Japanese Title: As Long as I'm With Nyahoja, I'm Sure
Original Airdate: April 21, 2023
UK Airdate: December 1, 2023 (special airing)
US Airdate: March 7, 2024
Liko is determined to save Sprigatito from the Explorers, but her saviors refuse to do so because she doesn't have other Pokémon to defend herself. Despite this, Liko insists on saving her friend no matter what, which Friede understands. Through Friede's plan, Liko saves Sprigatito and escapes. After talking with Sprigatito, Liko realizes that she has become a Pokémon Trainer. Liko also decides to stay with her new friends and joins the Rising Volt Tacklers.
Meanwhile, a boy named Roy is exploring his hometown on an island in Kanto where he came across the Rising Volt Tacklers's flag, after it blew away from a rainstorm.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Batman Gambit: Friede goads Amethio into a battle for the pendant, knowing the Explorer would be all too eager to finish their fight from earlier. This allows Liko to slip by and grab her Sprigatito.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Liko decides she wants to join the Rising Volt Tacklers because they focused on protecting her and Sprigatito first, unlike the Explorers and their sole focus on her pendant.
- The Cameo: A Nurse Joy (a creation from Ash's tenure) appears at the local Pokémon Center while Liko goes to grab some medical supplies.
- Determinator: Liko refusing to sit back during the rescue mission of Sprigatito counts, which Friede understood as he gave her both advice and help in order to do so.
- Foreshadowing: Mollie refuses to step inside the Pokémon Center to pick up their supplies, having Liko grab the order she put in ahead of time. Later, she's shown to have a Chansey, the Signature Mon of Nurse Joy. Both she and the local Joy also share the same voices in both English and Japanese, hinting that Mollie has some connection to them she's not keen on sharing yet.
- Hired Guns: The Rising Volt Tacklers are revealed to be bodyguards, and were hired by Liko's mom to protect her daughter. In order to collect their bodyguard fees, they set course to Paldea (which ruins the touching moment of Liko joining them, but Friede points out they can't keep adventuring on an empty wallet).
- I Choose to Stay: Liko decides to stay with the Rising Volt Tacklers and became a member of the team.
- Mythology Gag:
- A Rockruff is used to track another Pokémon down, which Ash did a few times with his now-Lycanroc during the Sun and Moon series.
- Liko encounters a Nurse Joy in the Pokémon Center, and watches a video that shows many of their partners from varying regions (i.e. Chansey, Blissey, Audino, Comfey, and Wigglytuff), homaging the constant presence of the Joys as well as their typical partners from Ash's tenure and the accompanying games.
- Onia gushing over Sprigatito is just like when Jessie used to do the same thing.
- The Nose Knows: Murdock employs his Rockruff to track down Sprigatito's scent.
- Not So Above It All: Onia spends a good chunk of the episode gawking over Sprigatito and how cute the cat is. When the Pokémon refuses to stay with her following her rescue, Onia is heartbroken over it.
- The Reveal: Liko learns her mom hired the Rising Volt Tacklers to bodyguard her.
- Running Gag: Friede again forgets to disclose important information to Liko, much to the chagrin of his teammates. This time, it relates to the fact they were hired by Liko's mom to protect her and her pendant.
- We Need a Distraction: Friede volunteers to keep Amethio occupied so Liko can sneak around him and grab Sprigatito without notice. When she's confronted by Onia, Liko orders a Leafage so the group could use it as cover and sneak away.
