Ash defeats Falkner in a Gym battle and earns his first Johto League Badge, the Zephyr Badge.
Meowth breaks the fourth wall when he mentions that it was a bad ending.
This episode ends in almost the same way as Masera Town! A New Journey (1999), with Team Rocket being pecked by a group of Spearow. Coincidentally, the events of the episode are brought up, with Ash talking about his Pidgeot.
Falkner says almost exactly the same thing about people underestimating Flying types in this episode and when the player character challenges him in the games.
This marks the only time when a Gym Leader doesn't use any Pokémon from their game-exclusive Gym battle team in the anime.