Hikozaru used Dig, which I haven't seen from it before, as well as a defensive move that stopped Naetoru from attacking it. Also looked like Hikozaru used Fury Swipes, but it could've been a really hyped up Scratch attack. Naetoru connected with its Bite attack, which isn't shown much in the anime. What I want to know is that rejuvination attack Naetoru uses to restore its energy during battle.
Anyway, I've got some points/questions to make. When the four (Ash, Shinji and their respective starters) fell off the cliff, Shinji/Hikozaru managed to jump gracefully from ledges and branches to the ground, while Ash and Naetoru bulleted into the river below.
Ash loosing the 2nd match was what is needed...after all, fire attacks are strong against grass-types AND Shinji's Hikozaru is more experienced thus far. We also see that Shinji has adapted himself to be agile like Hikozaru.
I'm also wondering why Naetoru was hesitating to dodge attacks in Ash's initial rematch against Shinji (which was the focal point for this episode).
And yes, Shinji does keep Ursaring. I think after examining the Pokeball, he saw that it was strong enough (and had good attacks) that were worth keeping around. He might have said that Stantler's attack array was only limited to Tackle and Hypnosis.
Different Strokes For Different Blokes!
