JN039

Octo-Gridlock at the Gym! (Japanese: サトシ対サイトウ！攻略たこがため！！ VS ! Conquer the !!) is the 39th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,124th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on September 27, 2020, in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2021, and in the United States on March 5, 2021.
==Blurb==
Ash and Goh are off to the Johto region, where Ash is hoping for a rematch against Bea. They find Bea training with Gym Leader Chuck at the Cianwood City Gym. Bea accepts Ash’s challenge, and their two-on-two battle begins! First up are Pikachu and Bea’s Hitmontop; Pikachu wins, but then Bea’s Grapploct overwhelms it with Octolock. Next, Ash sends in Riolu, but things are different from the last battle—this time, Riolu doesn’t struggle, and instead focuses its power so it can use Force Palm and break free! After a dizzying exchange of blows, both Pokémon are down, and the battle is declared a draw!
==Plot==
's session is interrupted by Goh, who rushes in to inform him that Bea's World Coronation Series ranking has risen to 193. Ash is keen to have a rematch against Bea, so the boys boat over to Cianwood Gym in the Johto region where Bea is training. Inside, Cianwood Gym Leader Chuck has his exchange blows with Bea's in an intense heat. Bea suddenly receives a notification on her Rotom Phone, and Ash challenges her to a battle. Bea, however, only remembers Ash as the "Riolu Trainer", taking him by surprise. Even so, Bea accepts his challenge. Chuck remembers Ash from their previous Gym battle and allows Ash to use the Gym for his match. Before they get started, Ash adds that he has since bounced back into the Great Class.
The Drone Rotom flies into the Gym to officiate the Great Class two-on-two match between Ash and Bea. Ash calls out while Bea starts off with her . Using , Hitmontop evades a and clashes with Pikachu’s follow up . Pikachu uses and an to break Hitmontop's spin. Hitmontop rebounds with and scores several hits with . Pikachu stands back up again and uses Electroweb on the battlefield. Bea calls for a Gyro Ball to break through the electrified threads, which slows Hitmontop down and does damage each time. Pikachu delivers an Iron Tail followed by a Quick Attack to knock Hitmontop out.
Next, Bea sends out Grapploct. Pikachu jolts forward using Quick Attack, though Grapploct leaps upwards and retaliates with . Pikachu hits back with a Thunderbolt after suffering some brutal blows. Grapploct withstands the attack and bundles Pikachu up in an . Pikachu struggles against the tight squeezing and is unable to counter with a close range Thunderbolt. Ash orders an Iron Tail instead, but Pikachu cannot overcome Grapploct’s firm grasp. Grapploct then delivers a attack, knocking Pikachu out of the match.
Ash chooses to face Grapploct, a familiar opponent for the Emanation Pokémon. A stare down is broken by Riolu moving first, with its blasting through Grapploct's Liquidation, shocking Bea. Ash orders Riolu to immediately fall back to avoid getting tangled into Grapploct's tentacles. Bea orders Grapploct to attack with Octolock, and Ash simply smiles and allows Riolu to be ensnared by Grapploct. Riolu remains calm as Grapploct wraps its tentacles around, and it tries to trace its opponent’s movements to break free of the Octolock. Bea notices the tactic, but allows the counter strategy to unfold out of intrigue. Ash orders Riolu to build up its power, to which Riolu closes its eyes and generates an energy field around itself. Riolu then unleashes an explosive at point blank range, escaping Grapploct's grip and knocking it down. Next, Grapploct and Riolu collide with Close Combat and Force Palm respectively. Both Pokémon hit their mark and collapse onto the field, ending the match in a draw. The draw ruling means no change to either competitors' ranking.
Chuck commends Ash and Bea's efforts, and suggests they celebrate. He unveils a dessert picnic outside, adding that eating sweets builds up one's stamina. Ash, Goh and the Pokémon tuck in. Everyone is surprised to see that Bea also has a sweet tooth, as she scoffs down several cakes. Bea complements Ash on his counter strategy for Grapploct's Octolock, though has her eyes set on climbing the World Coronation ranks and beat . Ash vows to continue training and promises not to lose next time, hoping to also face Leon. Chuck is unsurprised by Bea's sentiments, adding that she gets it from her father – a karate teacher in the Galar region. Bea promises that she will battle the "Riolu Trainer" again, with Ash interjecting that his name is Ash, making everyone laugh.
Later, back at the Cerise Laboratory, Ash swears to keep on training, and Professor Cerise asks Goh if he managed to anything during their trip. Goh reveals that he managed to catch himself a by fishing, having refused to leave until he'd caught something, which had led to Ash and his Pokémon waiting by his side until sunset.
==Major events==
* Bea's World Coronation Series ranking is revealed to have risen to 193.
* and Goh visit Johto again and re-encounter Bea.
* Ash meets Chuck again, while Goh meets him for the first time.
* Ash is revealed to have battled his way back into the Great Class.
* Ash has a World Coronation Series rematch against Bea, which ends in a tie, resulting in no change to their respective rankings.
* Goh a .
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* Goh
* Professor Cerise
* Chuck
* Bea
* (fantasy)
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: 
* ()
* (; flashback)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; Galarian Form)
* ()
* ()
* (; new)
* (Professor Cerise's; Rotom Phone; ×2)
* (Chuck's)
* (Bea's)
* (Bea's; flashback)
* (Bea's)
* (Bea's; Rotom Phone)
* (Drone Rotom)
==Trivia==
* Get Inspired! Let's Solve a Poké Riddle!!: 
* This episode has the same staff as Solitary and Menacing!, where first had a against Bea.
* This was the last episode to air in the Sunday 6:00 PM timeslot. Starting from the next episode, the episodes begun to air on Fridays at 6:55 PM.
* This episode marks the first physical appearance of Chuck in the animated series since Machoke, Machoke Man!, 915 episodes earlier.
* Bea's ranking in this episode is the same number as her uniform number.
* This marks the first time Ash's Pikachu has been defeated in a World Coronation Series .
* This marks the only known time where one of Ash's World Coronation Series matches has ended in a tie.
* This is the ninth consecutive episode in which Goh obtains a new Pokémon, making this the longest streak of consecutive episodes in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon.
* Professor Cerise, Ash, Goh, and Pikachu narrate the preview for the next episode.
** A special preview for future anime events was aired after this episode.
===Errors===
* In the orignal version, after Ash's Riolu slides away from Grapploct, the black part of its upper body is miscolored. This error is fixed in the dub.
* When uses to counter a attack from Bea's , Pikachu's body disappears for a split-second during the animation.
===Dub edits===
* The Japanese text depicting Cianwood Gym's name is edited out.
==In other languages==
039
Category:Episodes written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane
Category:Episodes animated by Izumi Shimura
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon
Category:Episodes with World Coronation Series matches
Category:Episodes which aired in the United Kingdom before the United States
Category:Episodes in which an alternately colored Pokémon appears
de:Gesprengte Octoklammer!
es:EP1128
fr:LV039
it:EP039
ja:新無印編第39話
zh:宝可梦 旅途 第39集