EP261

Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid (Japanese: ナナコとエレキッド！  and Elekid!) is the 261st episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on August 15, 2002 and in the United States on August 30, 2003.

Blurb
''A troublesome Elekid begins harassing Larvitar only moments before Team Rocket swoops in and captures both rare Pokémon in a high-tensile steel net. As Ash and friends give chase, they bump into their old friend, Casey, who is looking for her Elekid, a Pokémon she had recently acquired to help her in cheering for her favorite baseball team, the Electabuzz. Ash and Casey manage to rescue their kidnapped Pokémon from Team Rocket's clutches, but in the process lose track of Elekid and Larvitar once again. As Jessie and James move on, they bump into the same Magikarp salesman that has troubled James on many previous occasions. That notwithstanding, James is talked into trading his Victreebel for one of this salesman's Weepinbell. All parties converge as Ash and Casey find their Pokémon at the same time as Team Rocket. In the heat of battle, James's Weepinbell evolves into a Victreebel. This isn't enough to turn the tide of battle, however, and Team Rocket is defeated. Upset by its hapless defeat, James abandons his second Victreebel of the day.''

Plot
While and  continue on their way to the Silver Conference where they hope to return  to its home, they encounter a wild  during a lunch break. The mischievous Pokémon eats some of Larvitar's food, but before the group can resolve the conflict, steals both Elekid and Larvitar and flies off. However, Elekid manages to break both Larvitar and itself free from Team Rocket, and the two begin wandering around the forest together.

As they search for Larvitar, Ash and his friends run into and see that her Bayleef has evolved into. They learn that Casey is after the same Elekid that they saw earlier, and she joins them in searching for Larvitar and Elekid. Meanwhile, Team Rocket, after being blasted off earlier, crash lands onto the Magikarp salesman, who promptly begins his usual sales pitch. James, remembering his losses to the salesman's earlier scams, demands a refund, but the salesman offers to trade them a Weepinbell that knows as a substitute. Jessie and Meowth agree to this deal and force James to trade away his for the Weepinbell.

While James mourns the loss of his beloved Pokémon, his new Weepinbell uses Sweet Scent, which attracts not only Elekid and Larvitar, but also Casey's Meganium and Ash's Pikachu. Following their Pokémon, Ash and his friends are able to catch up with Team Rocket and prevent them from escaping. Team Rocket then challenges them to a battle over Larvitar and Elekid. During the battle, Weepinbell evolves into Victreebel and promptly eats Jessie, who orders Arbok to send it flying, much to James's dismay. Casey then orders her Meganium to use, sending Team Rocket blasting off once again. After the group reunites with Elekid and Larvitar, Casey battles Elekid and eventually catches it. She then sends Ash and his friends on their way with the song she uses to cheer on her favorite baseball team, the Electabuzz.

Meanwhile, the Magikarp salesman kicks away James's old Victreebel after it tries to eat him. It meets up with the second Victreebel in midair, and the two fall in love and happily bounce off into the forest.

Major events

 * and meet up with  again.
 * Casey's is revealed to have evolved into a.
 * James is forced to trade his for Magikarp salesman's.
 * James's Weepinbell evolves into a new Victreebel.
 * Jessie blasts away James's new Victreebel.
 * The Magikarp salesman his Victreebel.
 * James's two Victreebel meet and fall in love.
 * Casey catches an.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * (fantasy)
 * Magikarp salesman
 * James
 * (fantasy)
 * Magikarp salesman
 * Magikarp salesman

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international),  (Japan)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (traded to Magikarp salesman; released)
 * (traded to James; evolves)
 * (newly evolved; released)
 * ('s; new)
 * (anime)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (traded to Magikarp salesman; released)
 * (traded to James; evolves)
 * (newly evolved; released)
 * ('s; new)
 * (anime)
 * ('s; new)
 * (anime)
 * (anime)
 * (anime)

Trivia

 * This is the first digitally animated episode, although digital animation was first used in the opening OK! and the corresponding English opening Pokémon Johto in Don't Touch That 'dile, 144 episodes before this one. This animation style would remain in use until Till We Compete Again! at the end of the
 * Even though this episode was digitally animated, the flashbacks of James's first Victreebel as a Weepinbell and his interaction with his Weepinbell at a hot tub and inside a double decker bed that were never shown on the anime before were still animated on cels. The same goes for the flashback of James receiving a from the Magikarp salesman and the flashback of James discovering his Victreebel at a Breeding Center.
 * The dub title is a play on 's line "Here's looking at you, kid" from the 1942 romantic drama film .
 * Before the opening song begins (before the title card in the Japanese version), the partially visible Elekid is positioned in a way to resemble what was drawn by in Misty Meets Her Match.
 * Although evolves into Victreebel through the use of a Leaf Stone, James's second Weepinbell evolves without one.
 * This is the latest episode to date where one of James's Pokémon has evolved under his ownership.
 * When sings her song at the end, it is the first version of the Electabuzz song instead of the second one she sang at the Bug-Catching Contest.
 * This is one of the few episodes in the original series where Team Rocket does not recite their motto in any form.
 * Casey catches Elekid exactly one hundred episodes after she was last seen obtaining.
 * Music from Pikachu's Vacation and The Power of One can be heard in this episode.
 * In the Japanese version, soon after mentions that Casey is still an Electabuzz fan, Casey says "Hot Blooded Director 77", which is a reference to the ' (which the Electabuzz is based off), director at the time, 's, special program, called "Senichi Hoshino's Hot Blooded Transcendent Night".

Errors

 * In the English dub, the Pokédex says that Elekid is the evolved form of Electabuzz. Elekid actually evolves into ; is the evolved form of Electabuzz.
 * When Brock sends out Forretress, its Poké Ball isn't the it was  in.
 * In the flashback, James says, "You good for nothing carp!" However, in the actual episode, he said, "You good for nothing fish!"
 * In one scene, Bayleef says something, but her mouth doesn't move.
 * When Jessie says that James said the net is made out of special steel, it was really Meowth that said it.

In other languages
Elekid ist weg! EP263 EP261 無印編第261話 精灵宝可梦 第262集