Recap / Pokemon S 8 E 41 The Right Place And The Right Mime

• Book Ends: Squirtle is first seen running into May's arms as she enters Professor Oak's lab (because it didn't want to return into its Pokéball), and does so at the end to show that it want to join May (with the same shot even!).
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Brock interrupts the closing narration as he announces his own return from Pewter City.
• The Bus Came Back: Phanpy, a relatively unused character in Johto, rejoins Ash's team as he heads for the Battle Frontier.
• Call-Back:
  • Tracey tells Max about Professor Oak's sketching hobby.
  • Max, to the chagrin of the rest of the twerps, doesn't think Ash being in the "Best 8" is an impressive feat. Wait a minute...
  • When May explains that Beautifly and Skitty are back at Petalburg, Caroline is shown with Beautifly. We already know that Beautifly hold a meaning with her.
  • When Phanpy is reintroduced, Pikachu gently uses Thundershock to which Phanpy laughs at.
• Comically Missing the Point: Misty accuses Team Rocket of not changing for the best; Jessie counters that they have changed, pointing to the new motto...
• Don't Call Me "Sir": Tracey gets embarrassed when Max calls him so, telling Max that he prefers being called by his first name.
• Guest-Star Party Member: Misty rejoins the team, and won't be leaving until the next episode.
• Mid-Season Upgrade: Professor Oak gives Ash and May new Pokédexes, and Tracey uploads information on the Battle Frontier on Max's PokéNav. Even with the latter, the group will still suffer the same problem.
• Mythology Gag: Team Rocket disguise themselves as the hosts of Pokémon Sunday (the name was kept in the dub as well), a Japanese Sunday-morning programme that ran from 2004 until 2010. Jessie portrays Becky, James portrays Red-Hakase, Meowth portrays Golgo-Sachou, and Wobbuffet portrays a Human Cameraman.

• Oh, Crap!: Seviper and Cacnea are sent flying before the rest of Team Rocket does; Jessie, James and Meowth take it as a cue to hightail it out of there. Repeated when the heroes make clear that's not happening.
• Putting the Band Back Together: May arrives at Kanto, and Brock returns from Pewter City, getting the Hoenn twerps back together for the Battle Frontier.
• Put on a Bus: Beautifly and Skitty were left behind at the Petalburg Gym, while Torkoal, May's Bulbasaur and Glalie stay behind at Oak's lab.
• Stout Strength: As a testament to the sheer power that Ash's Snorlax possesses, he manages to topple Team Rocket's Humongous Mecha with a single Tackle.
• You Will Not Evade Me: After their Pokemon are defeated, Team Rocket decide to retreat, but the heroes corner them. After everything they've pulled they're not leaving without getting taught a very hard lesson...