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{{EpisodePrevNext|
{{EpicodePrevNext|
prevlink=EP230 |
prevcode=EP230 |
prevtitle=EP230: Hatching a Plan! |
prevtitle=Hatching a Plan |
nextlink=EP232 |
nextcode=EP232 |
nexttitle=EP232: Just Waiting On A Friend |
nexttitle=Just Waiting On a Friend |
series=Original series |
series=Original series |
episodelist=List of original series episodes }}
colorscheme=Johto | }}
{{EpisodeInfobox|
{{EpisodeInfobox|
epcode=EP231 |
epcode=EP231 |
colorscheme=Johto |
title_en=Dues and Don'ts |
title_en=Dues and Don'ts |
title_ja=ロケットだんとデリバード！ |
title_ja=ロケットだんとデリバード！ |
title_ja_trans=Team Rocket and Delibird! |
title_ja_trans=Rocket-dan and Delibird! |
screen=yes|
broadcast_jp=January 10, 2002 |
broadcast_jp=January 10, 2002 |
broadcast_us=January 25, 2003 |
broadcast_us=January 25, 2003 |
en_series=Master Quest |
en_series=Master Quest |
en_op=[[I Believe]] |
en_op=[[Believe in Me]] |
ja_op=[[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master|めざせポケモンマスター]] (Whiteberry) |
ja_op=[[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master|めざせポケモンマスター]] (Whiteberry) |
ja_ed=[[Face Forward Team Rocket!|前向きロケット団！]] |
ja_ed=[[Face Forward Team Rocket!|前向きロケット団！]] |
Line 22: Line 24:
director=浅田裕二 |
director=浅田裕二 |
art=岩根雅明 |
art=岩根雅明 |
footnotes= }}
morecredits=yes |
'''Dues and Don'ts''' (Japanese: '''ロケットだんとデリバード！''' ''Team Rocket and Delibird!'') is episode 231 of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 10, 2002 and in the United States on January 25, 2003.  
epstaffpage=EP231-EP240 |
<!-- Short summary goes here. -->
footnotes=*{{filb-eppics|pm|236}}
}}
'''Dues and Don'ts''' (Japanese: '''ロケットだんとデリバード！''' ''{{tt|Rocket-dan|Team Rocket}} and Delibird!'') is the 231st episode of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 10, 2002, and in the United States on January 25, 2003.  
 
{{spoilers}}
{{spoilers}}
= Synopsis =
<!-- Detailed synopsis goes here. -->
Still on the pathway to [[Mahogany Town]], the gang comes towards an old style football goal post sitting in the middle of the road. They wonder what it's doing here, then Team Rocket comes out in football uniforms and does a fancy version of their motto. Afterwards, Meowth sets up a football bomb and James kicks it over the goal, one of the timer lights going out. Ash kicks the ball back to them, another timer going out. Then Jesse gives it a kick, two moments left. Brock gives it a kick and then just before Team Rocket could send it back, Pikachu shocks them and they get blown off into the sky.


While they are still in the sky, Team Rocket opens up a few parachutes and they float back down, except Jesse who seems to have Wobuffet hanging onto her. Jesse crashes down, bringing James and Meowth with her. They seem to be really fed up with all this losing now. They gather up and figure out something that's beneficial for them, instead of just wasting time going after Pikachu. So they all argue over who's gonna make the calls, with that going nowhere, James just gets to a few points. Compare to them, Ash, Misty, and Brock have way more Pokemon than they. So why not just go find a Pokemon to capture? When they walk up to the road, they find a Delibird, trapped in a cage of some kind. They go up to it and wonder if they can really take it, then the speaker above the cage speaks out. The speaker tells them that if they want this Delibird, they have to prove themsevles. Then the speaker self-destructs and the cage dissapears. Looks like their lucky day. Jesse and James send out Arbok and Weezing to take care of Delibird. Except on the first attack, Delibird jumps up and gives them a Cold Wind. James tells Weezing to Tackle the Delibird but Delibird gives Weezing a Cold Wind, freezing it on the spot. Arbok then shoots some Poison Pins but Delibird freezes those as well. Then James calls out Victreebel, but Delibird ends up freezing it as well. Finally Delibird goes up for a Tackle but Wobuffet does a Counter and instantly takes care of the Delibird.  
==Blurb==
<!--http://www.pokemon.com/us/tv-episodes/season-5/episode-22-05_22-dues-and-donts/-->
<i>As Jessie, James, and Meowth track Ash and friends, they commiserate over past failures and discuss how they are paired unfairly against these younger trainers with such a superior array of Pokémon. They no sooner decide anew to catch as many Pokémon as possible and strengthen their own forces than a Delibird shows up. After finally capturing it, they are disappointed to learn that the Pokémon already has a trainer—a Team Rocket scout, no less, who is using the Delibird to test the abilities of promising new talent. Sensing their natural aptitudes toward crime, the scout offers Jessie and James positions within Team Rocket. These two assert that they are already members, to which the scout replies by accessing their Team Rocket personnel files and proving that they have been expelled from the organization. Shocked, Jessie and James set desperately to garnering some success that will earn them reentry into their beloved Team Rocket.</i>


Jesse and James takes out a Pokeball and argue over who gets to keep Delibird when it suddenly gets called back by an old woman! She commends them for defeating Delibird but Jesse and James start to question her. When they mention their with Team Rocket, the old woman says that she there isn't anyone like them and wants to see some ID. Jesse gets all panicky over it but James has it right there and shows it. She still doesn't belive it, and fetches out a calculator to show them something. After another denial from Jesse and James, she shows them a laptop with all the members of Team Rocket. Jesse looks through, not finding her name, then James, no cigar, then Meowth, nope. They're all shocked over that they aren't on the Team Rocket roster list. But Jesse still won't believe it. Jesse then wants to try to do something that'll prove their members of Team Rocket.  
==Plot==
On the road to [[Mahogany Town]], {{Ash}} and {{ashfr}} are attacked by {{TRT}}. After a brief scuffle involving an exploding football, the Rocket trio are sent blasting off. The trio release their parachutes to soften their landing, but {{TP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}} emerges from his {{i|Poké Ball}} and leads Jessie to get tangled in her teammates' parachutes. After a painful landing, the Rockets discuss their most recent failure and try to figure out why they can never beat the [[twerp]]s. They hold a vote, but this reveals that everyone blames everyone equally for the failures, and eventually reach the conclusion that the twerps have a larger amount of Pokémon to battle with, while they only have five, including {{MTR}}. Team Rocket begin to fight amongst each other, but find this also does nothing to solve their glaring problems. They walk wearily, hoping to find a solution.


Later at a Team Rocket outpost, an agent calls Giovanni to tell him that two members haven't done anything to prove they still exist. Giovanni wonders who and it turns out to be Jesse, James, and Meowth. (Meowth doesn't really count) The agent remembers something she had to pick Jesse on. Jesse had ditched her while they were having a fruit drink and she had to pay the tab. She gets all worked up over than, but Giovanni interupts her asking if there was anything else. With a no, she hangs up.  
The trio soon comes across a [[Delibird (Team Rocket)|Delibird]] trapped in a cage. A tape recording near the Delibird announces that it was abandoned by its {{pkmn|Trainer}}, and is free to anybody able to catch it. Seizing their opportunity, Jessie and James {{pkmn|battle}} with the Delibird. Jessie calls on her {{TP|Jessie|Arbok}}, while James orders out his {{TP|James|Weezing}} for a {{m|Smog}} attack. Delibird flies into the air and unleashes a {{m|Blizzard}} at Team Rocket. James calls out his {{TP|James|Victreebel}}, but its latches onto its Trainer and Jessie first. Victreebel sends out several {{m|Razor Leaf}} attacks, but Delibird evades them before {{status|frozen|freezing}} Victreebel in ice. Arbok attempts a {{m|Poison Sting}}, but Delibird sends it and Weezing back at Team Rocket. Jessie calls on Wobbuffet, and his {{m|Counter}} knocks Delibird to the ground. She and James argue over who gets to keep Delibird, but an elderly woman returns her Delibird back to its Poké Ball.  


The old woman scouts around and spots a trainer Team Rocket could work on. Jesse takes the binoculars the old woman was using and sees that it's Ash and the rest. Just before they go, the old woman gives them Delibird to use. As the gang walks by, they are interupted by two samurai-looking people, which turns out to be Jesse and James. The catch? Pikachu obviously. They send out their new Pokemon, Ash is somewhat surprised and scans it. Without doing much, Delibird walks up to them and gives them each a Present, but Jesse scolds at it. The Present however explodes and Jesse finds out the potential of him. Ash sends out Phanpy to make quick work of this battle. Ash tells Phanpy to use Take Down on Delibird but Delibird uses Blizzard, which freezes Phanpy on the spot. Ash recalls Phanpy and Delibird then starts to throw a bunch of Presents around and the gang starts running. Pikachu catches one but explodes leaving Pikachu weak. They take cover behind a rock and wonder how are they going to figure out this one. Delibird then comes by and gives Pikachu a Present before running off. Pikachu tries get rid of it but it explodes. However instead of hurting Pikachu more it heals Pikachu. With that Pikachu jumps out from behind the rock and gets ready for an all out Thunder attack. The attack sends them off once more flying into the sky.Later when Team Rocket landed, they figure that Delibird can't be all to bad. Then the old woman comes by to them and says that everything with them being in Team Rocket is actually true and that they can keep Delibird. Delibird hops to them and gives them a wrapped present, which they think it's a real Present. The resent pops up and it appears to be a message. James reads it and it looks like it says that they have a hefty tab on them, which is a lot of fruit drinks. They wonder what the heck is going on. It turns out to be the Team Rocket agent gets her revenge over the small event. Afterwards, it's just one more problem with Delibird...
The woman introduces herself as a [[Rocket Scout]] and congratulates the Rocket trio on passing her test. She announces that they can now join [[Team Rocket]]. Though Jessie and James explain that they are part of Team Rocket. The scout isn't convinced and shows them the typical black uniform worn by all {{tc|Team Rocket Grunt}}s. When she refuses to believe them, they look up their names in Team Rocket's member registry. Looking through it, they find that their worst fears have finally come true — they've been disbanded from Team Rocket. The Rocket Scout explains that their membership was revoked because of their unpaid dues and the constant loans they've taken out. But, she tells them, if they prove themselves to her, she should be able to get them reinstated and a hefty signing bonus as well. The Rocket Scout presents the trio with their mission, to defeat a wandering band of Pokémon Trainers, who turn out to be none other than Ash and his friends. Jessie and James tell the scout, that although the Trainers look weak, they're actually very skilled, and that with their current Pokémon they'll be unable to beat them. After thinking for a moment, the Scout agrees to let them borrow her Delibird. With a new and powerful Pokémon on their side, Team Rocket gets ready to attack, sure of their coming victory.
The Rocket Human Resources Department receives news of Jessie, James and Meowth's attempt to re-register. A Team Rocket member named {{OBP|Wendy|EP231}} is absolutely furious and remembers that Jessie still owes her money for a fruit smoothie back when they were training as new recruits. She contacts the Rocket boss, {{an|Giovanni}}. He examines the lump sum of money owing, but is fine for the trio's registration to go through provided they can pay the money owed. With that said he hangs up on Wendy, leaving her to fume back at her desk.


= Major events =
Back in [[Johto]], Ash and his friends are met on the road by a [[List of Team Rocket's disguises|pair of wandering samurai]]. They quickly reveal themselves to be Jessie and James and challenge the twerps to a battle. The group isn't too thrilled to see the trio again. Jessie and James explain that they need to get their Team Rocket memberships back. {{an|Misty}} suggests that it is a lot of effort, but the trio is determined to remain in the evil organization. Jessie calls out a Delibird, and it gifts a {{m|Present}} to the group which explodes in their faces. Ash calls out his {{AP|Phanpy}} to retaliate, but it is easily defeated by a Blizzard attack. Ash and his friends are forced to retreat as Delibird showers them with explosive Presents. Delighted at their success Jessie and James order Delibird to finish the twerps off, but to their surprise, the next Present restores {{AP|Pikachu}} to full health. Taking control of the fight, Ash orders Pikachu to attack with {{m|Thunder}}, and Team Rocket finds themselves blasting off again.
<!-- Events such as captures, releases go here. -->
== Debuts ==
<!-- Events such as new characters, or first screen appearance of Pokémon go here. -->
= Characters =
== Humans ==
*[[Ash Ketchum]]
*[[Brock]]
*[[Misty]]
*[[Jessie]]
*[[James]]
*[[Giovanni]]
*[[Rocket Scout]]
*[[Wendy]]


== Pokémon ==
After landing, Jessie and James are met again by the Rocket Scout, who reclaims her Delibird. She tells them that even though they lost the fight, Team Rocket is suffering a severe labor shortage, due to most of its members getting arrested, and that she's still going to register them again. The pair eagerly wait for their signing bonus, but find themselves hit with a bill instead, their bonus having helped pay all of the money they owe. At the bottom of the list is a surprise, a bill for a fruit smoothie courtesy of Wendy, although Jessie fails to even remember her. The Scout tells them that every month Delibird will come to collect some of the money they owe and that they should resume their work as Rockets. Despite all of their bills, Jessie, James, and Meowth take a moment to celebrate. Their cheers are so loud that even Ash and his friends hear it on the nearby road.
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Smeargle}}
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Ash's Pikachu|Ash's]])
* {{p|Meowth}} ([[Meowth (Team Rocket)|Team Rocket]])
* {{p|Togepi}} ([[Misty's Togetic|Misty's]])
* {{p|Wobbuffet}} ([[Jessie's Wobbuffet|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Bayleef}} ([[Ash's Bayleef|Ash's]])
* {{p|Cyndaquil}} ([[Ash's Cyndaquil|Ash's]])
* {{p|Totodile}} ([[Ash's Totodile|Ash's]])
* {{p|Noctowl}} ([[Ash's Noctowl|Ash's]])
* {{p|Phanpy}} ([[Ash's Donphan|Ash's]])
* {{p|Goldeen}} ([[Misty's Goldeen|Misty's]])
* {{p|Staryu}} ([[Misty's Staryu|Misty's]])
* {{p|Psyduck}} ([[Misty's Psyduck|Misty's]])
* {{p|Poliwhirl}} ([[Misty's Politoed|Misty's]])
* {{p|Corsola}} ([[Misty's Corsola|Misty's]])
* {{p|Onix}} ([[Brock's Steelix|Brock's]])
* {{p|Geodude}} ([[Brock's Geodude|Brock's]])
* {{p|Crobat}} ([[Brock's Crobat|Brock's]])
* {{p|Pineco}} ([[Brock's Forretress|Brock's]])
* {{p|Arbok}} ([[Jessie's Arbok|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Weezing}} ([[James's Weezing|James's]])
* {{p|Victreebel}} ([[James's Victreebel|James's]])
* {{p|Delibird}} ([[Delibird (Team Rocket)|Team Rocket]], debut)
* {{p|Persian}} ([[Giovanni's Persian|Giovanni's]])


= Trivia =
==Major events==
* [[Jessie]] and [[James]] renew their membership with [[Team Rocket]].
* A {{OBP|Delibird|Team Rocket}} sent from Team Rocket begins to follow Jessie and James.
* [[Ash's Phanpy]] is revealed to know {{m|Take Down}}.
{{animeevents}}


== Errors ==
===Debuts===
== Dub edits ==
====Pokémon debuts====
=====Main series debuts=====
* {{p|Delibird}} ([[Delibird (Team Rocket)|Team Rocket]])


=In other languages=
==Characters==
* French: '''{{tt|Les bons comptes font les bons amis|Good accounts create good friends}}'''
===Humans===
{{epstub}}
[[File:PMTV EP231.png|thumb|200px|{{tt|Pocket Monster TV|Who's That Pokémon}}]]
{{EpisodePrevNext|
* {{Ash}}
prevlink=EP230 |
* {{an|Misty}}
prevtitle=EP230: Hatching a Plan! |
* {{an|Brock}}
nextlink=EP232 |
* [[Jessie]]
nexttitle=EP232: Just Waiting On A Friend |
* [[James]]
* {{an|Giovanni}}
* [[Rocket Scout]]
* {{OBP|Wendy|EP231}}
 
===Pokémon===
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Smeargle}} ''(US and international)'', {{p|Delibird}} ''(Japan)''
[[File:WTP EP231.png|thumb|200px|Who's That Pokémon?]]
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
* {{p|Togepi}} ({{OP|Misty|Togepi}})
* {{p|Wobbuffet}} ({{OP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}})
* {{p|Bayleef}} ({{OP|Ash|Bayleef}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Cyndaquil}} ({{OP|Ash|Cyndaquil}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Totodile}} ({{OP|Ash|Totodile}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Noctowl}} ({{OP|Ash|Noctowl}}; {{Shiny}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Phanpy}} ({{OP|Ash|Phanpy}})
* {{p|Goldeen}} ({{OP|Misty|Goldeen}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Staryu}} ({{OP|Misty|Staryu}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Psyduck}} ({{OP|Misty|Psyduck}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Poliwhirl}} ({{OP|Misty|Poliwhirl}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Corsola}} ({{OP|Misty|Corsola}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Onix}} ({{OP|Brock|Onix}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Geodude}} ({{OP|Brock|Geodude}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Crobat}} ({{OP|Brock|Crobat}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Pineco}} ({{OP|Brock|Pineco}}; fantasy)
* {{p|Arbok}} ({{OP|Jessie|Arbok}})
* {{p|Weezing}} ({{OP|James|Weezing}})
* {{p|Victreebel}} ({{OP|James|Victreebel}})
* {{p|Persian}} ({{OP|Giovanni|Persian}})
* {{p|Delibird}} ([[Delibird (Team Rocket)|Team Rocket]])
 
==Trivia==
* [[Jessie]] briefly talks about two other [[villainous team]]s, "Team Jet" and "Team Helicopter", in this episode. However, they are likely just teams that she made up as a joke, as they have never been mentioned again.
* The English dub title of this episode is a pun of the phrase ''"Dos and Don'ts."''
* It is implied in this episode that {{MTR}}, like {{AP|Pikachu}}, was put in a {{i|Poké Ball}}, but prefers to stay outside of it. However, this is eventually proven false in ''[[BW043|Meowth's Scrafty Tactics!]]''.
* In this episode, {{TRT}} uses a variation of their {{motto}}.
** In the dub, when Team Rocket recites this football-themed variation of their motto, Jessie makes a reference to an "eighth-round pick", presumably a draft pick. The last time the {{wp|NFL Draft}} held an eighth round was on April 26, 1993, almost ten years prior to this episode's initial dubbed airing.
** Coincidentally, the dub's initial airing was the day before the {{wp|Super Bowl XXXVII|Super Bowl}} aired in 2003.
* When Team Rocket are disguised as travelling samurai, Meowth is playing a {{wp|shamisen}}. This is possibly a visual joke, as Meowth is based on a cat and the shamisen was traditionally made using cat skin.
* This is the only [[original series]] episode that includes Team Rocket's name in its Japanese title. Due to this, it is also the only one that names it using hiragana for "dan" (だん) instead of the kanji (団).
* Music from ''[[PK01|Pikachu's Vacation]]'' can be heard in this episode, as well as an instrumental version of ''[[Face Forward Team Rocket!]]''.
 
===Errors===
* When {{Ash}} uses his [[Pokédex]], the border around the screen is colored red instead of black.
* When Dexter explains {{p|Delibird}}'s exploding gifts, the light on the top of the Pokédex is red instead of blue.
* When Jessie bangs her fist on the tree stump, the sound comes earlier than it should.
* On the {{pmin|Brazil}}ian dub, Delibird is mistakenly called "Thunderbird" during the whole episode.
 
===Dub edits===
* In the {{pmin|Poland|Polish}} dub, Meowth mentions Communists instead of Republicans.
 
==In other languages==
{{Epilang|color=DDDDDD|bordercolor=FFCB49
|bg={{tt|Такси и забрани|Fees and bans}}
|zh_cmn={{tt|火箭隊跟信使鳥|Team Rocket and Delibird}}
|de={{tt|Zurück ins Team!|Back to the team!}}
|nl={{tt|Lasten en Lusten|Burdens and Benefits}}
|fr_eu={{tt|Les bons comptes font les bons amis|Good accounts create good friends}}
|he=להצטרף או לא להצטרף{{tt|lehitstaref o lo lehitstaref|To join or not to join}}
|it={{tt|Povero Team Rocket...|Poor Team Rocket...}}
|pl={{tt|Płacz i płać|Cry and pay}}
|pt_br={{tt|Quem Deve Paga|Who Owes Pays}}
|pt_eu={{tt|Fora-de-jogo|Offside}}
|es_la={{tt|¡El regreso del Equipo Rocket!|The return of Team Rocket!}}
|es_eu={{tt|Deudas y prohibiciones|Debts and prohibitions}}
|hi=Team Rocket का टेस्ट {{tt|''Team Rocket ka Test''|Team Rocket's test}} {{tt|*|Hungama dub}}
}}
 
{{-}}
{{EpicodePrevNext|
prevcode=EP230 |
prevtitle=Hatching a Plan! |
nextcode=EP232 |
nexttitle=Just Waiting On A Friend |
series=Original series |
series=Original series |
episodelist=List of original series episodes }}
colorscheme=Johto | }}
{{Project Anime notice}}
{{Project Anime notice}}
[[Category:Original series episodes]]
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:0231}}
[[Category:Original series episodes|231]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Takeshi Shudō]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Takeshi Shudō]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane]]
[[Category:Episodes focusing on Team Rocket]]
[[Category:Episodes in which an alternately colored Pokémon appears]]
[[de:Zurück ins Team]]
[[es:EP233]]
[[fr:EP231]]
[[it:EP231]]
[[ja:無印編第231話]]
[[zh:宝可梦 第232集]]

Latest revision as of 10:58, 16 February 2024

← EP230 : Hatching a Plan
Original series
EP232 : Just Waiting On a Friend →
Dues and Don'ts
EP231.png
  EP231  
ロケットだんとデリバード！
Rocket-dan and Delibird!
First broadcast
Japan January 10, 2002
United States January 25, 2003
English themes
Opening Believe in Me
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening めざせポケモンマスター (Whiteberry)
Ending 前向きロケット団！
Credits
Animation Team Ota
Screenplay 首藤剛志 Takeshi Shudō
Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane
Additional credits

Dues and Don'ts (Japanese: ロケットだんとデリバード！ Rocket-dan and Delibird!) is the 231st episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 10, 2002, and in the United States on January 25, 2003.

201
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
201

Blurb

As Jessie, James, and Meowth track Ash and friends, they commiserate over past failures and discuss how they are paired unfairly against these younger trainers with such a superior array of Pokémon. They no sooner decide anew to catch as many Pokémon as possible and strengthen their own forces than a Delibird shows up. After finally capturing it, they are disappointed to learn that the Pokémon already has a trainer—a Team Rocket scout, no less, who is using the Delibird to test the abilities of promising new talent. Sensing their natural aptitudes toward crime, the scout offers Jessie and James positions within Team Rocket. These two assert that they are already members, to which the scout replies by accessing their Team Rocket personnel files and proving that they have been expelled from the organization. Shocked, Jessie and James set desperately to garnering some success that will earn them reentry into their beloved Team Rocket.

Plot

On the road to Mahogany Town, Ash and his friends are attacked by Team Rocket. After a brief scuffle involving an exploding football, the Rocket trio are sent blasting off. The trio release their parachutes to soften their landing, but Wobbuffet emerges from his Poké Ball and leads Jessie to get tangled in her teammates' parachutes. After a painful landing, the Rockets discuss their most recent failure and try to figure out why they can never beat the twerps. They hold a vote, but this reveals that everyone blames everyone equally for the failures, and eventually reach the conclusion that the twerps have a larger amount of Pokémon to battle with, while they only have five, including Meowth. Team Rocket begin to fight amongst each other, but find this also does nothing to solve their glaring problems. They walk wearily, hoping to find a solution.

The trio soon comes across a Delibird trapped in a cage. A tape recording near the Delibird announces that it was abandoned by its Trainer, and is free to anybody able to catch it. Seizing their opportunity, Jessie and James battle with the Delibird. Jessie calls on her Arbok, while James orders out his Weezing for a Smog attack. Delibird flies into the air and unleashes a Blizzard at Team Rocket. James calls out his Victreebel, but its latches onto its Trainer and Jessie first. Victreebel sends out several Razor Leaf attacks, but Delibird evades them before freezing Victreebel in ice. Arbok attempts a Poison Sting, but Delibird sends it and Weezing back at Team Rocket. Jessie calls on Wobbuffet, and his Counter knocks Delibird to the ground. She and James argue over who gets to keep Delibird, but an elderly woman returns her Delibird back to its Poké Ball.

The woman introduces herself as a Rocket Scout and congratulates the Rocket trio on passing her test. She announces that they can now join Team Rocket. Though Jessie and James explain that they are part of Team Rocket. The scout isn't convinced and shows them the typical black uniform worn by all Team Rocket Grunts. When she refuses to believe them, they look up their names in Team Rocket's member registry. Looking through it, they find that their worst fears have finally come true — they've been disbanded from Team Rocket. The Rocket Scout explains that their membership was revoked because of their unpaid dues and the constant loans they've taken out. But, she tells them, if they prove themselves to her, she should be able to get them reinstated and a hefty signing bonus as well. The Rocket Scout presents the trio with their mission, to defeat a wandering band of Pokémon Trainers, who turn out to be none other than Ash and his friends. Jessie and James tell the scout, that although the Trainers look weak, they're actually very skilled, and that with their current Pokémon they'll be unable to beat them. After thinking for a moment, the Scout agrees to let them borrow her Delibird. With a new and powerful Pokémon on their side, Team Rocket gets ready to attack, sure of their coming victory.

The Rocket Human Resources Department receives news of Jessie, James and Meowth's attempt to re-register. A Team Rocket member named Wendy is absolutely furious and remembers that Jessie still owes her money for a fruit smoothie back when they were training as new recruits. She contacts the Rocket boss, Giovanni. He examines the lump sum of money owing, but is fine for the trio's registration to go through provided they can pay the money owed. With that said he hangs up on Wendy, leaving her to fume back at her desk.

Back in Johto, Ash and his friends are met on the road by a pair of wandering samurai. They quickly reveal themselves to be Jessie and James and challenge the twerps to a battle. The group isn't too thrilled to see the trio again. Jessie and James explain that they need to get their Team Rocket memberships back. Misty suggests that it is a lot of effort, but the trio is determined to remain in the evil organization. Jessie calls out a Delibird, and it gifts a Present to the group which explodes in their faces. Ash calls out his Phanpy to retaliate, but it is easily defeated by a Blizzard attack. Ash and his friends are forced to retreat as Delibird showers them with explosive Presents. Delighted at their success Jessie and James order Delibird to finish the twerps off, but to their surprise, the next Present restores Pikachu to full health. Taking control of the fight, Ash orders Pikachu to attack with Thunder, and Team Rocket finds themselves blasting off again.

After landing, Jessie and James are met again by the Rocket Scout, who reclaims her Delibird. She tells them that even though they lost the fight, Team Rocket is suffering a severe labor shortage, due to most of its members getting arrested, and that she's still going to register them again. The pair eagerly wait for their signing bonus, but find themselves hit with a bill instead, their bonus having helped pay all of the money they owe. At the bottom of the list is a surprise, a bill for a fruit smoothie courtesy of Wendy, although Jessie fails to even remember her. The Scout tells them that every month Delibird will come to collect some of the money they owe and that they should resume their work as Rockets. Despite all of their bills, Jessie, James, and Meowth take a moment to celebrate. Their cheers are so loud that even Ash and his friends hear it on the nearby road.

Major events

For a list of all major events in the anime, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Main series debuts

Characters

Humans

Pocket Monster TV

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Smeargle (US and international), Delibird (Japan)

Who's That Pokémon?

Trivia

  • Jessie briefly talks about two other villainous teams, "Team Jet" and "Team Helicopter", in this episode. However, they are likely just teams that she made up as a joke, as they have never been mentioned again.
  • The English dub title of this episode is a pun of the phrase "Dos and Don'ts."
  • It is implied in this episode that Meowth, like Pikachu, was put in a Poké Ball, but prefers to stay outside of it. However, this is eventually proven false in Meowth's Scrafty Tactics!.
  • In this episode, Team Rocket uses a variation of their motto.
    • In the dub, when Team Rocket recites this football-themed variation of their motto, Jessie makes a reference to an "eighth-round pick", presumably a draft pick. The last time the NFL Draft held an eighth round was on April 26, 1993, almost ten years prior to this episode's initial dubbed airing.
    • Coincidentally, the dub's initial airing was the day before the Super Bowl aired in 2003.
  • When Team Rocket are disguised as travelling samurai, Meowth is playing a shamisen. This is possibly a visual joke, as Meowth is based on a cat and the shamisen was traditionally made using cat skin.
  • This is the only original series episode that includes Team Rocket's name in its Japanese title. Due to this, it is also the only one that names it using hiragana for "dan" (だん) instead of the kanji (団).
  • Music from Pikachu's Vacation can be heard in this episode, as well as an instrumental version of Face Forward Team Rocket!.

Errors

  • When Ash uses his Pokédex, the border around the screen is colored red instead of black.
  • When Dexter explains Delibird's exploding gifts, the light on the top of the Pokédex is red instead of blue.
  • When Jessie bangs her fist on the tree stump, the sound comes earlier than it should.
  • On the Brazilian dub, Delibird is mistakenly called "Thunderbird" during the whole episode.

Dub edits

  • In the Polish dub, Meowth mentions Communists instead of Republicans.

In other languages



← EP230 : Hatching a Plan!
Original series
EP232 : Just Waiting On A Friend →
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