RotomDex: Professor, where's Stoutland?
Professor Kukui: I'm sorry.
Japanese Title: Time for Nyabby to Leave the Nest!
Original Airdate: April 6, 2017
US Airdate: July 1, 2017
Litten interrupts a battle between Ash and Team Rocket, begging for Ash's help. Stoutland is in trouble. But this time, there may be nothing anybody can do about it.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Upon witnessing Ash and his Pokémon not leaving its side when Stoutland passed away along with a friendly battle, Litten decided to be part of the group.
- A Death in the Limelight: It's not explicitly said, but the symbolism in play strongly implies that Stoutland dies.
- Cooldown Hug: Bewear hugs Meowth gently when she sees Meowth depressed.
- Don't Ask: Professor Kukui's simple answer when RotomDex asks where Stoutland went in the Japanese. Notably, this is the first time in the entire anime that a Pokemon has died of natural causes (other Pokemon deaths, such as Latios and Lucario, were due to Heroic Sacrifice).
- Eye Catch: The Dare da? is Stoutland.
- Five Stages of Grief: Litten only goes through the Depression and Acceptance stages, wailing at the sky when Stoutland dies and then finds comfort that he's okay.
- Incurable Cough of Death: From its first appearance in the episode, Stoutland is weakly coughing.
- It Always Rains at Funerals: The actual scene that marks the end for Stoutland is punctuated as it begins to rain when the last leaf falls off the old tree by the bridge where Stoutland and Litten were sleeping. It eventually shows Litten wailing on one side of the bridge, while Ash and Professor Kukui stand on the other side of the bridge with umbrellas.
- Mood Whiplash: First part of the episode? Adorable hijinks and Litten taking care of Stoutland. Second part? Litten mourning Stoutland's death.
- Moment Killer: Team Rocket is interrupted right at the end of their motto when Litten blasts them with Ember, then rushes to Ash, mewling hysterically for his help.
- Never Say "Die": The words "die" and "death" are never said (even having the sound muted when Nurse Joy confirms it), but with the symbolism the episode uses, it's obvious what's happening.
- Never Found the Body: The elderly Stoutland decides to leave Litten behind to spare the heartache of poor Litten seeing him dead.
- Not So Invincible After All: This episode shows that despite their great powers, even Pokémon are capable of succumbing to something as mundane as old age.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Every instance of this is to hit home how serious an episode this is.
- Litten was always resistant to Ash's help, and to help Ash's Pokémon. But when Stoutland collapsed, Ash was the one human that Litten ran to for help.
- Take a quick look at the unheard conversation between Ash and Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center. Blissey, the personification of happiness among Pokémon, is frowning.
- Bewear gently hugs Meowth to comfort him. Even Meowth decides not to go after Litten after realizing what's going on.
- Pet the Dog: Meowth is genuinely concerned for Litten throughout the episode, trying but failing to console it, and later telling a confused Ash he wants it under good care.
- Recycled Premise: A fire type starter owned by Ash with a sad background...didn’t we have this with Charmander, Chimchar, and Tepig?
- Rule of Symbolism: The tree. It only has a few leaves left at the beginning of the episode, and the final leaf falls when Stoutland has vanished. That fall is triggered when the couch Stoutland was sleeping on collapses.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: After Litten interrupts Team Rocket, the comedy is completely dropped. The only other time Jessie and James appear in the episode is to point out that Meowth's feeling moody.
- Sky Face: At the end of the episode, Litten sees Stoutland's figure in the clouds as the rain stops.
- Skyward Scream: Once it starts raining, Litten can only scream in absolute agony while Ash, Professor Kukui and Rotom watch on unable to help.
- This Means War!: Although Meowth is glad that Litten ends up in Ash's charge at the end, he makes clear that this means he is now the enemy.
- Too Unhappy to Be Hungry: Ash brings Litten a bag full of Berries after Stoutland's death, but the grieving Pokemon at first refuses to touch any of them.
- Very Special Episode: This episode is the first time in Pokémon anime history that talks about death and mourning. It's also the first time a Pokémon is shown to die of old age.
- Wham Episode: The elderly Stoutland dies.
