XY044

Showdown at the Shalour Gym! (Japanese: シャラジム戦！ピカチュウVSメガルカリオ！！  Gym Match! Pikachu VS Mega Lucario!!) is the 44th episode of the, and the 843rd episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on September 25, 2014 and in the United States on November 15, 2014.

Blurb
Ash's Shalour City Gym battle against Korrina is under way! The battle begins as Ash's Hawlucha faces off against Korrina's Mienfoo. He tries to use the rhythmic battle style he learned from Tierno, but it's not going so well. Finally, he remembers Serena's observation that he has his own unique style, and decides to battle like himself instead!

With this change of tactics, Hawlucha wins. Ash then sends in Fletchinder, who quickly takes down Korrina's Machoke. The Gym Leader has just one Pokémon left, and of course it's her partner Lucario, who Mega Evolves and knocks out Fletchinder and then Hawlucha in short order. But our hero's unique battling style shines, and in the final matchup, Pikachu defeats Mega Lucario!

Ash wins the Rumble Badge, and the gang is off to Coumarine City for his next Gym battle!

Plot
After arriving at Shalour City, is ready to battle Korrina and get his third Kalos Gym Badge. and the are going to watch the battle. Gurkinn is the referee and says that this battle is 3-on-3 and only Ash is able to make substitutions.

Korrina releases as her first choice as Serena checks it on her Pokédex. Ash sends out to battle Mienfoo. Ash tries to use 's strategy but Hawlucha gets hit by a despite using a rhythm to avoid. Mienfoo uses next, which Ash tells Hawlucha to block, but it still got hit, getting its energy drained. Ash tells Hawlucha to fight back with, but Korrina tells Mienfoo to block it with a kick. Ash is wondering why the rhythm strategy didn't work despite that Tierno's Squirtle had no problem moving around. Korrina tells Mienfoo to use, scoring a direct hit on Hawlucha. Ash asks Hawlucha that it still battle, which it confirms. Ash tells it to use as Korrina tells Mienfoo to counter with  as Ash states that its not a Fighting-Type move. Ash tells Hawlucha to use a rhythm, but Hawlucha still got hit.

Ash has no idea how he is going to win and while looking up towards, has a flashback about the dancing practice from the other day. Following Serena's advice, Ash decides to use his own strategy and in the middle of the fight, Mienfoo uses High Jump Kick as Hawlucha waits for the right moment to lure it in. On Ash's orders it perfectly dodges Mienfoo's High Jump Kick (with the latter suffering recoil damage). Hawlucha uses Karate Chop and it hits Mienfoo. Korrina tells Mienfoo to fight back with Force Palm as Ash tells Hawlucha to use Flying Press. It dodged Mienfoo’s Force Palm and scores a direct hit with Flying Press, knocking Mienfoo out.

Meanwhile, shows up and are planning to steal Pokémon while the others are distracted during Ash and Korrina's battle. As Korrina recalls Mienfoo, she sends out. Ash recalls Hawlucha and sends out. Fletchinder starts with but Machoke manages to avoid it and attacks Fletchinder with  and sends it tumbling to the ground. Fletchinder manages to get up, but also gets hit by Machoke's. Still hanging in there, Fletchinder uses, but Machoke blocks it. Machoke manages to throw Fletchinder, but it holds on and launches a which damages Machoke a little. Fletchinder attacks again with Flame Charge with Machoke preparing to use, but Fletchinder dodges and hits Machoke, knocking it out.

Korrina recalls Machoke and sends out her last Pokémon,. After sending Lucario out, Korrina Mega Evolves it. Ash decides to keep Fletchinder in since it has a type advantage against Lucario. Fletchinder attacks with Flame Charge while Lucario uses Metal Sound. Fletchinder struggles a little bit, but still manages to score a hit on Lucario. Team Rocket, while watching the battle, waits for the right moment to do their evil deed. Lucario uses, but Fletchinder managed to block with Steel Wing. While the smoke clears, Lucario comes up behind Fletchinder and uses, knocking Fletchinder out.

Ash recalls Fletchinder and sends Hawlucha again to battle Korrina's Lucario. Ash tells Hawlucha to use Karate Chop. As Ash's friends cheer for him and Hawlucha, Team Rocket is running down the hall, attempting to steal. However, as they are about to go further, Froakie sees them and uses its Frubbles to stop them in their tracks. The friends also notice them and ask them why they're here. Team Rocket states that they are just doing their job and tells the friends to stay out of their way. Froakie (according to ) retorts that Team Rocket is actually the one in the way of the battle. The friends also tell them that they're not going to interfere with Ash's battle. Team Rocket, wasting no time, sends out  and  to battle. As the Pokémon is about to hit the friends with and, Froakie steps in and uses its Frubbles to block the attacks, much to Team Rocket's shock. Quickly, Clemont sends out and Serena sends out. By their Trainers' orders, they use and  to blast Jessie, James and Meowth off once again, saving the Shalour Gym.

As they the battle, Ash, who is still battling and didn’t notice Team Rocket, asks his friends if something happened, but Serena replies that nothing happened. As the others cheer, Hawlucha attempts to use Flying Press but Lucario hits it hard with. Before Hawlucha can strike back, Lucario uses Aura Sphere which sends Hawlucha flying into the wall. After the smoke clears, it is revealed that Hawlucha is knocked out.

After recalling Hawlucha and remarking that Korrina and Lucario have gotten much stronger from training, Ash sends out Pikachu as his last Pokémon to battle Lucario. After a pause, Serena asks why neither Ash nor Korrina are making a move yet, which Clemont replies that their Pokémon can’t afford to lose the battle and that they’re being extra careful. Starting off, Ash tells Pikachu to use as Korrina tells Lucario to draw it in. Still running, Pikachu prepares to use while Lucario uses Bone Rush. Pikachu manages to strike but Lucario’s Bone Rush sends the attack flying towards the ceiling. Pikachu uses next, but Lucario blocks it and sends Pikachu flying. Ash, tells Pikachu to use while in mid-air. Pikachu scores a direct hit on Lucario, much to Korrina’s surprise.

Lucario uses Aura Sphere and Pikachu gets hit but still manages to hang in there as he releases lightning bolts in determination. Lucario uses Metal Sound, immobilizing Pikachu. Thinking fast, Pikachu uses Thunderbolt to stop Lucario’s Metal Sound. Lucario also uses Aura Sphere, but Pikachu manages to deflects it with his Iron Tail, as Clemont states that’s the same Climb Strategy from the Cyllage Gym Battle with Grant. Korrina tells Lucario to use Bone Rush as Ash tells Pikachu to use another Iron Tail to block. During the collision, they’re both hurt but standing. Lucario uses Power-Up Punch as Pikachu uses Iron Tail and both attacks clashed. Pikachu uses Electro Ball while Lucario uses Aura Sphere and the attacks also clashed. Finally, Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt that hits Lucario which it wasn't able to dodge, knocking Lucario out and returning it to its normal Form. Ash congratulates his Pokémon on the hard work they did and Ash receives the from Korrina.

Ash then questions where he shall go next and Gurkinn says to him that he should go to Coumarine City where, according to Serena, there’s a monorail. Ash and his friends set off for Coumarine City to get his fourth Gym Badge. Before leaving, Korrina bumps fists with Ash and tells him to come back soon and Ash agrees. Pikachu and Lucario also bumped fists hoping that they would meet again someday. After saying goodbye, the heroes begin focusing on their journey.

Major events



 * has a Gym against Korrina and wins, earning the.
 * Ash learns that the next Gym is located in Coumarine City.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Korrina
 * (flashback)
 * Gurkinn
 * Summer Camp Trainers (flashback)
 * Korrina
 * (flashback)
 * Gurkinn
 * Summer Camp Trainers (flashback)

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international) Pokémon Quiz:  (Japan)
 * (Grant's; flashback)
 * (Mega Lucario)
 * (Korrina's)
 * (Korrina's)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (Grant's; flashback)
 * (Mega Lucario)
 * (Korrina's)
 * (Korrina's)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (Mega Lucario)
 * (Korrina's)
 * (Korrina's)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Trivia

 * Mairin's Mega Evolution Journal:
 * ,, and narrate the preview for the next episode.
 * Music from Genesect and the Legend Awakened is used in this episode.
 * This is the first episode to show Korrina's Lucario in its Poké Ball.
 * This is the first time where was not portrayed as a light blue ball of energy. Korrina's 's Focus Blast was instead portrayed as a glowing bright yellow ball of energy, making it identical to how it is portrayed in the games.
 * Right before Korrina Mega Evolves her Lucario, she poses and says, " Life Explosion", spelling the kanji on-screen as well. This is a line taken directly from the games, which she says before the player battles her at the Tower of Mastery. This scene also marks one of the very rare instances after the, and the first time in the , that Japanese text can be seen.
 * V (Volt) is used as an insert song during the battle's conclusion.

Errors

 * When Pikachu discharges electricity after Ash asks him if he can get up, Gurkinn isn't present when the camera moves behind Korrina to show the entire field.
 * Just as the camera moves closer to the center of the battlefield as Fletchinder starts battling Machoke, Gurkinn disappears for a split second.
 * In the and  dub, just when  is thrown into the wall and faints, Ash's English voice can be heard.
 * The dub of the anime mistakenly calls the Gym "Showdown Gym" in the episode title.

Dub edits

 * The kanji 命 爆発 (Life Explosion) that appeared during Korrina's poses are removed and replaced with her close-up poses in the dub.
 * The dub's title card segment focuses on Ash instead of Korrina in the Polish dub.

In other languages
Kräftemessen in der Yantara-Arena! EP848 XY044 XY044 XY編第43話 精灵宝可梦 XY 第44集