A Scare to Remember (Japanese: ピカチュウ、ロケット団に入る！？, Hepburn: Pikachu Joins Team Rocket?) is the 49th episode of Pokémon: Advanced Challenge.
Synopsis[]
As Ash and friends walk to Lilycove City, a tree comes crashing down in front of them—pushed over by Team Rocket in their newest giant robot! They have Pikachu in hand, when the robot begins to sink into the ground and crumple. It explodes, sending everyone flying.
The kids find themselves stuck in a tree—without Pikachu. Team Rocket is lost, and Meowth is nowhere to be found. Pikachu and Meowth wake up next to each other, and to Meowth's delight, Pikachu has no memory. Meowth convinces Pikachu that it was a part of Team Rocket and that the two of them are best friends.
While the pair makes it may back to Team Rocket's secret base, Meowth witnesses Pikachu saving a Zigzagoon, not being scared of a high ledge, and even sharing an apple with Meowth. Eventually they make it back to the base, and Meowth updates Jessie and James.
Ash and friends track down Pikachu to the cabin, where Team Rocket has Pikachu attack Ash. They try to get away in a balloon, but Ash grabs on. James orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, and they end up crashing. Ash and Pikachu land in the river and wash ashore. When they awake, Pikachu has its memory back.[1]
Episode plot[]
The heroes walks down a path, while Pikachu, who is walking in front of them, is exceptionally happy. Suddenly, the ground shakes and a tree falls down. As the smoke clears, Team Rocket captures Pikachu using a robot. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but with no effect, as the robot is made of a material that does not conduct electricity, while Team Rocket taunts the twerps. The heroes go to take Pikachu back, but fall in a hole. Soon, the robot falls as well, due to the material it is made of has been recycled too many times. The robot explodes and everyone blasts off, splitting Ash and Pikachu. The heroes wake up and recall they got blasted away after Team Rocket's machine exploded. Ash goes after Pikachu, but everyone is stuck amidst the tree tree. James, Wobbuffet and Jessie are bashed on a tree. They go off from it, so James suggests to search for Meowth, but Jessie thinks they should return to the base. However, they become lost in the forest.
Pikachu and Meowth are seen together. Meowth yells for Jessie and James to come to him and help, but sees nobody is around. Meowth has no choice but to battle him and just as he goes to scratch Pikachu, Pikachu wonders what he is doing. Pikachu tells him that he has no idea where he is or who is his trainer. Meowth realizes that Pikachu lost his memory, so plans to fill his head with new info to banish the old memories. Meowth claims they have to go to the boss, Giovanni, as a surprise is being planned for him. Meowth explains Pikachu has been a member of Team Rocket from the day he was born. Meowth thinks they should visit their own partners to get his memory jarring. Elsewhere, Ash has Swellow search for Pikachu and Brock has Mudkip do the same. Afterwards, Pikachu and Meowth walk down a path, while Meowth sees how many plans it took to finally have Pikachu at his disposal. A Zigzagoon appears, hiding behind Pikachu. Soon, a Beedrill appears as well and tries to attack. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, electrocuting Beedrill and forcing it to leave.
Meowth thinks Pikachu is a kind creature, so plans to take advantage of it. While Pikachu and Meowth are walking, James and Jessie are searching for Meowth and "the home base" (even if James tells her the home base is far from here). Meowth and Pikachu walk through the edge of a cliff. Meowth begins to be bluffing, seeing how Pikachu is a kind and brave Pokémon, but shakes his head. Meowth tells Pikachu he saved his life once, by nursing him when Pikachu had a fever. Meowth lies he stays by Pikachu's side and is with him constantly. Suddenly, Meowth almost falls from the cliff, but Pikachu grabs him on his tail and pulls him back. The heroes continue searching and Mudkip senses something. They come to a field, where they all see footprints of Pikachu, Meowth and Zigzagoon. Meowth begins to feel hungry, so Pikachu gives him an apple. Meowth is astounded to hear there was only one apple, but he's giving it to him anyway. Meowth thanks Pikachu. He splits the apple in half, giving the larger piece to Pikachu and stating things are better when they are being shared with others.
The heroes track footprints of Pikachu and Meowth, though they are concerned that Pikachu did not battle, from the looks of the footprints. Swellow searches the area while Meowth and Pikachu follow a path. Suddenly, Pikachu loses balance and rolls backwards, but Meowth stops him. Pikachu is glad and they both move onwards. Team Rocket see a base and go inside to rest. Swellow spots them entering the building and goes back. Meowth and Pikachu arrived to the base as well. Jessie and James are thrilled to see Meowth back, but they see Pikachu wanting to battle them. Meowth says he is their friend now and whispers what really happened. James sees Pikachu needs a new memory, but Meowth shushes him, for they are here to remind Pikachu about his past. Mudkip searches and his fin turns to a side. Swellow appears to let Ash know what it found. Jessie and James persuade Pikachu that they are also his friends, and fool him successfully.
Pikachu goes on James' shoulder, who notes how heavier it got, since it was a long time since Pikachu came on his shoulder. They play for a while before the heroes appear, startling Team Rocket. Ash is glad he found Pikachu, but Meowth states the twerps only want to hurt Pikachu. Ash tries to remind Pikachu, but when Meowth says he is a liar, Pikachu sides with Team Rocket. Ash realizes Pikachu does not remember him and tries to convince him that he does not belong to Team Rocket, but fails. James orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, attacking Ash, who does not understand why Pikachu isn't remembering him. Meowth orders to do so again, attacking Ash once more. Brock realizes Pikachu hit his head and has an amnesia problem, though Team Rocket dismisses that, claiming the twerps can be tricky sometimes. Team Rocket depart in the balloon. Ash, who has finally had enough, goes on the balloon and climbs up it. James tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but then he electrocutes everyone. Team Rocket is blasted off, while Pikachu and Ash fall down.
Ash catches Pikachu and falls in the river. Ash, however, remembers its adventures with Pikachu, as well as some of their Gym Battles*. Ash states Pikachu will be his best friend, no matter what, as they are taken by the stream. Next, Ash is seen on the river shore and Pikachu licks him to wake him up. Pikachu remembers Ash in his memories, making Ash happy - crying even - as he hugs Pikachu. Brock, Max and May arrive and see Ash reunited with his best friend. Team Rocket has blasted off near the river, who ask for their help. The heroes state they should help themselves get out of the river. Team Rocket attempts to convince Pikachu to get back, but soon learn that he got his memory back when Thunderbolt is used on them. At the end of the day, May sees how one should always appreciate their own friends. Ash promises that he will never lose Pikachu again and everyone goes to Lilycove City.
Trivia[]
- The dub features a song written especially for this episode, titled "You Can't Remember."
- This was the only song from Advanced Challenge that wasn't released on the music album.
- This marks the first and so far only instance of Team Rocket reciting their motto more than once in an episode without any interruption.
- Meowth returns the favor to Pikachu by splitting an apple between them, as Pikachu did the same to Meowth in an earlier episode.
- The dub title is a reference to the film, A Walk to Remember.
Dub differences[]
- In the Japanese version, when Ash and Pikachu are floating through the river, Ash has flashbacks of his Gym battles with Roxanne and Norman. These are both cut in the English Dub, which limits the flashbacks to only previous Advanced Challenge episodes excluding Balance Of Power.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ (n.d.) . "A Scare to Remember | Pokémon TV (pokemon.com)". From The Official Pokémon Website | Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024.
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| See also | ||
| Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire | ||