PH018: Flying Pikachu, Rising Higher and Higher!

is the 18th episode of of , and of .
==Synopsis==
After Liko and Roy see Captain Pikachu momentarily hover in midair during battle, they become determined to find out why it can fly. With Dot’s help, they try to get Friede to talk about it for a video, but he refuses to give any meaningful details. The other Rising Volt Tacklers offer some clues, though, and Orla finally summons everyone to a meeting to confront Friede. He gives in and recounts the story of how he first met Captain Pikachu, formed the Rising Volt Tacklers, and launched the Brave Olivine with Orla and Ludlow’s help.
==Episode plot==
The episode starts with Dot conversing with Liko and Roy that Pikachu can't fly, with the latter two not believing it's true, as Liko recalls Pikachu flying to evade a Tackle attack from Roy's Fuecoco a while back. Roy is curious to find out how the flying Pikachu became captain, with Dot recalling that it happened at some point in the past, but it never entered her head. The two main heroes become excited about this news, and agree on a suggestion that they speak to Friede together, which Dot declines, but instead shows them a communication device with a Rotom Phone and a microphone inputted, to their confusion.
After the opening theme plays, Roy and Liko begin acting in a video with the starters, attempting to 'solve the mystery of the Flying Pikachu'. Liko opens the door, revealing Captain Pikachu and Friede staring back, but Dot explains that this new video is an attempt to 'shake things up' and increase viewership. Roy asks Friede about telling him his secret and mentions that his Pikachu was flying during battle. The two heroes encroach him in excitement, but Friede holds back, calling his Pikachu a 'leader'.
Disappointed, the two heroes walk down the Olivine steps, with Dot's device accompanying them, saying that they should talk to all the crew members, with Mollie, Murdock and Ludlow providing remembering some parts of the history between Cap and Pikachu. Orla also mentions that Friede hates talking on camera, pointing to Dot's device, before mentioning about the Olivine, which gets Roy and Liko excited once again; Orla then has an idea and puts her phone into Tannoy mode, announcing to everybody around the airship to meet up at the meeting room that she will tell about Cap and Friede's first encounter. Friede and Cap become angry at Orla's decision, and has a think before being encouraged again by the group.
Soon, the rest of the group arrive, and they all sit by the table to listen to Friede's story. The flashback starts with Friede fishing aboard a ship with Ludlow, waiting patiently for a fish, with Friede becoming annoyed at his advice, while his Charizard sleeps on the ship. Soon something big catches his rod, prompting him to start reeling with all his might. A Slowbro pops out onto the ship and drops itself back in, Friede huffs and lies down in exhaustion, while Ludlow is seen holding an Arrokuda. A defeated Friede strokes Charizard before getting a call on his phone.
Friede walks into a restaurant in Medali. In the sitting room is Liko's Mom, waving at him where she's sitting. He doffs his sunglasses and meets up with her. Lucca becomes amazed at Charizard's size before petting him. Lucca is seen wearing a ring, confirming that she's been married and Friede assuming she's become a mother, before laughing at her accomplishment. She then questions to him about his departure from Ludlow's company; he responds that he knows everything about Pokemon and wants to take an opportunity to relax from work. Lucca terminates the conversation, inviting Ludlow to meet up in the morning.
At the crack of dawn, a sleepy Friede and Charizard travel to a remote area, where Lucca has been waiting. She introduces the Pikachu currently sleeping under a tree. The Pikachu wakes up, while Friede lays on a rock. After the sun rises, Pikachu does his ritual. He spins in a circle, generating an electric tornado. Charizard prompts Friede to look at what's going on. Friede turns and looks at a very high tornado in the sky, gasping in astonishment. As soon as it dissipates, Pikachu dives down from the top, amazing him even further as he jumps off the rock. Lucca confirms that it is the Pikachu who can fly. Friede, still in disbelief, examines the Pikachu again, seeing him controlling his tail in mid-air.
As Pikachu lands safely, Friede hails the truth as "fascinating". Just as a now-injured Pikachu trundles back to sleep, Friede moves closer to him, praises him for his ability and tries to introduce himself, offering a hand; but Pikachu attacks him, prompting Lucca to check on him and the injured Pikachu. As soon as Friede gets up and moves closer to Pikachu, he runs away, prompting Friede to 'run a research reboot', going after him and giving him chase, but he ends up exhausted laying on the ground, with Charizard checking on him.
As Pikachu's stomach rumbles, Charizard and Friede offer a variety of Berries to him, but he declines, standing and squatting on his tail which astonishes Friede and Charizard again. As soon as Pikachu falls off, Friede drops the berries next to him. Pikachu takes a handful and eats them away from Friede. The next morning, Pikachu becomes annoyed at Friede's company as soon as he arrives and attacks him again, tackling him twice before delivering a Thunderbolt and pinning him down, before Lucca calls on Friede's phone, asking him for a recap about the Pikachu. Friede then plays a video of the Pikachu's Volt Tackle, which turns into a black electric tornado, leaping with its tail to rise up high while inside the cyclone, fluttering in mid-air to control flight. Lucca commends Friede for his observations, and wonders if he could get along with Pikachu, until a younger Liko calls and hugs her. She then sees the video on Lucca's screen, wondering who it is.
That night, Friede carries on his observations, along with looking over the previous material of Pikachu refusing to battle wild Staravia, him flying at the break of dawn, and him licking his own wounds. The next night, Friede drops his tripod and gives up, but Charizard notices the sun rising, prompting him to stay awake. As Pikachu sets up his Volt Tackle, Friede commands Charizard to follow it, so they set off, flying toward the top of Pikachu's black tornado, with Friede yelling at Charizard to keep going. As soon as the tornado dissipates, they all realize that they've risen up to the same height as each other. Friede observes Pikachu becoming delighted at watching the sunrise. Friede gives Pikachu a thumbs up, which Pikachu responds in delight. Soon, Pikachu falls and loses control, prompting Friede and Charizard to dive down and rescue him, which they do so successfully.
Friede helps him land back on the ground safely, tells him the truth and offers the Pikachu to travel with them, which he agrees as Friede captures Pikachu with his Poke Ball. The Pikachu hops on the back of Charizard's neck as the threesome fly together. Meanwhile, back at Ludlow's ship, Friede—with Pikachu—asks if he could board the Olivine. Orla, in the middle of work, becomes suspicious as Friede's 'ludicrous' plans, before accepting, and building the Olivine into an airship.
After several days, Friede and Pikachu become astonished at the Olivine's new look, renaming it the Brave Olivine and commending Orla for her hard work, before she demands him to pay some money, before teasing him and joining the team. When being asked if Friede could be captain, he passes the captain's hat to Pikachu instead, declaring him as the leader of the Brave Olivine, and naming the team the Rising Volt Tacklers in relevance to one of Pikachu's moves. Friede and Captain Pikachu set off on the Brave Olivine. As the flashbacks end, the group applaud and cheer at Friede's story—except for Liko, who becomes shocked that her Mom was Friede's teacher, embarrassing him, before Friede reassures her, telling her how grateful he is about how important her mom's influence has been to him.
At sunset, the group travel aboard the Brave Olivine, heading towards the Galar region.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Larry
===Pokémon===
*Orla's Metang
*Larry's Greedent
==Trivia==
*During the first airing on , the credits aired during the final scenes of the episode, with the logo over a shot of the Brave Olivine
*There is no Professor Friede's Pokémon Seminar for this episode.
*This episode premiered in Japan on Ikue Ōtani's 58th birthday.
==Gallery==
==References==