Part one of Ash vs Paul is finally here! It sucks we have to wait three more weeks for the battle to continue. Cue the complaining about Paul's team choices!

I really liked this one!.I couldn't wait any longer till they battled since the sinnoh league started. But now we have to wait weeks and weeks till the conclusion of Ash and Paul's battle. /:

I'm so dissapointed about this! I really want to see the second part right now! D:

So we start the long awaited Ash vs. Paul re-match battle and there is no better place to have it then during the Sinnoh League! Great battles so far and though it looks like Ash is in the lead, it sounds like Paul was just testing Ash and now with Drapion things just got serious. I'm a bit puzzled about the order of the events though (in the opening we start the battle, then we go into before the battle, and then it fades out back to where we left off in the battle, so was the whole "before the battle" thing a flashback?), but it doesn't really take that much away from the episode. Though honestly they might as well have kept to the battle as nothing really happened before the battle, we already know Paul doesn't like Ash because Ash reminds him of Reggie who quit being a Pokemon trainer and Paul never forgave him for doing that. Anyway onto my comments:

Starting With A Flashforward:
00:12 - What in the world is Piplup wearing?
00:37 - Guessed Paul's Lairon must have evolved. And Dawn, why are you scannin Aggron, you already scanned one in DP119 "Trials and Adulations!".
01:59 - Wha? So was the start of the battle just a Cold Opening?
02:31 - You'd think Barry would know about the disadvantages of moves like Giga Impact being his Empoleon knows TWO such moves.
03:15 - Geez, even Barry knows when a character says something that's repetitive.
03:48 - O_o... Not one of your best works Dawn. Actually it kind of looks like you combined a band leader and cheerleader (and show girl) outfit together... did you not realize Piplup was a boy until the Evil Togepi hit it with Attract?
04:41 - Dawn, why did you get up from ducking? Not like you need to see them to hear the conversation.
05:02 - But Dawn, that would mean Paul actually cared.
05:20 - Dawn, why are you still following Paul?
05:24 - Of course you do, Ash cares for his Pokemon feelings, what kind of crazy person is he?
05:56 - Lol, that kind of reminds me of EP155 "Forest Grumps" when Misty had to yell at Psyduck to get back to their side.
06:24 - And why is that something to be surprised about, Barry?
06:42 - I think it's popularly called ComaShipping.

Was It All Just A Flashback?:
07:04 - WHOA! Right back into the action!
08:25 - Time out? Oh, Ash is switching... why didn't Ash just say "Switch out" then?
09:01 - Why is Team Rocket so shocked to see Infernape? If they are surprised Ash decided to use it against Paul, well, I'm sure Infernape has some unsettled business with Paul.
10:12 - Well so much for Aggron having come out of that clash unaffected.
00:07 - Why is "after the battle" music playing? I know Infernape just defeated Aggron but Paul has 5 other Pokemon left! Though admittedly it does begin to build up at the end.
00:40 - Darn it Dawn stop scanning Pokemon you had already scanned! Actually Ash hasn't scanned a Gastrodon yet...
00:59 - Gee, I don't know Jessie, maybe because Gastrodon is a Water/Ground-type, two types which Infernape isn't too good against. And of course, what I just said gets repeated by Dawn seconds later. *sigh*
01:40 - Oh, so Ash is using the same party he did when he first battled Paul, makes sense I guess but now that means Paul knows the other Pokemon which Ash has and I dobut Ash would try tricking Paul into thinking that's what he did and have his 6th Pokemon be a wild card.
01:55 - Geez Gastrodon can stretch its neck out... PAUL STOLE COUNTER SHIELD!
03:29 - Okay, I know Gastrodon is a slug and thus it's body is soft, but I doubt it spreads out like it was putty!
04:12 - What do you think Paul has planned Ash? He's gonna have Gastrodon jump off last second... if Gastrodon stops melting of course.
05:00 - you know Ash you could probably recalled Staraptor, from what it looks like you still had its tail sticking out... oh, NOW you return Staraptor!
06:21 - Wait, Ice Beam, Aqua Jet, can it be? Yes, YES IT IS! Ice Armor... or Ice Aqua Get (whatever, it's a frozen Aqua Jet)!
07:13 - Yay Dawn, but 3 of Ash's Pokemon have been damaged and Paul also knows what the last two are while Ash doesn't know who Paul would use next.
08:09 - All part of Paul's plan? How? Unless Paul previously suspected that Ash was going to use the same Pokemon he did at the Lake Acuity thus only wanted to see if he was right then I guess it would make sense, but from what it sounds like this wasn't Paul's plan so what, his plan is to give Ash a false confidence boost?
08:38 - What do you think is up with that Pin Missile? Seriously unless Paul is doing something strange with the attack like not attacking your Pokemon it's probably a good guess the attack is meant to damage and knock out your Pokemon, Ash.

This is an awesome episode!

Piplup looked UGLY in that costume Dawn made. What a horrible, horrible to have to wear.

Gastrodon looks SO damn cute.

Too bad Paul isn't using his "real" good team, or Ash get seriously trounsed. Too bad the writers went this direction .....only to ...ah I won't spoil it.

Awesome episode! Part 1 of the long-awaited Ash vs. Paul Sinnoh League rematch! This is gonna be an awesome battle to watch, regardless of who wins.