Japanese Title: Parting with Pikachu...!
Original Airdate: November 14, 2002
US Airdate: October 25, 2003
Chaos and mayhem break out when Team Rocket attacks the ship taking Ash and Pikachu to Hoenn. With only Pikachu at his side, this is Ash's greatest test yet as a Pokémon Trainer. Will it prove too taxing for Pikachu to do on his own?
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- And the Adventure Continues: "Next Time, A New Beginning!"
- Cliffhanger: The episode—and the original series as a whole—ends with Pikachu ill with a fever as they arrive at Littleroot Town.
- Double-Meaning Title: The episode's title is a Shout-Out to Home Alone, but it also references that Ash is headed to the Hoenn region without any of his friends or Pokèmon, aside from Pikachu.
- Grand Finale: The final episode of the original series.
- Mythology Gag: One of the Sailors Ash encounters on the ferry has a Machoke. Sailors faced in RSE typically fight with Machoke.
- Team Rocket Wins: Well, almost.
- They beat the Sailors who tried to stop them from leaving the ferry because Ash didn't have any of his other Pokémon.
- Although they didn't know this as they were blasted off, they managed to get Pikachu ill when trying to overload his electricity using an electromagnet.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: When they get separated from Ash and Team Rocket, Pikachu and Meowth help a bunch of Pokémon on the ferry who are being terrorized by a gang of Haunter.