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| Season | Pokémon Journeys: The Series (Season 23) · Monarch Leon & the World Coronation Series arc (JN012–JN018) |
| Episode | Season 23, episode 17 · English episode 1097 · Japanese episode 1103 · Bulbapedia code JN017 |
| English title | Kicking It from Here Into Tomorrow! |
| Japanese title | ヒバニー、炎のキック！明日に向かって！！ Hibanī, Honoo no Kikku! Ashita ni Mukatte!! — “Hibanny, Use Your Flaming Kick! Face Tomorrow!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 15 March 2020 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 11 September 2020 · Netflix |
| Screenplay | Deko Akao |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Wan, Tsū, Surī (One, Two, Three) – After the Rain · Pokémon Shiritori (Pikachu → Mew Ver.) – Pokémon Music Club |
| English opening | The Journey Starts Today – Walk off the Earth |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Darmanitan (Standard Mode) (US) · Darmanitan (Standard Mode) (Japan) |
| Previous episode | A Chilling Curse! (JN016) |
| Next episode | Destination: Coronation! (JN018) |
Plot episodeScorbunny evolves into Raboot
Kicking It from Here Into Tomorrow! is the 17th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, the twenty-third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1097th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1103, Bulbapedia code JN017). It first aired in Japan on 15 March 2020 and in the United States on 11 September 2020. It falls within the season’s Monarch Leon & the World Coronation Series stretch (EP12–EP18).
Synopsis
Teased by Darmanitan, Goh’s Scorbunny stubbornly trains to master a Fire-type move, and when Goh finally backs its efforts in a rematch with Team Rocket’s Chewtle it learns Ember and evolves into Raboot. After a practice battle with Ash, Darmanitan shows off a powerful Fire attack that nearly reaches Cerise Park’s glass roof and dares Scorbunny to match it, but Scorbunny produces only a feeble puff of Ember and Darmanitan roars with laughter. Goh thinks his partner should not wear itself out and reminds it that its Quick Attack and Double Kick are improving, but Ash does not agree, and Chloe is puzzled by his coaching. At breakfast Chloe wonders whether catching Pokémon is even fun and refuses Ash’s invitation to join them. Scorbunny skips breakfast to practise alone and, driven by frustration, finally produces a promising Ember—only for the boys to ignore it as they search the city for new Pokémon.
Scorbunny spots Team Rocket’s Pelipper behind their park bench, but Goh is glued to his Rotom Phone, and the bird dodges Scorbunny’s Ember and flies off. Meanwhile James dials 634526 in a phone booth and descends into Team Rocket’s secret underground base, where the trio gorge on limited-edition chips and play “Nasty Plot Shiritori.” Chasing the Pelipper, Goh and Scorbunny squeeze into the same phone booth and ride up into Team Rocket’s arms, and the trio accidentally reveal their hideout. The Rocket Prize Master, released by the fleeing Pelipper, yields a Poliwrath and the Chewtle from Galar. Scorbunny insists on Ember instead of Double Kick and is knocked out by Chewtle’s surprisingly powerful Water Gun before Pikachu blasts Team Rocket away. When Goh tells it to forget Ember and focus on what it can already do, Scorbunny kicks him and runs off. Ash points out that the two were never really working together and urges Goh to understand his partner.
In a park the boys find Scorbunny training furiously; a stone it kicks in frustration leaves a scorch mark, and Ash reminds Goh how determined it is to master a Fire move. Scorbunny runs off and straight into Team Rocket again, and this time Goh encourages it to use fire. Chewtle counters Quick Attack with Headbutt and blocks Double Kick with its shell, but after its Bite misses and leaves it clamped to a garden arch, a second Double Kick knocks it down. Feeling the surge of energy Ash described, Goh has Scorbunny run on the spot with Quick Attack until the friction ignites, then tosses up a stone that Scorbunny kicks like a comet—their own Ember. Chewtle blocks it with Water Gun, but Scorbunny glows and evolves into Raboot, whose next flaming kick blasts Team Rocket away. Goh holds out his fist for a bump, but Raboot walks past him with its head down and hands tucked away, leaving him stunned by its new attitude.
Major Events
- Scorbunny evolves. Team Rocket’s secret base under a Vermilion City phone booth (code 634526, Mu-sa-shi-Ko-ji-rō)
- Team Rocket use their Chewtle
- Scorbunny learns Ember and evolves into Raboot, the first current-generation starter to evolve before the other two are introduced
- Team Rocket play Nasty Plot Shiritori
Pokémon making their anime debut
Raboot#0814 · JN017
Captures and evolutions
- Scorbunny → Raboot#0814 · Goh · after learning Ember against Team Rocket’s Chewtle
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Deko Akao.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto, Galar & beyond storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- Team Rocket’s “Nasty Plot Shiritori” becomes the “Evil Things Name Game”
- Pokémon Shiritori as an insert song for Team Rocket’s word game
Part of our Pokémon Journeys: The Series guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.