"Everytime she tells me not to worry is when I worry the most."
—Johanna, when Dawn leaves on her journey.
Original Title: Setting Off! From Futaba Town to Masago Town!!
Original Airdate: September 28, 2006
US Airdate: April 20, 2007 (special airing), June 4, 2007 (in sequence)
That's a nice bike you've got there, Dawn. Hate to see anything happen to it.
Seeking to follow in her mother's footsteps as a top Pokémon Coordinator, Dawn sets off from Twinleaf Town to Sandgem Town to visit Professor Rowan and get her starter Pokémon. But before she can, two of the starters run off, and Dawn is tasked with recovering them. Meanwhile, Team Rocket swipes Pikachu during Ash's voyage to Sinnoh.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- And Now for Someone Completely Different: Most of the episode follows Dawn as the main character, with Ash only being seen in the last few minutes.
- Chekhov's Gun: Mesprit shows up to Dawn in Lake Verity, which would later happen to her companions as well.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Team Rocket scattering after infighting led to them being blasted off, and Ash separated from Pikachu.
- Disaster Dominoes: A scuffle between Piplup and Chimchar rapidly escalated when a Starly and Staraptor were brought into the fray.
- The Dreaded: Everyone finds Professor Rowan intimidating, athough he's actually a really nice guy.
- Face Fault: The starter Chimchar does this when Dawn formally chooses Piplup as her starter. But it really should've expected that.
- Filching Food for Fun: After finishing its own bowl, the starter Chimchar steals the last bite from Piplup's bowl, then taunts it when Piplup gets upset, starting a fight.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Piplup begins to trust Dawn when she rescues him from some Ariados.
- Five-Episode Pilot: Part I of the three-episode arc that kickstarts the DP saga.
- The Fashionista: For her journey, Dawn packs a large suitcase full of outfits. However, her mom makes her take a small backpack instead because it's more practical for traveling on foot, which she's going to be doing a lot of.
- From Bad to Worse: Chimchar and Piplup start a fight that ends with the lab in shambles and both of them, Starly, and Staraptor escaping out a broken window. Then Professor Rowan and the new trainer show up before the assistants even have a chance to clean up the mess.Lab assistants: (turning Blue with Shock) HE'S BACK!!!
- Gameplay and Story Integration: According to the Pokédex in the games, Piplup is so prideful that it hates accepting food from people. In this episode, Piplup initially refuses food offered to it by Dawn.
- Girly Girl: Dawn's introduction quickly establishes her as one, fantasizing about beautiful performances and packing a large suitcase full of fashionable outfits.
- Growling Gut: Even though it's clearly hungry as indicated by its stomach rumbling, Piplup is too proud to accept Pokémon food from Dawn. She tries again a second time after they escape the wild Ariados, and succeeds.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Jessie decides she wants a look around Sinnoh before returning to the boss with Pikachu. Meowth tries to use Fury Swipes on her. Wobbuffet uses Counter. The balloon explodes. Team Rocket blasts off, and Pikachu is sent into the forests around Route 202.
- I Shall Taunt You: After the starter Chimchar steals Piplup's food, it does an Eyelid Pull Taunt, then shakes its rear at him.
- I Want My Mommy!: In the English dub, Dawn gets increasingly frustrated and distressed as she rides all over town trying to find Professor Rowan's lab, exclaiming, "Not there! ... Wrong way! ... I want my mom!"
- Laser-Guided Karma: The starter Chimchar causes trouble that leads to all the Pokémon escaping from the lab, followed by Dawn and Piplup meeting and having to escape from a wild Ariados. At the end of the episode, Dawn picks Piplup over Chimchar to be her starter Pokémon, and the Chimchar is clearly upset.
- Lost Food Grievance: The disaster in Professor Rowan's lab started when Piplup threw a huge tantrum over Chimchar stealing the last bite of its food, resulting in a fight.
- Meanwhile, Back at the…: Right at the end, the episode transitions from Dawn's adventure to Ash, Pikachu, and Aipom arriving at Sinnoh.
- Mischief-Making Monkey: The starter Chimchar causes trouble by stealing Piplup's food and taunting it when it gets upset, leading to a fight that ends with four of the Pokémon escaping and the lab in shambles right before Dawn is supposed to get her starter.
- Musical Nod: BGM for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl's Route 201 plays out when Dawn is cycling through, you guessed it, Route 201.
- Mythology Gag: At the beginning of the Diamond and Pearl game, the Player Character and their Rival are attacked by Starly. A Starly is involved in this episode, though this time with a different plot and resolution from the games.
- No Sense of Direction: Poor Dawn gets completely lost trying to find Professor Rowan's lab.Dawn: (becoming increasingly distressed as she rides all over town) Not there! ...Wrong way! ...I want my mom!
- Not What It Looks Like: Chimchar steals Piplup's food when the lab assistants aren't looking, but Piplup retaliating with Bubble Beam gets their attention, making it look like Piplup is throwing a tantrum and attacking Chimchar for no reason.
- Oh, Crap!: All the assistants scream in terror when Professor Rowan shows up just seconds after the lab has been destroyed by Piplup, Chimchar, Starly, and Staraptor.
- Plucky Girl: Upon arriving at Rowan's lab and seeing it in shambles with two-thirds of the starter Pokémon missing, the first thing Dawn does is volunteer to go look for them.
- Predators Are Mean: Dawn and Piplup have a frightening encounter with an angry swarm of wild Ariados looking for food.
- The Snack Is More Interesting: The starter Turtwig doesn't get involved in Piplup's and Chimchar's fight because it's too busy eating its Pokémon food. At one point, Chimchar steps on its back and it doesn't even notice.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Dawn imagines herself performing with the Sinnoh starters, harkening back to the very first episode of the whole series, where Ash does the same thing.
- Tastes Like Disdain: Despite its grumbling stomach, Piplup turns its head away when Dawn offers it a handful of Pokémon food. This matches its Pokédex entries from the games, which describe it as so prideful that it hates accepting food from people.Dawn: Say what? What do you mean, no?! I think you've got an attitude problem!
- Tastes Like Friendship: After they bond via escaping from an Ariados web, Dawn tries giving Piplup food again, and it happily accepts the second time.
- Who's Laughing Now?: At the end of their mini-adventure, Dawn and Piplup see the starter Chimchar being carried rather unceremoniously back to the lab by Staraptor, giving Piplup a good laugh.
- You Talkin' to Me?: Dawn's first meeting with Professor Rowan began rather ignonimously while she was lost in Sandgem Town.Professor Rowan: Hello. You're looking lost.
Dawn: Huh? Are you talking to me, sir?
Professor Rowan: Right. There's no one else here, and you're looking very lost.
