AG175

←	AG174 : New Plot, Odd Lot!

Going for Choke!

AG175

EP449

ハルカVSムサシ！最後のコンテスト！！
Haruka VS Musashi! The Last Contest!!

First broadcast

Japan	May 4, 2006
United States	November 30, 2006

English themes

Opening	Battle Frontier
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	スパート！
Ending	私、負けない！～ハルカのテーマ～

Credits

No additional credits are available at this time.
Animation	Team Iguchi
Screenplay	冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka
Storyboard	川田武範 Takenori Kawada
Assistant director	秦義人 Yoshito Hata
Animation directors	山下惠 Megumi Yamashita
Animation directors	鵜飼一幸 Kazuyuki Ukai

Screenshots on Filb.de
Early reports originally listed Norihiko Nagahama as the director and Izumi Shimura as the sole animation director.

Going for Choke! (Japanese: ハルカVSムサシ！最後のコンテスト！！ Haruka VS Musashi! The Last Contest!!) is the 175th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 449th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on May 4, 2006 and in the United States on November 30, 2006.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Blurb

The competition is underway at the Mulberry Town Pokémon Contest, where Harley has teamed up with Team Rocket to plot May's downfall. While May is getting ready for her first opponent, Team Rocket lures her friends into a sealed transport container and sends them up, up and away with a Meowth balloon! But they didn't count on Drew being there to save the day. He frees Ash and the others, only for all them to then fall into one of Team Rocket's old-fashioned pit traps. While James and Meowth gloat, our heroes realize Team Rocket is working with Harley, and they have to get back to the Contest to help May.

Up on stage, May and her Squirtle are preparing to face Jessie, who's disguised as Jessebella and using Harley's Cacturne. Below the stage, Harley and Team Rocket are preparing some more tricks when our heroes catch up to them. Harley points out that there's no rule against using someone else's Pokémon in a Contest, but his plans are foiled for now.

Meanwhile, Jessie's initial delight wears off when even Banette can't easily win her the match. Banette gets annoyed by Jessie's complaints, and it looks like the odds are back in May's favor. But as time runs out, the two Coordinators are matched in points, and it goes into overtime! Jessebella is eager to win, but she's snapping at Banette and without a good understanding between Coordinator and Pokémon, it's only a matter of time before May wins and the ribbon is hers. Harley gives up on Team Rocket in disgust. May meets Drew and the two are looking forward to a match-up at the Indigo Plateau. As for Ash, he's looking forward to the Battle Pyramid!

Plot

May's poor display of talent in the first round has left her in a challenging position. With the ever powerful Jessie awaiting her on the other side, will May be able to claim her place in the Kanto Grand Festival or have her dreams crushed by Jessie?

The crowd grows louder as Lilian introduces the tournament bracket depicting the eight Coordinators who advanced to the Contest Battles. Jessie is located at the far left of the bracket while May is located at the far right leaving an opportunity for May and Jessie to meet in the final round.

Meanwhile, May examines the screen viewing the bracket as Jessie arrives onto the scene. When May asks her about her Pokémon, Jessie accidentally releases Harley's name but is quick to correct her problem and walks off into the distance. Drew walks down a corresponding corridor and happens to overhear May's conversation. Ash, Max and Brock wish May luck and exit the room as Drew moves backwards out of sight.

Two personnel, including a man and Pokémon, arrive and direct Ash and everyone towards the Contest. Contest preparations are finalized as Lilian begins the Contest. Jessie rotates a solitary Poké Ball into the atmosphere sending out Banette. James, who is disguised, opens a door and directs our heroes inside. As Ash, Max, and Brock disperse into the darkness, James closes the door and locks them inside.

Meowth reveals a small remote and with a press of a button the corresponding walls collapse and reveal a steel box and balloon attached to the top. The balloon begins to inflate with air lifting our heroes into the atmosphere. As our heroes disperse into the distance, Meowth and James give their quick goodbyes.

Jessie's round is already underway as Banette shocks the competition with a devastating Thunder to its opponent Noctowl. After a few moments, Noctowl is defeated and Jessie moves into the next round. Ash attempts to exit the steel box as Pikachu directs a Thunderbolt but the attack only reflects off the surface and dissipates in the atmosphere. The metallic prison begins to agitate as an airborne Flygon directs the steel box to the ground with a Sandstorm. After a few moments, the steel prison finally crashes into the ground creating a giant plume of smoke and dust.

With a quick rotation of her hand, May releases Squirtle with a flash of light. May's opponent doesn't hesitate to begin the battle with his Skarmory and its Steel Wing attack. As its wings glow a majestic color and begins its descent, Squirtle Withdraws and begins rotating at a high speed clashing with Skarmory.

The doors of the steel box begin to melt and finally collapse as Drew returns Flygon to its Poké Ball. Ash, Max, and Brock are stunned with the sight of Drew.

Squirtle continues the attack with an Ice Beam but Skarmory manages to evade the attack. Squirtle follows up with a BubbleBeam attack as Skarmory uses its Swift attack to defend against the impending attack. The countdown timer expires advancing May to the next round.

Our heroes advance towards the Contest location as the ground begins to collapse and everyone is thrown underground. After a few seconds, James and Meowth place a steel grid over the newly formed hole. James and Meowth escape into the distance leaving our heroes to bid for themselves. Brock calls upon his Forretress as it rotates at a high speed and clashes with the grid.

The tournament finale has finally arrived leaving Jessie and May to clash for the final Ribbon. Two solitary lights illuminate our contestants, May and Jessie. James and Meowth make contact with Harley underground. After a few moments, Ash and everyone finally catch up to Team Rocket where everyone learns that Jessibella was actually Jessie in disguise. After a few moments, Harley escapes into the distance with James and Meowth trailing behind.

The final round begins commencement as May calls upon her Squirtle and Jessie releases Banette. Banette swiftly goes on the attack with a Thunder hitting Squirtle for direct damage. A small portion of May's points are deducted while James, Meowth, and Harley examine the battle from overhead. Squirtle recovers from the attack and retaliates with an Ice Beam freezing Banette in place. After a few seconds, Banette breaks from the icy prison and responds with a Will-O-Wisp attack. Banette launches another Thunder attack as Squirtle counterattacks with a BubbleBeam attack easily overcoming the Electric-type attack and hits Banette for direct damage. Banette goes on the attack striking Squirtle with Frustration as Squirtle withdraws into its shell to protect itself from further damage. After a few moments, Squirtle goes into a Rapid Spin attack also managing to rotate Banette releasing its grasp on Squirtle. Banette goes on the attack while Squirtle begins rotating throughout the stadium leaving Banette in a confused state. The timer expires with both Jessie and May left with equal point levels.

The battle now moves advances into an extra stage. Banette strikes forward with a Thunder as Squirtle attacks with an Ice Beam. Both Pokémon evade the attacks while Squirtle begins rotating at a high speed while also unleashing a BubbleBeam attack which collides with Banette's Will-O-Wisp attack. Squirtle launches a final Ice Beam managing to freeze Banette into place. As Banette manages to break from the ice, Squirtle begins rotating towards Banette. Just as Banette manages to break from the icy prison, Squirtle clashes with Banette thrusting it towards the ground. Banette collides with the ground and is unable to battle, depleting Jessie's remaining points. The crowd explodes as the Contest concludes and May announced as the winner. May is presented with her fifth and final Ribbon completing the requirement for the Kanto Grand Festival.

Harley rubs Banette's Poké Ball against his face and begins hammering Jessie about her Contest performance. Harley escapes into the distance bidding Team Rocket a farewell. Ash and everyone finally catch up to May. She notices Drew in the distance and runs to catch him wishing him luck in the Grand Festival. Jessie is left in a defeated state while May's Flames of Courage growing ever so brighter with our everlasting heroes conquering a forbidding and unforgiving frontier.

Major events

May holding the Mulberry Ribbon

May wins the Mulberry Contest, earning her fifth Kanto Ribbon and securing her a place in the Kanto Grand Festival.
The group learns that the Kanto Grand Festival will be held at Indigo Plateau.
Harley takes Cacturne and Banette back from Jessie.
Drew is revealed to have earned four more Ribbons, thus bringing his total to five and qualifying him for the Grand Festival.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Trivia

This episode establishes that when a Contest Battle ends in a tie, an extra battle is held, which ends when one of the Coordinators reaches zero points, or one of the Pokémon is unable to battle.
A karaoke version of 私、負けない！〜ハルカのテーマ〜 I Won't Lose! ~Haruka's Theme~ is used as background music.
A karaoke version of 前向きロケット団！ Face Forward Team Rocket! is used as background music for the next episode preview.
This is the first time Skarmory's voice was dubbed since its debut in Hot Matches!.
This is the last time Jessie uses Jessebella in disguise after Ash and his friends found out her true identity.
The dub's title is based on the phrase, "Go for broke".
The song Dragonite Takes Flight from Mewtwo Strikes Back was used.
Team Rocket doesn't blast off or recite their motto in this episode.

Errors

In Jessie's first match in the Battle Round, the camera is overlooking the entire battlefield from a distance and there appears to be Pokémon on it, but in the very next scene there weren't actually any Pokémon on it yet.
Brock's Forretress is sent out from a regular Poké Ball instead of a Fast Ball.
When Squirtle uses Tackle on Banette, it deals damage despite it being a Normal-type move. The same thing happens later when Squirtle uses Rapid Spin.
- This contradicts what happened in Disguise Da Limit and The Scheme Team when Max and Agatha explained that Normal-type moves have no effect on Ghost-types when a Normal-type move failed to damage a Ghost-type.
Banette's tail is missing in one scene.
In some scenes, Pikachu's voice can be heard but Pikachu cannot be seen. Also, these scenes have nothing to do with Pikachu, implying an error.

Dub edits

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		小遙對抗武藏！最後的華麗大賽！！
Dutch		Alles op Alles
Finnish		Kuristusotteessa
European French		Un enjeu de taille
German		Wer aufgibt, hat verloren!
Hebrew		ללכת עד הסוף
Italian		Una nuova trappola
Brazilian Portuguese		Indo para o Sufoco
Spanish	Latin America	Cerca de la victoria
Spanish	Spain	¡Sin respiración!
Swedish		Elakt spel!