Ash and co. finally arrive back at May and Max's home and greet their mother Caroline and their dad's apprentice, Kenny. However, there's a problem because Norman has been spending a lot of time at the Pokémon Center lately and Caroline is angry about it, especially since today is their anniversary! The Petalburg siblings, along with Brock, Kenny, and Caroline, go to the Pokémon Center to confront Norman about it, while Ash stays behind to explore Norman's greenhouse and see Norman's Pokémon. Unfortunately, at that moment, Team Rocket decides to attack and steal Norman's Pokémon, forcing Ash to fight them off alone. Back at the Pokémon Center, Norman reveals that the whole thing a huge misunderstanding, but before he can go into detail, he hears an explosion coming from the greenhouse and races home just in time to assist Ash. In the commotion, Team Rocket accidentally destroyed Norman's anniversary surprise for Caroline, a fireworks display. Norman goes berserk and sends his Slaking after Team Rocket, blasting them off in just one attack. Nurse Joy offers to fix it, since she is a licensed pyrotechnician, and the one who Norman had secretly set up the fireworks display. Later that night, Norman and Caroline happily celebrate their anniversary, and Norman accepts Ash's gym challenge for tomorrow.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Berserk Button: Norman gets really pissed off when he sees that Team Rocket ruined his anniversary surprise for Caroline and has his Slaking send them blasting off.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Slaking is pretty friendly and laid-back when Ash first meets it. Then Norman gets pissed at Team Rocket and calls on Slaking, and...
- Comically Missing the Point: When Caroline packs her luggage and tries to leave Norman, she tells him she will go "anywhere, but here." Norman stupidly asks if she needs help with her luggage, causing everyone else to Face Fault.
- Meanwhile, Back at the…: While May and Max and everyone else deal with the perceived issue with Norman, Ash, having a supporting role in this episode, stays behind in Norman's greenhouse, hanging out with Norman's Pokémon and fighting off Team Rocket by himself until Norman gets back.
- Mistaken for Cheating: While not stated outright in the dub, even there it's implied that Caroline thinks Norman is having an affair with Nurse Joy. It turns out he had actually hired her to set up a fireworks display for Caroline.
- Oh, Crap!: Team Rocket freeze in fear when Norman gets angry with them and decides to sic Slaking on them.
- Remember the New Guy?: Kenny, Norman's assistant, was not in Norman and Max's debut episode, but everyone greets him normally. Brock also greets Caroline and even Kenny as if he knows them, despite not rejoining the group until "You Never Can Taillow." It's possible he met them offscreen when he passed through Petalburg City before catching up to Ash.
- Shout-Out: This is the third time in the series that a title similar to Love, American Style is used in the dub.
- The Stool Pigeon: Ash calmly blabbed to Norman about how Team Rocket was trying to steal his Pokemon.
