JN118

Battling as Hard as Stone! (Japanese: サトシ出陣！VSダイゴ！！ Goes into Battle! VS !!) is the 118th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,203rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on July 22, 2022, in Canada on December 17, 2022, in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2023, in South Africa on February 7, 2023, in Australia on April 24, 2023, and in the United States on June 23, 2023.
==Blurb==
The Pokémon World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament is in full swing, and the final match of the first round is between Ash and Steven Stone, the Champion of Hoenn! First, Steven’s Metagross takes on Ash’s Dracovish, but when Steven realizes that Ash is predicting his moves, he switches out Metagross for Aggron. Aggron takes down Dracovish, so Ash brings out Gengar to get revenge. Next, Steven’s Cradily defeats Gengar, meaning Ash has one Pokémon left—Pikachu! It defeats Cradily, but then Steven Mega Evolves his Metagross. It seems Pikachu can’t land a single attack…until Ash uses 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, winning and securing his spot in the semifinals!
==Plot==
All of Wyndon Stadium waits with anticipation as the fourth and final match of the Pokémon World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament quarterfinals, featuring Hoenn and , the first Champion of Alola, prepares to begin. In the audience, , still broadcasting the events of the tournament, are excited to see Ash battle, though Jessie believes Ash has no chance of victory against Steven. Meanwhile, Goh has Hop move over so that , having desired to feel the excitement of the stadium in person like Ash had for the previous battles, can join them in the bleachers. Hop is shocked to meet the Unova Champion in person, while Iris is excited to meet 's younger brother and affectionately cuddles up to his fluffy . 
Dan recites the rules once more: the matches in the first round are three-on-three battles with no restrictions on time or exchanges. In addition, each Trainer is allowed only one use of either Dynamax, Z-Moves, or Mega Evolution. Hop is surprised to see that Ash has the ability to use all three. Ash declares to Steven that he will be the one to advance to the semifinals. Steven, eyeing Ash's Dynamax Band, Z-Power Ring, and Mega Glove, notes Ash's confidence despite the status and strength of the former. On the count of three, both s call out their first Pokémon. Steven chooses to lead with his ace, his , while Ash selects . Backstage, Leon looks forward to seeing what Ash, the "rookie Champion", has to show. 
At Dan's signal, the battle begins. Ash calls for , but Metagross uses to dodge and move in close. Ash calls for while Steven orders a . Fishious Rend manages to subdue Psychic and cause Metagross damage, but Dracovish is still sent flying back by the attack. Steven mutters that Ash predicted his strategy. In the audience, Goh notes that Fishious Rend's power increases if the attack goes first, while Iris adds that the move is boosted further by Dracovish's Ability, . Internally, Ash thanks Paul for showing him Metagross's strategy of approaching with Agility and then attacking with Psychic. Seeing the damage Dracovish's attack caused, Steven chooses to recall Metagross in favor of . Steven notes that while he is the strongest Trainer in Hoenn, that alone is not enough for him, adding that he entered the World Coronation Series to become the world's strongest Trainer. Backstage, Diantha notes that she has never seen Steven so fired up before. Ash responds that it is the same for him and that he will win the tournament for every person and Pokémon who has cheered them on to this point. Ash calls for , but Aggron's overpowers the attack and flings Dracovish back. Though Dracovish gets back on its feet and seems able to continue, it suddenly collapses and is ruled unable to battle by Dan. Iris is sad that Dracovish lost, while Ash recalls and thanks it for its effort. For his second Pokémon, he selects , who immediately uses to Aggron, causing it to stumble. Undeterred, Steven has Aggron use , which sends Gengar flying, but Aggron's burn saps more of its strength. Aggron uses in an attempt to trap Gengar, but the latter uses to easily free itself and hit Aggron. Once again Aggron takes damage from its burn and collapses to the ground, unable to continue battling. At Professor Oak's Laboratory, all of , especially his types, cheer in happiness.
Steven recalls and thanks Aggron before sending out as his third Pokémon. Cradily uses , surrounding Gengar with its many tentacles and striking it multiple times. The tentacles proceed to wrap around Gengar, who struggles to break free. Steven calls for , which Alain notes will prevent Cradily from being recalled. Diantha takes this as a sign that Steven intends to defeat Gengar here and now. Ash orders a , which scores a direct hit; however, Ingrain slowly begins restoring Cradily's health. Steven goes on the offensive, calling for , the attack's intense light blinding Ash and Gengar. Ash realizes he can fight light with light and shouts for Gengar to use Dazzling Gleam, which blocks Meteor Beam and results in a massive explosion that damages both Pokémon but also frees Gengar. Steven compliments Ash's strategy, the two Trainers calling for Power Whip and , respectively. Gengar avoids several tentacles and launches its attack, but Cradily bats it aside and batters Gengar with its attack, flinging it into the ground and defeating it. Recalling Gengar, Ash selects , whom Steven calls Ash's greatest partner, for his final Pokémon. Knowing that attacks are against types and Cradily is still restoring health with Ingrain, plus Metagross waiting in the wings, Goh and Hop note that Ash needs to finish Cradily quickly. James and are excited to see Pikachu, and now Jessie is cheering for Ash as well, telling Pikachu to not lose. Steven orders Cradily to use , but Pikachu's strikes first. When the rocks are subsequently launched, Pikachu jumps from one rock to another to gain height and wraps up Cradily's Power Whip with , a maneuver that leaves Leon impressed. With Cradily's tentacles out of the way, Pikachu lands a supereffective , taking Cradily out of the fight and leaving both sides with only one Pokémon left. Steven praises Ash's skill, remarking that every attack that the latter launches leaves him surprised. Ash credits Gengar's efforts in assisting with Pikachu's victory.
Steven recalls Cradily and sends out Metagross once more. Immediately he grasps his Mega Stickpin and Mega Evolves Metagross. Ash calls for , but Metagross effortlessly avoids the attack, as well as several follow-up Thunderbolts. Metagross uses , which smashes into Pikachu and causes big damage. Diantha notes that Mega Metagross is said to have far superior strategic and information process capabilities than its base form, enabling it to predict Pikachu's every action with incredible accuracy. Ash calls for Iron Tail, but Metagross easily dodges again and smashes Pikachu into the ground with Psychic, though Pikachu is still able to stand back up. Ash's grimace gives way to a smile as he tosses his hat to Pikachu and the two begin to perform their Z-Move, much to the excitement of the audience. Fully charged with Z-Power, Pikachu fires , but Metagross dodges and prepares to finish Pikachu with . To Steven's shock, however, the lightning bolts suddenly change direction and block Metagross's attack, as well as strike the and send it plummeting to the ground. While Steven is in disbelief at Pikachu's ability to command electricity, Pikachu strikes Metagross with Iron Tail, scoring the finishing blow on his opponent. Dan rules Metagross unable to battle and Ash the victor. With that, Ash advances to the semifinals to battle , who is very excited and delighted at the prospect of finally battling Ash. In the audience, Goh and Iris dance with in celebration while Hop calls Ash and his Pokémon incredible. Team Rocket is likewise thrilled with the upset, Jessie even believing that Ash might win the entire tournament. Steven congratulates Ash, attributing the victory to the feelings Ash and his partners have for each other coming together to form an incredible power. With the battle over, the four Trainers advancing to the semifinals have been decided: Leon, Diantha, Cynthia, and Ash.
Outside the stadium, Steven expresses his belief in Ash's ability to defeat Cynthia. Alain and Iris likewise tell Ash to win, which he promises to do. Ash says goodbye to the three, while inside the stadium, Leon looks down upon the battlefield impassively.
==Major events==
* meets Hop for the first time.
* Ash's Dracovish is revealed to have as its Ability.
* is revealed to own a .
* Iris witnesses a Z-Move for the first time.
* defeats Steven, advancing to the semifinals to face .
* Goh meets Steven and Alain for the first time.
* Iris, Steven, and Alain return to Unova, Hoenn, and Kalos, respectively.
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Goh
* Jessie
* James
* 
* 
* Nurse Joy
* Professor Birch
* 
* Drew
* Harley
* Morrison
* 
* Paul
* 
* Reggie
* Alain
* Diantha
* Chloe
* Professor Cerise
* Chrysa
* Ren
* 
* Dan
* Hop
* Janet
* Vito
* Kain
* 
* 
* 
* Announcer (voice only)
* Crowd
===Pokémon===
* (; World Cap)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ('s; Mimey)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; )
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; female)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; )
* ('s)
* (; Mega Metagross; )
* ('s)
* (Paul's; flashback)
* ()
* ()
* (Professor Cerise's; Rotom Phone)
* (Dan's)
* (Hop's)
* (Kain's)
* ('s)
* (Team Rocket's; Rotom Phone)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's; Galarian Form)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
==Trivia==
* Get Inspired! Let's Solve a Poké Riddle!!: 
* This episode marks the first appearance of a Cradily in the since Dealing With Defensive Types!, 629 episodes earlier.
** This episode also marks the first appearance of a in the animated series since Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!, 312 episodes earlier.
* This episode marks the first appearance of 's in the animated series since Steven's debut in A Hole Lotta Trouble, 907 episodes earlier.
* This episode marks the first time that Steven is defeated in an onscreen battle.
* This episode marks the first physical appearance of multiple human characters in after long absences:
** Janet, whose last appearance was in All Things Bright and Beautifly!, 916 episodes earlier.
** Vito, whose last appearance was in Candid Camerupt, 883 episodes earlier.
** Kain, whose last appearance was in Going for a Spinda!, 872 episodes earlier.
** , whose last appearance was in Judgment Day!, 837 episodes earlier.
** , whose last appearance was in Deceit and Assist, 807 episodes earlier.
** , whose last appearance was in A Judgment Brawl, 800 episodes earlier.
** and Morrison, whose last appearance was in The Scheme Team, 797 episodes earlier.
** Professor Birch, whose last appearance in Pokémon the Series was in The Right Place and the Right Mime, 796 episodes earlier.
** , whose last appearance in Pokémon the Series was in Following A Maiden's Voyage!, 736 episodes earlier.
*** As of this episode, this is the longest a main character has gone without making a physical appearance within the main series to date.
** Drew and Harley, whose last appearance was in Strategy with a Smile!, 658 episodes earlier.
*** This is the first episode in which they are present but is not.
* This is the first time that one of 's Pokémon has had its Ability revealed since A Not-So-Flying Start!, 328 episodes earlier.
* As of this episode, Trip is the only one of 's main rivals that Goh has not met.
* If is counted, as of this episode, Professor Juniper is the only previously introduced regional Pokémon Professor who hasn't appeared in any form in .
* Despite Steven's Metagross having been shown being sent out before, this is the first time it has been shown sparkling upon exiting its , as Shiny Pokémon tend to do in the animated series.
* Throughout the episode, Jessie and are seen eating Lava Cookies, which may be a nod to Steven's home region.
* Steven's line after the conclusion of the is notably similar to what he says after being defeated in and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
* Shinji Miyazaki's music from is reused as background music in this episode.
* An instrumental version of Aim to Be a Pokémon Master is used as an insert song when Ash's Pikachu uses .
* This is the first time that Pikachu is seen using a move other than 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt while wearing Ash's hat.
** This is also the first time that 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt is shown not defeating its target.
* As of this episode, Jun Ōwada becomes the deputy director of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, while Daiki Tomiyasu becomes the director.
** Additionally, starting from this episode, the executive director role is held by no one.
* The Dare da? segment is replaced with eyecatches of Ash, Goh, and Pikachu for this episode.
* This episode marks the final appearance of Professor Birch, Drew, Harley, Morrison, Tyson, Paul and Reggie.
* Chrysa and Mimey narrate the preview for the next episode.
===Errors===
* When all of at Professor Oak's Laboratory are shown, Ash's Tauros is missing his three tails.
File:JN118 Tauros error.png|Tauros's missing tails
===Dub edits===
* The Japanese text depicting 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt's name when Pikachu is about to use the move is edited out in the dub.
==In other languages==
118
Category:Episodes written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hiromasa Amano
Category:Episodes directed by Rokusuke Okimitsu
Category:Episodes animated by Rei Yamazaki
Category:Episodes animated by Kyōko Itō
Category:Episodes animated by Toshiko Nakaya
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes in which a main character leaves the group
Category:Episodes with World Coronation Series matches
Category:Episodes in which a Champion appears
Category:Episodes in which an alternately colored Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes which aired in Canada before the United States
Category:Episodes which aired in the United Kingdom before the United States
Category:Episodes which aired in South Africa before the United States
Category:Episodes which aired in Australia before the United States
de:Harter Gegner - harter Kampf!
es:EP1207
fr:LV118
it:EP118
ja:新無印編第118話
zh:宝可梦 旅途 第118集