DP131

Pedal to the Mettle! (Japanese: フルバトル！シンジＶＳサトシ！！-前編- Full Battle! VS !! -Part 1-) is the 131st episode of the, and the 597th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on June 11, 2009 and in the United States on November 7, 2009.

Blurb
Lake Acuity is said to be the home of Uxie, the Legendary Pokémon, but today it's home to a 6-on-6 battle between Ash and Paul! Paul is already waiting on the shore, where he's been training his Pokémon under the thoughtful eye of his brother Reggie. Once Ash arrives, Reggie explains that this battle is a good way for Ash and Paul to test each other. So, once the referee arrives with Team Rocket (disguised as the referee's assistants), it's time to start the match. Ash plans to start by using Buizel, but changes his mind when he sees Paul send out Torterra. Instead, Ash decides to have Gliscor battle first.

Gliscor tries to obscure its moves by kicking up dust, but the trick has no effect. Then Ash orders Gliscor to stay on the offense-and that overconfidence leads Gliscor straight into Torterra's attack! With Gliscor injured, Ash must switch in Staraptor. Torterra is tired too, but Paul keeps it in the battle just long enough to hit Staraptor with Stone Edge. Next, Paul switches in Weavile, which has the speed to keep up with Staraptor. Even so, Staraptor still beats Weavile, and it's time for another round of changes: Paul chooses Electabuzz, Ash sends in Grotle.

To Ash's surprise, Electabuzz uses Light Screen and promptly switches out for Honchkrow. Grotle is itching to settle an old score with Honchkrow, but Honchkrow still has a type advantage and the protection of Light Screen. What's more, Ash makes a mistake by ordering Grotle to use a defensive move at the wrong time! Honchkrow knocks Grotle out, and now it's Pikachu's turn to battle. Paul responds by bringing out Magmortar, taking Ash by surprise: is Pikachu ready to face the more powerful, evolved version of Paul's Magmar?

Plot
At Lake Acuity,, and  have arrived for Ash's Full Battle against Paul, which Reggie had suggested ten days earlier. As Ash looks out at the view, Dawn recalls the legend the gang heard about during the Wallace Cup, which says the legendary Pokémon lives in Lake Acuity. Ash likes the thought of Uxie watching his battle with Paul, and the gang head for the nearby Pokémon Center where they are due to meet Paul and Reggie.

Ash hands in all of his Pokémon to be checked over by Nurse Joy and Brock begins to flirt with Nurse Joy until he's taken down by not just 's, but also with 's. Nurse Joy apologizes for her overprotective Pokémon as Croagunk drags Brock away. Ash learns that Paul has already arrived, and quickly heads out for the Center's battlefield.

Outside, the battlefield isn't in a usable condition, since it is mostly a pile of rubble and working construction is none other than. They recite an alternate version of their motto, which is centered around their new jobs. Suddenly, Ash arrives and he nearly sees through their disguises after they call him twerp. It turns out the battlefield is out of commission for a few days due to overuse. Ash begins to worry as he doesn't know where to meet Paul until a referee named Olivier arrives, having being asked by Reggie to officiate the Full Battle. He tells Ash that as the regular battlefield can't be used, Reggie has selected another location.

On a clearing beside Lake Acuity, Paul is practicing with under Reggie's watchful eye. Reggie notes how well Paul has polished his Pokémon's moves since the battle against, prompting Paul to ask Reggie why exactly he suggested the Full Battle in the first place. Reggie explains that the battle against Brandon had a major effect on Paul, making him realize it was the perfect time for a Full Battle between him and Ash.

At the Pokémon Center, Ash picks up, , , , , and who are all ready and willing to battle Paul, Chimchar especially so. Brock reflects on Cynthia's words back in Celestic Town, when she told Chimchar it had a bigger and better destiny. Brock knows that Chimchar is at the very center of Ash and Paul's rivalry, and that Chimchar will be instrumental in what happens between them. And so, with everyone ready to go, Ash goes out to meet Paul and Reggie.

At the lakefront, Reggie thanks Ash for coming and explains that part of the reason that he asked for the battle is how alike Ash and Paul are. Both are intent in growing strong alongside their Pokémon, only their training methods differing. He tells Ash that a Full Battle between them is inevitable, and it's a good time for them both to compare each other's strengths and weaknesses. Just then Olivier arrives in a balloon with a portable scoreboard. Helping him man the scoreboard and make the necessary changes as the match progresses are Team Rocket, once again wearing disguises.

Olivier officially states the rules: the battle will be a Full Battle, six-on-six with substitutions freely allowed on both sides. Coin Toss is used to decide who gets to pick their Pokémon first, and Ash wins. He sends out Buizel first, and Paul sends out his. The referee begins the match, only for Ash to instantly recall Buizel, similar to how Paul recalled his first Pokémon during the match against Brandon when he didn't like the type-matchup. Ash apologizes to Buizel and promises he will call on it soon, and sends out Gliscor to replace him. Ash reminds Paul that he encountered Gliscor before when it was still a but Paul remains silent, choosing not to engage in conversation with his rival.

The battle then begins properly as Ash orders Gliscor to use, and Gliscor sends a lot of sand towards Torterra, clouding its vision. Reggie commends Ash on the smart move, as Brock notes that Ash has seen Torterra in battle before and therefore knows many of its strengths. Paul orders. However, the energy-sapping tentacles plunge into the ground, missing a now flying Gliscor completely. Brock and Reggie agree that Paul probably intended Giga Drain to miss to try to lull Ash into a false sense of security and let down his guard. Ash then has Gliscor use on Torterra and it scores a direct hit. Being a move, it causes a fair bit of damage against Torterra, but not enough to cause it to faint.

Paul then starts to battle directly and orders, the most powerful move as well as a risky one. Luckily, Gliscor is fast enough to avoid the vines, and Torterra is left immobilized while it recharges. Ash knows he has an opening and has Gliscor use which hits Torterra, and Ash has Gliscor follow this up with another X-Scissor. Ash decides to go in for one more hit and has Gliscor use, but as Gliscor heads towards Torterra it recovers from Frenzy Plant and Paul has it use. Although Steel Wing hits, Torterra bites on to Gliscor's tail, and Gliscor struggles, but is unable to break free. Paul then has Torterra use Giga Drain, and this time it hits dead-on, sapping Gliscor's energy while recharging its own. Reggie and Brock realized this was part of Paul's strategy, to allow Torterra to be immobilized so Ash would go in close-range. Gliscor is still struggling to break free from Giga Drain and Ash has Gliscor use Fire Fang on the energy tentacles, which hurts Torterra and sets Gliscor free. Both Gliscor and Torterra are left exhausted, and Ash decides to recall Gliscor for some rest. Dawn is very nervous just watching the match, and Ash notes that despite its fatigue Paul has chosen not to recall Torterra and sends out Staraptor to battle next. Reggie realizes that Staraptor is the he battled back when Ash was in Veilstone City, and Dawn tells him that Staraptor defeated  in a PokéRinger competition not too long ago, which impresses Reggie.

Ash has Staraptor begin with, and Staraptor moves in for the hit. However, Paul has Torterra use. The pointed stones score a super effective hit and Staraptor is sent plummeting to the ground. Now everyone is aware that Paul left Torterra in because he knew Ash would switch to Staraptor, and now that it has done its job Paul recalls Torterra to its Poké Ball. Reggie asks Brock and Dawn if Ash came up with any kind of strategy against Paul or if he switched any of the Pokémon in his party. Dawn tells Reggie that Ash planned on using his usual six from the start while Brock tells Reggie that with the exception of Pikachu, Ash's Pokémon were all acquired by him since he came to Sinnoh. Reggie tells Brock that since Paul has battled Ash several times and knows what Pokémon he has, he based his team on that information.

Paul's second Pokémon is Weavile, and after making sure Staraptor is OK to battle Ash tells him to begin with. Staraptor gets the hit in, and Paul then has Weavile use. Dawn asks what Swords Dance does, and Reggie explains that it increases Attack power, making Weavile far stronger than normal. Ash calls for an, and Paul counters this by ordering. The move hits Staraptor hard, and Paul then has Weavile use. Staraptor flies low and Weavile jumps onto his back, shocking everyone. Weavile then slashes Staraptor's back and jumps off as the Predator Pokémon crashes to the ground. Paul orders Weavile to go after Staraptor with another Metal Claw, and Ash has Staraptor use. Staraptor and Weavile trade blows, but Staraptor is able to gain the advantage and sends Weavile flying, having suffered a lot of damage from the move. Staraptor maintains the assault, and Paul orders a Blizzard while Ash calls for Brave Bird. Staraptor flies out of range of the Blizzard and scores a direct hit with Brave Bird. Although Staraptor suffers from the recoil, Weavile comes out of it far worse off and, despite its efforts, collapses to the ground unable to battle. Olivier rules Weavile as out of the battle and Ash, now with the advantage, commends a battered Staraptor on a fantastic performance but knows better than to get too confident over this win. Ash also knows that Staraptor took a real beating and recalls it for some rest.

Paul sends out Electabuzz next while Ash sends out Grotle. As moves don't work very well against Grass types, Ash doesn't know what Paul is thinking and has Grotle use. Paul has Electabuzz use and Electabuzz sets up a barrier which the Energy Ball smashes against, instead of getting a direct hit. Brock explains to Dawn that a Light Screen helps to defend against special attacks like Energy Ball, cutting down their power by half. Now the Light Screen is set up, Paul substitutes Electabuzz with, a much better type-matchup against Grotle. Brock tells Reggie that Grotle battled against Honchkrow before, and it was that battle that caused to evolve. Grotle is determined to defeat Honchkrow to make up for the defeat it suffered after evolving, and Ash decides to leave it in, determined to show Paul and Honchkrow how much Grotle has improved since then. Everyone else knows this is a huge mistake on Ash's part due to the disadvantage as a Grass-type, especially Paul.

is used by Honchkrow after a missed Razor Leaf, and although Grotle tries to stand up to it the hit is still powerful. Ash orders Grotle to use Energy Ball, however Honchkrow is shielded by the Light Screen making him and Dawn realizes that Light Screen can be passed on to other Pokémon. With the type-advantage and the Light Screen, Brock tells Dawn that Paul is trying to overwhelm Ash as Honchkrow is told to use which surrounds Grotle. Normally when Paul battles, it's to polish up his Pokémon's moves or to increase their power but he has a different motive during this battle. Paul is going for the win. Reggie explains that Paul has worked out Ash's battle style which is allowing him to keep the pressure on Ash. When Grotle gets Night Slashed again, Ash sees that it is exhausted by now, so he has it use. As Grotle regains its energy, Paul takes advantage of the moment and tells Honchkrow to use. Honchkrow begins glowing and makes a direct line for Grotle. Ash has Grotle use to try to counter, and the attacks collide, obscuring both Pokémon, however Honchkrow flies clear while Grotle has been knocked out. Olivier rules Grotle as being unable to battle, and Ash recalls it as Paul recalls Honchkrow. Reggie, noting on Ash's poor judgment, points out that using Synthesis as healing moves have the disadvantage of leaving a Pokémon open to attack and a Trainer should make note of the opponent's condition before using one or be an easy target. Brock concurs, knowing that Ash wanted to have Grotle defeat Honchkrow so bad, it clouded his judgment.

Both Trainers must select new Pokémon, and Pikachu lets Ash know he's ready to go up next. Ash can see his partner is determined to help defeat Paul and sends him into the battle. Paul sends in a Pokémon that surprises everyone,, evolved from his. With one of his Pokémon down, and feeling the pressure piling on, Ash prepares to take on Magmortar.

Major events

 * and reach Lake Acuity.
 * Ash and Paul begin their Full Battle.
 * Paul's is revealed to have evolved into a.

Humans

 * Olivier

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Paul
 * Nurse Joy
 * Reggie
 * Olivier
 * Cynthia (flashback)
 * Reggie
 * Olivier
 * Cynthia (flashback)

Pokémon

 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)
 * (Paul's)

Trivia

 * Music from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea and Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is used as background music.
 * This is the first time Pikachu was chosen to battle Paul since ''When Pokémon Worlds Collide!
 * The disguises used by in this episode are the same that were used in Holy Matrimony!, which first aired in Japan exactly eleven years before the debut Japanese airing of this episode.
 * When, , and arrive at Lake Acuity, there is no snow by the lake despite it being surrounded by snow in the games and in  and Zoey's flashback in Pruning a Passel of Pals!.
 * The dub's title is based on the saying "Pedal to the metal" and the word "mettle", meaning 'spirit' or 'quality of temperament'.
 * Cartoon Network's standard-definition feed starts to become inconsistent in how the anime is aired, switching between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios before consistently being shown in 4:3 four episodes later for 14 weeks; Cartoon Network later stopped their cropping practices during the week prior to the initial dub airing of Sticking With Who You Know!, allowing the 16:9 letterbox presentation. Due to the opening credits now being formatted with the 16:9 aspect ratio in mind, the names in the opening credits are now cut off when Cartoon Network chooses to show the show in 4:3 in standard definition.
 * However, if one watched the episode on 's high-definition feed or on, the episode always airs in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
 * Also, from this episode until Three Sides to Every Story!, if one watched an episode on Cartoon Network's high-definition feed, the first part of the episode (until the episode's title card appeared) would be shown in a 3:2 aspect ratio.
 * Team Rocket uses a of their motto in this episode.
 * They also don't blast off in this episode.
 * This is the first time when Paul's uses a new move since its debut in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!

Errors

 * When hits  with, the scoreboard does not show Honchkrow at all, and shows Electabuzz being sent out. Seconds later, when the scoreboard is being updated with Grotle's KO, Honchkrow is seen.
 * Brock mentions that Ash has battled Paul's Torterra several times before, though this is untrue. In the many times Ash has faced Paul, Paul has never used Torterra against him.
 * Ash has, however, battled against a Torterra before, in The Rise of Darkrai, though it was Maury's, not Paul's.
 * When Ash arrives at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy tells him she is looking after Paul's Pokémon. However, when Paul is seen, without him having had any chance to collect his Pokémon, Paul has his team already.
 * Ash says that Water-type moves will not work very much on Torterra. However, Torterra is half-Ground type, meaning it would take normal damage.
 * When Paul sends out his Magmortar, the screenshot shows that it stands a few feet away from Pikachu. However, when the camera switches to the battle from a distance, (just as the episode is about to end) the space between the two Pokémon has widened so that Dawn, Brock, Reggie, Team Rocket and the Referee can be seen in the middle of the battle.

In other languages
Mit Eifer und Mut wird alles gut! EP600 DP131 DP編第131話 精灵宝可梦 钻石＆珍珠 第129集