When a House Is Not a Home! (Japanese: 迷子のサルノリ! トレーナーは誰だ!?, Hepburn: Maigo no Sarunori! Toreenaa wa Dareda?!, trans. The Stray Grookey! Whose Trainer Is This?!) is the 11th episode of Pocket Monsters (2019 series), and Pokémon Journeys: The Series of Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
Synopsis[]
When Goh wakes up from a nightmare, he finds a Grookey clinging to his arm. He tries to catch it, but his Rotom Phone says it already has a Trainer! The question is who, so Ash and Goh set out to find Grookey’s real home. After watching surveillance camera footage from a local shop, they discover that Grookey came from Team Rocket’s Rocket Prize Master machine…and right on cue, the villainous team arrives and returns the Pokémon to its Poké Ball! But Grookey manages to escape, and when Team Rocket reappears, Grookey destroys the Poké Ball—giving Goh the chance to throw his own and catch Grookey for himself![1]
Episode plot[]
Goh wakes up in his apartment to see that his father is a Rillaboom then rushes out of his room to inform his mother, who is also a Rillaboom. She hands Goh his "little brother"—a Grookey. Goh wakes up in horror, and sees a Grookey clinging onto his arm, which got him to scream. Ash wakes up and uses his Rotom Phone to identify Grookey then Goh asks him if he's a Rillaboom, which he said no. The Rotom Phone explains what Rillaboom is as its the final evolved form of Grookey. Goh attempts to catch Grookey, but it turns out it already has a Trainer. Grookey wakes up then hops across Ash and Goh's heads, whacking them with its branch. Mimey then walks in and is able to dodge Grookey's attack.
Ash and Goh take Grookey to get breakfast, but it then tries to steal Pikachu's food after finishing its own. Grookey then runs around making messes in its path and it hops into the main room of the laboratory. Grookey whacks Chloe on the head, who is just about to leave for school, while also messing up her hair. Then jumps on her Eevee's back in attempt to ride her. Pikachu and Yamper then try to electrocute Grookey, but end up shocking everyone else.
Ash and Goh head off to find out who Grookey's trainer as they Yamper's nose for assistance. On the way, Grookey leaps over a wall and into a yard, frighting a Dodrio and fights with a Marowak. Yamper's scent stops at a shop as Ash and Goh head inside then checked the security camera. They see that Grookey came from Team Rocket's Secret Rocket Prize Master then they both rushed outside. However, Pikachu and Grookey got caught in a net and Ash and Goh see that Team Rocket themselves are above them. Ash sends Farfetch'd to use Fury Cutter on the net, freeing Pikachu and Grookey. Farfetch'd attacks Team Rocket with Brutal Swing. Pelipper sends down the Secret Rocket Prize Master, but only Jessie gets a Pokémon, whereas nothing comes out of the ball. They then find out it is the ball meant for Grookey. Jessie finds it unbelievable but uses the command to recall it to its Poké Ball and proven wrong. While Grookey attempted to flee, it lost its branch, which is soon picked up by Goh.
At their secret base, Grookey looks sad as Team Rocket were surprised about those turn of events. While Team Rocket is hanging around doing their own thing and being chased by Morpeko, Grookey goes looking for its branch, which it failed to find. Grookey starts to miss Goh as it took an interest in him, after seeing his kindness. However, little did Grookey know, Goh also misses it as he shows concern for it. Later, after Team Rocket feel asleep, Grookey leaves their base in order to find its branch and Goh.
The next day, Ash and Goh set out to return Grookey's branch with Yamper's help. When they go to the same flowers that the Chimp Pokémon grew before, Goh and Ash find Grookey there. Upon seeing Goh again, Grookey jumps to Goh's arms as it really missed him and was happier to have its branch back. However, Team Rocket show up once again in order to get Grookey back again, but it refused to go back with them. After Pikachu got its original Poké Ball out of Jessie's hands, Grookey smashes it then tells Goh to catch it because it would rather be with him than with Team Rocket. Jessie and Goh both throw Poké Balls at the same time, but Grookey destroys Team Rocket's ball and goes into Goh's one instead. Team Rocket goes after Pikachu and Grookey with a net, but Ash has Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, sending Team Rocket blasting off.
Later that day, Ash and Goh are in Cerise Park with Grookey as they show its new home. Chloe, Professor Cerise, Ren, and Chrysa are observing Grookey as it apologizes to Chloe's Eevee for what happened before. However, Grookey tries riding on Eevee again, which Goh goes to stop it.
Debuts[]
Pokémon[]
Trivia[]
- Who's That Pokémon?: Grookey
- When Goh tried to catch Grookey the first time, his Rotom Phone said "It does not belong to you, don't be a thief!", this is referencing to the games when the player tries to catch an NPC's Pokémon.
- This marks the longest time taken for a series to formally introduce all three of the regional starter Pokémon from the concurrent generation.
- This marks the first time one of Ash's friends has caught all the three starter Pokémon from the concurrent generation.
- This marks the first time a Pokémon from Team Rocket's Rocket Prize Master joins the protagonists' side.
- Grookey smashing its original Poké Ball is similar to the events of "Crossing Paths" where Jessie smashed Dustox's Poké Ball because she didn't want to leave her trainer.
- This episode marks the longest time for Ash's female travelling companion to fall victim to the Pikachu gag.
- The title is a reference to the saying "a house is not a home".
Dub edits[]
- In the English dub, the Rillaboom in Goh's nightmare speak like normal Pokémon, rather than having Walker and Camille's voices. Thus removing the fact that the Rillaboom were actually Goh's parents.
- Additionally, when Ash wakes up, Goh explains that he had a nightmare about Rillaboom. Instead of asking if he was a Rillaboom.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ (n.d.) . "When a House Is Not a Home! | Pokémon TV (pokemon.com)". From The Official Pokémon Website | Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024.
