The second match of the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup semi-finals begins, with Ash’s Krokorok and Iris’s Dragonite going head to head! Dragonite has Krokorok reeling after a powerful pair of direct hits, but Krokorok is determined to hang on—and then it evolves into Krookodile! This brings the match to a new level of intensity, and when Krookodile hits Dragonite hard with a supereffective Dragon Claw, Dragonite gets angry—really angry—and starts ignoring Iris yet again, unleashing one undisciplined attack after another. Iris helplessly pleads with Dragonite to pull itself together and calm down, and Ash feels sorry for his friend...but it’s a battle, after all, and he and Krookodile aren’t about to let up. Krookodile wins, and Ash moves on to the finals!

Iris is frustrated and unhappy after her defeat, and the taunting from Georgia and Burgundy doesn’t help. But Cynthia steps in once again, with her experience in training Dragon types, and counsels Iris to keep working on her relationship with the stubborn Dragonite so it can gain confidence in her.

It’s time for the final round! Ash is up against his rival Trip, and confidence is evident on both sides. Ash’s Pignite has the type advantage over Trip’s Serperior, but Serperior’s unbelievable speed makes it virtually impossible for Pignite to land even a single attack! Although Pignite’s determination is remarkable, and Ash tries to even the odds by having Pignite use Flame Charge over and over to boost its own speed, it’s just not enough. A final Frenzy Plant from Serperior ends the battle, and Trip wins the Junior Cup!

This means, of course, that Trip gets the chance he’s been waiting for: a battle with Unova Champion Alder! The battle gets under way, and Trip is again relying on his super-speedy Serperior, while Alder calls on Bouffalant. Can Trip keep up his impressive winning streak against the region’s top Trainer?