| Off the Unbeaten Path
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優勝は誰の手に！？ ポケモンオリエンテーリング！
Who Single-Handedly has the Victory!? Pokémon Orienteering
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First broadcast
| Japan
| January 12, 2006
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| United States
| October 21, 2006
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| English themes
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| Japanese themes
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Credits
| Animation
| Team Ota
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| Screenplay
| 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi
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| Storyboard
| 大山和弘 Kazuhiro Ōyama
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| Assistant director
| 中村圭三 Keizō Nakamura
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| Animation director
| たけだゆうさく Yūsaku Takeda
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| No additional credits are available at this time.
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Off the Unbeaten Path (Japanese: 優勝は誰の手に！？ ポケモンオリエンテーリング！ Who Single-Handedly has the Victory!? Pokémon Orienteering!) is the 159th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 433rd episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 12, 2006 and in the United States on October 21, 2006.
Synopsis
An ocean breeze blew by our heroes while Ash admired his four Frontier Symbols. As enthusiastic as ever, Ash was more than ready to take on the Orienteering challenge.
As our heroes sailed towards their next destination, a periscope came from underneath the water capturing every move that our heroes made. While James and Meowth powered the submarine, Jessie continued spying on Ash and gang. Then they exit from the vessel and Ash spoted a Pokémon Center while May adored a group of Pokémon nearby including Chikorita, Igglybuff and Marill. Nurse Joy appeared to welcome Ash and everyone to the Pokémon Center. While three young people walked by, Ash overheard the conversation and asked Joy about it. She responded, stating that they were participating in Pokémon Orienteering. With a questionable remark on Ash's face, he then asked Joy about Pokémon Orienteering. Joy explained that it is a cross-country race in which competitors use a map and compass to find their way through unfamiliar territory. Brock quickly interrupted the conversation with his usual romance techniques but is dragged again once more by Max. Night falled upon our heroes, everyone gathered at a table within the Pokémon Center. All of them began discussing the Pokémon Orienteering, with Ash to participate with Pikachu, May to participate with Eevee, and Brock to participate with Bonsly. Explosions could be heard overhead signaling the start of the competition and every trainer is given a map and a compass of the surrounding area. Joy then displayed the medal that will be presented to the winner of this contest and also revealed an extraordinary amount of food that would also be presented to the winner. With the quick phrase of "Start" from Joy, everyone dashed of into the distance towards the next destination. Everyone headed in opposite directions, in search for the best path to the location. Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu were walking across a log and a faint wind blows and knocks Ash and Pikachu down as they grasp onto the underside of the log. May began crossing the river by jumping across lodged rocks but loosed her fall and plummets into the river and Eevee then follows. Brock studied his compass as Nurse Joy walked across his path. While Brock moved towards Joy's location, Bonsly attacked Brock sending him blasting off into the sky while Nurse Joy stood around confused.
James and Mime Jr. were climbing a rock structure as they finally reach the top and arrived to a stone statue resembling a Lunatone. James rushed over to the statue and grabbed the stamp of approval to show that he had successfully arrived at this checkpoint. Max chased after Munchlax as it dashed off into the distance. Jessie and Meowth were atop a cliff adorning the glorious scene of the ocean and surrounding area. Ash and Pikachu spoted another checkpoint, he rushed towards a waterfall and stamped his map for approval. Brock and Bonsly found another checkpoint which was surrounded by a gigantic tree. With one quick swipe of the stamp, Brock marked his paper for completion. Having successfully escaped from the river, May noticed two stone structures in the ocean and then realized the nearby checkpoint. May rushed over to stamp her map with the seal of approval. Jessie and Meowth were above a rock structure studying the surrounding area attempting to locate the checkpoints. As Jessie scaned the area, she failed to notice any of the checkpoints from their high altitude. Max studied the map for the next checkpoint as Munchlax appeared to have dozed off. Ash dashed forward and fell into a hidden trap. Brock and Bonsly were moving for their next location when they came into contact with a hidden net and were ensnared into the overhead tree. Then Max began to search for Munchlax again, May had also lost sight of her Eevee. Munchlax finally walked upon May as Eevee also found Max. As both continued walking, they came upon each other spotting their Pokémon. May and Max began quarreling over both losing sight of their Pokémon but Max interrupted the argument and snatched Munchlax while dashing off into the distance. Ash reached his second checkpoint nearby the water with the two structures.
James began walking down the path and Jessie and Meowth come across him. Both James and Mime Jr. quickly refused to help Jessie, as they rush off into the distance. May successfully reached her second location stamping her map with the Lunatone seal of approval. Ash and Pikachu took a quick break devouring the few snacks that they haved on hand. Munchlax fast devoured his share of the food and quickly asked Max for more. Munchlax cried for more food and Max then offered Munchlax his sandwich. May offered Eevee some Pokémon food and then it ate it. James broke a cookie in half and offered one half to Mime Jr.. As he tried to offer Mime Jr. its share, it tried to give it back to James. When Jessie broke her cookie in half and offered it to Meowth, this angered Meowth as both begin fighting over the small morsel of food. James reached the Ocean checkpoint marking his map with approval. May spoted her next checkpoint as she and Eevee glide down to the lower part of the terrain. She dashed for the next checkpoint, the ground collaped with May and Eevee being thrust underground. Max came upon the river and then took a nearby bamboo stick and used it to thrust himself and Munchlax across the river. When he successfully landed, the ground began to collapse with Max and Munchlax being thrown underground. May came upon the "Spearow" checkpoint and quickly stamped her map as Max walks upon her path. May wished Max "Good Luck" and Jessie and Meowth appeared to snap the ropes to the bridge as it began to collapse. Brock and Ash heard Max's and May's cries for help. As May and Max continued hanging on for life, the rope began to weaken and then broke as just as the bridge began to fall, Brock and Ash catched the collapsing bridge and carried May and Max up to the surface.
Jessie and Meowth successfully arrived at the Pokémon Center with no one in sight as a net exploded from the distance and ensnares the Pokémon. While Meowth began to roll the contest prizes off, Swellow flew away in search of Ash. Ash and Brock checked the status of May and Max and they both said they were in good condition, Swellow interrupted with an urgent message. With Swellow's quick display of charades, Brock successfully deciphered the message as both headed towards the Pokémon Center. Jessie and Meowth gave the usual introduction with one exception; James was missing from the group so Meowth takes his place temporarily. While Jessie and Meowth were displaying their Team Rocket motto, Brock releases the Pokémon from their prison. Jessie and Meowth then turned around to find that the captured Pokémon had now been released. Jessie then releases her Dustox as Donphan blazes towards Dustox. They both collided with Dustox forcing Donphan backwards. Donphan then responded with blasting into Dustox and knocking it backwards towards Jessie and Meowth. Donphan then launched a Hyper Beam, that blasted Jessie and Meowth off into the sky like a speeding rocket. James looked overhead to notice the shining yet blinding light that had being created from the blasting Jessie and Meowth.
As the day concludes, Joy announced James as the winner of the contest and presented him with the medal. Then the crowd cheers, the day concluded with May more enthusiastic than ever for her impending Pokémon Contest, another day and another adventure unfolded upon our everlasting heroes.
Major events
Debuts
Characters
Humans
Pokémon
Used by participants
Trivia
- Lucy was added to the opening credits.
- The director, 日高正光 Masamitsu Hidaka, was removed from the opening credits.
- The insert songs used in this episode:
- Even though Munchlax's weight is 231.5 lbs. (105.0kg), Max was easily able to carry it on his back.
- In this episode, for the second time, Meowth fills in for James in the Team Rocket motto
Errors
Dub edits
- James notes that Team Rocket have copyrighted the phrase "we're blasting off again".
In other languages
- Finnish: Syrjäpoluilla
- French: La course d'orientation
- German: Durch Teamwork zum Früchtekorb!
- Italian: La gara di orientamento
- Latin American Spanish: Cambiando de rutina
- Iberian Spanish: Ginkana Pokémon
- Dutch: Van het onbegaande pad af
