XY044

Showdown at the Shalour Gym! (Japanese: シャラジム戦！ピカチュウVSメガルカリオ！！ Gym Match! Pikachu VS Mega Lucario!!) is the 44th episode of Pokémon the Series: XY, and the 843rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on September 25, 2014 and in the United States on November 15, 2014.
==Blurb==
Ash's Shalour City Gym battle against Korrina is under way! The battle begins as Ash's Hawlucha faces off against Korrina's Mienfoo. He tries to use the rhythmic battle style he learned from Tierno, but it's not going so well. Finally, he remembers Serena's observation that he has his own unique style, and decides to battle like himself instead!
With this change of tactics, Hawlucha wins. Ash then sends in Fletchinder, who quickly takes down Korrina's Machoke. The Gym Leader has just one Pokémon left, and of course it's her partner Lucario, who Mega Evolves and knocks out Fletchinder and then Hawlucha in short order. But our hero's unique battling style shines, and in the final matchup, Pikachu defeats Mega Lucario!
Ash wins the Rumble Badge, and the gang is off to Coumarine City for his next Gym battle!
==Plot==
After arriving at Shalour City, is ready to battle and get his third Kalos Gym Badge. and the watch the match unfold from a viewing platform. Gurkinn is the referee and says that this battle is three-on-three and only Ash is able to make substitutions. 
Korrina selects as her first choice, to which checks it on her Pokédex. Ash sends out his to battle Mienfoo. Ash tries to use 's strategy but Hawlucha gets hit by a despite using a rhythm to avoid it. Mienfoo uses next, which Ash tells Hawlucha to block, but he still gets hit, getting his energy sapped in the process. Ash tells Hawlucha to fight back with , but Korrina has Mienfoo block it with a kick. Ash is wondering why the rhythm strategy didn't work despite that Tierno's Squirtle had no problem moving around. Korrina tells Mienfoo to use , scoring a direct hit on Hawlucha. Hawlucha is still okay to battle, so Ash calls for a attack. Korrina tells Mienfoo to counter with , which hits its mark, and Hawlucha crashes onto the battlefield.
Ash has no idea how he is going to win and while looking up towards , has a flashback about the dancing practice from the other day. Following Serena's advice, Ash decides to use his own strategy and in the middle of the fight, Mienfoo uses a High Jump Kick as Hawlucha waits for the right moment to lure it in. On Ash's orders, Hawlucha perfectly dodges Mienfoo's High Jump Kick, with the latter suffering crash damage as a result. Hawlucha follows on with Karate Chop and it hits Mienfoo. Korrina tells Mienfoo to fight back with Force Palm but Ash has Hawlucha use Flying Press to dodge Mienfoo's oncoming Force Palm before coming in for the finishing blow, knocking Mienfoo out.
Meanwhile, shows up and is planning to steal Pokémon while the others are distracted during Ash and Korrina's battle. As Korrina recalls Mienfoo, she sends out . Ash calls Hawlucha back and sends out , starting things off with a . Machoke manages to avoid it and attacks Fletchinder with , which sends it tumbling to the ground. Fletchinder manages to get up but also gets hit by Machoke's . Still hanging in there, Fletchinder uses , but Machoke blocks it. Machoke manages to throw Fletchinder, but it holds on and launches a which damages Machoke a little. Fletchinder attacks again with Flame Charge, striking Machoke down and out as it prepares a counter attack.
Now, Korrina sends out her last Pokémon, and promptly Mega Evolves it to raise the stakes. Ash decides to keep Fletchinder in since it has the type advantage over Lucario. Fletchinder attacks with Flame Charge while Lucario uses an ear-deafening . Fletchinder struggles against the frequency but still manages to score a hit on Lucario. Lucario uses , but Fletchinder managed to block with Steel Wing. While the smoke clears, Lucario comes up behind Fletchinder and uses , knocking Fletchinder out.
Ash recalls Fletchinder and sends Hawlucha again to battle Korrina's Lucario. Ash tells Hawlucha to use Karate Chop. As Ash's friends cheer for him and Hawlucha, Team Rocket is running down the hall, attempting to steal . However, as they are about to go further, Froakie sees them and uses its Frubbles to stop them in their tracks. The friends also notice them and ask them why they're here. Team Rocket states that they are just doing their job and tells the twerps to stay out of their way. The evil trio wastes no time, sending out and to battle. As Team Rocket's Pokémon launch and attacks, Froakie steps in and uses its Frubbles to block the attacks, much to Team Rocket's shock. Quickly, sends out and Serena sends out . By their s' orders, they use and to send Jessie, James, and Meowth blasting off again, saving the Shalour Gym. Ash, however, was too involved in the Gym match to notice Team Rocket. He calls for Hawlucha to use Flying Press. Lucario batters Hawlucha away with a before defeating him with a powerful Aura Sphere.
After recalling Hawlucha and remarking that Korrina and Lucario have gotten much stronger from training, Ash sends Pikachu onto the field as his last Pokémon to battle Lucario. After a pause, Serena asks why neither Ash nor Korrina are making a move yet, to which Clemont replies that their Pokémon can't afford to lose the battle and that they’re being extra careful. Starting off, Ash tells Pikachu to use as Korrina tells Lucario to draw it in. Still running, Pikachu prepares to use while Lucario uses Bone Rush. Pikachu manages to strike but Lucario's Bone Rush deflects the attack toward the ceiling. Pikachu tries an next, but Lucario blocks it and sends Pikachu flying with a kick. Ash tells Pikachu to use while in mid-air, which hits his opponent much to Korrina’s surprise. Lucario retaliates with an Aura Sphere, though Pikachu returns to his feet following the attack. Korrina calls for a Metal Sound, immobilizing Pikachu. Thinking fast, Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt to stop Lucario's Metal Sound. Lucario also uses Aura Sphere, but Pikachu manages to deflect it with his Iron Tail, as Clemont states that's the same Climb strategy from the Cyllage Gym battle with Grant. Korrina tells Lucario to use Bone Rush as Ash calls for another Iron Tail to block. During the collision, they’re both hurt but standing. Lucario follows on with Power-Up Punch, which clashes with Pikachu’s Iron Tail. Pikachu goes for an Electro Ball next while Lucario uses Aura Sphere, again the attacks collide. Finally, Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt that hits Lucario which it wasn't able to dodge, knocking Lucario out and returning it to its normal form. While Korrina is defeated, Gurkinn finally admits his granddaughter put up an excellent fight. Korrina picks herself up and gives Ash the in recognition of the victory.
Ash wonders where he should go next, to which Gurkinn replies that he should go to Coumarine City where another challenging Gym Leader awaits. Serena takes a moment to check her guide and is excited to learn the city has a monorail. Before the group sets off for Coumarine, Korrina bumps fists with Ash and tells him to come back soon and Ash agrees. Pikachu and Lucario also exchange a fist bump hoping that they will meet again someday.
==Major events==
* is revealed to own a and a .
* has a Gym against Korrina and wins, earning the .
* Ash learns that the next Gym is located in Coumarine City.
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* 
* (flashback)
* Gurkinn
* Summer Camp Trainers (flashback)
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international)Pokémon Quiz: (Japan)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; )
* ()
* (Grant's; flashback)
* (; Mega Lucario)
* ('s)
* ('s)
* (; flashback)
* (flashback)
==Trivia== 
* Mairin's Mega Evolution Journal: 
* , , and narrate the preview for the next episode.
* Music from Genesect and the Legend Awakened is used in this episode.
* This is the first episode to show Korrina's Lucario in its .
* This is the first time where was not portrayed as a light blue ball of energy. 's 's Focus Blast was instead portrayed as a glowing bright yellow ball of energy, making it identical to how it is portrayed in the games.
* Right before Korrina Mega Evolves her Lucario, she poses and says, " Life Explosion", spelling the kanji onscreen as well. This is a line taken directly from the games, which she says before the battles her at the Tower of Mastery. This scene also marks one of the very rare instances after the original series, and the first time in Pokémon the Series: XY, that Japanese text can be seen.
* This episode marks the first appearance of a in the since its cameo in A Marathon Rivalry!, 217 episodes earlier.
* V (Volt) is used as an insert song during the battle's conclusion.
* This is the only time in all of the dub that is referred to as Carga Focada, its name, instead of Explosão Focalizada, a name used since the move's debut in Glory Blaze!.
===Errors===
* When discharges electricity after Ash asks him if he can get up, Gurkinn isn't present when the camera moves behind Korrina to show the entire field.
* Just as the camera moves closer to the center of the battlefield as starts battling Machoke, Gurkinn disappears for a split-second.
* Hawlucha is hit by , even though Hawlucha is a type, and thus immune to moves.
* In the and dubs, just when is thrown into the wall and faints, Ash's English voice can be heard.
* The dub of the mistakenly calls the Gym "Showdown Gym" in the episode title.
===Dub edits===
* The kanji 命 爆発 (Life Explosion) that appeared during Korrina's poses are removed and replaced with her close-up poses in the dub.
==In other languages==
044
Category:Episodes written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Daiki Tomiyasu
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Daiki Tomiyasu
Category:Episodes directed by Daiki Tomiyasu
Category:Episodes animated by Izumi Shimura
Category:Episodes with Gym battles
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Pikachu
Category:Episodes in which Ash gets a Badge
de:Kräftemessen in der Yantara-Arena!
es:EP848
fr:XY044
it:XY044
ja:XY編第43話
zh:宝可梦 XY 第43集