XY029

In the wake of yet another unsuccessful attempt to grab Pikachu, Team Rocket comes up with a new plan: dress up like Ash, Serena, and Bonnie, then run around town, wreaking havoc everywhere! When the actual Ash, Serena, and Bonnie arrive in town, they learn of the strange goings-on and promise Officer Jenny they will stay out of trouble while she investigates.

Meanwhile, Jessie and James, now disguised as scientists from the Kalos Institute of Technology, have lured Clemont away from the others and coaxed him into helping them with a couple of their robots. The next day, using these Clemont-improved devices (which they're calling "Team Rocketronic Gear"), they grab Pikachu and make their getaway—until Clemont introduces a new invention! Team Rocket is sent blasting off again, Pikachu is safely returned, and our heroes resume their journey to Shalour City.

While on their way to Shalour City, Ash and his friends have encountered Team Rocket, who hold Pikachu captive. James sends out Inkay, while Ash calls out Froakie for a Water Pulse attack. Inkay dodges, while Clemont pulls out a machine. When Inkay uses Psybeam next, Clemont absorbs the move with his satellite dish-like machine. James tells it to use Tackle instead, but Inkay is sent back by the device. Ash has Froakie use Bubble, which sends Inkay crashing into a tree. Jessie commands Pumpkaboo to use Shadow Ball and then Dark Pulse, both of which are absorbed by Clemont's machine. Ash and Froakie finish with another Water Pulse, sending Pumpkaboo crashing into James and dropping Pikachu's cage and releasing him. With Pikachu back, Ash commands him to use Thunderbolt which sends Team Rocket blasting off. Just as the friends thank Clemont for his help, his prototype explodes. Team Rocket lands in the forest, thinking that Clemont's device could potentially be useful. Jessie tells the others of a secret plan.

In a park, a young boy named Myron plays with his Pancham when a stranger introduces himself as Ash from Pallet Town. "Ash" calls over "Bonnie from Lumiose City" and "Serena from Vaniville Town", who are actually Jessie and Meowth in disguise pretending to be the group, while James poses as Ash. Inkay masquerades as Pikachu, causing Myron to question his ability to float in mid-air. James brushes it off as the result of special training. He then asks for a battle, to which Myron declines, but James goes ahead and tells "Pikachu" to use Psybeam on Pancham. Inkay follows on with Tackle, which sends Pancham to the ground. Team Rocket runs away, leaving Myron to call Officer Jenny. Team Rocket runs around town, helping themselves to food without paying. Upon reaching the city, the real Ash and his friends are confronted by Myron, who tells them that he has reported them to Officer Jenny. Upon noticing that Ash's Pikachu is not floating like the fake Pikachu, he apologizes, saying he mistook them for someone else. At the food cart where Team Rocket stole food, the same thing happens, the owner initially demanding money before noticing that Ash and his friends do indeed look different than the thieves, after the friends tell him they had just arrived in the city.

While receiving their healed Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, an announcement calls for Bonnie, Ash, and Serena to come to the front of the Pokémon Center. When they do, Officer Jenny and several angry restaurant owners are waiting for them, and Ash once again tells them that they have just arrived in the city, which Officer Jenny and the owners believe. Ash, Serena, and Bonnie get called down for questioning, leaving Clemont alone. Noticing this from around a corner, Team Rocket prepares to enter the second phase of their plan. At the police station, Bonnie, Ash, and Serena are shocked to find out what they have been accused of, and call Clemont back in the Pokémon Center to tell him of the situation. Officer Jenny allows the three friends to leave, warning them to keep an eye out for their troublesome doppelgangers.

Jessie and James, disguised as scientists from the Kalos Institute of Technology, enter and ask Clemont for help on a mecha, to which he accepts, leaving a note for his friends. At their laboratory, Clemont is impressed by both their tools and their newest Heliolisk mecha. Jessie and James tell Clemont that they would like him to make a defense system against Electric Pokémon, and he agrees, beginning right away. While he works, Team Rocket receives a call from Giovanni, who is satisfied with their progress in the Kalos region. Clemont has finished the mecha when he notices another faulty device, meant to transport Pokémon, and fixes it for Team Rocket. Clemont comes back to the Pokémon Center, where his friends tell him that fakes disguised as themselves have been running around causing mayhem, and vow to catch the troublemakers. In a field, Team Rocket finishes burying something, excited for the next day's events.

The next day, Team Rocket keep up their doppelganger acts and continue eating and running without paying, knowing that soon Ash and his friends will come to find them. Following on a shopkeeper's directions, the group find and confront their lookalikes in the field, who reveal themselves to be Team Rocket. Team Rocket takes the opportunity to mock Serena, Ash and Bonnie before removing their disguises and performing their motto. The trio unleashes the Heliolisk mecha that Clemont helped build, determined to get Pikachu. Ash orders Pikachu to attack, but his Thunderbolt and Electro Ball attacks have no effect. Pikachu is hit by the mecha's power, and is punted by its claws into Jessie's waiting capsule. Jessie puts the capsule into Clemont's Pokémon Transportation machine, and Pikachu is transported underground. Meanwhile, the mecha malfunctions, and, being Clemont's invention, explodes, sending a successful Team Rocket blasting off.

Ash desperately tries to go after Pikachu, but Clemont says he will take care of it. He uses Serena's guidebook to determine the radius in which the other end of the Transportation machine is located. He releases Bunnelby, and orders him to search underground. Bunnelby leads them directly to Team Rocket, who send out Inkay and Pumpkaboo to get rid of the twerps. Clemont takes out a new move absorption machine. The machine absorbs Inkay's Psybeam as well as Pumpkaboo's Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball. Clemont commands Bunnelby to use Double Slap on Inkay and Mud Shot on Pumpkaboo, which also hits Jessie, causing Pikachu to fly out of her hands. Reunited with Ash, Pikachu uses Electro Ball to send Team Rocket blasting off again. Ash thanks Clemont for saving them. Clemont says it was his fault for building the machines for Team Rocket in the first place, but the others tell him he shouldn't blame himself because Team Rocket ruined everything. As if on cue, the move absorption machine crackles with electricity and explodes. With Pikachu now safe and sound, Ash and his friends continue their journey.

• Jessie's Pumpkaboo is revealed to know Dark Pulse.

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series: XY, please see the timeline page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

• Ash
• Serena
• Clemont
• Bonnie
• Jessie
• James
• Nurse Joy
• Officer Jenny
• Giovanni
• Myron

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Inkay (US and international)
Pokémon Quiz: Pikachu-disguised Inkay (James's) (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Dedenne (Clemont's)
• Froakie (Ash's)
• Bunnelby (Clemont's)
• Pumpkaboo (Jessie's; Super Size)
• Inkay (James's)
• Wigglytuff (Nurse Joy's)
• Pancham (Myron's)
• Marill
• Psyduck
• Smeargle (×2)
• Farfetch'd
• Gulpin
• Furret
• Ducklett
• Oddish
• Ralts
• Furfrou

This episode's title card segment focuses on Clemont

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster: Vivillon
  • For the TV Tokyo airing, there is no Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster following this episode.
• Mega V (Volt) replaced V (Volt) as the Japanese opening theme.
• Peace Smile! replaces X Strait Y Scenery as the Japanese ending theme.
• Serena's hometown is confirmed to be Vaniville Town. Since Team Rocket was aware of this while disguised as the group, it is a mystery as to how they learned this.
• This is the first time that the Pokémon Quiz, or any guessing game segment for that matter, uses a Pokémon in disguise. In this case, James's Inkay was shown disguised as Pikachu, even though Inkay was already featured in XY003.
• Inkay's Pikachu costume can later be seen in a flashback in Facing the Grand Design!, as well as in A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell?.
• This episode was originally scheduled to air alongside XY028, but the latter was pushed up a week after the postponement of XY024, and this one ended up airing alongside XY030.
• Music from Arceus and the Jewel of Life and Black—Victini and Reshiram is used in this episode.
• Team Rocket blasts off three times in this episode.
• This is the second episode in which James disguised himself as Ash; the first time was in Imitation Confrontation.
• The dub of this episode first aired in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2014, 27 days before the United States airing. The gap between the episode's airings in Japan and the United Kingdom is 41 days, making this the shortest time ever between the premiere of the Japanese version and a dub of the same episode, not taking into account Pokémon the Series: XY sneak peek event.
• Ash and Korrina narrate the preview for the next episode.
  • There is no next episode preview following this episode, due to it being aired back-to-back with XY030.
• The English dub title of this episode is similar to another episode.

Errors

Jessie's miscolored eyes

• When Jessie, while impersonating Serena, mocks on how she speaks, her eyes are light-blue like Serena's instead of the usual dark-blue.
• In the Polish dub, when Inkay is reflected by Clemontic Gear, Clemont states that it can also absorb Psychic-type moves instead of physical moves.

Dub edits