AG001

Get the Show on the Road! (Japanese: 新たなる大地！ 新たなる冒険！！ A New Land! A New Adventure!!) is the first episode of the and the 275th episode of the overall Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 21, 2002 and in the United States on March 15, 2003 as part of a special preview. It was later broadcast in sequence in the United States on November 1, 2003.

Blurb
''Team Rocket's failed attempt to catch Pikachu has left the little yellow Pokémon dangerously ill. Littleroot Town has no Pokémon Center so Ash turns to Professor Birch for help. Professor Birch thinks that Pikachu can be cured—but first they'll have to catch it. Delirious with fever, Pikachu has run off into the forest. Meanwhile, a girl named May is also going to see Professor Birch in order to receive her first Pokémon. She arrives just in time to save the professor from a pack of mad Poochyena. Before he can explain why he's running around in woods, Professor Birch runs off in search of the missing Pikachu. Time is running out and Pikachu is in danger of exploding. In a twisted turn of events, Team Rocket's latest Pikachu-catching contraption ends up saving the day.''

Plot
is riding her bike towards Littleroot Town. Although today is the day she will receive her first from Professor Birch, she admits that she would rather just travel, and is not really interested in training Pokémon. Suddenly, a appears next to her and scares her. She speeds off, loses control and crashes into a tree. She continues onward, until she reaches a cliff overlooking Littleroot Town.

Meanwhile, is also arriving in Littleroot Town but all he can think about is trying to heal. He then wonders if there's a Pokémon Center in town, and hopes that Nurse Joy can inspect Pikachu to see if he's okay. On the upper deck, hears the call for Littleroot Town. All are eager to enter this new land except for Jessie, who seems to be depressed for some unknown reason. When the boat docks, Ash disembarks and asks the port attendant where the Pokémon Center is. He is saddened to learn that there is none in the small town. He is about to give up when he remembers Professor Birch, and wonders if he would be able to heal Pikachu. He calls Birch's lab, only to find that he is out doing field work. , his assistant, tells Ash to stay where he is and that he will let the professor know of the situation as soon as possible.

Ash waits on a bench, anxious for any word from the professor. Out of the blue, Ash hears a screeching noise. He looks up to see Professor Birch in a SUV. Birch asks if Ash is the one who called about Pikachu, and he immediately responds. He carries Pikachu into the SUV and they speed off. Along the way back to the lab, Birch begins to figure out what is happening with Pikachu; he is suffering from an electric overload after being strapped to Team Rocket's giant magnet. If the Electric Pokémon doesn't receive immediate attention, he might explode from all the energy. Their only hope is to drain all of it out of Pikachu. Once at the lab, the professor attaches the machine to Pikachu, while Joshua turns it on. Pikachu's electricity levels are so high, they cause the machine to explode. Pikachu then escapes, and Ash runs after him. Upon finding out Ash isn't carrying any other Pokémon, Birch grabs the three starter Pokémon and runs after the young. Joshua reminds Birch that the starters are supposed to be for May who is due to arrive that day, and Birch tells Joshua to ask May to wait until he gets back. As he explains this, Ash is desperately calling out and searching for Pikachu, but the Pokémon is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, May arrives at the lab. Joshua tells her that the professor will be right back, but she ignores him and goes looking for Birch. She is unaware that he has fallen off a cliff and landed on top of a while looking for Pikachu. After recovering, he apologizes to the Pokémon, but it just appears to get angrier. Two more appear and they all begin to growl at the professor. He realizes that they're about to use. Although initially proud of his knowledge, he soon realizes that their move is directed at him, and runs away trying to escape from them.

As he takes shelter in a tree, May arrives and inquires as to why he is climbing a tree. Relieved that somebody has arrived, he tells May to get one of his Pokémon to ward off the Poochyena. Hesitantly, she takes out a Poké Ball and sends out. The professor tells her to command it to use an attack, but May is unfamiliar with the Pokémon's moves. Birch tells her to have it use. When she commands it, the Pokémon sprays her in the face. Frustrated, Birch falls from his branch and is being pursued once again. He calls after Mudkip, who follows him. Birch commands the Pokémon to use Water Gun on the Poochyena, scaring them off. Birch then realizes that Ash and Pikachu are still missing, and has May follow him.

Pikachu continues to weaken and become frightened. When Ash approaches him, Pikachu's eyes glow red as he furiously attacks him with, thinking he is an enemy. Birch and May reach the area and see Ash dive off a cliff to save his friend. Luckily, he manages to grab onto a branch, but he is far from danger. Pikachu continues shocking him, and even bites him at one point to try to get away. Eventually, Ash calms Pikachu down, and he slowly realizes who is holding him. The Trainer makes it back up the cliff and meets up with the professor and May.

Just then, Team Rocket appears in their latest mecha, a giant battery robot. When May and Birch inquire about them, Ash lets them know about the trio and their evil ways. begins bragging about how this is their best robot ever, and grabs Pikachu with one of the machine's arms. Team Rocket then has the machine put suction cups on Pikachu's cheeks to absorb his electricity. As James and Meowth celebrate the fact the machine is filling up with energy, Jessie yells at them, saying that Pikachu is getting stronger. After getting most of the energy drained, Pikachu shocks the machine, and a stray bolt of electricity fries May's bike. Then, the robot explodes, sending Team Rocket blasting off once again. This time, Jessie is happy, claiming she feels completely recharged thanks to Pikachu. The electric Pokémon then collapses on the ground, causing Ash to panic once again.

Back at Birch's lab, he determines that Team Rocket's machine drained all the excess energy out of Pikachu until his levels were at what they were supposed to be. After a rest, he says that Pikachu should make a full recovery. With that situation over, Birch now turns his attention to May and her first Pokémon. He first shows her, but May thinks the looks scary. Mudkip is next, but May says she doesn't want it because it refused to listen to her. Finally, the professor reveals, a. The Pokémon hops up to May and begins rubbing against her leg. She then decides that she will take Torchic as her first Pokémon. Birch gives her six empty Poké Balls and a Pokédex. She makes a few comments about this, Birch wondering what she said before she tries to cover it up.

The next morning May looks at her bike, angry that it has been destroyed. She goes to find Ash and scold him, but when she opens the door, she finds Ash still asleep. May softens up and watches as Ash mutters a few things in his sleep and Pikachu awakens. The Pokémon then wakes up Ash, causing both to be happy that they're both okay. May then realizes that her bike can wait. Outside, May releases Torchic and Ash soon comes outside. May greets him and Pikachu hops off Ash to meet Torchic. The two Pokémon soon play around, and Ash comments on how Pikachu already made his first friend in the Hoenn region. Birch and Joshua soon tell them that they have to go to Oldale Town's Pokémon Center to register for the league. May makes a few remarks about going alone. Then, she purposely says she would have, but Pikachu destroyed her bike. May asks Ash if she could come along with him, and Ash agrees.

Major events

 * arrives in Littleroot Town and meets with Professor Birch.
 * Ash meets, a beginning.
 * May encounters for the first time.
 * accidentally destroys May's bike.
 * Team Rocket accidentally heals Pikachu.
 * May starts her Pokémon journey with a, a Pokédex, and six Poké Balls.
 * Ash and May decide to travel together.

Humans

 * Professor Birch (in person)
 * Professor Birch (in person)

Pokémon debuts

 * Starter Pokémon of Hoenn:

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Professor Birch
 * James
 * Professor Birch

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?:


 * (, new; debut)
 * (starter Pokémon; debut)
 * (starter Pokémon; debut)
 * (debut)
 * (debut)
 * (starter Pokémon; debut)
 * (debut)
 * (debut)

Trivia

 * This episode aired in Japan on the same day that was first released. The dubbed version aired two days before the games' release in North America.
 * Nice Pryce, Baby! had been the previous episode the air in North America, leaving 36 more Johto episodes to air before the end of the original series.
 * On DVD releases of Pokémon: Advanced, this episode is considered the season premiere. However, on televised airings, that title falls to Address Unown!.
 * Advance Adventure replaced Ready Go! as the Japanese opening theme.
 * Because the Sky is There replaced Pocket-ering Monster-ing as the Japanese ending theme.
 * Kanji are used in episode titles for the first time starting from this episode.
 * The eyecatches shown in this episode feature Ash and May.
 * The dub title is based on the idiom "Let's get this show on the road".
 * The title card sequence changes to show a map of Hoenn and 's location on it. In the Japanese version, the music is also changed to the successful evolution fanfare from the games, while the English dub continues to use the original series theme until 's dub begins.
 * Ash's journey in Hoenn begins much like Kanto, with being injured and destroying 's bike.
 * Although May claims are "creepy" in this episode, she says they are "cute" six episodes later.
 * Music from The Power of One is used.
 * This is the first region with no cameo by a Legendary Pokémon in the first episode. Kalos is the second.
 * However, Ash saw before he left for Hoenn at the end of the original series.
 * Pikachu having problems with his electricity in this episode is seen again in a later episode.

Errors

 * Although Ash and Pikachu go to Littleroot Town by boat, neither the nor any Generation III Hoenn map show water surrounding Littleroot Town. This may have been changed for the anime so that Ash could start his Hoenn journey there.
 * After May hits the tree with her bike, her sleeves are longer than normal.
 * Just before Mudkip uses Water Gun, its jaw turns the same color as its body when it should be a lighter shade of blue.
 * When Ash gets up and goes toward Pikachu, the top part of his hat is green.
 * When Professor Birch throws the rope to Ash, the tree he was holding onto is gone, and he is holding the rope.
 * When Joshua is directing Ash and May to Oldale Town, Professor Birch's lab is missing its whole left section. This section then reappears in the next perspective change, when May is talking.

Dub edits

 * This episode was first aired on as a sneak peek in March 2003 when  were released. The version that has aired since has a slight grammar correction and addition in May's introductory speech:
 * Sneak Peek: "But just between you and I, what I'm more interested in is traveling and seeing new places."
 * Regular version: "But just between you and me, what I'm more interested in is traveling and seeing new places. There it is, Littleroot Town, up ahead!"
 * The only piece of music kept from the original is 's new motto theme.
 * While the original has no Who's That Pokémon? segment, 4Kids keeps it before replacing it with Pokémon Trainer's Choice in What You Seed is What You Get.

In other languages
Pikachu in Not EP277 AG001 AG001 AG編第1話 精灵宝可梦 超世代 第1集