Ritchie tearfully thanked Sparky for being one of his most loyal Pokémon and how much he cares for him

Note: This scene appears to take place after Ritchie lost to Assunta in the Pokémon League and decided to take Sparky in his arms to take him near a lake to make him feel better which was before Ash Ketchum decided to talk to him during the events of "Friends To The End" of the anime series. In this scene, Ritchie had realized how very loyal Sparky was from the first time they met and how he always obeys his orders when fighting against an opponent's Pokémon which made him so proud that he shed a few tears of joy as he hugged him happily at the end.