's Chansey pounded Brock first. Ash asks her if she saw a trainer named Paul nearby. Nurse Joy saw him, as he came for his Pokémon to be checked, so Ash runs, but Nurse Joy knows he does not know where the battlefield is.
Team Rocket got a job and Ash asks them if the battlefield is prepared. Though taken back, they respond he should look elsewhere. A man comes, introducing himself as Olivier, who will act as a referee, per Reggie's will. He tells Ash that there is a substitute. Electabuzz uses ThunderPunch, hitting the ground hard. Reggie admits Paul has trained well. Paul asks why now, so Reggie replies battle with Brandon seemed to have an effect on him and it might be good to have the battle sooner than later. Nurse Joy checked Ash's Pokémon and they are all fine. Ash believes that when he defeats Paul, he will begin to respect Ash's battling style. Chimchar is especially confident, making Brock be reminded of Cynthia's words that Chimchar holds a greater destiny, one that bounds Ash and Paul.
The gang comes to another field, where Paul and Reggie are. Reggie thanks Ash for coming, thinking it was destiny that will now commence the battle. Reggie believes that with them being rivals, they can understand what the other has to offer: his strength and his weakness. It is why it is a 6-on-6 battle, and since it is not good to use the field outside the Center, Reggie tells them to battle here. Olivier comes in the balloon and Team Rocket, as his helpers, prepare the machine which displays Ash's and Paul's Pokémon. Ash calls heads and Paul tails; the result is heads, so Ash gets the first attack. Ash sends Buizel and Paul his Torterra.
Surprisingly, Ash calls Buizel back. Instead, he sends Gliscor, telling Paul he met it when it was a Gligar. Gliscor starts with Sand Attack. Torterra uses Giga Drain, but misses. Brock and Reggie suspect Paul ordered it on purpose to miss to have Ash get his guard dropped for a moment. Gliscor uses X-Scissor, hitting Torterra. Torterra uses Frenzy Plant, but misses Gliscor and has to recharge after using it. Seeing an opening, Gliscor uses Fire Fang and X-Scissor, which both wound Torterra. Gliscor uses Steel Wing, but Torterra uses Crunch on its tail. This causes Gliscor to get caught and allow Torterra to safely use Giga Drain. Reggie explains that Paul planned well to get Gliscor to get on his Torterra and trap it after that recharge. Gliscor frees itself using Fire Fang. Since it took a lot of damage, Ash calls it back. Dawn already feels intense, even if it was the first battle. Ash sends Staraptor, who uses Brave Bird, but Torterra cancels it with Stone Edge, much to Ash's dismay and shock that Torterra knew the move. As Paul calls Torterra back, Reggie asks Dawn and Brock if Ash changed his strategy or his Pokémon, but they tell him he did not, as he focuses on training his Pokémon from Sinnoh. Reggie now knows that Paul switched his from his previous journeys to get the advantage over Ash's Pokémon.
Paul sends Weavile, while Ash keeps Staraptor. The Predator Pokémon uses Quick Attack, hitting Weavile. The Sharp Claw Pokémon uses Swords Dance to increase offense. Staraptor uses Aerial Ace, but Weavile slows him down with Blizzard, then jumps on him and uses Metal Claw, much to everyone's surprise. Staraptor uses Close Combat, preventing Weavile from using Metal Claw while dealing massive damage. Finally, Staraptor uses Brave Bird, going through Blizzard and defeating Weavile. Ash knows it is far from over, as he has seen Weavile was faster than Staraptor.
Ash and Paul call their Pokémon back, while sending out Electabuzz and Grotle. Electabuzz uses Light Screen, protecting itself from Energy Ball. Paul calls Electabuzz back and sends Honchkrow, much to the Grove Pokémon's [[fury. Grotle uses Razor Leaf, but Honchkrow dodges and uses Night Slash. Grotle uses Energy Ball, but Honchkrow is protected by Light Screen. Honchkrow uses Haze, leading Dawn to believe Paul did change his battle style for this battle, instead of seeing how strong his own Pokémon are, he's going right for the win. Grotle uses Razor Leaf and Honchkrow comes, hitting it with Night Slash. Grotle uses Synthesis to renew itself. Seeing an opening, Honchkrow charges with Sky Attack, so Grotle quickly uses Rock Climb. After the collision, Grotle is defeated.
Ash and Paul call their Pokémon back. Pikachu wants to battle, so Ash sends him. Paul sends his Magmortar, as he had time to evolve it from Magmar which leaves everyone stunned.
==Debuts==
===Pokémon===
Magmortar (Paul's)
==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.
*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 way Ash recalls his first Pokemon due to not liking the type disadvantage is similar to what Paul did during his battle against Brandon. This may foreshadow how Ash will lose badly to Paul just as he did to Brandon.
*The dub's title is based on the saying "Put the 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.
===Mistakes===
*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 Ground-type as well, 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.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Paul