Episode Guide #041 - #048 Showdown at Dark City THE MARCH OF THE EXEGGUTOR SQUAD The Problem with Paras The Song Of Jigglypuff Attack of the Prehistoric Pok�mon A Chansey Operation Holy Matrimony! So near, Yet So Farfetch�d Showdown at Dark City Pok�mon seen: Pikachu, Electabuzz, Scyther, Meowth, Weezing, Arbok, Vulpix, Machoke, Hitmonchan, Mankey, Hitmonlee, Kingler, Raticate, Golem, Rhydon, Bulbasaur, Chansey Story: The group arrive in Dark City, where children hate Pok�mon Trainers because of a war between two gangs, hoping to represent the town as a Gym. Ash is invited to join one of them, but he refuses, and in the resulting ruckus, Ash discovers a weakness that Electabuzz and Scyther both share in that they hate the colour red, and he and the kids put a stop to the gang war by exploiting that weakness from the rooftops. Afterwards, the two gangs are punished by Nurse Joy, the Gym inspector, and must help rebuild the town, but they promise to mend their ways, and well as the buildings. My favourite Quote: Ash: �Pok�mon are not just tools for fighting or a way of making money, and I know, because I plan on becoming a Pok�mon Master. I won�t help you...� (Ash walks away confidently) Ash: �That was dramatic...� (And then he slips on some ketchup and lands on the floor) Ash: �That was pathetic!� Things I�d like to point out: The storyline of this episode is loosely based on the film �Yojimbo�. In the original Pok�mon games, Scyther and Electabuzz can only be caught on Pok�mon Red; does this have anything to do with them getting enraged when they see the colour red (surely that should be Tauros�s weakness instead considering this is a bull trait)? Anyway, that weakness only applies in this episode, as these Pok�mon in future episodes aren�t affected. Shouldn�t Scyther be in pain from the ketchup in its eyes as well as enraged, surely it would sting and it�s not like it�s easy for Scyther to wipe its eyes clean with its scythe claws. At least the whole red ketchup thing wasn�t just for the sake of one episode, as Pikachu�s addiction to this condiment is seen again in the future. Would the Boss approve of Jessie and James taking the time to help the Kas Gym? They�re only there to take advantage of the town�s fear so they can get free stuff, rather than stealing Pok�mon. And I would think that Team Rocket should have opposed the Kas Gym, if they lost, at least they�d get a shocking they were used to, instead of getting shredded by Scyther. This is the only time the Pok�dex shows two Pok�mon on the screen at once. Who�s That Pok�mon?: Scyther Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: None. THE MARCH OF THE EXEGGUTOR SQUAD Pok�mon seen: Venusaur, Dodrio, Machoke, Ponyta, Oddish, Chansey, Butterfree, Bellsprout, Pikachu, Exeggcute, Electrode, Meowth, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Exeggutor, Charmeleon Story: The group take a break in a town that has a carnival on; Misty meets a bad magician called Melvin who has her become his assistant. The show is a big flop due to some out of control flames, and Ash and Co try to help out. Exeggcute�s hypnotic powers become known, and Melvin uses Ash to capture a hoard of Exeggutor, but they hypnotise each other and stampede into town, including Melvin�s which evolves. The leader of the carnival sets a time bomb to destroy the Exeggutor before they make a return stampede, so Ash uses his trio of Pok�mon to bring the Exeggutor to their senses. But it�s not enough, and Melvin and Charmander work together to save the Exeggutor, resulting in Charmander�s evolution. My favourite Quote: Melvin: �You�re a kind person, aren�t you?� Misty: �Well, no, not especially...� Things I�d like to point out: You may not have noticed, but the first assistant for Melvin is dressed up with features of a Vulpix, and when Misty becomes an assistant, her dress looks like a Goldeen�s tail. When the group applauds Melvin�s tricks, Pikachu�s mouth is clearly moving but no sound is heard. This is the first time that Hypnosis attack has a new use, rather than putting people and Pok�mon to sleep, it can now control people and Pok�mon. In the fanfic, I stick with the game�s use of it, but the series varies between the two. Melvin�s obviously not an official trainer, because he keeps several more than 6 Exeggutor at a time. Exeggcute shouldn�t have been able to force its evolution; the only way it should have evolved was through a Leaf Stone. Melvin mentioned they were going to the Leaf Forest, so if there had been a Leaf Stone lying around (or even traces of one), it would have feasible for them to evolve like they did simply by contacting one. The line �The forest is moving.� is used twice in as many minutes, couldn�t they have used different terms to describe the first impressions of the Exeggutor? Ash, or Squirtle, wasn�t thinking straight, when Ash was unknowingly capturing Exeggutor for Melvin, Squirtle used Water Gun to make them slip up, not directing it at them since they�re resistant to it, but in the crisis, Squirtle doesn�t do the same here. Maybe Ash is a better trainer when he�s being influenced? Who�s That Pok�mon?: Exeggcute Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: None. The Problem with Paras Pok�mon seen: Pikachu, Meowth, Paras, Squirtle, Charmeleon, Arbok, Weezing, Parasect, Persian Story: Moss Green Village; and the group must stock up on supplies, while Meowth suffers from a fever but is cured by a girl named Cassandra, whom Meowth is infatuated by. The group meet her and agree to help her Paras evolve so that it can develop its mushrooms and make Cassandra�s Miracle Potion. Charmeleon won�t lose on purpose like the other Pok�mon, and scares off Paras, who runs into the care of Meowth, who wants to help because of Cassandra. Meowth causes Team Rocket�s Pok�mon to lose against Paras, and it regains its confidence before battling Ash again. Charmeleon is out of control and aims to defeat Paras, but it fights back and evolves into Parasect, and finishes up with a powerful Spore attack, and promises to make a powerful potion for Cassandra. Meowth tries to get in on it, but is sent away by Cassandra so that he can carry on being a �hero�. My favourite Quote: (Ash is battling a weak Paras and doesn�t want it to be overkill) Ash: �Pikachu! Thundershock... Uhh... Er... Maybe just a teeny static bolt!� Pikachu (uneasy and uncertain while shooting a tiny Electric attack): �Pi... ka... chu?...� Things I�d like to point out: When James tells Meowth he understands his feelings of love, do you think he�s talking about Jessie (given the only other female in James�s life drove him out of his own home and the way Jessie and James act towards each other later on in �Holy Matrimony!�)? If the same went for the original translation, maybe Jessie overheard and hit the pair because she would rather have gone after the Pok�mon than indulge in the subject of the chat. I know it�s one of these toon jokes, but otherwise, there�s no explanation for where Pikachu got the white surrender flag. When Team Rocket imagines Meowth as Cassandra�s mascot, his posture imitates the famous �Beckoning Cat� statues from Japan that are said to bring good luck and good fortune. It�s the return of the Team Rocket pep squad uniforms (minus the shades), as seen before in �Electric Shock Showdown�, proving that their cheers seem to work, maybe they should rethink their career choice. The Persian in this episode says its own name, the Boss�s one didn�t, it purred and growled, and later on, the other Persians purr, meow and growl. I guess they were trying to make a decision of Persian�s voice, and this one didn�t better Giovanni�s Persian. Poor Meowth, he�s always being upstaged by Persians, Giovanni�s, Cassandra�s, and later on, a Persian gets Meowth�s dream girl. Bigger is usually better, as they say, a saying that the small people truly hate. Who�s That Pok�mon?: Paras Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: None. The Song Of Jigglypuff Pok�mon seen: Pikachu, Meowth, Jigglypuff, Psyduck, Staryu, Weezing, Arbok, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, Onix Story: The group arrive in Neon Town, a place that�s always open, full of shops and arcades, but because the people don�t sleep, they�re very irritable. Away in the woods, the group find a Jigglypuff, and Misty tries to catch it, but backs off when it gets upset. The group help it to sing, a trait that Jigglypuff are known for, but its melody inflicts sleep on everyone around it when it sings. After failing to get Jigglypuff before, Team Rocket tries to get its voice on tape so they can use it in Neon Town and rob the sleepers, but they fail on this part. The group try out Jigglypuff in Neon Town since no one there sleeps, exactly what Team Rocket wanted had they not fallen asleep themselves. Everyone wakes up later all refreshed and better for it, including Team Rocket, although Jigglypuff has disappeared, the group continue on their Pok�mon Journey, with Jigglypuff not far behind. My favourite Quote: (Psyduck has apparently heard Jigglypuff�s song despite it putting people and Pok�mon to sleep with it, but Jigglypuff is unimpressed) Misty: �What�s wrong?� (Misty pushes Psyduck over with a finger) Misty: �You stupid Pok�mon! You�re just sleeping with your eyes open!� Things I�d like to point out: Everyone�s getting shouted at because they bump into irritable people, but the big woman that punishes Jessie clearly walked into her. In Team Rocket�s musical motto, they make reference to being the stars of the cartoon, again conscious of their life being a cartoon. And the crazy snapshot shown during the song is incredibly comical. Methinks giving Jigglypuff the special fruit was a mistake as it seems to have made its song too powerful to resist falling asleep to, if all Jigglypuff had the ability to affect people as well as Pok�mon, it�d be a well known fact, but Jigglypuff is the only one of its kind (excluding the giant Jigglypuff that was clearly based on it in �The Ancient Puzzle of Pok�mopolis�) that can do this. This is the first time that Jigglypuff�s marker on the face running gag is used, and it�s far from the last time, even in the current episodes, Jigglypuff�s still at it, so either the pen doesn�t run out of ink or it�s finding new ones offscreen. What use did Ash have for the marker in the first place seeing as Jigglypuff stole it from him? Finally, the white marker used in this episode cannot be the same as all the future episodes, because it changes to a black one with a much larger and differently coloured cap. Either this is a distinct error or Jigglypuff found or went shopping/shoplifting for a new marker, which wouldn�t be surprising considering the sheer number of faces it draws on in this episode alone, and the fact that it seems to lose the cap that would otherwise protect a marker from drying out and becoming useless. Jessie and James shouldn�t have risked using ear plugs, they should have left town for a few minutes and come back after Jigglypuff sang its song through to the end. The other effect of Jigglypuff�s song is making people act nicer, but it only works in this episode since Team Rocket don�t always act so happily in the future. Why does Jigglypuff follow the group, unless it wants the air time, it knows they can�t stay awake during its song but it tries again and again, and gets angry every time they nod off. It�s highly likely that Jigglypuff became the first running character that doesn�t belong to the main characters because it was apparently voted the second favourite Pok�mon (with Pikachu coming in first). Jigglypuff (alongside Pikachu) is also a playable character in the Super Smash Bros video games. Who�s That Pok�mon?: Jigglypuff Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: None, but the TV Jigglypuff is referred to in Emily�s Crimson City Gym Battle briefly. Attack of the Prehistoric Pok�mon Pok�mon seen: Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Meowth, Squirtle, Weezing, Arbok, Kabuto, Omastar, Kabutops, Omanyte, Charmeleon, Geodude, Aerodactyl, Charizard Story: The group arrive in Grandpa Canyon, where everyone is digging for fossils, including Gary. Team Rocket blows up the area to get the fossils, and Ash fails to stop them, and he and Team Rocket end up buried underground. The so-called extinct Pok�mon are awakened and angry, and chase Ash, Pikachu and Team Rocket around, until an Aerodactyl scares them away. Charmeleon is acting selfishly again, until Aerodactyl hits it and makes it mad. Aerodactyl grabs Ash and rises into the skies, while the Pok�mon just make it out. Charmeleon gets mad at the smug Aerodactyl and forces its evolution, sprouting wings as it becomes a Charizard, and chases down the pterodactyl. Jigglypuff is around, and sings, putting all the people and Pok�mon to sleep, Charizard catches Ash, and Aerodactyl falls back into its rocky prison. Unfortunately for Team Rocket, they�re still stuck in the caves, how are they going to get out of this one? They always do somehow. My favourite Quote: (James is chuckling confidently) Jessie: �James it sounds like you have an answer to our problem.� James: �Hmmm? We�re all doomed.� Jessie (getting annoyed and hitting him): �Huh?! That�s not the answer I wanted to hear!� Things I�d like to point out: Gary wears an Indiana Jones-like outfit and hat in this episode, which more or less became his final battle costume when Pok�mon Yellow was released. Instead of chasing the fuse all the way down the twists and turns, Squirtle should have jumped down the mountain to get ahead of the fuse, and Pikachu pretty much secured Team Rocket�s success, or in this case, theirs and Ash�s downfall. The prehistoric Pok�mon shift positions between the advert break, but then before they attack, they�re back in their original position. And there�s another colouring mistake, where a Kabuto�s shell is yellow for a moment. Is the Pok�world theme park Team Rocket mentions the same one as the one seen in �Island of the Giant Pok�mon� (the one that got destroyed)? The Boss wouldn�t be as happy as Team Rocket reckons if he ever found out they were responsible, even with prehistoric Pok�mon gifts I would think unless they earned him billions to cover for the apparent millions lost in the past they should never speak of Pok�world again. Meowth getting hit by the rebounding Pok�balls is funny, but it raises a question: If he�s not being dragged inside, does that mean he�s got a Pok�ball and that his claims of once belonging to someone are true? He�s mentioned a past master before, so who could it be? Giovanni perhaps? Give it a rest Misty, Ash�s life is in danger and all she can talk about is the bike he owes her, it�s obvious she�s worried about him so why can�t she just be honest about her feelings for once? Electric attacks should have worked against Kabutops, since the series failed to mention that they are part Rock, and part Water-type, this makes Charmeleon the worst choice of Pok�mon and Bulbasaur would have been the better choice. Contrary to what the series keeps saying; Rock-types don�t repel Electric attacks, and the Water side should have been vulnerable to Pikachu. Why does it take so long for Aerodactyl to eat Ash, apart from the fact that heroes don�t usually die in Pok�mon, it waits around while Jigglypuff sings, and while Charmeleon evolves. And on the subject, what�s the point of Brock and Misty telling Ash to watch out for Aerodactyl, it�s too late for that, Ash is trapped by it. You generally tell people to watch out when they have the option to move their body. Charizard would have been at a loss in terms of type, its Flamethrower would be easily repelled because Aerodactyl is part Rock-type, the only move I can see that would have worked was the Seismic Toss, as the Rock side would cancel out the Flying resistance to a Fighting attack and bring it down to neutral damage. How gullible are the diggers? They saw Aerodactyl before Jigglypuff sung them to sleep, surely they can tell the difference between dreams and reality. Who�s That Pok�mon?: Kabutops Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: None, but Tetsubo faces a similar carnivorous Aerodactyl resurrected by Butch and Cassidy in Chapter 35, only, it�s his Nidorino that�s in immediate danger. A Chansey Operation Pok�mon seen: Pikachu, Nidorino, Chansey, Sandslash, Parasect, Oddish, Dodrio, Venonat, Weepinbell, Meowth, Arbok, Weezing, Pinsir, Cubone, Bulbasaur, Raticate, Poliwhirl, Voltorb, Squirtle, Paras, Rhyhorn, Tauros, Poliwag, Kakuna, Ivysaur, Hitmonlee, Nidoking Story: Pikachu chokes on an apple, and the only place that can help is a people hospital, Doctor Proctor helps out eventually, but scolds Ash for letting this happen. Nurse Joy phones, informing the hospital of an accident involving many Pok�mon, and needs help to tend to them in the hospital. Team Rocket�s Pok�mon are hurt, but are seen to, and Jessie and James end up helping out a little. After an accident causes the doctor to inject himself with anaesthetic, he falls asleep, and the group must work on their own, but Team Rocket double crosses them and catches them in their new traps. But luckily, Team Rocket�s Pok�mon won�t attack the defending Chansey because they healed them, and Doctor Proctor wakes up and scares Team Rocket away. The Pok�mon pull through and the group departs, out to follow their dreams. My favourite Quote: Brock (referring to Doctor Proctor): �I don�t like this guy, he sounds like me.� Misty: �That Is disturbing.� Things I�d like to point out: The title is a pun on the term �A chancy operation�. I don�t see how Pikachu could have swallowed the apple; its mouth is really small, the same goes for Doctor Proctor being able to stick his hand inside to reclaim the fruit. Phones haven�t said �Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call, phone call.� since �Pok�mon Emergency!�, this one has a less annoying voice though. How did the accident happen? Were a lot of Pok�mon in the overturned truck, and if so, was it one that was transporting them somewhere, or did it belong to Team Rocket; stealing them all? James tells Arbok to leave while motioning to the Raticate that Jessie wants gone, Arbok is tied in a knot and surely it�s the Raticate that Team Rocket prefers to have gone. The reason Chansey brings Meowth such random objects to replace his charm is because in the original version, the rice, the board game, the police box and Venonat sound similar to charm in Japanese. What is it with Doctor Proctor and superglue, can�t the Pok�mon heal by themselves, or grow back broken scales, horns, etc? That�s a very sensitive injector needle the doc� has, it landed in his arm, but don�t you need to push the fluid in to feed it into someone? When the doctor falls asleep, Jigglypuff�s theme is heard in the background but without the lyrics. The way Meowth gets his charm back either means Meowth naturally grow them in their head which grow back if they are broken off, or that the accident made it retract into Meowth�s head. Who�s That Pok�mon?: Arbok Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: Doctor Proctor briefly appears in Scott�s first side story �You Never Truly Appreciate Something...�. Holy Matrimony! Pok�mon seen: Pikachu, Meowth, Growlithe, Vileplume, Oddish, Magikarp Story: On the road, Ash and friends discover James�s roots, as does Team Rocket, although James is in denial. He was raised in a rich estate, his parents have passed on and James is now heir to a fortune, but only if he marries his fianc�e immediately. James appears to have amnesia, but it�s really just an excuse to try and leave, but Jessie forcefully takes him inside so they can fake a wedding and claim the money. James�s parents turn out to be alive and well, and have tricked James into returning home just to make him settle down. James�s prospective wife looks exactly like Jessie (minus the hair colour), but she�s very different, and quite frankly much worse. Jessie, Meowth and the good guys are soon thrown out while James is being �tamed� by Jessabelle, but they discover Growly, James�s old Growlithe, who helps James escape for now. It was because of Jessabelle that James ran away from home, because she wanted to change him so much. Jessabelle expels Jessie and Meowth, but Pikachu and Growly defeat Vileplume and Jessabelle runs away. James asks Growly to stay with his parents, and that he�s going back to Team Rocket, while Ash, Misty and Brock run away from the lovesick Jessabelle. My favourite Quote: James (to his mother and father while being chased): �IF YOU TWO... WEREN�T SUCH LOUSY PARENTS... YOU�D STOP THIS MAD WOMAN!� Things I�d like to point out: According to James, he ran away from home, joined and flunked out of Pok�mon Tech and then joined a bicycle gang, so presumably he met Jessie at the school and stuck with her after they first failed. But on the other hand, he also recalls the blatantly made up story in which his younger self dies (which sources say is based on a scene from a different anime series). What sort of invisible costumes are Jessie and Meowth with veils? Their faces might be hidden from the butler, parents and Jessabelle, but they�re hardly hiding themselves, especially since Hopkins carries Jessie up the stairs as well as James, under both arms (Meowth stows away on James). What was James thinking when he originally befriended Jessie, since her look-a- like Jessabelle was the one that drove him away from home? Unless his claims to have amnesia are true, but it�s unlikely, given how much information about his past that he shares in this episode. Jessie must really give him the freedom James wanted offscreen, since she�s usually bossing him around whenever we see them. When Jessie hits Meowth in his costume, the lump appears too high to be on Meowth�s head, coming out the top of his hat, unless his ears can swell up like that. Jessabelle�s Vileplume is the only one seen in the series that has a posh accent, this makes the voice from the Who�s That Pok�mon section incorrect as it should be the voice of a normal Vileplume. Vileplume�s Stun Spore shouldn�t put anyone to sleep, Stun Spore paralyses and Sleep Powder puts things to sleep. On the other hand, James actually looks paralysed from the technique (his eyes are open) so it seems more like a dubbing error that would have been fine had �sleep� not been mentioned by Jessabelle. Just How Strong Is Jessabelle?! Vileplume doesn�t have the power to break through a wall and send Team Rocket flying (without the aid of a Solar Beam but this isn�t the case since the walls quietly crack before the explosion), and her whip cracking skills destroyed most of the gym equipment. I think Meowth was right to question if James would survive getting married to her. It seems clear that Jessabelle locked Growly up and not James�s parents, since James asks it to stay in the estate. Although it is a shame to leave it behind, it�s probably for the best, for such a strong and loyal Pok�mon to be beaten up every episode wouldn�t be right. The scene where James picks up Jessie in the balloon seems to edge into a romantic scene, will these two ever stop bickering and discover how much they care about each other?... Who�s That Pok�mon?: Vileplume Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: None. So near, Yet So Farfetch�d Pok�mon seen: Psyduck, Pikachu, Farfetch�d, Meowth, Bulbasaur, Voltorb Story: While Ash and Brock visit a stream for water, Misty encounters a Farfetch�d and chases after it, but bumps into a guy and loses it. Upon opening her bag, she realises that it was switched, and all of her Pok�mon were inside. As it turns out, the boy deliberately switched it, and the thief outsmarts Team Rocket and takes their Pok�mon too. Psyduck gets out of its Pok�ball as always and finds Misty, and eventually leads her back to the guy, Ash engages in a Pok�mon Battle but loses, Psyduck takes over and blasts the Farfetch�d with Psychic attacks. Team Rocket get tricked again and scare the boy into giving up his ways but don�t stick around to discover this, they decide to keep the whole event a secret, or else the Boss would hire him and kick them off Team Rocket. My favourite Quote: Meowth: �Lettin� Team Rocket guard yer Pok�mon is like lettin� yer cat guard yer canary!� Things I�d like to point out: The title is a pun on the phrase �So Near, Yet So Far.� As it turns out, apparently people really do eat Pok�mon, or at least Farfetch�ds. Why were Team Rocket disappointed when the Farfetch�d was discovered to have a trainer, isn�t stealing from trainers what Team Rocket are supposed to do? How did the thief know there was a Staryu and Starmie inside the Pok�balls, if he opened them, surely they�d have run away. The third Pok�ball Team Rocket loses is said to be Lickitung, who most people didn�t even know Jessie had, the episode �PRINCESS VS. PRINCESS� in which she catches it should have been aired before this one. The boy claims that stealing is the only way to survive, and that he and his Farfetch�d are too weak to battle. If he�s survived through stealing and selling Pok�mon, that effectively makes him a Pok�mon Thief/Rocket, yet, he�s able to return all the Pok�mon he stole. More questionably, if he returned all the Pok�mon, then are all the Voltorbs that Team Rocket ended up with his? This episode suffers from a severe lack of thought towards the agenda of the boy. How does slapping Farfetch�d around show the boy the right way to catch Pok�mon, he didn�t seem to be catching Pok�mon for a collection, but rather, to get by. Once again, Team Rocket has knowledge of the cartoon, since Meowth refers to how they were tricked twice in one episode. Once again, Voltorbs appear to die as soon as they�ve self destructed; they�re nothing more than bombs. Who�s That Pok�mon?: Farfetch�d Cameos in Pok�mon Journey: Chapter 43, but the boy needs a name, since there are no real confirmations and his name wasn�t mentioned in the episode, I chose Conrad, seeing as he was a �con� artist. Episodes #033 - #040 Episodes #049 - #056 Back to the Episode Guide Movie and Mini-movie Guide Back to the Pok�zone
