A Little Rocket R & R! (Japanese:休め！ロケット団！Take a Break!Rocket-dan!) is the 24th episode ofPokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,109th episode of thePokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on June 14, 2020 and in the United States on September 11, 2020. It was initially intended to air in Japan on May 3, 2020, but was rescheduled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Team Rocket’s Matori has a big mission coming up, and she does not want any incompetence! The solution? Send Jessie, James, and Meowth (and Wobbuffet) on a vacation! They’re happy for a break, but just as they get settled in, the Twerps appear! Ash and Goh are searching for a giant Pokémon who’s rumored to live in a nearby lake—it turns out to be a Magikarp, who Goh catches with the disguised Team Rocket trio’s help! Then, Matori suddenly attacks, but the trio can’t stand seeing her get the upper hand, so they help Ash and Goh defeat her! Perhaps she’ll think twice before excluding them again?
Plot
While plotting their next scheme, theTeam Rocket trio receives a video call fromTeam Rocket HQ. However,Matori answers instead, scolding the trio for not picking up quickly enough.Jessie is annoyed to see Matori instead ofGiovanni and demands to know what she wants this time. As Matori says that the Boss is out on official business, Jessie simply hangs up on her.James is stunned by Jessie's actions, and calls headquarters again to receive the message. Matori gets straight to the point and reveals that Giovanni has ordered the trio to go on a special break, which leaves them all speechless.
Meanwhile, at theCerise Laboratory,Professor Cerise prepares to sendAsh andGoh to theResort Area in theSinnohregion.Ren reveals that the Resort Area has a large lake known to be home to a mysteriousPokémon known as the "Lord Pokémon". Sightings have attracted manyTrainers to the area, and the prospect ofcatching the "Lord Pokémon" particularly excites Goh.
The Team Rocket trio arrive at their holiday destination, the Sinnoh Resort Area, hoping to relax and forget all about thetwerps. However, they are stunned when Ash and Goh walk past. Goh even asks the trio for directions to the lake, not recognizing Team Rocket in their casual clothes.Meowth spots another opportunity to catchPikachu, though Jessie and James insist that they follow Giovanni's orders and enjoy their holiday. The trio try to distract themselves with some shopping in town, but encounter the twerps again. James asks what the pair are doing, to which Ash and Goh admit that they are looking forfishing rods. James leaps at the chance to help the boys purchase the correct fishing gear. Meanwhile, Jessie saves Pikachu from being hit by a passing skateboarder. Ash and Goh thank the trio for their help, though Team Rocket is left reeling from how close they got to finally catching Pikachu. They walk in the opposite direction after Meowth reminds his teammates that it is their mission to take a break.
Matori arrives at the Resort Area to meet with her waiting teammates, theMatori Matrix, to discuss Team Rocket’s next grand scheme. She reiterates that Giovanni wants to dominate the world, and so he will need powerful Pokémon to achieve his goal. Matori orders her agents to steal Pokémon from tourists across the Resort Area.
Team Rocket watches as several Trainers, including Ash and Goh, fish at the lake. Goh soon feels a bite and reels in aGoldeen. He takes a moment to check hisPokédex before making an easy catch. Next, Ash reels in aMagikarp. Goh again checks the Pokédex and, while still hoping to see the Lord Pokémon, catches Magikarp anyway after getting permission from Ash. The boys begin to get disheartened as they continue to reel in more Goldeen and Magikarp, all of which Goh decides not to catch as he already has one of each. Goh hopes hisOctillery lure might increase his chances of fishing up the Lord of the lake. Within an instant, Goh feels something heavy pull on his line. Ash decides to help him reel it in, and the Rocket trio rush to assist as well. With their combined strength, the Lord Pokémon is pulled to the surface; revealed to be agiant Magikarp. Goh is impressed by its sheer size and throws aPoké Ball. The attempt fails after Magikarp uses its tail to hit the Ball away. Goh decides he will have tobattle the giant first, so he calls outOddish for aGrass-type advantage. As Magikarp startsSplashing on the spot, Goh calls for aSleep Powder. Now that Magikarp isasleep, Goh tries his luck again, and this time he succeeds in capturing the giant. Goh thanks the Rocket trio for their help and, after pretending to be pleased to assist, they quickly attempt to get away before he can figure out who they are.
However, sudden explosions in town get everyone's attention. As the Matori Matrix prepare to make off with their stolen load of Pokémon, Ash notices that Team Rocket is behind the theft. The Rocket trio spots Matori at the helm and are furious that they have been deliberately left out of the operation. Ash and Goh decide to intervene, so Matori leaves herGrunts to handle them while she returns to her helicopter.Goh's Raboot joins Pikachu andRiolu to assist against the menacing quartet ofRhyperior,Purugly,Toxicroak, andSkuntank. Pikachu and Riolu leap into action withQuick Attack andVacuum Wave. Toxicroak sidesteps to avoid andpoisons Pikachu with itsSludge Bomb. Riolu is knocked back by Purugly'sFury Swipes while Rhyperior hits Raboot with aStone Edge. Pikachu fails to get up in time and is knocked down by a follow upVenoshock and Skuntank'sFlamethrower. The Flamethrower creates an inferno that separates Pikachu from Ash, allowing one of the agents to grab Pikachu. Goh stops Ash from attempting to run through the blaze to save Pikachu. Smoke bombs go off and the Matori Matrix make a clean getaway with Pikachu and the other Pokémon beforeOfficer Jenny reaches the scene.
With Pikachu stolen, Ash and Goh retreat to the localPokémon Center to think things over. Meanwhile, the Rocket trio are determined to get their revenge on Matori and her elite unit for trying to steal the glory from them. To achieve this, the trio offers to assist Ash in getting Pikachu back. James reveals that he put a tracking device on the Grunt’s Skuntank during the earlier commotion. Ash agrees to the plan, unaware that the Team Rocket trio are his newfound allies and plan to double-cross him and steal all the Pokémon for themselves. Thanks to the tracker, they soon reach Matori's camp and spot the cages of stolen Pokémon being patrolled by several agents. Jessie orders Goh to make the first move, allowing Ash and James to reach the cages while the guards are distracted. James uses his lock pick to unlock the cage, freeing Pikachu and the other Pokémon. Ash gives Pikachu aPecha Berry to cure his poisonailment. Goh has his giant Magikarp use Splash to send the agents flying. The Grunts crash back down, with the sound alerting Matori to the rescue effort. As Matori and the two remaining agents spot the emptying cage, James leaves the scene to remain undetected by Matori.
Matori, doubting Ash's ability to stop her and her team, orders her agents to attack. Pikachu usesIron Tail to counter Purugly'sSlash attack, leaving it winded. Matori calls for the agents to make another move, but they soon find themselves surrounded and outnumbered by all of the freed Pokémon. The Pokémon combine their efforts and overwhelm the Matori Matrix, with Officer Jenny arriving to arrest them. Matori is frustrated that this operation has been foiled and orders a tactical retreat. One Grunt uses Rhyperior's Stone Edge to create a defensive barrier, allowing the Matori Matrix to escape Officer Jenny in their helicopter. The Trainers are soon reunited with their Pokémon, and Officer Jenny thanks the boys and the Rocket trio for their help. With the presence of Officer Jenny, Team Rocket decide to leave hastily. Goh asks about their names, leading Jessie to start reciting theTeam Rocket motto, but James and Meowth interrupt her, waving off the curiosity while dragging Jessie away.
Having returned to theirVermilion City base, the Rocket trio receive another call from headquarters. A particularly tired Matori appears on screen, and informs them that the trio's usual mission will now resume. Fully knowing about her failed mission, Jessie takes the opportunity to mock Matori for being tired and recommends she take a break of her own. Matori signs off while the Rocket trio are thrilled that they were able to stop Matori's scheme while remaining on top.
Back at Cerise Laboratory, the Professor and his assistants meet the giant Magikarp for the first time.Chrysa remarks that it appears the same as any other Magikarp despite its size. The giant Magikarp then makes a massive leap, smashing through the Park’s glass dome and landing with a mighty splash, leaving everyone soaked.
TheMatori Matrix uniforms worn by the Team Rocket Grunts in this episode are drawn differently than in all other episodes in which they appear, featuring only one stripe on the shoulders instead of two and lacking the Matori Matrix insignia pin on the cap.
One of theTrainers'Numel running away from the Team Rocket Grunts is shown with only three legs.
As Ash, Goh, and the rest of thePokémon confront the Team Rocket Grunts, the black area on both of Goldeen's pupils is missing, making the entire pupils appear light-blue.
Dub edits
The giant Magikarp is not referred to as the "Lord Pokémon", and is simply described as an unidentified giant Pokémon living in the lake.
The Japanese text depicting theResort Area's name is edited out.
In thePolish dub, when Ash, Goh, and Team Rocket are trying to pull the giant Magikarp out, Meowth questions why they're helping them, and James replies that thescriptwriter wanted it so.
