AG110

The Great Eight Fate! (Japanese: ルネジム！水のアーティスト・アダン！（前編）  Gym! Artist of Water - ! (Part One)) is the 110th episode of the, and the 384th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 13, 2005 and in the United States on January 28, 2006.

Blurb
Our heroes have arrived in Sootopolis at last, and Ash is ready to earn his eighth badge—but first it's time to watch the Sootopolis Gym Leader, Juan, put on an impressive water show! Team Rocket tries to snatch Juan's Water Pokémon with an electrified net, but his Pokémon work together to free themselves from Team Rocket's net and foil the plan.

Ash challenges Juan to a battle, and of course Juan accepts. As a former champion Pokémon Coordinator, he intends to fight an elegant match. First Ash will face him in a 2-on-2 battle, followed by a second round of 1-on-1 battles. It's Snorunt and Pikachu against Sealeo and Seaking in the first round, and Ash is surprised by the speed with which Juan's Pokémon battle. Even Sealeo's Ice Ball attack is much faster than expected. Snorunt is knocked out and replaced by Corphish, and together Corphish and Pikachu manage to triumph over Sealeo and Seaking for a first round victory.

In the second round, Ash sends out Grovyle to face Juan's Luvdisc. Luvdisc is an agile opponent, but more than that, it surprises Ash and Grovyle with Sweet Kiss. Grovyle is confused, and it might not be the only one—elsewhere in Sootopolis, Team Rocket has disguised James as Juan in preparation for another money-making scheme. What's Team Rocket up to, and how can Ash counter Juan's Luvdisc? These questions will be answered in the next episode!

Plot
stands expectantly on the prow of a small motorboat as he and arrive in Sootopolis City, the site of the eighth and final Hoenn League Gym. After planting his feet on dry land, Ash immediately and enthusiastically declares that it's time to challenge the Sootopolis Gym. Unfortunately for Ash, and Max spot a nearby fireworks display and run off to watch it, with Brock close in the tow. Though Ash is disappointed, he reluctantly follows them. Max and May trace the fireworks to above Sootopolis City's brand new water-themed theatre, where the city's mayor and the Sootopolis Gym Leader, Juan, are busy commemorating the building. In honor of the occasion, Juan calls out his Pokémon, including among many others, , , and to put on a performance for the crowd. May admires the artistry with his Pokémon take the stage, and comments that Juan could have been a great.

Unfortunately, before the show can progress much further, the distinct ring of a interrupts Juan's speech. He looks up for the source, and it is revealed to be, who have arrived on the scene. Though Juan mistakenly assumes that they must be artists (given the beautiful voice of James's Chimecho), Ash and his friends soon clarify the situation for the Sootopolis Gym Leader. Team Rocket drops an electrified net from their balloon to ensnare and steal Juan's Pokémon. Ash offers to help Juan out of this sticky situation, but the Gym Leader refuses the aid, instead allowing his to use,  to use , and  to use , effectively countering the net's electric shock. Juan has Milotic break the net with and send Team Rocket blasting off with, cutting the would-be theft short. When Juan thanks Ash and company for warning him, Ash challenges Juan to a Gym Battle on the spot. Juan accepts the challenge without hesitation.

After the performance and on the way to the Gym in Juan's personal boat, Ash and his friends sit down with Juan for a cup of tea. May comments that in watching Juan's performance she felt like she was watching a Pokémon Contest. Juan is humbled to hear that and says that May's comment takes him back. He explains that he was a Pokémon Coordinator before he became a Gym Leader and reveals that he even won himself the Ribbon Cup and the title of Top Coordinator, awards given to the winner of the Grand Festival. Everyone present is extremely impressed, and Ash realizes he is facing a formidable opponent with experience from many different fields. Meanwhile, Juan reveals that his style of battling focuses on artistry and that he actually enjoys the  weakness against  attacks. Max is surprised to heat that someone could like a Pokémon for its weakness and Juan informs him that, throughout his years participating in Contest Battles, he has learned that battling at a disadvantage has its own appeal. He further explains that he has learned to be defensive against attacks that might be tricky to his Pokémon, usually waiting for each attack and then making his move. When Max comments that Juan will be tough to beat, Ash cryptically responds that he has "a few ideals" up his sleeve.

Ash and company arrive at the Sootopolis Gym and meet the butler and judge, who reveals the Sootopolis battlefield to be a large swimming pool. Sebastian further explains the complicated rules of the Gym—each participant will use five Pokémon, with the first round being a Double Battle, the second round being a series of three one-on-one battles. Brock explains that this Gym is probably designed to test the challenger's ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Juan chooses and  to start the first round, while Ash begins his battle with  and. Pikachu begins the round with a against Sealeo. Juan uses Seaking's to deflect the Thunderbolt back against Snorunt, which takes the Thunderbolt directly. Ash directs a attack from Pikachu, which Seaking again deflects with its Horn Drill. Pikachu is ready for it this time, shielding Snorunt and taking the brunt of the deflected Thunder attack. Juan then orders a attack from Sealeo.

Ash has Snorunt retaliate with, somehow freezing the Blizzard into a boulder of ice. Juan's Pokémon destroy the frozen ball with Sealeo's and Seaking's, but Ash takes advantage of situation by order his Pokémon to leap across the trail of ice fragments. Pikachu closes with while Snorunt attacks with. Juan counters with the much more powerful Aurora Beam and Hyper Beam. While Pikachu is able to break off his attack in time to dodge Aurora Beam, Snorunt is hit by the Hyper Beam and faints. Ash recalls Snorunt and sends out to take its place. Corphish opens with a, which Sealeo and Seaking dodge by diving. Juan uses this opportunity to mount an underwater attack against Ash's Pokémon by using Aurora Beam and. Pikachu jumps out of the way and Corphish is able to grab Seaking by the horn before it can attack, but Juan orders Seaking to use Horn Drill, which sends Corphish flying. Pikachu successfully uses Iron Tail on Seaking and narrowly dodges an Aurora Beam from Sealeo. Pikachu's attack leaves Seaking unable to battle.

Pikachu reappears a moment later "surfing" on Corphish. Juan orders several s, which Ash initially deflects with Corphish's and  and Pikachu's Iron Tail. Ash knows that Ice Ball becomes more powerful and takes longer to launch every time and so plans to move in the gap after the third ice ball. However, Sealeo launches the third ball extremely quickly and hits both Pikachu and Corphish. Juan orders a fifth Ice Ball as a coup de'grace, and is surprised when Pikachu is able to turn up the juice and destroy it with Thunder. As the shards of ice rain down on the distracted Sealeo, Corphish moves in with, which leaves Sealeo unable to battle. The Gym match advances to the second round, with the field changing to a lake with several towers and more land. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Team Rocket is planning to disguise James as Juan...

Ash calls out his and Juan chooses his. Grovyle immediately uses, which Luvdisc dodges and counters with. Grovyle dodges and moves in with, which Luvdisc then dodges and counters with. Grovyle is hit, and the episode ends with the effects of the Sweet Kiss still in question, and Ash's eighth and final Hoenn Gym battle hinging on its effects.

Major events

 * and arrive in Sootopolis City and meet Juan, the  Gym Leader.
 * Ash challenges Juan to a Gym, which is revealed to be a Double Battle followed by three one-on-one battles.
 * Ash defeats Juan in the Double Battle and starts his first one-on-one battle against him.

Humans

 * Juan

Humans

 * Max
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Juan
 * mayor
 * Audience
 * Juan
 * mayor
 * Audience
 * Audience

Pokémon
Pokémon Trainer's Choice:
 * (Juan's)
 * (Juan's)
 * (Juan's)
 * (Juan's)
 * (debut)
 * (×3)
 * (×3)
 * (×2)
 * (Juan's)
 * (Juan's)
 * (Juan's)
 * (debut)
 * (×3)
 * (×3)
 * (×2)
 * (×3)
 * (×2)
 * (×2)

Trivia

 * This episode marks the proper main series debut of, as the episode it was supposed to debut in never aired and got banned.
 * use a variation of their motto in this episode.

Errors

 * At one point during Juan's show, 's whiskers are colored blue instead of cream.

Dub edits

 * As the episode starts, comments that there is "no way anybody will be able to stop us." In the English dub, the episode immediately cuts into the theme song Unbeatable.
 * In the Latin American dub, both and the narrator note the resemblance between Juan and the Mexican actor.

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

 * Question: Trainers, Which Pokémon is the final evolution of ?
 * Choices:, ,
 * Answer: Ok, Trainers! If you chose, you were right!

In other languages
Aus der Traum? EP387 AG110 AG110 AG編第110話 精灵宝可梦 超世代 第110集