Barry’s Busting Out All Over! – Pokémon Season 11, Episode 49

Plot episodeBarry debutsAsh beats Barry

Barry’s Busting Out All Over! is the 49th episode of Pokémon DP: Battle Dimension, the eleventh season of the Pokémon anime, and the 564th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 568, Bulbapedia code DP101). It first aired in Japan on 6 November 2008 and in the United States on 11 April 2009. It falls within the season’s Grotle, Barry, the Relic Badge & Canalave stretch (EP98–EP104).

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

Back in Hearthome City for Ash’s fifth Gym battle, Ash rushes up to the Hearthome Gym, but a Trainer inside flings the door open, knocking Ash and Pikachu down the stairs, blames Ash for it, declares himself powerful and runs off, dropping his Badge case with three Badges inside. Fantina explains that her latest challenger, a boy from Twinleaf Town, has just beaten her, and since her Pokémon need rest, Ash’s battle is postponed until the next day. At the Pokémon Center the same Trainer collides with Ash again, snatches back his Badge case on the assumption that Ash stole it, and then recognises him from the Hearthome Tag Battle Competition, where Ash was teamed with Paul, whom he considers far stronger. Dawn recognises him as Barry, with whom she once sang a duet at the Twinleaf Festival, but Barry does not remember her and mocks her as the Trainer who lost to Paul. He has no memory of Brock either.

Ash challenges Barry and sends out Chimchar, which Barry recognises as Paul’s and assumes Ash traded for, refusing to believe that Paul abandoned it. Barry boasts of his three Badges and is briefly shaken when Ash reveals four, then realises that his Poké Balls are in storage and runs off. The “storage booth” turns out to be Team Rocket’s scheme to steal Trainers’ Pokémon, and Brock and Fantina both sense something is wrong as it collapses and the trio take off in their balloon with their motto. Barry cuts them off, Ash’s Gliscor joins in, and Fantina’s Mismagius confuses Seviper with Psybeam before Gliscor’s X-Scissor pops the balloon. Barry recovers his Poké Balls from the fallen bag and sends out Empoleon, whose Hydro Cannon blasts Seviper away; it won him the Forest Badge, he explains, and he praises the Cacnea he faced at the Eterna Gym. James, amazed to learn that his old partner has mastered Drain Punch, rushes over to quiz him.

Piplup’s Bubble Beam, Pikachu’s Thunderbolt and Empoleon’s Hyper Beam blast Team Rocket off again, and Fantina returns the stolen Pokémon to their Trainers. Barry tells Ash that if Empoleon is not strong enough he will simply find stronger Pokémon, as Paul does, and Ash argues that training and bonding are what matter. Barry admits he is impatient to catch up with Paul, but when he mocks Ash for losing to Paul, Ash’s temper flares and Barry challenges him to a three-on-three battle, refereed by Brock at the Pokémon Center. Chimchar dodges Staraptor’s attacks with Dig and defeats it with Flamethrower, Barry’s Roserade beats Chimchar with Poison Jab, and Gliscor and Roserade knock each other out. Finally Pikachu, nearly beaten by Empoleon’s Steel Wing and Hyper Beam, rallies to Ash’s encouragement and wins with Thunderbolt and Volt Tackle. A stunned Barry insists Ash was lucky, and Ash tells him to watch his Gym battle with Fantina the next day.

Major Events

• Barry debuts. Barry has three Badges and has just beaten Fantina
• Team Rocket’s storage-booth scam
• James learns that Cacnea has mastered Drain Punch
• Ash beats Barry three-on-three
• Grotle replaces Turtwig in the Japanese opening
• Empoleon’s TV debut

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Empoleon#0395 · DP101

Trivia

• The English title plays on “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” from Carousel — Barry’s Japanese name is Jun.
• The screenplay is by Shinzō Fujita.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Sinnoh storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• The Team Magma and Team Aqua grunt battle theme from the Generation III games
• Grotle replaces Turtwig in the Japanese opening

Part of our Pokémon DP: Battle Dimension guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.