DP068
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A Triple Fighting Chance!
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First broadcast
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English themes
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Japanese themes
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Credits
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A Triple Fighting Chance! (Japanese: トバリジム！ルカリオ対ブイゼル！！ Tobari Gym! Lucario VS Buoysel!!) is the 68th episode of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, and the 534th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on February 28, 2008 and in the United States on August 2, 2008.
Blurb
Dawn's Veilstone Gym challenge has restored Gym Leader Maylene's confidence, so Maylene is now ready to accept Ash's own Gym challenge. Their 3-on-3 battle starts with Maylene's Machoke battling Ash's Staravia—Ash is clearly banking on using Staravia's type advantage, but Maylene's Machoke has learned to use its Fighting-type moves for defense as well as offense. Still, Staravia wins the battle without too much fuss and moves on to battle Meditite.
Meditite hits Staravia with Confusion, so Ash switches in Chimchar. Again, it's not long before Meditite hits it with Confusion; Ash brings Staravia back now that its Confusion has worn off. He takes this opportunity to show off Staravia's new move, Brave Bird, which knocks out Meditite. When Lucario steps up to the plate, Ash banks on Brave Bird once more, but Lucario knocks Staravia out with Metal Claw. Ash brings in Chimchar, but even Chimchar's Fire-type moves don't slow Lucario down. Soon Chimchar is unable to battle as well!
Now it's time for a real showdown: Lucario vs. Ash's Buizel, a matchup between two Pokémon who live for battling. Their fight blows the roof off the Gym and that's what makes all the difference—even with its newly learned move, Water Pulse, Buizel is starting to flag until rain begins to fall through the new hole in the ceiling. Now Buizel's Swift Swim Ability kicks in, boosting its speed and keeping it in the game. The two go head-to-head once more: as the dust settles, they both faint, ending the match in a draw. But because Maylene has the right to award a badge if she chooses, she gives Ash the Cobble Badge in honor of a great battle!
Plot
After regaining her confidence in a battle with Dawn, Maylene accepts Ash's Gym battle challenge. Ash and Maylene participate in a fierce 3-on-3 fight, while Dawn cheers for them along with her Pokémon. Ash sends out his Staravia to battle against Maylene's Machoke and the match begins. Ash commands his Staravia to use Quick Attack, but Machoke counters it with Brick Break. Ash commands his Staravia to push back, using Gust then following up with an Aerial Ace attack. Machoke easily dodges it and Maylene commands her Machoke to use Cross Chop, leading Staravia to take a powerful hit. Brock points out that Ash wants Staravia to close in with Aerial Ace. Maylene commands her Machoke to keep using Brick Break which hits Staravia multiple times. Brock hints that Staravia can't afford to take many more hits. Maylene commands her Machoke to use Seismic Toss as a finishing attack. Ash tells his Staravia to use Quick Attack with intense speed which hits Maylene's Machoke. Staravia repeats this strategy by using Aerial Ace which leads to Machoke being knocked out.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket plans to poach the Gym's Pokémon by looking at the doors. They find themselves in a relaxation room in which they plan to have a massage first before poaching the Gym's Pokémon. Maylene sends out Meditite, while Ash keeps his Staravia in. Ash commands Staravia to use Quick Attack, but Meditite easily counters it with Detect then uses Meditate to boost its attack power. Staravia uses Aerial Ace again, but Maylene commands her Meditite to use Detect, and then Meditate to raise its attack power again so it can finish it all in one hit. Ash commands Staravia to ruin their concentration. Maylene commands her Meditite to bounce off the wall and use Drain Punch, which hits Staravia. Ash commands his Staravia to keep going by using Aerial Ace, but Meditite uses Confusion, which confuses Staravia. Ash recalls Staravia back to its Poké Ball. Ash sends Chimchar out next and commands him to use Scratch, hitting Meditite.
Maylene commands Meditite to keep using Drain Punch so it can absorb Chimchar's energy and heal itself. Ash tells Chimchar to dodge and to keep using Scratch. Maylene commands Meditite to keep using Detect, preventing Chimchar's Scratch from hitting. It works for a bit, but then Meditite's Detect fails and it is hit with Scratch several times. Maylene is impressed by Chimchar's skill. Ash tells Chimchar to use Flamethrower, which hits Meditite, and then to follow up with Flame Wheel. Before the Flame Wheel can hit, Maylene orders Meditite to use Confusion, which leaves Chimchar rolling off in the wrong direction and attacking the nearest wall with Scratch. Ash returns Chimchar to his Poké Ball and sends Staravia back out, with its confusion healed. Meditite uses Drain Punch, but Staravia pushes it back, then attacks with Brave Bird. Maylene orders Meditite to use Confusion, but with no more energy left, the move fails and Staravia knocks out Meditite. Brock says that Brave Bird can be dangerous and that the user can take some damage when using it. Maylene only has one Pokémon left, while Ash stays with Staravia. Maylene sends out Lucario. Ash commands Staravia to use Brave Bird, but as it closes in Lucario counters it with Metal Claw which takes Staravia out of the battle.
Ash sends out Chimchar again, commanding him to use Flamethrower, but it is easily dodged by Lucario. Ash orders Chimchar to keep using Flamethrower and Maylene commands Lucario to keep dodging, easily done with its excellent speed. Ash, wanting to get closer, commands Chimchar to use Scratch which is dodged by Lucario. Maylene commands her Lucario to use Force Palm, hitting Chimchar. Ash commands Chimchar to use Flame Wheel, a perfect hit with its maximum power. Ash commands Chimchar to use Flame Wheel again but fails since Chimchar got paralyzed by Lucario's Force Palm. Lucario attacks Chimchar with Bone Rush which hits Chimchar multiple times. Ash orders Chimchar to use Dig so it can get away. Maylene tells her Lucario to sense Chimchar's Aura so it can detect Chimchar underground, then attack the ground where Chimchar was hiding with Aura Sphere. Chimchar is thrown out of the ground, so Maylene commands Lucario to use Metal Claw which knocks out Chimchar. Ash chooses his Buizel to battle against Maylene's Lucario. Brock notices that Croagunk is missing.
Team Rocket finds the Training room and checks it out, hoping they can find Pokémon inside. Instead, they find Croagunk practicing Poison Jab in a pot full of sand. Team Rocket quietly closes the door and leaves to check out more rooms. They're surprised to find Croagunk in front of them, locking eyes with him for a while. Croagunk finishes Team Rocket off with Poison Jab, sending Team Rocket blasting off again.
Meanwhile, Buizel uses Water Gun while Lucario counters with Aura Sphere, resulting in an explosion, but Aura Sphere still connects with Buizel. Maylene orders Lucario to use Bone Rush which Buizel dodges. Ash commands Buizel to spin and use Aqua Jet. When Maylene orders Lucario to use Metal Claw, the Aqua Jet surpasses the Metal Claw attack and hits Lucario. Buizel uses Sonic Boom and Lucario uses Bone Rush to defend, spinning it. Lucario launches several Aura Spheres at Buizel, all of which are defended against by Buizel's Sonic Booms. Lucario gets in close and then uses Force Palm which hits Buizel. Maylene orders Lucario to finish up with Aura Sphere at maximum power. Buizel, still feeling the effect of Force Palm, manages to learn Water Pulse which surprises Ash and the others. Maylene orders Lucario to use Aura Sphere while Ash commands Buizel to use Water Pulse.
The two raging energy balls result in an explosion, Ash commands Buizel to spin and use Aqua Jet one more time while Maylene orders Lucario to use Force Palm, resulting in an explosion again that hurts both Pokémon, but both recover and the two Pokémon battle in the air, Lucario using Aura Sphere and Buizel using Water Pulse. The resulting explosion in the air destroys the battlefield's roof, exposing the field to the open sky. Both Pokémon are hurt until Maylene's Lucario manages to recover and attack Buizel with Metal Claw, which hits Buizel. Just as the referee prepares to rule Buizel as unable to battle, the Sea Weasel Pokémon gets up. Maylene commands Lucario to use Bone Rush, and Ash orders Buizel to dodge, but he can't move. When Dawn tells Buizel to dodge, she notices that it has started to rain. Buizel dodges the Bone Rush at the last second, with his speed dramatically increased. Brock recognizes this as the activation of Buizel's Ability, Swift Swim, as Buizel manages to dodge all the Bone Rush strikes of Lucario. Ash commands Buizel to spin and use Aqua Jet while Maylene orders Lucario to use Force Palm, from which Buizel takes some damage. While Dawn cheers for Buizel, Ash commands Buizel to use Water Pulse, then to spin and use Aqua Jet against Lucario's Force Palm, a combination of Water Pulse and Aqua Jet. The resulting collision leaves both Pokémon unable to battle, and therefore the battle between Maylene and Ash ends in a draw.
After the fierce battle, the referee states that awarding a Gym Badge for a tie depends on the judgment of the Gym Leader. Maylene says that Ash gave her the greatest Gym battle of her life and all of Maylene's Pokémon agree that it is a good enough reason to award Ash the Cobble Badge.
Major events
- Ash's Staravia perfects Brave Bird.
- Ash's Buizel learns Water Pulse and is revealed to have Swift Swim as his Ability.
- Ash has a Gym battle with Maylene, which ends in a tie, but he still receives the Cobble Badge.
- For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.
Debuts
Pokémon debuts
Characters
Humans
Pokémon
- Pikachu (Ash's)
- Meowth (Team Rocket)
- Piplup (Dawn's)
- Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
- Staravia (Ash's)
- Chimchar (Ash's)
- Buizel (Ash's)
- Buneary (Dawn's)
- Pachirisu (Dawn's)
- Ambipom (Dawn's)
- Croagunk (Brock's)
- Lucario (Maylene's)
- Machoke (Maylene's)
- Meditite (Maylene's)
- Croagunk (Veilstone Gym's)
Trivia
- Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia: Ash's Gligar
- This is the 50th episode since Ash earned his first Sinnoh Badge. In Kanto, Ash already had eight Badges by this point, while in Johto, he was going for his fourth Badge. In both Hoenn and Unova, he had four Badges; and in Kalos, he had three Badges.
- Type: Wild was used as background music, along with music from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
- This is the first time one of the protection moves is shown to fail due to overuse in the anime.
- This is the first time Ash calls back two of his Pokémon during a battle to cure confusion.
- This is the second time in a row that Pikachu is not used in a Gym battle, which has never happened before.
- It is revealed in this episode that, in the event of a Gym battle ending in a tie, the Gym Leader is then required to decide if the challenger deserves to win the Badge based on their performance.
- This is also the only time thus far when Ash has tied with a Gym Leader.
- Team Rocket doesn't recite the motto in this episode.
- Despite having debuted in The Punchy Pokémon, 505 episodes ago, this is the first time that Machoke has received a Pokédex entry in the anime.
Errors
- Ash's Staravia uses Gust a few times in this episode, a move that neither it nor its evolutionary relatives had access to until Generation VIII. In the original version of this episode, Ash actually used the move's name, "かぜおこし", when commanding Staravia to use it, but it was later edited to instead have him say "押し返せ", which means "push back". This is also what Ash says in the English dub.
- When Staravia first uses Aerial Ace on Meditite, it starts approaching from the right side, even though it was positioned on the left side.
- In the Finnish dub, the word "ottelu" in the title card incorrectly starts with a capital letter.
- In the Polish dub, "Dłoń Siły" is called "Siła Dłoni" throughout the second half of the episode.
Dub edits
In other languages
| Language | Title | |
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| Mandarin Chinese | 帷幕道館！路卡利歐對泳氣鼬！！ | |
 Czech
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Trojí příležitost k zápasu | |
 Danish
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En tredobbelt udfordring | |
 Dutch
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Drie winkansen! | |
 Finnish
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Kolminkertainen ottelu! | |
 European French
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Un match trois sur trois ! | |
 German
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Heiß, heißer, am heißesten! | |
 Italian
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Sfida con tre possibilità! | |
 Korean
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장막체육관 시합! 지우 vs 자두 | |
 Norwegian
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Tredobbel slåss-sjanse | |
 Polish
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Potrójna szansa wygranej | |
| Portuguese |  Brazil
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Uma Chance Tripla! |
 Portugal
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Oportunidade Tripla de Combate! | |
 Russian
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Тройной шанс в бою | |
| Spanish |  Latin America
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¡Triple oportunidad de batalla! |
 Spain
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Desafío Tres contra Tres | |
 Swedish
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Trippelchans till tredje vinsten! | |
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This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
- Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl episodes
- Episodes written by Shōji Yonemura
- Episodes storyboarded by Masamitsu Hidaka
- Episodes directed by Masaru Koyama
- Episodes animated by Izumi Shimura
- Episodes focusing on Ash
- Episodes in which Ash gets a Badge
- Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon masters a move
- Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon learns a new move
- Episodes with Gym battles
