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| Season | Pokémon: Advanced Battle (Season 8) · The Hoenn Grand Festival arc (AG121–AG123) |
| Episode | Season 8, episode 30 · English episode 395 · Japanese episode 399 · Bulbapedia code AG123 |
| English title | Rhapsody in Drew |
| Japanese title | 決戦！グランドフェスティバル③！！ Kessen! Gurando Fesutibaru Surī!! — “Decisive Battle! Grand Festival (3)!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 7 April 2005 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 25 February 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 Geodude? (Dugtrio / Golem / Regirock) → Golem |
| Previous episode | Deceit and Assist (AG122) |
| Next episode | Island Time (AG124) |
Plot episodeMay loses to Drew – Top 8Snorunt evolves into Glalie
Rhapsody in Drew is the 30th episode of Pokémon: Advanced Battle, the eighth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 395th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 399, Bulbapedia code AG123). It first aired in Japan on 7 April 2005 and in the United States on 25 February 2006. It falls within the season’s The Hoenn Grand Festival stretch (EP121–EP123).
Synopsis
Harley’s Banette and Cacturne open with Screech and Bullet Seed, but May’s Bulbasaur and Beautifly quickly seize control with Vine Whip and Silver Wind, leaving Harley’s Pokémon dizzy and his points below half. Banette’s Torment stops Bulbasaur from repeating Vine Whip, so May improvises: Harley’s Will-O-Wisp and Bulbasaur’s Petal Dance scatter costly points, and then a combination of Silver Wind and Razor Leaf knocks out both Cacturne and Banette. May advances, Harley storms off, and Drew tells him plainly that May was simply the better Coordinator. Outside the arena Team Rocket try to kidnap Robert; Pikachu frees him, and when Dustox and Cacnea attack, Ash’s Snorunt shields Pikachu, evolves into Glalie and, finally in control of Ice Beam, blasts the trio away.
In the next round May’s Combusken and Bulbasaur face Anthony’s Swalot and Pinsir and hold the lead until time runs out, putting her into the quarter-finals against Drew, who unveils a newly raised Flygon alongside his Roselia. May counters with Combusken and Skitty. Drew’s Sandstorm and Solar Beam combinations blunt Fire Spin and Sky Uppercut, Flygon breathes Flamethrower, and Roselia dodges Blizzard. May’s plan of having Skitty catch Combusken with an Assist-powered Vine Whip and fling it into a flaming dive nearly works, smashing into Flygon, but Roselia’s Stun Spore paralyses both of her Pokémon and Flygon’s Steel Wing ends the match. Drew wins, and May’s first Grand Festival ends in the quarter-finals, among the top eight Coordinators in Hoenn.
In the final, Robert’s Milotic and Claydol overpower Drew’s team, and Robert is crowned Top Coordinator and presented with the Ribbon Cup. At the party afterwards May finds Drew already training again; he tells her she needs to keep improving and that he expects to see her at the next Grand Festival. Ash surprises May with an ice-cream cone, Caroline teases her about romance, and May insists that they are just friends. Disappointed but determined, May resolves to become a Top Coordinator one day, and Caroline heads home to Petalburg City after reminding her daughter to cheer Ash on in his League. With the Contest season over, attention turns to Ever Grande City, where Ash’s Glalie will now be one of his strongest weapons.
Major Events
- Grand Festival, part 3. May beats Harley and Anthony and loses to Drew in the quarter-finals (Top 8)
- Robert wins the Ribbon Cup
- Ash’s Snorunt evolves into Glalie and masters Ice Beam
- Drew’s Flygon and Glalie debut
Pokémon making their anime debut
Glalie#0362 · AG123
Captures and evolutions
- Snorunt → Glalie#0362 · Ash · shielding Pikachu
Trivia
- The English title plays on “Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue”.
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Hoenn storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- X-shaped fainting eyes on Banette, Cacturne and Cacnea changed to arrows (Dogasu: “the letter x is taboo now”)
- 9 seconds of routine time cuts
- Vocal Ready Go! and OK! as Japanese background music, replaced in the dub
- Music from Mewtwo Strikes Back
Part of our Pokémon: Advanced Battle guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.