DP046: A Maze-ing Race!

A Maze-ing Race! (Japanese: 迷路でシャッフル！みんなでハッスル！！, Hepburn: Shuffle in the Maze! Everyone Hustle!!) is the 46th episode of Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl.

Episode Plot

The heroes run to get Dawn an application for her Pokétch. Dawn rushes inside to give her ticket for the application. She is shocked to hear that the application is given in another Pokémon Center at the other end of the woods, plus it is done until five o' clock. Brock flirts with Joy and Croagunk goes to stab him, but misses, as Dawn got him to run towards that other Center. They rush and encounter three old people (who are Team Rocket). Team Rocket notices they are in a rush and tell through a tunnel and across a maze Dawn will be at the Center. They give her the map, as she is the "1001st customer" and would like to take a picture of them and their Pokémon.

Meowth orders to take positions. With this, the Pokémon are just in the middle for Jessie and James to bring down the cage to capture them. However, a sudden event prevents them, as a pack of Golem roll and destroy the camera and squish Meowth. Still, Team Rocket wants to get the twerps' Pokémon. Dawn wanders for a while and hears someone is following her and when she turns, she screams as she sees two yellow eyes. Ash and Pikachu have wandered off and take a tunnel and come out. They see the huge maze and Paul on one of the tops. Ash runs to greet him, but almost fell down. Ash asks him if he saw his friends, but Paul has not seen them. Ash wonders if they are inside the tunnel and goes inside to get them. Paul goes to catch a Fearow, but it flew away, so Paul goes away as well.

Team Rocket is pleased with the result and are dressed as rocks. When Ash passed on one route of the maze, James comes and blocks the path, having Pikachu going in other direction. Team Rocket runs to get him, but when they see the Golem pack approaching, they hide by placing some gray blankets in front of them. They see they were running away from an Onix, who uses its tail to blast them off. Dawn saw the Croagunk and they came at the exit of the tunnel. Dawn sees Paul and asks if he saw her friends, but Paul is annoyed by her presence, so she walks away. Brock also came and asks Paul if he saw the two, but Paul lies that he did not see any of them. Brock is bugged about the maze, but Staravia flies to search for them.

Pikachu found Happiny and Buneary. Though they depart as they had been bickering, Pikachu grabs Happiny and Buneary's hand, making the latter very charmed. Dawn wanders with Croagunk and go out of the Golem pack's way. The Onix comes, so Croagunk uses Brick Break on the wall and with Dawn, they hide to get out of Onix's way. Buneary holds Pikachu's hand and they wander with Happiny, while Ash is frustrated at seeing another dead end without Pikachu by his side. Ash wanders and sees Piplup is arguing with Buizel which route to take. Ash goes to break the fight, though Pachirisu uses Discharge to stop everyone. They notice the Onix is coming, so Piplup uses BubbleBeam and Buizel Water Gun to stop it. With this, Onix goes away. Staravia files away and Dawn sees it, so she and Croagunk go towards it to find the others.

Staravia came to Brock and reports it found something. Brock sees Pikachu, Buneary and Happiny on a top. Brock is pleased to see them, along with Dawn and Croagunk, who came to them. Staravia goes to search for Ash and gets caught by Team Rocket. Team Rocket goes to get Pikachu, but miss. Jessie proposes to circle around, then attack and with this, Team Rocket hides the balloon. Dawn yells and Ash hears her, so he yells back. The only thing standing between them is a huge wall. Team Rocket sees them and use the robot arms to cut Ash's way. Ash tells Pachirisu, Sudowoodo, Piplup and Buizel to aim at the balloon. Piplup uses BubbleBeam and Buizel SonicBoom at the balloon. Sudowoodo uses Mimic to copy Pachirisu's move, but alas, Pachirisu uses Discharge on them and Team Rocket hides their balloon again.

Pikachu goes to take care of Team Rocket, while the others go to smash down the wall. Buneary uses Ice Beam, while Buizel uses Water Gun and Piplup BubbleBeam. Turtwig uses Razor Leaf and Aipom Swift, along with Croagunk's Brick Break to attack the wall. Happiny got a huge rock and throws it to the wall. Team Rocket sees they want to bring down the wall. With some time of attacking, the wall is destroyed. Team Rocket charges, though with Pikachu uses Iron Tail to free Staravia and follows with Thunderbolt, blasting them off. The heroes have rushed towards the Pokémon Center and Dawn got the application named Coin Toss. Brock flirts with Joy and gets stabbed by Croagunk. The heroes go back on the road and see two paths. Dawn uses her application and the result is Tails, so they turn left. Brock is skeptical, but Ash and Dawn tell him not to worry.

Trivia

• Music from Gotta Dance!!, Jirachi: Wish Maker and Pokémon Heroes are used as background music.
• 佐藤仁美 Hitomi Satō is added to the credits as a composer of the original score.
• Professor Oak's Pokémon lecture: Combee
  • Pokémon senryū: あまいみつ　みつけてとぶよ　ミツハニー Amai mitsu, mitsukete tobuyo, Mitsuhanī. "Sweet honey, find it and fly, Mitsuhoney."
• The episode's dub title seems to be a spin on the popular reality show The Amazing Race. It could also possibly be a pun on the Christian hymn Amazing Grace.
• The events of this episode are referenced by Jessie in Jumping Rocket Ship!.
• In this episode, Team Rocket uses a variation of their motto.

Gallery

Team Rocket rewards their "1001st customer"

Pikachu's hard life

Dawn and Croagunk escape from being squished

BubbleBeam and Water Gun stop Onix

Team Rocket missed

The Pokémon attack the wall

Happiny helps as well

Pikachu frees Staravia

The team is assembled

Dawn uses her application

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