XY053

A Race for Home!

XY053   EP852 セレナの本気！激走メェークルレース！！ Serena's Earnest! The Wild Meecle Race!!

First broadcast Japan December 18, 2014 United States March 7, 2015

English themes Opening Be a Hero Ending

Japanese themes Opening メガＶ（メガボルト） Ending ドリドリ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 面出明美 Akemi Omode Storyboard 川田武範 Takenori Kawada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf Dub review thread on BMGf

A Race for Home! (Japanese: セレナの本気！激走メェークルレース！！ Serena's Earnest! The Wild Meecle Race!!) is the 53rd episode of the XY series, and the 852nd episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on December 18, 2014 and in the United States on March 7, 2015.

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

Blurb

When our heroes come across a Skiddo ranch known for its delicious cheese and ice cream, they discover that Serena's mom, Grace, is there as a Rhyhorn racing coach. Everyone wants to ride a Skiddo, except Clemont.

Grace asks Serena if she's keeping up her Rhyhorn race training, not knowing her daughter's dream is to become a Pokémon performer. Meanwhile, Team Rocket shows up to swipe all the goodies! Serena recruits one of the ranch's racing Rhyhorn to speed after them, and thanks to her exceptional riding and battle skills, the villains are defeated.

When Grace insists that her daughter come home to continue her training as a Rhyhorn racer, Serena finally musters up the courage to tell her mom about her dream. Grace doesn't seem to take her seriously, so Serena challenges her to a Skiddo race, vowing that if she loses, she will return home. But Serena's determination shines, and she wins the race—and her mother's approval!

Plot

The heroes come to a ranch and encounter a herd of Skiddo. Clemont remembers this is a Pokémon that lived with humans since the ancient times. Serena explains the Skiddo's milk is used to craft cheese and ice cream. Pleased what they can eat, they decide to visit the ranch. As James observes the twerps, Jessie and Meowth are delightened, for they can eat cheese and ice cream. Bonnie encounters three young girls and asks for one of them to be Clemont's girlfriend, but gets pulled away by Clemont himself. Serena buys some ice cream and gives it to Bonnie. As they watch some trainers riding Skiddo, Grace, Serena's mom, appears, explaining that is the first step to become a Rhyhorn racer.

The heroes see Grace, who admits she was invited to train the trainers to participate in the Rhyhorn race. Grace asks Serena did she train riding, to which Serena confirms. Grace turns to Serena's friends, thanking them for keeping her daughter safe. Grace tells them today they'll ride Skiddo, as the trainers are beginners in racing, for they are much safer to ride than Rhyhorn. Ash wonders how is it that he rode a Rhyhorn, so Serena reminds him he insisted and wanted to participate. Ash remembers he managed to ride it, due to Serena's help, who thinks he trained enough. Still, Ash and Bonnie would ride Skiddo, so Grace tells everyone will participate. As Bonnie pushes Clemont, Grace asks of Serena to help her, since Grace has quite many trainers to teach.

As Ash rides Skiddo, Bonnie gives Dedenne to Serena to watch before riding Skiddo. Bonnie mounts on Skiddo, while Grace warns her she must not raise her voice, else Skiddo will be startled. Bonnie remembers that and bonds with Skiddo, then rides it. Serena, however, remembers she was too afraid to ride a Skiddo when she was little, though her mother was there. Seeing Bonnie ride, Grace thinks she may become a Rhyhorn racer one day. Clemont, however, has trouble riding Skiddo and is thrown on the ground. Serena's mom reminds him Skiddo can sense his fear, but Clemont does not see how he will be able to. Ash thinks Clemont will ride it eventually. However, Clemont gives up and Bonnie chides him. Clemont simply replies everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

Clemont and Grace see Bonnie may ride a Rhyhorn soon. Ash senses Serena is worried, but she claims everything is good. Later, Serena admires the soup her mother made. Grace asks Ash and Clemont is Serena a burden, since she does not cook. They disagree, for she helps Clemont prepare food and makes tasty sweets. Grace remembers Serena usually overslept when she had to train for Rhyhorn racing, making Serena annoyed. The heroes send their Pokémon and eat lunch. Chespin steals some food and runs away, so Pancham follows it and they clash. However, Pikachu and Dedenne separate them. Grace reminds Serena she needs to train a bit to become the Rhyhorn racer. Ash almost tells Serena's true wish, but Serena shuts his mouth. She goes to tell her mother, but stops.

While everyone goes to practice, Serena stops and tells them she will join them later. She trains her Fennekin and Pancham for the Showcase, though Pancham falls down on Fennekin. Serena remembers Aria's performance and thinks she may not be good enough, not even to tell her mom. Still, she is determined to train more, being determined as Ash is, while her mother observes that. Team Rocket came in the storage room, filled with cheese, yoghurt and milk. They load the truck and escape, though some workers spot the theft. Serena calls her Pokémon back. Ash, Clemont and Bonnie ride Skiddo to track them down. Serena comes to a Rhyhorn and asks it to allow her to ride it, for Rhyhorn are faster than Skiddo. Remembering the technique to ride Rhyhorn, Serena utilizes it and chases Team Rocket, with Grace following her.

Team Rocket sees the twerps following them. Clemont falls down and Bonnie stops, while Serena speeds up. Rhyhorn tackles the truck multiple times, stopping the truck. Team Rocket comes out and send Pumpkaboo and Inkay. Pikachu uses Quick Attack, hitting Inkay, who uses Psybeam, but misses. Serena sends Fennekin, hitting Pumpkaboo with Flamethrower. Pumpkaboo uses Shadow Ball, hitting Fennekin back. While Grace, Bonnie and Clemont arrive, Fennekin uses Flamethrower on Pumpkaboo, which knocks out Inkay as well. Soon, Team Rocket blasts off from Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Grace thinks Serena should go back home, since she has a talent in Rhyhorn racing. Serena replies she will not go home, as she wants to become a Pokémon Peformer. Her mom reminds her she gives up easily if she fails. Serena bets in Rhyhorn racing; if her mom wins, she will go back to home, but if Serena wins, her mom should respect Serena's wish.

Since Grace is a pro at racing, Serena and her mom ride Skiddo instead. The first one that reaches the end in one lap wins. Grace and Serena start the race. Serena speeds up, but Skiddo trips over. Serena falls down and remembers she also fell down from a Rhyhorn when she was little. She continues to ride Skiddo and knows even if she did not want to become a Rhyhorn racer, traveling with her friends and Pokémon helped her realize her true wish. Serena speeds up and Grace senses she is serious about being a Performer. Serena comes first and wins the race. Grace expresses she sensed Serena's wish, for she watched her train with Fennekin and Pancham, plus she did not quit after falling down from Skiddo. Also, Skiddo sensed Serena's wish and allows her to pursue the path of Performer, wishing her luck. Later, Ash tells they are off to Coumarine City. Grace advises Serena to enter the Showcase in Coumarine City, which Serena takes. The heroes depart, bidding Grace farewell.

Major events

• Ash, Clemont and Bonnie meet Serena's mother, Grace, for the first time in person.
• Grace learns of Serena's dream to become a Pokémon Performer.
• Serena wins in a Skiddo race against her mother, and receives her blessing.
• Serena learns that a Pokémon Showcase will be held in Coumarine City.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

TV episode debuts

• Skiddo

Characters

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

• Ash
• Serena
• Clemont
• Bonnie
• Jessie
• James
• Aria (flashback)
• Grace

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Skiddo (US and international)
Pokémon Quiz: Skiddo (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Dedenne (Clemont's)
• Frogadier (Ash's)
• Fletchinder (Ash's)
• Hawlucha (Ash's)
• Fennekin (Serena's)
• Pancham (Serena's)
• Bunnelby (Clemont's)
• Chespin (Clemont's)
• Luxio (Clemont's)
• Pumpkaboo (Jessie's)
• Inkay (James's)
• Braixen (Aria's; flashback)
• Fletchling (Grace's; flashback)
• Rhyhorn (Grace's)
• Rhyhorn (×2)
• Skiddo (multiple)
• Gogoat (multiple)
• Mareep (multiple)
• Doduo (×2)
• Dodrio

Mega Audino Journal Pokémon

• Charizard (Mega Charizard X; Alain's)
• Audino (Mega Audino)
• Eevee
• Scraggy
• Houndour

Trivia

• Serena reads the title card.
  • This is the first time in the XY series that someone else reading the title card has been kept in the dub.
• Mairin's Mega Evolution Journal: Mega Audino
• Team Rocket narrates the preview for the next episode.
• This episode features the following flashbacks of Serena and her old goal about becoming a Rhyhorn racer:
  • Serena rides on Grace's Rhyhorn during her morning training in Lumiose City Pursuit!.
  • Serena leaving her house and beginning her Pokémon journey to meet Ash in A Battle of Aerial Mobility!.
• The dub of this episode had to be re-recorded to pronounce Skiddo "ski-DOO" instead of "ski-doh".^[1]

Errors

• When Bonnie pouts at Clemont, part of the sclera on her eye is missing.
• When Grace is spying on Serena, her left iris has its colors inverted.
• Rhyhorn used Tackle, a move that it cannot legally learn.
• In the dub, when Serena starts talking to her mom about her wanting to become a Pokémon Performer, her mouth doesn't move when she says "I wanna become" in the full sentence of "I've decided I wanna become a Pokémon Performer." This was likely a lip-flap issue.

• 

  Bonnie missing part of her sclera

• 

  Grace's inverted iris

Dub edits

• In the UK, Italian, German, Russian, Polish and Latin American Spanish versions, the title is read by Ash instead of Serena.
• The dub's title card segment focuses on Ash instead of Serena in the Polish dub.

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	賽莉娜的決心！激烈的咩咩羊賽跑！！
	Mandarin	莎莉娜的決心！激烈的咩咩羊競跑！！
Dutch		Een race naar huis!
Finnish		Kilpailu kotiinpaluusta!
European French		Une course vers l'avenir !
German		Ein Rennen um einen Traum!
Greek		Αγώνας Δρόμου για το Σπίτι!
Italian		O la va o la spacca!
Korean		세레나의 진심! 달려라, 메이클 레이스!!
Norwegian		Et kappløp mot hjemmet!
Polish		Wyścig o powrót do domu!
Portuguese	Brazil	Uma Corrida para Casa!
	Portugal	Uma Corrida pelo Regresso a Casa!
Russian		Гонка до дома!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Una carrera a casa!
	Spain	¡Una carrera por la vuelta a casa!
Swedish		En kapplöpning mot hemmet!
Thai		ความจริงจังของเซเรน่า! ซิ่งไปกับเมเคิลเรซ!!
Turkish		Yuvaya Yarış!

References

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.