As of this episode, May is the only one of Ash's female friends whom Goh hasn't met while Pidgeot is the only Pokémon that Ash released that he has not reunited with.
Ash reunites with his Butterfree.
This is the first time both members of the tower duo appear together in a main series episode. Subsequently, this is also the first time that Ash and Pikachu have seen Ho-oh since Battle Pyramid! Vs Regirock!! (2006)
This is the first physical appearance of Ash's Butterfree and the Pink Butterfree in the main series since the episode the former was released in, exactly 1,200 episodes earlier. Additionally, with the Pink Butterfree's appearance in this episode, this is the longest gap between a Pokémon's first and second physical appearance in the main series up to this point.
Goh visits Cerulean City and meets Misty for the first time.