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| Season | Pokémon: Advanced Battle (Season 8) · Sootopolis City: the Rain Badge arc (AG110–AG111) |
| Episode | Season 8, episode 18 · English episode 383 · Japanese episode 386 · Bulbapedia code AG110 |
| English title | The Great Eight Fate! |
| Japanese title | ルネジム！水のアーティスト・アダン！（前編） Rune Jimu! Mizu no Ātisuto, Adan! (Zenpen) — “Rune Gym! Artist of Water – Adan! (Part One)” |
| First aired (Japan) | 13 January 2005 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 28 January 2006 · Kids’ WB |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Pokémon Symphonic Medley – Pokémon Symphonic Orchestra · GLORY DAY ~Kagayaku Sono Hi~ (That Shining Day) – GARDEN |
| English opening | Unbeatable – David Rolfe |
| Pokémon Trainer’s Choice | What is the final evolution of Caterpie? (Venomoth / Butterfree / Beautifly) → Butterfree |
| Previous episode | Do I Hear a Ralts? (AG109) |
| Next episode | Eight Ain’t Enough (AG111) |
Plot episodeJuan debutsDouble Battle stage
The Great Eight Fate! is the 18th episode of Pokémon: Advanced Battle, the eighth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 383rd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 386, Bulbapedia code AG110). It first aired in Japan on 13 January 2005 and in the United States on 28 January 2006. It falls within the season’s Sootopolis City: the Rain Badge stretch (EP110–EP111).
Aired as a double bill with Eight Ain’t Enough on 28 January 2006, the first of the season’s back-to-back Saturdays.
Synopsis
The group reach Sootopolis City, home of the eighth and final Hoenn Gym, and Ash wants to challenge it immediately. May and Max, however, chase a burst of fireworks to a new water theatre, where the Gym Leader Juan is staging an elegant water show with Milotic, Sealeo, Seaking and Luvdisc. A Chimecho’s chime gives away Team Rocket, who drop an electrified net to grab the performers. Juan politely refuses any help: his Gorebyss sets up Safeguard, Barboach uses Mud Sport and a trio of Tentacruel bounce the shock back with Mirror Coat, before Milotic tears the net with Iron Tail and blows the villains away with Twister. Barboach’s appearance is its anime debut, moved here from the cancelled Whiscash episode. Ash challenges Juan on the spot, and Juan accepts.
Over tea aboard his boat, Juan reveals that he was once a Coordinator who won the Ribbon Cup and the title of Top Coordinator, which explains the showmanship of his Gym, and he admits to finding a certain beauty in Water-types’ weakness to Electric attacks. His butler and referee Sebastian explains the format: five Pokémon each, first a Double Battle and then a Single Battle, on a pool-like field. Pikachu and Snorunt open against Sealeo and Seaking. Seaking’s Horn Drill deflects Pikachu’s Thunderbolt and even Thunder, and although Snorunt’s Icy Wind freezes Sealeo’s Blizzard in mid-air, Aurora Beam and Hyper Beam shatter the ice and Hyper Beam knocks Snorunt out, the only official battle that Snorunt ever loses before it evolves.
Corphish replaces Snorunt, grabs Seaking by the horn and is flung away by Horn Drill, but Pikachu’s Iron Tail then knocks Seaking out. To dodge Sealeo’s Ice Balls, Pikachu rides Corphish like a surfboard; the third Ice Ball hits them both, but Pikachu’s Thunder smashes the fifth and Corphish’s Crabhammer knocks Sealeo out, giving Ash the Double Battle. The field transforms into a lake dotted with towers for the Single Battle, and Grovyle takes on Luvdisc. The tiny Pokémon dodges Bullet Seed and Leaf Blade, hits back with Water Pulse and confuses Grovyle with Sweet Kiss. Elsewhere in the city, Team Rocket are busy disguising James as Juan for a scheme of their own, and the episode ends with the Gym battle hanging in the balance.
Major Events
- Sootopolis Gym, part 1. Juan and Sebastian debut
- Ash wins the Double Battle stage against Sealeo and Seaking
- Snorunt’s only official loss before it evolves
- Barboach debuts, moved here from the unaired Whiscash episode
Pokémon making their anime debut
Barboach#0339 · AG110
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Hoenn storyline.
Part of our Pokémon: Advanced Battle guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.