A Frenzied Factory Fiasco! (Japanese: 激闘モンスターボール工場！ピカチュウVSニャース！！, Hepburn: A Fierce Fight at the Poké Ball Factory! Pikachu VS Meowth!!) is the 31st episode of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest.
Synopsis[]
Serena is ready to compete in the Dendemille Town Pokémon Showcase—and so is her rival Miette, who once challenged her to a Poké Puff baking contest! As it turns out, the Theme Performance is all about Poké Puffs, and Serena, Miette, and Jessilia (Team Rocket’s Jessie in disguise) all advance to the Freestyle Performance.
After a run-in with Jessie that leaves a noticeable tear in Serena’s costume, she’s worried that this Showcase will end like her last one. But traveling with Ash has taught Serena never to give up, so she grabs her sewing kit to make a few last-second adjustments...and ends up winning the Freestyle Performance and her first Princess Key![1]
Episode plot[]
The heroes hurry up, for they reached the Poké Ball Factory. Clemont is touched, for he will get the tour of the place of his dreams. Suddenly, they are approached by Team Rocket, dressed as the factory's employees, to give them the tour. After observing many forms and versions of Poké Balls, the heroes watch the manufacturing process. The heroes are amazed how the process is automatic. Team Rocket promises they can watch the process close-up, but asks first to hand over the Poké Balls, since they can, for free, observe any technical faults of Poké Balls and correct them. They also promise to heal the Pokémon they have currently.
They place the Poké Balls inside Meowth's briefcase. Ash replies he cannot give Pikachu because he does not like being inside the Ball. Jessie replies they know that, but James shushes her, giving out a special case from which Pikachu can be examined. Ash gives Pikachu's Poké Ball to Meowth, while Clemont is psyched they can watch the manufacturing process. Team Rocket replies they will first see the Pokémon inside the Poké Ball. They go to a dark room, but Clemont notices this is the storage. Team Rocket locks the heroes inside and removes their disguises. Team Rocket admits they played the ruse as the factory's staff to get their Pokémon since their original plan was to take all the factory's Poké Balls.
Pikachu tries to electrocute the case, but fails. Instead, Pikachu breaks out, since Meowth forgot the case was fragile against physical attacks. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but the attack is reflected via Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat. Meowth uses Pikachu's Poké Ball to call Pikachu back, but misses. Jessie and James send Inkay and Pumpkaboo. Pikachu dodges Pumpkaboo's Shadow Ball, but is hit by Inkay's Psybeam. Meowth uses the Poké Ball and calls Pikachu back. Team Rocket are overjoyed, for they finally managed to catch their foe. Ash is outraged and slams the door, though an air shaft is opened. Team Rocket collects the Poké Balls, including the more powerful versions: Great, Ultra, Luxury, Net, Dive and many more Balls.
Ash slams the door, but fails to open it. However, he notices Pikachu beyond the door, who points out he hid in the air shaft after he avoided his Poké Ball. Ash praises Pikachu for this quick thinking and asks him to use Iron Tail to open the door. The door does not open, so Ash asks Pikachu to find the briefcase with other Pokémon. Team Rocket checks out and was surprised Pikachu is out. Meowth opens the Poké Ball and is shocked it is actually empty, for he did not catch Pikachu. He tries it again, but Pikachu escapes through the air shaft. Meowth goes after the briefcase, so James sends Inkay to go through. As Team Rocket goes to load the Poké Balls onto the truck, Pikachu is attacked by Inkay. Inkay uses Psybeam, but Pikachu dodges and uses Quick Attack, hitting Inkay back.
Pikachu sees the briefcase and goes out of the air shaft, onto the mass-production assembly line. He goes after the briefcase, but Meowth appears, reversing the flow of the line, and goes to catch him. Pikachu jumps and goes away from Meowth, who chases him through the factory. Meowth speeds up the flow of the line and goes to catch Pikachu, but a crane places him on the assembly line, causing him to drop the briefcase onto the line. Pikachu uses Iron Tail, pushing Meowth onto the crushing pods, making him flat as a paper. Pikachu goes after the briefcase, but is stopped by Meowth once more. Meowth reaches for the Poké Ball, but a crane takes the Ball. They are both dragged into a giant box and jump away from dual lasers targeting them.
Ash tackles the door, but has no success. He wishes their Pokémon were with them, while Clemont works on something. Pikachu and Meowth roll over into a container, shaped as Balls. It does not stop, as a crane takes them and paints them in green color, as a Nest Ball. Jessie and James wonder what is taking so long for Meowth to catch Pikachu. Seeing them both colored, they decide to help Meowth out. Jessie and James go to the control room with the real employees tied up and James re-programs the process. Pikachu is turned into a Great Ball, then into a Net Ball and finally into a Repeat Ball. Meowth laughs at Pikachu and goes after the briefcase, but is painted pink. Jessie re-programs, but this causes Meowth and Pikachu to be squeezed through a machine, making them polished, clean and glittering. They both fall into a dark hole.
Meanwhile, Clemont, whose eyeglasses shine, has finished the machine to break them out. He places the drill into the door, which uses sheer force to split the door. However, even if the machine has exploded, leaving the heroes burned, the door has opened, so everyone goes to rescue their Pokémon. Pikachu dodges Meowth's attempts to be captured and kicks him onto a gear. Meowth chases him, through an air shaft. Jessie and James inform Meowth their foes have escaped and he should meet them at the parking lot. Meowth ignores them, wanting to personally catch Pikachu. Pikachu lands on the assembly line and kicks a Luxury Ball onto Meowth, catching Meowth inside. Meowth breaks out, having enjoyed the luxurious treatment inside, but is outraged Pikachu nearly caught him. Meowth, per Jessie's and James' orders, grabs the briefcase and goes to the parking lot.
Ash meets up with Pikachu, who is glad to see him and then they both go after Team Rocket. Clemont, Serena and Bonnie wander and encounter the real employees, trapped inside the control room and goes to help them out. Ash and Pikachu come outside and see Team Rocket going away with the truck. Pikachu immobilizes the vehicle using Thunderbolt, though Meowth stands at the roof of the truck, demanding a match with Pikachu for the briefcase. Pikachu accepts and Meowth prepares his claws to use Fury Swipes. Pikachu uses Iron Tail, but Meowth reveals the Poké Ball hidden with his tail to catch Pikachu. Pikachu dodges and performs Iron Tail, swatting his Poke Ball from Meowth the process. Despite quickly improvising a Fury Swipes, the attack defeats Meowth. Ash receives Pikachu's Poké Ball and hugs Pikachu. Team Rocket are still ready for battle, but a Poké Ball statue falls on them, and they get blasted off. Later, the heroes send all their Pokémon, who are fine and well. The staff thank Ash for saving the Poké Balls, but Ash tells Pikachu was the one deserving credit. For a reward, the staff promises to give them the "real" tour around the factory, to which the heroes agree to.
Debuts[]
Items[]
- Great Ball
- Ultra Ball
- Luxury Ball
- Net Ball
- Dive Ball
- Nest Ball
- Repeat Ball
- Premier Ball
- Dusk Ball
- Heal Ball
Trivia[]
- "Pokémon Quiz:" Meowth (Team Rocket; JP)
- "Who's that Pokémon?:" Staraptor (US)
- This episode aired in Canada earlier than the US.
- This episode marks the first occasion Team Rocket's Meowth has successfully landed an official attack on Ash's Pikachu. In this case, Fury Swipes.
- This also marks the first occasion since his debut that Clemont's Dedenne has been recalled to his Poké Ball.
- When Clemont uses the drill to split the door open, the screething sound produced is the brake sound effect from Thomas and Friends. This is also the second episode that the said sound effect is used in Pokemon XY, the first one is Scary Hospitality
Dub edits[]
- The English dub edits one of James' lines, listing a Dusk Ball instead of a Quick Ball among their stolen goods. This serves as a correction as no Quick Balls are seen in the episode.
- As with all XY episodes, the Ash title card is used (the Japanese edit uses a Team Rocket title card).
- As with all XY episodes from "An Oasis of Hope!" onwards, the initial title card is still used instead of the updated one with Serena's attire change.
Mistakes[]
- Pikachu's Poké Ball lacks the lightning bolt symbol.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ (n.d.) . "A Frenzied Factory Fiasco! | Pokémon TV (pokemon.com)". From The Official Pokémon Website | Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024.
