AG025

A Mudkip Mission (Japanese: 秘密の池！ミズゴロウがいっぱい！？ Secret Pond! Full of !?) is the 25th episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 299th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on May 15, 2003, and in the United States on March 13, 2004.
==Blurb==
As our heroes set out on their journey again, they encounter a waterfall. Brock ties a rope to a rock and, with Lotad's help, wraps it on a branch above the waterfall. After Brock helps everyone up the rope, they discover a lake filled with Mudkip. Brock notices a baby being washed away in the current and sends Lotad to help. Lotad gets caught as well and a larger Mudkip jumps in and saves them both. At this point an older man comes out, afraid that Ash and company are trying to steal the Mudkip. They explained what happened and are invited in for lunch.
The man explains that he takes care of and raises the Mudkip in the lake. He even shows them a baby Mudkip hatching out of an egg. He explains that while most Mudkip leave to explore the world, the larger one stayed to protect the babies. Throughout lunch, Team Rocket is debating whether or not to enter the lake area. They of course, do so, knocking over some cans that the caretaker had set up as sort of a security system. The man hears the noise and goes to inspect what is going on. Team Rocket destroys the dam so that the Mudkip are washed away and they can catch them easier. Brock uses his Pokémon to save the Mudkip. The larger Mudkip jumps in the water to rescue a baby that was being washed away, only to get caught in the current itself. It clings to a rock on the side of the water fall and finally agrees to let Brock rescue it.
Team Rocket arrives again, this time in a robot with scoops for hands, which they use to capture the baby Mudkip. Brock tells Lotad and Mudkip to use Water Gun at the base of the robot, which creates a mud pit and sinks Team Rocket. Pikachu then sends Team Rocket on their way. The show ends with the large Mudkip deciding to leave the lake with Brock.
==Plot==
While the group walks along a river, announces that it is time for another installment of "May's Expeditions". As May continues to hold her fingers to form a camera position, Max declares that he hopes they'll come across some new Pokémon. As they continue to walk, they come to a waterfall. Faced with a hard climb up the steep cliff, sends out his . He ties a rope around a stone, throws it up into the air, and has Lotad use to propel it up to catch on a tree branch at the top. After checking the rope to make sure it is secure, Brock climbs up first and the others follow behind. When Brock reaches the top, May is already there to help everyone up. asks how May beat them and she says she used her to glide up. Max remarks if she were a real reporter she wouldn't give away her secret.
Everyone examines their surroundings. Max checks his PokéNav and he reveals that the river is split by an island, hence the gentler flow. The group continues to explore the wilderness. Shortly after, Brock warns them that the ground will be muddy ahead. They step out of the fog and see lots of baby playing in the lake. Ash scans them with his Pokédex. May isn’t too thrilled as she recalls her first encounter with a Mudkip left her soaked. However, she quickly changes her mind, remarking the Mudkip are adorable, and rushes out to catch one for herself. A bigger Mudkip suddenly emerges from the bushes and uses Water Gun to keep her away. May bemoans her luck with Pokémon. Just then, one of the baby Mudkip falls into the river during a play fight and is soon swept away by the current. Everyone notices its plight and Brock quickly orders his Lotad to save it. Lotad jumps into the water and soon reaches the Mudkip, but the current is too strong for him and pulls him along too. Brock begins running to intervene, but the big manages to pull Lotad and the baby back to the shore itself. Brock goes to thank the Mudkip for its help, but it leaps back with an angry look. Brock assures the Mudkip of his good intentions and apologizes for May's actions. The others approach, but the Mudkip flees into the forest. Brock turns his attention to the young Mudkip and is pleased to see it is unharmed. Suddenly, a peculiar man with a Mudkip fin-like hairstyle pops out of the bushes. Ash and May initially mistake the guy for a Mudkip monster, but they quickly realize he is human when he scolds them for attempting to steal the Mudkip. Max quickly settles the situation, and the baby Mudkip's chirps also reassure the man that Brock actually saved the infant. 
They go back to the man's house, whose real name is Old Man Swamp or Swampy for short, for some tea. Brock spots some s in a glass case, and Swampy reveals that those are Mudkip Eggs. He explains that he raises the Mudkip from Eggs he receives from the Pokémon League to be the first partner Pokémon for s starting their journeys in the Hoenn region. Swampy adds that Professor Birch also catches and raises first partner Pokémon. Max exclaims that it is like being a , though Brock retorts that it is a little different. Upon hearing this, Swampy takes the group outside to witness some Mudkip hatch. A Mudkip emerges from its shell and immediately sprays May in the face with a Water Gun. Brock informs Swampy that a large Mudkip helped save one of Swampy’s hatchlings. Old Man Swamp expresses worry about the larger protective Mudkip, adding that it is actually a wild Pokémon and is too boisterous for a new Trainer and that soon it will be left alone when its friends go off to start their own Pokémon journeys with new Trainers. 
Later, stumble across Swampy's property fence and are left confused by why it’s out in the middle of nowhere. James suggests the fence might be to protect something valuable. With the thought of treasure, Jessie and James call out and respectively, to attack the fence. Seviper's proves useless. Cacnea, however, uses which knocks James directly into the fence and incidentally breaks it. emerges from his , triggering one of Swampy’s wires in the process. The rattling cans alert Swampy to the trespassers and he rushes to confront them, with Ash and following behind. Brock, however, is led away to the river as the Mudkip from earlier appears before him. Mudkip emerges from its hiding spot again, so Brock offers it some Pokémon food to befriend it. Brock is unsurprised by Mudkip's hesitance, admitting that they had only just met.
Meanwhile, Swampy, Ash, Max, and May reach the boundary fence and inspect the extensive damage. Cackling laughter attracts everyone's attention to the culprits as the Rocket trio performs their . Old Man Swamp declares he knows that they're trying to steal the Mudkip. Jessie and her teammates are thrilled to hear that there are Mudkip to be stolen and begin fantasizing about their big promotions. As May scolds Swampy for informing Team Rocket of the Mudkip, he retorts that he has never been able to keep a secret. Swampy says that breaking down the nearby dam would wash all of the young Mudkip away, only to realize he has just revealed yet another secret. James promptly calls out Cacnea and orders it to use Needle Arm. However, Cacnea lashes James with the attack, sending him through the dam wall. 
The escaping water catches Brock's attention. As a large wave heads directly for the Mudkip, Brock sends out his to keep the water at bay with while he and Lotad take the Mudkip to higher ground. Brock soon spots a young Mudkip caught in the raging current, though the large Mudkip dives in to rescue it. Mudkip reaches the young one, but it is unable to swim to shore and the pair are sent over the waterfall. Mudkip manages to cling onto a rock, with the baby in its mouth, as the waterfall beats down on it. Brock quickly spots his rope from earlier, still tied to the tree, and promptly leaps into the water. He urges Mudkip to grab his hand, and after some desperate pleas, it outstretches its tail. Brock strains to reach through and manages to pull the pair of Mudkip to safety, while everyone hoists Brock to the top. Swampy thanks Brock for another excellent rescue, but Brock again offers all the credit to Mudkip.
The crashes of fallen trees alert everyone to Team Rocket, who are now operating their Mechanized Mudkip Maiden. The trio gets to work scooping up all of the Mudkip with their mecha's shovel hands. Brock suddenly remembers the area's loamy soil, so he calls for Lotad and Mudkip to use Water Gun on the ground. Team Rocket is confused by the tactic but quickly realizes that their mecha is sinking into the ground. Mudkip tackles the robot's loot bag, which frees all of the captive Mudkip. Finally, Ash commands to blast Team Rocket off with a signature , destroying the Mechanized Mudkip Maiden. Afterward, Old Man Swamp thanks them for saving the Mudkip and asks Brock to take the wild Mudkip with him, to which Brock accepts. Mudkip also agrees and leaps into Brock's arms. Brock reassures Mudkip that they'll be a team, and Swampy is chuffed to see the beginnings of a new friendship, as the journey continues.
==Major events==
* tries and fails to capture a .
* James's Cacnea is revealed to know .
* catches a .
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
* Brock's Mudkip
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Max
* Jessie
* James
* Professor Birch (flashback)
* Old Man Swamp
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: 
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; new)
* ()
* ()
* (multiple)
==Trivia==
* The sequence following the Pokédex scan of two on a rock has become an Internet meme, spawning hundreds of YouTube videos with a sum of many millions of views.
* This episode is featured on Volume 10: Mudkip from Viz Media's series.
* This episode marks the first time in the that all eligible main characters have at least one of the region's first partner Pokémon. This wouldn't happen again until Mega-Mega Meowth Madness!, 510 episodes later.
* This episode marks the first time that a main character besides has caught a first partner Pokémon.
** This is also the only time that has obtained a first partner Pokémon.
===Errors===
* In the flashback, says "The ground around here is so soft". However, what he actually said at that time was, "Feels like it's pretty muddy over here".
* When Brock is trying to save Mudkip and the baby Mudkip, disappears.
* In the English dub, during 's flashback of getting attacked by Mudkip, she says, "How'd I do?". She originally said, "That supposed to happen?".
===Dub edits===
==In other languages==
025
Category:Episodes written by Junki Takegami
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yoshito Hata
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yoshito Hata
Category:Episodes directed by Yoshito Hata
Category:Episodes animated by Kumiko Shishido
Category:Episodes focusing on Brock
Category:Episodes in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon
de:Der alte Moormann
es:EP301
fr:AG025
it:RZ025
ja:AG編第25話
zh:宝可梦 超世代 第25集