JN095

This article is about an episode of the Pokémon animated series that has not been dubbed into English. As such, its coverage may contain romanized Japanese names, rather than dub names.

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JN095

JN095   EP1180 サラバ！さすらいのロケット団！ Farewell! The Wandering Rocket Gang!

First broadcast Japan January 28, 2022 United States

English themes Opening Ending

Japanese themes Opening １・２・３ Ending バツグンタイプ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 米村正二 Shōji Yonemura Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation directors 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane 志村泉 Izumi Shimura No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf

(Japanese: サラバ！さすらいのロケット団！ Farewell! The Wandering Rocket Gang!) is the 95th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,180th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on January 28, 2022.

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

Plot

Jessie and Wobbuffet wander a desert, lost. Jessie laments over having a cruel fate.

The story then goes back to a week earlier. The Team Rocket trio are working at a toothpaste factory and discuss whether or not they should quit Team Rocket so that they don't have to take low-paying part-time jobs to fund their Team Rocket expenses. After they clock out, Ash and Goh walk by. Meowth catches Pikachu in a net and Team Rocket battle Ash and Goh. The Team Rocket Pelipper that makes deliveries to the trio, provide them with random Pokémon from Team Rocket Headquarters, a Slakoth and a Slaking. Their Pokémon-on-loan lay there and do nothing, so the trio is defeated. They blast off with Pelipper.

The trio dread what Matori is going to say to them the next time they check in with her. They ask Pelipper to loan them better Pokémon. Pelipper, through Meowth's translation, says that it's just the luck of the draw and that everyone has lucky days and unlucky days. Pelipper then flies away. The trio follow it so that it will lead them to the nearest Team Rocket Headquarters, where they can pick out some Pokémon.

On their way to Headquarters, they discuss how freeing it is to be going on adventures, without having to think of work. A Wild Swablu appears and the trio get excited because Swablu are said to bring good luck. They try to catch it in nets, but it bursts their hot air balloon. They blast off with Pelipper.

Adrift at sea, they get swallowed by a Wailord. Pelipper attacks Wailord, and Wailord shoots them out through its blowhole. They end up on land, but Pelipper flies away. They ride a Wild Mamoswine until they find some log cabins in the woods. They pass out in front of a cabin, as a blizzard starts.

They awake on couches inside the cabin. This café is owned by their former Rival, Cassidy. She invites them to stay the night and gives them dinner. Grateful, they tell her that they intend to work there until the food is paid for. Over dinner, Cassidy explains that she left Team Rocket because the work wasn't fulfilling anymore and that now she apologizes to no one. She has also taken up woodworking as a side hustle.

Over time, the Team Rocket trio help out at the café. It seems that they have become friends with Cassidy, now that they're no longer Rivals. Then, one day, they spot Pelipper outside. Since Pelipper can guide them out of the woods, Jessie, Meowth, and Wobbuffet are ready to leave before working off their full tab. James wants to stay and work it off, now that they're friends with Cassidy. Jessie and Meowth imply that if he's sweet on Cassidy, he has their blessing. James says that they're misunderstanding things. In a hurry to find Pelipper, who is now out of sight, Jessie and Meowth tell him that if staying to do honest work would make him happy, then they won't stand in his way. James is moved. Jessie, who was just putting on a brave face, abruptly runs away, crying. Meowth and Wobbuffet follow her.

Jessie and Meowth end up at a nearby bakery owned by their former Rival, Butch, who has left Team Rocket. Butch makes them lunch and they offer to work off the tab. It seems that they have become friends with Butch. Meowth develops a crush on Butch's Meowth, who reminds him of his first love. Over time, Jessie and Meowth spot Pelipper. Jessie tells Meowth that if he wants to stay and court Butch's Meowth, he has her blessing. She then runs away, crying.

Jessie and Wobbuffet follow Pelipper in a hot air balloon, until Swablu returns and bursts their balloon. Jessie, Wobbuffet, and Pelipper blast off.

Jessie and Wobbuffet roam the desert and pass out. When they wake up, they get attacked by a Wild Trapinch. Jessie laments over life dealing her a bad hand when other people have it good. As luck would have it, James, Meowth, and Pelipper show up to help. James tells Jessie that he must be lucky, since he's found her. He explains that he was working off their tab but got fired. Meowth says that Butch's Meowth was in love with a Persian, so he skipped town, and that he and James chased Pelipper until it lead them to her. Pelipper attacks Trapinch and saves them.

The trio wave goodbye to Pelipper, who has deliveries to make. James reminds Jessie that everyone has good luck and bad luck. Jessie says that what can seem like an unlucky day can turn out to be a lucky day.

Ash and Goh, who are sand surfing, show up. The trio challenge them to a battle. Ash blasts them off before they can attack. The trio gets up and cheer because they're back to going on adventures with each other.

The ending narration says that one can never know their luck; they have to see how it plays out.

Major events

• Butch and Cassidy reappear and are revealed to have left Team Rocket.
• Butch and Cassidy are shown to both own eateries that are near one another.
• Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, James, and Meowth become friends.
• Butch is revealed to own a Meowth.
• The Team Rocket trio temporarily splits up, but later reunites.

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

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Goh
• Jessie
• James
• Butch
• Cassidy
• Factory workers
• Customers

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Pelipper

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Cinderace (Goh's)
• Dragonite (Ash's)
• Lucario (Ash's)
• Beedrill (Goh's)
• Grookey (Goh's)
• Morpeko (James's; Hangry Mode; flashback)
• Meowth (Butch's)
• Raticate (Cassidy's)
• Pelipper (Team Rocket)
• Slakoth (Team Rocket's)
• Slaking (Team Rocket's)
• Meowth (Meowzie; flashback)
• Swablu
• Wishiwashi (Solo Form; ×3)
• Wailord
• Chatot
• Mamoswine
• Trapinch
• Persian (flashback)

Trivia

• Get Inspired! Let's Solve a Poké Riddle!!: Wailord
• Team Rocket reads out the title card for this episode.
• This episode premiered the same day Pokémon Legends: Arceus was released.
• This episode marks the first appearance of Butch and Cassidy in the anime since Sleight of Sand!, 649 episodes earlier.
• The wooden carvings in Cassidy's cafe are based on the Pokémon she used during the course of the anime, excluding Tentacruel and Charizard.
• Team Rocket as a whole blasts off three times in this episode, while Jessie and Wobbuffet blast off four times.
• This is one of the rare times where Team Rocket has willingly wanted to be blasted off.
• Meowth's Ballad and Team Rocket's Team Song are used as insert songs in this episode.
  • This episode also marks the first time in Pokémon Journeys: The Series that a theme song from a past series is used as an insert song in an episode.
• Team Rocket getting swallowed by a Wailord and finding a ship inside is a reference to the 1940 Disney film, Pinocchio.
• Sophocles, Ash, Goh, an Ampharos, and Pikachu narrate the preview for the next episode.

Errors

• When Cinderace and Lucario use Pyro Ball and Aura Sphere, respectively, Slaking is in front of Team Rocket despite returning to its Poké Ball in the previous scene.
• When Swablu uses Dragon Breath to blast off Team Rocket the second time, the Wobballoon and Pelipper are above the clouds. However, they were below the clouds in previous scenes.

In other languages

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