RS128: From Brags to Riches

is the 36th episode of Pokémon: Advanced Battle.
==Synopsis==
Ash and his Pokémon enter the qualifying tournament in the Hoenn League Championships. In this fierce round of competition, competitors must pit their entire team of six Pokémon against the best of the best: equally seasoned trainers with their painstakingly-chosen, carefully-trained teams of Pokémon. To reach the next level of competition, each trainer must win three matches in a row, while giving up no defeats.
==Episode plot==
The next day, Ash runs with his Pikachu. Later, Max and Brock keep researching the area. Nurse Joy announces that two hundred fifty-six trainers made it past the preliminaries, but in the second round, thirty-two trainers will pass and they need to battle three trainers, and all battles must be Double. The screen displays the matches, so Morrison is the first to be battling. The gang has come to the stadium, with May and Tyson eating cheeseburgers. Morrison and his opponent, Gavin, come. Morrison sends Gligar and Growlithe, while Gavin his Machamp and Marowak.
Growlithe starts with Take Down on Marowak. Marowak counterattacks with Headbutt, so Gligar comes to help it, so Machamp counters with Karate Chop. Growlithe uses Flamethrower, but Marowak spins its bone to negate the attack. Machamp charges with Dynamic Punch, punching Gligar and goes with a Cross Chop. Gligar counters with Steel Wing, knocking Machamp out. Marowak uses Bonemerang, hitting Growlithe. Growlithe counters with Flamethrower, but amazingly, Marowak goes in and uses Headbutt, with little damage on itself. Marowak uses Ice Beam, hitting Growlithe and freezing its leg. Marowak attacks with Bone Club, hitting Growlithe, destroying the ice.
Team Rocket is tired from selling the products, so Meowth tells them what Team Rocket are they, selling the food. Jessie agrees with him, thinking on capturing Pikachu. Suddenly, a giant surly man crushes the wall and yells at them to get back to work, to which they go back selling the food. Machamp attacks Gligar, hurting it badly. Gligar counterattacks, hurting Machamp as well. Marowak uses Bonemerang, so Growlithe uses Flamethrower - both Pokémon are hit. Gligar attacks Machamp with Steel Wing, hitting it several times, so Machamp uses Dynamic Punch, but misses. Gligar uses Guillotine, defeating Machamp.
The match is not over, as Marowak still stands. Marowak uses Bone Club, so Growlithe uses Flamethrower, but misses. Growlithe is hit by Bone Club and is defeated. Bonemerang is used, so Gligar uses Guillotine. Marowak misses, so tries with Headbutt. Marowak uses Ice Beam, freezing Gligar. Marowak attacks with Bonemerang, hitting Gligar. Gligar stands up and charges, being hit by Bone Club. Unexpectedly, Gligar uses Iron Tail, bashing Marowak on a wall and defeating it. Morrison hugs his Gligar as he cries tears of joy.
Ash goes to another stadium to battle, but falls into a hole. Team Rocket appears to take his Pokémon, but the same man crushes the wall and yells to them to get back to work, to which they run away. Ash goes out of the hole, confused. Ash is facing Dominick - Ash sends Torkoal and Corphish, while Dominick his Swalot and Tropius. Tropius flies and uses Razor Leaf. Corphish uses Harden and Torkoal Iron Defense to protect themselves. Tropius uses Bullet Seed on Torkoal, but with little effect. Swalot uses Sludge Bomb on Corphish, pushing him. Tropius uses Gust on Torkoal, pushing it.
Torkoal uses Flamethrower on Tropius, hurting it. Torkoal uses Overheat, but misses. Swalot goes to use Body Slam, but misses. Corphish uses Bubble Beam on Swalot, but the bubbles reflect from Swalot's body! Torkoal uses Flamethrower and Corphish Bubble Beam on Tropius, but Tropius defends itself and goes to launch a Solar Beam. Corphish uses Crabhammer on Tropius and Torkoal Flamethrower. Still, Tropius launches the attack, so Torkoal counters with Overheat. They give their best and an explosion is seen, with both Pokémon defeated. Swalot and Corphish remain, so Swalot uses Shock Wave, hitting Corphish. Corphish is hit a second time, being badly hurt.
Swalot uses Body Slam, pressing Corphish by its body. Corphish uses Crabhammer to get it off him. Swalot uses Shadow Ball, pushing Corphish. Corphish charges, so Swalot uses Shock Wave. Still, Corphish is not hurt by the attack and continues to charge, grabbing Swalot's whiskers and throwing it on the ground. Corphish puts its hand in Swalot's mouth and uses Bubble Beam. Because of internal damage, Swalot is defeated. The crowd is amazed by this move. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is tired from the previous running. The man comes, so Team Rocket apologize, but the man brought food to them as a gift for such a hard work. The man thinks he might give them a desert if they work as hard as today, leaving them. Team Rocket lies about accepting the offer. Morrison and Ash argue who won by a close call, but soon stop the discussion. Max reads on the PokéNav Tyson passed the round as well.
==Debuts==
===Move===
*Guillotine
==Trivia==
*The title is a pun on the phrase "from rags to riches".
*Featured Pokémon: Entei, Salamence, and Milotic.
*This is the last episode where Team Rocket uses their original motto before switching to the Battle Frontier motto.
===Mistakes===
*Gligar took damage from Bone Club, despite Bone Club being a -type move.
**Additionally, the same Bone Club executed right before Marowak faints was able to generate electrical sparks.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes featuring a Pokémon League
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash