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{{EpisodePrevNext|
{{EpicodePrevNext|
prevlink=EP221 |
prevcode=EP221 |
prevtitle=EP221: A Parent Trapped! |
prevtitle=A Parent Trapped! |
nextlink=EP223 |
nextcode=EP223 |
nexttitle=EP223: Throwing in the Noctowl |
nexttitle=Throwing in the Noctowl |
series=Original series |
series=Original series |
episodelist=List of original series episodes }}
episodelist=List of original series episodes |
colorscheme=Johto }}
{{EpisodeInfobox|
{{EpisodeInfobox|
epcode=EP222 |
epcode=EP222 |
colorscheme=Johto |
title_en=A Promise is a Promise |
title_en=A Promise is a Promise |
title_ja=ルギアとのやくそく! |
title_ja=ルギアとのやくそく! |
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broadcast_us=December 7, 2002 |
broadcast_us=December 7, 2002 |
screen=yes |
screen=yes |
screenshot=A Promise is a Promise.jpg |
en_series=Master Quest |
en_series=Master Quest |
en_op=[[Believe in Me]] |
en_op=[[Believe in Me]] |
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director=浅田裕二 |
director=浅田裕二 |
art=岩根雅明 |
art=岩根雅明 |
footnotes= }}
morecredits=yes |
'''A Promise is a Promise''' (Japanese: '''ルギアとのやくそく!''' ''The Promise with Lugia!'') is episode 222 of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 1, 2001 and in the United States on December 7, 2002.  
epstaffpage=EP221-EP230 |
<!-- Short summary goes here. -->
footnotes=*{{filb-eppics|pm|227}}
}}
 
'''A Promise is a Promise''' (Japanese: '''ルギアとのやくそく!''' ''The Promise with Lugia!'') is the 222nd episode of the [[Pokémon animated series]]. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 1, 2001, and in the United States on December 7, 2002.
 
{{spoilers}}
{{spoilers}}
== Synopsis ==
<!-- Detailed synopsis goes here. -->
The story left off with Ash and the gang, along with Ritchie, captured by Team Rocket and held at their base. Dr. Namba and the other Rockets look upon their capture of the parent Lugia, but they rather use that than the child so they carry that one off. Later, the gang wakes up and figures out what to do, Ash rambling about the whole incident. Soon Dr. Namba comes in and tells them his plan, after all they won't be long before they put it into effect. The head item that was on Butch and Cassidy's Pokémon were part of his little experiment of amplifying energy, but also manipulation. If a single Houndour's power is amplified so much to what it was performing at, think how powerful the energy would be from Lugia if amplified.


Later, Oliver decides that he wants to go rescue them and tells Luka that he's going down there and get them back. Jessie, James, and Meowth are later looking in a security room for any hints on where the parent Lugia might be at. Oliver enters the base and ends up in the vents, then finds his way into a hall, but a Rocket has caught him. Jessie and James are there and know that Oliver could be helpful, so they fake the Rocket and take over, telling Oliver where the gang is.  
==Blurb==
<!--https://www.pokemon.com/us/animation/seasons/5/episode-13-a-promise-is-a-promise/-->
<i>Ash and friends do their best to free the captured Lugia from Team Rocket, but are eventually overwhelmed by a new technology that emotionally manipulates Pokemon, amplifying their rage and enhancing the power of their attacks. This heightened power enables Butch and Cassidy to not only capture the parent Lugia, but to take captive Ash and friends as well. A Team Rocket researcher insists that true power lies in fury, but Ash hopes to prove that trust between man and Pokemon holds the key to a greater power still, and to free himself and his friends in the process.</i>


Dr. Namba shows the gang how this little mechanism works, the test subjects are Pikachu and Sparky. They come out on a elevator-table restrained while a hook lowers the mechanism down. But just before that could happen, Oliver breaks in and punches in the lock code, opening the door from the cage. Ash slams in the Dr. Namba and then breaks off the hook thing and uses that to break the console. They try to get everything back together again, thanking Oliver while their at it. Dr. Namba however, trips the alarm and the whole base comes towards the room. The gang tries to run out but are cut off by Butch, Cassidy, and a whole mess of Rockets. Butch and Cassidy release their Pokémon with the same gadget on them. They start off with a {{m|Flamethrower}} and {{m|Rolling Kick}} but Pikachu and Sparky easily dodge both attacks. Ash and Ritchie have a plan though, they have their Pokémon use {{m|Thunderbolt}}, but aim for the gadget, which breaks it. With the Pokémon powerless, both do a head on tackle and knock them out. They're soon cut short of the battle when they leave off to make sure the parent Lugia doesn't go anywhere.  
==Plot==
[[Dr. Namba]], [[Butch]] and [[Cassidy]] gaze at their captured {{an|Lugia|parent Lugia}} and whisk [[Silver (Lugia)|the child]] off to another room. {{Ash}} and [[Ritchie]] are determined to fulfill their promise to Lugia, but with their [[Poké Ball]]s separated from them, the situation looks dire. The lights suddenly come on and Dr. Namba greets his captives. He declares that {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} are designed to serve humanity, but Ash and the others refute these claims. Dr. Namba brags about his headband devices used by Butch and Cassidy [[EP221|earlier]], "Namba’s Nasty Pokémon Provoker", which harnesses the power of rage to make a Pokémon more powerful. He plans to do the same to Lugia, but he decides to demonstrate the technology on [[Sparky]] and {{AP|Pikachu}} first.


In the room where the parent Lugia is, James and Meowth do their best to try to free the Lugia. Butch and Cassidy soon run into them, which ends up being a battle between the two. The battle seems to be on Jessie and James's favor as Arbok and Victreebel seem to just easily make comebacks. Cassidy's Houndour misses one Flamethrower, hitting a support for the energy barrier that's keeping Lugia in. Butch's Hitmontop tries a Rolling Kick, but is disrupted by Victreebel's {{m|Vine Whip}}, hitting the support again. A final break happened when Arbok got slammed into the support, the parent Lugia soon free. With that, the parent Lugia goes berserk on the base, firing a beam at random locations. One blast hits the Rockets, blowing them into the sky. The beam causes a breach, which causes the base to rise to the surface.  
Later, {{jo|Oliver}} leaves {{jo|Luka}} and the safety of the boat to rescue Ash and the others. He and {{p|Lanturn}} locate [[Team Rocket]]'s underwater base and Oliver slips inside through an opening. Meanwhile, the [[Team Rocket trio]] gains access to the security room, and are pleasantly surprised to see that Ash and his friends have been captured. [[Jessie]] orders her teammates about. Oliver soon emerges from the ventilation system, but he is immediately sprung by a {{tc|Team Rocket Grunt}}. Jessie and [[James]] notice the scene and spot an opportunity. They take over, but Oliver continues to struggle to free himself. Jessie whispers into Oliver's ear, and they enlist his help with their own scheme. Oliver asks who are they, and Jessie and James simply refer to themselves as "superheroes".


With the other Rockets to take care of, Ash sends out Totodile and Ritchie sends out his Pupitar, Cruise. Totodile shoots a {{m|Water Gun}} towards them and Cruise hits them hard with a {{m|Tackle}}, getting them all. They find the room where the child Lugia is at, but it's guard by Dr. Namba. He sends out a Electabuzz with the head mechanism. Ash and Ritchie send out their Pikachu to do the job. Electabuzz goes up for a {{m|ThunderPunch}}, literally making a crater, but the Pikachu manage to dodge the attack. They retaliate with a Thunderbolt but Electabuzz uses {{m|Light Screen}} and the bolts simply bounce off. Electabuzz does a more powerful version of Thunderbolt, getting both Pikachu easily.  
Dr. Namba's test on Pikachu and Sparky begins. The group distracts Namba with their pleas as Oliver breaks in through a ventilation shaft and punches in the lock code, opening the door from the cage. Ash tackles Dr. Namba into a wall and then breaks the mechanism before the power headbands can be placed on the Pikachu, and smashes the claw directly into the control console. {{an|Brock}} and {{an|Misty}} also gather everyone's Poké Balls. Ash and the others thank Oliver, and he reveals that he received help from some "superheroes". Dr. Namba presses an alert button, and as the group tries to leave the facility they find themselves surrounded by Team Rocket Grunts. Butch and Cassidy call on their Pokémon with the power headbands on them. {{p|Houndour}} starts off with a {{m|Flamethrower}} and {{p|Hitmontop}} uses {{m|Rolling Kick}}, but Pikachu and Sparky easily dodge both attacks. Ash and Ritchie, having formed a plan order their Pikachu aim their {{m|Thunderbolt}}s at the gadgets. The strong electric blasts destroy the headbands as planned. With the Pokémon powerless, both Pikachu perform a head-on {{m|Tackle}} and [[fainting|knock them out]]. The {{pkmn|battle}} is cut short when Dr. Namba alerts his Butch and Cassidy to some activity in Lugia’s area. {{AP|Totodile}} and {{p|Pupitar|Cruise}} make quick work of the remaining Rocket Grunts.


Later, the parent Lugia seems to be doing fine causing massive damage. It bursts through a wall to a hallway and then continues to fire beams around.  
Butch and Cassidy arrive and are disturbed to see their rivals, Jessie and James, working to free the Lugia. The two Rocket teams get into a heated battle. Jessie and James send out {{TP|Jessie|Arbok}} and {{TP|James|Victreebel}} respectively. Cassidy's Houndour misses one Flamethrower, hitting a support for the energy barrier that is keeping Lugia trapped. Butch's Hitmontop tries a {{m|Rapid Spin}}, but is disrupted by Victreebel's {{m|Vine Whip}}, hitting the support again. Another break occurs when Arbok is slammed into the support. Jessie calls on her {{TP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}} and he {{m|Counter}}s another of Houndour's Flamethrower attacks. The result is cataclysmic and the parent Lugia is subsequently freed. With that, the parent Lugia goes berserk on the base, firing {{m|Aeroblast}}s at random locations. One blast hits the Rockets, blowing them all into the sky. The beam also causes a breach of the base's protective walls, which causes the base to rise to the surface.


Ash and Ritchie try to figure out a way to beat Electabuzz. First they tried to outsmart it, but it never seems to work. The Electabuzz catches them in a ThunderPunch combo, but doesn't make contact just yet, giving Ash some time. Then he notices the little controller Dr. Namba has and gets the idea that's what will make the Electabuzz normal. Ash has Pikachu do a Thunderbolt to the Electabuzz, which does a Light Screen. With Electabuzz busy, Sparky goes up to Dr. Namba and shocks him along with the controller, breaking it. The Electabuzz snaps out of it and the two do a double {{m|Thunder}} attack. Afterwards, they work on opening the child Lugia's cage. Ash calls out Cyndaquil to do a Flamethrower, which toasts a part. Misty tells her Poliwhirl to do Water Gun which rusts it, then Ritchie has Cruise do a Tackle which finally releases the child Lugia.  
Ash and his friends soon reach Silver, but Dr. Namba is standing in their way. He sends out an {{p|Electabuzz}} with the provoker headband device. Ash and Ritchie send out their Pikachu to do the job. Electabuzz goes for a {{m|Thunder Punch}}, leaving a crater in the floor, but the Pikachu manage to dodge the attack. They retaliate with a Thunderbolt but Electabuzz uses {{m|Light Screen}} and the bolts simply bounce off. Electabuzz unleashes a more powerful Thunderbolt, hitting both Pikachu easily. Namba continues to dial up the rage level of his Electabuzz, making Pikachu and Sparky's attempts useless. Ritchie suggests they aim for the controller in Dr. Namba's hands, and Ash agrees to the idea. Pikachu acts a distraction, and while Dr. Namba focuses on the battle, Sparky delivers a direct shock and breaks the controller. The Electabuzz snaps out of its rage, and the two Pikachu perform a double {{m|Thunder}} attack to knock it out. Afterwards, the group works on opening the Silver’s cage. {{AP|Cyndaquil}} and [[Zippo]] use Flamethrower to heat up the metal cage. {{TP|Misty|Poliwhirl}} and {{AP|Totodile}} follow up with a {{m|Water Gun}} attack to cool it down. The sudden changes in temperature causes the metal to become brittle. Cruise bashes its way through the bars to free Silver. Oliver is glad to see his friend again, and the pair exchange a hug.


They carry the child Lugia and run out for an exit, but they stumble into the parent Lugia. Again, they all persuade it to stop attacking and ensures that the child Lugia is safe. The parent Lugia takes a moment but a large piece of debris starts to fall on top of the gang. In a flash, the parent Lugia covers them using {{m|Safeguard}}, and the gang realizes that Lugia now trusts them. Soon they start to make their way out of the base and dive for the ocean.  
The parent Lugia continues to Aeroblast its way through Team Rocket's base, causing incredible damage. Ash and his friends wheel Silver through the hallways and stop when they spot its parent. Ash attempts to reason with Lugia, but it is too berserk to listen. Silver calls out to its parent, and this instantly calms Lugia down. Misty looks above her and notices debris is about to hit everyone. They shield themselves in anticipation, but Lugia protects them from harm with its {{m|Safeguard}}. The group realizes Lugia now trusts them and they thank it. Soon they start to make their way out of the base and dive for the ocean. The base finally explodes, but the mighty ocean drags the debris down to the seafloor. Namba and several grunts are later seen floating on some debris.


In the evening, the two Lugia go head back for the ocean, probably never returning but who knows? The next day, Ritchie decides to stay on the island with Oliver for a while, Ash and the others explain they have to head back to Olivine City. They say their goodbyes and go their separate ways.
By evening, everyone is back on Luka's boat. The two Lugia prepare to leave and soon swim out into the ocean depths. Oliver tears up as he watches his friend leave. Misty offers Oliver some comfort, and Oliver accepts that Silver may visit again sometime. The Lugia call out to Ash and the others and receive a wave goodbye in return. The next day, Ritchie decides to explore the [[Whirl Islands]] further and promises to battle Ash the next time they meet. Oliver remains on [[Ogi Isle]] as well, while Luka escorts Ash and his friends to [[Transit Town]].


== Major events ==
==Major events==
<!-- Events such as captures, releases go here. -->
* {{Ash}} and {{ashfr}} escape from [[Team Rocket]] and free the two {{p|Lugia}}.
=== Debuts ===
* [[Ritchie]] leaves the group.
<!-- Events such as new characters, or first screen appearance of Pokémon go here. -->
{{animeevents}}
== Characters ==
 
=== Humans ===
===Debuts===
* [[Ash Ketchum|Ash]]
====Pokémon debuts====
* [[Misty]]
 
* [[Brock]]
==Characters==
===Humans===
[[File:PMTV EP222.png|thumb|200px|{{tt|Pocket Monster TV|Who's That Pokémon}}]]
* {{Ash}}
* {{an|Misty}}
* {{an|Brock}}
* [[Jessie]]
* [[Jessie]]
* [[James]]
* [[James]]
* [[Ritchie]]
* [[Ritchie]]
* [[Oliver]]
* [[Dr. Namba|Professor Namba]]
* [[Butch]]
* [[Butch]]
* [[Cassidy]]
* [[Cassidy]]
* [[Luka]]
* [[Dr. Namba|Dr. Namba]]
* [[Team Rocket Grunt|Rocket Grunts]]
* {{jo|Oliver}}
<!-- Details about characters of the day, and links to articles for major characters. -->
* {{jo|Luka}}
* {{tc|Team Rocket Grunt}}s
 
===Pokémon===
[[File:WTP EP222.png|thumb|200px|Who's That Pokémon?]]
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Exeggutor}} ''(US and international)'', {{p|Lugia}} ({{OBP|Silver|Lugia}} and its parent) ''(Japan)''


=== Pokémon ===
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Exeggutor}}
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
Line 79: Line 90:
* {{p|Arbok}} ({{OP|Jessie|Arbok}})
* {{p|Arbok}} ({{OP|Jessie|Arbok}})
* {{p|Victreebel}} ({{OP|James|Victreebel}})
* {{p|Victreebel}} ({{OP|James|Victreebel}})
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Sparky|Ritchie's]], nicknamed Sparky)
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Ritchie]]'s; [[Sparky]])
* {{p|Charmeleon}} ([[Zippo|Ritchie's]], nicknamed Zippo)
* {{p|Charmeleon}} ([[Ritchie]]'s; [[Zippo]])
* {{p|Pupitar}} ([[Cruise|Ritchie's]], nicknamed Cruise)
* {{p|Pupitar}} ([[Ritchie]]'s; Cruise)
* {{p|Houndour}} ([[Cassidy|Cassidy's]])
* {{p|Houndour}} ([[Cassidy]]'s)
* {{p|Hitmontop}} ([[Butch|Butch's]])
* {{p|Hitmontop}} ([[Butch]]'s)
* {{p|Electabuzz}} ([[Dr. Namba|Professor Namba's]])
* {{p|Electabuzz}} ([[Dr. Namba]]'s)
* {{p|Lanturn}} (Oliver's)
* {{p|Lanturn}} ({{jo|Oliver}}'s)
* {{p|Lugia}} (nicknamed {{OBP|Silver|Johto}})
* {{p|Lugia}} ({{OBP|Silver|Lugia}})
* {{p|Lugia}}
* {{p|Lugia}} ({{an|Lugia|anime}}; Silver's parent)
<!-- Links to articles for Pokémon which appeared in the episode, and any applicable notes. -->


== Trivia ==
==Trivia==
* This is the last episode where [[Megan Hollingshead]] voiced [[Cassidy]].
* This is the last episode where [[Megan Hollingshead]] voices [[Cassidy]].
* In an act of reverse psychology, it's [[Butch]] who gets [[James]]'s name wrong while in the chamber Lugia was held in. Here, Butch calls James "John"; James accuses Butch of saying it "wrong on purpose".
* In an act of reverse psychology, it is [[Butch]] who gets [[James]]'s name wrong while in the chamber Lugia was held in. During that scene, Butch calls James "John"; James accuses Butch of saying it wrong on purpose.
=== Errors ===
* Music from ''[[M01|Mewtwo Strikes Back]]'' and ''[[M02|The Power of One]]'' is used during this episode.
=== Dub edits ===
* At one point, [[Dr. Namba|Professor Namba]] says, "Turn it up to 11, {{p|Electabuzz}}!" This is a reference to the movie ''{{wp|This Is Spinal Tap}}''.
* This is one of the few times in the anime that "real life religion" is mentioned; {{jo|Luka}} talks about her great-grandfather looking down at her from {{wp|heaven}}.
* This episode is featured on ''Volume 8: Lugia'' from [[VIZ Media]]'s {{OBP|Pokémon All-Stars|Region 1}} series.
* [[Jessie]], James, and {{MTR}} do not recite the motto in this episode.
* In a rare occurrence, Jessie, James, and Meowth blast off together with [[Butch]] and [[Cassidy]]. This makes it the highest number of characters to have blasted off, with a total of four humans and six Pokémon involved.
* At the end of each episode of the entire arc, Butch's name is misspelled in the credits as a gag in the original Japanese version.
 
===Errors===
[[File:EP222 error.png|thumb|200px|Ritchie's miscolored glove]]
* When {{Ash}} and [[Ritchie]] rescue {{AP|Pikachu}} and [[Sparky]], Ritchie's gloves change from their usual black to the same color as Ash's.
* In the {{pmin|Brazil}}ian [[dub]], {{m|Triple Kick}} and {{m|Rolling Kick}} are referred to by the same name: ''Pontapé Triplo''. This may be due to the similarity between the moves' depictions.
 
===Dub edits===
* In the English dub, Namba calls the base the "command center", while in the original Japanese version, he calls it their "secret base".
* The Namba name gag continues to be used in this episode in the original Japanese version, while it is nonexistent in the English dub.
* The scene of Ash and {{ashfr}} running past some unconscious {{tc|Team Rocket Grunt}}s is cut in the English dub.


==In other languages==
==In other languages==
* French: '''{{tt|Chose promise, chose due|A thing promised, a thing due}}'''
{{Epilang|color=DDDDDD|bordercolor=FFCB49
* Italian: '''{{tt|Una promessa è una promessa|A promise is a promise}}'''
|bg={{tt|Обещанието си е обещание|A Promise is a Promise}}
* Latin American Spanish: '''{{tt|¡Una promesa es una promesa!|A promise is a promise!}}'''
|zh_cmn={{tt|與洛奇亞的約定|The Promise with Lugia}}
* Iberian<!--At least, I'm assuming; if it's Brazilian, please correct--> Portuguese: '''Promessa é Dívida!'''
|de{{tt|Versprochen ist versprochen!|Promised is promised!}}
* Iberian Spanish: '''{{tt|Una promesa es una promesa|A promise is a promise}}'''
|nl={{tt|Beloofd is beloofd|A Promise is a Promise!}}
|fr_eu={{tt|Chose promise, chose dûe|A thing promised, a thing due}}
|he=סוף של דבר{{tt|sof shel davar|End of Story}}
|it={{tt|Una promessa è una promessa|A promise is a promise}}
|pt_br={{tt|Promessa é Dívida|Promise is Due}}
|pt_eu={{tt|O Prometido é Devido|The Promise is Due}}
|es_la={{tt|¡Una promesa es una promesa!|A promise is a promise!}}
|es_eu={{tt|Una promesa es una promesa|A promise is a promise}}
|pl={{tt|Słowo się rzekło|A man's word is his bond}}
|hi=वादा किया है तो निभाना पड़ेगा! {{tt|''Vada kiya hai toh nibhana padega!''|If you have made a promise, you have to fulfill it!}} {{tt|*|Hungama dub}}
}}


{{epstub}}
{{-}}
{{EpisodePrevNext|
{{EpicodePrevNext|
prevlink=EP221 |
prevcode=EP221 |
prevtitle=EP221: A Parent Trapped! |
prevtitle=A Parent Trapped! |
nextlink=EP223 |
nextcode=EP223 |
nexttitle=EP223: Throwing in the Noctowl! |
nexttitle=Throwing in the Noctowl |
series=Original series |
series=Original series |
episodelist=List of original series episodes }}
episodelist=List of original series episodes |
colorscheme=Johto }}
{{Project Anime notice}}
{{Project Anime notice}}
[[Category:Original series episodes]]
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:0222}}
[[Category:Original series episodes|222]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane]]
[[Category:Episodes in which a legendary Pokémon appears]]
[[Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears]]
[[Category:Episodes focusing on Team Rocket]]
 
[[de:Versprochen ist versprochen! (Staffel 5)]]
[[es:EP224]]
[[fr:EP222]]
[[it:EP222]]
[[ja:無印編第222話]]
[[ja:無印編第222話]]
[[zh:宝可梦 第223集]]

Latest revision as of 05:03, 3 September 2024

EP221 : A Parent Trapped!
Original series
EP223 : Throwing in the Noctowl
A Promise is a Promise
EP222.png
  EP222  
ルギアとのやくそく!
The Promise with Lugia!
First broadcast
Japan November 1, 2001
United States December 7, 2002
English themes
Opening Believe in Me
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening めざせポケモンマスター (Whiteberry)
Ending 前向きロケット団!
Credits
Animation Team Ota
Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi
Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane
Additional credits

A Promise is a Promise (Japanese: ルギアとのやくそく! The Promise with Lugia!) is the 222nd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 1, 2001, and in the United States on December 7, 2002.

201
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
201

Blurb

Ash and friends do their best to free the captured Lugia from Team Rocket, but are eventually overwhelmed by a new technology that emotionally manipulates Pokemon, amplifying their rage and enhancing the power of their attacks. This heightened power enables Butch and Cassidy to not only capture the parent Lugia, but to take captive Ash and friends as well. A Team Rocket researcher insists that true power lies in fury, but Ash hopes to prove that trust between man and Pokemon holds the key to a greater power still, and to free himself and his friends in the process.

Plot

Dr. Namba, Butch and Cassidy gaze at their captured parent Lugia and whisk the child off to another room. Ash and Ritchie are determined to fulfill their promise to Lugia, but with their Poké Balls separated from them, the situation looks dire. The lights suddenly come on and Dr. Namba greets his captives. He declares that Pokémon are designed to serve humanity, but Ash and the others refute these claims. Dr. Namba brags about his headband devices used by Butch and Cassidy earlier, "Namba’s Nasty Pokémon Provoker", which harnesses the power of rage to make a Pokémon more powerful. He plans to do the same to Lugia, but he decides to demonstrate the technology on Sparky and Pikachu first.

Later, Oliver leaves Luka and the safety of the boat to rescue Ash and the others. He and Lanturn locate Team Rocket's underwater base and Oliver slips inside through an opening. Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio gains access to the security room, and are pleasantly surprised to see that Ash and his friends have been captured. Jessie orders her teammates about. Oliver soon emerges from the ventilation system, but he is immediately sprung by a Team Rocket Grunt. Jessie and James notice the scene and spot an opportunity. They take over, but Oliver continues to struggle to free himself. Jessie whispers into Oliver's ear, and they enlist his help with their own scheme. Oliver asks who are they, and Jessie and James simply refer to themselves as "superheroes".

Dr. Namba's test on Pikachu and Sparky begins. The group distracts Namba with their pleas as Oliver breaks in through a ventilation shaft and punches in the lock code, opening the door from the cage. Ash tackles Dr. Namba into a wall and then breaks the mechanism before the power headbands can be placed on the Pikachu, and smashes the claw directly into the control console. Brock and Misty also gather everyone's Poké Balls. Ash and the others thank Oliver, and he reveals that he received help from some "superheroes". Dr. Namba presses an alert button, and as the group tries to leave the facility they find themselves surrounded by Team Rocket Grunts. Butch and Cassidy call on their Pokémon with the power headbands on them. Houndour starts off with a Flamethrower and Hitmontop uses Rolling Kick, but Pikachu and Sparky easily dodge both attacks. Ash and Ritchie, having formed a plan order their Pikachu aim their Thunderbolts at the gadgets. The strong electric blasts destroy the headbands as planned. With the Pokémon powerless, both Pikachu perform a head-on Tackle and knock them out. The battle is cut short when Dr. Namba alerts his Butch and Cassidy to some activity in Lugia’s area. Totodile and Cruise make quick work of the remaining Rocket Grunts.

Butch and Cassidy arrive and are disturbed to see their rivals, Jessie and James, working to free the Lugia. The two Rocket teams get into a heated battle. Jessie and James send out Arbok and Victreebel respectively. Cassidy's Houndour misses one Flamethrower, hitting a support for the energy barrier that is keeping Lugia trapped. Butch's Hitmontop tries a Rapid Spin, but is disrupted by Victreebel's Vine Whip, hitting the support again. Another break occurs when Arbok is slammed into the support. Jessie calls on her Wobbuffet and he Counters another of Houndour's Flamethrower attacks. The result is cataclysmic and the parent Lugia is subsequently freed. With that, the parent Lugia goes berserk on the base, firing Aeroblasts at random locations. One blast hits the Rockets, blowing them all into the sky. The beam also causes a breach of the base's protective walls, which causes the base to rise to the surface.

Ash and his friends soon reach Silver, but Dr. Namba is standing in their way. He sends out an Electabuzz with the provoker headband device. Ash and Ritchie send out their Pikachu to do the job. Electabuzz goes for a Thunder Punch, leaving a crater in the floor, but the Pikachu manage to dodge the attack. They retaliate with a Thunderbolt but Electabuzz uses Light Screen and the bolts simply bounce off. Electabuzz unleashes a more powerful Thunderbolt, hitting both Pikachu easily. Namba continues to dial up the rage level of his Electabuzz, making Pikachu and Sparky's attempts useless. Ritchie suggests they aim for the controller in Dr. Namba's hands, and Ash agrees to the idea. Pikachu acts a distraction, and while Dr. Namba focuses on the battle, Sparky delivers a direct shock and breaks the controller. The Electabuzz snaps out of its rage, and the two Pikachu perform a double Thunder attack to knock it out. Afterwards, the group works on opening the Silver’s cage. Cyndaquil and Zippo use Flamethrower to heat up the metal cage. Poliwhirl and Totodile follow up with a Water Gun attack to cool it down. The sudden changes in temperature causes the metal to become brittle. Cruise bashes its way through the bars to free Silver. Oliver is glad to see his friend again, and the pair exchange a hug.

The parent Lugia continues to Aeroblast its way through Team Rocket's base, causing incredible damage. Ash and his friends wheel Silver through the hallways and stop when they spot its parent. Ash attempts to reason with Lugia, but it is too berserk to listen. Silver calls out to its parent, and this instantly calms Lugia down. Misty looks above her and notices debris is about to hit everyone. They shield themselves in anticipation, but Lugia protects them from harm with its Safeguard. The group realizes Lugia now trusts them and they thank it. Soon they start to make their way out of the base and dive for the ocean. The base finally explodes, but the mighty ocean drags the debris down to the seafloor. Namba and several grunts are later seen floating on some debris.

By evening, everyone is back on Luka's boat. The two Lugia prepare to leave and soon swim out into the ocean depths. Oliver tears up as he watches his friend leave. Misty offers Oliver some comfort, and Oliver accepts that Silver may visit again sometime. The Lugia call out to Ash and the others and receive a wave goodbye in return. The next day, Ritchie decides to explore the Whirl Islands further and promises to battle Ash the next time they meet. Oliver remains on Ogi Isle as well, while Luka escorts Ash and his friends to Transit Town.

Major events

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Pocket Monster TV

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Exeggutor (US and international), Lugia (Silver and its parent) (Japan)

Trivia

  • This is the last episode where Megan Hollingshead voices Cassidy.
  • In an act of reverse psychology, it is Butch who gets James's name wrong while in the chamber Lugia was held in. During that scene, Butch calls James "John"; James accuses Butch of saying it wrong on purpose.
  • Music from Mewtwo Strikes Back and The Power of One is used during this episode.
  • At one point, Professor Namba says, "Turn it up to 11, Electabuzz!" This is a reference to the movie This Is Spinal Tap.
  • This is one of the few times in the anime that "real life religion" is mentioned; Luka talks about her great-grandfather looking down at her from heaven.
  • This episode is featured on Volume 8: Lugia from VIZ Media's Pokémon All-Stars series.
  • Jessie, James, and Meowth do not recite the motto in this episode.
  • In a rare occurrence, Jessie, James, and Meowth blast off together with Butch and Cassidy. This makes it the highest number of characters to have blasted off, with a total of four humans and six Pokémon involved.
  • At the end of each episode of the entire arc, Butch's name is misspelled in the credits as a gag in the original Japanese version.

Errors

Ritchie's miscolored glove

Dub edits

  • In the English dub, Namba calls the base the "command center", while in the original Japanese version, he calls it their "secret base".
  • The Namba name gag continues to be used in this episode in the original Japanese version, while it is nonexistent in the English dub.
  • The scene of Ash and his friends running past some unconscious Team Rocket Grunts is cut in the English dub.

In other languages



EP221 : A Parent Trapped!
Original series
EP223 : Throwing in the Noctowl
Project Anime logo.png This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.