XY065: A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!

A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways! (Japanese: 迷い道は分かれ道！？ムサシとソーナンス！！！, Hepburn: A Fork in the Path of Indecision!? Jessie and Wobbuffet!!) is the 14th episode of Pokémon the Series XY: Kalos Quest.

Synopsis

After Team Rocket gets blasted off again by Pikachu, Jessie and Wobbuffet get separated from James and Meowth. When she and Wobbuffet are rescued by a Pokémon Doctor, Jessie starts falling in love with him and considers leaving Team Rocket.

Episode Plot

The episode begins with Ash, Serena and Bonnie walking through the forest. Bonnie wonders if her brother will be all right by himself. Serena replies that he will; he's probably hard at work training for his upcoming battle with Ash.

Meanwhile at the Lumiose City Gym, Clemont's Bunnelby defeats Magneton with an unseen move, to which its Trainer rejoices and hugs it, congratulating it on having "finally learned it." What "it" is remains yet to be seen. Clembot comments that his battle with Ash and Pikachu in his mind went well, but Clemont replies that Ash battles with more... impact. Furthermore, he has an image in his head but doesn't quite know how to get Clembot to understand it. He brightens up as he gets an idea: He will input Ash's battle style as data into Clembot's data banks, allowing for greater realism in their practice. Clembot concurs with the idea and Clemont grins, telling an absent Ash that he will not hand over the Voltage Badge so easily.

Back in the forest, Ash murmurs that he has to get ready too. The moment is interrupted by Jessie's voice ordering Pumpkaboo to use Shadow Ball. Pikachu dodges the attack and the gang looks up to see Team Rocket's balloon floating overhead. James announces that today is the day they'll finally get Pikachu, who quickly dispatches them with Thunderbolt.

James, Meowth and Pumpkaboo land in one area while Jessie and Wobbuffet land in another. Jessie's binoculars have broken and blow up, so Jessie and Wobbuffet have nothing better to do but go looking for their teammates. They arrive at a cliff overlooking a river where they're accosted by a wild Gloom who uses Stun Spore on them. They fall into the river.

As Jessie comes to, she is shaken awake by a handsome young man who urges her to stay strong. He treats her and Wobbuffet's paralysis with a Berry. He asks Jessie for her name and she gives him an alias, not wanting to give away her identity. He tells her she'll catch a cold if she stays here like this and invites her to change clothes at his clinic. Jessie accepts and follows him. At the clinic, Jessie blushes at her change of clothes thinking she looks weird, to which Dr. White replies in the negative, saying it looks good on her. Jessie notices her Wobbuffet getting along with Dr. White's Wobbuffet, and also notices all the berries. Dr. White replies that he's the only doctor in the village so he has to grow all these berries himself. A man and his Diggersby stop by to deliver some mulch. After he leaves, Dr. White has to go on a house call, to which Jessie offers to assist him as thanks for saving her life. Dr. White gladly accepts her help.

Their first house call is to a childhood friend of Dr. White's. Dr. White examines her Bidoof; its teeth are fine but its gums are swollen. The friend, Berry, explains her Bidoof bit its way out of a Pokémon Hunter's cage using its fangs it's so proud of. She continues to say that if she ever encounters that Pokémon Hunter again she'll make him pay, to which Dr. White sternly replies that she has to leave these kinds of things to Officer Jenny. Berry doesn't listen, pointing out that they're deep in the mountains; it would take Jenny a while to get there even if she did call her. When Dr. White tells her it's no reason for her to take matters into her own hands, she replies she's not a weakling like he is, to which Jessie tries to assuage the situation. Dr. White tells Berry that she's not a child anymore so she shouldn't do anything dangerous.

He and Jessie move on to their next house call. At a Skiddo ranch Jessie subdues a Skiddo long enough for Dr. White to treat its ailment. An older woman emerges and remarks that if someone like Jessie were to marry Dr. White she'd be of great help. Dr. White diagnoses the Skiddo of having been poisoned, so he gives it a berry.

As the Skiddo is about to bite down, the scene match cuts to Bonnie biting down into a hot dog. The gang's finished their lunch and Serena is about to present them with macarons for dessert. Bonnie notices Dedenne's absence; Dedenne has been ensnared in an electric metal cage. When it tries to escape, the cage shocks it and it passes out. The gang finds it and Serena has Fennekin tear up the cage with Scratch. Dedenne however has been adversely affected and needs a doctor. Ash asks Serena if there are any available Pokémon Centers nearby. Serena checks her map and says no, but the map does however depict a clinic nearby. The gang promptly makes haste.

Meanwhile, Jessie, Dr. White and their Wobbuffet are enjoying a peaceful moment surrounded by blissful mountain scenery. Dr. White says that city folk may find it boring, but he likes living amongst nature. He directs Jessie's attention to their Wobbuffet, who share a moment. Seeing Wobbuffet so happy makes Jessie wonder whether living for love might make her happier than living for evil. Dr. White notices her pondering and Jessie tries to cover it up, somewhat unsuccessfully by saying "Love!" (referring to her choice of living for love or evil) which she covers up as saying loveable, referring to their Wobbuffet and Wynaut. An Ursuring joins their Pokémon and while Jessie at first thinks it's antagonistic, it's actually quite benign. Jessie makes up her mind, deciding to live for love. Elsewhere, a hunter gets agitated over his broken trap.

James and Meowth locate Jessie. They notice her hair and clothes are different and go to retrieve her. As Jessie and Dr. White return to his clinic, the gang arrives; as Jessie makes herself as unnoticeable as possible, Bonnie begs for Dedenne to be treated. Dr. White treats Dedenne's ailments and Jessie offers to get it an Oran Berry for it to recover. She gives it to Bonnie outside. The gang then notices Jessie and Dr. White's Wobbuffet and Wynaut and Jessie fears they'll make the connection. They don't at first, but then Bonnie notices Jessie's Team Rocket outfit on the clothesline. Jessie hurriedly goes to conceal it but trips. Her hairpin falls out, blowing her cover. The gang recognizes her but Jessie shushes them, imploring them to keep her identity a secret from Dr. White. When asked, she explains that she plans on quitting Team Rocket to live with him, to the shock of both the gang and James and Meowth, whose reactions are mixed: Meowth wants to stop her, but James stops him, saying they should support her decision as her friends. As men they leave, not looking back.

The two of them walk through the forest, determined to make due with just the two of them when they spy a trap. They recognize it as something a Pokémon Hunter would use. At that moment, said Hunter shows up behind them, stating his intent to capture Meowth. James draws a Poké Ball and Meowth deploys his claws. The Hunter calls out his Rhyperior.

Back at the clinic, Serena offers to help Jessie by thinking up a plan for her to confess her feelings to Dr. White. Jessie thanks her for her help before being called into the clinic. After she leaves James emerges, begging for the gang's help. He explains that he and Meowth encountered a Pokémon Hunter who captured Meowth and the rest. Ash reasons that if it's a Pokémon Hunter he can't just let it go. The gang agrees to help. As they leave, Jessie is revealed to have heard them. She debates with herself what she should do.

The gang confronts the Pokémon Hunter. Unimpressed with children confronting him, he calls out his Rhyperior. Ash and Serena call out Pikachu and Fennekin to face it but the two are quickly dispatched by its Rock Wrecker. While they battle, James sneaks up to Meowth's cage and frees him, Pumpkaboo and Inkay.

At the clinic Jessie informs Dr. White about the Pokémon Hunter. To her surprise he runs out of the clinic to find Berry, who's right outside. Berry doesn't understand why Dr. White's so worried about her to which he replies it's because he cares about her. Jessie hears this and dons a philosophical expression on her face. She bids Wobbuffet goodbye and takes the clip out of her hair.

The Hunter catches James and Meowth; cracking the muscles in his neck, he prepares to barrage them before a stick hits him in the back of the head. Jessie's voice is heard reciting the first two lines of the Team Rocket motto. Jessie appears, reciting the next parts of the motto by herself despite James and Meowth's protests for her to go back and live her life for love. When she replies with the next part of the motto (stressing the word 'evil') they tear up after realizing she's staying with Team Rocket. She snaps at them, telling them it's their turn next and the two join her on the rock to finish the motto in their traditional tandem. James notices Wobbuffet's absence and Jessie explains she left it behind. Team Rocket as a whole battles the Hunter and his Rhyperior, who hits them with Drill Run. Just as it's about to finish them off with Rock Wrecker, Wobbuffet shows up at the last second and intercepts the attack by protecting them with Counter. Through Meowth's translations Jessie learns Wobbuffet also left its mate behind. She calls Wobbuffet a fool, but is clearly touched.

Ash, Serena and Team Rocket combine their forces: Jessie and Pumpkaboo contribute Dark Pulse; James and Inkay contribute Psybeam; Ash and Pikachu contribute Thunderbolt; and Serena and Fennekin contribute Flamethrower. The attacks combine into a multicolored maelstrom of energy which knocks the Hunter and his Rhyperior back onto the truck. The gang later gives Dr. White a bouquet of flowers from Jessie, who acknowledges what great friends she has as the balloon drifts away.

Back at the Lumiose Gym, Clemont finishes inputting Ash's data into Clembot... who blows up as it cannot comprehend it.

Debuts

Characters

• Dr. White
• Berry
• Pokémon Hunter

Trivia

• "Pokémon Quiz": Wynaut (JP)
• Jessie and Dr. White's Wobbuffet kissing while sharing a string of spaghetti is a visual reference to the Disney film Lady and the Tramp.
• When James tells Meowth they should let Jessie pursue her own happiness, Meowth mentions his painful experiences with love in the past. Barring the Purrloin and various other one-off feline characters Meowth has expressed romantic interest in over the series, he is most likely referring to his heartbreak over Meowzie, who he tried to impress by learning human speech and walking patterns. Meowzie appeared all the way back in Go West, Young Meowth!.

Gallery

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