JN040

A Crackling Raid Battle! (Japanese: VSサンダー！伝説レイドバトル！！ VS ! A Legendary Raid Battle!!) is the 40th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,125th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on October 9, 2020, in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2021, and in the United States on March 5, 2021.
==Blurb==
Just as Professor Cerise tells our heroes that the presence of a Legendary Pokémon has been detected nearby, thunder strikes, and Goh is certain that can mean only one thing: Zapdos! A blackout adds to that evidence, and when Ash and Goh visit the Power Plant, Goh is proven correct! After briefly (and unsuccessfully) joining forces with Team Rocket, our heroes battle the Legendary Pokémon! Of course, Goh tries to catch it, but it breaks free—and before flying away, it shares some of its electricity with the Electric-type Pokémon gathered nearby. Later, Professor Cerise shares his theory: Zapdos had been using the Power Plant to recharge its own electricity!
==Plot==
On a hot day in Vermilion City, and Goh are enjoying some shaved ice from an automatic ice-making machine, though Chloe cannot understand their enthusiasm. The device suddenly stops working. Next, they notice the lights inside the Cerise Laboratory are flickering and suspect it might be a prank by Ash's Gengar. Professor Cerise steps outside, greeting them with a smile as he announces that a strong pulse of energy has been detected, indicating a rare Pokémon has appeared. Goh spots a dark thundercloud appear, and deduces that the legendary bird is coming. Cerise orders his research assistants to watch Vermilion Harbor, suspecting that Zapdos will arrive there shortly. Goh is determined to catch Zapdos and reveals that he has his on hand to help. Ash, however, argues that he will be the first to battle Zapdos, sparking a heated exchange between him and Goh. The thundercloud suddenly disappears and Zapdos fails to make any appearance leaving the boys disappointed.
The boys walk off, with Goh proposing the age-old question as to whether the Pokémon or Pokémon Egg came first. Ash is perplexed, though Goh asks himself if Zapdos lives in thunderclouds, or whether it creates them. He notes that no one has come up with a clear answer to such mysteries. They see Chloe, who explains that she is waiting for a bus back home while her father is still trying to deal with the sudden blackout at the lab. Chloe adds that her house meanwhile didn't suffer a blackout, a detail that piques Goh's interest. Goh gets a call on his Rotom Phone, with Professor Cerise announcing that more thunderclouds have appeared over the Harbor. Ash is keen to rush over to investigate, but Goh suggests they go in the opposite direction based on a gut feeling. They reach the Kanto Power Plant, an unmanned facility which supplies Cerise Laboratory with electricity. Ash is curious about Goh’s thinking, to which Goh, finally answering his earlier query, explains that the Pokémon comes first.
Inside, Goh literally bumps into , taking the boys by surprise. Ash is quick to accuse the trio of causing the power outage, but Team Rocket defends their innocence and replies that they were scouting the location as a potential second base. Goh isn't pleased to hear that they were up to another scheme anyway. A sudden cry, with Goh suspecting that Zapdos must be nearby, sends everyone into a frenzy of excitement. They soon discover that Zapdos has arrived inside the generator room. They watch in awe as Zapdos absorbs the electricity from the Power Plant, helping to explain the wave of blackouts back at the lab. Ash challenges Zapdos and selects , Goh chooses , while Team Rocket summon the Rocket Prize Master to receive a and . Zapdos quickly deals a blow, knocking Raboot and Pikachu down with a zap. Zapdos next tries to attack Rhydon and Stunfisk, but they withstand the attack as they are both Pokémon. The revelation bolsters Team Rocket’s spirits, as Jessie orders Rhydon to use and James calls for a attack. However, Rhydon instead starts attacking the walls while Stunfisk’s attack is weak. Ash and Goh order Pikachu and Raboot to use , but Zapdos retaliates with some electric attacks. To overcome their tough opponent, Team Rocket and the boys join forces in a Raid Battle against Zapdos. The Legendary bird attacks again, but it misses its mark. As Raboot rushes forward with a Quick Attack, Jessie orders Rhydon to shadow Raboot's movements and block any oncoming attacks. James also offers assistance, having Stunfisk carry Pikachu on its back. Jessie calls for a next, but the attack, along with Pikachu's and Raboot’s , all fail to hit their mark. Zapdos escapes outside through the broken ceiling windows. Goh rushes to the elevator, hoping to reach the rooftop in time to continue battling Zapdos. Ash, however, is stopped in his tracks, as Team Rocket returns their focus to their original plan – to catch Pikachu. Ash orders Goh to go after Zapdos while he handles Team Rocket. Goh complies and reaches the rooftop to continue battling Zapdos by himself.
Suspecting that an aerial battle may unfold, Goh calls out his Flygon. The approaches with while Zapdos continue to unleash powerful attacks. Goh orders a attack next, which scores a direct hit on Zapdos. With that, Goh tosses a and Zapdos is temporarily trapped inside. The Ball rocks for several moments before Zapdos bursts out. Ash meets Goh up on the rooftop, having sent Team Rocket blasting off, and suggests Goh keep battling. The morale boost fuels Goh's next moves, as Goh orders Flygon to carry Raboot into the air. Flygon glides past the electric attacks with ease before ordering Raboot to attack with Double Kick. Raboot misses the mark and Zapdos retaliates with a direct hit of electricity. Flygon soars down just in time to break Raboot's fall, gently landing near Goh. Goh is frustrated by the setback, but Raboot gets back onto its feet and asserts that it is willing to continue fighting. Goh has Flygon and Raboot return to the skies. Flygon unleashes a shower, and as Zapdos batters the projectiles away, Raboot moves in close using the Draco Meteor shower as stepping stones. Goh calls for another Double Kick, but Raboot learns a new move in its determination and instead strikes Zapdos down with a . Zapdos hits the rooftop hard while Raboot lands on the ground. Goh rushes to help Raboot up, but Raboot orders Goh to focus on catching Zapdos first with its paw. Goh throws another Poké Ball, seemingly catching Zapdos. However, a sudden lightning strike thwarts his second attempt, shattering the Ball. Zapdos emerges once again, summoning a powerful thundercloud and retaliating with bolts of lightning. Pikachu is struck down by the lightning, but emerges uninjured and reenergized. Zapdos also rewards the Electric Pokémon that have gathered around the Power Plant with some voltage as well. Zapdos prepares to leave, and Goh resigns himself to the fact that a future rematch is in order with his Pokémon too exhausted to battle any further. He declares that the battle was fun and waves goodbye to the Legendary bird as it flies into the distance.
Returning to the lab, Professor Cerise and the boys review the new data on Zapdos. Cerise concludes that Zapdos probably used the Power Plant to restore its energy levels after being left exhausted from producing the thunderstorm seen over Vermilion Harbor. Goh is thrilled by the discovery, declaring that Zapdos not only creates thunderclouds but also lives inside them. Cerise adds that Zapdos can control electricity and gain strength from it as well. Professor Cerise thanks Ash and Goh for obtaining such invaluable information.
==Major events==
* Jessie and James participate in a Raid Battle for the first time.
* Goh's Flygon is revealed to know and .
* Goh's Raboot learns .
* Goh tries and fails to a .
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* Goh
* Jessie
* James
* Chloe
* Officer Jenny
* Professor Cerise
* Trainers
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: 
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (Professor Cerise's; Rotom Phone)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* 
* (×4)
* (×2)
* (×2)
* (×4)
==Trivia==
* Get Inspired! Let's Solve a Poké Riddle!!: 
* From this episode onward, the moves from its Sunday 6:00 PM timeslot to a Friday 6:55 PM slot.
* This marks the first time in the animated series where a main character has actively tried to a Legendary Pokémon, as well as the first instance since All Fired Up!, 1,051 episodes ago, that a main character other than Jessie or James has ever expressed interest in catching one.
* １・２・３ is used as an insert song near the end of Goh's against .
* This episode marks the first appearance of a number of Pokémon species in the main series after long absences:
** , who last appeared in Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!, 406 episodes earlier.
** , who last appeared in The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!, 264 episodes earlier.
** , who last appeared in An Electrifying Rage!, 250 episodes earlier.
* The staff list for this episode was not revealed until after its Japanese premiere.
* In the dub, right before the Trainers decide on a Raid Battle, a frightened Meowth says "" This is a reference to the popular Mexican TV show .
* , Goh, and narrate the preview for the next episode.
===Errors===
* When Goh tries catching Zapdos the second time, the black strip between the red and white sides of the is thicker than normal.
===Dub edits===
* The Japanese texts depicting and Stunfisk's and names are edited out.
==In other languages==
040
Category:Episodes written by Deko Akao
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hiromasa Amano
Category:Episodes directed by Yasuhiro Noda
Category:Episodes animated by Yoshitaka Yanagihara
Category:Episodes animated by Akira Takeuchi
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes focusing on Goh
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon learns a new move
Category:Episodes which aired in the United Kingdom before the United States
de:Ein knisternder Raid-Kampf!
es:EP1129
fr:LV040
it:EP040
ja:新無印編第40話
zh:宝可梦 旅途 第40集