DP109

Leading a Stray! (Japanese: 迷子のホエルコ！ The Stray !) is the 109th episode of the, and the 575th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on January 8, 2009 and in the United States on June 6, 2009.

Blurb
A Wailord blockage has trapped the boats in Canalave's harbor, and that means Dawn can't take a ferry to her next Contest. There's nothing to do but sit down for lunch, but a wild Luxio and its Pokémon accomplices steal the food! Pikachu and Piplup give chase, but run straight into Team Rocket. As always, Team Rocket tries to grab Pikachu, but Ash catches up with them and escapes into the sewer with his buddy. Piplup uses Whirlpool to toss Team Rocket, and now it's up to Ash to find his way back to his friends. As he wanders the sewers, he comes across the Luxio and its pals. They stole the food to feed a stranded Wailmer that somehow ended up in the sewer!

This Wailmer belongs to the Wailord group out in the harbor, and Ash offers to help Luxio get it back to its friends. He discovers there are many species of Pokémon living in the sewer, and Luxio is their leader; with all of their help, he can get Wailmer up a tall waterfall inside the sewer. Ash's idea is to make a giant ice ramp and push Wailmer up on a sled! Thanks to a last-minute assist from a Venonat, the plan works like a charm. As Wailmer swims even closer to freedom, Dawn and Brock find their way into the sewer and reunite with Ash. Things are looking up!

But one problem remains: a touchy Swampert mistakes Wailmer and the others for intruders in its territory, so it attacks. Ash's Grotle knocks it out and Wailmer swims out into the harbor... then evolves into a Wailord, too big to fit under the drawbridge up ahead! To force the drawbridge open, Pikachu, Luxio, and Pachirisu charge up the drawbridge controls, and Wailord swims through in time to avoid a second attack from Swampert. The new Wailord rejoins its pod and happily swims away as Ash thanks Luxio, then goes to eat his long-delayed lunch—he's earned it!

Plot
With 's sixth Gym Badge won, he and prepare to head to Chocovine Town for 's next. However, the boats are unable to leave because the harbor is blocked by a school of. They have a picnic to wait out the blockade when a appears and begins to steal food from the group. Piplup and Pikachu attempt to stop the Luxio, but a Whismur and Nidoran help Luxio and manage to steal the food. Ash chases them into the sewer to find many Pokémon living in a chamber in the sewers, and that Luxio is their leader. Dawn and Brock try to follow him, but a short battle with leaves the manhole cover sealed shut. Brock's Happiny tries to pull it off, but to no avail. Dawn then sends out her but it, as usual, doesn't listen to her. Dawn bribes Mamoswine with Poffins to open the manhole cover. It charges at Dawn and stomps on the ground, opening the manhole cover and sending Dawn and her Poffins into the air. Mamoswine eats the Poffins as they fall; Happiny catches Dawn. Down in the sewers, Piplup leads the gang around the sewers to find Ash, although they often just miss each other.

Ash keeps following Luxio until he sees a stranded on a walkway in the sewers, too tired to move. He sends out Buizel to hydrate Wailmer, and help it get into the water. He figures out that the Wailord are probably worried about it, and decide to help it out. They head up the sewers toward the ocean, though they run into a drop on the way there. With a rope and the help of the other Pokémon, they are able to pull Wailmer over the first drop, but then are blocked by another huge drop. Ash enlists the help of all the Pokémon in the sewer, making an ice ramp up the drop and pushing Wailmer up on a sled. The plan works until the ramp crumbles half-way, and the Wailmer is struggling air-born. A asks Luxio to hit him up, which knocks Wailmer the rest of the way up the drop.

Dawn and Brock finally catch up with Ash, but when they are in sight of the exit, an angry comes after them, protecting its territory. Ash tries to reason with it, but it attacks instead. He is about to have Pikachu attack, but Brock points out that electric attacks won't affect it, as it is part. Ash calls out Grotle instead, attacking with and sneaking by while Swampert is knocked out. Wailmer finally gets out of the sewers, but evolves right before he gets past a bridge. As a Wailord, he's much too big to fit under the bridge, but thankfully it's a drawbridge. Using Pikachu, Luxio and Pachirisu, they try to override the controls with electricity to raise the bridge, but they aren't enough alone. To make matters worse, Swampert has recovered and is coming after Wailord. Luxio lets out a cry, calling all the sewer Pokémon to come and join, despite not being Electric types, they can use. The bridge raises, Wailord gets out, and the wake of Wailord knocks Swampert back. With the Wailord reunited, they all get excited and finally unblock the harbor, allowing Ash and his friends to continue.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Business man
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Business man

Pokémon

 * (evolves)
 * (newly evolved; multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (newly evolved; multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)

Trivia

 * Music from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and Pikachu and Pichu are used as background music.
 * Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Examination:
 * The delay of ships by is similar to the events that happen in Lilycove City in the.
 * A minor reference to the events of The Rise of Darkrai occurs during this episode, as recognizes  on sight; his only encounter with one prior to this occurred in Alamos Town.
 * This episode, which focused on saving a whale Pokémon, premiered on the same weekend that the premiere of ' second season first aired.
 * The way Team Rocket's mecha appeared is similar to how the appear.
 * doesn't recite their in this episode.

Errors

 * When the and  are cheering after  swims through the opened draw bridge, one can hear  talking. However, Pikachu's mouth, as well as the rest of his body, does not move.
 * Nidoran♂ uses alongside, despite being unable to legally learn the move.
 * When Ash stops Pikachu from attacking and brings out a Poké Ball, Pikachu can still be heard in the background attacking.

Dub edits

 * During the first airing of the episode, the ending credits were shown twice.

In other languages
Wailmer in Not! EP578 DP109 DP109 DP編第109話 精灵宝可梦 钻石＆珍珠 第108集