EP274

← EP273 : Gotta Catch Ya Later!

Original series

AG001 : Get the Show on the Road! →

Hoenn Alone!

EP274   ピカチュウとのわかれ…！ Parting with Pikachu...!

First broadcast Japan November 14, 2002 United States October 25, 2003

English themes Opening Believe in Me Ending

Japanese themes Opening Ready Go! Ending ポケッターリ・モンスターリ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita Storyboard 藤本義孝 Yoshitaka Fujimoto Assistant director 大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi Animation director 酒井啓史 Keishi Sakai Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de Technically, this episode is part of US season 6.

Hoenn Alone! (Japanese: ピカチュウとのわかれ…！ Parting with Pikachu...!) is the 274th episode of the Pokémon anime and the final episode of the original series. It first aired in Japan on November 14, 2002 and in the United States on October 25, 2003.

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

Blurb

Ash has left all of his Pokémon behind in Pallet Town—except Pikachu—and boarded a ship bound for Littleroot Town in Hoenn. Unfortunately, Team Rocket is on board as well, and they're cooking up a scheme to catch Pikachu once and for all. They nab Pikachu and hop off the boat just as it pulls into a port. Their plan quickly goes awry, and Meowth and Pikachu end up in a bad neighborhood. While Meowth and Pikachu team up to chase off a gang of territorial Haunter, Ash teams up with Officer Jenny to rescue Pikachu before the boat leaves.

Plot

Aboard a large ferry, Ash is on his way to Hoenn, having left all of his Pokémon except Pikachu behind in Pallet Town beforehand. They talk about what they will do when they get to Hoenn when the captain and his Machoke walk past. Ash asks him when the ship will get to Littleroot Town, and the Captain and Ash have a chat about Hoenn. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is watching from their hiding place inside a lifeboat, and start to discuss about stealing Pikachu.

That night, Team Rocket uses their extendable grabber to snatch Pikachu from Ash's bed. He wakes up when Pikachu cries out, but by the time he gets out of his room, Team Rocket is nowhere to be seen. While he is searching he comes across the captain, who used a computer to scan the ship for stowaways. They discover Team Rocket is hiding in the food storage area.

In the food storage area, Team Rocket is stuffing their faces while Pikachu is in an electricity-proof glass case. When they are discovered, they launch into their motto, before sending out Arbok and Weezing to battle the captain's Machoke. Ash intends to send out one of his Pokémon to help, but then remembers that he left them all in Pallet Town. Machoke dodges a Poison Sting, but gets blinded by Smokescreen, allowing Weezing to hit it with Tackle. Then Arbok uses Acid, Machoke dodges, causing it to eat through the water storage tank, and thus, everyone to be swept away in a torrent of water.

The captain and Machoke manage to climb out of the water, where he orders the ship to the nearest port for repair. Team Rocket runs along the deck of the ship and launches a rope to a nearby crane, allowing them to swing to shore. As they are swinging Ash jumps and grabs onto Wobbuffet, but they swing into the crane and all fall to the port below. Ash lands on some crates, breaking one, trapping him. Jessie, James and Wobbuffet land on one truck, and Meowth and Pikachu land on another. Both trucks then drive off, but they both go in different directions, splitting the groups up. Ash manages to break out of the crates just as Officer Jenny pulls up on her bike and Ash explains what happened.

The truck which Meowth and Pikachu are on is driving past some warehouses when it swerves suddenly, tossing them off. Pikachu's cage opens, but Meowth and Pikachu work together. While they are walking along, Meowth and Pikachu start to argue, but then a Haunter comes up behind them and attacks them with Night Shade. They both dodge it and then Meowth retaliates with Fury Swipes, which just passes straight through it. Haunter uses another Night Shade, and then Pikachu Thunderbolts it, scaring it off. Some Pidgey, Oddish and Rattata then appear around them.

Back by the ship, Ash is in Officer Jenny's sidecar, and they are ready to leave. The captain calls down to Ash that the tank should be fixed by nightfall, and that if he is not back by then they will be forced to leave without him. Jenny then sends her Pidgeot to look for Team Rocket.

In one of the warehouses, the Pokémon are explaining to Pikachu and Meowth that a group of Haunter has moved into the area and started scaring everyone. At that point another Oddish runs up and tells them that Haunter is coming for them with all of its buddies.

Team Rocket is in their balloon, and while James is searching for Meowth, Jessie is more interested in finding Pikachu. Back with Ash, Officer Jenny asks Ash about his Pikachu, and he explains to her why they are so close and why Pikachu is the only Pokémon he has on him. Pidgeot spots something and speeds up, and Officer Jenny follows.

Meanwhile, the Haunter have shown up and tell the others to get out of their turf. Meowth tries to back away from them and talk his way out of it, but Pikachu says that the area is for all the Pokémon, not just the Haunter. Meowth queries what he is doing, but Pikachu says that that is what Ash would have done, and that it is the right thing to do. Haunter then launches a Shadow Ball at them, which they both dodge. Pikachu launches a Thunderbolt, but the Haunter dodge it and surround them. They all use Night Shade, but Pikachu jumps onto Meowth and then jumps out of the way, pushing Meowth down under the attack, and making the Haunter hit each other. Pikachu then electrocutes them all with Thunderbolt, and they flee.

The Pokémon then ask Pikachu and Meowth to stay and protect them, but then Team Rocket shows up and traps Pikachu in a metal sleeve. They retrieve Meowth with their grabber, before using an electromagnet to stick Pikachu to their balloon. Just as they do, Pidgeot shows up and pierces their balloon, causing it to crash to the ground. Ash and Pikachu are reunited, but then Team Rocket re-activates their electromagnet. Ash refuses to let go, and gets slowly dragged along towards it, but then James ups the power, pulling some nearby metal drums towards it, exposing the Haunter and smashing into Ash. He is knocked over, and Pikachu gets stuck to the magnet which starts to suck all of the electricity out of him causing Pikachu a lot of pain. Ash and Jenny can't do anything, but then one of the Rattata uses Hyper Fang to break the metal sleeve, freeing Pikachu. Team Rocket then runs towards him, but the Haunter use Night Shade on the electromagnet, sending them blasting off. The Haunter and Rattata then shake hands, as Ash cradles Pikachu.

Meanwhile, the captain regretfully looks over the port as the ship starts to sail off into the sunset. Pidgeot then flies up above them with Ash and Pikachu on its back. That night, Pikachu is sleeping on Ash's bed while he is looking at him. he then tucks him in, saying that he deserves a good rest. On the outside of the ship, Team Rocket is stuck to the electromagnet, which has attached to the hull of the ship, by a couple of metal poles from their balloon.

As the boat approaches Littleroot Town, Ash steps up on the deck in his new clothes and looks on, eager to reach Hoenn. Some Wingull and Pelipper fly alongside the ship, some Sharpedo jump out of the water around it and some Wailmer swim alongside it. This takes place as Pikachu sleeps inside the boat. Ash goes to wake him up to show him all of the new Pokémon, but when he tries to touch him, Pikachu starts to spark, and Ash realizes that he has a serious fever. With that, the episode ends as Ash looks worriedly upon the friend he has known since the start of his journey.

Next Time ... A New Beginning!

Major events

• Ash continues his journey towards Hoenn.
• Pikachu becomes ill.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Wingull
• Pelipper

Characters

Humans

Pocket Monster TV

• Ash
• Jessie
• James
• Officer Jenny
• Captain

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Forretress (U.S. and international), Pikachu (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Pidgeot (Officer Jenny's)
• Machoke (Captain's)
• Haunter (multiple)
• Rattata (×3)
• Pidgey (×3)
• Oddish (×3)
• Wingull (multiple; cameo; debut)
• Pelipper (multiple; cameo; debut)
• Sharpedo (multiple; cameo)
• Wailmer (multiple; cameo)

Trivia

• This is the last episode to air in Japan before the earliest release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
• The Who's That Pokémon? eyecatch ends in the original Japanese version with this episode. The segment continues in the dub until Watts with Wattson?. It returns in the dub starting with In the Shadow of Zekrom!, and in the original version starting with BW061.
• The regular use of the original music of Team Rocket's motto also ends with this episode. However, it has been reused in a few later episodes.
• The usual To be continued title card is omitted and replaced with Next time... A new beginning!, referencing the fact that the next episode begins the Advanced Generation series. This starts the tradition for the three series finales that come after this to use it as well.
• This is the first episode since Pokémon - I Choose You! in which Ash is the only human protagonist featured. While Misty did appear in the first episode, she was not featured, and no other protagonists had made their debuts. This is also the first episode to not have any protagonists other than Ash appear at all.
  • This is also the very first episode (and the only original series episode) where Misty does not appear, and the first episode since The Underground Round Up where Brock does not appear.
• This episode marks the first time that Ash wears his Advanced Generation series clothing.
• This episode marks the longest time Ash goes without wearing his overshirt and hat. He spends the majority of the episode in his black undershirt, with the Advanced Generation orange stripe.
• Jessie mentions that she has been to Littleroot Town before, but doesn't elaborate on the experience.
• Meowth mentions Ash by his real name and not "the twerp".
• The English title is derived from the 1990 Christmas comedy film Home Alone.
• May narrates the preview for the next episode.
• The design of a background character in the episode is a recycling of Bill's.
• On DVD releases of Pokémon: Master Quest, this episode is considered the season finale. However, on televised airings and Pokémon.com, that title falls to You're a Star, Larvitar!.

Errors

• When Ash runs after Pikachu, he doesn't have shoes on. When he gets out of the room, he is wearing shoes from that moment forward.
• Ash and Officer Jenny both incorrectly call Pidgeot "Pigeon", which is the name of Pidgeotto in the Japanese version.
• When Pikachu is sleeping, his right ear is vertical in one shot and horizontal in the next.

Dub edits

• The scene in which the boat approaches Littleroot Town and Ash discovers that Pikachu is sick plays as an epilogue after the credits in the original, whereas the scene was moved to before the credits in the dub.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		與皮卡丘分手
Danish		Rejsen Til Hoenn-Regionen
Dutch		Alleen naar Hoenn!
Finnish		Yksin Hoennissa
European French		En route pour Hoenn
German		Endlich in der Hoenn-Region
Hebrew		המסע להווןhamasa leHoenn
Hindi		मैं चला Hoenn region! Main chala Hoenn region! *
Italian		Una nuova meta
Norwegian		Hoenn alene!
Polish		Region Hoenn
Portuguese	Brazil	Sozinho em Hoenn!
	Portugal	Hoenn!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Solo en Hoenn!
	Spain	Solo en Hoenn
Swedish		Resan till Hoenn

← EP273 : Gotta Catch Ya Later!

Original series

AG001 : Get the Show on the Road! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.