IL049: So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd

Synopsis
The group stop in the forest to take a break. Brock and Ash go to get some water and Misty notices a Farfetch’d. She chases it into the forest where a trainer accidentally bumps into her and Misty drops her bag filled with her Poké Balls. He apologizes and he gives Misty her bag back and walks away. Misty goes back to the campsite where Ash and Brock are waiting. Misty opens up her bag and discovers that the trainer switched her bag for a diffrent one, since this bag is full of rocks. Misty then cries a river over her lost backpack.

Meanwhile,the trainer, Keith, sees Team Rocket walking by and tells them that he would like to give them his Farfetch'd, Staryu, and Starmie. As Keith and Team Rocket go to a dock where there's a boat to take them across a lake, Keith "remembers" something that he forgot and runs off. When Keith leaves, he leaves Farfetch'd and all of his Pokémon with Team Rocket. Team Rocket decides to steal Keith's Pokémon and they take the Pokémon, climb into the boat, and start going across the lake. Keith wanted Team Rocket to try this and a cork in the boat comes loose and the boat starts to sink. They check the bag of Pokémon Keith left and its full of rocks! Farfetch'd takes all of Team Rocket's Pokémon, flies out of the boat, and takes the Pokémon over to Keith.

Meanwhile, Ash and his friends go to the closest police station to tell Officer Jenny what happened. Officer Jenny tells them that Keith that switched bags with Misty didn't do it accidentally, he purposly stole them and he has been doing it to many other trainers in the area. Officer Jenny says she's tried to track him, but Keith keeps on moving.

The scene cuts to Keith at his camp with his Farfetch'd. Keith says he remebers how he found Farfetch'd after it had been hit by a truck and nursed it back to health. He says that they started stealing Pokémon because Farfetch'd is too weak to battle and there's no other way they would survive. Inside their tent, Psyduck gets out of its Poké Ball and runs away frrom the campsite.

Misty says she misses her Pokémon. She misses her Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, and Horsea. Ash says she forgot Psyduck and Misty says she wishes she could forget about Psyduck. Suddendly, Psyduck walks out of the bushes. Misty gives it a big hug and asks it where the other Pokémon are. Psyduck thinks hard but it can't remember. Misty loses her cool and says that Psyduck is giving her a headache. Misty asks Psyduck if it can show them the way to Keith's camp. Psyduck still can't remember, which infuriates Misty some more. Psyduck then remembers the way, gets up and Ash and his friends follow Psyduck through the forest. Ash thinks its a bad idea to follow Psyduck and Pikachu agrees.

At the campsite Keith says he and Farfetch'd have stolen a lot of Pokémon. Team Rocket suddenly appear in their balloon! They want to make Keith pay for stealing their Pokémon. Keith says he's tired of raising Pokémon and he gives them a big backpack filled with all of the Pokémon. Team Rocket is happy and they take off in their balloon.

Ash and friends and Officer Jenny come out of the bushes with Psyduck into Keith's camp, surprising him completly. Officer Jenny says she's going to put Keith under arrest and Misty says she's going to teach him how hard a Pokémon battle can be. Keith says Farfetch'd is too weak to battle but Misty says that doesn't matter. She remembers that she hasn't gotten her Pokémon back yet and Psyduck volunteers to battle Farfetch'd.

Farfetch'd uses Agility and attacks Psyduck on the head. Keith says he had no idea Farfetch'd could do that! Psyduck just stands there. Misty says its headache is getting worse. Psyduck's eyes glow blue and Farfetch'd becomes frozen. Psyduck sends Farfetch'd flying into a tree and Farfetch'd lands on Keith.

In the balloon, Team Rocket opens up the backpack. They discover that Keith tricked them again and the backpack is filled with Voltorbs! Meowth says its not fair, Keith tricked them twice in one episode! The balloon explodes and Team Rocket goes blasting off again. On the ground, the Voltorb blow up near Keith, Farfetch'd and our heroes. Keith apologizes and returns Misty's Pokémon. He says he will stop stealing Pokémon and he will return the Pokémon he stole. Keith says he will train Farfetch'd to be stronger and he and Farfetch'd leave.

Team Rocket are stuck in a tree. Jessie and James say that they should tell the Boss that someone tricked them. Meowth says that's a bad idea, that the Boss could fire them and hire Keith. A Voltorb rolls out from nearby and explodes right in front of Team Rocket.

Trivia

 * Meowth breaks the fourth wall by saying: "He tricked us two times in one episode!"
 * Meowth mentions two non-Pokemon animals; cats and canaries.
 * Jessie said her Lickitung was floating away but she doesn't catch Lickitung until a later episode.