We’re into the quarterfinals of the Unova League, and the first battle is between Ash and Cameron—who has just revealed Hydreigon as his “secret weapon”! Ash chooses Boldore to start off—a powerful Pokémon, indeed. But Hydreigon’s power is overwhelming, and soon Cameron has his first win of their six-on-six match.
Ash’s next choice is Oshawott. Bianca’s not sure that’s a good idea, but Cilan and Iris are sure Ash has a plan, and Oshawott quickly proves that its power is impressive despite its small stature! It’s not quite enough to overcome Hydreigon, however, and a final Dragon Rush gives Cameron a two-win lead. But when Ash chooses Pignite, things finally start to go his way. The tenacious Pignite refuses to give in even after getting knocked down multiple times, and a punishing Brick Break knocks Hydreigon out of the competition.
Cameron’s next Pokémon is Ferrothorn, which quickly proves to be a bad choice against a Fire-type Pokémon like Pignite, and the match is quickly tied at two wins each. Next up, Cameron picks Samurott, whose strength and skill—not to mention its type advantage—finally overcome Pignite’s tenacity.
Pignite is out, and Pikachu is up—and everyone knows an amazing battle is in store! Samurott manages to deflect Pikachu’s Electric-type attacks with some quick Razor Shell action, but a well-placed Iron Tail gets through, and Ash gets his third win to tie the match at three each.
Then Cameron sends out his Swanna, hoping for an aerial advantage—but Pikachu quickly puts a stop to that, as its Electric-type moves prove too powerful to overcome. With the tally 4–3 in Ash’s favor, it’s Riolu’s turn to shine for Cameron, as Ash calls Pikachu back to rest up for a bit and sends out Unfezant.
But it’ll take more than some fancy flying to take Riolu down! Its powerful Circle Throw and clever Copycat move quickly seal Unfezant’s fate, and Ash reveals his sixth and final Pokémon: Snivy! The two seem to be evenly matched as Snivy and Riolu battle back and forth. After a powerful Leaf Storm, Riolu seems to be down for the count...but then the tables turn as Riolu evolves into Lucario! Will Ash and Snivy be able to recover from this surprising turn of events?
