JN114

←	JN113 : Chasing to the Finish!

Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!

JN114

EP1199

炎の特訓バトル！サトシ対シンジ！！
Training Battle of Flames! Satoshi VS Shinji!!

First broadcast

Japan	June 10, 2022
United States	February 24, 2023

English themes

Opening	With You
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	１・２・３
Ending	バツグンタイプ

Credits

Additional credits
Animation	Team Kato
Screenplay	冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka
Storyboard	浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director	浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Animation directors	岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane
Animation directors	志村泉 Izumi Shimura

Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit! (Japanese: 炎の特訓バトル！サトシ対シンジ！！ Training Battle of Flames! Satoshi VS Shinji!!) is the 114th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,199th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on June 10, 2022, in Canada on November 19, 2022, in South Africa on January 10, 2023, in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2023, in Australia on January 22, 2023, and in the United States on February 24, 2023.

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

Blurb

With the Masters Eight Tournament approaching, Ash is training hard when he receives a call from Professor Oak encouraging him to visit all his Pokémon at the lab. So, he and Goh set off to Pallet Town. There, Ash’s current team begins training with his other Pokémon, but when Gengar ends up in the forest, our heroes unexpectedly run into Paul, Ash’s rival from Sinnoh! Although Paul isn’t in the World Coronation Series, he agrees to battle Ash using his Gyarados, Garchomp, and Metagross—all Pokémon used by members of the Masters Eight. Though Paul’s skills are formidable, Ash wins after Gengar unleashes a fiery new move!

Plot

Ash and his team are hard at work training for the Masters Eight Tournament, when he receives an unexpected phone call from Professor Oak, which gives him the idea to bring his team to meet all of his Pokémon at Oak's lab to get them fired up. The instant he and Goh arrive there, Ash's Pokémon swarm over them in a wave of welcoming friendliness. Ash lets his team out and asks his other Pokémon to help them power up for the big tournament. The Pokémon express their willingness to help by showing off a display of their moves, with Gengar taking a particular interest in Ash's Fire types. When it touches Infernape, it is surrounded by fire and flies off into the distance. When Ash and Goh catch up to it, they also find an Electivire and its Trainer, who is none other than Paul, Ash's former rival from his time of traveling through Sinnoh. Professor Oak joins in, along with most of Ash's Fire Pokémon, and reveals that Paul had turned up here the day before, having come to learn more about Pokémon from him, given the fact that he is a leading expert in Pokémon research.

Gengar heads off to train with Ash's Fire Pokémon, and Ash intends to join in, but Paul tells him to leave it to his Pokémon. Infernape initially stays behind, but Paul tells him to go along as well, which he does. Goh is surprised to see Infernape listening to Paul until Ash explains that Infernape used to be Paul's Pokémon back as a Chimchar until he was released by him as a failure and taken in by Ash, who raised him into an Infernape. While Ash's Pokémon train and relax with each other, Ash and Paul sit down to talk, with Paul revealing that he didn't participate in the World Coronation Series, uninterested in all the noise of the event. Ash decides to take advantage of the situation and challenges Paul to a battle. Paul accepts, dictating that the battle will be three-on-three, but also telling Ash to only use Pokémon he intends to use in the Masters Eight Tournament. Ash accepts these conditions and goes to get his team, finding Gengar just in time to see it learn a new move in Will-O-Wisp.

All of Ash's Pokémon gather to watch his and Paul's battle. Ash chooses Lucario as his first Pokémon, while Paul leads with Gyarados. Lucario makes the first move with Double Team, surrounding Gyarados with illusionary copies of itself. Gyarados attacks the copies with Ice Fang and Hyper Beam, but is forced to recharge after the latter move. Ash tries to exploit this with a close-range Aura Sphere, but Lucario gets caught by Gyarados's tail before it can go off and is struck by a flurry of Ice Fangs. After freeing itself with Steel Beam, Lucario starts gathering Steel-type energy around its fists, signifying that a new move is coming. Ash recognizes the new attack and has his partner hit Gyarados with Bullet Punch, right before Gyarados fires right back with Hyper Beam. As the smoke clears, Gyarados is revealed to have fainted, giving Ash the first win of the battle.

Ash and Paul recall their Pokémon, before Ash chooses Dragonite as his second, and Paul sends out his Garchomp in response. After a clash of a flurry of Dragon Claws, Dragonite goes in for a Hurricane, but is beaten to the punch by Garchomp's super effective Stone Edge and takes a lot of damage. Garchomp's assault continues with Draco Meteor, which also lands a hit. Ash has Dragonite use its own Draco Meteor in return, even having it charge at Garchomp along with the attack, demonstrating Ash's unpredictable improvisational skills. However, Garchomp's counterattack with Dragon Claw overpowers Dragonite and takes it down, giving Paul one win and evening the score. Ash dubs his new improvised tactic "Dragonite Meteor," but Paul is unimpressed and mocks the name, much to Ash's chagrin.

As Ash recalls Dragonite, Paul recalls Garchomp and sends out his last Pokémon, Metagross, whom Ash sends Gengar out against. Metagross uses Agility to match Gengar's speed, before throwing it back with Psychic. Paul berates Ash for calling himself one of the Masters Eight if he's struggling against him this much and has Metagross attack with Meteor Mash, dealing another big hit. With Infernape's encouragement, Gengar stands back up, not wanting to let Ash and his Fire types who worked so hard to train it down. Gengar then puts its new Will-O-Wisp into practice and successfully lands it. Metagross strikes with another Meteor Mash, but the burn it received from the Will-O-Wisp weakens the attack, allowing Gengar to withstand it and strike back with Shadow Ball, defeating its pseudo-legendary opponent and making Ash the winner of the battle.

While Ash's Fire types congratulate Gengar and Ash thanks them for their help, Goh points out that Paul's Pokémon were all the same as the respective aces of Lance, Cynthia, and Steven Stone, and wonders if this was intentional. Paul responds to this observation with a simple smile, bids farewell to Oak, Ash, and Infernape, and heads off. Professor Oak reveals that Paul has been asked to become a Gym Leader, which is why he had come to visit the lab to learn more about Pokémon. Feeling confident thanks to this visit, Ash is eager to head to the Masters Eight Tournament right away, but he and Goh are stopped by the appearance of Delia, who had arrived partway through the battle and invites them to stay a night at the Ketchum household before they leave, which they accept.

Major events

Ash and Goh visit Pallet Town again.
Ash meets Paul again, with Goh meeting him for the first time.
- In the process, Paul is revealed to have traveled to Kanto and met Professor Oak.
Ash's Infernape is revealed to have learned Fire Punch.
Ash's Gengar learns Will-O-Wisp.
Paul is revealed to own a Gyarados, a Garchomp, and a Metagross, and to have received an offer to become a Gym Leader.
Ash's Lucario learns Bullet Punch.
Ash has a three-on-three battle with Paul and wins.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

Ash
Dawn (flashback)
Brock (flashback)
Goh
Professor Oak
Delia Ketchum
Paul
Lance (fantasy)
Steven Stone (fantasy)
Cynthia (fantasy)

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Oshawott

Pikachu (Ash's)
Piplup (Dawn's; flashback)
Bulbasaur (Ash's)
Charizard (Ash's)
Kingler (Ash's)
Muk (Ash's)
Tauros (Ash's; ×30)
Snorlax (Ash's)
Heracross (Ash's)
Bayleef (Ash's)
Quilava (Ash's)
Totodile (Ash's)
Noctowl (Ash's; Shiny)
Donphan (Ash's)
Swellow (Ash's)
Sceptile (Ash's)
Corphish (Ash's)
Torkoal (Ash's)
Glalie (Ash's)
Aipom (Ash's; flashback)
Staraptor (Ash's)
Turtwig (Ash's; flashback)
Torterra (Ash's)
Chimchar (Ash's; flashback)
Infernape (Ash's)
Buizel (Ash's)
Gliscor (Ash's)
Gible (Ash's)
Unfezant (Ash's; female)
Oshawott (Ash's)
Pignite (Ash's)
Snivy (Ash's)
Scraggy (Ash's)
Leavanny (Ash's)
Palpitoad (Ash's)
Boldore (Ash's)
Krookodile (Ash's)
Talonflame (Ash's)
Hawlucha (Ash's)
Noivern (Ash's)
Dragonite (Ash's)
Gengar (Ash's)
Lucario (Ash's)
Sirfetch'd (Ash's)
Dracovish (Ash's)
Grookey (Goh's)
Electivire (Paul's)
Gyarados (Paul's)
Garchomp (Paul's)
Metagross (Paul's)
Gyarados (Lance's; Red Gyarados; fantasy)
Metagross (Steven's; Shiny; fantasy)
Garchomp (Cynthia's; fantasy)
Rotom (Professor Cerise's; Rotom Phone)

Trivia

The "After the story" artwork for this episode

Ash and Goh with all of Ash's Pokémon

Get Inspired! Let's Solve a Poké Riddle!!: Infernape
The English dub was released on the iTunes Store in Australia on November 6, 2022, 13 days before the episode aired in Canada.
The opening animation is updated to include Goh's Regieleki.
This episode marks the first physical appearance of Paul in the anime since The Semi-Final Frontier!, 544 episodes earlier.
This episode marks the largest gathering of Ash's Pokémon to date.
- This episode marks the first physical appearance of several of Ash's Pokémon after long absences:
  - Kingler, who last appeared in The Right Place and the Right Mime, 792 episodes earlier.
  - Noctowl and Glalie, both of whom last appeared in Working on a Right Move!, 548 episodes earlier.
  - Gliscor, who last appeared in Battling a Thaw in Relations!, 545 episodes earlier.
  - Swellow, Sceptile, Torkoal, and Gible, all of whom last appeared in The Semi-Final Frontier!, 544 episodes earlier.
  - Staraptor and Torterra, both of whom last appeared in Memories are Made of Bliss!, 542 episodes earlier.
  - Unfezant, Snivy, Scraggy, Leavanny, Palpitoad, and Boldore, all of whom last appeared in The Dream Continues!, 400 episodes earlier.
- This episode also marks the first time that all of Ash's Pokémon in his current party and at Professor Oak's Laboratory up to this point have physically appeared since The Right Place and the Right Mime, 792 episodes earlier.
This episode features the following flashbacks, which have all been remade to match the style introduced in Pokémon Journeys: The Series:
- Ash and Paul's first battle in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!.
- Paul releasing Chimchar and Ash later offering him a spot on his team in Glory Blaze!.
- Ash comforting Chimchar over his traumatic past in Tears For Fears!.
- Ash and Paul battling in the Lily of the Valley Conference and ending their rivalry in Battling a Thaw in Relations!.
This is the first time since it became a running gag in The Right Place and the Right Mime where Ash does not get hit by any of his Tauros while visiting Professor Oak's Laboratory.
This is the first episode to show Will-O-Wisp inflicting a burn on its target.
- This episode also marks the first time that a burned Pokémon is shown to have its Attack power affected by its condition.
The scene in which Paul meets Gengar is similar to how he first met Ash's Gligar in Chim - Charred!.
Ash and Paul's battle in this episode follows the same ruleset as their first battle in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!, being a three-on-three battle where the first one to win two rounds is the winner. Coincidentally, this battle takes place at Professor Oak's Laboratory, while their first battle took place at Professor Rowan's laboratory.
The way Paul's Gyarados traps Ash's Lucario with its tail is similar to the strategy Paul used with his Drapion and Electivire at several points during their Lily of the Valley Conference battle.
- Furthermore, the way Gyarados repeatedly attacks Lucario with Ice Fang is similar to how Lance's Gyarados did the same to Leon's Charizard in Flash of the Titans!.
The scene with Dracovish and Glalie underneath the waterfall resembles a similar scene with Ash and Pikachu in the second Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire opening, Challenger!!.
Ash, Goh, and Pikachu narrate the preview for the next episode.
Mika Kanai, Daisuke Sakaguchi, and Misato Fukuen return to reprise their original Japanese-language voice roles as Bayleef, Gible, and Oshawott, respectively.
Ash's Bayleef receives a dubbed voice for the first time in this episode.
The English dub title is a reference to the line "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Errors

When Ash's Pokémon swoop past Professor Oak to tackle Ash and Goh, Pikachu is left behind. However, in the next shot, he is seen with Ash, Goh, and the other Pokémon.

Dub edits

The Japanese text depicting Professor Oak's Laboratory's name is edited out.

In other languages

Language		Title
Arabic		!أصدقاء ومنافسون
Bengali		পক্ষই হোক বা বিপক্ষ, উৎসাহ পাওয়াই আমার লক্ষ্য!
Chinese	Cantonese	炎之特訓對戰，小智對真司
Chinese	Mandarin	炎之特訓對戰！小智VS真司！！
Czech		Přátelé i soupeři, propůjčte mi svého ducha!
Danish		Venner og rivaler, giv mig kampånd!
Dutch		Vrienden, rivalen, leen mij jullie kracht!
Finnish		Ystävät ja kilpakumppanit, antakaa minulle voimaa!
European French		Amis, rivaux, prêtez-moi votre esprit Combatif !
German		Freunde, Rivalen, stärkt meinen Kampfgeist!
Hebrew		!חברים, יריבים, תשאילו לי כוח
Hindi		दोस्त हो या राइवल, सब बढ़ाएँ मनोबल! Dost ho ya Rival, Sab Badhaye Manobal!
Italian		Amici, rivali, a me il vostro spirito combattivo!
Polish		Przyjaciele, rywale, rozpalcie mego ducha walki!
Brazilian Portuguese		Amigos e rivais, me emprestem sua determinação!
Latin American Spanish		Apoya a tus rivales: ¡Ash contra Paul!
Swedish		Vänner, rivaler, ge mig er styrka!
Tamil		நண்பரிகளே, எதிரிகளே, உங்கள் சக்தியை கொடுங்கள்!
Telugu		ఫ్రెండ్స్, రైవల్స్, లేండ్ మీ యువర్ స్పిరిట్! Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!