ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
794: The Dream Continues!	801: Ore no Yume, Pokémon Masuta!	Stop Suffocating Me, Mum!			Ash returns home, immediately decides to leave	A complete Team once more!	Your son will never appreciate you

Today finds Ash and Alexa in Pallet Town, having said their goodbyes to Cilan and Iris in the previous episode. But have no fear, despite losing his regular traveling companions and now coming back home to where it all started, Ash isn't done with his Pokémon Journey. No no, not at all, the boy has the travel bug and can't sit still for long, and...


As they head down the road, Alexa figures that all of Ash's Pokémon will be at his home, but he explains that they're kept at Professor Oak's research lab. He tries to race on ahead, telling her they should get to the lab as soon as possible, but she calls him back, asking if he doesn't want to head home first. You know... see his mother? The woman who gave birth to him and cared for him and fed and clothed him etc for the first 10 years of his 27 year old (but really 10 year old) life? "Nah!" smiles Ash, he wants to go see his Pokémon first!

Haha, what a huge jerk!
Alexa is, of course, outraged, and snaps at the ungrateful little boy that he should go home and see his mother first. Chastised, Ash agrees, and Alexa tells him cheerfully she'll be able to find her own way to Professor Oak's, and she'll meet him there later.

So Ash continues on home, where he finds Mr. Mime outside happily sweeping away, enjoying a chance to use his dick-fingers something OTHER than the filthy amusement of Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum's Gratuitous Sex Club. As Pikachu and Mr. Mime catch up happily, Ash heads inside and greets his mother who immediately.... asks for his dirty laundry! A wonderful choice of framing gives up the image of Delia going,":O" as we see Ash from behind reaching towards his crotch and hear an unzipping noise... but he's just opening his backpack to rifle through it and find his dirty clothes. He hands over his laundry bag, telling her that he gave it his best shot but didn't quite win the Unova League. She tells him to tell her all about it.... after he washes his hands. He agrees and heads upstairs to his room, almost unchanged since that very first episode - a Snorlax stuffed toy still sitting in one corner, the same Pokéball-themed sheets on his bed, the same globe showing all the different regions that he apparently never bothered to look at even once before leaving Kanto etc. The only difference are some of the souvenirs, trophies and knickknacks he has picked up on his journey sitting on his shelf, where he places his Unova Badge case now. Those badges took so much time and effort to get, and now that he's put them down he'll probably never touch them ever again.

After washing his hands (yes he took his gloves off!) he goes downstairs to drink a cup of what looks like tomato soup. As Mr. Mime and Pikachu play happily in the background, Delia prepares a meal and tells Ash that she's invited Alexa and Professor Oak over for dinner tonight.... well, Alexa anyway, Professor Oak probably has a standing open invitation to come "knock on her door" anytime he wants to. Delia notes that Ash is probably eager to go and see his Pokémon, and puts him out of his misery but telling him he doesn't have to sit around and prepare to not be absolutely taking her for granted - he can go see his Pokémon if he wants. Of course he immediately takes her up on it, thanking her and telling Pikachu it's time to go, and out the door they race leaving Delia along yet again with nothing but the dick-fingered Mr. Mime for company.

At Oak's lab, Oak is enjoying being interviewed on camera with Alexa, and probably enjoying staring down her top just as much. He explains how the peace is kept considering the large number of Pokémon on his research grounds - it's all down to Bulbasaur, the goddamn Sheriff who keeps everybody in line. He explains that Bulbasaur belongs to Ash, and then the boy himself comes running happily along the fenceline with Pikachu waving hello, delighted to be out of the house and getting to catch up who he REALLY loves - his Pokémon! He vaults the fence and is immediately run down by a herd of Tauros, though Oak happily tells Alexa she shouldn't be concerned about the horrific physical abuse Ash just suffered, since those are Ash's Tauros and therefore something something he'll be all right!

Recovering from being stampeded, Ash sits up and pets a beaming Bulbasaur on the head, which waves at Pikachu with one Vine Whip. Belatedly Ash remembers that Alexa was interviewing Oak and apologises if he interrupted it. She tells him it is fine, Oak has just finished introducing her to Ash's Bulbasaur. Ash asks where Tracey is and learns that by a twist of fate, he's visiting with Misty in Cerulean City. Ash laughs that he missed his old buddy again, without making even the slightest reference to Misty who he apparently had absolutely very intention of visiting (b...bu.... but 2geva 4eva dey hands form a hart!).

Helioptile, for some reason, races back and forth before Pikachu and Bulbasaur before falling flat on his face, causing the other two Pokémon to laugh at him. Alexa asks what other staff Oak has and is surprised to learn it is really just Oak and Tracy running everything, only two people to run everything? Oak, probably remembering that this is being taped, speaks some bullshit about how all the trainers out there are the REAL heroes blah blah blah. It is accurate though that he wouldn't get anywhere near the research done that he does if trainers weren't sending back the Pokémon they collect - he has seen many Pokémon he would have never encountered otherwise.

Case in point, Alexa has bought Helioptile with her, and he eagerly kneels down and grabs the horrified Pokémon by the ear to get himself a good look at it. Helioptile loses its goddamn mind and lets rip with an electric attack, dropping Oak to the ground with his hair puffed up and tears of pain in his eyes. But he quickly recovers, laughing that experiencing an attack like this is the best way to learn. Ash asks if he met Gogoat yet and it turns out that Oak apparently did and rode on its back as well! I guess he loved meeting something almost as horny as he is! But what about Noivern? No Oak hasn't met that Pokémon, and despite a wary Alexa's warnings he insists on getting a look... and things go about as well as you might expect!

As soon as it is out of its Pokéball, Oak is jamming his head right into Noivern's ear, alarming the already unstable Pokémon which blasts the fuck out of him with Boom Burst. For some reason this puffs up his hair again, but Oak again recovers quickly, while Ash - like father, like son - is delighted, thinking that taking a Pokémon attack right to the face is a great idea. But as Ash celebrated, Noivern remembers that Ash's head is the most delicious looking thing in the world and tries to take a bite, and Alexa has to toss it a berry to distract it before recalling it to its Pokéball. Oak leaps back to his feet and assures Alexa that he is all right, and then it is Alexa's turn to get shocked (not physically) when Rotom appears out of nowhere to cackle merrily. This Pokémon IS one of Oak's own, he explains he has been doing a research paper on Rotom's forms, and invites Alexa back to his lab to review the data he has gathered so far. He asks Ash to come along, but he wants to stay around and catch up with his Pokémon. Helioptile lopes over to Pikachu on his hind legs and says a happy goodbye to Pikachu by crackling electricity between their fingers, then returns to Alexa.

Ash asks Bulbasaur to call in his Unova Pokémon, and Alexa and Oak stop to stare in wonder as Bulbasaur somehow blasts what looks like a fireworks display into the sky. It's Bulbasaur's Solar Beam, but "the sheriff" has worked on it to the point that he can create distinctive patterns - this particular one designed to attract Ash's Pokémon from the Unova region. Ash calls out those Pokémon he brought with him (including Charizard), and soon all of the Pokémon from the most recent region are back together again. Ash thanks all of them for their great (failing effort) work in Unova, saying that while they may not have gotten to first place, they did grow stronger as a team. He lays back in the grass and stares directly up into the sun (even Krookodile knows better than that!), and imagines all his past traveling companions - Gary (GARY!?!), Misty, Brock, Tracey, May, Max, Dawn (and Piplup!), and finally Cilan and Iris. He symbolically grabs at the sun with his fist, declaring that he will continue to follow his dream - he WILL be a Pokémon Master! The others agree, of course, and when he spots Helioptile come out to say hello to Pikachu again he recalls that he still has plenty of Pokémon he wants to see and meet. His enthusiasm is a little.... loud.... however, and scares Helioptile back to Oak and Alexa. Apparently that sun was boiling his brain for longer than he thought, as they've finished their interview and come back out to see him.

Ash alarms Alexa (and Helioptile AGAIN) by getting right up on her (like father, like son!) and asking for more information about the Kalos Region, where she comes from. Are there more Pokémon from there that he hasn't seen yet.... is there a Pokémon League too? An Elite Four? A Champion!?! Well of course there is, says an unsettled Alexa, and Ash chuckles rather creepily. What is he thinking? Well that should be obvious, and he quickly gives it away to Pikachu by saying that they should go there! Pikachu, of course, agrees immediately... at which point they get blown up and the show ends on an unexpected nihilistic note!

Well okay, maybe not - but Team Rocket are here!

"Prepare for trouble, at the mention of our name!"
"For pure genius nothing else is the same!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"It's Jesse!"
"And James!"
"Team Rocket's rumbling the regions at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare for one well-travelled fight!"
"Meowth, dat's right!"
The attack was a Will-O-Wisp from Yamask, James complimenting it on the attack before recalling it to its Pokéball. Ash is furious, as are Alexa and Oak - these assholes AGAIN!?! They insist they can't rest when there is a Pikachu to procure, and since Ash has all of his Unova Pokémon with him they'll take those two! So what makes them think that they can pull this off? Well instead of coming up with one gadget to take a shot at Pikachu.... they're using ALL of them! Metal hands, drills, dishes, buzzsaws, electricity-generating plugs and other stuff too weird to understand! But as mentioned before, ALL of Ash's Unova Pokémon are there, and knowing this will be their last in-show appearance for some time they take the opportunity to the blast THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF TEAM ROCKET! So off they go, all their gadgets destroyed, and them blasting off again empty-handed... what are they going to show the Boss?

Ash thanks his Pokémon for their good work, and as they all cheer and laugh and have a good time, Oak observes his secret bastard child with pride - it seems he (didn't) raise his son well! Meanwhile, the woman who did do all that raising is sitting with the patient, long suffering smile of all mothers everywhere as she uses her sowing machine to do something kind and thoughtful for her terrible, thoughtless child.

But Team Rocket's "Dad" is not so patient. The trio have finally sucked it up and gone to see Giovanni, who at first is full of praise for them - they did great work in Unova destroying Team Plasma (well they were THERE I guess!) and he's pleased with them. Meowth is all wobbly-eyed pleasure at the praise, while tears if happiness flow from James' eyes and a smiling Jesse carefully wipes the faintest drop from her own..... and then he asks what they've done SINCE then?

Oh shit.
Having nothing to offer as "evidence" of their good work, they freak out and Jesse and James try their best to try and bullshit their way through showing up to class without having done their homework. Jesse insists the proof of their accomplishments is that they're standing there in front of him, therefore... uhhhh.... they must have triumphed over in Unova or something! James agrees, declaring they're fit as a fiddle, and Giovanni's brow furrows dangerously - this really isn't good enough. Luckily for the two attractive but not overly bright humans, Meowth is there to save the day, even if he throws their Pokémon under the bus in doing so. He declares the proof of their accomplishments are the tons of Pokémon from the Unova region never seen in Kanto, and Jesse and James figure out what he is going for and quickly hand over their Pokéballs - giving Giovanni unique (to Kanto) Pokémon and losing their own companions in the process. Giovanni seems satisfied though and they leave in a cold sweat, relieved to have escaped the meeting but despondent that they gave up their Pokémon to do so. But as they walk down the corridor from Giovanni's office bemoaning their ill-fortune, something wonderful and magical happens. James and Meowth are convinced they will be able to step boldly forward into the future and get the twerp's Pikachu, but Jesse reminds them they already failed with their head-on attack. Meowth thinks that through and says that they'll need information - they'll sneak in, figure out where the twerps is going and get there ahead of him, laying a trap in advance. But as they attempt yet again to forget the setbacks and defeats of the past (recent and older), a beautiful and wondrous memory is made flesh, and a familiar old catchcry of agreement joins in with their triumphant denial of reality - WOBBUFFET!


There is so much beautiful nonsense to consider just from this one brief scene. What is Wobbuffet doing out and about in Team Rocket HQ by himself? How does he have free run of the place? Did he know Team Rocket (well, specifically Jesse) was back? Have other grunts tried to use him? Does he still just leap out of his Pokéball whenever he feels like and walk about the corridors saluting everybody and saying his name with patient pleasure? Does Giovanni just think he's a Pokémon who was trained to salute him and smile as a sign of his authority? Has Wobbuffet been getting up to all kinds of nonsense and infuriating upper management and the otherwise well-run and efficient organisation? Just patiently waiting for the day that his beloved trainer returned? In the end, who cares? Because Wobbuffet is back!

WOBBUFFET!
That night at Ash's, Delia has set up a big-ass meal for everybody (Mr. Mime has to sit on the floor and eat from a bowl despite having a humanoid form and hands with fingers - dick fingers, but still fingers!) and Ash chooses right that moment to tell his hardworking mother that he's fucking off out of there TOMORROW! Oak scowls, knowing that he won't be getting any for a little while because of this, while Alexa completely fails to spot the awkwardness in the air and enthusiastically tells Ash that he can challenge her sister, who is a Gym Leader in Kalos. With a sigh, Delia tells Ash that she shouldn't be surprised that he'd be off almost as soon as he arrived, and gets up and leaves the table. Oak reminds the confused Ash and Alexa that maybe being so excited about getting the fuck out of this dirtwater burb isn't the best way to do things when Delia actually lives there. Ash shares a pained look with Pikachu and is very uncomfortable when Delia walks slowly back into the room with her head hung low... but then she pops it up with a smile and reveals to his great surprise - a new outfit she designed for him!


Mum knows best, she knew her son would be a terrible disappointment to her and leave immediately, so she made him a new outfit so at least he'd have something clean to wear for a little while. Ash is delighted, wearing his new hat and celebrating with Pikachu, declaring to Kalos that here he comes.

Up on the roof listening in through headphones (Meowth is adorably holding his up to his upright ears), Team Rocket are pleased, now they know where to go... except they don't know where Kalos actually is! Jesse isn't going to let a little thing like details get in the way though - she's confident they'll find out and get there ahead of the twerp, and James and Meowth follow the lead of their Bitch-Goddess-Queen and agree, echoed by a delighted Wobbuffet, who has just slotted right back into their lives like he was never gone (he never should have been!). Getting into their Happy Buddha Face Meowth balloon they sail towards the moon (Meowth must be navigating), declaring they're Kalos bound.

That night Ash lies in bed next to Pikachu, but he is too excited to sleep. Waking Pikachu who rubs his little eyes cutely, Ash goes on about how excited he is and how glad he is that Pikachu is always there by his side. He looks over at his badges/trophies and comments quietly that he MUST be getting closer to becoming a Pokémon Master now, then he and Pikachu share a little fist-bump/high five and Ash attempts again to get to sleep.

The next day at the airport, Ash - dressed in his new clothes - promises to call when he gets to the Kalos region. Oak and Delia wish him the best of luck, Delia joking about how nice Ash's new clothes looks, and asks Alexa to make sure he gets to Kalos safely. They leave, the plane taking off, watched by Oak and Delia - saying goodbye to THEIR child. Delia, a twinkle of happy-sadness in her eyes, says a boy heading off on a new adventure is the way things should be, and quietly wishes him good luck.

On the plane, Ash sits next to Alexa's very carefully framed rack and peers happily out the window. Looking ahead at the back of the seat in front of him, he thinks to himself that Kalos should look out, because he is on his way. With that, Unova officially ends at last and a new adventure begins - Pokémon XY.

But before we go, one last image for you - something excluded from the English language version (at least as far as I can tell) but included in the original Japanese. After returning to her empty, quiet home.... Delia stops to smile warmly at one new picture at least that she managed to get of her always absent son - Ash Ketchum and all the Pokémon he has picked up over the years that have stayed with him/at Oak's grounds:


Always look to the future, but never forget what has gone before. Hopefully by the end of XY there won't be a bunch of extra Pokémon added in who also "did their best" but didn't get Ash through to win the Pokémon League.

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