RS099: It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!

Plot

The gang arrives to Mossdeep City. Although May wants to go sightseeing, Ash has only one thing left to do in Town - get the seventh badge from Mossdeep City Gym. Thea come to the Gym. A woman goes from the Gym, greeting the gang and going away. They ask her where the Gym leader is, but she replies everyone is going to see the satellite launch. Max tells them there is a Space Center Research building in Mossdeep City. Max and May begin to plan what to see there, but Ash refuses and demands to go there to get the Gym leader. Max thinks Ash will also want to see the launch, but refuses to confirm.

The astronaut inside the rocket begins to check the systems. Team Rocket sees the vehicle, so Meowth thinks boss would use the rocket to conquer the galaxy, all for himself and reward them. The gang is searching inside a building the Gym leader. They enter a room filled with devices - training machines. Ash ties himself to a machine and pushes a button. Him and Pikachu are being spun around, until Pikachu presses another button, stopping the machine. Ash feels very bad, but sees some lights from a nearby room. They see two children battling. The boy's Solrock goes to tackle, so the girl's Lunatone does the same. Tate (the boy) orders Solrock to use Sandstorm, but nothing happens - the girl's Lunatone is part Rock type.

Lunatone uses Psychic, pushing Solrock to a wall. Solrock goes up and uses Solar Beam, but the attack is canceled by Lunatone's tackling. Solrock goes to attack again, but is frozen by Lunatone's Ice Beam. Tate returns Solrock back. Tate is disappointed, but the girl reminds him that Solar Beam needs time to be launched. The gang enters, but soon find themselves floating. The girl tells them Baltoy use Confusion that they create zero gravity. Ash introduces himself and the girl is Liza while the boy Tate, her little brother. Tate is annoyed by the last part, but Max tells him he feels the same. Liza mentions that their father is the director of the company - Space Center. Brock tells them that the different physical laws can make a difference in battle.

Liza offers them a tour of the Center, but Ash wants to find the Gym leader first. Liza and Tate think the Gym leader would like to see the launch first - Tate and her are the Gym leaders of Mossdeep City. Tate uses the machine Ash used before. As they watch him, Liza tells Ash that they will have a Double Battle. Ash is more determined to win - it is another challenge for him. Before the launch, May and Liza go to get May on the moonwalker machine. Pikachu stops Ash, so Ash realizes he wants all his Pokémon out. Brock, May and Ash bring their Pokémon out, being tested on different courses. Max and Tate went to a course where one needs to fly the space ship. Tate activates the machine, and a projection of them being in space is displayed.

Corphish goes out of the room, seeing a man transporting food makes it go after it. At the controller room, the woman the gang encountered at the Gym saw something in Storage Room, but denies. Corphish is in the Storage Room, eating and drinking. The gang and Liza come to their father before he goes to the rocket. Liza introduces her father to the gang. Liza's father says he always wanted to go to space to explore the Pokémon outside Earth. Father denies the fact Max and Tate were here before. Soon, the father hears that the security has been breached - Team Rocket is seen in astronaut suits running, even if they are told to stop. The gang intercepts them, so James sends Cacnea who uses Pin Missile. Pikachu attacks with Thunderbolt, striking Team Rocket. Jessie sends Seviper who uses Haze, dimming the vision and allowing Team Rocket to go further.

Max wonders if he and Tate will get in trouble, but Tate tells him not to worry. Team Rocket goes inside the rocket. Jessie spots the food and takes some, so Corphish spots them. Team Rocket spots Tate and Max, soon tying them up. Before they go, James sends Chimecho and places it above him, relaxing themselves with its voice. Meowth presses the button, starting the rocket. The woman sees Team Rocket, with Tate and Max tied up, so she tells Tate and Liza's father about the problem. Team Rocket launch off, but soon find themselves to be stopped by four Baltoy, who use Confusion to stop the rocket. Tate tells Max they have to stop Team Rocket. Max sees Ash's Corphish.

Jessie thinks Baltoy need to be stopped, so James orders Chimecho to use Astonish. However, Solrock used Confusion, levitating them. Solrock uses Psychic, bashing Team Rocket. The woman (who is Tate and Liza's mom) and the father are relieved. However, Tate needs to land the shuttle down. Tate tells them that he already done that in the simulator. Baltoy stops using Confusion, so the shuttle continues to fly. Tate's father gives Tate the orders how to land the shuttle. Corphish goes to press a button, but Max stops it in time. With his orders, Tate and Max land the shuttle down. May and Liza are furious - they order Combusken to use fire Spin and Lunatone to attack with Ice Beam. Pikachu blasts them off with Iron Tail. Tate's father, in the end, finally goes up in the shuttle. Ash is determined to get the battle against Liza's Lunatone and Tate's Solrock as soon as possible.

Debuts

Human Characters

• Tate and Liza

Trivia

• When Team Rocket blasted off, the ice was formed in a shape of a shuttle.
• Featured Pokémon: Tangela, Lileep, Houndour
  • Tangela was featured as the Pokémon who does not evolve. In Gen. IV, however, Tangela evolves into Tangrowth.
• Though they appear the same in appearance and age, this episode showed that Liza was the older of the two twins while Tate was the younger one.
• In the games, the player went to Mossdeep Gym before challenging Team Aqua/Team Magma in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, however, the anime planned for Ash to challenge Liza and Tate after stopping Team Aqua and Team Magma.
• The title is a pun on the song "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" by Billy Joel.

Quotes

• Liza: "Hi, I'm Liza. And this is my little brother Tate."

Tate: "Why do you always have to say little brother, when we're twins with the same age?"

Liza: "Partly cause I like beating you, but mostly cause it makes you mad."

Tate: "Grrrrrr. I wish I was born first, then I'd be the older brother and you'd be my little sister."

• Liza: "Tate and I are the co-Gym Leaders of the Mossdeep Gym."

Tate: "And we gladly accept the challenge..."

Liza and Tate (Simultaneously): "...Of Ash, from Pallet Town."

• "Keep your hands off my little brother!"

May and Liza simultaneously.

Gallery

Tate.jpg

Tate's Solrock lost the battle

Img-thing3.jpg

Tate and Liza

Template:Pokémon: Advanced Generation