EP273

Gotta Catch Ya Later!

EP273   サヨナラ…そして、たびだち！ Goodbye... And Then, Setting off!

First broadcast Japan November 7, 2002 United States October 18, 2003

English themes Opening Believe in Me Ending

Japanese themes Opening Ready Go! Ending ポケッターリ・モンスターリ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 園田英樹 Hideki Sonoda Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane No additional credits are available at this time.

Gotta Catch Ya Later! (Japanese: サヨナラ…そして、たびだち！ Goodbye... And Then, Setting off!) is episode 273 of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 7, 2002 and in the United States on October 18, 2003.

With Ash's adventures in Johto over, some surprises result in a few farewells. Though Team Rocket are still after Pikachu...

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Major events

• Daisy, Violet, and Lily give Gym Leader status to Misty.
• Misty gets her bike back, now mended.
• Ash, Brock and Misty go their seperate ways.
• Ash sees Ho-oh again.
• Ash leaves all his Pokémon besides Pikachu at Professor Oak's lab.
• Ash changes his clothes.
• Ash heads to Hoenn.

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Nurse Joy
• Tracey
• Professor Oak
• Gary Oak
• Delia Ketchum
• Daisy
• Violet
• Lily
• Invincible Pokémon Brothers
• Erika (Flashback; Japanese version only)

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Hoppip

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Politoed (Misty's)
• Forretress (Brock's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Mr. Mime (Delia's)
• Ho-oh (anime)
• Hitmonchan (Kim's)
• Hitmonlee (Kail's)
• Hitmontop (Kai's)
• Squirtle (Ash's; flashback)
• Lapras (Ash's; flashback)
• Vulpix (Brock's; flashback)
• Sentret (3; flashback)
• Gloom (Erika's; flashback, Japanese version only)

Trivia

The name of this episode refers to the original catchphrase of the Pokémon series, "Gotta Catch 'em All!"

Dub edits

• The flashback about the good times Misty spent with her friends is different in both versions: the dubbed English flashback focuses on Misty's relationship with Ash, while the original Japanese flashback focuses on Misty's accomplishments as a Pokémon trainer and as a friend, and even ends with a group shot of Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Togepi, Brock, and Tracey (specifically created for this episode). The original flashback plays a really dramatic piece of music, while the dub flashback plays a brand new vocal song:

Goodbye, funny how that's such a hard thing to say.

Now it's time to let go but...never thought I'd feel this way.

Promised not to be sad but...we both knew I was lying.

Gotta fight back the tears cause can't let you see me crying

You're more than just my best friend

What makes me misty most of all,

In our final curtain call,

Is knowing that I won't see you again.

In other languages

• French: Les adieux
• Italian: Gli addii

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.