Rudy's main focus was impressing Misty—especially after she saved his sister Mahri from a whirlpool—rather than seriously preparing for Ash's challenge. Like the rest of the Orange Crew, Rudy made challengers pass a preliminary test before facing him. He had Ash's Pokémon aim at targets from a moving boat.
Once Ash cleared that hurdle, they battled on one of the rock pillars surrounding Trovita Island, three-on-three with matching types. Before the fight, Rudy asked Misty to stay with him if he won, though he said she could decide after it was over.
The actual battle didn't go Ash's way at first—Pikachu lost to Electabuzz. But Bulbasaur bounced back with Sleep Powder against Exeggutor, catching the falling Pokémon with Vine Whip before it tumbled into the sea.
The final matchup was Squirtle versus Starmie, and Rudy fought with Misty on his mind, ordering Starmie to dodge and spin into a Thunderbolt. That's when Misty yelled at Ash to keep fighting, saying he was the only one who could really bring out Squirtle's potential. The words hit home. Ash directed Squirtle to use Water Gun to dodge the Thunderbolt, and Squirtle suddenly learned Hydro Pump—using it alongside Skull Bash to take down Starmie.
Rudy handed over his badge gracefully and gave Misty some flowers on her way out. He told Ash he was a lucky guy and that someday he'd understand just how lucky.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
