View source for JN137

{{EpicodePrevNext|
prevcode=JNS05 |
prevtitle=Distant Blue Sky! |
nextcode=JN138 |
nexttitle=A Fated Face-Off! |
series=Pokémon Journeys: The Series |
colorscheme=Galar}}
{{EpisodeInfobox|
epcode=JN137 |
altepcode=EP1222 |
colorscheme=Galar |
title_en=The Road Most Traveled! |
title_ja=はじまりのかぜ！むげんのみち！！ |
title_ja_trans=Winds of Beginning! The Endless Road!! |
broadcast_jp=January 13, 2023 |
broadcast_us=September 8, 2023 |
en_op={{so|Gotta Catch Em All}} |
ja_op=[[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master|めざせポケモンマスター -with my friends-]] |
ja_ed=[[One Hundred Fifty-One|ひゃくごじゅういち]] |
olmteam=Team Kato |
scenarion=1 |
scenario=冨岡淳広 |
storyboardn=1 |
storyboard=尼野浩正 |
directorn=1 |
director=ウヱノ史博 |
artn=1 |
art=篠原隆 |
morecredits=yes |
epstaffpage=JN131-JN140 |
footnotes=* {{filb-eppics|ss|SP6}}
* {{BMGf|295616|Preview thread on BMGf}} ''Closed''
* {{BMGf|295815|Original review thread on BMGf}}
* {{BMGf|297205|Dub review thread on BMGf}}
}}
'''The Road Most Traveled!''' (Japanese: '''はじまりのかぜ！むげんのみち！！''' ''Winds of Beginning! The {{tt|Endless|Eon}} Road!!'') is the first episode of ''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series|Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master]]'', the 137th episode of ''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]'', and the 1,222nd episode of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It first aired in Japan on January 13, 2023, in Canada on May 13, 2023, in South Africa on May 23, 2023, and in the United States on September 8, 2023.
{{spoilers}}
==Blurb==
<!--https://www.pokemon.com/us/animation/seasons/25/episode-43-the-road-most-traveled/-->
<!--Please do not alter the blurb to fix any errors, they are meant to be presented as they are on the official site.-->
<i>Ash and Pikachu are on their own, visiting new places and meeting different Pokémon, and their discoveries have them bursting with excitement! Professor Oak and Delia approve, too. The Professor previously loved to wander and discover new things, and Delia is excited about her son’s goal to make more Pokémon friends. While Team Rocket plots to steal Pikachu, Ash comes across the Legendary Pokémon Latias, and it’s injured! Our hero administers first aid, but Latias remains wary. The next day, Team Rocket targets Latias, but Ash and Pikachu put an end to their plan, and the trio blasts off. As Latias departs, Ash wonders if he’ll ever see it again…</i>

==Plot==
{{Ash}} and {{AP|Pikachu}} resume their travels, going where the wind blows with no clear destination. When they reach a crossroads, Ash tosses a twig into the air to decide which way to go. The stick lands and points at one road, but Ash quickly turns around and decides to take the other path instead. Mildly irritated, Pikachu zaps [[Ash's hat]] off his head a couple times, while Ash keeps moving ahead until Pikachu catches up with him. With the playful bickering over, they cross a shallow river, but Ash gets startled by a {{p|Starly}} and falls into the water, with a trio of {{p|Magikarp}} biting down on his rear. After laughing his fill, Pikachu zaps the Magikarp and Ash with {{m|Thunderbolt}}, driving the {{pkmn|category|Fish Pokémon}} away. Next, Ash tries out swinging on vines, but when he sees a {{p|Kakuna}}, he gets distracted and hits a tree. The impact causes the Kakuna to fall down and Ash saves it. The next instant, however, it suddenly [[evolution|evolves]] into a {{p|Beedrill}}. After a few tense moments, Beedrill flies away without attacking him, much to Ash's relief.

Back in [[Pallet Town]], {{an|Professor Oak}} pays a visit to the [[Player's house|Ketchum residence]] to greet {{Delia}} and ask her how Ash is doing. Delia says she hasn't heard of him since he left. Ash's choice to travel without a set goal reminds Professor Oak of his own youth, though Delia does mention that Ash wishes to make new friends, inspiring Professor Oak to recite a {{wp|senryū}} about the subject.

Taking a break from walking, Ash and Pikachu rest under a tree while pointing out the [[wild Pokémon]] that appear near them. However, when {{MTR}} suddenly appears, he does a double-take. The next moment, [[Jessie]] and [[James]] appear as well and seize Pikachu in a net before reciting their {{motto}}. Pikachu's attempts to break free by using Thunderbolt or {{m|Iron Tail}} fail, with the [[Team Rocket trio]] boasting that they've made their net completely Pikachu-proof. Confident of their victory, they turn around to leave, but Ash calls out {{AP|Noivern}} and has him use {{m|Boomburst}}. Though {{TP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}} uses {{m|Mirror Coat}} to send the attack back, Ash quickly blocks it with {{AP|Donphan}}'s {{m|Rollout}}. With the tables having turned on them, the Rocket trio tries to run, but are unable to escape from {{AP|Sceptile}}, whose {{m|Leaf Blade}} cuts the net open, allowing Pikachu to blast them off as usual.

While the trio is lamenting their failure to prepare for the [[twerp]]'s other Pokémon, they end up colliding with an invisible Pokémon mid-air, sending them flying into the distance and causing the Pokémon to crash down through some tree branches and into a nearby lake. Hearing the sound of the crash-landing, Ash rushes to the site. When the invisible Pokémon's wing turns visible before his eyes, he immediately recognizes the Pokémon as a {{p|Latias}} and swims to her to save her. Though distrustful towards Ash, Latias is too weak to muster her strength to fight back, allowing Ash and {{AP|Buizel}} to bring her to land. Laying her down, Ash sees the full extent of her bruises and injuries, in particular on one of her wings, which he treats with a [[Potion]] and bandages before setting up a campsite. At night, Team Rocket stumbles upon the campsite and spots Latias. Their [[Rotom Phone]] informs them that Latias is a [[Legendary Pokémon]], making them excited and determined to capture it. Meanwhile, Ash spots that the bandage around Latias's wing has loosened, so he takes it off, applies some more Potion on the wound, and ties another, tighter bandage around it.

The next morning, Latias wakes up before Ash. Startled by the sight of Ash and {{cat|Ash's Pokémon|his Pokémon}} around her, she takes off, waking Ash up in the process. She starts angrily ripping off the bandage around her wing, despite Ash trying to protest that she has not fully recovered yet. Ash tries to assure Latias that he's trying to help her, but suddenly, a giant vacuum appears and sucks Latias in. Ash jumps after her and is sucked in as well as the vacuum is revealed to be connected to Team Rocket's [[Team Rocket's mechas|Meowth balloon]]. Latias and Ash are both dropped into a glass tank underneath the balloon, which quickly gets filled with cold air to weaken the {{t|Dragon}} type. Though capturing Ash was not a part of Team Rocket's plan, they decide to keep him as a hostage to keep his Pokémon from attacking them. Trying to think of a way to escape, Ash comes up with an idea, and Pikachu sends a Thunderbolt at him. The {{t|Electric}} [[move|attack]] succeeds in shattering the tank, causing Ash and Latias to fall, with Ash urging Latias to take his hands. Seeing what lengths Ash is willing to go to save her, Latias finally trusts him and saves him from the fall.

Once the Rocket trio has been dispatched by Noivern's Boomburst, Latias brings Ash back down to the ground. He thanks her for saving him and she flies up, looking at him with a sad expression before turning invisible and disappearing. Looking after her, Ash wonders if he'll ever see her again. As he and Pikachu resume their journey, Latias observes him from the sky.

==Major events==
<!-- This is not for summarizing everything that happens in this episode. Only events pertaining to the series as a whole, such as catching and releasing Pokémon and obtaining Badges, go here. -->
[[File:Ash party JN137.png|thumb|220px|Ash's team for this episode]]
* {{Ash}} is revealed to have begun rotating his [[Party|team]].
* A {{pkmn2|wild}} {{an|Latias}} begins to follow Ash.
{{animeevents}}

===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
=====Main series debuts=====
* {{p|Latias}} ({{an|Latias|anime}})

==Characters==
===Humans===
[[File:Dare da JN137.png|thumb|200px|{{tt|Dare da?|Who's That Pokémon?}}]]
* {{Ash}}
* [[Goh]] (photo)
* [[Jessie]]
* [[James]]
* {{an|Professor Oak}}
* {{Delia}}
* [[Chloe]] (photo)
* [[Professor Cerise]] (photo)
* [[Chrysa]] (photo)
* [[Ren]] (photo)
* [[Talia]] (photo)
* [[Parker]] (photo)
* [[Halta]] (photo)
* [[Camille]] (photo)
* [[Walker]] (photo)

===Pokémon===
[[File:WTP JN137.png|thumb|200px|Who's That Pokémon?]]
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Noivern}}
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
* {{p|Wobbuffet}} ({{OP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}})
* {{p|Mr. Mime}} ({{Ash}}'s; [[Mimey]])
* {{p|Donphan}} ({{OP|Ash|Donphan}})
* {{p|Sceptile}} ({{OP|Ash|Sceptile}})
* {{p|Buizel}} ({{OP|Ash|Buizel}})
* {{p|Noivern}} ({{OP|Ash|Noivern}})
* {{p|Dragonite}} ({{OP|Ash|Dragonite}}; photo)
* {{p|Gengar}} ({{OP|Ash|Gengar}}; photo)
* {{p|Lucario}} ({{OP|Ash|Lucario}}; photo)
* {{p|Sirfetch'd}} ({{OP|Ash|Sirfetch'd}}; photo)
* {{p|Dracovish}} ({{OP|Ash|Dracovish}}; photo)
* {{p|Cinderace}} ({{OP|Goh|Cinderace}}; photo)
* {{p|Venomoth}} ({{OP|Goh|Venomoth}}; photo)
* {{p|Butterfree}} ({{DL|List of Goh's Pokémon|Butterfree|Goh's}}; photo)
* {{p|Greedent}} ({{OP|Goh|Greedent}}; photo)
* {{p|Exeggutor}} ({{DL|List of Goh's Pokémon|Exeggutor|Goh's}}; photo)
* {{p|Inteleon}} ({{OP|Goh|Inteleon}}; photo)
* {{p|Flygon}} ({{OP|Goh|Flygon}}; photo)
* {{p|Arctozolt}} ({{DL|List of Goh's Pokémon|Arctozolt|Goh's}}; photo)
* {{p|Grookey}} ({{OP|Goh|Grookey}}; photo)
* {{p|Pansear}} ({{DL|List of Goh's Pokémon|Pansear|Goh's}}; photo)
* {{p|Panpour}} ({{OP|Goh|Panpour}}; photo)
* {{p|Voltorb}} ({{DL|List of Goh's Pokémon|Voltorb|Goh's}}; {{shiny}}; photo)
* {{p|Lilligant}} ({{DL|List of Goh's Pokémon|Lilligant|Goh's}}; photo)
* {{p|Eevee}} ({{OP|Chloe|Eevee}}; photo)
* {{p|Yamper}} ({{OP|Professor Cerise|Yamper}}; photo)
* {{p|Rotom}} ([[Team Rocket]]'s; [[Rotom Phone]])
* {{p|Latias}} ({{an|Latias|anime}})
* {{p|Phantump}}
* {{p|Sawsbuck}} ({{form|Sawsbuck|Summer Form}}; ×2)
* {{p|Skwovet}}
* {{p|Rattata}}
* {{p|Seedot}}
* {{p|Hoppip}}
* {{p|Cherrim}} ({{form|Cherrim|Sunshine Form}})
* {{p|Dewpider}}
* {{p|Starly}}
* {{p|Magikarp}} (×3)
* {{p|Kakuna}} (evolves)
* {{p|Beedrill}} (newly evolved)
* {{p|Ninjask}}
* {{p|Kricketot}}
* {{p|Patrat}}
* {{p|Diglett}}
* {{p|Furret}} (×2)
* {{p|Bellsprout}} (×2)
* {{p|Hoothoot}}
* {{p|Fletchling}} (×2)
* {{p|Pidgey}} (×4)
* {{p|Butterfree}} (×3)
* {{p|Snorlax}}
* {{p|Buneary}}

==Trivia==
* [[Team Rocket Expedition which stands by the evils of love and truth]]: {{p|Koraidon}}
* [[One, Two, Three]] is replaced by [[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master|Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -with my friends-]] as the [[List of Japanese opening themes|Japanese opening theme]].
* There was no "After the story" artwork posted for this episode, making it the first episode since it started in [[JN037]] to not have any.
* This episode marks the first time that {{Ash}} has brought Pokémon from [[Professor Oak's Laboratory]] back to his active [[party]] since ''[[DP189|The Semi-Final Frontier!]]'', 567 episodes earlier.
** This is also the first time Ash has rotated his team since ''[[BW130|Butterfree and Me!]]'', 435 episodes earlier.
* As of this episode, every {{cat|Generation III Pokémon}} has appeared in the main series.
* The scene where {{an|Professor Oak}} rides his bike to [[Player's house|Ash's house]] while {{Delia}} and [[Mimey]] are cleaning resembles a similar looking scene in ''[[M02|The Power of One]]''.
* The background music played during {{TRT}}'s {{motto}} changes to the song heard during the episode previews they hosted during the [[Masters Eight Tournament]] arc.
** This marks the first time the motto music has contained lyrics.
* Despite {{p|Latias}} having made their TV episode debut in [[DPS02]], almost 12 years earlier, this is the first time one has received a [[Pokédex]] entry in the {{pkmn|anime}}.
* This episode marks the first physical appearance of a {{p|Sawsbuck}} in the anime since ''[[M16|Genesect and the Legend Awakened]]'', almost 10 years prior.
* This episode marks one of the rare instances of an injury being shown in the anime.
* The English dub's outro has been updated, featuring the instrumental version of {{so|Gotta Catch Em All}} with background clips from the Japanese outro [[Supereffective Type]].
* This is the first episode of the ''Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master'' arc of ''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]''.
* This is the only episode of ''Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master'' to not use music from any previous series.
* Ash, {{AP|Pikachu}}, and {{an|Misty}} narrate the preview for the [[JN138|next episode]].
** The music used for the preview is the same instrumental of [[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master]] that was used for previews in the [[original series]]. This would also be the case for the preview for [[JN147]].

===Errors===
* The top of Ash’s hat changes from white to red for a frame while he tries to help Latias out of the water.
* In the English dub:
** The answer segment of [[Who's That Pokémon?]] is shown before the commercial break instead of after it.
** The subtitles misspell "Journey" as "Jorney".
* In the {{pmin|Poland|Polish}} dub, Team Rocket's Rotom Phone incorrectly refers to Latias as a male.

===Dub edits===
* The Japanese text seen during Professor Oak's senryū is removed.
* Starting with this episode, the "To Be Continued" text is once again removed from the end.

==In other languages==
{{Epilang|color=D5598C|bordercolor=00A1E9
|ar={{tt|!مناطق المغامرات القديمة|Regions of old adventures!}}
|zh_cmn={{tt|啟程之風！無盡的道路!!|The Wind of Departure! The Endless Road!!}}
|zh_yue={{tt|啟程之風，無盡的道路|The Wind of Departure, The Endless Road}}
|nl={{tt|De meest bewandelde weg!|The Road Most Traveled!}}
|fi={{tt|Käytyjä teitä!|Roads already traveled!}}
|fr_eu={{tt|Le chemin le plus fréquenté ! |The Road Most Traveled!}}
|it={{tt|Per strade già conosciute!|By roads already known!}}
|pl={{tt|W znajome strony!|To the familiar sites!}}
|pt_br={{tt|Por lugares já conhecidos!|By places already known!}}
|pt_eu={{tt|Por caminhos já conhecidos!|By paths already known!}}
|es_la={{tt|¡Comenzando un camino sin límites!|Starting a road without limits!}}
|sv={{tt|Vägen som alla vandrat!|The road that everyone has walked!}}
}}
{{-}}
{{EpicodePrevNext|
prevcode=JNS05 |
prevtitle=Distant Blue Sky! |
nextcode=JN138 |
nexttitle=A Fated Face-Off! |
series=Pokémon Journeys: The Series |
colorscheme=Galar}}
{{Project Anime notice}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1222}}
[[Category:Pokémon Journeys: The Series episodes|137]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Atsuhiro Tomioka]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hiromasa Amano]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Fumihiro Ueno]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Takashi Shinohara]]
[[Category:Episodes focusing on Ash]]
[[Category:Episodes focusing on Pikachu]]
[[Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears]]
[[Category:Episodes in which an alternately colored Pokémon appears]]
[[Category:Episodes which aired in Canada before the United States]]
[[Category:Episodes which aired in South Africa before the United States]]

[[de:Immer der Nase nach!]]
[[es:EP1226]]
[[fr:LV137]]
[[it:PM137]]
[[ja:新無印編第137話]]
[[zh:宝可梦 旅途 第133集]]