AG022

A Hole Lotta Trouble (Japanese: ダイゴ、ココドラ、ボスゴドラ！ ,, !) is the 22nd episode of the , and the 296th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 24, 2003 and in the United States on February 14, 2004.

Blurb
After all the Wurmple confusion, Ash and the gang finally arrive at Granite Cave. Team Rocket is already in the cave, perfecting their next attempt to capture Pikachu. Unknown to our heroes, Stephen and his Aron are busy digging in the cave. Ash, May, Max, and Brock begin exploring the dark cave, only to fall into a hole created by Team Rocket. Before Jessie and James can brag about their success, the floor caves in and everyone falls into the hole. To make matters worse, though, everyone falls into different tunnels and they all get separated from one another. Pikachu, Meowth, and Max end up together; Jessie falls on top of May; and Ash, James, and Brock get stuck together.

As the various groups start wandering through the cave, James, Ash and Brock disturb a rather large group of irritable Aron. Meanwhile, Max, Meowth, and Pikachu have discovered an underground waterfall and pool with dangling vines they hope may lead to an escape from the cave. Everyone ends up meeting in the underground pool with the angered Aron on their tails. Stephen, already investigating the commotion, comes to the rescue and subdues all the Aron with his own Aron. Team Rocket then makes their usual attempt at stealing Pikachu, only to be sent blasting off again by Stephen and his Aggron. Stephen's Aron then finds the Fire Stone he had been looking for and everyone leaves the cave happy and ready for their next adventure.

Plot
is now walking through a thick forest. They come across a large cave entrance and Max comments that they have arrived at Granite Cave. wonders what they will find in there and suggests that they go inside and check it out to see if the Elite Trainer (Steven Stone) is there. Max says that many Pokémon must live in this cave, but May reminds him that in a cave this dark, he shouldn't get his hopes up. then stops the conversation by telling them all to follow along. Finally, they enter the cave.

Inside the cave, is digging a large hole in the floor. James pauses to take a break, complaining "How many thousands of ridiculous holes does this one make?" as he wipes the sweat from his forehead, to which Jessie replies by saying "Oh, quit complaining. If you want to catch, just keep digging." She also adds in that twerps would never expect a hole in the middle of a cave, to which remarks "Even though a cave is one giant hole?" James turns to his comrades and notes that "this digging holes plan always goes wrong" and asks if they can just have a direct battle for once. As Jessie's Wobbuffet pops out, Jessie herself continues to dig while saying that she is the one who gives orders, and that the others take orders. Meowth remarks on this, saying that if they're ordering, he'll take some french fries, upon which Jessie turns to him and snaps, "Just dig!"

Ash and others continue through the caverns, with Ash calling out to Steven every so often. They reach a fork in the road, where Brock puts a glow-in-the-dark red arrow marker pointing to the left tunnel on the wall. As Ash once more calls out down the path, the scene switches to an underground chamber where a man with blue hair (who is Steven Stone himself) and his Aron are digging. Steven stops to take a break and asks Aron if it has found anything yet. When Aron informs him that it hasn't found anything by shaking its head, Steven offers it some Pokémon food, which it happily eats from his hand. Steven then says they'll try a new spot. Meanwhile, Team Rocket sits behind some rocks observing their now-finished hole. Jessie hears Ash calling out to Steven and remarks "here they come without a clue". James still thinks a direct battle is the way to go, while Meowth asks who Steven is. Jessie hisses that it doesn't matter who he is and they hide. Ash and friends then arrive in the chamber, where they fall into the hole. The Rockets then reveal themselves and the kids look up to see them. As the villains dance happily over their catch, however, the chamber begins to rumble. The ground then suddenly gives way and everyone falls down into the depths of the caverns.

Down where Steven and Aron are working, the two hear all the commotion as Ash, Pikachu, Brock, May, Max, Jessie, James, and Meowth all get separated from each other and mixed into random groups as they fall into different tunnels. Hearing this, Steven and Aron quickly go to check it out. Max pops out of some dirt and calls for everyone. Pikachu and Meowth also pop out. Max realizes they have been separated and he tells Pikachu that they have to find the others. Meowth offers to help, but Max doesn't trust him. However, they decide to make a truce. Max and Pikachu begin to walk off, but Meowth refuses to follow Pikachu. Max tells him that they can leave him there. Pikachu and Max then walk away, but Meowth yells for them to return and rushes after them. Meanwhile, May pops out of another patch of dirt and complains on how dirty she is. Suddenly, Jessie falls down on top of her. They begin to argue when Jessie says she is going to try to get out. She stands up and tries to climb back up the hole, but it doesn't look too promising. In another part of the cave, Ash and James argue while standing shoulder-high in a pile of dirt. Brock soon interrupts them and says they should try to get out of here and they can fight later. They all begin to wriggle and squirm, but they can't break free. They take a breath then try again, but still no luck.

Max, Pikachu and Meowth all continue on down the trail. Max explains to Meowth how he heard that a strong Trainer from the Devon Corporation supposedly trains here. Pikachu suddenly smells something and Meowth motions that he also smells fresh air. He and Pikachu rush off as Max follows quickly behind them. The man and his Aron follow the path hoping to find the source of the crash. Ash, Brock, and James are on a different path. James soon begins to pout, saying it's useless and they'll be stuck here for the rest of their lives. He rushes ahead of them calling for Jessie and Meowth. Suddenly, a small ball falls from the ceiling. It opens up to reveal itself as an Aron. It steps into the light growling and Ash scans it with the Pokédex. James walks up to it apparently not very impressed. He begins to prod at it with his hand, which only angers it. The Aron calls out causing many Aron to fall from the ceiling. Ash, Brock and James freak out as the Aron lunges at them. Ash and the others rush off down the path screaming. The man makes it to the hole Team Rocket dug and looks down. He notices the nets Team Rocket had and says to Aron that someone must've fallen down. He tells it that they have to help them and they both leap down.

Ash and friends are still running for their lives. James notices two tunnels up ahead with another above them. He rushes towards them and begins to climb in the high one, but Ash and Brock push him down and climb up first. James turns around to see the pursuing Aron and rushes up screaming. The Aron horde continues on down one of the other paths. Max, Pikachu and Meowth make it to a lush waterfall with vines streaming down in the middle of the cave. They ponder at how it could grow here, and decide to climb the vines up. Meanwhile, Jessie and May are having no luck. Jessie is still trying to squirm up the hole but May just sits there. She tells Jessie to hurry but she begins to scream saying May should help. May gets up telling her all she had to do was ask, and she begins to shove Jessie up the hole. Jessie emerges on another floor of the cave but she becomes stuck in the hole. She screams for May to push harder but it is no use. Suddenly, a Loudred falls from the floor above and dances around Jessie's head. Jessie freaks out and the Pokémon stomps her head and runs off. Jessie collapses and falls back down the hole. May asks what happened when they suddenly hear a voice from above.

The man and his Aron rush on hoping to find them. Meanwhile, Max, Pikachu and Meowth are climbing the vines. Meowth stops to take a break and begins to start a conversation with Max. Max wonders how Meowth can talk. Meowth begins to explain about how he learned to talk but Pikachu and Max ignore it and continue climbing. A pebble hits Meowth and he realizes they are leaving without him. He yells for them to hold on, and climbs as fast as he can. Ash and his friends press on when they suddenly come to the same red arrow as before. They all become excited and rush down the path, only to fall into the same hole as before and tumble back down. The man and his come back to the hole and hear them fall. Max continues on when Pikachu smells something again and they head towards it. Jessie and May are now exhausted as they walk down the path. May suddenly notices light at the end of the tunnel and they both run towards it, only to find the light was coming from above the same hole from before. They fall in screaming while Ash, Brock and James are chased by the Aron horde again.

Jessie and May fall down on top of them and they all begin to run from the horde. Max and the Pokémon rush towards the screaming. They approach a dark part of the tunnel and the man and his Aron emerges. He asks them if they were the ones who fell down the hole. Max says that they were and adds that his other friends did too and Meowth explains that he too has friends missing. The man introduces himself as Steven Stone, son of Mr. Stone: the president of Devon Corporation and explains that the wild Aron in this cave are not very friendly, so they should find the others quickly. They rush down the tunnel and come to a hole with Max wondering how they will get across. Steven tells them to listen and they all look down to see Ash and friends running below them. Max calls to them and they all look up. Steven tells them to meet him at the waterfall and the group continues to run.

Pikachu, Meowth and Max then grab onto Steven and they leap across the hole. Ash and friends make it to the waterfall and turn to see the Aron horde approaching. Steven appears above them and tells them to just stay put. The Aron horde gets very close and they all begin to brace themselves for the worst, but suddenly, the horde is stopped dead in their tracks. and co open their eyes to see them all leaving. Steven jumps down as Ash and friends stare confusedly. Team Rocket now takes this chance to steal Pikachu. They say their motto and Ash warns Steven that Team Rocket is no good, and he should watch out. Jessie releases Seviper and James calls out Cacnea, which gives him a nice hug. Steven tells them to stop. He tells them that he can't allow them to steal Pokémon, and releases his Aggron. Ash scans it with the Pokédex. Aggron uses Hyper Beam and Team Rocket is blasted off sky-high. Ash is in awe at the immense power of his.

Suddenly, Aron motions to Steven that he found something. Steven rushes up to find a Fire Stone. Ash and friends are impressed and Steven explains that he's been digging for days looking for one. Steven agrees to lead them out of the cave; afterwards, he takes the gang to a deserted inlet on the island which will be ideal for Ash to train for his rematch and, after boarding a small boat with Aron, he tells Ash and friends that he must go. They thank him for his help as he wishes the group luck for the future. He then sets off as Ash and friends wave goodbye. Now, Ash is more determined than ever to train hard so he may one day match up to Steven and Aggron. They watch Steven go as the sun sets over the ocean.

Major events

 * and meet.

Humans

 * Steven Stone

Humans

 * Max
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Steven Stone
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Steven Stone

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?:


 * ('s; debut)
 * ('s; debut)
 * (Meowzie; flashback)
 * (debut)
 * (multiple; debut)
 * ('s; debut)
 * ('s; debut)
 * (Meowzie; flashback)
 * (debut)
 * (multiple; debut)

Trivia

 * The English title for this episode is a pun of the phrase "a whole lot of trouble."
 * is the first Generation III Pokémon to be featured in the Who's That Pokémon? eyecatch.
 * This is the first appearance of . In this episode, he is not mentioned to be the, instead being a strong Trainer.
 * Steven did not appear again in the anime until Mega Evolution Special II, 11 years later.

Errors

 * Vigoroth's image for Who's That Pokémon? has its footprint included in the space between its left arm and its left leg.
 * 's nostrils are missing in one scene.
 * The blurb for this episode spells Steven's name as "Stephen".

In other languages
Höhlen-Ärger EP298 AG022 AG022 AG編第22話 精灵宝可梦 超世代 第22集