It's the moment we've been waiting for! Our favorite fire monkey has completed his transformation into the Pokemon it was destined to be! Way to go Infernape!

(Cue Infernape Tribute)

Paul better watch out. If anyone wants to beat him as much as Ash, I believe it's Infernape. It's obvious that he'll be used in the final round of Ash's battle with Paul in the Sinnoh League (whenever that is). The question is, which one of Paul's Poke's will Infernape be taking down?

although its not much of a surprise

since the opening pretty much revealed monferno and grotles evos along with dawn getting a togekiss....(and thats not even a spoiler anymore)

ugh I woke up too late and missed it

I'll watch it tomorrow

Good episode.

Awesome episode! Monferno finally evolves into Infernape! It was also cool to see Barry meet Paul for the first time.

well the league is only (censored) episodes away

so he'll probably be back to normal then

Today's episode was awesome! Well, atleast the ending part anyway. The beginning was mostly exposition and the middle was a nice taste of a battle followed by the usual Team Rocket struggle. But as I said, the one here who stole the episode today was Infernape. The only thing I'm dissapointed about is that it didn't learn a new attack. I mean it knows Flamethrower and Dig, but Flame Wheel and Mach Punch isn't really doing it any favors anymore. What would be really awesome for Infernape to learn is Close Combat, I don't care that Staraptor already knows it. But you're not here to read what I want to see, you're hear to read a review:

Always One Badge Behind:
* Looks like a battling is going on, and it ain't Ash & co. in the middle of it but rather Barry! His Empoleon is against a Mothim.
* No Brock, being part Steel-type Empoleon is resistant to both of Mothim's types, Bug and Flying. But with the battle done Barry takes in the applause and also notices Ash.
* Barry is brought up to speed what's been going on with Ash & co. (Dawn getting her 5th Ribbon, Gible still hasn't perfected Draco Meteor as Piplup could have probably told him), but it's revealed Barry has all his badges including Sunyshore's Beacon Badge! (plus 3 other unknown)
* Dawn, Ash has 7 badges, the "catch up" he has to do he is doing by going to the 8th Gym. Plus being it's Sunyshore the Electric-type Gym, is Gible can learn Draco Meteor in time it could possibly sweep the Gym... unless Volkner uses his DP team.
* Meanwhile Team Rocket, taking a moment of silent for their failures, come up with a new plan of instead of just catching Ash & co's Pokemon and running they'll just catch Ash & co. and take their Pokemon while they are trapped (but don't they do that sometimes and it still fails?).
* Munchies? Barry, if you were taking any illegal substance... know what, I'm not even going to go there.
* Oh yes, Pokemon Center=Nurse Joy=Brock flirting=Croagunk Poison Jab, nothing we haven't seen often. But what we don't see often is Paul, and guess who's at the Pokemon Center? (Which should be a "treat" to Barry considering what a Paul fanboy he is)
* Barry tries to challenge Paul to a battle but unsurisingly Paul turns him down and tells him to bother Ash for a battle. But Barry says because Ash only has 7 that Ash isn't on there "level" (despite him not having a victory against Ash).
* Ash mentions he was going to Sunyshore Gym and Paul responds that the Gym isn't "legit". And different? Dawn, Paul's and Barry's opinion on the Sunyshore Gym are COMPLETE opposites! Hmm, I think there was a reason Palmer must have sent Ash to the Sunyshore Gym besides for a Gym battle.
* Barry, you and Paul have 8 badges, of course you'll meet again in the Sinnoh Leage (of course there is a possibility of you and him not battling each other). Ash mentions his full battle with Paul and being beaten badly, Barry decides to challenge Ash to a battle.
* Hold on, the TV announced a Grand Festival news flash so we have to cut to Dawn for a few moments. The Grand Festival is happening at Lake Valor (you know, the lake near Sunyshore) and we're told there are 7 Ribbons remaining... which shouldn't matter to us as Dawn has all 5 of hers.
* Of course this news is interesting to Jessie... wait, those rock outfits, I've seen them before. Yay! EP045 "The Song of Jigglypuff" when they give Ash & co. the stage for Jigglypuff to sing on! Of course the hair color is different (here they keep their hair color the same as their normal).
* Oh yay, forgot the Wallace Cup was also held at Lake Valor too. Brock plans out they'll go to Sunyshore then Lake Valor, with Barry finally getting impatient and they all run out for Ash's and Barry's battle. Jessie runs out to prepare for the two more Contest Ribbons she needs but James and Meowth reminds her of today's plans.

Starters Starting The Battle:
* Dawn uses the "Coin FLIP" feature on her Poketch to decide who goes first and Barry gets to go first (though shouldn't it be "Magikarp or Pokeball" instead of "Heads or Tails"?) But it really doesn't matter as Barry says they'll both release their Pokemon at the same time.
* First match is Barry's Empoleon verses Ash's Monferno... normally Barry would have the advantage BUT with Monferno being half Fighting-type both Pokemon have a way of causing Super Effective damage to the other one. Though then again Empoleon is a final evolution...
* And with that said, Monferno gets in a Super Effective Mach Punch while dodging Empoleon's attack. And who just so happens to be walking by but none other then Paul who of course stops to watch the battle.
* Empoleon does Drill Peck but Monferno dodges it using Dig and then attack (oh, Empoleon is also weak against Ground-type attacks too, so Dig was also Super Effective). Monferno closes in for another attack but Empoleon launches it with a Hydro Cannon.
* But as Ash goes after Monferno, a giant clear orb comes down and traps Ash inside it! As Pikachu tries freeing Ash, 3 more comes down and traps Brock, Dawn, and Barry. Though it doesn't really take much thinking who is responsible for this...
* As Team Rocket do their motto Pikachu, Piplup, and Empoleon attack but Team Rocket's balloon turns into a mech, block all the attacks, and catches the three (when Team Rocket does their motto, they make sure to finish it!).
* Brock tries to free himself and throws out Happiney, but Happiney just winds up causing the orb Brock is in to roll around. As Team Rocket gloats (and Brock and Happiney roll around), a fire pillar bursts out of the forest and a Flame Wheel fires at Team Rocket. Oh, btw Paul, thanks for helping everyone while they're trapped and you're free.
* Monferno however doesn't hit Team Rocket but instead frees Ash... uh oh, Hydor Cannon must have done major damage to Monferno as its Blaze activated! Ash tries to calm it down but it blasts him away, but it also does the same with Team Rocket as they try to grab it.
* Monferno does a Flame Wheel and, after knocking Ash out of the way who tried to stop it from also harming Pikachu, Piplup, and Empoleon, destroys Team Rocket's mech's top part and send them blasting off. The machines lower part begins to fall down but Paul finally decides to help and send Electabuzz to use Protect to keep the machine from falling.

Evolving In A Blaze:
* Um, okay Ash, Electabuzz is strong but it can't keep Protect up for long, you might want to send the Pokemon you were going to. But Monferno flips out and attacks the mech's legs, causing it to fall faster. Ash tris to give Monferno another cool down hug but as Electabuzz's Protect fails Monferno Flame Wheels over there and... its glowing... does that mean?
* YES! MONFERNO IS EVOLVING INTO INFERNAPE! Paul is just flabbergasted and I love the smile Infernape gave to Electabuzz's snarl. Anyway Infernape has no problem holding up the falling mech, and infacts throws it into the air and does a huge Flame Wheel to free Pikachu, Piplup, and Empoleon. Paul comes over to mention that it has now controlled Blaze and used it to evolve.
* Anyway Infernape frees everyone else trapped in the orbs and as Paul takes his leave he mentions that their next full battle will be during the Sinnoh League... of course the means Ash still has to get his 8th badge!

um technically barry beat ash a few episodes ago when ash caught gible remember?

Just one thing: I think they should have called this episode "When Barry Met Paulie" as in a pun on the title of the movie "When Harry Met Sally." I didn't even know that "Ire" was a word!

excpet this episode features Monferno EVOLVING

so that's more important