"Hey, does that mean we're going to travel together again?"
"Yeah...if you don't mind."
"Best news I've had all day."
—Ash and Brock
Japanese Title: A Lot of Subame! A Lot of Danger! Capture in Touka Woods!!
Original Airdate: December 12, 2002
US Airdate: November 22, 2003
Taillow was so focused on its suicide mission, it didn't see that Poké Ball coming.
Travelling the Petalburg Forest, the hungry team end up hounded by a flock of Taillow. When its leader develops a grudge with Pikachu, Team Rocket swoops in to try and grab the rest of the flock.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- The Bus Came Back: Brock returns after just four episodes gone. Finding things in order at Pewter City, he decided to re-join Ash.
- Challenge Seeker: The head Taillow breaks off from its flock to fight Pikachu.
- Cultural Translation: As usual, the English dub refers to onigiri as sandwiches, despite looking nothing like a sandwich.
- Defeat Equals Friendship: As seems to be the case with all his Bird Pokémon, Taillow submits to Ash once it's caught.
- Determinator: Taillow refuses to give up in its duel with Pikachu. Worried it may literally fight to the death, Brock cautions Ash that he should just capture the Taillow lest it suffer worse injury.
- Epic Fail: When May calls out Torchic to help fight Team Rocket, it charges in head first without waiting for a command and knocks itself out when it crashes into a big rock.
- Food as Bribe: At around the same time that Ash caught the Taillow flock's leader, Team Rocket manages to briefly get the rest of the flock on their side with their sandwiches.
- Frame Break: While arguing over Brock's sandwiches, Team Rocket and Ash's team push against the frames they were put in. Eventually, Brock, Ash, and May all squish Team Rocket into a much smaller frame, only for Jessie to push them all back.
- Freak Out: Pikachu has an epic one when he sees that his food can is empty.
- Growling Gut: Thanks to Ash not bringing along food and Tailow stealing what little they have, May's stomach starts growling from hunger.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: The lead Taillow, which would end up becoming Ash's, is identified due to having a chocolate mustache for the majority of the episode.
- If It Tastes Bad, It Must Be Good for You: Both Pikachu and Taillow react this way to Brock's Potion spray.
- Obsessed with Food: Team Rocket sees the hungry twerps. Meowth wants to nab Pikachu, but Jessie and James are too busy eating to be bothered.
- Ocular Gushers: When Taillow takes the chocolate May wanted to eat, she calls it a robber and says that she wants it back. When Taillow eats it, May lets out gushing tears.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Taillow was one of Ash's most low-key Pokémon captures. He waits until after recalling it for Brock to heal it with his Potion to celebrate the capture.
- Promotion to Parent: Ash spent most of his OS journey relying on someone like Brock to provide cooking for him and his Pokémon. Now that he's the one with the most travel experience, May and Max expect him to at least be more responsible. May immediately calls him out on it.May: You're the professional traveler, Ash. I'm surprised you'd forget something like our food.
Max: She has a point. - Reset Button: Just like Ash, Brock decided to come to Hoenn without most of his Pokémon, choosing only to bring Forretress.
