Ash and Pikachu are now running along a river’s edge as Ash tells his yellow friend about how they must be ready for the next round of the tournament. Pikachu agrees and they continue along, Ash with a towel flipped around his shoulders. The narrator explains that Ash will be competing in the qualifying rounds for the Ever Grande Tournament later that day. The scene focuses in on the flame of Moltres burning brightly at the top of the stadium.

Ash arrives at the registration center later that morning and meets up with his friends and Morrison. Max is peering at the Pokenav when Ash wonders what he’s up to. Max remarks that he is getting information on what the registration center does to verify the trainer’s certification for the league. He then states that it must check to make sure that the qualifying trainer has a total of eight Hoenn badges. Morrison begins to steam from this, wondering why it’s taking so long. The four look to Brock for an answer. He is peering into the guidebook and makes the same deduction that Max made seconds before, adding in that Nurse Joy will be involved. It seems as if he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. The others topple over in shock.

Nurse Joy talks into a microphone to the lobby, exclaiming that every trainer has been checked and verified for the tournament, and in just a moment the video monitor will scramble the competitors that made it on into matches. She declares that the preliminary round contained six hundred trainers, which have been narrowed down to a few hundred. Every trainer will face an opponent in a one-round double battle for the next part of the tournament. The winner moves on and the loser is removed from the tournament. This assures that the large number decreases for the later rounds. Max and Brock are a little shocked by this, stating that with only two Pokemon a piece the trainers will be trying extra hard to win.

Morrison doesn’t seem too concerned. He declares that he’ll knock his opponent out in the blink of an eye, causing Ash to challenge this statement. The two begin to argue while wobbling in place before Nurse Joy continues her speech. The competitors’ pictures all appear on a video monitor in the center of the lobby. Ash and Morrison stop arguing and peer up at it. Ash becomes excited and Morrison can’t wait as well. The two exclaim that they will give it their all and hopefully will see each other in the rounds to follow.

In the stands surrounding a battlefield, May and Tyson are happily munching on some pastries as Max sighs with disapproval. People spill into the stadium to find seats as Morrison appears from the preparation hall, walking confidently onto the battlefield. Ash, Brock, and Max watch intently from the stands. Ash picks up on Morrison’s self-assurance.

Another trainer appears from the opposite side of the field. He is a very muscular man with a tight purple muscle shirt and a revealing pair of spandex shorts on. His hair is a dark brown and is pushed back. He also has two blonde streaks pointing upward from his head. He flexes as he enters the arena, declaring that he will be the victor of this match. Max and May both seem a little uncomfortable from this man’s display.

The announcer explains the rules as dust drifts across the arena. Morrison then starts things off by tossing two Pokeballs into the arena. They open up to reveal a Growlithe and a Gligar. The muscle man follows up by calling out a Marowak and a Machamp. The four Pokemon appear under their trainers on the scoreboard. Morrison’s opponent, whose name turns out to be Gyrone, flexes again and Morrison mocks him by flexing his own arm muscle.

Growlithe starts things off by smashing into Marowak with a flaming tackle. Gyrone orders Marowak to use head butt. It does a back flip and lands on top of the puppy Pokemon. It then puts Growlithe in a neck lock with its bone and bangs its skull against the fire type’s head. Morrison tries to have Gligar save his other Pokemon with a fury cutter, but Machamp blocks its attack with a protect.

Growlithe slides across the dirt and gets back up. It tries to use flamethrower on Marowak, but the Pokemon spins its bone to deflect the fire. Ash and his friends notice that Gyrone fights with power. The muscular trainer then has his Machamp send Gligar flying with a dynamic punch. It then follows up with a cross chop to injure Gligar more. Ash and his friends are impressed with the way Gyrone’s Pokemon battle.

Morrison thinks fast and has Gligar use quick attack. Machamp is not prepared and takes the hit dead on. Meanwhile, Growlithe and Marowak glare at each other as they run side by side along the field. Marowak uses a bonemerang which connects with the puppy Pokemon’s jaw and sends it flying. The bone returns to the ground types hand afterwards. Gyrone laughs at how well he’s faring. Growlithe tries another flamethrower, but Marowak runs right through it and head butts the Pokemon away. It then uses an ice beam to freeze Growlithe’s back leg to the ground. Finally, it smashes the injured pup away with a bone club.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket sits against a wall in a storage room dressed as vendors. Jessie seems tired and James wonders why they are keeping this job. Meowth refuses to take orders from anyone and Jessie suggests that they quit and go snatch up Pikachu. Suddenly, the wall behind them smashes away and a very grumpy man with a huge orange nose comes through. He is obviously their boss as he demands an explanation as to why they aren’t working. When Team Rocket tries to explain that they are on break, he begins to scream, freaking the crap out of them and causing them to rush back to work.

Back at the match, Gligar is subjected to Machamp’s vital throw. Gligar retaliates with a metal claw to Machamp’s face. Marowak does another bonemerang as Growlithe launches a flamethrower, both attacks connecting with their targets. Gligar smashes into Machamp with another quick attack and then begins to a barrage of them on its opponent. Machamp tries to block the blows but can’t keep up with the speedy Pokemon. Machamp then tries to use dynamic punch but can’t get a hit off. Gligar flies up and crashes down on Machamp with another metal claw, taking the four-armed fighting type out.

Morrison is declared the winner of the round and it is now a two on one battle. Ash compliments him from the stands. Marowak rushes towards Growlithe who releases yet another flamethrower. Marowak leaps above it and crashes its bone down on the pup’s head, pushing it into the ground and taking it out! Marowak is given a win and the match is now a one on one battle.

Marowak tosses its bone at Gligar, but the Pokemon dodges and flies in for a metal claw. Marowak leaps after it and the two Pokemon collide in a flash of light. As each one falls to the ground, Marowak lets off an ice beam which freezes Gligar’s wing. It hit’s the ground hard and is then pelted away by a bonemerang. Marowak then rushes at Gligar for a bone club and Morrison tells Gligar to meet it head on. It does so, allowing Marowak to smash its bone against it. Morrison then orders an iron tail. Gligar’s tail glows and it hits it against Marowak, sending the ground type and its bone flying. It slides against the wall as its bone lands like a torpedo into the ground. It is unable to battle and Morrison is given the win! Ash and his friends comment on the battle from the stands and Ash can’t wait for his match.

Ash is now taking a jog outside the stadium with Pikachu on his shoulder. Suddenly, he falls into one of the dreaded pitfall traps! Team Rocket laughs from above and say their motto, taking off their vendor uniforms in the process. Suddenly, the wall crashes behind them again and their boss yells for another reason for their lack of working. Team Rocket tries to make excuses, but the man is so intimidating that they rush off back to work without complaints. Ash stands in the hole confused by what just happened.

A little while later, Ash is on the battlefield for his match against a green haired boy named Tomono. Ash calls out Torkoal and Corphish to battle. Tomono then calls out a Tropius and a Swalot, to which May looks them up in the Pokedex. Tropius begins the match by surprising Ash’s friends with its ability to fly. It then launches a razor leaf but Torkoal retreats into its shell and Corphish uses harden, rendering the attack ineffective.

Tropius then begins to barrage Torkoal’s shell with a bullet seed attack. Swalot sends a group of sludge bombs at Corphish who is having trouble staying defensive. With a flick of his fingers, Tomono has Tropius bombard Torkoal with a gust attack. The Pokemon blows back a bit but manages to let off a flamethrower, dealing a massive blow to the hovering grass type. It follows up with an overheat, but Tropius manages to dodge it. Swalot tries to body slam Corphish, but the Pokemon just gets out of the way in time. It releases a bubble beam, but the attack just bounces off of the sludge Pokemon’s bulky body.

Ash does not know how to take on Swalot as of now, so he has Torkoal and Corphish both attack Tropius with a set of flamethrowers and bubble beams. It breaks loose from the attacks after some time and charges up a solar beam. Corphish uses a crab hammer to Tropius’s head and it lands, still charging up energy. Torkoal hits it with a flamethrower and Tropius launches the solar beam. Ash has Torkoal switch to overheat and the attacks collide. They up the power of them after a few moments, causing an explosion that envelopes both combatants. The two Pokemon smash against opposing walls, each unable to battle. The battle is now Swalot vs. Corphish! Tomono has Swalot use shock wave, which connects with Corphish for a lot of damage. The Pokemon flies back steaming and is hit with yet another shock wave attack. As it lays on the ground wincing in pain, Swalot body slams it, causing Ash to worry. Corphish uses crab hammer to knock the Pokemon off, but Swalot doesn’t seem hurt by it. It then counters with shadow ball, blowing the crayfish Pokemon across the field.

Ash then tells Corphish to rush Swalot dead on for a crab hammer, shocking the crowd. It does so, and Swalot launches a shockwave. It connects, but the force of Corphish’s outstretched claw deflects it. Swalot begins to worry as Corphish gets closer. The lobster latches onto the blob Pokemon’s whiskers and flings it upside down, tossing Swalot over its head. While it’s hurting, Corphish places its claw inside Swalot’s mouth and gives it a bubble beam straight down the throat. Swalot begins to inflate and Corphish leaps away as an explosion erupts from the poison type’s mouth. When the dust settles, Swalot is unconscious on the field with smoke rising from its mouth. Ash congratulates Corphish and his friends cheer for him. Morrison states that Ash is a very nice battler.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket has finally gotten the break they deserve. They sit inside a small house exhaustedly complaining about their job. Suddenly, their boss walks in and they freak out. They grovel for mercy at his feet, but he just laughs and presents them with food. The three are overjoyed and instantly love their new boss. He leaves after watching them eat, saying that he expects them at work tomorrow. They agree and declare their love for him to each other afterwards.

That evening, Ash and Morrison have an argument over who battled better earlier that day. Ash’s friends interrupt and Max explains that tomorrow the two will be shuffled into a new set of rounds. The two nod and then begin to argue over who will get farther in the league. The scene then rises to show the beautiful floating complex that is the Ever Grande Tournament stadium!

Thanks to GoldenNoctowl for writing this for us