SM021

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.

← SM020 : Partner Promises!

Sun & Moon series

SM022 →

One Journey Ends, Another Begins...

SM021   EP960 ニャビー、旅立ちの時！ Time for Nyabby to Leave the Nest!

First broadcast Japan April 6, 2017 United States July 1, 2017

English themes Opening Ending

Japanese themes Opening アローラ!! Ending ポーズ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka 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

One Journey Ends, Another Begins... (Japanese: ニャビー、旅立ちの時！ Time for Nyabby to Leave the Nest!) is the 21st episode of the Sun & Moon series, and the 960th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on April 6, 2017, as a one-hour special alongside SM020, and is scheduled to air in the United States on July 1, 2017, as part of a three-hour special.

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

Plot

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Ash and Pikachu are out shopping for food when Litten shows up, stealing a piece from Ash and running off to Stoutland under the bridge. Ash and Pikachu follow Litten and visit it and Stoutland. Ash notices how Stoutland is teaching Litten how to use Fire Fang.

The next day after school, Ash suggests to Pikachu that they should go visit Litten and Stoutland once again. Upon saying this, Team Rocket appears out of nowhere, but their motto gets interrupted when Litten suddenly comes running up to Ash asking him to follow. Ash commands Pikachu to use Electro Ball on Team Rocket and disappears with Pikachu and Litten in the dust from the attack. While Jessie and James merely choose to give up for now, Meowth gets curious and runs off to find Ash, Pikachu, and Litten. Upon Ash arriving under the bridge, he sees Stoutland has collapsed and was laying on the ground breathing heavily. Ash decides to carry Stoutland to the Pokémon Center. In the next scene, Ash, Pikachu, and Litten are looking at Stoutland who is on the Pokémon Center bed with different medical equipment hooked up to him. Nurse Joy and her partner exit the emergency room and begin to explain to Ash that it is not a wound or a disease that is affecting Stoutland. Just before Nurse Joy finishes her explanation, the door shuts and Ash and Nurse Joy and can be seen talking (with no sound) through the Pokémon Center window while Litten is caring for Stoutland in the emergency room. Ash asks Nurse Joy if she thinks Litten knows what's going to happen to Stoutland. Nurse Joy replies that she can sense it does. Ash then calls Professor Kukui and explains the situation. The Professor then tells Ash to stay by Litten's side. Later that night Ash brings food for Litten and Stoutland in the emergency room only to find them missing. Ash and Pikachu then run out and find Meowth who tells them that he wants Litten to be protected. Stoutland, back under the bridge, attempts to teach Litten once more how to use Fire Fang but Litten fails once more. Stoutland then falls asleep and Litten curls up next to him.

Litten then dreams of Stoutland and tries running up to him only to find him drifting away in the distance. Litten then wakes up to find Stoutland missing. Litten then goes and looks for Stoutland but is unable to find him. Upon returning to the couch under the bridge, Litten witnesses the couch leg break and the final leaf fall off the dying tree next to the bridge. Realizing that Stoutland is gone forever Litten cries out loud in despair. Rain begins to fall all over the town. Ash and Professor Kukui as well as the Rotom Pokédex are walking towards the couch and see Litten standing out in the rain. Litten then goes and curls up on the broken couch. Next back in Team Rocket's hideout, Meowth is seen depressed in which then Bewear attempts to hug him in which Meowth responds he is not in the mood. Ash then is seen getting food from an old lady at the market for Litten. Ash then offers the food to Litten who does not take it. Ash is then seen staring out in the rain during school, on the bridge, and at Professor Kukui's. Meowth is then seen asking Litten to tell him what happened but quickly runs off as he sees Ash approaching. Ash then stays with Litten until the rain clears up. Litten then goes out from under the bridge and sees a cloud in the shape of Stoutland looking down upon him as well as a rainbow. Litten then begins to accept what happened to Stoutland and move on. Litten then offers some food to Ash who pushes it back to Litten. The two do this back and forth until Pikachu falls down from dizziness. Litten then challenges Ash to a battle. Ash uses Pikachu and then in the middle of the battle throws a Poké Ball up in the air, in which Litten happily jumps up and gets inside the ball. Ash then sends out Litten who is greeted by Pikachu, Rowlet, and Rockruff. The two then decide to share the food Ash had brought for Litten.

Major events

• The recurring Litten is revealed to know Fire Fang, although it hasn't mastered it yet.
• The Stoutland that Litten was living with vanishes.
• Ash catches Litten.

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

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Lana (flashback)
• Kiawe
• Mallow (flashback)
• Jessie
• James
• Nurse Joy
• Professor Kukui
• Old lady

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Stoutland (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Rotom (Rotom Pokédex)
• Rowlet (Ash's)
• Rockruff (Ash's)
• Litten (Ash's; new)
• Bounsweet (Mallow's; flashback)
• Mareanie (James's)
• Blissey (Nurse Joy's)
• Comfey (Nurse Joy's)
• Komala (Samson Oak's)
• Makuhita (Trainer's; ×4)
• Happiny (Trainer's; ×3)
• Lillipup (Trainer's)
• Electabuzz (Trainer's)
• Machop (Trainer's; ×3)
• Growlithe (Trainer's; ×2)
• Riolu (Trainer's)
• Abra (Trainer's; ×2)
• Machoke (Trainer's; ×2)
• Sableye (Trainer's; ×2)
• Elekid (Trainer's; ×2)
• Machamp (Trainer's; ×2)
• Smeargle (Trainer's)
• Eevee (Trainer's; ×2)
• Herdier (Trainer's; ×2)
• Bewear (anime)
• Stoutland (anime)
• Dugtrio (Alola Form; images)

Trivia

• Poké Problem: What place does Ash take Stoutland in today's episode?
  • Host: Professor Kukui
  • Choices: Shopping Mall, Pokémon Center, Old Residence, TV Station
  • Answer: Pokémon Center
• Meowth's Ballad is used as an insert song when Ash, his Pokémon, and Meowth keep vigil over Litten.
• Mallow, Lana, Sophocles, and Kiawe narrate the preview for the next episode.

In other languages

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← SM020 : Partner Promises!

Sun & Moon series

SM022 →

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