| This Could be the Start of Something Big!
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サトシとゴウ！あらたなる旅立ち！！
Satoshi and Go! Embark on a New Journey!!
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First broadcast
| Japan
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December 16, 2022
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| United States
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June 23, 2023
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English themes
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Japanese themes
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Credits
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This Could be the Start of Something Big! (Japanese: サトシとゴウ！あらたなる旅立ち！！ Satoshi and Go! Embark on a New Journey!!) is the 136th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,221st episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on December 16, 2022, in Canada on May 6, 2023, and is scheduled to air in the United States on June 23, 2023.
Plot
Ash and Goh encountering Ho-Oh
Continuing from where the last episode left off, Ash and Goh start their Raid Battle against Lugia, with Ash using Pikachu and Lucario, while Goh uses Cinderace, Inteleon, and Grookey. However, while they manage to land many hits, Lugia hardly even flinches from them. Deciding on a combination attack, Goh has Cinderace use Pyro Ball, which is combined with Lucario's Aura Sphere, Pikachu's Thunderbolt, and Inteleon's Mud Shot, and then gets sent flying by Grookey's Wood Hammer. The combo move makes contact, but even as Goh hurls a Poké Ball at Lugia, the Legendary Pokémon shrugs off the hit and counters with Aeroblast, which not only obliterates the Poké Ball but also breaks off the cliff Ash and Goh were standing on. They hastily recall their Pokémon, but are caught mid-fall as they fall on Lugia's back. Lugia starts flying around while showing Ash and Goh the multiple different kinds of Pokémon that inhabit the Pokémon world. Seeing first-hand how vast the world is, Goh starts feeling uncertain about his decision to travel alone, because it would mean he'd no longer have Ash's support on his journey. In response, Ash reminds Goh how he was able to join Project Mew and meet Mew through his own efforts. The two suddenly hear Lugia speaking to them telepathically as it rises higher and flies into a thick cloud. A shimmering light comes into their view in the middle of the cloud, and they're amazed to see Ho-Oh flying by and disappearing into the distance as they exit the cloud. This encounter reaffirms both Ash and Goh's decisions to travel the vast world of Pokémon on a never-ending path to learn and meet more of them.
After reuniting with Chloe, Ash and Goh return to the Cerise Laboratory, where Professor Cerise, Chrysa, and Ren approve their decision and thank them for the help they've provided in their Pokémon research. Ash and Goh are worried if the laboratory will be fine with its research fellows gone, but Professor Cerise is unworried, and Chloe enters the conversation to reveal that she's going to be a new research fellow during weekends when she doesn't have to go to school. She also assures that the lab staff will take good care of Goh's Pokémon while he's away and asks when the two intend to leave, being surprised when they respond they plan to depart the next day. Meanwhile, at the Team Rocket HQ, the Team Rocket trio is reporting to Giovanni that observing the Masters Eight Tournament has allowed them to pinpoint the strongest Pokémon in the world, which they claim to be within their grasp. Giovanni gives them the go-ahead to capture this Pokémon, and the trio leaves Giovanni's office, ecstatic that they've got their boss's support for their plan to capture Pikachu.
The surprise party at Cerise Park
That evening, once they're done cleaning up their room, Ash and Goh head to Cerise Park to feed their Pokémon one more time. Upon entering, though, they're surprised to find not just Chloe and the lab staff, but also Professor Oak, Delia, and Goh and Chloe's families, who had decided to organize a surprise party to commemorate their departure. All of Ash and Goh's Pokémon join the celebration, with even Suicune paying the park a visit to observe the party from afar. The next day, Ash and Goh leave their room at the Cerise Lab for the final time and set off, bidding farewell to Chloe and the lab staff. While they traverse through Vermilion City, Pikachu is suddenly snatched by Team Rocket, who recite their motto and declare that they'll never give up on their attempts to steal Pikachu. They seal Pikachu in an insulated capsule, but Morpeko, in one of its usual fits of hunger, momentarily mistakes the capsule for a Berry and bites down on it, breaking it and allowing Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, exploding Team Rocket's balloon and sending the trio blasting off once again while he falls safely back into Ash's arms.
Leaving Vermilion City behind, Ash asks Goh what he plans to do next. He says he intends to tour Kanto first, since it still has many places he hasn't visited yet. Ash, meanwhile, has no set destination, going wherever the road leads him to. After passing through a crossroads together, they eventually come across another one, where they finally decide to take different paths. Goh thanks Ash for the support he's given to him, and the boys share a fist bump before parting ways. After a few moments of walking alone, Goh hesitantly stops, but Ash suddenly appears on a ledge above him, telling him to realize his goal of befriending Mew. Goh smiles and tells Ash to go achieve his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. His confidence reinvigorated, Goh starts running along the road, as does Ash on his own path. He tells Pikachu that this day, filled with sunlight and Pokémon, reminds him of the day they first set off from Pallet Town. Full of excitement, Ash jumps up high, looking forward to what experiences the world of Pokémon has in store for him.
The life continues on: at the Cerise Laboratory, Professor Cerise and his assistants continue taking care of the Pokémon at Cerise Park, while Chloe begins her career as a research fellow by venturing out into the world; in Pallet Town, Gary introduces Horace to his grandfather; in Galar, ex-Monarch Leon observes as his little brother Hop trains with Bea in the Wild Area; in an Arctic area, Quillon and Danika continue their work of helping out Pokémon in need; in Cerulean City, Goh's journey leads him to meeting Misty at the Cerulean Gym; at a beach, Ash's journey leads to him reuniting with his old friend Butterfree and his mate; and, at the Ketchum household, Delia and Mimey continue taking care of the house, with a group photo taken during the party standing on top of a fireplace.
Eventually, in an unnamed city, Chloe and Eevee, traveling the world as part of their role as research fellows, spot a Beautifly, which flies past them to the other side of a river, where Goh has just caught himself a new Pokémon. Further away, Ash is battling a Trainer's Lapras with his Lucario, while the ever-persistent Team Rocket trio observes him from above. Though separated, all three young Trainers continue their own unique adventures in the endless world of Pokémon.
Major events
Ash reuniting with Butterfree
- For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.
Debuts
Pokémon debuts
Characters
Humans
Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: Ho-Oh
Trivia
The "After the story" artwork for this episode
The "To Be Continued" screen
- Get Inspired! Let's Solve a Poké Riddle!!: Pikachu
- Similar to the first episode of this series, this episode's opening theme is played near the end of the episode, instead of before the title card. However, an extended version of the theme is played instead.
- This is one of the few episodes storyboarded by the original executive director and this series's creative supervisor Kunihiko Yuyama.
- A character resembling Yuyama makes a cameo near the end of the episode, battling Ash with a Lapras, Yuyama's favorite Pokémon.
- Shinji Miyazaki's music from I Choose You! is reused as background music in this episode.
- This episode marks the only physical appearance of Giovanni's Persian in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
- This episode also marks the only appearance of the recurring Jigglypuff in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
- This is the first time both members of the tower duo appear together in a main series episode.
- This is the first time Ash and Pikachu have seen Ho-Oh in the main series since Battling the Enemy Within!, 769 episodes earlier.
- This episode marks the final physical appearance of Goh, Giovanni, Chloe, Professor Cerise, Chrysa, Ren, Talia, Parker, Leon, Camille, Walker, Horace, Bea, Danika, Quillon, and Hop.
- As of this episode, May is the only one of Ash’s female friends whom Goh hasn’t met.
- This is the first physical appearance of Ash's Butterfree and the Pink Butterfree in the main series since the episode the former was released in, exactly 1,200 episodes earlier.
- This is the first episode where the Pink Butterfree is seen with her gender difference, officially confirming her gender in the main series to be female. She was previously seen with her female gender difference in I Choose You!.
- This is the first episode where a main character catches a Pokémon onscreen with the Pokémon itself not being revealed.
- This is the first episode since Moving Pictures (and as such, the first time outside of the original series) where a pan-out was displayed with the "To Be Continued" message following it.
- This is also the first episode since Mind-Boggling Dynamax! where the "To Be Continued" text is kept in the English dub.
- The English dub title shares its name with a song by Steve Allen.
- This is the last episode of the Pocket Monsters arc of Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
Errors
- The English dub subtitles don't include Ash and Goh's greeting of "Hey!" when they reunite with Chloe.
Dub edits
- In the English dub, the theme song is played at the beginning of the episode, instead of at the end, as in the original version.
- The credits are shortened in the English dub, removing the scenes at Professor Cerise's Laboratory as well as the scene with Danika and Quillon.
In other languages
