Japanese Title: Pikachu is Born!
Original Airdate: November 15, 2019
UK Airdate: May 25, 2020 (special airing)
US Airdate: June 12, 2020
The story of a Pichu learning about love, friendship, and family.
Four years before the present day, Ash Ketchum was supposed to go to a special Pokémon summer camp.
Meanwhile, a young Pichu finds himself alone, and is adopted by a Kangaskhan. The bond between Pichu, Kangaskhan, and its daughter, will one day change the life of the boy who slept in. But at this summer camp, they will set in motion events that lead to a chance encounter between another boy, Goh, and the elusive mythical Pokémon, Mew.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- But Now I Must Go: Pichu quietly leaves one night because he and the baby Kangaskhan have grown too big for both to occupy the mother Kangaskhan's pouch.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Mew manages to enter combat with a Nidoking, only to send back the Pokémon's own moves back at him.
- Decoy Protagonist: Ash is only in the story because he was supposed to go to Pokémon summer camp, but slept in. He is then seen in a flashback to his first meeting with Pikachu.
- Deus ex Machina: Mew appears to save Kangaskhan's baby and Pichu. Goh ends up catching a glimpse of Mew as a result.
- First-Person Perspective: Ash and Pikachu's first meeting happens as it did in the first episode, but is presented this time from Pikachu's point of view.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: Pikachu evolves out of the love he feels for the Kangaskhan family, referencing how the Pikachu line initially evolves via friendship.
- Innocent Prodigy: Goh showcases great knowledge of Pokémon which impresses the rest of the class, but Chloe calls him out for stealing the spotlight away from Professor Oak.
- Kangaroo Pouch Ride: As expected with Kangaskhan, Pichu rides alongside the baby in the mother's pouch.
- Mundane Utility: A group of Chansey has made friends with the group of Kangaskhan and feeds them their eggs to gain strength, which apparently respawn immediately. This is probably a representation of Softboiled.
- Mythology Gag: Ash slept in on the day of the Pokémon summer camp. The Time Skip to the present day begins with him sleeping in on the day he's supposed to begin his own Pokémon journey, and getting Pikachu.
- Noodle Incident: How Pikachu ends up in the possession of Professor Oak remains a mystery.
- Origins Episode: The primary focus of the story is Pikachu's upbringing as a Pichu.
- Power Copying: During Mew's fight, it utilizes the exact same moves thrown its way and more given its trait of being able to learn all known moves in the world (well, except certain ones such as Crabhammer).
- The Power of Love: When Pichu leaves Kangaskhan, he remembers the good times they had together and evolves into Pikachu.
- Primal Chest-Pound: Nidoking does this before attacking Mew with Fire Blast.
- Rule of Three: Nidoking uses Earth Power, Sludge Wave and Fire Blast against Mew and Mew uses those attacks back and Nidoking and knocks him out.
- Timeshifted Actor: Hana Takeda and Kei Shindo voice the child versions of Ash and Goh. Averted in the dub where Sarah Natochenny and Zeno Robinson do the roles.
- When It All Began: The episode dedicates a section to the birth of Goh's dream of catching Mew.
- Whole Episode Flashback: Almost the entire episode takes place four years in the past, while Ash and Goh are six years old.
