"You know, I think those two were made for each other. Don't you think?"
—Johanna, to her Glameow, as Dawn and Piplup bicker on the other end of the videophone
Original Title: Find Pikachu! Route 202!
Original Airdate: September 28, 2006
US Airdate: April 20, 2007 (special airing), June 5, 2007 (in sequence)
They are really amping up the similarities between the starts of Ash's and Dawn's Pokémon journeys.
While struggling through the beginning of their Pokémon journey, Dawn and Piplup rescue Pikachu from Team Rocket. When they reach Jubilife City, they notify Professor Rowan, who informs Ash when he gets to Sandgem Town. On his way to meet Dawn, Ash reunites with Brock, and makes his first catch in Sinnoh.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Amusing Injuries: Dawn and Piplup get in a fight while on the videophone with Johanna. When they call Professor Rowan immediately after, both are bandaged up all over.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: James’ butler, who is literally The Jeeves (that’s his actual name) seems much nicer than James’ butler from the original series. But then he notified Jessiebelle of James’ presence.
- Brick Joke: Since Aipom followed Ash to Sinnoh without his knowledge, he doesn't have her Poké Ball with him. Said Poké Ball is sent by Professor Oak to Professor Rowan, to give to Ash once he arrives at Sandgem Town.
- Calling Your Attacks: Dawn gleefully throws a lampshade on her first in-battle order to Piplup.Dawn: There's nothing like calling an attack! Awesome!
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Even though he's injured, Pikachu still flattens Dawn's Piplup, destroying Dawn's bike in the process.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: There are many similarities between the beginnings of Dawn's and Ash's Pokémon journeys. Both are cases of Fire-Forged Friends. Dawn and Piplup have their moments of friction in this episode, just like Ash and Pikachu in the first episode. And both had to rush Pikachu to a Pokémon Center in the second episode.
- Establishing Character Moment: A new character shows up watching Ash capture a Starly, while making a snide remark about how he wouldn't bother with a Starly that was so easy to catch. We'll get to know who this wise guy is in the next episode.
- Expansion Pack Past: Just as Advanced Generation started with the revelation that Jessie had been in Hoenn before, DP begins with James being a veteran of the Sinnoh region.
- Gotta Catch Them All: Averted. Dawn fails to catch a Buneary. And a Burmy. And Ash's Pikachu.
- Hate at First Sight: Even before meeting Ash, Dawn holds nothing but hostility to Team Rocket when she encounters them for the first time, given their first action in front of her is to attack Piplup.
- Like an Old Married Couple: Dawn and Piplup start bickering while on the videophone with Johanna.
- No-Sell: When Dawn tries to catch Pikachu but he isn't even sucked into her Poké Ball after it hits her, she realizes that must mean he already belongs to someone else.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Ash celebrates catching Starly, then notes to Brock that it's just not the same without Pikachu there.
- Oh, Crap!: Team Rocket would have settled with James' second summer home as a new hideout, until James finds out his servant has notified his parents and Jessebelle. This leads to another confrontation two seasons later.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Pikachu seems to have this reaction when he destroys Dawn's bike.
- Precision F-Strike: TPCi got away with one for James.James: That's why she doesn't know a bloody thing about us, there's no Sinnoh Team Rocket branch!
- The BBC IPlayer print goes as far as to remove the line up to "there's no Sinnoh Team Rocket branch!" for this reason alone. Unusually, other digital prints in the country (eg, Amazon Prime Video) have the line unaltered.
- Remember the New Guy?: James reunites with Carnivine, a Pokémon he used to play with whenever he came to Sinnoh as a child.
- Running Gag: Dawn's bike gets fried, just like Misty's and May's before.
- Turn the Other Cheek: Though Dawn is initially mad at Pikachu for accidentally destroying her bike and tries to catch him, as soon as she realizes that he already belongs to someone else, is being hunted by Team Rocket, and is hurt, she decides to take care of him and reunite him with his proper trainer even if it means she'll possibly miss an upcoming Contest she wants to compete in.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Brock hitched a ride to Sinnoh with an attractive girl who actually seemed to like him. And then it turns out she has a boyfriend back in Kanto and leaves Brock behind to reunite with him.
