Episode Guide #217 - #224 Plant It Now... Diglett Later Hi Ho Silver... Away! The Mystery is History A Parent Trapped! A Promise is a Promise Throwing in the Noctowl Nerves of Steelix! Bulbasaur... the Ambassador! Plant It Now... Diglett Later Pokémon seen: Togepi, Pikachu, Meowth, Diglett, Dodrio, Wobbuffet, Cyndaquil, Poliwhirl, Crobat Story: After leaving Scarlet City, the group are on their way to Transit Town in hopes of finding a ferry to return to Olivine City. The group are famished while Team Rocket plan on taking advantage of this with yet another pitfall. They walk right into a hole but as soon as Team Rocket rush to claim their prize they take a fall as well... into their own hole. In the hole the group are in a Diglett makes itself known and two girls Rita and Sue apologise since the Diglett dug this particular hole and many others, and they ask the group and Team Rocket for their help. They escort them back to a village and invite them to a banquet in their honour; the girls head home and leave everyone with the mayor and the old town council who effectively bribe the groups for a favour with the large meal they just ate. It takes time for them to remember what they actually want and eventually ask them to help them right before a masked man outside riding a Dodrio along with a group of thieves arrive who attack every year warn the group and the old people that they’ll rob them of their Diglett tomorrow. The old people explain that they co-exist with the Diglett but it’s hard since their children live in the city now except for their grandchildren Sue and Rita, who regularly visit and help out, and they will be ruined if the group doesn’t help save their Diglett, help is promised including from the thankful Team Rocket. They lead the planning stages and send the usual group towards the enemies’ camp while they stay behind to lead the Diglett and elders in safeguarding the village by building several pitfalls. The group spot the leader of the apparent thieves along with Sue and are then spotted by Rita, the leader is the mayor of the town and the people here are the children and grandchildren of the old people who turned the land around with the Diglett to make it better. When offered a place in a retirement centre built for them in the town by their children, they refused, wanting to work with the Diglett for the rest of their lives, the elders were once harassed by Diglett thieves and safeguarding the Pokémon against them was apparently the key to their longevity, so with the real thieves now gone their children disguise themselves as the thieves to keep their elders in shape while being careful not to hurt any of them. The group are convinced to play along and give it everything they’ve got, for one thing the helmets and armour are well fortified and protected against electricity. Team Rocket’s holes catch some of the ‘thieves’ and all of the group’s Pokémon attacks are stopped with clever gadgets by the townsfolk, soon enough they stage a retreat but Team Rocket want to go all the way and stop the thieves from bothering the elders again. Their assault is dangerous but Ash can’t explain why or the ploy will be exposed, the townsfolk assure the group they’ll be fine but when Diglett are put in danger Ash reluctantly has Pikachu shock Team Rocket, their bombs explode in the balloon and send them flying. The elders are happy and celebrate the success while acknowledging Team Rocket’s efforts despite the knowledge of their true nature. The group are awarded a Silver Wing for their troubles and are told of its source on Silver Rock Isle, a decision is made to head there from Transit Town in the hopes of this linking to the mysterious Pokémon. My favourite Quote: Leader: “We’re a band of Diglett thieves known as The Band of Diglett Thieves.” Jessie: “Now there’s an original name.” Leader: “We used to be known by a much more creative name but those old fogies in there just kept getting confused.” Things I’d like to point out: The title pun is from the phrase “Plant it now, dig it later”. Misty’s bending the truth, firstly what long hours did she put into training Corsola? She openly admitted in “Octillery The Outcast” that she hadn’t exactly trained it much until that point, and second, Corsola wasn’t the one who beat Ash, it was Psyduck, so I don’t see why Ash looks so moody about this and why Misty’s saying it like her Corsola was why Ash lost. The old mayor speaks of the Diglett thieves as if they’ve previously stolen their Diglett from them, but as we find out, the grandchildren only put on this act to keep the elders in shape and deliberately let them win every time. The army gear last seen in “Tanks a Lot!” is used again in a joint briefing with the good guys and Team Rocket, and again it’s not seen outside so it might only be a figment of the characters’ imagination. Where Is Jessie getting her figures? She must be almost 20 so the 120 year old woman is only an average of six times her age, ten times her age would be saying Jessie is only 12. I thought no one was meant to be hurt? Two men barge past and hurt Jessie so unless they had to make Team Rocket believe the attack was real (or didn’t care for them over their parents) then the townsfolk lied. Why are the ‘thieves’ afraid of or complaining about the small bombs that Team Rocket throw, if they can take full-on blasts from Pokémon because of their armour then small explosives shouldn’t compare. Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon burrows underground in dry places!) Sandshrew Cameos in Pokémon Journey: None. Hi Ho Silver... Away! Pokémon seen: Togepi, Pikachu, Sandslash, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Golduck, Wartortle, Noctowl, Arbok, Weezing Story: The group have arrived on Silver Rock Isle and do a little sightseeing in a town infatuated by the legend of the Silver Wing. They are harassed by a salesman who is exposed by a woman called Arianne who can clearly tell authentic Silver Wing products from the fakes, she invites the group back to her gift shop. An old legend states products made of Silver Rock protect its wearer from danger, the group inquire about information on the Silver Wing. Arianne takes the group to her friend Genero’s house, the door is open so the group is told to enter, inside they find a Sandslash and its owner with a fever. Genero later explains he was working on his sculptures, something Arianne doesn’t appreciate as much as his craftwork. Team Rocket wander through town and plan on stealing Silver Rock and selling it since it’s in high demand, they get conned by the man that tried to do the same to the group. Genero and Arianne snipe and Misty suspects they both like each other, the group are invited to stay at Genero’s. That night he explains a story from long ago about a ship caught in one of the biggest storms ever that threatened to wipe out the crew, but they were saved by a Pokémon that calmed the tempest and afterwards a mysterious wing floated down apparently from the Pokémon, since then Silver Wing-shaped jewellery has been believed to bring good luck. The group are notified of the location where the event happened, in the middle of the night Genero wakes to finish work on a Silver Wing badge for Arianne’s birthday, the one she currently has was also made my him but has a piece missing, Genero also plans on asking Arianne to marry him and is given support and the promise of assistance by the group. He’s convinced to wear a suit but has overall doubts; suddenly winds vacuum the Silver Wing products into Team Rocket’s balloon, when Arianne runs to try and stop this, Genero runs after her but trips and loses his present to Team Rocket. He chases after them along with the group and Arianne behind, Noctowl soon pops the balloon and sends it crashing down a small distance away. Another battle ensues but Pikachu is overpowered and put in danger, Sandslash saves it with Sandstorm to repel the needles and sludge, and Swift attack to defeat them. Pikachu’s Thunder attack not only shocks and sends Team Rocket flying, but exposes the fake items for what they are and that luck hasn’t been on their side like they thought. Genero retrieves his present and gives it to Arianne; he’s nervous in proposing but Arianne second guesses him and then accepts his proposal. The group say their goodbyes and head through a cave tunnel to travel under the ocean towards Ogy Isle where the mystery Pokémon is said to reside, upon exiting the cave the group come across a Pikachu, and a familiar Pikachu at that... My favourite Quote: Salesman (to Team Rocket): “He-llo strangely dressed but lovely young woman and dapper blue haired young man!...” Things I’d like to point out: The title is taken from The Lone Ranger’s catchphrase, Silver was the name of his horse. Arianne should have got the police onto the phoney salesman since a few minutes later he’s still on the streets and conning Team Rocket. Is Genero’s tale of the sinking ship linked at all to the story of Luca’s great grandfather, other than the common subject of Lugia? If the Silver Wing was given to the survivors by the Lugia that saved them, and the Silver Wing that Luca’s ancestor obtained was found in a diving expedition, did a Lugia simply drop one of its feathers into the sea or did a person who received one lose it at some point? Brock sure is admirable, not only does he stand back and let love take its course between Genero and Arianne but he also lends/gives him the tuxedo last worn to impress Suzie in “Beauty and the Breeder” to yield the same results with Genero’s love interest (“The Heartbreak of Brock” doesn’t count because it was Temacu’s vision of Brock in a tuxedo). When Ash yells out his concern for Pikachu there’s a high chance this is just an old clip being reused as the dramatic lines and raised arm suggest this was a clip of him commanding a Pokémon to use an attack. There seems to be a lack of proof that Arianne and Genero are in any kind of relationship rather than just being friends, I’m not convinced a marriage proposal was in the original Japanese storyline, the only visual proof was Genero’s suit plus shouldn’t he have also crafted/bought a ring rather than a replacement badge? Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon has a flame on the tip of its tail!) Charmander Cameos in Pokémon Journey: None. The Mystery is History Pokémon seen: Pikachu, Togepi, Lanturn, Lugia, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Bayleef, Houndour, Hitmontop, Pupitar, Arbok Story: The group are reunited with Ritchie and his Pikachu Sparky who are also searching for the mysterious Pokémon, Ritchie leads them to a nearby deserted island where a young boy called Oliver and his Lanturn reside who warns a mysterious underwater Pokémon called Silver to hide. The group question him but he withholds all information on the mysterious Pokémon, Ritchie saw him with another Pokémon but he lies about that too. The group moves on and the hidden Pokémon is revealed to be a baby Lugia, unfortunately Rockets are hiding nearby and report to their boss Professor Namba about the Lugia who orders its safe capture. The Rockets appear and net the Lugia, Lanturn helps it escape but a large submarine rises to secure the catch. The usual Team Rocket trio spy on the group and see Lugia themselves as do the group who are soon confronted by Butch and Cassidy of Team Rocket in the large submarine. Bayleef slices up the following net but Cassidy and Butch unleash a Houndour and Hitmontop who batter Bayleef, Ritchie releases his new Pupitar called Cruise which fends off Houndour’s flames and Bayleef sends Hitmontop crashing into Houndour and for the two to be recalled. The submarine charges head on to crush the group but suddenly Luca on her boat drives into it and Cruise’s Sandstorm forces the pair to retreat for now. The group are amazed with the Lugia and understand that Oliver only wanted to protect the Pokémon; he explains he met Silver a week ago after it saved him and Lanturn from a storm, but he also saw the parent who is said never to be too far from its child. No sooner has he said that does the adult Lugia appear and feel the group are threats (which somehow causes Luca’s Silver Wing to glow red). The parent is convinced by Oliver and as its rage quells, so does the red glow on the wing, Luca allows the entire group to follow the two Lugia underwater in her diving equipment. Lugia feeds its young and plays briefly with the group while Luca speaks out to her long deceased great grandfather and Jessie and James disguise themselves as Rocket Grunts and sneak into the base with the intention of stealing the results of Butch, Cassidy’s and Namba’s work and presenting it themselves to the Boss. Butch and Cassidy report their failure and Jessie and James arrive in time to listen in on Professor Namba’s plan to use Lugia in order to draw out its power and create a destructive beam of energy, but they get sent to the galley on an errand to collect Namba’s food. The adult Lugia leaves for now and the group discuss some of the factors and habits in Lugia’s lifestyle when Luca reports she needs to briefly refuel the boat on Ogy Isle before leaving. The group rests but soon see a fake robotic Lugia which lures Silver away, the group chase after them while the robot turns into a cage to trap Silver, Jessie and James intercept their rivals to take the Lugia for themselves but are beaten outright by Houndour. Ash and Bayleef attempt to prevent Silver’s capture by breaking a robotic retrieval arm and defeat Hitmontop again but Houndour clouds the area with Smog so the Rockets can escape with the Lugia... My favourite Quote: Jessie: “Wasn’t that Cassidy and What’s-his-name?” James: “It’s Butch, he’s a little sensitive about that.” Things I’d like to point out: Ash claims the mysterious Pokémon flew over them, but looking at the shadow on the water along with the group, it was clearly swimming under them, as no shadow casts on their heads. Since it was obviously Lugia who is more known for living deep underwater, I’m thinking Ash is wrong, besides, if it was flying above them, why didn’t any of them try to look up? James uses the slogan from the Double Mint Gum adverts when seeing the two Pikachu up for grabs. Now that the mysterious Pokémon is confirmed to be Lugia (as if it wasn’t obvious before), it’s worth mentioning that despite its location and nature Lugia is not a Water Pokémon in any way, it’s a Psychic and Flying Pokémon, not that it can’t use Water attacks. Finally! Some recognition that the events in the second movie actually happened! James’s and Ash’s brief references that the ‘mysterious Pokémon’ is Lugia like the one on the Orange Islands is enough to clarify the knowledge of the adventure still exists (since unlike the first film, nothing was done to erase the knowledge of the adventure). So why didn’t Ash do the same thing when he came face to face with Articuno, he saw one of those in the Orange Islands, the only difference was that it didn’t befriend Ash. Jessie and James most likely copied and altered Butch and Cassidy’s motto, but Butch appears to be copying a factor of James in saying ‘Fight’ three times in a row, truth be told, it sounds really corny in their version and especially when being said by Butch. Why does Ritchie call his Pupitar Cruise when he summons it but just calls it Pupitar during the battle? It’s subtle, but Pupitar’s types are taken into account, it’s not just the hard shell that makes it resistant to Fire attacks, its Rock and Ground-types combined are responsible, and luckily for Ritchie, Bayleef intervened Hitmontop’s Fighting attacks which can break a Rock Pokémon easily. It’s always nice for old characters to make reappearances but the only thing wrong with Luca’s return is her knowledge of Cassidy’s name, the only excuse would be if she happened to be sailing by long before the big attack and heard the Team Rocket motto. The mistakes or forgetting Butch’s name were subtle before (“It’s Cassidy, and Botch!”), but now it’s definitely become a running joke with the main group and the Team Rocket trio. If Oliver only met the baby Lugia a week ago, how can he tell it’s the same age as he is? And doesn’t his Lanturn get a little jealous that a Pokémon that’s only known Oliver for a week (regardless of how legendary it is) gets a nickname but hasn’t been given one itself? If this Lugia doesn’t trust humans then it can’t be the same Lugia that saved Ash and the group from the whirlpools in “Around The Whirlpool” (much less the sailors from years ago as told in “Hi Ho Silver... Away!”), unless it’s happy to help people just as long as its kind aren’t seen by them. Luca is even more overly prepared in that Ash, Misty, Brock, Ritchie and Oliver (as well as Pikachu) can all use her diving gear, she tends to sail and work alone so why does she now need five average sized outfits and one tiny one? Luca is unlikely to have met her great grandfather unless most of the earlier generations had kids at early ages, and correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t his dream to prove to the world of the existence of the Silver Wing, and not to show Luca the existence of Lugia like she claims. Jessie and James admit they find the standard Rocket Grunt uniforms uncool which is obviously why they appear to have made or customised their own. This sparks up the idea in my mind that with the exception of Butch and Cassidy, Rockets operate quietly and sensibly so as not to expose their entire operations and group to the world, something Jessie and James have messed up thoroughly. I doubt Jessie’s insurance sentence referring to the submarine (or at a stretch; herself) could ever be anything more than a joke, considering how often the balloon and submarine are destroyed and how often Team Rocket are blasted into the air I’m sure all three must be blacklisted by all insurance companies. Who’s That Pokémon?: (This little Pokémon has a ferocious temper!) Spearow Cameos in Pokémon Journey: Neither of these particular Lugia make appearances but... Wait for it... A Lugia will make a brief appearance in the second series. A Parent Trapped! Pokémon seen: Lugia, Pikachu, Lanturn, Togepi, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Noctowl, Crobat, Corsola, Poliwhirl, Goldeen, Staryu, Totodile, Shellder, Houndour, Hitmontop, Cyndaquil, Charmeleon Story: In the secret underwater base, Namba is willing to use the Lugia in his experiments but is quickly convinced by Butch and Cassidy to use the baby as bait to capture the adult. Luca returns to the saddened group and hears the news of Silver’s capture, the parent Lugia appears and is outraged about its child’s disappearance, after desperately searching for it the blame is put on the group (while the Silver Wing glows red again), the Lugia creates a storm and Team Rocket abandon their sub and witness Lugia sending destructive waves across the seas and lands which results in their blasting off. Namba watches this too from the safety of the base and the rage is found to be enhancing the Lugia’s power which suits Namba’s plans perfectly to turn it into a weapon. Ash leaves the sanctity of the cave the group have taken refuge in and is soon joined by Ritchie and Luca in sailing close enough to talk to Lugia, it attacks briefly but stops and calms down after Ash and Ritchie promise to get its child back. The next day, the Pokémon search air and sea for Team Rocket while the group figure out Team Rocket will likely be back for the adult Lugia and that Silver must be inside an underwater base. The Water Pokémon are sent out and soon report something, meanwhile Jessie, James and Meowth are back in their sub and determined to get Silver for themselves so it’s an easy task for the group to follow them with their Water Pokémon. Team Rocket arrive at the base but after a warning for all staff to adhere to Capture Plan D which involves many of the doors around the base closing, Jessie, James and Meowth become temporarily trapped in one of several rooms that fill up with water so that the base can rise to the surface. Luca witnesses the base appear, followed by the caged Silver, the group surface as Silver is placed on land, they get on Luca’s boat and ride to shore but don’t make it in time before the adult Lugia approaches. Before they can get close enough to warn Lugia they are cut off by Butch and Cassidy’s Pokémon; who now have devices attached to their heads which raise their rage and attack power. Pikachu and Sparky use Thunderbolt in an attempt to ward Lugia away but Flamethrower is aimed at them, Ash adds Cyndaquil to the mix and Ritchie; his evolved Charmeleon Zippo who both aim Flamethrower attacks in Lugia’s direction. Cyndaquil is beaten by Hitmontop and returned while Poliwhirl battles Houndour, up above Jessie, James and Meowth are blowing up an inflatable Lugia for a plan Jessie currently withholds. The enemy Pokémon’s rage is raised yet again to decimate Poliwhirl’s health and Houndour defeats Ritchie’s Charmeleon. The two Pikachu again aim electricity at Lugia but it retaliates and blasts them and the group before getting to its child but becoming trapped in a powerful barrier as soon as it touches the cage. The inflatable Lugia is completed but Meowth accidentally pops it with his claws and the three pathetically fly away. The real Lugia cannot escape and is transported back into the base, and Ash wakes up later to find Butch and Cassidy have thrown him and his friends in a cage within the Rocket base... My favourite Quote: Cassidy: “Professor Namba.” Namba: “Why are you two constantly interrupting?!” Cassidy: “Uh, you called us here Sir.” Namba: “Yeah whatever...” Things I’d like to point out: The title is a pun from the movie “The Parent Trap”. Instead of sitting around complaining, why didn’t the group attempt to look underwater for where the submarine went? They were wearing the diving gear when Luca left briefly so it’s not like she took them with her. What can be assumed as Lugia’s Aeroblast looks different to the visual look of it from the second movie. This colouring error can not have gone unnoticed; Crobat although drawn correctly has the colours of a Golbat; a light blue body and a purple colour on its wings. Although the group are right on the mark (although a little slow), apart from the submarine having taken the baby Lugia, surely any armoured base, not necessarily an underwater one, could prevent the Lugia from hearing or calling out to its parent. It’s just comical that each time Team Rocket (the familiar trio) suffer a loss in this three part story, they add a double cross plaster to their submarine. Either the Team Rocket trio know the security codes, security isn’t great or simply wearing the basic Rocket uniform is enough to get anyone in and out of the underwater base freely seeing as they’re not part of this Rocket group and rivals with Butch and Cassidy. Meowth again complains about getting wet, yet many times between these statements, he’s had no problem getting into the water. The Pokémon Provokers that Houndour and Hitmontop wear remain with them when they’re in their Pokéballs; this is the closest thing we’ve currently seen that resembles a Hold Item in the games. Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon is said to be as smart as any human!) Dragonite Cameos in Pokémon Journey: None. A Promise is a Promise Pokémon seen: Lanturn, Togepi, Lugia, Pikachu, Houndour, Hitmontop, Arbok, Victreebel, Pupitar, Totodile, Electabuzz, Wobbuffet, Cyndaquil, Charmeleon, Poliwhirl Story: Oliver leaves Luca’s boat with Lanturn in order to help Ash and Silver while it and its parent are separated within the underwater base. The group are awake in their cage but separated from their Pokéballs and are reminded of the promise they made to Lugia. Namba introduces himself to the group and explains his plans of transforming Lugia’s power into energy; the group are outraged at Namba’s claims that Pokémon and nature are meant to be used by humans. The rage enhancers are another creation of Namba’s and a similar basis of his plan with Lugia, he then reveals the two Pikachu and plans to attach Pokémon Provokers to them. Meanwhile Oliver leaves his Lanturn and infiltrates the base while Team Rocket are within the base dressed as grunts again and get into the control room. They plan to deliberately free the group from their cage in order to create a distraction so they can grab the two Lugia. Oliver is soon caught by a grunt but Jessie and James send the guard on his way and send Oliver to activate the code on the cage. Ash knocks Namba out with a shoulder barge to the chest before breaking the machine with Ritchie to free their Pikachu. Namba awakens though and sets off the alarm so that many Rockets cut the group off, again Butch and Cassidy use their Pokémon but the two Pikachu dodge the enraged Pokémon attacks and destroy the provoker devices before attacking the Pokémon head on. When Namba reports intruders in the Lugia’s room Butch and Cassidy depart but leave the grunts behind to take care of the problem. Jessie and James don’t free Lugia before getting caught by their rivals, their Pokémon face off against Houndour and Hitmontop while Ash and Ritchie’s Pokémon mow down the grunts. The group make their way to Silver but Namba is with it already and unleashes his Electabuzz wearing a provoker. The two Pikachu dodge a Thunderpunch but their electricity is blocked by Light Screen and the two are then Thunderpunched and shocked afterwards, Namba raises its anger via a remote while in the other battle the Rocket’s Pokémon one by one cause damage to one of the columns powering Lugia’s barrier which soon shatters. Lugia blasts the two teams of Rockets sky high and then goes on a rampage around the base looking for its child while the base rises above the surface as a result. The two Pikachu get a Thunderbolt in and dodge around Thunderpunches, they deal some physical hits but a Thunderbolt is blocked again and returned in kind. Ritchie realises Namba’s box is what needs to go so Pikachu distracts Electabuzz while Sparky shocks Namba, the console is destroyed and the Pikachu defeat Electabuzz with Thunder attack. A warning to evacuate the base is broadcast and the group’s Pokémon use fire, water and then force to weaken and break the cage containing Silver. Even when Silver is brought to Lugia, its rage still clouds its judgement, Ash and Ritchie speak out to it, telling it they kept their promise and for it not to give up on all humans. The ceiling crumbles but Lugia saves the group from it and together they all escape the burning base before it explodes completely and sinks into the sea, Namba and the grunts escape and survive but all their plans have been foiled. The parent and child Lugia make their way to a new home much to Oliver’s regret, but Misty comforts him in that Silver will be able to grow up big and strong and return to him someday, the two Lugia say their goodbyes before disappearing into the horizon. Ritchie is staying behind to explore the Whirl Islands and since Ash is now headed back to Olivine City the two comment on each other’s progress and promise to meet up again someday. My favourite Quote: Jessie (referring to the good guys and the two Lugia): “We’ll coerce those creeps into creating chaos causing a calamity and in the uncontrolled commotion we’ll capture those condors.” James: “Brilliant use of the letter ‘C’.” Things I’d like to point out: Ash and Ritchie’s priorities are a little off; they worry that Lugia will never trust humans again but they should be more concerned with the fact Lugia will remain Team Rocket’s captive and turned into a weapon. Between scenes the rage enhancers lowering towards the Pikachu end up positioned higher than they were at the end of the first scene, and then don’t appear to make any progress in the time it takes for Oliver to free the group and for them to stop their Pokémon becoming test subjects. It’s a rare sight for real fighting or violent actions to take place that don’t involve Pokémon, when push comes to shove, Ash is a powerhouse. Don't anyone mess with his Pikachu. It’s not quite material for the favourite quote, but it’s funny that Butch deliberately misnames James by calling him John, to which James clearly realises this was said on purpose due to his calling him Botch on more than one occasion. Oh come on! I have to disagree with the Who’s That Pokémon clue; that statement is a matter of opinion. Exeggcute are made up of six eggs while Exeggutor is a huge palm tree-like Pokémon with three of its previous eggs having transformed into coconuts. While Exeggcute may be more manoeuvrable and fast, Exeggutor get power, a bigger form and don’t have any segments which look like broken eggs spilling their yolk out. Past events in the series show that rage actually does help enhance a Pokémon’s power, but usually this is because someone or something loved is in danger or the anger is used for a good cause and is set off by choice, not tapped into by force. When the parent Lugia is freed from the energy field, its chest briefly changes from light blue to a very dark blue. This is the last we see of Butch and Cassidy for now (with the exception of the Pokémon Chronicles series) and as if signifying this along with their demotion to low-rate recurring villains they blast off for the very first time (although they do so simultaneously with Jessie, James and Meowth). Safeguard is used differently in the cartoon to the game in a seemingly literal way to the name as a form of defence to protect others. In the games, Safeguard simply protects the user from status changes. Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon was better in battle before it evolved!) Exeggutor Cameos in Pokémon Journey: None. Throwing in the Noctowl Pokémon seen: Pikachu, Togepi, Sandshrew, Dodrio, Weepinbell, Tangela, Parasect, Hoothoot, Machoke, Scyther, Rattata, Ponyta, Bellsprout, Noctowl, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Jigglypuff, Crobat, Bulbasaur, Bayleef, Poliwhirl, Staryu, Nidoking, Onix, Ampharos, Magnemite Story: The group are back in Transit Town and contact Jenina in Olivine City to check on Jasmine, she and Sparkle are feeling better now so she’s up to battling again. Ash plans to be back there by evening but the ferry isn’t around, they ask an old fisherman about its whereabouts but have missed it by an hour and must now wait a day, the man guides them to a courier service that might be able to help but as soon as they agree to go for it the man leaves (having disguised himself and deliberately led them to his place in order to get some business his way). The group soon arrive at the Hoothoot Express, and the old pilot Wings Alexander agrees to take them to Olivine City but asks for a little help in the feeding and cleaning of his Pokémon and their living areas. Wings reminisces on how he used to be a Pokémon Trainer who owned a skilled and powerful Hoothoot, when he comes back to reality the group is gladly taking care of the chores and Pokémon, so he has a change of heart and decides to fly them over for free. The plane is revealed and inside rests a Noctowl, the same Pokémon Wings used to battle with, although it’s very old now and sleeps most of the time. After fuelling up the plane goes airborne but Wings suspects a storm is on the way, Team Rocket gets caught in it within their balloon and request help as the plane passes them. The group are a little reluctant but Wings doesn’t care about what they’ve done and feels responsible for anyone in trouble in the skies, meanwhile Jigglypuff floats in the winds and sights the plane. After apologising for the wrong they’ve done and being made to promise not to go near Pikachu the group cut Team Rocket some slack. They nearly take a fall with Togepi when the floor of the plane breaks but manage to return safely. More trouble starts when one of the propellers threatens to break off so Ash climbs up the side, Crobat balances him and Bulbasaur supports the propeller, it’s not long before Bayleef must do the same with the other propeller. The nose of the plane doesn’t pull up and the plane descends toward the sea but Misty’s Water Pokémon straighten it out. Meowth notices Jigglypuff on the wing and she can’t be stopped from singing, the Grass Pokémon are the first to fall to her spell so the propellers are again in danger of tearing off, lightning strikes and Jigglypuff is blasted and blown away by the winds. Everyone wakes and resumes their duties quickly, Wings has a brief talk with Noctowl and lets it know it did him proud while it was in its prime and that he doesn’t blame it for simply getting too old to perform as well as it used to. Suddenly it awakens and takes charge, tying rope around the weak areas of the plane to secure and hold them together; Ash has his Noctowl help in doing the same. Lightning is still an issue but Team Rocket’s statement gives Brock an idea and he suggests Pikachu’s electricity can draw the lightning away from the rest of the plane. While Team Rocket consider turning on the group and snatching Pikachu, Ash ponders why they haven’t seen the lights of the city yet, the Shining Lighthouse soon reveals the plane is a little off course and the fog is concealing the Olivine Cliffs right in front of them. As Wings makes the plane rise to get over the cliffs, Team Rocket end up over the boarded up hole and soon take a fall, the rest of the group soon arrive in Olivine City to be greeted by Jasmine and Jenina. My favourite Quote: Jessie: “I really can’t explain Why we’re so despicable...” James: “Mountains of therapists have tried and failed...” Things I’d like to point out: So now you’ve got to book Gym Battles now? The way Ash moans about it implies the match and the preparation of the Gym are being sorted for him and him only. On the other hand, it would be his own fault in missing out on a battle since he assumed he would be in Olivine by evening without checking the departure times of the boats. Funny how Misty will pick up a Rattata, be reasonable towards Ghost Pokémon (“The Tower of Terror”) but won’t go anywhere near Bug Pokémon, at least she’s a step up from females who probably wouldn’t do any of the three. I’m not convinced a clear conversation could take place between the group and Team Rocket what with the group being in an airplane and the Rockets outside, especially with all the strong winds. No No No! As soon as the group get remotely close to the Johto continent that damn Jigglypuff just has to show up again. Her appearances and running gag got old and tedious long before this episode and what’s with her appearing wherever air transport is involved (“A Scare in the Air” and “Pokéball Peril”)? Okay, Ash is now officially one of the most reckless characters I’ve ever seen, high up in a plane he thinks nothing of leaping out and climbing up the side. How the heck did he find any grip on the side of the plane? Unless it’s so old that it’s got some unknown climbable growth all over the paintwork. If Jigglypuff thinks nothing of endangering the group by putting everyone in a moving airplane to sleep, they should have gone all out to use their Pokémon to blast her before she could. That Hoothoot Really Is powerful! At first you’d think nothing of a Flying Pokémon beating a Fighting or Bug Pokémon (because of type advantage), but then you see how extreme it can be in beating a Nidoking and Onix, huge and physically strong Pokémon that should theoretically have the advantage. One final question: Where does the plane land? Surely the point of the lighthouse is to guide ships, not planes to safely stop in Olivine. Still, it was briefly mentioned in “The Kecleon Caper” that there was an airport, just not one big enough for blimps, so we should assume it was nearby. Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon is known for its superior footwork!) Mankey Cameos in Pokémon Journey: None. Nerves of Steelix! Pokémon seen: Togepi, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Totodile, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Meowth, Snorlax, Onix, Steelix, Magnemite Story: Back in Olivine City, Jenina arrives at the Pokémon Centre to pick up the group and escort them to the Gym, but Ash is currently giving his Pokémon a work-out before the Gym Battle. Team Rocket watch Ash from above and the group walk right into a giant Wobbuffet statue which claims placing a Pokémon on the pedestal will give the trainer good luck. Foolishly Ash places Pikachu on it and it’s catapulted into the robot’s mouth and captured, Team Rocket reveal themselves within and tank treads are unearthed with which the robot trundles away. Bayleef’s attacks fail so Brock and Jenina have their Onix attack together but even they can’t penetrate the Wobba-Warrior’s titanium skin. It attempts to climb a mountainside to escape but is knocked down by a Steelix which belongs to Jasmine, it uses Crunch and after a short delay the robot cracks up, Bayleef retrieves Pikachu and Steelix’s Iron Tail attack sends the robot up into an explosion that expels the Rockets. Jasmine is all ready for the battle but warns Ash that she won’t hold back, in the Gym Brock reminds Misty of Steel-type Pokémon’s weakness to Fire attacks. Magnemite is used first so Pikachu is the opening choice; it dodges Pikachu’s Thunderbolt who dodges Magnemite’s Thunder Wave. This is repeated again and again, which leads Ash to have Pikachu take a hit in order to deal a hit, and it sends a direct Thunderbolt at Magnemite after lasting through Thunder Wave, Magnemite uses another Thunder Wave but Pikachu dodges with Quick Attack and deals the finishing blow with the same move. Pikachu is tired and the next battle is daunting when as predicted, Jasmine’s Steelix is chosen. Thunderbolt hits but Steelix deliberately takes the hit in order to counteract with Iron Tail, luckily Pikachu dodges and uses Quick Attack but is overpowered by Steelix’s strength. Iron Tail is used again and a direct hit finishes off Pikachu’s strength to battle, Ash brings out little Cyndaquil and starts the match with Flamethrower but Sandstorm attack serves as a barrier, once the smoke clears Steelix is revealed to have dug underground. A tremor starts and Cyndaquil is hit as Steelix surfaces, Iron Tail is dodged and Flamethrower is deflected in the same way as before but Steelix instead resurfaces behind Cyndaquil and uses Iron Tail twice, the latter one aiming at Cyndaquil while it’s still in mid-air. Luckily Ash has it use Flamethrower to push its body away from a wall in order to dodge the attack. Steelix goes underground again and resurfaces in front of Cyndaquil, Smokescreen is used to cloud the area which is soon cleared by Sandstorm, but Cyndaquil has disappeared this time. It’s in a hole behind Steelix and catches it off guard with Flamethrower before hiding in another hole, but Steelix uses Iron Tail to cause a cave-in within the tunnels to flush Cyndaquil out. Flamethrower is used against the ground to rocket Cyndaquil up but it’s clipped by Iron Tail, the flames on Cyndaquil’s back are dying out but it doesn’t give up and lights up again. Steelix goes in for the kill with Crunch but Smokescreen causes it to miss, again Flamethrower is used and held off by Sandstorm but Cyndaquil is driven to keep firing continuously while Steelix spins the cyclone closer and closer, eventually even it starts to heat up to become a weapon against Steelix, there’s a delay, but Steelix then collapses. Ash is especially proud of Cyndaquil for the victory and is soon awarded the Mineral Badge, the guys are informed by Brock that Mahogany Town should be their next location, and Jenina suggests they cut through Ecruteak City to save a lot of time. She and Jasmine hope the group will visit again in the future, the group moves on and the Johto League Journey continues where it left off... My favourite Quote: Brock (in the style of a Pokédex): “Jasmine, the Olivine Gym Leader: She’s a natural beauty but prefers simple attire, choosing hair berets as her only accessory.” Things I’d like to point out: The title is a pun of the term “Nerves of steel”. Again I ask; the ropes around Pikachu don’t appear to negate its attacks so why didn’t it shock Team Rocket? When Jessie begins to reminisce, either her gloves have disappeared or her hands are coloured wrong. Um, what does the pencil box flashback have to do with the design, name, use or any other aspect of the Wobba-Warrior? I’ll cut a little slack since the translators have to work with whatever flashbacks are ever animated within the episode and work it into the plot, but this scene seems completely out of place with the story. Does Misty honesty have to ask a Steel-type’s weakness? She was there in “Hot Matches!” when it was first announced. Without Heracross (who can use Fighting attacks, one of Steel’s other weaknesses), Cyndaquil is the only advantage Ash has. Jasmine’s Magnemite is odd in that its voice echoes in different keys; you’d think that would be more of a Magneton trait what with there being three sentient parts. In the first battle Jasmine is so consistent that she becomes completely predictable, after seeing how Pikachu finished the match with Quick Attack, was there honestly any real need to take a hit just to get a Thunderbolt in or are Pikachu’s Electric attacks that much better than its physical ones to justify the health sacrifice? Again a Gym Leader’s Pokémon differ from the games only because of repetitive use of the same Pokémon, in this case two Magnemite instead of one. Electric attacks should have done no damage what-so-ever against Steelix because it’s still a Ground-type, and since Pikachu’s physical attacks aren’t anything for a Steel-type to worry about, Pikachu is just a bad a Pokémon to pit against Steelix as it is against Onix if not worse. Despite the huge Pokémon based on it, Wobbuffet makes no appearance in this episode what-so-ever, not even its voice is heard, only that of the robot imitating it (unless it actually was Wobbuffet unseen). The shape of Steelix’s face should more or less remain the same since it’s made of metal, and so the spiral eyes signalling defeat shouldn’t have happened with this Pokémon. Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon’s fangs cause it to tilt its head!) Granbull Cameos in Pokémon Journey: There will be Olivine Gym Battles, and big ones involving that gigantic Steelix. Bulbasaur... the Ambassador! Pokémon seen: Pikachu, Togepi, Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Bayleef, Pineco, Corsola, Noctowl, Psyduck, Mr Mime, Tauros, Bellossom, Nidoran Female, Nidoran Male, Goldeen, Seel, Poliwhirl, Heracross, Onix, Vileplume, Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff, Gloom, Oddish, Quagsire, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Marill, Venonat, Scyther, Sandslash Story: The group are on their way back to Ecruteak City when several milk cans come rolling down a hill at them, they manage to stop them and as a result a grateful man called Carter gives them a ride and invites them to come with him on a blimp headed to Moo Moo Ranch to save themselves some time. Ash phones Oak but finds his mother and Mimie there, Tracey and Oak are having trouble in the research garden, this is due to a group of Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff who came here on a migration and started a feud with some of the Grass Pokémon over a certain area which worried some Water Pokémon about their own area and joined the fray. Oak asks Ash if he can borrow Bulbasaur in order to talk with the Pokémon to come to a solution, seeing as Bulbasaur has some experience in that department. Bulbasaur is summoned to help and is sent to Oak’s place, when the group head to the blimp Team Rocket sneaks on board, they gratefully move from the hot cargo room to the freezer but the door locks behind them. Heracross greets Bulbasaur in the usual fashion by attempting to drink its sap, and Bulbasaur replies in kind with its vines, Bulbasaur talks with the Pokémon and tries to bring the various groups together but is penalized for doing so each time and soon caught in a massive attack by all the groups at once. Tracey has his Pokémon along with Heracross attempt to break it up, Bulbasaur activates its Solarbeam and shoots it into the sky, somehow this changes the Grass Pokémon’s feelings and they come to an agreement but the Water and Grass Pokémon are still not okay with each other so Oak suggests they build a new lake since there are a little too many Grass Pokémon in this area. Team Rocket realise they are stuck after getting too cold and soon enough the blimp lands and the group move on, Team Rocket break the lock but are virtually frozen and go sliding and flying out of the blimp as it takes off again. Oak notifies Ash that Bulbasaur needs to stay a little longer to solve the issues between the Grass and Water Pokémon and their plans to build a new area to solve the territory issues; Ash gives his permission to lend Bulbasaur out some more for this to go ahead. Marill locates an area with an underground spring, Bulbasaur calls the Grass Pokémon here and together they dig out the area until they reach a rock layer, Bulbasaur goes off and talks to the Poliwhirl and then a Sandslash, both bring others of its kind to the new area, water from the Poliwhirl and Marill is used to soften the bedrock so the Sandslash can dig into it. Mrs Ketchum and her Mr Mime bring lunch for all the Pokémon involved in the work, afterwards the Sandslash dig until they find a large rock, Bulbasaur, the Sandslash and all the other Pokémon soon pull to unearth it, Tracey feels they should help but is told not to since the Pokémon are all working together. The rock is successfully removed and the work can continue, the Sandslash soon make a run for it as the water starts to rise up, unfortunately an Oddish takes a fall and the rock tumbles down, Bulbasaur gets it out of the way but is in danger of being crushed... Memories flash by of Bulbasaur’s past and some of its moments as a Pokémon of Ash’s who wakes up in a field after a nap, stares at the clouds and thinks of Bulbasaur. Meanwhile the people and Pokémon push the rock into the water and Bulbasaur is thankfully fine having burrowed underground, everyone is relieved. Tracey didn’t think Bulbasaur in general could learn Dig but Oak states that in a crisis, people and Pokémon can call upon skills they never thought they had. Ash is shown some of the footage that Tracey recorded before Oak reveals that without Bulbasaur around, the Pokémon started arguing again until Bulbasaur came back to make things right, the Pokémon clearly respect Bulbasaur so Oak asks if Ash can leave Bulbasaur with him a while longer, Bulbasaur is happy to do this and therefore Ash is willing to leave Bulbasaur at the research garden. As Ash moves on with the knowledge he’ll have to get by without Bulbasaur, it makes its morning rounds to check things out and keep the peace, it stares at the clouds just as Ash did earlier and is content with its new role. My favourite Quote: Jessie: “Like they say; you always get exactly what you pay for... or Don’t pay for.” James: “Ugh, it’s like an oven in here. Stowaways have it pretty rough.” Things I’d like to point out: This is the first time since the new episode title screen began in which it gets updated with Ash’s latest Gym Badge, even if the opening still has a shot of Ash with only five badges. Unless this is the exact same place as shown in “The Kecleon Caper”, couldn’t the blimp in that episode have stopped here and just drove the sick Kecleon to the Olivine Pokémon Centre? This is Tracey’s first real cameo since he left the group, the still shot in “Going Apricorn!” hardly counts. Tracey shouldn’t have said he remembered how Bulbasaur was good with lost Pokémon, the lost Pokémon aspect is surely referring to “Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village” and Tracey wasn’t with the group back then. Ash may very well have told him but Tracey shouldn’t have phrased it the way he did. Why does Oak refer to the Bellossom dances as Petal Dance, Petal Dance is an attack and Bellossom are known to simply dance for the enjoyment of it. Just a thought, but if all Mrs Ketchum does is sort out her house or assist Oak, just where does she get the money to support herself? Oh well, it’s not like income ever becomes a problem for Ash as the others. I knew soon enough that an episode like this would serve as a way to take Bulbasaur off the party, but since Charizard and Squirtle literally left Ash for one reason or another, simply staying at Oak’s place doesn’t seem like a loss or an emotional goodbye. When the rock threatens to crush Bulbasaur, I wonder if anyone seriously thought it might be the first Pokémon in the series to literally die. At least the thought of it must have come to the viewers what with the way it was shot in a typical anime-style freeze-frame and transition to black with the sound of the rock crashing, followed by flashbacks of Bulbasaur’s life accompanied by the instrumental to “You Can Do It (If You Really Try)”, and finally since Ash suddenly wakes up and thinks about Bulbasaur. At best I just figured Bulbasaur might become injured so that it couldn’t battle with Ash anymore. Anyway, it’s about time Ash had space for new Pokémon, seeing as Bulbasaur was his first Starter Pokémon to join and surprisingly turned out to be the last to leave. Tracey is correct in that Bulbasaur would not normally learn Dig (nor would Ivysaur or Venusaur), so if Bulbasaur did use the attack technique to avoid the rock then it really is a big deal. I won’t complain as I’ll likely experiment with attacks I think certain Pokémon should have if the circumstances are right, and because in certain non- Gameboy games, finishing stadium matches and meeting certain conditions allows certain Pokémon to learn attacks they normally wouldn’t, such as Pikachu’s Surf attack. And on a final note, apples don’t break in half without a lot more effort than Bulbasaur exerted, what is this, the third time it’s been done? Who’s That Pokémon?: (This Pokémon’s glare technique is paralyzing!) Arbok Cameos in Pokémon Journey: None, the only similar event in the storyline was the lending of Tetsubo’s Venomoth to the Safari Zone in Chapter 39 in order to protect it despite it no longer being on the team as a result. Episodes #209 - #216 Episodes #225 - #232 Back to the Episode Guide Movie and Mini-movie Guide Back to the Pokézone