Friend and Foe Alike After making a promise with Ritchie that he will have the best battle of his life, Ash is lured and kidnapped by Team Rocket, who give him the offer of letting them steal Pikachu or missing his battle with Ritchie. Ash is not about to let Team Rocket make him break the promise he made with Ritchie, so he is able to eventually rescue Pikachu and get to the stadium in time. However, Ash loses in the final stretch of his battle against Ritchie, due to his choice to send out Charizard, willfully knowing that Charizard would let Ritchie move on to the quarterfinals.