Interesting episode.
I expected Pikachu to use the Steel Z-Move. I figured it would use it before Meltan, especially after Pikachu sniffed out and picked the Steelium-Z directly after the last trial.
Not sure what to think about Rocket Gang not remembering the Skull Gang, but their particular interaction was good. Kukai's brief slip up when performing that stance he does with Incineroar as Royal Mask was also a comical.
Normally I'd complain about one of Pikachu's top moves being downplayed in a battle such as this, but the hard scale factor lessens my complaint regarding Iron Tail. Can't say the same for Thunderbolt, though. (I do find it hilarious though always seeing the cast through all generations flipping their s*** when Thunderbolt is shown to either be ineffective or is deflected. Peeps know it's real when Thunderbolt, Pikachu's strongest regular attack, doesn't work.) Anyways, Golisopod definitely had some similarities to Drapion during the battle, which is not inherently a bad thing... I enjoyed seeing Drapion's animations. Disregarding the narrative, Satoshi was too eager and quick to use the Z-Move, even for him. Going off the past, he'd usually panic after the third or fourth move doesn't work; seen it numerous times during instances when he vsed Diantha, Alder, Paul, etc. The match outcome with Guzma was a bit unexpected, at least for the one who threw the match. Rather than be Guzma, it was the actual Pokemon, with or without the "Emergency Exit" concept. Imagine entertaining that narrative when you consider how every other 1v1 fight would go with it it; complete battles, especially heated battles that can go either way, would be impractical every single time. Goodra's Dragon Tail didn't even cause a switch out in the battle with Clemont, one of the occasional instances where effects from the game do not carry over into the anime. (Next battle with it is definitely going to require it to be the last Pokemon standing in a party battle, or it would have to fall victim to an attack so strong it would get knocked out unexpectedly, since you can't really negate an ability like that with character development.) The switch out is also pretty unparalleled with Guzma's beat down style, so I feel a certain type of way because of that. And I truly wonder what really would have happened if that Z Move was an electric one instead. That Steel Z move looked very much like plot convenience for Guzma and plot inconvenience for Satoshi, especially giving Rotom told him the Pokemon's type prior to the battle.
Lastly, i'm seriously not in favor of anyone being able to join the league. Not only does this allow quite literally anyone to join the league but it also disrespects the hell out of the former tradition. It's a poor advancement. There'a also going to be a funny contradiction when they later reveal a trainer obviously needs more than a certain amount of Pokemon to be able compete and/or advance throughout later rounds (because obviously every battle will not have a 1v1 format), which by nature goes against "everyone can enter", or rather that's wrong because they can ideally enter initially. This also obviously devalues the Trials, outside gaining generic experience, which does not matter as there are a number of ways to create strong characters without making them go through a single trial (the entire Pokemon series as a whole has done it numerous times throughout their respective generation series for their customs), and gaining the advantageous Z-Crystals. Honestly, however like the point regarding experience, they can just have some people with mega evolution and legendaries rather than everyone with Z Rings and Crystals.