SM004

First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style! (Japanese: モクロー登場！アローラでポケモンゲットだぜ！！ It's ! Catching Pokémon in Alola!!) is the fourth episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 943rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on November 24, 2016 as a one-hour special alongside SM003, in Canada on April 8, 2017, in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2017, and in the United States on May 14, 2017.
==Blurb==
While Ash tries to catch his first Pokémon in the Alola region, Team Rocket is making friends with a Mimikyu and a Bewear, who carried them off to its cave so it could take care of them. When a flock of Pikipek steal Bewear’s food, the villains decide payback is in order!
Meanwhile, Ash has been sharing his lunch with a hungry Rowlet, and when he follows it back to its Pikipek friends, he runs right into Team Rocket catching the entire flock in a net! Rowlet frees its friends and sends Team Rocket packing (with help from Bewear), and then joins Ash on his journey!
==Plot==
In the Melemele Island marketplace, receives some from Anela. As Litten eats, a flock of fly overhead led by a . Behind them, a tries to keep up. They all swoop down on the market, taking berries and fruit from the stalls as the Rowlet spies a wind chime. The flock fly off with the fruit and berries as Rowlet takes the wind chime. Anela invites Litten to come back for food. In the forest, and are battling a , which they hope to make their first capture in the Alola region. Pikachu attacks Grubbin as provides Ash with information about Grubbin as Pikachu weakens Grubbin with . Ash throws a , which begins to shake, only for Grubbin to pop back out. Grubbin goes underground as Pikachu gets ready to attack. Grubbin emerges from the ground and scares .
The battle continues, but Pikachu is soon defeated, allowing Grubbin to escape. After checking on Pikachu, shows Ash the way to the Pokémon Center as the others head back to school. is outside her whilst are inside. Jessie makes several attempts to capture , but Mimikyu is able to swat the ball away. They fear that Bewear will eat them and Mimikyu is the only one they can use against it. This causes James to drop a Luxury Ball on the floor, which Jessie notices and decides to use. Despite James's protests, Jessie throws the ball at Mimikyu and catches it. Before Jessie can pick it up, Bewear returns, but instead of eating them, Bewear feeds them some honey, which they find incredibly sweet. At a nearby Pokémon Center, Ash and Mallow are greeted by Nurse Joy, , and . Nurse Joy is happy to help Pikachu and Blissey takes Pikachu off for treatment. Ash notices Comfey, a Pokémon he hasn't seen before and asks Rotom for data which it provides along with data on Blissey. Ash and Mallow agree this makes them the perfect Pokémon to assist Nurse Joy.
Pikachu soon returns after being treated where Nurse Joy informs Ash that Pikachu is now fully healed. Rotom decides to test Pikachu by pulling on its tail which results in everyone getting zapped with Thunderbolt. Later, Rowlet, Trumbeak and the Pikipek return to the nest with their haul. and Trumbeak aren't impressed with the wind chime Rowlet brings back and Trumbeak gives a lecture but grows annoyed when Rowlet falls asleep before sending Rowlet off to bring back some food. The next day, whilst having breakfast, Ash vows that today he will capture a Pokémon. Rotom explains they have a strong chance of capturing Pokémon in the forest behind the school. Mallow confirms this, because that is where she caught , who releases a sweet smell. This catches the attention of Rowlet, who mistakes it for food and dives down to grab it, only for Bounsweet to fight back. As Rotom provides information on Rowlet, Mallow explains that Bounsweet is used to it as Rotom explains that the smell Bounsweet released tends to attract Pokémon.
At that moment, Rowlet comes back for another attack but is bounced back onto a power line and falls, but Ash saves it. When Rowlet comes round, Ash checks Rowlet and sees that it is okay, after which Rowlet notices some fruit and happily starts eating as Ash offers it a banana. Later, once Rowlet has finished, Ash gives its head a stroke before asking Rowlet if it would like to join his team, but Rowlet spots a watermelon and flies off with it. Ash and Mallow chase after it. Back at Bewear's den, Bewear is nowhere to be seen. Team Rocket, now feeling full thanks to Bewear's food, prepare to leave. Jessie grabs the Luxury Ball with Mimikyu inside, but as they go to leave, the Pikipek and Trumbeak swoop in and take Bewear's berries. They decide to get the berries back to thank Bewear for her generosity, which James and Meowth agree to do.
Back at the nest, Toucannon awaits the return of Rowlet along with the return of Pikipek and Trumbeak and remembers hatching the Pikipek eggs which also include Rowlet's. Rowlet returns with the watermelon which Toucannon is pleased with. Trumbeak and the Pikipek return, also pleased, just as Ash and Mallow arrive and notice the family. As Rotom provides information on the evolutionary line, Ash is surprised on seeing how many friends Rowlet has. Suddenly, Team Rocket fires several nets which captures the Pikipek, Toucannon and Trumbeak and say their motto. Ash orders them to let the Pokémon go, but they won't after they stole Bewear's food. Meowth fires another net which grabs Bewear's berries, as Jessie sends out Mimikyu to battle Pikachu. As the battle progresses, Ash tells Rowlet to save its friends. Rowlet manages to cut through the net containing the Pikipek with one kick, which annoys Team Rocket.
Rowlet goes to free Toucannon and Trumbeak, but after seeing Pikachu about to get hit, Rowlet launches its own attack before flying Pikachu out of the way. After making sure Pikachu is alright, the battle continues as Rowlet releases Toucannon and Trumbeak. The battle continues but is stopped when Bewear arrives and carries them away. Once they are gone, the Pikipek and Trumbeak thank Rowlet for saving them. Seeing Rowlet is happy with its family, Ash says goodbye to Rowlet and decides to leave without catching it. Rowlet looks upset about this but Toucannon nudges Rowlet, encouraging Rowlet to go with them. Rowlet flies into Ash's backpack. Ash is surprised but realizes Rowlet wishes to join his team much to Rotom's surprise. Rowlet flies into the air as Ash brings out a Poké Ball and throws it at Rowlet, successfully catching it, to the surprise of Rotom. Mallow is also surprised but guesses Ash has done this before. Ash brings Rowlet back out, who flies into his backpack, which Ash guesses Rowlet likes as Rotom updates its data on Rowlet.
==Major events==
* tries and fails to a .
* James is revealed to own a Luxury Ball.
* Jessie uses James's Luxury Ball to catch the that had encountered earlier.
* Ash catches a .
===Debuts===
====Humans====
* Anela
====Pokémon debuts====
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* Nurse Joy
* Anela
* Stallholder
* Citizens
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: 
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; new; debut)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; new)
* ()
* (; debut)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's; ×2)
* (Trainer's)
* (stallholder's)
* ()
* ()
* (multiple; ; debut)
* (; debut)
* (; debut)
* 
* 
* (fantasy)
* (fantasy)
==Trivia==
* : 
* The first airing in Japan didn't include a Poké Problem as it aired as a one-hour special alongside SM003, only including the first Poké Problem. But it was included on other stations that aired the episode in delay and VOD services (Prime Video, Netflix and Hulu).
* Poké Problem: In today's episode, which of these will Ash ?
** Host: 
** Choices: , , , 
** Answer: 
* Viewers could answer the Poké Problem during the airing of SM003 and SM004 to take part in a lottery of five .
* During the first airing on TV Tokyo as one-hour special viewers could take part in a , in which 10 viewers could win a New Nintendo 3DS XL Pikachu Edition and copies of Pokémon Sun and Moon.
* This episode marks the first appearance of the Alola Nurse Joy design.
** This episode also reveals that the Nurse Joys working in the Alola region use and as assistants.
*** In the process, this episode marks the first appearance of a Blissey in the since last appeared in Uncrushing Defeat!, 344 episodes earlier.
* This episode marks the first time a Pokémon has been by a main character in a Poké Ball variant since caught in A Corsola Caper!, 730 episodes earlier.
* This marks the first time that Ash has obtained a dual-typed first partner Pokémon since his evolved into in The Fleeing Tower of Sunnyshore!, 311 episodes earlier.
* This is the last episode in which catches a Pokémon, not counting temporary captures.
* This is the last episode where Jessie catches a Pokémon.
* , Ash, , , , , and Ash's Pikachu narrate the preview for the next episode.
===Errors===
* When breaks out of the , the Poké Ball is shown to be closed. However, when Grubbin escapes, the Poké Ball is shown to be open.
* The Pokémon TV blurb misspells as "Bewar".
===Dub edits===
==In other languages==
004
Category:Episodes written by Aya Matsui
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hiromasa Amano
Category:Episodes directed by Ryō Nakano
Category:Episodes animated by Sayuri Ichiishi
Category:Episodes animated by Mizuho Tajima
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Mallow
Category:Episodes focusing on Team Rocket
Category:Episodes focusing on Mimikyu
Category:Episodes which aired in Canada before the United States
Category:Episodes which aired in the United Kingdom before the United States
de:Alola-Fang à la Ash Ketchum!
es:EP947
fr:SL004
it:SL004
ja:SM編第4話
zh:宝可梦 太阳＆月亮 第4集