AG130

Choose It or Lose It! (Japanese: ライバル対決！VSマサムネ！！ Rival Battle! VS !!) is the 130th episode of the, and the 404th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on May 26, 2005 and in the United States on March 25, 2006.

Blurb
Morrison and Ash are battling each other in the Hoenn League, and Morrison is so upset he can't bring himself to choose his next Pokémon after his Girafarig is knocked out! He's almost disqualified before he decides to send Growlithe out against Ash's Corphish. But Morrison doesn't have Growlithe attack, and his Pokémon is quickly knocked out. Ash angrily demands to know why Morrison isn't fighting, which makes Morrison realize his Pokémon are counting on him to give it his best, too.

He rallies and brings out Swampert—both it and Corphish unleash their strongest attacks, resulting in a double KO! It's time for a battlefield change and Morrison apologizes to Ash. Then, Pikachu and Morrison's Steelix take to the grass battlefield. Another head-to-head battle results in Pikachu out of the match, and Torkoal is defeated as well! It's up to Grovyle to beat Steelix, but Morrison's agile Gligar gets the better of their aerial battle. Gligar and Ash's Swellow have another double KO, so this match will be decided by Glalie and Metang. Some clever strategy wins the day for Ash, who becomes one of only 8 semifinalists!

Elsewhere, Team Rocket's work as snack sellers pays off when their boss takes them to the all-you-can-eat buffet as a reward. But is he making a big mistake in trusting them? And Ash and Tyson will face each other in the semifinals, in a match that begins with a real bang!

Plot
The second round of the Ever Grande Conference is about to begin, but 's second round opponent is revealed to be Morrison. Now on an Ice Field, Ash battles at full power whereas Morrison is hesitant to fight. Just before the referee disqualifies him for not choosing a Pokémon, Ash interrupts him, stating that Morrison can still battle. Morrison hastily sends out his to take on Ash's Corphish. Corphish begins the battle by firing at Growlithe. Morrison tells Growlithe to evade the attack by using continuously. Morrison is unable to take any offensive action towards his friend and rival. Corphish delivers a devastating to Growlithe, knocking it out. Morrison tells Growlithe that it did an excellent job. Ash demands to know why Morrison will not put up a serious fight and harshly attacks his honor, telling him that he might as well quit now if he does not battle like he means it. Morrison says he does not need to be told that and apologizes to Growlithe for his weak actions. With renewed vigor, Morrison yells loudly and promises Ash real battling spirit. , Max,, and are relieved at this change.

Morrison chooses Swampert as his third Pokémon. Corphish and Swampert clash their Crabhammer and attacks with tremendous power. Ash and Morrison exchange excited proclamations of their fighting spirit. Swampert blasts a to match Corphish's Bubble Beam, but both Pokémon seem evenly matched. Crabhammer and Focus Punch are used again, but each attack hits the other Pokémon in the face, knocking them both out.

Since Morrison has lost three Pokémon, the battle goes into intermission. Morrison has three remaining Pokémon while Ash still has five. Max congratulates and encourages Ash, and he reassures Max of victory. Morrison enters the room to apologize for his previous actions, which surprises Ash. Morrison furiously says that he can still apologize when necessary. He goes on to say that he usually relishes victory, but when he realized that Ash was his second-round opponent, he did not know what to do. Ash's scolding made Morrison realize that fighting with all you have is what a real friend would do. Ash agrees, saying that they should finish the second round at full power. The Trainers shake hands and each refuse to lose, but promise to remain friends regardless of the outcome. The second half of the round will take place on a Grass Field. Ash chooses as his second Pokémon to battle Morrison's fourth Pokémon,. Steelix spews, but Pikachu dodges and uses. Steelix counters with a devastating. Steelix disappears underground and strikes Pikachu into the air with. Ash tells Pikachu to not give up and respond with Iron Tail. Steelix evades with Dig and smashes Pikachu into the air again. Pikachu lands a direct hit with Quick Attack, but Morrison shouts to Steelix to not give up. Both Pokémon are commanded to use Iron Tail, and the clash sends off blue energy in streaks. Pikachu is sent to the ground and declared unable to battle, leaving Ash with four available Pokémon and Morrison with three.

Ash releases as his third Pokémon choice. Morrison says that the Fire type's advantage will not work. Steelix uses Dragon Breath, which Torkoal protects itself from with. Torkoal uses while Steelix unleashes a second round of Dragon Breath, both attacks meeting in the middle. Overheat proves more powerful, landing a direct hit on Steelix. Torkoal unleashes while Steelix uses Dragon Breath. This time, the result is an explosive draw. Using the resulting cloud of smoke as cover, Steelix escapes underground. Torkoal guards itself against Steelix's Dig by using Iron Defense. Steelix immediately uses Dragon Breath, hitting and knocking out Torkoal. This leaves Ash and Morrison tied with three usable Pokémon left each.

Ash chooses as his fourth Pokémon. Steelix unleashes its Iron Tail right from the start, but Grovyle quickly dodges it, impressing Morrison with its speed. Grovyle fires at Steelix, who burrows into the ground once again in retreat. Ash tells Grovyle to prepare to dodge, and Grovyle dodges Steelix's Dig, but now Morrison calls Steelix to use Dragon Breath. Ash tells Grovyle to use in order to power through Dragon Breath. Leaf Blade shields Grovyle as it makes its way to land the attack, knocking out Steelix.

Morrison matches Grovyle's speed by calling out as his fifth Pokémon. Grovyle uses Quick Attack but Gligar swiftly dodges it and performs. Grovyle barely dodges Gligar's onslaught of attacks by hiding in the deep grass on the field. Grovyle jumps into the air and uses Bullet Seed, striking Gligar. Grovyle once again retreats back into the grass and Gligar pursues with Steel Wing. Ash tells Grovyle to leap onto Gligar to perform Leaf Blade, but Morrison tells Gligar to shake it off. Free-falling through the air, Grovyle tries Bullet Seed once more, but to no avail. It is helpless to defend itself from Gligar's. Gligar's pincer grips Grovyle's neck and slams its opponent into the ground. The one-hit-knockout move is successful and Grovyle is declared unable to battle, leaving both Ash and Morrison with two usable Pokémon.

Ash releases as his fifth Pokémon. Gligar attempts to quickly end it with Guillotine but Swellow responds with a defensive. Gligar falls for an illusion, so Swellow moves in to it. Gligar dodges and attack with Iron Tail, but Swellow evades with Quick Attack. Gligar's lands a direct hit, sending Swellow plummeting toward the ground. Swellow barely recovers by using, which Gligar matches with Steel Wing. Both Pokémon collide in mid-air, creating a large cloud of dust. Both Pokémon are told to repeat their attacks, resulting in another violent collision. The Trainers call for the same attacks again, resulting in a third collision and a huge explosion. Swellow and Gligar fall to the ground, unable to battle. This leaves both Ash and Morrison with only one usable Pokémon each.

As their final Pokémon Ash chooses while Morrison releases. May is surprised at the match-up and Max and Brock note Morrison's advantage. Glalie performs, which Metang matches with. The Pokémon collide, but Glalie takes the brunt of the damage. Glalie responds with, Metang's forces Ice Beam right back towards Glalie. Metang follows up with Take Down. Ash tells Glalie to use Ice Beam again to everyone's surprise. Confusion sends it back, but Glalie is told to use, reflecting Ice Beam back again, landing a direct hit on Metang and encrusting it in ice. Glalie follows up with a successful Headbutt, sending ice shards all around. Metang releases an intense and scores a direct hit. Ash tells Glalie to use a spinning Headbutt, meanwhile Morrison says he knows how to handle it, and so he tells Metang to finish it with another Meteor Mash using every ounce of energy Metang's got. At the last moment, Glalie ducks under and strikes Metang's underside. The referee judges Metang unable to battle and declares Ash the victor. Having won the battle, Ash will now advance to the Top 8 of the Hoenn League.

In another battle, the crowd cheers as Tyson commands his Sceptile to fire a super effective on an opposing Rhydon, knocking it out. having won his battle as well, Tyson advances to the Top 8. Morrison, viewing the stadium from the outside, shouts out in disappointment at his loss, but quickly feels better. Ash tells him that their battle was one of the greatest ever, to which Morrison and May agree. Morrison asks Ash if he is ready for his next battle and if they could battle again someday. Ash confirms and says that he will beat Morrison again, beginning another competitive argument. Tyson calms the situation with the call for dinner. The two agree and have yet another race to the Pokémon Center. May, Max, and Brock are relieved that the two Trainers are back to their old selves.

At 's promised buffet, various appetizers, main courses, and desserts are shown. After Jessie, James, and finish their meal, the owner says that he must go on a business trip soon and will leave the three in charge of management. The team is nearly offended in disbelief at this news and are happy with working honest jobs.

The next round pits Ash against Tyson. Tyson figures that it would come to this eventually and asks for a battle with no regrets. Ash and Tyson agree to a battle fought with everything they have. May and Max wish him luck, and Brock does the same for Tyson.

Both James and Jessie fall asleep after their big meal, but Meowth is out walking and sees a large sign showing the Top 8 pairings. He realizes that Tyson's Meowth will probably be going up against Ash's Pikachu.

Outside, at night, Tyson lectures his Pokémon to put their heart into the battle. He tells his Pokémon that Ash is a strong opponent, but they have trained hard and cannot afford to lose. He starts to prepare his team for tomorrow with some special training.

Meanwhile, Meowth observes Tyson's training and calls Tyson's Meowth towards the bushes where he is hiding. Meowth offers advice on defeating Pikachu, which Tyson's Meowth reluctantly listens to. He warns that it may be cute, but its Electric attacks have destroyed many of Team Rocket's inventions and sent them blasting off again and again. Tyson's Meowth doesn't mind and proceeds to display its power by slicing through some tree branches and walking away. Meowth is surprised and insulted by the gesture. A nearby tree then begins to fall, startling Meowth as it crushes him.

Elsewhere, Morrison and Ash are resting outside in their tree hammocks. Morrison tells Ash that he has a big match tomorrow and figures he is sleeping outside due to nervousness. Ash says that he feels more relaxed sleeping outside. Morrison says good night and tells Ash that he will win tomorrow.

As the third match is about to begin, the announcer wonders which Pokémon the Trainers will use as the battle begins on the grass battlefield. Ash chooses Glalie as his first Pokémon, and Tyson releases Sceptile. Glalie uses Ice Beam, but Sceptile counters with Solar Beam, creating an explosion of light that reaches high into the sky.

Major events

 * continues his Full Battle against Morrison and wins, advancing to the of the Ever Grande Conference.
 * is revealed to own a and a.
 * Ash begins his Full Battle with Tyson.

Humans

 * Max
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Morrison
 * Team Rocket's employer
 * James
 * Morrison
 * Team Rocket's employer
 * Team Rocket's employer

Pokémon
Pokémon Trainer's Choice:


 * (Morrison's)
 * (Morrison's; flashback)
 * (Morrison's)
 * (Morrison's)
 * (Morrison's)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s; flashback)
 * ('s)
 * (Morrison's)
 * (Morrison's)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s; flashback)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)

Trivia

 * The dub title comes from the phrase "use it or lose it."
 * The announcer states that 's finishing against  was a critical hit, marking one of the few times that this game mechanic has been mentioned in the anime.
 * In this episode, 's appears smaller than most other Metagross.
 * Team Rocket doesn't blast off or recite the motto in this episode.
 * Type: Wild and music from Celebi: The Voice of the Forest and Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias are used in this episode.

Errors

 * When the episode first aired on, the title card was misspelled Choose it or Loose It! This was corrected for all reruns and other releases.
 * During the battle between and, Morrison tells Swampert to use  "again" even though it didn't use that move the first time.
 * Similarly, tells  to use  "again" on, but he had never used it before in this battle.
 * After Steelix is hit by 's, the move instantly disappears right before the next scene.
 * Steelix is shown firing at  at a downward angle, but seconds later, the attack appears to be aimed at an upward angle.
 * Morrison's is far bigger than normal when Grovyle jumps onto its back.
 * In multiple scenes, the part of 's hair beneath his left ear is colored tan instead of brown.
 * In the dub, Brock and Max state that Ash's Glalie should have an advantage over Morrison's Metang, which is incorrect as Steel is resistant and super effective against Ice (in the original, the two correctly state that Metang is the one with the advantage).
 * While Tyson's Meowth slices the tree, its scarf is missing.

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

 * Question: Trainers, which of these Pokémon would you catch by fishing?
 * Choices:, ,
 * Answer: OK, Trainers! If you chose Feebas, you were right!

In other languages
Jetzt oder nie! EP407 AG130 AG130 AG編第130話 精灵宝可梦 超世代 第129集