Pokemon Season 3: The Johto Journeys
Pokemon Season 3: The Johto Journeys

 

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Pokemon: The Johto Journeys
Season 3
Pokemon The Johto Journeys Season 3 Logo
General information
 Episodes  52 TV Episodes
 41 Video Release Episodes
 Series  Original Series
 Region  Johto
 Previous season  Adventures in the Orange Islands
 Following season  Johto League Champions
 First Episode  Don't Touch that Dile!
 Last Episode  The Fortune Hunters
 Related Movie(s)  Pokemon the Movie 3
 Spell of the Unown
Quick menu: Official Description / Episode List / Travelling Companions / Key Events & Gym Battles / Pokemon / TV Broadcasts / DVD, Blu-Ray and Streaming

Johto Journeys Collection DVD CoverPokémon: The Johto Journey's is the third season of the Pokemon animated series. It follows Ash, who is accompanied by Misty and Brock on his journey to the Johto League and to deliver the mysterious GS ball to Kurt on behalf of Professor Oak. You can read more about the key events in this season by clicking here.

This season of the Pokemon Anime features many of the towns, characters and Pokemon from the Pokemon Gold & Silver videogames which were released around the same time that this season was aired.

This season would also mark the beginning of the Johto saga and would be followed directly by Pokemon Season 4 - Johto League Champions and finally by Pokemon Season 5 - Master Quest, the third and final part of said saga.

The theme tune for the Japanese release of this season is "OK" by Rica Matsumoto and there were a couple of ending themes which include "Meowth's Party" by Inuko Inuyama, Megumi Hayashibara & Shin'ichiro Miki, "Exciting Pokemon Relay" by Rikako Aikawa. There was also one instance of "Takeshi's Paradise" by Yuji Ueda being used as the ending theme but only for one episode. The English intro theme is "Pokemon Johto" by PJ Lequerica.

The English Dub Intro & Theme

Official Description

The Orange League beckons and Ash answers the call, taking on the Orange Crew and their leader, Drake. Upon returning to Pallet Town, Ash and Misty reunite with Brock and set out on the next stage of their Pokémon journey—the Johto region! Though he still has an errand to run for Professor Oak, Ash jumps with both feet into the Johto League, taking on a couple of Gym Leaders and adding Pokémon like Totodile and Chikorita to his team.

Episode List & Stories

Picture Episode #
(Season)
Episode #
(Overall)
Episode name
(Intl / Japan)

Air dates
(Intl / Japan)

episode117 11207 1 E# 117

J# 119
"Don't Touch That 'dile"

"Wakaba Taun! Hajimari o Tsugeru Kaze ga Fuku Machi!" (ワカバタウン! はじまりをつげるかぜのふくまち!)
(Wakaba Town! Where the Winds of a New Beginning Blow!)
October 14, 2000

October 14, 1999
Ash and friends find themselves lost in the forest on the way to the Johto region when they see a Pokémon that they’ve never seen before; Suicune. The Pokémon flees into the woods when it realises its been spotted and Ash gives chase.

Team Rocket turn up to a lab in the middle of nowhere (belonging to Professor Elm), the scientist who works there doesn’t even look up from his work and assumes them to be Nurse Joy, instructing them to give the Totodile in his lab a full checkup, Team Rocket duly take the opportunity to steal the Totodile.

Ash and friends spot a sign for New Bark Town “Where the Winds of New Beginnings Blow”. The group head to the Pokémon Center to register Ash for the Johto League but on arrival they find Nurse Joy isn’t there, she’s left a message saying she will be back no later than 2pm, but its already 3.30pm. Brock assumes Nurse Joy to be in some sort of terrible danger and the group head out to look for her.

The City’s Officer Jenny directs Ash to the lab of Professor Elm (where Nurse Joy said she was going in her message), there they find Joy berating Professor Elm for allowing Team Rocket to steal the Totodile because he couldn’t even be bothered to look up from his computer to see who it was in his lab earlier. Officer Jenny comes in and explains that Totodile was supposed to be a young girls starter Pokémon but has been stolen.

Professor Elm explains that trainers who start out in New Bark Town get to choose a Cyndaquil, Chikorita or Totodile as their starter Pokémon, Elm then reveals himself to be a former student of Professor Oak, and one of his top students.

Ash remembers how excited he was to get his first Pokémon and feels bad for the girl whose starter Pokémon was stolen, as such he and his friends volunteer to help get the Totodile back. They accompany Officer Jenny and her Growlithe who quickly gets a scent of something and starts running, the group follow. A few moments later they catch up to Team Rocket who are arguing between themselves about who will tell the boss the good news that they finally stole a Pokémon.

Officer Jenny states that she’s placing Team Rocket under arrest (Totodile can be seen visibly stuck to Jessie’s hair at this point) but they make a run for it, only to be lassoo’d by Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip. James sends out his Weezing and uses its smokescreen, Ash responds by blowing away the smokescreen using Charizards powerful wings. Bulbasaur grabs the Totodile with its vine whip and rescues it and then Officer Jenny sends Growlithe to arrest Team Rocket, but Weezing manages to hit it in the face with sludge, Jessie sends Lickitung to finish it off but is repelled by Squirtle’s water gun. They then send all of their Pokémon to attack but are beaten by a combination of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charizard’s attacks. Totodile steps forward to send Team Rocket blasting off with it’s water gun.

Officer Jenny thanks the group for their help with retrieving Totodile. Ash calls Professor Oak to tell him about the days events and mentions they met Elm. Elm then hijacks the call and bores Oak. Nurse Joy arrives and registers Ash to the Johto league, once he earns eight badges he’ll be eligible to battle in the Johto Pokémon League.

Ash and friends head out to Violet City to take on the first gym in the Johto region. Joy, Jenny and Elm wave them off.
episode118 11208 2 E# 118

J# 120
"The Double Trouble Header"

"Rūkī no Chikorīta!" (ルーキーのチコリータ!)
(The Rookie's Chicorita!)
October 21, 2000

October 21, 1999
On the route to Violet City Ash and friends discover a young trainer and her Chikorita on the roadside training. The girl introduces herself as Casey, a new Pokémon Trainer who just got her Chikorita from Professor Elm – shes crazy about yellow Pokémon, especially Electabuzz… because her family are big fans of the Electabuzz Baseball Team.

Casey takes great offence to Ash’s mention of how bad the Electabuzz actually are at baseball and challenges him to a battle. Her Pidgey and Rattata do as well as expected against Ash’s Charizard, and her final Pokémon is her Chikorita. Charizard goes easy on Chikorita but quickly defeats it.

After the match Casey runs off crying and trips over in the road; feeling as though she’s let down her father and grandfather. As she carries on down the road she bumps into Team Rocket who are posing as Electabuzz Baseball Fans, they convince Casey that Ash is a cheater and that he always breaks a little known Pokémon battling rule of not using a Charizard against new trainers and then laughs about it behind their back.

Casey catches up to Ash and challenges him to a battle at the Electabuzz stadium, this time Ash sends out Pikachu to take on Chikorita. Meanwhile Team Rocket are watching from the stands waiting for Ash and Casey to wear their Pokémon out so that they can come in and steal them. During the battle Team Rocket unleash a mechanical batting machine which hits Pikachu and Chikorita for a home run. Team Rocket the enter the stadium and reveal their true identities. Casey then realises how stupid she’s been.

James has both a knocked out Pikachu and Chikorita in his hands. Meowth sends out their next device, a mechanical batting machine which pelts Ash and Casey with baseballs. Casey gets her bat out and starts hitting the balls straight back at Team Rocket. Ash sends Bulbasaur and Squirtle, Casey sends her Pidgey and Rattata and they all help top repel the balls and fire them back at Team Rocket. Casey attacks James with her Pidgey and Rattata, rescuing Chikorita and Pikachu who then attack them together; sending them blasting off.

Casey apologises to Ash for accusing him of being a cheater and the two say goodbye and go their separate ways.
episode119 11209 3 E# 119

J# 121
"A Sappy Ending"

"Gekitotsu! Herakurosu Tai Kairosu!!" (げきとつ! へラクロスVSカイロス!!)
(Crash! Heracros vs. Kairos!!)
October 28, 2000

October 28, 1999
Ash and friends find themselves in a serene forest, when they spot a group of Pokémon they haven’t seen before eating sap from a tree; it turns out to be a group of Heracross. Just as Ash is about to start trying to catch them the group is approached by a forest ranger called Woodrun who explains it could damage the forests delicate eco system if Ash catches the Heracross. He goes on to explain that the Butterfree in the forest depend on the Heracross to make holes in the trees to reveal the sap.

Misty says that the Butterfree and Heracross might be helping each other but they’re hurting the forest, many trees are stripped completely bare but Woodrun explains that it wasn’t them who did it, and that theres a dangerous band of invaders around… Pikachu then senses something… a huge group of Pinsir approaching in the distance. They quickly climb the same tree as the Heracross and Butterfree are feeding from and chase them away. One Heracross is left behind and gets attacked by all the Pinsir, Ash sends out Bulbasaur to help it and knocks the Pinsir down using its vine whips and then with Pikachu’s thunderbolt. The Pinsir then advance on Pikachu and Ash but are defeated by Pikachu’s thunder and go running back off into the forest.

The Heracross climbs down from the tree and starts trying to eat the Pollen from Bulbasaurs Bulb, but Bulbasaur takes offence to this and beats him to the ground. Woodrun explains to Ash and the gang that the Pinsir and Heracross used to live in peace because they both had their own separate forests, but something has been driving the Pinsir out of their own territory and into the Heracross forest. The group head out together to investigate the Pinsir forest (while being followed by the Heracross they saved), it’s heavily overgrown and the group need to cross a deep ravine in order to get there – however someone has cut the ropes on the rope bridge, which was about the only “safe” way across.

As the group are trying to think of a way of getting to the Pinsir forest, the Heracross emerges and starts pushing a tree with all its strength, Brock assumes it has a plan and is trying to help… and he’s right. Heracross manages to push the tree over and it forms a bridge over the ravine, enabling the group to cross… once the group is safely on the other side they look back to see Heracross enjoying the trees sap. As the group get deeper into the forest, Heracross catches up and continues to follow them, a short while later they arrive at the tallest tree in the Pinsir forest; where the Pinsir normally live – there they find a large robotic Pinsir. Shortly after Team Rocket reveal themselves as the ones responsible for the mechanical monstrosity and begin to reminisce about how they found the tree two days before. It seems their dastardly plan is to use their mechanical Pinsir to drain all the sap in the Pinsir forest so they can sell it as a sauce to all night convenience stores!

Ash and Woodrun explain that they are damaging the whole forest and its eco system. Team Rocket send their Pokémon to attack Ash and co, but they don’t attack and instead start enjoying some sap themselves. Meowth decides instead to send their mechanical Pinsir to attack the group, its impervious to electric attacks and things look bad for our heroes until Heracross shows up and locks horns with the mechanical Pinsir, demonstrating great strength despite being at an unfair disadvantage. With a bit of cheering from Ash, Misty and Brock Heracross is able to push it back, enabling Ash, Misty and Brock to rescue the sap from the containers on the mechanical monstrosities back. Heracross then takes great pleasure in throwing the mechanical Pinsir at Team Rocket, sending them blasting off.

The Pinsir have been watching in the bushes the whole time and return to the tree they call home, Ash and friends leave the cannisters of sap for them to eat. Once more the Butterfree and Heracross can live in peace. The Heracross who accompanied Ash and co to the Pinsir Forest approaches the group. Ash and friends wave goodbye to Woodrun and the Pinsir and follow a path leading from the forest. The Heracross follows them however and states that it would like to come along with Ash on his journey!

Ash, Misty and Brock continue their journey, with a new addition to their circle of very special friends.
episode120 11210 4 E# 120

J# 122
"Roll On, Pokémon!"

"Donfan no Tani!" (ドンファンのたに!)
(Donfan's Valley!)
November 4, 2000

November 4, 1999
Ash and friends are continuing their journey to Violet City when they notice the valley they are trekking through is crumbling. They continue anyway and encounter a Donphan in the bushes. Ash and Brock argue for so long about which of them should capture the Donphan that it starts to leave, Brock attacks with his Onix’s tackle attack but Donphan retaliates with a roll out. Ash sends out his Heracross and hits Donphan with a tackle, Donphan tries the rollout again but is repelled by Heracross’s horn attack.
Just as Ash is about to finish the battle, a woman named Rochelle appears from the bushes and threatens to report them to Officer Jenny for trying to steal her Donphan. She explains that all of the Donphan in the forest belong to her. Rochelle is wearing a necklace made from Amberite.

Team Rocket meanwhile are nearby posing as forest rangers, in order to search the valley for Amberite without attracting too much attention. Meowth goes on to say that he overheard two guys talking about Amberite, and they said that having a Donphan is the only way to sniff out the Amberite, so they set off to get one. They find Rochelle trying to teach the young Donphan that Ash battled how to find Amberite, and they capture it in a net and fly off in their balloon, taking the Donphan to a clearing where they start pressuring the Donphan to find Amberite. When they see that this approach isn’t going to work they try being nice to it and feeding it instead in order to convince it to help them.

Donphan finishes indulging in the leaves and shrubs fed to it by Team Rocket and then it starts walking about sniffing the ground, it stops at one spot and Team Rocket start digging at the ground there. Ash and friends along with Rochelle are nearby trying to find the Donphan; Brock has his Zubat out searching but isn’t getting much luck. Rochelle then blows a whistle and a huge herd of Donphan come running, Rochelle tells them to go and find the young Donphan and the herd sets off.

Team Rocket have dug the ground to no avail, as James is pleading with Donphan to try and find some more Amberite, the herd finds them, closely followed by Ash Misty Brock and Rochelle. The usual confrontation takes place and Team Rocket are eventually beaten, blasting off once more.

The young Donphan is reunited with Rochelle and it’s friends in the herd. Rochelle thanks the group for their help and gives them a demonstration of how the Donphan find Amberite using her most experienced mon who quickly gets the scent of some nearby Amberite and starts attacking a rocky ridge, knocking down big lumps of Amberite!

Rochelle asks Ash if there is anything she can do to thank him for helping reunite her with her young Donphan, Ash of course asks for a battle against Rochelles toughest Donphan. He sends out his Heracross to meet it in battle and the two go head to head, a fairly tough battle rages until Heracross stops for a snack, when the battle resumes Heracross is eventually beaten due to the very high level of Rochelle’s Donphan – but it put up a good fight none the less.

Ash, Misty and Brock bid Rochelle and her herd of Donphan farewell and continue on their way to Violet City.
episode121 11211 5 E# 121

J# 123
"Illusion Confusion!"

"Hōhō to Ayashii Mori!" (ホーホーとあやしいもり!)
(Hoho and the Mysterious Forest!)
November 4, 2000

November 11, 1999
Our heroes find themselves lost deep in the forest once more, they continue wandering about lost when all of a sudden they start seeing some strange, scary illusions; the trees appear to have faces and make scary noises. As the group runs in terror they stumble upon Gary who is accompanied by a Hoothoot. Gary explains that everything they saw and heard was an illusion, he then adds that they’re unprepared as usual and that no one can get through this forest without a Hoothoot, as it’s the only Pokémon that can see through the forests illusions (caused by Ghosts).

Gary and Hoothoot disappear off into the forest. Brock suggests that they get a Hoothoot of their own to try and guide them through the forest, they set off in search of a Hoothoot…. Eventually managing to find one but it runs off into the forest – the group give chase and discover a giant stone building… which was just an illusion set by the Hoothoot in order to try and escape. The group continue to chase Hoothoot, Ash tells Pikachu to hit it with thundershock but the Hoothoot takes offence, turns around, attaches itself to Ash’s head and attacks him.

It then hops down and runs behind a scary looking old lady who Ash and co suspect is an illusion, but unfortunately for them; shes not. The woman identifies herself as Hagatha and states that they’re going to need her help if they want to get out of the woods. Hagatha explains that she runs a business renting out her Hoothoot to allow travellers to cross the forest. Ash asks if they can borrow a Hoothoot and Hagatha replies that they can but there’s a problem… she only has one available and it’s not a very good one. It once took a trainer into the woods and he returned three days later starving and going crazy. Ash wants to take it anyway.

Meanwhile Team Rocket are lost in the same woods when they spot Ash, Misty, Brock and their new companion; Hoothoot. Ash and co reach a point in the forest where they saw lots of illusions previously, and Hoothoot visibly begins to shake. The group begin being tormented by frightening illusions and Hoothoot tries to help after various pleas from Misty, but itself ends up running in fear, closely followed by Ash and co.

Team Rocket had been watching the whole time from the bushes, but they couldn’t see the illusions that Ash and co could, so they think they’ve just gone crazy when they see them running off screaming. Misty convinces Hoothoot to try and face down the illusions once more, but just then Team Rocket appear and steal Pikachu, making their escape into the forest briefly before befalling disaster and Ash getting his Pikachu back. A confrontation ensues as Team Rocket have designs on stealing both Pikachu and Hoothoot. As the battle is about to begin an illusion of a Dragonite appears and Team Rocket give chase deep into the forest, Ash and co couldn’t see that but then they get their own illusion, lots of fake Ash, Misty and Brocks appear and no one can tell the real ones from the fakes!
The multitude of Ash copies all plead to Pikachu that they are the real one, but it stresses Pikachu out so it zaps all of them, including the real Ash. Misty then gets surrounded by a bug Pokémon and collapses in fear, Hoot Hoot tries to run and Ash convinces Hoot Hoot to help her, it manages to see right through the illusions and get rid of them. A big group of Gengar and Haunter are then revealed as the perpetrators of these illusions, Hoot Hoot stuns them with an attack before Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip and Pikachu’s thunderbolt send them packing.

Shortly after the group arrive at a strange stone structure just like the one they found earlier and assume themselves to be lost once more. Just then they are approached by a very ugly woman they assume to be Hagatha, but it’s not… it’s her beautiful sister (who looks basically exactly the same) – Agatha! The group have reached the forest exit and call Hagatha from Agatha’s place to thank her.

Team Rocket meanwhile are enjoying an illusion of sunbathing on a beautiful beach… but are infact stuck in the forest being tormented by Gengar and Haunter’s illusions
episode122 11212 6 E# 122

J# 124
"Flower Power"

"Kireihana no Batoru Danshingu!" (キレイハナのバトルダンシング!)
(Kireihana's Battle Dancing!)
November 11, 2000

November 18, 1999
Our heroes have escaped the forest and arrived at Florando City, where they are spoilt for choice with things to do. A lady approaches and tells them about the Pokémon Exhibition, an annual Pokémon entertainment festival where people use their Pokémon to put on shows; the group head over to check it out and see loads of Pokémon providing the entertainment. One particular type of Pokémon catch the groups eye; a pair of jumping and dancing Grass Pokémon identified as Belossom.

The group continue to watch the impressive acrobatic show put on by the two Belossom, when they attempt a mid-air loop the loop move they call the bell-loop-de-loop, but one of the Belossom gets it wrong and luckily Ash is there to catch it. The Belossoms trainer gets Ash and friends some drinks to thank them for saving her Belossom, she introduces herself as Bailey and explains that the Belossom are her two star performers; Belle and Bella. Ash asks if they are going to try the bell-loop-de-loop trick again at the exhibition tomorrow, Bailey says they are but Belle has had real trouble performing the move since they reached Florando.

Team Rocket meanwhile have arrived in town and are enjoying the festival atmosphere and are looking to make some money with some talent of their own….. attempting to show off Meowth’s ability to take to make some money, but he gets stage fright and fails to speak. Meowth is then coerced to going onto the stage to read some jokes, the crowd are initially shocked he can speak but his jokes are so bad that the crowd start to leave without paying.

Jessie and James are disappointed that no one got to see them dance, so they resort to turning up in their dancing gear on a bulldozer to get the crowds attention. Ash confronts them but Bailey says it should be the festival performers who are responsible for defending the festival. Team Rocket are attacked by an unnamed trainer and his Alakazam before eventually being defeated by Bailey’s pair of Belossom. Later that evening Team Rocket are sat in a dark alley sharing some meatballs, they could only afford one meal because it cost them so much to rent the bulldozer, just then they get a leaflet about the Pokémon exhibition which is to take place tomorrow and decide it would be a great place to swipe some talented Pokémon.

Meanwhile Bailey preaches to Ash and friends about how dancing isn’t so different to battling, and invites them to her training session where she even teaches Pikachu some. Then the Belossom start practicing for the exhibition and again attempt the bell-loop-de-loop, Belle gets it wrong again and Bailey says they’ll leave that move out of the routine for the exhibition.

The next day some very strange and familiar looking new hosts are presenting the event and welcome all of the entertainers and their Pokémon to the stage before catching the Pokémon in a net, revealing themselves as Team Rocket and making their escape in their balloon.

Ash sends out his Heracross, uses its horn to catapult Pikachu into the air so it can get close enough to the balloon to destroy it with a thunderbolt, sending it crashing down. Bailey, Ash and gang approach Team Rocket who are still not done despite being knocked out of the air. Jessie and James send their Pokémon to attack but Pikachu uses its newly learned dance moves to avoid their attacks; before eventually being snagged by Victreebel, just as Arbok is about to tackle Pikachu Belle and Bella the Belossom manage to perform the bell-loop-de-loop to defeat Arbok and Victreebel before sending Team Rocket blasting off.

All of the entertainers are reunited with their Pokémon, and the show goes on as planned. Bailey and her Belossom perform on the stage and put on a great show which they finish with a successful bell-loop-de-loop which is met with a roar of applauds by the crowd.
episode123 11213 7 E# 123

J# 125
"Spinarak Attack"

"Itomaru! Dai Sōsasen!!" (イトマル! だいそうさせん!!)
(Itomaru! Big Police Investigation!!)
November 11, 2000

November 25, 1999
Today our friends are passing through Castelia City famed for it’s beautiful buildings and the exploits of a legendary thief. Ash and friends see a patrol car go speeding past and follow as they suspect trouble, Brock is then tripped up by something and a Pokémon descends from a web and scares Misty before Ash and the whole group are tied up a web generated by this Spinarak.

Meanwhile Team Rocket, dressed in some rather extravagant generic thieves attire are trying to follow in the footsteps of the Black Arachnid, the famous cat burgular of Castelia City. They break into a building and begin checking out the best items to steal, when someone approaches and asks what they’re doing. Meowth emulates the payday attack that the Black Arachnid’s Meowth once used (with a little help from James’ bottle cap collection) to scare the guy off. The group make their escape, leaving behind the bottle caps as evidence.

Officer Jenny is investigating the third break in this week and finds the bottle caps, herself suspecting it looks like payday and just then Ash, Misty and Brock are bought to her attention (they’re all stuck together in a giant ball of web after being captured by the mysterious Pokémon from earlier on). Another officer suggests that they could be the thieves, but Officer Jenny quickly realises they aren’t and sets them free. She recognises the group for having a Togepi and a Pikachu and asks if they’re the Pokémon crime fighters who helped her cousin in New Bark Town (when they helped recover the Totodile), the group volunteer to help her with this case too. The Pokémon which was responsible for capturing them all in its web earlier on then makes an appearance; Officer Jenny identifies it as a Spinarak and says that it’s the cutest one they have on the force.

Ash asks why Officer Jenny uses Spinarak on the police force instead of Growlithe and she goes on to say that it’s an old tradition in Castelia City because many long years ago one of her ancestors, who was also called Officer Jenny used her trusty Spinarak to help finally capture the Black Arachnid. The Spinarak that she uses herself is actually a descendant of her ancestors Spinarak too.

Team Rocket are hiding at a tower, Jessie wants to do bigger heists to get more recognition for their thieving prowess, Meowth is more concerned about eating and James is getting pretty upset that he’s almost run out of bottlecaps because he’s been emulating payday for Meowth with them at each crime. Jessie decides they’ll gain more notoriety if they write their next victim a letter saying exactly when and what they are going to steal; knowing full well the police will be there waiting.

Jessie pens a letter to a rich man who is known to have a valuable trophy in his home telling him it’s going to be stolen at midnight. Jenny along with Ash and friends vow to stop it being stolen; Ash even sends out all of his Pokémon into the grounds of the large mansion to guard the perimeter, Jennys Spinarak also joins them and places webs around the mansion. Ash, Misty, Brock and Jenny head inside and sit guard at the trophy.

Midnight hits and all is quiet, the owner of the mansion thanks everyone and gives the group a large meal to thank them… just as the group finish the meal Team Rocket descend from the ceiling on ropes; revealing that they’d been hiding in the attic since they wrote the letter. It seems they turned up late because they fell asleep themselves.

Team Rocket grab the trophy and escape through the mansion roof in their balloon but the balloon is stopped short when the Spinaraks web prevents it ascending any further. Ash then uses attacks by Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charizard to hit the balloon. Charizard’s flames however burn away the web and free Team Rockets balloon, Jennys Spinarak manages to get hold of the balloon with it’s web allowing Charizard to catch up and send Team Rocket blasting off. Ash uses all of his Pokémon to catch all of the falling artifacts, and Jenny’s Spinarak saves the trophy.

Everything that was stolen is back in the hands of its rightful owners. Officer Jenny thanks Ash and friends for their help and wishes them all the best on the rest of their journey.
episode124 11214 8 E# 124

J# 126
"Snubble Snobbery"

"Burū no Karei na Seikatsu!?" (ブルーのかれいなせいかつ!?)
(Bull's Magnificent Life!?)
November 18, 2000

December 2, 1999
Ash and friends arrive at Palm Hills, a place made famous by its sprawling estates and sweeping lawns. It’s there that they find a rather pampered Snubble and reunite it with it’s very rich owner who invites Ash and co to lunch to thank them; but in spite of the house being like a palace or a castle with huge grounds Snubble doesn’t seem happy to be going home.

The rich woman gives Ash & co a short tour of Snubble’s wing of the house including luxury bedrooms, gyms, private bubble baths and more. Brock notices that Snubble isn’t happy with the luxury life at all. The clock strikes 12 and it’s time for lunch, a gourmet meal is served to everyone, Ash and friends dig in but Snubble rejects it…. Instead taking a liking to some simple Popcorn balls from Brock.

Team Rocket are skulking around in the Mansion grounds looking to sneak in and steal, but they bump into Snubble who distracts them for a moment before the household staff turn up and start chasing them; Ash and co block their escape route and the household staff catch up. James uses Weezing’s smokescreen to escape. Snubble has taken a liking to Meowth’s tail at this point.

Back inside the house Snubble’s owner reveals that it’s actually Snubble’s wedding day and that she is to be wed to another very well to do Snubble called Winthrip Snubblefeather. Misty works out that Snubble potentially doesn’t keep getting lost and is infact trying to run away from the smothering of her owner and the impending marriage she doesn’t want. Brock decides that the group should try to help Snubble.

The owners of Snubble and Winthrip Snubblefeather are discussing the imminent marriage of their Pokémon when Brock bursts in and confronts them saying enough is enough; adding that Snubble just wants to be herself and doesn’t want to be smothered all the time, the discussion is interrupted again when Team Rocket appear above them and lower Meowth down as bait for the Snubble, it latches on to Meowth’s tail, they reel him back in and escape with the Snubble to a shed on the estate. A quick bite from Snubble to Meowth’s tail later and he reveals where they’re hiding, the staff of the estate along with Ash and friends turn up to take on Team Rocket; Ash’s Heracross puts both Arbok and Weezing on the back foot, but then Snubble steps up to battle them and after some encouragement from Brock and her reluctant owner Snubble manages to defeat Arbok, Victreebell (and James). Team Rocket and their Pokémon flee to their balloon which is sent blasting off by Heracross.

Winthrip and his owner leave and the marriage is cancelled. Snubble’s owner realises that Snubble can take care of itself quite well and vows not to smother her so much anymore. With our heroes help, Snubbles trainer is learning that her Snubble’s affection has to be earned by paying attention, not money, and they are on their way again.
episode125 11215 9 E# 125

J# 127
"The Little Big Horn"

"Odoshishi! Maboroshi no Mori!?" (オドシシ!まぼろしのもり!?)
(Odoshishi! Forest of Illusions!?)
November 18, 2000

December 9, 1999
Ash, Misty and Brock are walking through a Park in the middle of a big city when they spot a young Stantler in the bushes. Brock notices that the Stantler is injured and tries to feed it some Pokémon chow, it allows Brock to approach and pet it but then Ash and Misty notice a herd of adult Stantler are right behind him – the herd charges the group and the young Stantler goes back into the bushes.

Ash and friends look back and see that the Stantler are no longer behind them, assuming they must have lost them, just then Officer Jenny appears from the bushes and asks them to come down to the station to make a statement. Apparently a huge herd of Stantler has been chasing people out of the park quite a lot recently and that it doesn’t make sense, as Stantler normally live in the mountains and this Park is in the middle of a big city.

Brock theorises that the herd of Stantler may not have been there at all, and it could’ve been an illusion, just then Team Rocket can be overheard outside, they’re were trying to steal Stantler in the Park when they too were chased off by a whole herd.

Just then a huge load of Stantler come running down the street, everyone runs except Brock; he sees one of the Stantler pass through a lamp post and this backs up his theory that they are an illusion; he takes the chance and sure enough he is right. The young injured Stantler then appears and Brock has very much earned its trust; he bandages the stantlers leg and it goes to sleep in his lap.

Ash, Misty and Officer Jenny are talking to Brock about how he knew it was an illusion and Team Rocket are listening in, annoyed that the Stantler tricked them with its illusion they vow to steal the one Stantler that is real.

The group all go to sleep at the Police Station and the next day they take Stantler to the path which leads up the mountains, but it seems to want to stay with Brock, he startles it by stamping his foot and tells it he doesn’t want it around anymore and it heads reluctantly up the mountain path with tears in its eyes. Team Rocket’s balloon is passing overhead and they spot Stantler; luckily Brock spots their balloon too and he and his friends head in the direction that Stantler went.

Team Rocket deploy their anti Stantler device which catches Stantler in a net, they then head down and attach the net to their balloon just as Brock comes running to try and help it. But the balloon is already flying off, Brock uses his Onix to destroy Team Rockets anti stantler device and then Ash arrives and sends Pikachu to shoot the balloon down with a thunderbolt; but its too far out.

It looks as though Team Rocket are going to actually get away when suddenly a full sized Stantler appears and charges the balloon, slicing it in half and knocking it out of the sky. Ash’s Bulbasaur breaks Stantler’s fall and then brock manages to catch it before it hits the ground. Team Rocket are confronted by a herd of Stantler and this time it’s not an illusion, they are promptly sent blasting off.

Brock delivers the baby Stantler to its herd, reuniting it with its mother, friends and family.
episode126 11216 10 E# 126

J# 128
"The Chikorita Rescue"

"Ijippari no Chikorīta!!" (いじっぱりのチコリータ!!)
(The Stubborn Chicorita!!)
November 25, 2000

December 16, 1999
While on the road to Violet City and the first Johto Gym challenge, Ash and his friends encounter a sleeping Chikorita which appears to be wild. Ash decides he wants to capture the Chikorita and sends out Bulbasaur to battle it, unfortunately for him however Bulbasaur is defeated despite a strong start. Ash wants to make a point and sends out Charizard next, Charizard ends up flying straight into a mountain with Chikorita attached to it.

Chikorita appeared to still want to fight, but then collapses. Ash grabs it and takes it to the nearest Pokémon Center. Team Rocket had been watching events unfold in the background and were impressed by Chikorita, planning to steal it for themselves. Nurse Joy treats Chikorita at the Pokemon Center and the good news is that it will be fine. Everyone else gets their Pokémon treated while they’re there.

The group go into the room with Chikorita who is sleeping and recovering. An ambulance turns up and a couple of suspicious medics rush in and wheel Chikorita out on it’s bed saying they’re taking Chikorita to their specialist unit, quickly loading Chikorita into their ambulance. Nurse Joy chases them outside and asks where they’re from because she’s never seen them before and its then that they reveal themselves as Team Rocket. Weezing’s smog prevents anyone giving chase directly behind and they start driving around a windy hill. Ash and Pikachu climb directly over the hill enabling them to catch up.

Ash finds the snowy hideout where Team Rocket are holding Chikorita; and realises that he left all his Pokéball’s at the Pokemon Center. Meanwhile Jessie is trying to convince Chikorita to join Team Rocket. Ash makes his entrance to the Pokemon Lodge with his own version of the Team Rocket motto. Pikachu convinces Chikorita to run with him, but the two end up caught in a trap outside, which also catches Ash. The trap has locked Ash, Chikorita and Pikachu together by rope, when they panic and all try to run in different directions they end up sliding down the hill and get rolled up into a huge Snowball before ending up stuck in a tree briefly; they hide under a pile of snow until Team Rocket passes.

Ash, Pikachu and Chikorita are trying to find the best route to take when Chikorita suddenly runs off. It begins to snow and Ash and Pikachu dig in in a cave with a fire, but Ash is worried about Chikorita and gets up to go find it, leaving Pikachu in the cave with the fire. Ash trudges through the snow and after falling off a ledge manages to find Chikorita who is close to freezing, he brings Chikorita back to the cave where Pikachu is waiting and both Ash and Pikachu spend the night sleeping under Ash’s jacket.

The next day when the sun rises Ash, Chikorita and Pikachu leave the cave and just as they are about to return to the Pokémon Center they find Team Rocket waiting for them outside with a snow firing device. Chikorita’s vine whips break its controls and it starts firing snowballs at Team Rocket, Pikachu then dispatches them with a thunderbolt. A few moments later Misty, Nurse Joy and Brock find them and together they all head back to the Pokemon Center.

Ash and friends are saying their goodbyes to Nurse Joy and Chikorita, but Chikorita chases after Ash, deciding that it would like him to become its trainer. And so in the cold snowy mountains Ash and Chikorita have begun what promises to be a warm, new friendship.
episode127 11217 11 E# 127

J# 129
"Once in a Blue Moon"

"Nuō to GS Bōru!?" (ヌオーとGSボール!?)
(Nuoh and the GS Ball!?)
December 2, 2000

December 23, 1999
Our heroes have stopped near a pretty little town called Cherrygrove City on their way to the Johto League when they encounter a Quagsire. Misty decides shes going to capture it but accidentally sends out Psyduck to capture it, Psyduck and Quagsire stare at each other for a while and Quagsire gets bored, steals the GS ball and starts to swim off, Ash sends Squirtle to chase Quagsire and retrieve the GS ball which after a bit of a battle it manages to do. The GS Ball is now in the possession of Pikachu.

Seconds later the towns Officer Jenny arrives and arrests the group for violating Quagsire preservation restrictions, back at the station Officer Jenny speaks to Professor Oak who apologises for not warning them about the Quagsire and Officer Jenny drops the charges against Ash and co. Oak and Jenny explain that the Quagsire are protected in Cherrygrove City because they only live in the cleanest waters, and this helps the people of Cherrygrove keep an eye on their local water quality. Ash is wondering why the Quagsire tried to steal the GS Ball, and Jenny says it’s because around this time of year the Quagsire try to take anything that’s round to Blue Moon falls, and the next day all of the items will come back downstream bringing the townsfolk pure water and good luck. It’s also said that whoever’s item comes back downstream last will be the very luckiest of all.

Ash and co leave the station and witness a Quagsire stealing a round item from the bridge. Just then the Quagsire who previously tried to steal the GS ball appears and jumps on Ash’s back, eventually it manages to get hold of the GS ball and slips away back into the water, heading upstream.

Team Rocket are nearby trying to use a mystic ball to find out the location of the twerps, but a Quagsire swipes the ball from them and escapes. Just as Jessie and James are about to send their Pokémon out to attack more Quagsire appear and steal their Pokéballs and run off. Ash and friends continue following the river to try and find the Quagsire who stole the GS ball when they spot a couple of other Quagsire, they decide to follow them hoping they will lead them to the one who stole the GS Ball.

Later that night Ash and friends stumble upon Blue Moon Falls and they spot a huge group of Quagsire including the one with the GS Ball. Ash’s first instinct is to attack and try to capture the Quagsire with the GS ball however Misty reminds him what Officer Jenny said. Team Rocket are also watching the Quagsire nearby and shortly after they attack with a mechanical grabbing machine, but every Quagsire they grab just slips right back out with its slippery skin. Team Rocket switch to Plan B and catch all the Quagsire in a huge net and start flying off. Ash and friends confront Team Rocket but the mechanical grabber grabs Pikachu.

A huge group of Quagsire start throwing rocks at Team Rocket’s balloon slowing them down just enough for Ash to free the captured Quagsire from their net using Bulbasaurs razor leaf attack. The Quagsire send Team Rocket blasting off and Ash and friends continue to observe the Quagsire who begin to head upstream, Ash and co give chase and they eventually find the Quagsire gathered at a waterfall, the full Moon high in the sky above it. The Quagsire all begin to throw their round objects and use their waterguns to try and get them as close to the moon as they can. The Quagsire with the GS ball got it’s one the highest, and all of the items begin to get washed down the river in the opposite direction. Ash and friends give chase once more.

The next day the sun rises and the Townspeople are gathered on a bridge, watching and waiting for all of their items to return to them. The people run into the water and collect their belongings one by one, when eventually the GS ball arrives as the last one back, meaning Ash will have the best luck of any of the people this year. Ash arrives to retrieve the ball and the townspeople cheer him as the luckiest one of all.

Now that the GS ball has been safely returned Ash is more eager than ever to try his luck in the Johto League.
episode128 11218 12 E# 128

J# 130
"The Whistle Stop"

"Rediba no Fue!" (レディバのふえ!)
(Rediba's Flute!)
December 2, 2000

January 1, 2000
Ash and friends continue their journey to the Johto League, as they cross a bridge Team Rocket make another bungled attempt to steal Pikachu; their attempt as usual fails but results in the destruction of the bridge which Ash & Co still need to cross. As they're wondering how they can possibly cross a Pokémon trainer named Arielle offers to fly the group across using her Ledyba since she had some work to do at the Orchards on the other side.

Ash and co are flown across by Arielles Ledyba and arrive in an Orchard of Apple trees, its there that they witness Arielle using her whistle to command the Ledyba to pollenate all the Apple Trees in the orchard. But Team Rocket aren't done yet, they've been listening in and watching and decide it would be a great idea to steal Arielles whistle thinking it would put the Ledyba under their command. Team Rocket attack and the Ledyba become confused and won't follow Arielles commands without the whistle. Ash and Pikachu manage to send Team Rocket blasting off, but the commotion of the battle scares the Ledyba away too.

Arielle begins the search for her group of Ledyba and Ash and co try to help. Brock sends out his Zubat to try and find the Ledyba using it's supersonic waves, unfortunately it goes wrong when a huge flock of Golbat appear instead. Ash then sends out Heracross and tells it to lead them to the nearest place that smells of flowers. Meanwhile Team Rocket are repairing whats left of their balloon and messing with Arielles whistle which is still in their posession, when all of a sudden Team Rocket spot the group of Ledyba sleeping. Meowth uses the whistle to command Arbok to attack, and all the Ledyba are caught in a net.

Suddenly Arielle smells something; its the faint smell that the Ledyba give off when they are in danger. Pikachu follows the scent and they find a trail leading off into the forest where they eventually find Team Rocket and the captive Ledyba. James catches Ash and friends as well as Arielle under a net. Arielle tries to command her Ledyba which she was previously convinced would only respond to the whistle, and they do listen; her group of Ledyba attack Arbok, Victreebel and Team Rocket while Ash uses Bulbasaur to free Arielle and his friends from the net. Jessie sends Lickitung out to use its confusion but Pikachu's thunderbolt stops it just in time. Arielle commands a group tackle attack on Team Rocket, and they are sent blasting off, dropping Arielles whistle as they go.

Arielle commands her Ledyba to pollenate the orchards, she tries using the whistle and without, and they listen to her regardless. Arielle vows to try to use the whistle less and less every day. Ash and friends bid her farewell and continue on their journey.
episode129 11219 13 E# 129

J# 131
"Ignorance is Blissey"

"Hapinasu no Happī Nāsu!" (ハピナスのハッピーナース!)
(Happinas's Happy Nurse!)
December 9, 2000

January 6, 2000
On a beautiful moonlit night our heroes arrive at a little place called Happy Town, they are all hungry and tired so get pretty excited to see the Pokemon Center, they rush to it but it appears to be closed until eventually the doors are opened… not by Nurse Joy, but by her Blissey, who notices that they are hungry and makes them a lot of food which it then unfortunately drops all over them. Blissey then offers to help scrub Ash’s back while he showers and it promptly removes lots of his skin in the process.

The Center’s Nurse Joy wakes up and apologises to the group for any harm Blissey may have caused. The group all go to bed, having unfortunately still not eaten. Team Rocket are nearby, they too are starving and decide to break into the Pokemon Center to steal food; it’s here that Jessie encounters Blissey… who appears to know her! It turns out they studied at Pokémon Nurse School (that is a Nursing School for POKEMON to learn at) together many years ago when Blissey was still a Chansey. Jessie reminisces about helping the Chansey pass her Pokémon nursing exams and the two of them becoming friends. Despite being a very promising Nurse, Jessie left the school prior to graduation, her friend Chansey ran after her as she was leaving and tried to give Jessie her Nurse hat, but she wouldn’t take it. Chansey then broke her necklace in half and gave half to Jessie and the two said goodbye.

Blissey enjoys a reunion with Jessie and notices that they are hungry, Blissey takes Team Rocket to the Pokemon Center’s pantry and gives them a ridiculous amount of food which they leave with. The next day Ash and friends are horrified to be served a rather rationed breakfast. Nurse Joy discovers the food pantry completely empty. And her and the group head to check out the security footage which shows Blissey stealing the food, but Team Rocket can’t quite be seen in the video. Team Rocket are in their balloon flying over with all the food in a net beneath. Jessie is watching Nurse Joy questioning Blissey from a distance and feels bad for getting her old friend intro trouble. Jessie wants to help Blissey and James and Meowth agree to help. They drop the food back outside the Pokemon Center and loudly announce it on a megaphone for Joy and the others inside to hear before proceeding to insinuate that they infact TRICKED Blissey into taking it for them. It’s all going quite well until Blissey hears the commotion from inside and comes out, spots Jessie and starts rushing over to greet her. Jessie realises that if it becomes known that she as a Team Rocket member is Blissey’s friend that Blissey might lose her job; so she sends out Lickitung and Arbok to block Blissey’s path; even ordering them to attack her.

Blissey continues to try and get to her old friend Jessie, Jessie orders her Pokémon to attack (gently and nicely) but Blissey continues her approach. Jessie worries that they’ll never let Blissey be a Pokemon Nurse if they find out and starts firing. Nurse Joy apologises to Blissey for ever doubting her. Ash battles Team Rocket with Pikachu, Chikorita and Squirtle defeating Lickitung and Arbok before sending Team Rocket blasting off.

Ash and friends can finally eat, Blissey realises that her old friend Jessie did it all to help her and is happy once more. Team Rocket are all washed up in the wreckage of their balloon at sea, Ash and friends are ready to continue their journey.
episode130 11220 14 E# 130

J# 132
"A Bout with Sprout"

"Dai Pinchi! Madatsubomi no Tō!" (だいピンチ! マダツボミのとう!)
(Big Pinch! Madatsubomi Tower!)
December 16, 2000

January 13, 2000
Ash and friends are drawing ever nearer to Violet City when they encounter a couple of young whippersnappers who try to “capture” Pikachu. Ash runs over just in time to stop Pikachu shocking the two kids and tells the kids it belongs to him. The kids teacher then runs out of the school gate and tells Zachy and Lizzy (the kids) that they should be in class, apologising to Ash and friends.

The kids realise that Ash is a Pokemon Trainer and say they know all about Pokemon Training; it turns out the school they attend is a Pokemon Academy for aspiring young trainers. Brock volunteers himself and his friends to stay on at the Academy for a while to help teach the kids about Pokemon. Miss Priscilla (the teachers name) introduces the group to the schools Principal; Mr. Earl Dervish who names Ash and friends honorary teachers at the Academy!

Each take their turn teaching the kids, who are mostly pretty excited except Zachy who has a bit of an attitude. At recess Ash ,Misty and Brock send out their Pokemon to play with the kids and everyone looks like their having a good time. Brock spots a strange tower in the distance and asks Miss Priscilla about it; she tells them it’s called The Sprout Tower and which is held up by a single swinging pillar which swings from side to side just the way a Bellsprout would. Zachy tries to convince Pikachu to leave Ash and become his Pokemon; when Pikachu declines, Zachy steals a Pokéball from Ash and chases Pikachu out of the school grounds with it.

Miss Priscilla is about to take the rest of the class on a school trip to The Sprout Tower; accompanied by Brock and Misty. Ash chases after Zachy, who throws the Pokéball into the bushes where he thinks Pikachu went, and appears to catch it. Ash catches up to him and the two fall into one of Team Rocket’s traps. Ash asks Zachy for the Pokéball he thinks Pikachu is in, but when its thrown it seems he caught a Bellsprout! Team Rocket however are still intent on capturing Pikachu and set a trap for it, knowing it must be nearby. They use a voice simulator to simulate Ash’s voice and call Pikachu over. Team Rocket are about to throw a net over Pikachu but Ash warns him just in time. Ash sends Pikachu to hit Team Rocket with a thunderbolt and sends them blasting off.

Miss Priscilla, Brock and Misty arrive at the Sprout Tower and are checking out the beam which swings in the center of the tower, just like a Bellsprout would. Team Rocket landed in the Sprout Tower after Pikachu sent them blasting off, and from the roof beams they listen in on Brock and Misty talking to Miss Priscilla – overhearing that Ash is on his way over they decide to set a trap. James uses Weezings smog to fill the tower and simulate the affect of it being on fire, Miss Priscilla, Brock and Misty evacuate the children. Ash, Pikachu, Zachy and his Bellsprout run to the tower when they see the smoke. There they find Team Rocket waiting for them; using their Pokémon to saw through the pillar and destroy the tower.

Team Rocket put forward the ultimatum that if Ash gives them Pikachu they won’t destroy the tower. Pikachu goes to Team Rocket to save the tower. Meowth has a remote in his hand that will destroy the whole tower. Zachy’s Bellsprout uses a swift Razor Leaf which knocks the remote out of Meowths hand. Team Rocket try to escape on their Rocket with Pikachu strapped to it; but the razor leafs of Bulbasaur and Bellsprout prevent their escape, rescue Pikachu and result in Team Rocket very much blasting off again.

The tower has been destabilised badly as it has been sawed through quite a lot, but is saved none the less. The whole experience has made Zachy very fond of his new Bellsprout. Ash and his friends bid farewell to Miss Priscilla, the Principal and the Children of the Pokemon Academy.
episode131 11221 15 E# 131

J# 133
"Fighting Flyer with Fire"

"Kikyō Jimu! Ōzora no Tatakai!!" (キキョウジム! おおぞらのたたかい!!)
(Kikyou Gym! Sky Battle!!)
December 16, 2000

January 20, 2000
Ash and friends have finally made it to Violet City and Ash is excited to challenge for his first Johto League gym badge. Just as he is about to enter the gym a couple of suspicious looking characters from the Pokémon Bureau appear to inspect Ash’s Pikachu, it is infact Team Rocket in disguise and they begin making their escape on their balloon.

Ash sends out Heracross to stop them but Team Rocket planned ahead, and threw some sap on the ground, Heracross prioritised eating over saving his comrade and it looked as though Team Rocket were going to escape; however a guy on a hang glider with a Hoot Hoot arrived, sent the Hoot Hoot to steal Pikachu and began his descent toward Ash & Co, but Team Rocket weren’t finished and shot his hang glider with Arbok’s poison stings sending him hurtling toward the ground. The guy with the hang glider then sent out his Pidgeot and rode on its back to tear Team Rocket’s balloon, sending them blasting off.

The guy then landed next to Ash and gang, returned Pikachu and told the group why he loved flying type Pokémon so much, Ash reminisces and tells him about his own Pidgeot. It’s then that the guy introduces himself as Falkner; the Violet City gym leader and they go inside (infact, to it’s rooftop) for a match.

A three versus three match begins with Falkner sending out Hoot Hoot as his first, Ash responds by sending out Chikorita in an unexpected move and despite putting up a good effort Chikorita is defeated. Ash sends Pikachu to face Falkner’s Hoot Hoot next and Pikachu wins convincingly, Falkner sends out his Dodrio next who is apparently undefeated by challengers. Falkner makes the shocking revelation that his Dodrio can actually fly (it can jump very high moreso) and the battle commences; Dodrio matches Pikachu for agility and looks to be winning the match until Pikachu manages to land a Thunder attack, winning the battle for Ash. It was always quite obvious what Falkner’s third Pokémon would be; he sends out his Pidgeot as expected and Pikachu is pretty tired but still wants to fight, seconds later Pikachu is defeated.

Ash sends out his final Pokemon to face Pidgeot; it’s Charizard. An impressive aerial battle ensues with Pidgeot gaining the advantage, it seems that one of Charizard’s wings is injured and Pidgeot presses the advantage. Charizard finds the strength to fly, but Pidgeot is superior and runs rings around it with his agility, but Ash recognises the patterns of the agility enabling Charizard to hit with a fire spin before grabbing it and defeating it with a Seismic toss, winning the match for Ash.

Falkner congratulates Ash on his victory and awards him the Zephyr badge. Our heroes continue on to the next gym and the next adventure.
episode132 11222 16 E# 132

J# 134
"For Cryin' Out Loud"

"Nakimushi Mariru!" (なきむしマリル!)
(Crybaby Maril!)
January 20, 2001

January 27, 2000
Ash is intent on taking on the Azalea Gymas soon as possible to keep his winning streak going. As the group stop to admire the scenery Brock spots a beautiful girl standing on a cliff overlooking some sparkling blue water. Just then a Marrill with a pink bow on its tail appears from the bushes; Misty immediately tries to catch it, her Pokéball doesn’t capture it but hits it in the head. It cries REALLY loud and when Brock is trying to comfort it he notices the Ribbon and realises it must have a trainer.

The Marill cries when Misty picks it up, but is OK with Brock so he keeps hold of it, a few moments later a couple of southern folk turn up and offer the group a ride in the back of their truck to the next town. Unfortunately the truck grabs Pikachu and Marill, then disconnects its rear trailer… leaving Ash and friends for dust and stealing the Pokémon; the people who offered them the lift of course turn out to be Team Rocket.

Marill unleashes its extremely loud crying attack while its being held on the back of the truck causing Team Rocket to lose control of the vehicle, crash into a bridge and go blasting off leaving Pikachu and Marill taking a dangerous tumble down a steep ridge toward a fast flowing river. She manages to grab hold of them both but she tumbles into the river and is washed downstream. Ash takes care of Togepi in her absence and suddenly the girl they saw earlier catches up with Ash and Brock, berating them for stealing her Pokémon. Brock explains that they had no hand in the kidnap of her Pokémon and the girl introduces herself as Wilhomen, the owner of the Marill.

Meanwhile Misty, Marill and Pikachu have made it to the riverbank but unfortunately Marill continues to cry extremely loud, as they depart the riverbank the Marill’s ribbon falls off its tail. Misty tries getting the Marill to use its super sensitive hearing to try and listen for its trainer, but it takes a while and Misty loses patience and shouts at it, prompting Marill to cry loudly once more.

Wilhomena worries that she might never see Marill again, Brock reassures her that he will be there for her until she does… and it seems that Wilhomena actually quite likes him… just then Togepi finds her Marill’s ribbon. Misty, Pikachu and Marill are having something to eat when Marill chases after some Butterfree and starts shooting its watergun into some tall grass, lots of very angry Weedle and other bug Pokémon appear … followed by a swarm of Beedrill which gives chase! Misty, Pikachu and Marill run as fast as they can, eventually passing by Ash, Brock and Wilhomena. In the chaos the two groups lose each other again. With the help of Pikachu, Misty manages to fend off the Beedrill. A huge storm approaches; Ash, Brock and Wilhomena take shelter under a tree and Misty, Marill and Pikachu take shelter in a cave. Marill gets scared by the thunder and runs out of the cave, just as a nearby tree is struck by lightning, it almost falls on Marill but Misty manages to save it just in time.

The next day the storm passes and the sun rises and Misty, Pikachu and Marill continue trying to find Marill’s trainer; as they are crossing a rope bridge Team Rocket attack using a big mechanical hand to shake the already fairly unstable rope bridge (nasty much?) before using another grabber to get Pikachu, and another to grab Marill…. Misty manages to grab onto the Marill and stop Team Rocket stealing it, the arm releases its grip and Misty and Marill are plunging into a deep ravine when they are saved by a couple of Vine Whips, its Chikorita along with Ash, Brock and Wilhomena The usual confrontation ensues and Misty battles Team Rocket with her Poliwag and a little help from Marill and Pikachu.

Wilhomena is reunited with her Marill and thanks the group for their help; offering them a stay at her Lakehouse as thanks, but Ash wants to press on to the next gym. Brock and Wilhomena say their goodbyes as do Misty and Marill and the group continue their journey.
episode133 11223 17 E# 133

J# 135
"Tanks a Lot!"

"Bakusō! Otachi Ando Togepī!!" (ばくそう! オタチ&トゲピー!!)
(Pasture! Otachi & Togepy!!)
January 27, 2001

February 3, 2000
Ash and friends have found a quiet spot where they are taking a rest before their next Johto league gym battle, little do they know that Team Rocket are nearby in an Arbok themed tank they call the “Arbo-tank” and have spotted the group (who are asleep). Team Rocket know if they approach and try to steal Pikachu in the tank it will wake Ash and co up so they get out of the tank and prepare for a stealth approach.

Just then Togepi, and a Sentret (a new playmate he just met) get inside the Arbo-tank and start playing around in the control room, sending the tank driving off into the distance. Ash is woken up by another Sentret who is trying to communicate something to them; then they realise Togepi is missing too… they spot a commotion in the distance and head in its direction, Team Rocket meanwhile are chasing after the Arbo-tank and so are a huge group of Sentret but having minimal luck catching it.

The Arbo-tank seems unstoppable, smashing through all the rocks in it’s path; Ash and gang notice this too and Brock formulates a plan to stop it using all of their Pokemon; a hole must be dug and filled with rocks and mud from the surrounding area, the water Pokémon will then use their water attacks to turn the earth to mud, stopping the Arbo-tank in its tracks. It’s at that point that Sentret and Pikachu will head inside to rescue Togepi and the other Sentret.

The operation begins and the water Pokemon manage to fill the ditch with water just in time, despite Togepi and the Sentret inside the Arbo-tank managing to jump on the control to speed the tank up. The crash along with the water is making things go wrong inside the tank and it starts moving again… firing missles as it goes and escaping the trap Brock devised. Team Rocket appear and reveal that they too have set a trap for the Arbo-tank, catching it in a really big deep hole… Meowth jumps inside to try to steal Pikachu, Togepi and the Sentret. Pikachu doesn’t take kindly to this and drops a thunderbolt on Meowth, but it also powers up the Arbo-tank which then deploys a spring mechanism to jump its’s way out of the hole and continue on it’s trail of destruction!

Meanwhile The Sentret are all calling out warnings to each other as they watch the chaos unfold and Ash and friends are chasing the Arbo-tank. The Arbo-tank hits a mountain and things look bad for the Pokémon inside but it then deploys its rock-drill and bores its way through the mountainside. Brock draws up new plans to try and stop the Arbo-tank, which is on a direct course for a nearby town. Jessie and James are also present as Brock presents their plans; as it’s also in their interest to get the Arbo-tank back.

Ash sends out Charizard to fly ahead and try to slow the Arbo-tank down while the others catch up. Charizard slows it right down but its on the cliff immediately above the town…. Charizard, Sentret and Onix manage to stop the Arbo-tank long enough to rescue their Pokémon. Jessie and James head inside the Arbo-tank to try and stop it exploding, but they’re too late… the explosion sends them blasting off. Misty tells off Togepi for it’s mischief and the little Sentret’s mother tells it off too for joyriding a giant mechanical tank.

Officer Jenny approaches the group on the Cliffside and actually THANKS them for the hole they made in the mountainside, apparently the tunnel the Arbo-tank drilled will save the townspeople lots of travel time as they won’t have to go around the outside of the mountain.
episode134 11224 18 E# 134

J# 136
"Charizard's Burning Ambition"

"Rizādon no Tani! Mata Au Hi made!!" (リザードンのたに! またあうひまで!!)
(Lizardon's Valley! Until We Meet Again!!)
February 3, 2001

February 10, 2000
Ash, Misty and Brock are growing weary of walking but continue their journey none the less, meanwhile Team Rocket are reluctantly plotting to try and steal Pikachu again. As the group walk through the Charicific Valley National Reserve they meet a Charizard trainer by the name of Liza; she instinctively knows that Ash has a Charizard by recognising its subtle scent. Liza asks if Ash and co will accompany her for a look around the Charicific Valley; she summons her friend (a Charizard) called Charla.

Charla arrives towing a balloon’s container, and Liza offers Misty and Brock passage in that along with her groceries. There’s not enough room for Ash though and she suggests he follows on the back of his own Charizard who is at first reluctant to give Ash a ride but after some goading from Liza it takes him.

Ash & his Charizard struggle terribly to keep up with Charla and her passengers and they end up having a bit of a chaotic journey. Meanwhile Team Rocket are making their own way down into the Valley. Charla arrives at the ancient place where the greatest and strongest Charizard are from and Liza shows Brock and Misty around; all of the Charizard here are naturally strong because they compete with each other daily to become as strong as they can be. Liza, Misty and Brock note that Ash’s Charizard did appear to have some stamina issues even getting to the Valley. Just then Ash and Charizard arrive, Charizard clearly a little worse for wear.

Liza suggests that Ash’s Charizard needs some serious training and continues to state that the Charizard from this Valley aren’t just “any Charizard”. Ash challenges Liza and Charla to a battle; Liza makes some poor excuse that because she trained Charla from a Charmander and isn’t even wild she can’t (err didn’t Ash do the exact same thing with his?), so Ash says he’ll battle any other Charizard from the Valley. Liza presses a button which opens the huge doors into the Valley and inside some monstrously large Charizard can be seen. Liza suggests Ash’s Charizard battles one of the smaller Charizard’s from the Valley, Ash’s Charizard wastes no time in making a surprise attack which proves ineffective before getting hit by an extremely powerful flamethrower attack. Next Liza suggests Ash tries to take on a large Charizard that is apparently the gentlest in the Valley, it goes badly once more and results in Ash’s Charizard being knocked out of the valley. Liza suggests Ash does some serious training with his Charizard before trying again and closes the doors to the Valley.

Team Rocket are watching everything unfold nearby trying to work out how bad their chances are if they take on the Charizard’s who can defeat the Charizard that normally defeats them. Charizard meanwhile is pounding on the closed metal doors of the Valley. Liza opens the doors and says if Charizard really wants to battle it can battle her Charla afterall (after Ash’s Charizard is already weak from 2 battles? Big of her), Charla throws Charizard straight into the water where Liza tells it to stay and cool off. It stays in the water and waits just like she said. Ash asks Charizard if it wants to just go, but it won’t leave. Team Rocket are watching over Charizard from a distance empathising with Charizards dejection and disappointment at failure, to a point where they are actually rooting for Ash’s Charizard.

As night falls, Ash, Misty and Brock stay awake. Charizard begins to fall asleep risking its flame on its tail being submerged and going out, but Team Rocket throw little stones to help keep Charizard awake. Liza and Charla too are watching from a distance admiring its heart. Team Rocket approach the entrance to the Valley with their latest mechanical monstrosity which begins smashing at the metal doors. Charizard flies to block the doorway and attacks Team Rocket’s robot, destroying it entirely. Team Rocket actually staged this whole thing to help Ash’s Charizard. The steel doors to the Valley open up and Liza invites Charizard to train with the others because it’s proven it wants to be great.

Ash tells Charizard to stay there, and says who wants a weak Charizard anyway before lowering his cap and walking away saying maybe he’ll see you around some time before running off closely followed by Misty and Brock. Pikachu too says his goodbye to Charizard. Ash continues to run; knowing that it’s the best thing for Charizard if it stays and trains in the Valley to become stronger, even if it’s not really what he wants.
episode135 11225 19 E# 135

J# 137
"Grin to Win!"

"Dai Panikku! Kimawari Kontesuto!!" (だいパニック! キマワリコンテスト!!)
(Big Panic! Kimawari Contest!!)
February 10, 2001

February 17, 2000
Once again our heroes are heading to the Azalea Gym, with Ash hot on the trail of his next Johto league badge; however they are still a way off and haven’t had a drink in a while. They discover a pipe leaking water and think it’s a mirage, they then see a woman called Sonrisa fixing the pipe but she lets them get a drink of water from it first.

Sonrisa then escorts the group to Bloomingvale, her home and the nearest town. When they reach Sonrisa’s home they see that she has a network of pipes leading down from the mountains to deliver fresh spring water to her garden; this helps her raise her favourite Pokemon effectively she says. It’s revealed that she’s a Sunflora trainer and she uses the water to ensure optimal growth. Sonrisa tells the group that every year there is a Sunflora Festival at Bloomingvale which has a competition to see who has the best Sunflora.

Although Sonrisa has never won the competition she thinks she might have a shot this year. A neighbour named Cyrus speaks to Sonrisa and tells her that Lester has hired a comedian to make his sunflora’s smiles even brighter, and Sonrisa tells the group that all the trainers have their own different weird and wonderful methods but she traditionally just provides fresh air, pure water and tries to keep hers happy. Sonrisa has a problem though, her prize Sunflora; the one she was going to enter into the competition tomorrow is really sad, and she can’t work out why.

Ash and friends volunteer to try and help Sonrisa’s Sunflora smile again. The sun begins to set and the Sunflora head back inside their greenhouse to go to sleep. Ash and friends head to the local Pokemon Center to spend the night. Team Rocket are nearby and break into a greenhouse immediately finding themselves surrounded by Sunflora. Although in this situation Team Rocket would do their best to simply steal as many of these as possible, Meowth has other ideas; he notes that the prize for winning in the annual Sunflora festival is a years supply of instant noodles… so they decide to inspect the Sunflora and steal the best one to enter into the competition for themselves.

Meowth pulls out a daylight simulator to wake up the Sunflora for inspection when Jessie and Meowth realise they don’t know what they’re actually looking for, James however learned all about Sunflora from the gardener on his estate when he was just a tot and begins inspecting them all, unfortunately as the inspection is taking place Meowth trips over a pipe and sets off an alarm. Cyrus (the owner of the greenhouse) comes running out and Team Rocket flee, except for Meowth who gets caught. The commotion wakes up Ash and co who were at the Pokemon Center nearby and they go over to Cyrus to check what was happening when they see Meowth. Misty convinces Cyrus that Meowth was just corrupted by the other two and asks if Meowth could go into their custody; promising to keep him from any further trouble. Cyrus agrees and Meowth leaves with Ash and co; although they didn’t rescue him out of the kindness of their hearts, they want Meowth to speak to Sonrisa’s sad Sunflora to find out what’s wrong with it. Meowth explains that Sonny the Sunflora is sad because he hasn’t seen his friend (another Sunflora) in a long time. It turns out the Sunflora in question was one of Cyrus’s but he’d traded it with Nurse Joy for something else.

The group head to the Pokemon Center again accompanied by Sonrisa and Sonny the Sunflora; where they find Nurse Joy’s newest Pokemon; Grindela and the two have a happy reunion; Sonny’s smile has been restored. The next day it’s time for the annual competition; Team Rocket are there in disguise, with Meowth actually in a Sunflora costume. The competitors are introduced on the stage and Ash and friends are watching on from the crowds. The judges begin discussing the pros and cons of each competitor when proceedings are interrupted; the Snubble from the posh ladies house earlier on in the Season then turns up, recognising Meowth’s smell and biting his tail. Meowth bursts out of his costume in shock and his true identity is revealed. Team Rocket then smoke bomb the stage and begin their motto before throwing Snubble off into the distance. They then deploy solar panels all around the stadium to intensify the sunlight so much that the Sunflora’s heads grow quicky, causing them to wilt and become unable to attack.

Ash and co confront Team Rocket and battle them to try and stop them making off with the years supply of noodles. Pikachu is about to shock Team Rocket but Chikorita barges him out of the way, wanting to win the battle itself… this results in Pikachu’s attack hitting Team Rocket’s mirrors instead of Team Rocket; meaning the Sunflora are no longer incapacitated. Sonrisa’s Sunflora; Sonny then uses its Solar Beam attack to send Team Rocket blasting off.

The judges announce Sonrisa and Sonny the winners of Sunflora of the year, partly on the merit of how powerful its solar beam was. Sonrisa thanks Ash and friends for their help and continue on their way to Azalea town. The Snubble meanwhile is following a trail (and scent) of its own.
episode136 11226 20 E# 136

J# 138
"Chikorita's Big Upset"

"Chikorīta wa Gokigen Naname!?" (チコリータはごきげんななめ!?)
(Chicorita's Jealousy!?)
January 20, 2001

February 24, 2000
Ash is locked in battle with an aspiring young trainer the group met on their way to Azalea town, with his Chikorita taking on the trainers Raticate; despite taking a number of attacks Chikorita still wants to fight. Ash tries to tell Chikorita to return but it refuses to stop, especially when Ash mentions the prospect of Pikachu replacing it in the battle, it even dodges Ash’s attempts to return it to its Pokéball. The opposing trainer is called for dinner and leaves mid battle stating that he can’t wait all night for Ash to get his Chikorita to listen.

The next day Ash makes a call to check in with Professor Oak who reminds him of his goal to deliver the GS Ball. Muk then “attacks” Oak and the call ends. Ash finds all the Pokémon eating except Chikorita who is sat on it’s own, even rejecting Pikachu’s offer of food quite rudely. Nurse Joy then enters the room and starts talking about Pokémon psychology and therapy; offering Ash and his Pokémon a counselling session. A couple of minutes into the counselling session Nurse Joy realises that Chikorita was very envious and jealous; it felt like it was about to win the battle for him and trying to substitute it for Pikachu made Chikorita think that he didn’t trust it as much as he does Pikachu.

The group stay on at the Pokemon Center overnight, while they’re sleeping Pikachu notices something isn’t right and goes to speak with Chikorita in it’s grassy chamber. Chikorita comes out of it’s Pokéball and uses the whole thing as an excuse to run off into the tall grass outside, with Pikachu trying to follow but Chikorita using camouflage in the grass to evade him. Chikorita arrives at some derelict buildings and goes to sleep on a box; it is then confronted by a Machoke, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Primeape who all seem particularly nasty. Chikorita defiantly ignores them and goes back to sleep, that is until the Primeape throws a bolt at it. Chikorita goes head to head with Primeape and defeats it. The other three Pokémon then bow in submission to Chikorita’s might.

The next day Nurse Joy and the others watch the CCTV footage of Chikorita running away with Pikachu in pursuit. Nurse Joy tells them it’s a pretty tough neighbourhood with some pretty rough Pokémon so they should hurry. Ash and co are running around the streets but its obvious they’d be hard pushed to find Chikorita and Pikachu any time soon like that; Brock suggests sending out Bulbasaur to sniff out Chikorita and they follow it. Team Rocket have been watching in the bushes nearby and overheard that Chikorita and Pikachu are missing… deciding that if they can find them first it’ll be a good opportunity to steal them. They radio Meowth who is in their balloon overhead, he spots Pikachu just as it reaches the warehouse Chikorita has been hiding in. Jessie and James arrive shortly later to try and steal them both, as Team Rocket throw a net at Chikorita the Primeape jumps by and saves them both, punching it out of the way.

Meowth deploys an enormous robot to attack Primeape, Machoke, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan who are quickly defeated by it’s colossal size. Ash and co have spotted the commotion from the distance and start making their way over. Chikorita and Pikachu try to attack the machine but it’s made mostly of tyres and Pikachu’s electric attacks are fairly useless against it; the robot grabs both Chikorita and Pikachu. Brock spots an antenna on top of the robot which receives commands from Meowth’s remote, Ash sends out Heracross to launch him toward the top of the robot. Unfortunately it misses and Ash hits the floor.

Ash is however intent on shutting the robot down himself, he climbs a nearby building using it as leverage to try and jump on the robots head but Meowth dodges him and Ash plummets toward the ground, that is until Chikorita catches him with it’s vine whips, lifts him right next to the Antenna, allowing him to break it, sending the robot into complete disarray; and making it release both Chikorita and Pikachu. The robot explodes, sending Team Rocket blasting off.

Ash is reunited with Chikorita and Pikachu who seem to have put their problems behind them. Ash and friends say goodbye to Nurse Joy and thank her for her help. Pikachu takes its place on Ash’s shoulder, and Chikorita it’s place on the other and our heroes continue their journey.
episode137 11227 21 E# 137

J# 139
"Foul Weather Friends"

"Hanekko Haneta! Daisōgen no Tatakai!!" (ハネッコはねた! だいそうげんのたたかい!!)
(Hanecco's Jealousy! Big Prairie Battle!!)
February 10, 2001

March 2, 2000
Ash and friends are continuing their journey through a place filled with grass type Pokemon when they are approached by a little Hoppip. A sudden breeze sweeps the hoppip into the air and Ash and friends give chase; they witness the Hoppip getting caught in a net by a girl who introduces herself as Mariah.

Mariah takes the group back to see her place, where she looks after seven Hoppip’s, and it turns out that she’s a weather forecaster and uses the Hoppip to help her predict the weather. Just then a very strong breeze blows all the Hoppip away; except one…. The one runs along and tries to jump from a rock to be with its friends. It turns out this little Pokémon is an Oddish but its spent so much time with Hoppip for friends that it wants to be just like them. It looks really sad that it can’t fly like its friends.

Team Rocket are watching nearby and plotting about the things they could do with a group of Hoppip. Just as Misty is giving Oddish a little pep talk, Team Rocket cut a hole in the nets that help to contain Mariah’s Hoppip before using large manual fans to launch the Hoppip into the air.. but it doesn’t work. Meowth then unveils a huge super powered fan which they use to try and blow the Hoppip away. With a good couple of attacks from Chikorita and Pikachu Team Rocket are sent blasting off. Oddish was praised for his heroics too (he stopped one of his friends being blown away). All of a sudden the Hoppip huddle together and lock their leaves together…. Mariah believes this is because a terrible wind storm is on its way and rushes the group and her Hoppip inside her cabin and unfortunately shes right, the wind storm rips the roof off her cabin and the twister takes the Hoppip and even Oddish with it.

The next morning when the storm has passed Mariah finds Oddish in the wreckage of her home, it’s a little dizzy but otherwise OK. The group, led by Oddish set out to find the missing Hoppip. They find one stuck in a tree and Brock climbs up to get it down. Next they find one stuck to a branch in treacherous waters, Brock again volunteers to get it to impress Mariah. They then spot one more Hoppip flying over and chase it, meanwhile it seems that the remaining four floated right into Team Rocket’s path and got captured. The one Ash and gang were chasing then meets the same fate, but Mariah along with Ash and friends confront them to try and rescue the Hoppip, Misty sending her Staryu to tackle the balloon, sending it blasting off into the woods. The group give chase and find the balloon’s wreckage, and the four Hoppip; the usual battle ensues and Ash sends his Heracross, Misty her Staryu to battle Arbok and Victreebel…. However Oddish has other ideas and wants to save its friends itself.

Oddish demonstrates a really powerful tackle and kick and stunspores Victreebel, it then takes on Arbok and using a combination of impressive jumps and sleep powder and defeats him too before sending Team Rocket blasting off (again, again). The group give Oddish another peptalk about its super performance in battle, and the great job it did finding its friends and it doesn’t appear to be sad anymore that it can’t fly, instead taking great pride in what it CAN do, not worrying about what it CANT.

The group help Mariah rebuild her home before walking off into the sunset to continue their journey.
episode138 11228 22 E# 138

J# 140
"The Superhero Secret"

"Nazo no Sūpāhīrō! Guraigāman Tōjō!!" (なぞのスーパーヒーロー! グライガーマンとうじょう!!)
(Mysterious Superhero! Gligerman Appears!!)
February 17, 2001

March 9, 2000
Whilst continuing their journey to Azalea Town Ash and friends see something mysterious pass by overhead, Brock thinks it was a Gligar. The group continue on their trail curious to see the Gligar properly, when they fall into a hole dug by Team Rocket. The hole is filled with water so they are unable to use electric attacks to get out.

All of a sudden something flies into the hole and saves Togepi, taking it to safety. Just then a guy in a costume appears with his Gligar and announces himself as Gligar man. Gligar man sends his Gligar to attack Team Rocket, it latches straight onto Jessie’s face sending her into disarray and the group into Chaos before chasing Team Rocket off and returning to Gligar mans side.

Ash and friends are freed from the hole and Gligar man safely (ish) returns Togepi to Misty, before disappearing into the distance on a motorcycle. He leaves Ash and friends with a whistle to blow whenever they are in trouble. Just then a girl named Latoya arrives and asks if Ash and co have seen Gligar man, she doesn’t say why and then promptly leaves on her bicycle. The group head in the direction she went and around 15 minutes later they arrive at a town to find lots of people advertising Gligar man merchandise outside a giant toystore, they head inside to find Latoya works there, just then her father comes out proclaiming himself the owner of the toy store. Ash asks to know more about Gligar man so the guy plays a video showcasing Gligar man and Gligar defeating some sort of giant bug.

Ash questions why the Gligar man they met in the woods didn’t look like the one in the video… the toy store owner awkwardly answered that it’d been a few years since the video. Togepi is very excited to see the toy store owner and this confirms for Misty that he is infact Gligar man, she says that she knows he is Gligar man and he says he isn’t, but calls her by name…. and as she never told him it, that gave definite confirmation that the toy store owner is Gligar man!

The friends are quite excited to learn more about Gligar man and so head inside the Gligar mansion to find out the secrets about him. Latoya tells the group that originally her fathers toy store was struggling and he wasn’t selling much so he invented Gligar man and made up lots of stories simply to sell more, he even dressed as Gligar man to advertise it himself…. But eventually he started actually living it. Latoya doesn’t seem to like her father pretending to be a super hero and tells him it would be better if he would just go back to being a businessman.

The group enter the secret lab of Gligar man, and learn a little more about Gligar man. Gligar man makes a dig that he has no family to take over from him as Gligar man/woman at Latoya and offers Ash the opportunity to be trained up as a future super hero, Ash politely declines. All of a sudden a gligar man whistle is blown; someones in trouble! Team Rocket appear on the screens in Gligar man’s secret labs dressed in outrageous generic badguy outfits.

Team Rocket have taken the toy store staff hostage and messed up the toystore. Gligar man and Gligar arrive to confront them, closely followed by Ash and Pikachu. Meowth then reveals their latest device; a mechanical Spinarak with which they capture Gligar man, Ash and Pikachu, stringing them up outside in front of crowds, intent on revealing Gligar man’s secret identity. The staff come out and tell Mr. Parker (toy store owner, Latoyas father) to hang on in there, it seems they actually all knew he was gligar man the whole time.

Seconds later things are looking bad when a different superhero emerges from the rooftops, its Gligirl! She calls Gligar back and uses it to cut down Gligar man, Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu uses its agility to send the Mecha-spinarak into disarray and cause it to collapse. The battle continues and eventually a combined effort from Pikachu and Gligar sends Team Rocket’s mechanical monstrosity right back at them, causing them to blast off once more.

Latoya explains that she has decided to become Gligirl and suggests her father retires… he declines and the two discuss becoming a father-daughter superhero team. Gligarman (Mr. Parker) and Gligirl (Latoya) along with the employees of the toystore wave goodbye to our heroes and they continue on their way.
episode139 11229 23 E# 139

J# 141
"Mild 'n Wooly"

"Merīpu to Makiba no Shōjo" (メリープとまきばのしょうじょ)
(Merriep Meadow's Girl)
February 17, 2001

March 16, 2000
Today our heroes Ash, Misty and Brock have stopped at a beautiful spot to enjoy a brief break from their journey to the Johto League when they spot a Mareep wearing a pink ribbon which then goes on to charge at them, it seems to take a liking to Pikachu who it then proceeds to jump on, Pikachu uses an electric attack to try and escape but it just makes the Mareep even fluffier. Just then a whole gang of Mareep turn up, all attracted by Pikachu’s electric, they mob Pikachu until a little girl and her mother (Ellen) come over and use a Raichu to draw the Mareep back in.

The little girl; Mary and her mother invite Ash and friends back to their home at the Mareep ranch for dinner as an apology for the Mareep mobbing Pikachu. During the conversation at the ranch Mary begs her mother to allow her and her Mareep named Fluffy to enter the Mareep festival battles but her mother declines; stating that she’s too young. Mary is clearly an aspiring young trainer who dreams of battling Pokemon, she gets particularly excited when she hears that Ash is on his way to compete in the Johto League.

Brock volunteers himself and his friends to stay around the ranch for a couple of days and help out Mary and her mother. Team Rocket however are watching in the distance trying to work out how much money they could make if they stole all of the Mareep. Ash spots Mary and Fluffy practicing their attacks and Fluffy demonstrates a powerful electric attack on a target pole. Mary asks Ash to have a battle with her; Fluffy the Mareep vs. Pikachu. Fluffy and Mary have never battled before but they have clearly been practicing… making a very aggressive start and definitely leading against Pikachu, she would potentially have won but Fluffy used up all of it’s energy attacking. Mary learns a valuable lesson from the battle; that it’s not just about attacks, but about caring for your Pokémon and not wearing it out.

That evening Mary’s mother Ellen serves a really nice meal for Ash, Misty and Brock. She goes to look for Mary and overhears her talking to Mareep about the mistakes she made, admitting she wasn’t ready for battling yet.

Later that night a huge thunder storm moves in over the ranch. Ellen harnesses the power of the lightning storm to keep the Mareep’s fleecy coats in tip top condition. The storm comes and goes and leaves the Mareep sparkling, it’s a magical moment briefly until a net lands on the Mareep and lifts them into the air – it’s Team Rocket stealing the Mareep; they also manage to grab Pikachu with a mechanical arm. Ellen’s Raichu uses a thunderbolt, but Team Rocket have a panel fitted to the balloon that absorbs electricity and powers some decorative lighting. Raichu keeps on squeezing out more and more voltage until eventually setting the balloon alight, it crashes to the ground in flames but Raichu is completely worn out from the effort.

Ellen sends her whole herd of Mareep to attack Team Rocket, but he steps in with a double duty anti electricity panel. Fluffy then jumps in front of the rest of the herd and Mary tells her mother to get the Mareep to aim their electricity into Fluffy who then unleashes a powerful attack shocking Team Rocket, Ash frees Pikachu who also contributes his own powerful electric attacks; sending Team Rocket blasting off.

The next day Ellen hands Mary a Pokéball, and suggests that maybe she can use it in the festival battle! Ellen along with Ash and friends turn up to the stadium to watch Mary and Fluffy battle at the Mareep festival. Ash and friends continue their journey to Azalea Town and their next Johto League gym.
episode140 11230 24 E# 140

J# 142
"Wired for Battle!"

"Batoru Shiyō ze! Hassamu Tai Herakurosu!!" (バトルしようぜ! ハッサムVSヘラクロス!!)
(Let's Battle! Hassam vs. Heracros!!)
February 24, 2001

March 23, 2000
Team Rocket are in the bushes, plotting their next pitfall plan attack on Ash and friends when a mysterious guy appears from the bushes and asks if they’re looking for a Pokemon battle; they immediately decide to try and 2v1 him when they see something strange overhead. Team Rocket are beaten quickly by the mysterious gentleman and his Pokemon.

Just then Ash and co hear a strange noise nearby, Pikachu launches into the air to look for it, and quickly finds itself confronted by a Scizor, the two prepare to go head to head when the Scizor’s trainer emerges from the bushes and introduces himself as Muramasa and his Scizors name is Masamune. Muramasa states that he is impressed with both Ash and his Pikachu and that Ash is just the type of trainer he has been looking for. Muramasa takes Ash and friends back to his Elite Pokemon Training Center where they find all sorts of trainers and powerful Pokemon training. All the students clearly have great admiration for Muramasa and Masamune, his Scizor that was once known as The Crimson Streak.

Just then another student named Shingo appears, he doesn’t seem to have the same levels of admiration and respect for his teacher as the other students. Muramasa asks Shingo if he would like to battle Ash but Shingo proceeds to be quite ignorant, looks Ash up on his laptop and declines the battle request as the laptop states Ash will lose. Another student approaches Ash and says he’s sorry to say that Shingo is probably right as his laptop said he would defeat every trainer at the school and he did. Shingo declares that he no longer has the need for Pokemon battles, as he has all the information he needs right at his fingertips with the laptop and it’s databases.

Team Rocket are nearby and have been listening in on everything as it unfolds, deciding it would be a great idea to steal all the information on Shingo’s laptop so they could use it to find out which trainers have the best Pokemon and exactly how to beat them. Shingo tells Muramasa that if he wants him to participate in battles the old way so much he needs to find him an opponent who can teach him something he doesn’t already know, he then rudely walks off. Later on Muramasa explains that Shingo lost his way and forgot the true spirit of Pokemon, and now he just has his head stuck in a laptop all day. Ash vows to bring Shingo back and get him into a real Pokemon battle again.

Ash proceeds to beg Shingo for a battle, he declares as long as he has his computer he doesn’t even need to battle. Meanwhile Meowth has sneaked in through the window of the same room and plugged one of Team Rocket’s data cables into Shingo’s computer to download all the information. Jessie starts pulling the wire in however and drags Meowth, and Shingos laptop out of the window along with it, before both are stopped in their tracks by Masamune the Scizor; Meowth screams when it sees him alerting Ash, Shingo and Muramasa. A confrontation ensues with Team Rocket sending all of their Pokemon to go against Masamune however the whole process is interrupted by Shingo ignoring them and trying to look them up on his laptop; but they aren’t on his database. Team Rocket make out that they are a big deal and that his trainer data must be worthless if they aren’t included in it. This makes Shingo angry and he actually battles them; sending out his own Scizor; Blade – a younger, faster, stronger and undefeated version of Masamune supposedly.

Team Rocket send their entire Pokemon including Meowth to attack Blade who cuts through all of them with a quick attack and sends Team Rocket blasting off. Everyone is impressed by Shingo’s efforts, Ash uses the opportunity to beg Shingo for a battle again; this time he agrees. It’s a 1 vs 1 Pokemon battle, Ash sending out Heracross to face Shingo’s Scizor. Shingo continues analysing stuff with his laptop during the battle, Shingo and Blade make a good start and Heracross is on the back foot. Some good battling by Ash and Heracross puts them back in the fight, and the fact that Shingo’s data didn’t predict what was going to happen sends him into disarray. Heracross manages to connect a fury attack on Scizor and knocks it down. Scizor struggles to its feet and Heracross continues its attacks going head to head with Scizor and knocking it back. The battle rages on, the two trainers and Pokemon giving it their all (and Shingo getting away from his laptop!). Heracross manages to prevail and Shingo and his Scizor score their first ever defeat.

Shingo rushes over to his Pokemon, and leaves his laptop on the floor, his battling spirit is restored, and so is that of his old teacher; Muramasa. Ash and Shingo shake hands and vow to battle each other again some day.
 episode141 11231 25 E# 141

J# 143
 "Good 'Quil Hunting"

"Hinoarashi! Getto da ze!!" (ヒノアラシ! ゲットだぜ!!)
(Hinoarashi! I Got It!!)
March 3, 2001

March 30, 2000
Ash and friends are lost in the woods on the way to Azalea Town when a trainer comes out of the bushes and asks if they’ve seen any Cyndaquil nearby; Ash hears only the word Cyndaquil and promptly runs off into the bushes to look for one, this really angers the trainer who was looking for them who shouts that they better stay away from the Cyndaquil before heading back into the forest himself.

Brock and Misty search for Ash in the forest, and are being watched from a distance by Team Rocket; who have all apparently been working in part time jobs to save up for their newest mechanical device. Team Rocket approach Brock and Misty in a giant mechanical Meowth robot called the Meowthonator but when they say Ash and Pikachu aren’t there the robot takes off and goes to look for them, quickly locating them in the forest nearby and trying to capture Pikachu with their new toys.

Ash and Pikachu manage to get away and hide in the bushes but Team Rocket’s sensors manage to find them, it looks as though they’re going to catch Ash and Pikachu but the robot trips over a tree root. Ash reaches a dead end with lots of caves built into a rock formation; there he spots a Cyndaquil and starts climbing up toward it, just then the trainer from earlier arrives and spots the Cyndaquil; sending out his Sandslash to use Sand Attack on Ash and knock him back down the side of the rock face. The trainer then goes after the Cyndaquil which runs off into the caves. Ash gives chase and spots the Cyndaquil being chased by the other trainer and its Sandslash. Team Rocket have just arrived outside and fire a giant twerp-seeking putty ball into the caves after Ash.

The other trainer and his Sandslash meanwhile have the Cyndaquil cornered and just as they are about to attack Ash grabs the Cyndaquil and runs, the giant putty ball knocking the other trainer over flat as it went. The ball then explodes knocking Ash, Pikachu and Cyndaquil onto the ground at the feet of the mechanical Meowthonator outside. Team Rocket hit Ash with a putty ball and stick him to the wall, Team Rocket are about to steal Pikachu and Cyndaquil and Ash tells Cyndaquil to run, but it doesn’t; instead it faces down Team Rocket’s latest robotic monstrosity and incinerates it with its flamethrower.

Ash is still stuck to the putty but knows that Cyndaquil will be hit by the explosion from Team Rocket’s robot if he doesn’t do something, he uses Pikachu’s thunderbolt to dislodge the putty that holds them in place (despite it electrocuting him) and throws a Pokéball at Cyndaquil to save it from the blast. Ash releases Cyndaquil from the Pokéball just in time for Misty and Brock to show up and spot it. The trainer from earlier on then turns up and demands the Cyndaquil, challenging Ash to a battle and the winner gets Cyndaquil. The trainer goads Ash until he accepts, and actually uses Cyndaquil in battle against the trainers Sandslash. The Sandslash comes right at Cyndaquil and doesn’t stop, Cyndaquil however demonstrates amazing defence and dodges everything until it is eventually hit by a sand attack and a swift. Although its great at dodging it doesn’t seem forthcoming at attacking it back. Sandslash lunges at Cyndaquil one more time and gets its claw stuck in a tree, Cyndaquil seizes the opportunity to defeat it with a tackle attack.

The trainer then proceeds to try and catch the Cyndaquil himself in a net, but Cyndaquil’s flamethrower is now warmed up, and the trainer is incinerated. Ash has a new friend and a new Pokemon, and his hopes are burning brighter than ever.
 episode142 11232 26 E# 142

J# 144
"A Shadow of a Drought"

"Hiwada Taun! Yadon no Ido!!" (ヒワダタウン! ヤドンのいど!!)
(Hiwada Town! Yadon's Well!!)
March 3, 2001

April 6, 2000
Ash, Misty and Brock are walking through a desolate and drought-ridden valley and are getting really thirsty when Misty has the good idea of using Staryu’s water gun to help them cool off, Ash asks Squirtle to do the same but Squirtle accidentally blasts Ash away with his water gun.

Team Rocket meanwhile are in a similar predicament nearby but without the water Pokemon, and Meowth has drunk the last of their water; angering Jessie and James – just as they are about to attack Meowth for his selfish act they spot a well and rush over to it, Meowth tries to pump water from the well and Jessie and James wait to drink it, unfortunately for them however the well has all but dried up and all they get is a face full of mud. Meowth uses some divining rods to find the nearest source of water before revealing Team Rocket’s newest mechanical monstrosity the Super Diglett Mk. II. Team Rocket use it to dig under the ground and find themselves in a network of underground caves a short while later, where they are relieved to finally find water.

As Team Rocket are drinking water they spot lots of eyes staring straight at them in the cave, it turns out to be a load of Slowpoke. Meowth spots a sign saying Welcome to the Slowpoke well aka Rainmakers rest, as according to local folklore the Slowpoke that come here have the power to make it rain by yawning. Team Rocket work out that the town nearby must need water from the Slowpoke so they set out to try and catch them all to make money out of their ability to make rain. After a bungled attempt to capture the Slowpoke Meowth states that its time to use their secret weapon.

Meanwhile Ash and friends have spotted Azalea Town which is just in the distance, they also spot a sign that due to drought and water conservation measures all public buildings, schools and the Azalea gym are currently closed. This means that instead of rushing to the gym for his battle Ash now decides to take the GS Ball to Kurt for Professor Oak, as the group walk through the town they spot Slowpoke signs (and Slowpoke) everywhere. Ash treads on a Slowpokes tail by accident and some kid spots Ash and shouts that he hurt a Slowpoke, the townspeople all assume that he attacked it on purpose and chase Ash and gang away. Just then a guy in a Slowpoke costume tells the gang to come into the bushes where he hands them all their own Slowpoke costumes and the group all get dressed up and pose as Slowpoke; just then the angry group of townsfolk arrive, still looking for Ash and friends however the disguises work, and the group disperses.

When the coast is clear the old man in the Slowpoke costume explains to Ash and co why the Slowpoke are so important, and tells the tail that 400 years ago the whole place was dying of drought until a Slowpoke yawn incited rainfall which saved the whole town. Ever since that day the people of Azalea town have held the Slowpoke in very high esteem. The old man exclaims that he has forgotten something and runs off into the Slowpoke well nearby; there he spots Team Rocket chasing Slowpoke around in their Diglett Mk. II. They spot the old man and try to catch him, as he’s trying to escape the old man pulls his back.

Ash and co meanwhile ask a little girl where Kurt lives and she points at the house they happen to be right outside, but no ones home. The little girl turns out to be Kurt’s granddaughter and she explains that Kurt overheard a funny noise coming from the Slowpoke well, which he went to investigate. The group decide to go and take a look, on arrival to the cave the group find the man in the Slowpoke costume on the ground who tells them about a giant robot capturing the Slowpoke.

Team Rocket spot Ash and friends and take the opportunity to emerge from the Diglett Mk. II for their intro before continuing to capture more and more Slowpoke in nets, explaining that they plan on selling water to the nearby town. The old man is too injured to do anything and begs Ash and friends to stop Team Rocket. Ash is about to instruct Pikachu to attack but James points out that the whole cave is covered in water so it would electrocute the Slowpoke too. Ash sends out Heracross next who flips Team Rockets machine with an impressive toss, but it returns fire and knocks Heracross out. Team Rocket escape via an underground tunnel.

All of the remaining Slowpoke gather and head outside to the clifftops where they all begin yawning one by one, and sure enough the heavens open and some serious rain starts to fall, flooding the Slowpoke cave and the tunnel that Team Rocket escaped via. The water catches up to the Diglett Mk. II and destroys it. Team Rocket emerge from the wreckage of their latest robotic device only to be confronted by Ash and Pikachu, Pikachu’s thundershock sending them blasting off.

The kidnapped Slowpoke are now free and reunite with their friends on the clifftops. Azalea town’s drought is over, and the previously arid fields have crops once more. The man offers the group a tour of the town but the group politely decline stating that they really need to go find Kurt, its then that he reveals that he IS Kurt. The group are now considered heroes in the town, and the townspeople realise that Ash stepping on the Slowpokes tail was infact an accident.
episode143 11233 27 E# 143

J# 145
"Going Apricorn!"

"Kunugidama to Bonguri no Mi! Urayama no Tatakai!!" (クヌギダマとボングリのみ! うらやまのたたかい!!)
(Kunugidama and the Bonguri Fruit! Backyard Battle!!)
March 10, 2001

April 13, 2000
Having just been shocked by the revelation that the guy in the Slowpoke suit from last episode is infact the guy they are looking for; Kurt - the Pokéball expert they accompany him to his home. Kurt and his grand daughter, Maisy thank Ash and friends for saving the well. Ash and friends explain that they have a special type of Pokéball that they were tasked to bring to him by Professor Oak. Kurt examines the ball but isn’t initially able to tell anything inparticular about the ball; but he vows to study it more closely and try to find out some more.

Ash and friends call Professor Oak and give him an update, Oak asks them to give him an update as soon as soon as they learn anything more. Oak also tells Ash and friends that Kurt is practically a legend because of his knowledge of Pokéballs and skills in crafting them by the use of Apricorns. Ash and co spot some Apricorns growing on a tree right outside of Kurts house and Ash decides he wants some special Apricorn Pokéballs for himself, rushing toward the room in which Kurt is working shouting that he wants some. Maisy angrily tells him to quiet down, and that its hard enough to craft the balls without all that noise. Ash and friends pause in the doorway to watch Kurt working on an Apricorn Pokéball.. Kurt spots the group watching him and goes over to greet them, Ash immediately asks if he can have his own Apricorn Pokéball. Kurt hands the group a couple of different types of Apricorn Pokéballs to share while Maisy explains that there are lots of different types and they are all made from different Apricorn colours.

Ash then decides he wants one of each type and colour Apricorn balls, Kurt says he has no problem making them if Ash goes and gets the Apricorns. Ash and friends prepare to go searching for different coloured Apricorns, little do they know that Team Rocket are nearby listening in on their conversation.

The group come across a Pink Apricorn tree and Maisy explains that Pink Apricorns can be made into Love Ball’s which work better on Pokemon of the opposite gender. Maisy then points out some Yellow Apricorns and explains that they can be made into Moon Balls which are great at catching any Pokemon that is evolved by use of a moonstone, unfortunately the tree also has lots of Pineco hanging in it. Brock decides he wants to capture a Pineco for himself, but he trips over just as he reaches the tree they are in, causing them to fall off and self destruct, giving Brock a pasting in the process.

Maisy takes Ash and co to a bunch of trees with some green Apricorns that are ready to be picked, these Apricorns are used to make Friend Balls, but unfortunately they get chased off by a Swarm of Beedrill before they can pick any. Maisy, Ash and friends manage to avoid the swarm of Beedrill and the next section of trees contains Red Apricorns which are used to make Level Balls. Ash runs straight at the tree closely followed by Brock, Misty and Maisy but they suffer even more ill fortune when they fall into one of Team Rockets pitfall traps. Team Rocket appear above them at the opening to the hole, and Meowth lassoo’s Pikachu, before they lock him into an anti electric cage. Team Rocket then set about getting ready to steal Apricorns using an old Vacuum cleaner. Ash uses his Bulbasaur to rescue the group from the hole, they then confront Team Rocket who were just about to start stealing Apricorns; potentially risking harming the Apricorn trees when they fall into a hole of their own!

Just as the group are trying to work out what happened to Team Rocket, lots of Diglett appear, it seems the Diglett defend the trees, as if the trees are harmed they could die; potentially ruining the whole forest that the Diglett live in. Maisy then points out some Blue Apricorns which are used to make Lure Balls, which are the best kind for water Pokemon; Ash and Misty proceed to pick a couple that are ready to be picked. They then spot some Black Apricorns which are used to make Heavy balls which are great at catching Pokemon that weigh a lot. Ash runs over to collect a Black Apricorn but a load of Pineco are hanging in the tree. Brock really wants a Pineco and heads over trying to choose which one he’d like to capture, just then Team Rocket appear with an electricity generating bike, they use the bike to power a giant fan with which they try to knock all of the Apricorns out of the trees. The strong wind from the fan also knocks down the Pineco from the tree, Brock catches them all before they hit the ground to prevent them self destructing.

One of the Pineco that Brock saved from the fall approaches Team Rocket and their bike and giant fan, and after evading attacks from Arbok it looks as though it’s trying to self destruct. Brock uses his fast ball to capture the Pineco before it can self destruct. Team Rocket attack with Arbok and Victreebel, Pikachu defeats them both, blows up the giant fan and sends them blasting off, and the Apricorn trees are safe once more.

Brock releases his Pineco, who seems to be quite friendly toward him already. A big black Apricorn falls from the tree and hits Ash on the head. The group take the Apricorns back to Kurt who vows to make them the best Pokéballs ever for them. Kurt reveals that after extensive study he “doesn’t have a clue” about the GS ball, and that he needs more time studying it. Kurt tells Ash now that the droughts over the Azalea Gym has finally re-opened. Ash wastes no time in rushing straight to it!
episode144 11234 28 E# 144

J# 146
"Gettin' the Bugs Out"

"Hiwada Jimu! Mori no Batoru Fīrudo!!" (ヒワダジム! もりのバトルフィールド!!)
(Hiwada Gym! Forest Battlefield!!)
March 17, 2001

April 20, 2000
With the GS Ball now delivered to Kurt Ash only has one thing on his mind, taking on the Azalea Gym for his second Johto League Badge. Misty warns Ash that the match might be quite tough especially considering that Ash doesn’t have Charizard anymore, but it sounds like Ash is planning on using Cyndaquil in it’s stead.

The group arrive at the Azalea Town Gym, which looks a bit more like a garden than a Pokemon gym. No one seems to be around and the group begin having a look around, quickly finding themselves surrounded by Bug Pokemon, much to Misty’s dismay. As Misty is exclaiming how much she hates bug Pokemon, a guy in the tree calls her ignorant before announcing himself as Bugsy, the Azalea Town Gym Leader who specialises in Bug types. Ash challenges Bugsy who is quite happy to accept the challenge if Ash stands the ladder up for him (he’s stuck in the tree). Apparently he only knocked the ladder over and got stuck because Ash and gang yelled and surprised him.

Team Rocket are outside peering in through the window again plotting to steal Pikachu, they enter the Azalea Gym in disguise as flowers, trees and weeds but the local bugs take exception to them and wrap them up in string shot, incapacitating them.

Bugsy meanwhile leads Ash to his arena in the middle of the forest that acts as his gym. The battle begins and Bugsy sends out Spinarak as his first Pokemon, Ash responds by sending out Cyndaquil who is in clear need of a warmup. Spinarak comes at Cyndaquil with attack after attack and Cyndaquil makes a good effort at evading them before being caught by a string shot. Cyndaquil tries to return fire with a flamethrower but its still not warmed up enough. Bugsy hits Spinarak with a couple of poison stings and Ash has to return Cyndaquil. This leaves Ash with nothing strong against bugs and makes the strange decision to send out Chikorita, a decision that is ridiculed by Bugsy, Misty and Brock.

Bugsy’s Spinarak begins swinging around the room using its webs and avoids a lot of Chikorita’s attacks. Chikorita manages to knock Spinarak off guard using its sweet smell before getting a surprise victory with its tackle attack. Team Rocket are at this point digging their way under the gym in an attempt to sneak in and steal Pikachu.

The gym battle continues and now Bugsy sends out his Metapod, which unsurprisingly uses Harden, over and over, rendering Chikorita’s attacks pretty ineffective. Chikorita continues to attack but then Metapod jumps and hits with a very powerful tackle. Ash sends Pikachu to battle Metapod next, Pikachu manages to avoid the Metapod’s attacks despite that its really quick, before managing to latch onto Metapod’s back and defeat it with a thunderbolt. Bugsy tells Ash he’s good, and that this is the first time anyone has defeated two of his Pokemon in a long time.

Next Bugsy sends out the bug Pokemon warrior: Scyther. Team Rocket are now directly beneath the stadium and decide to dig there way up right in the middle of the battle to try and steal Pikachu. Unfortunately for Team Rocket they made a hole in the ground just behind Scyther and Pikachu’s thunderbolt hit them through the gap. Scyther uses a combination of speed and power to defeat Pikachu. Ash only has one Pokemon left; Cyndaquil; Bugsy sends Scyther straight after it with its fury cutter attack, this time Cyndaquil is a little bit more warmed up and his flame is working, managing to unleash a flamethrower attack which is repelled by Scyther’s swords dance. Ash instructs another flamethrower attack but this time tells Cyndaquil to jump above Scyther and fire it downward – rendering Scyther unable to repel the attack with its swords dance and winning the battle for Ash!

Bugsy congratulated Ash and awards him his second Johto League badge; the Hive Badge. The group start heading off on their journey as the sun sets before they realise they’ve forgotten something… their Apricorn balls! Just then Maisy runs up to them and hands them a handful of Apricorn balls from Kurt, also telling them to stop by on their way back to Pallet Town for an update on the GS ball.
episode145 11235 29 E# 145

J# 147
"A Farfetch'd Tale"

"Ubame no Mori! Kamonegi o Sagase!!" (ウバメのもり! カモネギをさがせ!!)
(Ubame's Forest! Search for Kamonegi!!)
March 17, 2001

April 27, 2000
After winning a Hive Badge from the Azalea Gym leader Ash and friends are in search of their next Johto League challenge when they become lost in a the Ilex forest. Nearby Team Rocket are tired and hungry, but they spot Ash and friends and plan to follow them in order to steal their food.

Ash and co stumble upon a young trainer a little further on in the forest who is begging his Farfetch’d to use its cutting attack, but its ignoring him. Ash and friends greet him and the young trainer is mortified to know that people were watching him, Ash points out that the attack is called Cut attack, not cutting and that might have been part of the problem, the young trainer continues trying to get Farfetch’d to attack using the correct attack names; he then goes on to introduce himself as a Sylvester, he’s a new Farfetch’d trainer. Apparently Sylvester wants to learn how to make purifying Charcoal just like his father.

Brock has apparently heard of this purifying Charcoal and is a big fan of it for use in his cooking. Sylvester then tells the group that’s why he and Farfetch’d are out in the forest today, trying to teach Farfetch’d to cut the trees into perfect Blocks. Later that day Ash and friends head to the Pokemon Center where Ash calls Oak and gives him an update. Brock has been studying the map and points out the location of the nearest Johto League gym when Sylvester rushes into the Pokemon Center in a panic; he’s lost his Farfetch’d, it ran off when he was out training it. Joy suggests that the Farfetch’d may have run back to Sylvesters fathers house like it apparently did the last time; Joy seems very familiar with the situation.

Ash and friends accompany Sylvester to his fathers house to check for Farfetch’d and state that if Farfetch’d isn’t there they will go into the forest with Sylvester and help him find it. Sylvester tells his father that he’s lost Farfetch’d and his rather scary father is pretty angry and begins berating Sylvester. Ash interrupts and tells Sylvester’s father that he’s doing his best, introducing himself as a Pokemon Trainer, Sylvesters father makes the very valid point that Sylvester shouldn’t just be trying to tell Farfetch’d what to do, he should work together with it and act as one.

Team Rocket meanwhile are still in the forest looking for food when Meowth smells something, his nose leading them straight to two delectable butter roles in the forest at a Shrine, there they also spot Sylvester’s Farfetch’d who they chase after to try and capture. Sylvester arrives at the little Shrine with Ash and gang, he explains it’s a shrine to the Spirit of the forest.

Sylvester notes that the chances of finding Farfetch’d in the forest are pretty low. Ash, Misty and Brock send out all their Pokemon to help look for Farfetch’d. Team Rocket are still trying to capture Farfetch’d who is basically ridiculing them and laughing; Jessie doesn’t appreciate this and sends both Arbok and Lickitung to attack, using Lickitungs tongue attack to disarm Farfetch’d of its Leek before Meowth captures it with a rope. Team Rocket start walking away with the captured Farfetch’d, Ash’s Heracross spots them and goes to get Sylvester, Ash and friends.

Sylvester pleads to Team Rocket to give back the Farfetch’d or his fathers going to be furious. Team Rocket however aren’t forthcoming, Sylvester tries running at them but Jessie sends Arbok and Lickitung to block his path and Meowth trips him up. Team Rocket begin running away, Ash has Chikorita and Bulbasaur use razor leaf to cut the net and free Farfetch’d, but it gets recaptured by Lickitung’s tongue. Weezing manages to land a load of sludge on Ash’s Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Pikachu and Heracross and Arbok is about to hit them all with a poison sting until Onix emerges from under the ground and blocks the the attack. Misty and Brock then show up and Misty’s Poliwag frees Ash and his pokemon from the sludge. In the commotion Sylvester manages to grab his Farfetch’d’s Leek back from Jessie, Farfetch’d escapes from Lickitung after listening to Sylvester for the first time. Team Rocket are blasted off by Pikachu’s thunderbolt attack shortly after.

Sylvester and Farfetch’d have reached a new level of understanding and Sylvester asks Farfetch’d to try it’s cut attack on a tree, it cuts the logs perfectly. Sylvester and Farfetch’d go home, accompanied by Ash and his friends; showing Sylvesters father the perfectly cut wood. Sylvesters father is very proud of his son, and very thankful to Ash and friends for helping him; presenting them with some of the finest Ilex Forest Charcoal as a gift.
episode146 11236 30 E# 146

J# 148
"Tricks of the Trade"

"Sōnansu to Pokemon Kōkankai!!" (ソーナンスとポケモンこうかんかい!!)
(Sonans and the Pokémon Exchange!!)
March 24, 2001

May 4, 2000
Ash and friends are passing through the seaside city of Pompona on the way to Goldenrod City when they encounter a young trainer named Benny and his Wobbuffet. Benny announces that he’s on the way to the Pokémon Swap Meet to try and swap his Wobbuffet for something else. Ash and friends decide to accompany Benny to the meet to check it out.

Team Rocket of course are also in Town and have also heard about the swap meet, seeing it as a great opportunity to steal lots of potentially rare and valuable Pokemon. As Ash and friends arrive at the place where the Swap Meet is held they spot a huge herd of Tauros stampeding toward them and a guy tells them it’s a Pompona City tradition that anyone brave enough to touch the horn of a Tauros that’s running at them gets a trophy from the mayor, Ash thinks about it but backs out as the Tauros draw near.

The herd of Tauros stampede their way into a stadiumand an annual one on one Tauros competition ensues. Ash and friends watch on as a competitor and his Tauros win their fifth consecutive victory. Ash runs off in excitement and tells Oak to send him his Tauros right away, but he already has six Pokemon with him so he sends Heracross back to Oak in exchange for Tauros. Ash heads back to the stadium with his Tauros, just as it’s been announced that Fernando and his Tauros have beaten their tenth consecutive challenger.

Ash challenges Fernando and their Tauros go head to head (literally) with takedown attacks. Benny is watching the battle on a screen outside the stadium, and Team Rocket are posing as refreshment vendors while looking for Pokemon to steal. Back in the Stadium after a long deadlock Ash’s Tauros manages to clinch victory with a last minute takedown attack – making Ash the winner of the competition!

Ash and friends leave the stadium to find the Pokemon swap meet in full swing. Benny too has just arrived with a design on trying to trade his Wobbuffet for Tauros but then he notices Ash being mobbed by people who want to trade for his Tauros; Ash of course declines. Ash and friends approach Benny and offer to help him find someone to trade with.

Team Rocket meanwhile are posing as Pokemon swap administrators, unveiling their new Pokemon swap machine which is also supposed to level up the exchanged Pokémon in the process; this of course results in them getting a rather big queue of trainers handing their Pokeballs over, little do they know that Meowth is inside the machine taking the Pokemon and exchanging them for empty Pokéballs.
Misty’s Psyduck pops out of it’s Pokéball as she’s walking through the trading area and to her surprise lots of trainers approach her wanting to trade it. Misty runs off, not wanting to trade. Ash and Brock meanwhile have convinced a trainer with a Stantler to trade for Benny’s Wobbuffet and are making their way to the swap machine.

James is walking along with the profit Team Rocket made from selling refreshments to trainers and is about to buy lunch, when a dodgy salesman offers James a Magikarp; convincing him it can be the route to riches he has been looking for… James then realises it’s the guy who ripped him off in Season 1 on the St. Anne and gives chase demanding his money back.

The guy who was meant to trade with Benny changes his mind at the last minute because he wanted a flying Pokemon, he runs off. Just then the crooked salesman and James go running straight through Jessie and knock her into the machine; knocking her Lickitung’s Pokéball into the machine by accident and starting the trade process – trading it with Benny’s Wobbuffet (she doesn’t know this happened).

Meowth runs up to Jessie and James in panic because the word is on the street that their trading machine was fake, the trainers have realised they they were given empty Pokéballs. An angry crowd gathers and demands their Pokemon back; Meowth uses a lassoo gun to tie up the entire crowd before pulling out a vacuum to try and suck up all the trainers remaining Pokéballs. Ash has the smart idea to use the Tauros, and the entire group send out their Tauros to send Team Rocket blasting off; knocking lots of Pokéballs to the ground.

The trainers run over and start picking up the Pokéballs to find their Pokémon but find them empty. Team Rocket have double bluffed them, and had infact already moved the real Pokéballs containing Pokemon. Ash, Misty and Brock run in the direction Team Rocket’s balloon went and quickly find them and the Pokéballs. Ash sends Chikorita out to battle them, Jessie tries to send out Lickitung but to her surprise a Wobbuffet comes out, Jessie thinks back to when she was knocked into the Pokemon swap machine and realises the exchange must have taken place. Wobbuffet is a Pokemon that is unable to attack, but it can counterattack – Chikorita attacks Wobbuffet a few times but is countered each time and eventually defeated. Next Ash sends out Pikachu who manages to shock Wobbuffet and Team Rocket in one shot, sending them blasting off.

As the sun sets Ash and friends arrive back at Pompona and give all of the trainers their Pokemon back. Benny runs up to them with his new Lickitung, who seems to quite like him already. Benny vows to take good care of Lickitung. With the stolen Pokemon safely back with their trainers out heroes will continue their journey to Goldenrod City.
episode147 11237 31 E# 147

J# 149
"The Fire-ing Squad!"

"Moero Zenigame-dan! Honō no Yō ni!!" (もえろゼニガメだん! ほのおのように!!)
(Burning Zenigame Squad! Like a Fire!!)
April 21, 2001

May 11, 2000
Today our heroes adventure continues as they head for their next Johto League adventure in Goldenrod City, but first they stop at a Pokemon Center along the way. Ash is sending back his Tauros to Professor Oak, but Oak wants to study Heracross for a bit longer. Nurse Joy comes into the room and tells Ash that his Pokemon’s physical examination is complete; his Pokemon are in excellent physical condition and are very well looked after.
The group head outside and see a poster for the Pokemon Firefighting Grand Prix, a competition for firefighting water Pokemon. Ash decides he’s borrowing Psyduck and Staryu from Misty and with his Squirtle he will form his own Team to enter, just then their old friend Aidan from the Orange Islands alongside his team; Team Wartortle arrives to compete in the competition; Aidan reveals that Team Wartortle are infact the returning champions.

The group head inside the tournament building where they find teams of Vaporeon, Golduck, Marill, Quagsire and of course Wartortle all waiting to compete. After a good word from Aidan, Ash’s team were approved as a late entry to the competition. Just then Squirtle spots his old friends from the Squirtle Squad with Officer Jenny, but they don’t look confident at all. Squirtle rushes over to greet his old friends. Captain Aidan comes and introduces himself to Officer Jenny and it seems they both already aware of each others squads.

Team Rocket are watching through the windows, plotting to steal the twerps Pokemon as well as all of the other valuable Pokemon. Officer Jenny asks Captain Aidan if her Squirtle Squad can train alongside the Wartortle Squad, but it seems that the Squirtle Squad are really struggling, not getting close to hitting their practice targets. Ash’s Squirtle see’s this and kicks his old friends into gear (literally) and all of a sudden they start to perform. After the practice session the Squirtle Squad gathers around Ash’s Squirtle, its clear it’s still their leader even after all that time.

The first matchup of the tournament is a team of Muk vs. Ash’s Team of Squirtle, Psyduck, Staryu and Pikachu… Ash loses pretty quickly and is knocked out of the tournament. The next round see’s the Squirtle Squad matched against a team of Golduck – but they look really nervous because of the big crowds. The Golduck Team comes out hitting it hard, the Squirtle Squad however are late to start and obvivously very disoriented… The Golduck Team has a very clear lead and Ash’s Squirtle runs in and shouts some serious orders, the Squirtle Squad are instantly more coordinated and catch up with the Golduck Team quickly, managing to claim victory in the last seconds!

As the Squirtle Squad are about to celebrate their Victory Team Rocket emerge from beneath the stadium in their newest mechanical monstrosity; the Torcher-Scorcher, which begins unleashing flames at people in the stadium. The Wartortle Squad steps up to stop the flames with their waterguns but the flames are too strong…. All the other firefighting Pokemon teams start running over to help… just as Team Rocket anticipated; only to be captured by the Torcher Scorcher. Ash tells Squirtle that the Squirtle Squad (the only ones who weren’t captured) are their only chance to defeat Team Rocket but his Squirtle has to lead them; Ash’s Squirtle steps up and coordinates the Squirtle Squad in an attack against Team Rocket, putting their machine on the back foot and saving the other Pokemon before a combined attack from Pikachu and Squirtle sends them blasting off!

Ash tells his Squirtle that the Squirtle Squad need him to lead them. Squirtle is released from Ash’s Team and leads his old gang in the tournament. After several more rounds of victories from the Squirtle Squad and Aidan’s Wartortle Squad they meet each other in the finals and the showdown appears to be an absolute dead lock, it comes down to the final seconds and the Squirtle Squad manage to prevail, winning by just over 1 second and becoming the new champions of the Firefighting Grand Prix.

Outside the Stadium it seems Ash has decided to let his Squirtle stay on as the leader of the Squirtle Squad. After saying his goodbye’s, Squirtle accompanies Officer Jenny and it’ old gang, it also begins to reminisce about the time he and Ash had together. And as our heroes continue their journey to Johto, they look forward to the new friends and new memories that lie ahead.
episode148 11238 32 E# 148

J# 150
"No Big Woop!"

"Upā ga Ippai!" (ウパーがいっぱい!)
(Full of Upah!)
March 31, 2001

May 18, 2000
As our friends continue on their journey to Goldenrod City and the next Johto League gym they spot a cute little place in the middle of nowhere, as they’re trying to work out what the place is used for something lands on Brock’s neck and startles him, making him fall down a Cliffside. At the bottom of the cliff Brock meets a girl called Alesha who apparently runs a Wooper Pre-School; explaining that she used to babysit Wooper when she was younger, then she found the Pond nearby and the Wooper just kept coming so she ended up opening a school to train them. Alesha shows Ash and co how she teaches the Wooper, who are clearly very well trained.

Team Rocket are in the woods nearby trying to find a rare Pokemon to appease the boss. Alesha gives the Wooper something to eat before then giving Ash and friends something to eat. Just then their lunch is interrupted; Alesha receives a call from her mother who has fallen down the stairs and broken her leg. Alesha’s mother lives in the next town, she’s really worried and wants to go and see her mother but she can’t leave the Wooper all by themselves; so Brock volunteers the services of himself, Ash and Misty to look after the Wooper while she’s gone. Alesha hands Brock a little book that tells them everything they need to know about caring for the Wooper before she leaves on her motorscooter.

Misty is a bit worried about how difficult it will be, as they don’t know anything about caring for Wooper but Ash and Brock are fairly complacent about the situation. The group return to the pond to find it empty, the Wooper have all disappeared. Pikachu points out that the Wooper’s tracks head right inside the school building; once inside Ash and co find the Wooper ransacking the place and eating everything. Brock reads from his Wooper care book that they are much more likely to behave if you show them affection and food, Brock uses some of his homemade food to try and get control of the Wooper but it goes wrong. Next the book says to try and use a Tambourine, Misty pulls one out and plays, but the Woopers cover their ears in disgust until Togepi grabs it and starts playing – this brings all the Wooper under control and they head back out to the pond – but theres one missing.

Ash and Misty head inside the building to try and retrieve the final Wooper but its rather evasive and runs rings around them. After saving a pile of falling crockery Ash and Misty head outside to see the renegade Wooper climbing up a very steep, rocky hillside, the two give chase and find themselves following the Wooper over a VERY unstable rope bridge which is basically falling apart around them… it manages to escape them once more.

Team Rocket meanwhile are nearby trying to cook Mushroom soup. Jessie and James have just got back with the Mushrooms they picked and they’re all really hungry, they turn their backs for a second and the Wooper finds them and eats all of their Mushrooms. Just as Jessie is trying to catch the Wooper Pikachu catches up and tells them to stop, Jessie and James try to bribe Pikachu into telling Wooper to get in the Pokéball, but it declines – a few moments later Ash and Misty turn up and a confrontation ensues.

Jessie and James attack with Arbok and use Weezing’s smokescreen to make their escape with Wooper, as they are making their escape in the Balloon Alesha and Brock turn up on her motorscooter and give chase. Ash, Misty and Brock are about to use their Pokemon to attack Team Rocket, but Alesha tells them not to worry, she commands Wooper to take care of the situation itself, it defeats Team Rocket and their Pokemon and sends them blasting off.

The group all head back to the Wooper pre-school where Togepi is still playing the Tambourine to keep the rest of the Wooper under control. Alesha’s mother is OK and her leg is in a cast healing, she thanks the gang for looking after her Wooper while she was away and Ash and friends bid her farewell.
episode149 11239 33 E# 149

J# 151
"Tunnel Vision"

"Purin Tai Burū!" (プリンVSブルー!)
(Purin vs. Bull!)
April 7, 2001

May 25, 2000
Ash and his friends are continuing on their journey to Goldenrod City, however they’ve come up against a bit of an obstacle; the Onix tunnel! It’s a big tunnel full of Onix which will lead them to Goldenrod City without having to climb over the mountains. The group decide to wait until the next day to travel through the tunnel because it’s getting dark so they head to a safe place to rest. Little do they know that both Jigglypuff and Snubble are nearby.

Team Rocket meanwhile are already trying to navigate the tunnel, and have awoken lots of sleeping and now very annoyed Onix who send them running straight back out of the tunnel where they spend time trying to work out how they can get past the Onix, concluding that the best way would be to steal Misty’s water Pokemon.

Ash, Misty and Brock are taking a rest with their Pokemon nearby when Pikachu spots the Snubble from the rich ladies house which is obviously trying to track a scent of some kind. The group decide to follow Snubble to see what its after but as they’re following it Jigglypuff emerges from the bushes and starts singing, putting Ash & friends, Team Rocket and Snubble to sleep.

Snubble wakes up some time later and finds its face has been drawn on, it tracks Jigglypuffs scent and steals its microphone before running off into the forest. Ash and friends stumble upon Jigglypuff but realise that it looks sad and doesn’t have its microphone, for some reason this triggers them to volunteer to help Jigglypuff find its microphone. Team Rocket are nearby trying to dig a trap for Misty when Snubble turns up and bites Meowth’s tail, Jessie immediately recognises it as the one they met in Palm Springs. Jessie decides she wants to keep the Snubble, Meowth obviously takes exception to this and gives the ultimatum that they have to choose between Snubble and Meowth; they choose Snubble and Meowth leaves feeling rejected and shocked.

Ash and friends continue down their road when they find a couple of trees with delicious fruit baskets under each of them, which they straight away are traps set up by Team Rocket, and Jigglypuff who goes running over to grab the food quickly proves them right as it triggers three consecutive pitfall traps and is rescued by Bulbasaur each time. Team Rocket are watching on in horror with Snubble as their traps fail again. Meowth meanwhile is walking along on his own feeling sorry for himself when he stops to take a rest… he is then approached by Jigglypuff who is still really sad that someone stole its microphone; the two discuss their dreams and seemingly become friends – they decide to form a new team called The Dream Team… but as that’s been discussed Snubble finds Meowth and bites into his tail… Jigglypuff spots it’s mic and starts attacking Snubble for it.

Jessie tells Meowth to help Snubble, Meowth doesn’t want to, and a little battle ensues. Ash, Misty and Brock show up and break up the mini Pokemon fight, Jessie and James declare that they want Misty’s Pokemon and they begin their motto, Meowth is waiting to deliver the closing line but it seems Wobbuffet has taken it’s role!

Misty battles Team Rocket’s Arbok with her Poliwag, James sends his Victreebel to join in and Ash counters it with Chikorita. Jessie’s Wobbuffet counter attacks Chikorita before combined attacks from Poliwag and Pikachu send Team Rocket blasting off. Snubble see’s Meowth blast off, drops Jigglypuffs mic and runs off desperate for another bite of Meowth’s tail.

Jigglypuff is overjoyed to have its mic back and bursts into song, putting Ash and friends to sleep before itself heading into the Onix tunnel. The Onix who dwell in the tunnel promptly confront Jigglypuff who is pleased to have them as an audience and puts them to sleep too. A few hours later Ash and friends wake up and start their journey through the tunnel, finding the Onix are all asleep, with scribbled on faces. Hours later Team Rocket begin travelling through the tunnel, Jessie trips up on a rock and falls over waking up all the Onix, who are once more non too pleased with them.
episode150 11240 34 E# 150

J# 152
"Hour of the Houndour"

"Dāku Pokemon, Derubiru" (ダークポケモン・デルビル)
(Dark Pokémon – Delvil)
April 14, 2001

June 1, 2000
After travelling safely through the Onix Tunnel, our heroes have decided to take a lunch break before continuing on to the gym in Goldenrod City. Ash returns from finding water to find his backpack has gone missing, Brock spots a Pokemon footprint leading back into the forest and Ash vows to set out to track it down and get his backpack back.

Meanwhile the local towns Nurse Joy and Chansey have just finished grocery shopping when they stop for an icecream. Team Rocket are watching her, and they dangle Meowth down to steal the big ham from her groceries while she and Chansey enjoy their ice cream. Jessie, James and Meowth are about to dig into the ham when they start arguing about who gets to have it first, in the commotion a Pokemon steals the ham and while Team Rocket are trying to work out who it was Nurse Joy and Chansey arrive, closely followed by Ash and gang. Joy tells Ash that her ham was stolen, and Ash says he had a similar predicament but his backpack went missing too. Ash and friends spot a trail of Pokemon tracks heading back into the woods and begin following it.

Team Rocket are behind some boxes listening in on it all unfolding and they realise that the thieving Pokemon who stole from them is also the same one that stole from the Twerps. Ash and friends find themselves in the middle of the woods and Brock declares that the place they’re at is the ideal place to stay because of the wind direction. Brock begins carving some fake meat out of wood and leaves it out on a plate as bait for the thief, with the scent of the real food carried on the wind to attract the thieving Pokemon.

With the trap set, Ash and friends watch the fake food in the bushes, and sure enough a Pokemon comes from the shadows, steals it and runs off. Brock declares that because the thief took the fake food, if its really hungry it’ll have to come back for the real food. Just then they hear growling from the bushes and several sets of sinister looking red eyes begin emerging from the bushes, revealing a pack of Houndour surrounding them. On a ridge above them they spot a Hondour with a scar on it’s face who appears to be their leader, it gives the nod for it’s pack to attack and Ash, Misty and Brock send out their Pokemon to face the pack; Psyduck, Pikachu, Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Onix line up for a 5 on 5 battle. The battle is even until Cyndaquil gets warmed up and pushes them back, just then the Houndour leader jumps down from the ridge and challenges Ash and Pikachu to a 1v1 battle, the two are evenly matched for speed and neither is willing to give in, suddenly a cry can be heard from the forest and the Houndour release smog before running off into the forest. Ash and co give chase.

Ash and friends arrive at a cave to find an injured Houndour fighting a Golem, the rest of the pack get there and engage the Golem just as the injured one collapses. Just as the Golem is about to take down the Houndour leader with a tackle Ash dives in and saves it before repelling the Golem with his Chikorita. Brock checks out the wounded Houndour and finds that its wound is becoming infected. The pack react badly to Ash approaching their injured friend with a potion, but the leader nods to allow it. Ash tells the Houndour that they have to get their friend to the Pokemon Center right away or who knows what might happen, Ash picks up the wounded Houndour on his back but the pack surround him…. Seconds later the leader of the Houndour barks, telling them to let Ash go.

As Ash is about to begin the journey to the Pokemon Center with the injured Houndour on his back Team Rocket arrive on the ridge above them and ready yet another attempt to steal Pikachu. The Houndour leader gestures to Ash and co that they will deal with Team Rocket, and Ash runs ahead with the injured Houndour. The battle begins with Team Rocket sending out Weezing, Victreebel and Arbok who all fall victim to an immediate Leer attack, a brief battle follows but results in Team Rocket and their Pokemon fleeing into the forest.

Ash meanwhile is still running along with a Houndour on his back, and is still ahead of Brock and Misty until he falls over. The Houndour group catch up with Ash while he’s on the floor, and the leader of the pack says he will carry his friend, a short while later they all arrive at the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy notes that the Houndour is burning up with fever and rushes it to the emergency room. A few hours later Nurse Joy comes out and proclaims that the fever is broken and that the Houndour will be just fine; when all of a sudden they hear a commotion outside the Pokemon Center. Ash and co plus Joy head outside to find Team Rocket in their balloon, they catch the Houndour pack minus the leader in a net and start flying off.

Ash tells the Houndour pack leader to take Pikachu on it’s back and jump as high as it can, enabling Pikachu’s electric attacks to reach Team Rocket. Houndour uses its flamethrower to incinerate the net it’s friends have been captured in and releases them, Team Rocket are blasted off by a combined fire and electric attack from Pikachu and Houndour. The freed Houndour bound over to Ash, knock him to the ground and start licking him.

Back inside the Pokemon Center the injured Houndour has made a 100% recovery, Brock gives it some real food to celebrate. Ash and friends continue their journey to Goldenrod City and bid farewell to the Houndour Pack.
episode151 11241 35 E# 151

J# 153
"The Totodile Duel"

"Waninoko wa Dare no Mono!? Satoshi Tai Kasumi!" (ワニノコはだれのもの!? サトシVSカスミ!)
(Whose Waninoko is It!? Satoshi vs. Kasumi!)
May 5, 2001

June 8, 2000
Today we find our friends taking a breather on a lush bank of a lazy river, the group are fishing but without much luck, Misty seems to be enjoying herself a bit more than Ash or Brock. After fishing a little while longer they encounter a Pokemon; it’s a Totodile. Misty is celebrating the prospect of adding a new water Pokemon to her collection but Ash doesn’t agree and wants it for himself.

Ash shocks Totodile and tries to catch it in his Pokéball, but it breaks out. Misty then has another go at catching it but that doesn’t work out too well either. Totodile dives back into the water and disappears. Team Rocket are in the woods nearby when they are approached by the Totodile who steals their food and bites Jessie’s arm in the process, after a minor scuffle Totodile sends Team Rocket blasting off pretty quick with its water gun before proceeding through the forest.

Pikachu spots Totodile and Misty and Ash attempt to catch it using their Lure Balls that Kurt made them, as they’re apparently the best way to catch Water Pokemon. Both Misty and Ash throw their Pokeballs, but Totodile falls into the bushes so it was unclear which trainers Pokéball actually caught it, an argument begins and Brock breaks it up stating that he’ll look after Totodile and the two can have a best of three battle to decide who gets it.

Ash sends Pikachu first and Misty sends out Togepi, knowing full well Pikachu won’t attack it, she sends Togepi in to give Pikachu a big hug, Togepi then uses its charm attack and renders Pikachu unwilling to battle, the first round goes to Misty. Next up Ash sends Chikorita to face Misty’s Staryu, despite being at a level disadvantage Chikorita prevails. The next battle is the decider and it comes down to Ash’s Bulbasaur vs. Misty’s Poliwag. Team Rocket are floating by in the river when they spot Ash and Misty battling; and begin plotting on how to steal Pikachu. Back at the battle Bulbasaur manages to defeat Misty’s Poliwag… but it then evolves into Poliwhirl and the battle resumes. Ash gets Bulbasaur charging up for its Solar Beam attack but it takes a while to charge… Poliwhirl pelts Bulbasaur with its bubble attack but Bulbasaur is able to withstand it long enough to launch it’s solar beam, knocking Poliwhirl right out of the battle. Victory goes to Ash who wins the Totodile.

Just as Brock hands the Pokéball containing Totodile over to Ash two women arrive posing as auxiliary ladies, but its quickly revealed to be Team Rocket.. Team Rocket try to seize the opportunity to attack while Ash and Misty’s Pokemon are tired, but they didn’t anticipate Ash’s new Pokemon…. He sends Totodile to battle them. Jessie and James send Arbok and Weezing to battle but Totodile makes quick work of Arbok, dances its way around Weezing’s sludge attack and then defeats Weezing too before finally sending Team Rocket blasting off with its water gun (and then carrying on dancing). Totodile comes over to greet his new companions Pikachu and Bulbasaur.

Misty appears to bare no hard feelings toward Ash about not getting Totodile, as shes still overjoyed that her own Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl just for her.
episode152 11242 36 E# 152

J# 154
"Hot Matches!"

"Eamūdo Tai Hinoarashi! Hagane no Tsubasa!!" (エアムードVSヒノアラシ! はがねのつばさ!!)
(Airmd vs. Hinoarashi! Wings of Steel!!)
May 12, 2001

June 15, 2000
After getting a good night’s rest at a nearby Pokemon Center, Ash and friends are leaving to continue their journey to Goldenrod City when they bump into a young trainer who is rushing his Growlithe to the Pokemon Center after losing a really tough battle. Ash is excited to challenge the trainer that beat the kid, and they head up into the mountains where the young trainer said this really tough trainer is.

Team Rocket overhear that Ash and co are on the way to have a battle and as always they scheme to use this as leverage to capture Pikachu when the Pokemon are weakened from battle. Ash and friends meanwhile have made it to the part of the mountain the kid told them to go to when they discover a girl called Mickey, who brock immediately takes a liking to; she challenges Brock to a battle and tells him to use a fire type Pokemon. Ash quickly realises that Mickey must be the trainer that the kid outside the Pokemon Center had told them about.

Mickey sends out a Skarmory, a steel type bird that Ash and friends have never seen before. Mickey explains that she and her Skarmory have been training in these mountains for weeks and that Steel Pokemon are supposed to be weak against Fire types, and she wants a challenge. Brock sends out his Vulpix to face Skarmory and the battle begins; Skarmory flies high and begins diving full speed toward Vulpix who tries to retaliate with a flamethrower which Skarmory easily avoids. After one solid hit from Skarmory’s steel wing, Vulpix is beaten.

Mickey asks Brock if he has anymore fire type Pokemon she can battle; Ash interrupts and states that he does, sending out Cyndaquil to face Skarmory next, right from the very start its obvious that Cyndaquil’s flames aren’t ready yet and it’ll take time to warm up. Skarmory comes out Cyndaquil with everything, Cyndaquil has excellent defence and dodges really well but Skarmory is too fast and hits it all the same. Cyndaquil manages to get its flame lit and uses it’s flamethrower but Skarmory avoids it and hits Cyndaquil with a swift attack then heads at it with Steel Wing. Cyndaquil is just about to be hit by Steel Wing when a mechanical arm grabs both Skarmory and Cyndaquil…. It’s Team Rocket on their balloon above and they begin making their escape with both Skarmory and Cyndaquil captured.

Mickey tells Skarmory to try a swift attack, which cuts the rope and frees it…. As it falls out of the air Brock breaks its fall. Team Rocket still have Cyndaquil however and are getting away, or so they think until Skarmory shows up and sends them blasting off. Ash and Cyndaquil are reunited and Mickey invites the group back to her cabin where Brock cooks for them all.

Ash asks Mickey what her training secrets are to make Skarmory so strong, she tells Ash that everything she makes Skarmory do she also does herself, and makes sure she works just as hard as it does. Ash tells Cyndaquil that together they will train in the same way and the next day begins a gruelling training regime, intent on becoming as tough as Mickey and Skarmory. Ash commands his Cyndaquil to use its tackle attack on him, but it doesn’t really want to attack him. Ash continues to pressure Cyndaquil into attacking properly but its flames still won’t light. The pair instead decide to work on Cyndaquil’s defensive moves and it’s agility.

Mickey, Misty and Brock are back at Mickey’s cabin discussing where Ash might be. Ash continues training and this time gets Cyndaquil to hit him harder with a tackle, the two then spot some nice red apples growing on the trees and go over to grab some for breakfast. Unfortunately as they grab an apple they discover a Beedrill holding onto it, along with the rest of it’s swarm. Ash and Cyndaquil run with the Beedrill giving chase, but Cyndaquil stops, powers its flame up to full and sends the Beedrill packing. Ash and Cyndaquil continue their training and work on Cyndaquil’s aim and its flame before returning to Mickey’s cabin where Ash challenges Mickey to a rematch.

Ash sends out Cyndaquil to again face Mickey’s Skarmory and this time Cyndaquil’s flame is already lit and it’s obviously a bit more battle ready. A tense battle ensues and it seems that both Skarmory and Cyndaquil are evenly matched on defence and dodging. Skarmory goes straight in for a Steel Wing attack and Cyndaquil hits it with it’s Flamethrower, but Skarmory just keeps coming and knocks Cyndaquil to the ground. Cyndaquil gets back up and the two exchange Steel Wing and Flamethrower attacks once more with Cyndaquil being knocked to the ground again, but defiantly Cyndaquil gets up again, its flame burning stronger and brighter than Ash has ever seen it. Skarmory appears to be quite fatigued but comes at Cyndaquil again with its Steel Wing, Cyndaquil dodges the attack and Skarmory hits the ground hard… Cyndaquil hits it with another flamethrower before tackling Skarmory to the ground, defeating it.

Mickey decides to stop training in the mountains and says she’s going to take on as many gym leaders as she can. Ash and friends wave goodbye to their new friend as they continue on their journey to Goldenrod City.
episode153 11243 37 E# 153

J# 155
"Love, Totodile Style"

"Odore Waninoko! Ai no Suteppu o!!" (おどれワニノコ! あいのステップを!!)
(Dance, Waninoko! The Step of Love!!)
May 26, 2001

June 22, 2000
While heading for Goldenrod City, the next stop on their journey to Johto our friends find a pretty place for a Pokémon pitstop where they release all of their Pokemon to play and Brock prepares some of his famous beef stew.

As the group are preparing to eat their meal and the Pokemon are enjoying a swim, Totodile comes across an Azumarill who it takes quite a liking to, however the Azumarill rejects him and walks off. Ash and friends then spot a Golduck in the bushes who appears to be looking for something and it’s trainer then turns up asking if its found anything yet. Brock approaches the girl and asks if she needs any help, she introduces herself as Trixie. After Misty escorts Brock away because of his advances on Trixie, Ash asks her whats wrong and she tells him that she’s lost her Azumarill but just then it emerges from the bushes, closely followed by Ash’s Totodile. Azumarill doesn’t look too happy to see Totodile, but does seem to have taken a liking to Trixie’s Golduck.

Trixie takes Ash and friends back to the Pokemon Circus that her and her Pokemon perform in, she tells the group that Azumarill is her best performer but lately it’s been acting really weird and not turning up to shows etc. Brock and Totodile volunteer to help set up the next show; Totodile brings out a paddling pool, fills it with water and throws Azumarill in, she again rejects him and runs off.

A few hours later the circus is packed and Trixie begins her Pokemon Magic Show, the crowd is loving all her tricks and when the finale comes Azumarill starts its performance with some amazing water patterns. Totodile jumps out of Ash’s arms and heads to the stage to put on a performance of its own, even starting to steal the show from Azumarill who goes storming off the stage in anger. Ash and Pikachu catch a pile of fruit quite luckily and save the show.

Team Rocket are also at the venue preparing to steal the performing Pokemon from the circus. Brock is outside giving Totodile lessons in love; presenting it with some of his homemade Pokemon treats to present to her. Totodile tries to present them but Azumarill runs off, before being captured in a net by Team Rocket a few seconds later. Brock has been watching the whole time and see’s events unfold, Ash and Misty catch up and the three then spot Team Rockets balloon making its ascent, with Azumarill still caught in their net. Ash sends Pikachu jumping into the air to launch an electric attack when Team Rocket fire an anti Pikachu net and capture him!

Weezing uses its smokescreen as a cover and Team Rocket get away. Azumarill’s ribbon drops from the net and Totodile catches it before diving into the water and giving chase. Team Rocket are trying to get Azumarill to perform, but its really not playing ball. Totodile is still on their trail and spots the Team Rocket balloon in the distance. Just as Team Rocket are about to get nasty with Azumarill, Totodile shows up and attacks them but is quickly captured by Meowth’s lasso and jaw clamp.

Ash and friends, along with Trixie and her Golduck are out searching for Totodile, Pikachu and Azumarill. That night Team Rocket are sleeping in their cabin and Azumarill, Totodile and Pikachu are caged. Azumarill starts to cry but Totodile gives her the ribbon she lost and does a dance and she soon cheers up. The next day Team Rocket are loading up the Pokemon onto their balloon and preparing to leave. Ash and friends find them just as they’re taking off and Trixie’s Pidgey punctures the balloon, knocking it out of the sky. Ash gets his Pikachu and Totodile back, but Team Rocket still have Azumarill. Trixie sends her Golduck to take on Team Rocket’s Pokemon while Ash uses his Bulbasaur’s razor leaf to free Totodile and Pikachu. Ash then uses Pikachu’s thunderbolt to send Team Rocket blasting off.

Bulbasaur frees Azumarill from its cage and it begins running toward what everyone thought was Totodile…. But it was actually Trixie’s Golduck she was running toward. Totodile looks on in horror as Brock gives it more advice on love. As the group are about to move on it seems Totodile has spotted a Quagsire with a Pink Ribbon that it likes the look of. The Quagsire starts running off and Totodile gives chase, with Ash and friends just behind him trying to capture him so they can continue their journey.
episode154 11244 38 E# 154

J# 156
"Fowl Play!"

"Irochigai no Yorunozuku! Getto da ze!!" (いろちがいのヨルノズク! ゲットだぜ!!)
(Different-Colored Yorunozuku! I Got It!!)
April 28, 2001

June 29, 2000
Ash, Misty and Brock find themselves in a dark forest when they spot a birdhouse in tree, as they are discussing what type of Pokemon might nest there they spot a Noctowl and decide to hide in the bushes and watch it. Just then a tree branch comes out of nowhere and scares the Noctowl off. The next Noctowl that lands is a different colour to the standard Noctowl. A branch comes out of the tree again this one covered in berries which are offered to the Noctowl; it promptly rejects them and starts banging the tree, revealing a human hiding behind some branches under camouflage.

The guy in the tree clings onto the branch by one hand and the Noctowl pecks his hand until he lets go and falls to the ground, Ash and co rush over to see if the guy is ok and he introduces himself as Dr. Wiseman who tells the group he has been trying to catch that strange coloured Noctowl for a very long time. Ash thinks about how nice it would be if he could catch a rare Pokemon like that Noctowl and Dr. Wiseman happily advises that Ash basically wouldn’t be smart enough to catch it, but Ash runs in and throws a Pokéball at it anyway; the Noctowl knocks the ball away and hits Ash with a psychic attack…. The group wonder why Ash is talking to a rock as if it’s Pikachu. Dr. Wiseman advises that its because Noctowl hypnotised Ash.

The group accompany Dr. Wiseman back to his cabin in the forest, which he only moved to in order to dedicate his time to catching the unusually coloured Noctowl. Ash and Dr. Wiseman both vow to catch the Noctowl, it appears Dr. Wiseman has a secret trap in mind to catch it… Brock dismisses this as a poor idea since the Noctowl would never respect a trainer who caught it that way. Ash vows to try and catch Noctowl the traditional way, fair and square. Team Rocket are on the roof of Dr. Wisemans cabin thinking what a great present Noctowl would be for the boss.

The group head back into the forest to try and capture Noctowl again. Brock questions how Dr. Wiseman can be sure that Noctowl will even come back; Dr. Wiseman replies that Noctowl never likes to miss an opportunity to test its wits against his. Noctowl arrives a few minutes later just as he said, Dr. Wiseman deploys his secret trap; Noctowl hypnotises itself in Dr. Wisemans mirror, Noctowl manages to get a hynopsis attack on Dr. Wiseman before it falls out of the tree which makes him think that a nearby rock is Noctowl. Ash chases after the real Noctowl who is still suffering the effects of its own hynopsis and just then Team Rocket arrive in their latest mechanical monstrosity; this one looks just like a giant Noctowl. Team Rocket declare that they’re here to capture the Noctowl. Ash, Misty and Brock stand in their way and try to protect Noctowl, Pikachu uses its thunder but Team Rocket’s robot fires the electric straight back at them.

Ash sends out Totodile and Cyndaquil too, but Meowth’s robot fills up two giant balloons with air and then blows strong winds at Ash and friends, knocking Noctowl out in the process. Dr. Wiseman seizes the opportunity to grab Noctowl but he is caught by Team Rocket’s Robot, and so is Noctowl. Team Rocket begin their ascent in their Noctowl-robot but Ash sends Bulbasaur and Chikorita to grab it with their Vine Whips, preventing it gaining anymore altitude. Ash climbs a tree and tries to free Noctowl from the robots hand, but it won’t move. Ash tells Noctowl to get ready, before pulling as hard as he can and Noctowl escapes; Noctowl speaks with Ash’s Pokemon and they seem to be putting together a plan to defeat Team Rocket.

Cyndaquil begins using its flamethrower attack, then Noctowl signals for Totodile to use its water gun, the heat to cold water effect makes the robot crack, Pikachu aims a thunderbolt through the cracks in the robot and it sends Team Rocket blasting off. Just after, the Noctowl appears in the tree above Ash and co and seems to communicate that it wants to challenge Ash to a battle. Ash sends Pikachu to face Noctowl, Pikachu tries to open with a thunderbolt but Noctowls hypnosis results in a lot of thunder flying all over the place, one of Pikachu’s own bits of thunder hits it, snapping it out of confusion. Ash tells Pikachu to not look into the Noctowl’s eyes and to attack only when it hears the sound of Noctowls wings, the strategy works and Pikachu sends Noctowl crashing to the earth, Ash throws his Pokéball and guess what? He got Noctowl.

Dr. Wiseman concedes defeat and congratulates Ash on his capture. Ash and friends wave goodbye to the Doctor, and now with a wise and wily Noctowl added to their group the friends continue on their journey to Goldenrod City.
episode155 11245 39 E# 155

J# 157
"Forest Grumps"

"Ringuma de Dokkiri!!" (リングマでドッキリ!!)
(Ringuma's Startling!!)
June 2, 2001

July 6, 2000
After a blistering battle that netted him a Noctowl, Ash and his friends decide to take a break, sending their Pokemon out to play while they get ready for lunch. All of a sudden a net comes out of nowhere and lands over most of their Pokemon. You guessed it, it’s Team Rocket, and as they are trying to escape in their balloon they get shot down by what appears to be a hyperbeam.

Ash, Misty and Brock’s Pokemon are now free, but theres a new problem… a big group of extremely angry Ursaring charge everyone… Ash and co return their Pokemon and start running, Team Rocket are right behind, and the very angry Ursaring right behind them. A while later Ash and friends appear to have lost the Ursaring group… but then Ash and Brock realise that they aren’t accompanied by Misty, but Jessie instead! A similar situation is unfolding on the other side of the forest with Misty finding herself in the company of James and Meowth. A defiant Jessie still proceeds to try and attack Ash with Arbok, he sends Pikachu to battle but before it can begin the Ursaring find them and chase them away. Meanwhile Misty, James and Meowth have been chased by the Ursaring again too. Both groups agree to temporarily work together until they can reach safety.

Jessie is sort of jealous at Brock and Ash’s relentless efforts to find Misty, wondering if James and Meowth care about her that much (they don’t, and aren’t actually that worried). Ash, Brock and Jessie set up camp and Brock cooks for them, Jessie is amazed by how well they eat.

Meanwhile Misty, Meowth and James have stopped for something to eat, Meowth and James share half an old biscuit each and look on in awe as Misty pulls out a giant sandwich; she breaks a bit off for each of them. The three then continue through the forest together and find a cave, Meowth suggests it might be a good idea to spend the night there and they enter the cave only to be quickly chased back out by a group of Ursaring.

Ash, Brock and Jessie have found a safer cave and are settling down for the night, Ash and Pikachu go to sleep in his sleeping bag, Brock hands Jessie a blanket before going to sleep himself and Jessie contemplates what she’s doing with her life; wondering what happened to her dreams. Back in the forest Meowth, Misty and James are still looking for somewhere to stay, when they find a rock platform suspended in the air, they climb down onto it on a rope and when they realise they’re stuck they decide to climb back up, but Meowth accidentally pulls the rope down. It’s too dark to escape in any other way so they decide to spend the night there. James and Meowth plot to steal Misty’s Pokemon but nothing comes of it.

Jessie tries to steal Pikachu in the night but bumps right into an Ursaring and the plan fails, she returns to the cave with Ash and Brock none the wiser. When the sun rises the next day James, Misty and Meowth are chased by some Ursaring, as are Brock, Ash and Jessie…. Brock and Ash use Onix and Cyndaquil to try and battle an isolated Ursaring but a big group of them show up and they too run. Both groups are being chased by two different lots of Ursaring and by pure chance they run right into each other, with the two groups of Ursaring closing in on them they spot a rope bridge, as they start to cross it the Ursaring destroy the bridge, leaving the group clinging onto one side of it over a ravine. The group send all of their Pokemon out to pull the rope bridge up and save the group and after a combined effort from Arbok, Onix, Chikorita, Bulbasaur and Victreebel they find themselves safely back on land.

After a brief period of the two groups celebrating still being alive, Jessie realises that Team Rocket is reunited and the Ursaring are gone, so she remorselessly orders that Team Rocket attack , despite that they just helped each other out. Team Rocket are as usual on the back foot in the battle when an unlikely candidate ends the battle; Togepi uses an attack and sends them blasting off; Misty suspects but can’t prove that Togepi did it, as it could also have been Psyduck.

The friends are glad to be reunited, and they spot a sign stating that the area on the other side of the bridge was infact a place being used for the Ursaring during their mating season, specifically warning people not to go there, as it may quite literally be the last thing they do. Ash and friends are indeed very lucky to have come out of it unscathed.
episode156 11246 40 E# 156

J# 158
"The Psychic Sidekicks!"

"Kirinriki! Esupā Pokemon no Mura!" (キリンリキ! エスパーポケモンのむら!)
(Kirinriki! The Village of Esper Pokémon!)
August 11, 2001

July 13, 2000
Ash and friends are in the forest when they come across a sign with the trainer tip “Beware of ghost Pokemon, use Psychic Pokemon for your protection” when they realise that they don’t really have any…. Except that is, for Psyduck!

The group are a little on edge because of the talk of ghost types, and then something strange pops up from the bushes, the group hide behind Psyduck who then runs to it’s own Pokéball and hides. Brock contemplates that the strange looking thing might not be a ghost type after all; just then the Pokémon’s trainer comes out of the woods and states that her Pokémon is definitely not a ghost type, the rest of the mysterious Pokemon emerges from the bushes (they could only see its tail previously) – it’s a Girafarig! It’s trainer introduces herself as Cherry. Cherry tells Ash and friends that the woods are dangerous without a Psychic Pokemon. Misty ask’s Cherry why she chose a Girafarig to train; she says because it looks quite unique but also because everyone in the place where she’s from (nearby Len Town) has a psychic Pokemon as a partner because their has been ghost types in the surrounding forest for hundreds of years.

Team Rocket are nearby and listening in on Ash and gangs conversation with Cherry, they hear about all the Psychic Pokemon at her hometown and start plotting to steal them. Meanwhile Cherry also reveals that it’s her goal to become the first Pokemon Master and Johto champion from her town as the group sit down to have lunch, Cherry notes how close Ash and Pikachu appear to be and says that when trainers have a strong bond with their psychic Pokemon they are sometimes able to communicate with each other via Telekenesis. Cherry challenges Ash to a battle, Girafarig vs. Pikachu , Cherry tells Girafarig to use Future Sight but nothing seems to happen. Ash proceeds to keep attacking Girafarig and it’s definitely on the back foot when suddenly a strange breeze fills the air and a powerful attack comes out of nowhere and hits Pikachu. Cherry explains that Future sight is a sort of time-delayed psychic attack. The battle resumes once more and despite a good effort from Girafarig Pikachu’s thunder overwhelms it, leaving it paralysed. Cherry concedes defeat, stating her disappointment that she can’t communicate with her Girafarig via Telekenesis.

Cherry takes the group to visit her hometown of Len Town and immediately the group encounter an Abra teleporting around to escape its trainer (Mrs Bellows), but the amusement is soon broken when a local guy comes running into town telling them theres big trouble, a giant ghost Pokemon that’s invulnerable to psychic attacks is heading straight at the town. The guy tells the tale of how he and his Mr. Mime were attacked while they were fishing at the lake, and the Mr. Mime was kidnapped by the giant Gengar.

Ash and friends decide they want to go and check out the lake to see if they can see whats going on, as they are about to leave Cherry’s Girafarig senses something and won’t go. Meanwhile Mrs. Bellows has chased her Abra into the forest when they encounter the Giant Gengar (which is of course a robot under the command of Team Rocket), Abra tries to attack it with psychic powers but its attack is reflected back at it by the Gengar’s Mirror eyes, knocking the Abra to the ground before capturing the Abra with its giant tongue. Mrs. Bellows flees back to town with Team Rocket and the Giant Gengar hot on it’s trail.

Cherry volunteers to face the giant Gengar, stating that her Girafarig should be able to defeat a Gengar no matter how big it is. Team Rocket reveal themselves and perform their motto, and for some reason explaining exactly how their robot works (with the mirror eyes). The battle begins and Girafarig uses its confusion attack which is quickly bounced straight back at it, it then tries a Psybeam which is just about to come right back at it when both Cherry and Ash jump in the way and take the force of the hit. Next Girafarig uses its Future Sight attack, which as we saw earlier takes a while to work.

Ash and Pikachu are about to engage Team Rocket when Cherry has a vision of the immediate future; the vision shows Pikachu being captured by the tongue of Team Rocket’s robot, Cherry warns Ash and her Girafarig uses its psychic powers to move Pikachu around so that the tongue can’t catch it, this caught enough time for Girafarig’s Future Sight attack to hit home, it comes from behind them rendering Team Rocket’s mirrors useless and sending them blasting off again.

This confrontation signalled the first time that Cherry was able to connect psychically to her Girafarig. Ash and friends bid farewell to Cherry and continue on their journey.
episode157 11247 41 E# 157

J# 159
"The Fortune Hunters"

"Pokemon Uranai!? Dairansen!" (ポケモンうらない!? だいらんせん!)
(Pokémon Fortune-telling!? Enormous Melee!)
May 19, 2001

July 27, 2000
Today our friends find a Pokemon Center, where they find a group of kids talking about a book called the Pokemon Fortune Telling book, in which you look up your birthday and it tells you what type of Pokemon you are. Misty asks if she can have a look but the kids say they aren’t allowed to give it to anyone; but they tell Misty she can get one herself at a nearby Day Care centre.

Misty drags her friends over the Day Care centre immediately to get a copy of the book, the day care owners also say that if your fortune says you are a Nidoking, and you have a Nidoking, then you’ll have good luck. Misty heads outside and begins to look up her friends birthdays; Ash’s birthday makes him a Bellsprout meaning he is easily swayed by the opinions of others, Brock’s birthday means he’s an Onix meaning he is hardworking and will also have good luck because he has an Onix himself, Misty finds that she is a Gyarados; making her stubborn, grouchy and irritable – something to which she takes major offence and decides to dismiss the book entirely.

As the group is walking along Ash, Brock and a very angry Misty find themselves captured in one of Team Rocket’s pitfall traps. Team Rocket appear in spacesuits above them and send out two mini Meowth balloons, before they can even say what they are for Misty has already sent out Staryu to burst the balloons before it sends Team Rocket blasting off with it’s water gun. It seems they messed with Misty on the wrong day.

Team Rocket land a while away after a rough landing and find the Pokemon Fortune Telling book next to them, they start to check their birthdays in the book; Jessie is an Eevee type based on her birthday cuddly and adorable, Meowth wants to know what Pokemon personality type he is but Jessie dismisses him because he IS a Pokemon, she looks up James and to her surprise and Meowth’s James is a Moltres type meaning he always prevails and like the real Moltres, soars above all others. Jessie reads James the moltres types fortune for the day “you will have good luck with money and find something lost”… seconds later James finds a rare old dollar that might be worth something and then his lost bottle cap comes out of his shoe! Just as the fortune predicted! Jessie adds that there’s one more thing; there will be danger near water, just then James walks up to a water fountain and gets sprayed in the face.

James realises that the book must be right after first dismissing it, and the thought of him being the mighty Moltres type goes quickly to his head. James the Moltres makes the assertive decision to go and rob the local Pokemon Day Care centre and they head straight in and tell the owners to hand over their Pokemon. However unfortunately the elderly daycare owners are infact Butch and Cassidy of Team Rocket who then take them captive. But James read all about how the Moltres type always prevails no matter what, and believes it enough that he breaks the ropes they are held by, before breaking the door down and leading Jessie and Meowth out.

Back at the Pokemon Center Misty is feeling a little down about losing her fortune telling book, even though she didn’t like it when a kid approaches her and asks if she wants to trade her Poliwhirl for his Gyarados; as he is a Poliwhirl type and he overheard that she was a Gyarados type. Misty asks how the kid knew what type she was supposed to be and he said he overheard Brock talking to Nurse Joy about it, Brock is still talking to Nurse Joy when Misty heads over to berate him. Misty is angered once more and decides to head back to the Day Care Centre to demand answers about their book, when they get there no one is around, so they go around the back of the Daycare centre to look for the owners, they spot them and head inside and it’s there they see that the owners were infact Butch and Cassidy of Team Rocket. The “Day Care Centre” is full of sad looking Pokemon in horrible cages that have been stolen from young Pokemon trainers.

Ash and friends hide behind some boxes while they watch Butch and Cassidy speaking to Giovanni via videolink, once the call to Giovanni ends Misty confronts Butch & Cassidy about the book. Butch & Cassidy recognise Ash and co as the little runts who ruined their two of their previous plans. A battle begins; Cassidy’s Raticate vs. Ash’s Totodile, Butch also sends out his Primeape against Misty’s Staryu. Staryu starts well but a Dynamic punch from Primeape has it beat, just then there is a rumble and the wall of the Day Care centre is destroye.

James the Moltres makes his entrance, he’s there primarily to steal Butch and Cassidy’s Pokemon but when he spots Ash and co he vows to take all of their Pokemon too. James the Moltres goes on to explain that an amazing little book he found helped him discover that he has the soul of a Moltres; both Butch and Cassidy and Ash and friends soon realise exactly what book he is talking about. James heads straight at Butch and Cassidy and sends out his Victreebel, it does its usual and tries to attack him but he sternly kicks it and reminds it who it belongs to; it then seems to actually fall in line and take on Cassidy’s Raticate for him, making pretty quick work of it too.

Butch and Cassidy state their disdain for what a lunatic he is before telling James that the whole book he read is fake, and they made it all up. James realises that the part of the book about him being a Moltres type is also a lie, he falls to the ground, falls out of character and becomes relatively useless once more. Jessie then starts to battle Butch and Cassidy with her Wobbuffet, James is broken by the news about the book and fails to help her, resulting in them both being beaten pretty quick and getting them sent blasting off.

In the midst of the confusion Ash, Misty and Brock managed to find the keys to the cages that all of the stolen Pokemon are in, Butch and Cassidy confront them but between Misty’s Poliwhirl and Ash’s Pikachu they are quickly defeated, Officer Jenny and her comrades arrive shortly after to arrest Butch & Cassidy and promise they will get all of the stolen Pokemon back to their trainers.

Officer Jenny finds a copy of the fake fortune telling book and states what a bad job they did of copying the real one; which she just happens to have with her. Misty asks to take a look… but we didn’t get to see what type of Pokemon Personality type she was. Team Rocket also come across a copy of the genuine version of the book and James exclaims “Oh no! It can’t be” – it doesn’t show what the book said he was, but I’d put money on it being Magikarp.


Ash's Travelling Companions

Ash spends this season travelling with his original companions, Misty and Brock after Tracey decided to stay behind as Professor Oak's lab assistant. Tracey hasn't fallen off the face of the earth though and can sometimes be seen in the background when Ash is on videocalls to Oak, strangely enough though during this instances Tracey doesn't even bother to say hi to his former companions.

Brock stays true to form and finds the Johto region full of girls who are just his type (Anyone female). Misty stays true to form and drags him away from these girls each time by his ear, except in one instance during Episode 16 "For Crying Out Loud!" where Misty had been washed away in the river; allowing Brock to actually persevere in his romantic endeavours for once without being dragged away; the girl in question Wilhomena does actually seem to like Brock back, but the two say goodbye when the episode finishes. Misty throughout this series continues to be the sometimes fiery, and often stubborn travelling companion she has always been.

Brock and Wilhomena Misty enraged
Brock finally finds someone who actually likes him back, a girl called Wilhomena (left) and Misty has another bout of Dragon rage (right).

Key Events & Gym Battles


Events of note

  • Ash officially registers for participation in the Johto League. (Episode E#117 - "Don't Touch that Dile!")
  • Brocks unrequited love is finally requited when he meets Wilhomena, a girl that actually likes him (Episode E #132 - "For Cryin' Out Loud")
  • Ash decides to let Charizard stay at the Charicific Valley to be trained by Liza. (Episode E #134 - "Charizard's Burning Ambition")
  • Ash and friends complete their errand of delivering the GS Ball to Kurt on behalf of Professor Oak (Episode E #143 - "Going Apricorn!")
  • Ash and his Tauros win the annual one on one Tauros battling competition in Pompona City. (Episode E #146 - "Tricks of the Trade")

Gym battles
This season was overall fairly sparse in terms of gym battles, with only two taking place:-

Falkner Falkner - Ash defeats Falkner the Violet City Gym leader in S3 Episode 15 "Fighting Flyer with Fire!" in a three on three battle which came down to Ash's Charizard vs. Falkners Pidgeot. The Pidgeot takes the early advantage with its superior speed, and Charizard gets an injured wing and is briefly unable to fly.

Charizard and Pidgeot go head to head in an aerial battle and Ash notices there is a pattern to where Pidgeot moves when it uses its agility, he commands Charizards flamethrower at where he thinks the Pidgeot will appear, and it walks straight into it. Charizard finishes off Pidgeot with a Seismic toss to win the match. Falkner awards Ash the Zephyr badge for his victory.
Bugsy Bugsy - Ash challenges Bugsy the Azalea Gym leader and aspiring Master of Bug types in S3 Episode 28 "Gettin' the Bugs Out!". A three vs. three battle ensues with Ash's Chikorita managing a surprise victory over Bugsy's Spinarak despite the type disadvantage before Bugsy's Metapod takes Chikorita down with an epic tackle attack.

Pikachu is up next and manages to defeat the Metapod but is then defeated by Bugsy's MVP: Scyther.

With the two down to their last Pokemon it's Ash's Cyndaquil vs. Scyther who makes itself seemingly immune to Cyndaquil's attacks by fanning them away with its Sword's dance. Ash once more comes up with an excellent strategy and orders Cyndaquil to jump above Scyther and THEN use its flamethrower, a move which wins him the battle, the match and the Hive Badge.


Pokemon: Captures, Changes, Encounters & Evolutions

All about the Pokemon we see during The Johto Journeys, whether we see them caught, they were already owned prior to the events of the season or we witnessed them via evolution they're all here broken down into different tables. There's also a table for the Pokemon we said goodbye to this season.

New Pokemon captured by Ash & Other Characters
A list of Pokemon we see Ash, Misty, Brock and other characters capture or otherwise obtain on their Pokemon journey.
Pokemon Caught By Episode Notes
214Heracross Ash
E #119 After restoring equilibrium to the Pinsir and Heracross forests by defeating Team Rocket, the Heracross Ash helped against the Pinsir decides to accompany Ash on his journey as his newest Pokemon.
152Chikorita Ash
E #126 Ash and co encounter a sleeping Chikorita on the road to Johto and battle it, its tough and won't give up despite taking a beating. In the end Ash earns its respect when he cares for it during a Snowstorm in the mountains. Ash keeps it warm for the night and at the end of the episode is decides it wants to accompany Ash on his journey.
155Cyndaquil Ash E #141 After hearing from another trainer that there are Cyndaquil in the area Ash runs off and immediately sets out to find one and succeeds in doign so, after an attack from Team Rocket, and the other trainer who wanted the Cyndaquil, Ash catches Cyndaquil in a Pokéball to save it from being hit by the blast caused by the defeat of one of Team Rocket's latest mechanical devices.
204Pineco Brock E #143 Brock made no secret of his desire to capture a Pineco, but before he could do so the group, the Pineco and Maisy are attacked by Team Rocket. One of the Pineco was going to self destruct at Team Rocket in order to get rid of them, Brock caught the Pineco with his fast ball to stop it harming itself, and took it on as his newest Pokemon.
202
Wobbuffett
Jessie E #146 James encountered the Magikarp salesman who had ripped him off in the previous season and chased him, during the commotion Jessie got knocked into a Pokemon trading machine, her Lickitung's Pokéball fell out of her pocket into the machine and accidentally got traded for a Wobbuffet which had previously belonged to a young trainer called Benny.
108
Lickitung
Benny E #146 Benny attended the annual Pokemon Swap meet with hopes of swapping his Wobbuffet for something else, these hopes were answered when Jessie's Lickitung got traded to him by pure accident.
158Totodile Ash E #151 While fishing at the side of the river the group encounter a Totodile; Misty wants it because its a water type, Ash wants it because it's a generally cool Pokemon. After one of the two captures it (it's inconclusive which did) they decide to have a battle to see who gets to keep Totodile. Ash wins the battle and custody of Totodile.
164Noctowl Ash E #154 After saving a uniquely coloured Noctowl from the clutches of one of Team Rocket's mechanical monstrosities it challenges Ash to a one on one battle, he battles it with Pikachu and manages to win, capturing this rare and extremely intelligent Pokemon and adding it to his team.

Pokemon released back into the wild / released for other misc reasons
There were a number of occasions where either Ash or another character released a captured Pokémon back into the wild or at least released a Pokemon from their own care. Don't despair though, these aren't permanent trades, technically they are still Ash's Pokemon, he knows where they are and they can be called upon if needed.
Pokemon Trainer Episode Notes
6Charizard Ash #E134 Ash and his Charizard challenge powerful Charizard from the Charicific Valley to battle. Ash's Charizard is beaten easily, twice and is very upset.... clearly it wants to be stronger. Ash see's this and decides to leave his Charizard to trainer with it's peers, under the supervision of Liza so that it can fulfill its dream of becoming stronger.
7
Squirtle
Ash #E147 Ash's Squirtle reunites with it's old friends from the Squirtle Squad to compete in the annual Fire Fighters Grand prix competition, which they go on to win with Ash's Squirtle at the helm. The Squirtle Squad were badly underperforming without their old leader and so Ash lets his old friend go back to being a firefighter with his Squad.

In addition to the above, Ash also left his Heracross with Professor Oak for longer than he perhaps originally intended, as Oak wanted to study it some more.

Evolution

We see the following Pokémon evolutions take place during this season:
Pokemon Evolved to Episode Trainer Notes
60
Poliwag
61
Poliwhirl
#E151 Misty Misty's Poliwag battled against Ash's Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur overpowered and defeated it. Poliwag howevver wanted to win for Misty so badly that it evolved just as it looked like the battle was over (it faced Bulbasaur and still lost, but its the thought that counts).


TV Broadcasts & Original Airing Dates

Pokemon: the Johto Journey's was originally aired WB Kidson Japan's TV Tokyo network between October 14th, 1999 and July 27th, 2000. The season followed in the United states a year later when it began airing in October 2000 and ran through to May 2001 on the WB Television Network as part of it's Saturday morning line-up.

DVD & Blu-Ray / Streaming

Here are a couple of links where you can purchase DVD's of Pokemon Season 3: The Johto Journey's, it seems that there aren't any Blu Ray's about as yet but I'm sure they'll remaster them soon enough and we'll add the links when they do.

Pokemon The Johto Journeys
6 Disc DVD Set
(Amazon UK)
Pokemon the Johto Journeys
Complete Collection DVD Set
(Amazon USA)

 

 

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