Ash and company stop by Moss Green Village to buy potions, food and other supplies. Meanwhile, Meowth is feeling sick and Jessie and James go to leave it behind, but a cute girl named Cassandra stops them and helps Meowth. Meowth has fallen in love. ^_^. Cassandra is the nearest 'Pokemart' owner and sells potions and such to Ash-tachi, before challenging them to a battle.
She wants her Paras to fight and win so it can become stronger and evolve into Parasect, so she can make great potions from its mushroom. Ash tries to get his Pokemon to lose, but Paras is so weak and has such low confidence that it CAN'T win. Meowth decides to help and 'kidnaps' Paras, setting it up in battles against Arbok and Weezing, which are rigged so Paras can't help winning. With extra confidence, Paras evolves and beats Ash's disobedient Charmeleon! Meowth wants to stay with Cass and be her store mascot, but she would NEVER tear him away from Team Rocket, and takes on a Persian to represent him, which does not please the poor Meowth... :(
Wow, I actually don't have many opinions of this episode. But I've realised I like all scenes with James and Meowth. Those two are so funny together! In other episodes too...
42. The Song of Jigglypuff 8/10
Passing through Neon Town - a busy town where everyone is awake all night and bad tempered - Ash-tachi and Team Rocket are glad to get through to the forest on the other side! Team Ash find a wild Jigglypuff, who Misty tries to capture, before realising it can't sing, so she doesn't want it. But they all agree to help Jigglypuff to be able to sing.
After they've restored Jigglypuff's singing ability, Team Rocket show up to try and steal it, so they can put Neon Town, which treated them badly, to sleep and steal all their things. Team Ash send them away, and then listen to Jigglypuff's song... but it puts them all to sleep, and the nearby Team Rocket also. It puts all their Pokemon to sleep... Jigglypuff is NOT happy that they fell asleep during her performance and scribbles on their faces in black pen. Ash-tachi decide to take Jigglypuff to Neon Town, so that she can have an audience that WON'T fall asleep - since Neon's people are awake all the time.
Team Rocket help out by providing a stage (I really wonder where they get these things) because Ash and company are doing what they were going to do anyway. However, all the people of Neon DO fall asleep, and Jigglypuff angrily draws on EVERYONE'S faces. The people don't mind though, because Jigglypuff's song - and a good night's sleep for once - has a soothing effect on them, and they act less bad-tempered.
Meow, here's the beginning of a new trend... the 'puff has arrived. ^_^.
43. Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon 9/10
In Grandpa Canyon is a major dig, with great trainers (including Gary) come to dig for Pokemon fossils. However, Team Rocket tries to blow up the canyon. Interference by Ash, Squirtle and Pikachu causes a cave-in, leaving Ash, Pikachu and Team Rocket trapped in an underground cave together. But the blast has done more than they thought; it reawakened some prehistoric Pokemon - who were not extinct, just sleeping.
After a lot of panicked running-away, and Charmeleon refusing to obey Ash in battle, Aerodactyl sweeps up Ash, and his two other Pokemon (Charmeleon and Pikachu) grab onto its tail as it flies up out of the cave into the open. The Aerodactyl goes off with Ash, and Charmeleon on the ground is angry because he cannot fight it. So it evolves into Charizard and fights Aerodactyl, although it still won't obey Ash. Jigglypuff sings, bringing Aerodactyl to sleep (Charizard blocks its ears) so they are all safe. Before they leave the canyon, Ash finds an abadoned egg, which Brock says he'll take care of.
My, those Pokemon slept for some time. -_-; Charmeleon's attitude is most cool, Gary showed up (in cool outfit) and Arbok was around for a good deal of the episode. Thus, I liked it. ^_^.
44. A Chansey Operation 7/10
In a big car crash between Team Rocket and a van carrying lots of Pokemon, there are many casualties. The Pokemon Center is full, so Pokemon are taken to a hospital where Ash-tachi happened to be, getting Pikachu taken care of. The doctor there, Proctor, gets them and Team Rocket to help treat Pokemon, with help of some Chansey.
After an accident where Proctor accidentally injects HIMSELF, he falls asleep and Team Ash have to continue working on their own. But Team Rocket, tired of playing good guys, trap Ash and his friends and go to attack them. A Chansey stands in the way and Arbok and Weezing refuse to fight, because it helped them earlier. This won't stop the Rockets, but Dr Proctor shows himself to be a more capable fighter than them, and the trio run off. Ash and his friends leave the hospital, happy to have helped.
Misty, who had no apparent goal before, decided in this episode that she might become a Pokemon doctor, as she is suited to it. But for now, she's staying with being a water Pokemon trainer. This episode has some good Arbok scenes, and we learn that Meowth is very attached (haha) to the charm on his forehead.
45. Holy Matrimony 9/10
Ash and his friends see a 'missing' poster with a person who looks like a younger James. A butler comes up to them, thinking they know something about the missing child, and takes them to a huuuge house. This is James' home... he was supremely rich. James' parents have died, and in their will they said if he marries his fiance, he can get his inheritance. Meanwhile, Team Rocket - with an unwilling James - have followed them, hoping to use James to cash in on this fortune. James truly does not want to go anywhere near the house. Ash-tachi stick up for James but Jessie and Meowth are stubborn and money-hungry.
However, James' parents are not dead. They just wanted to get their son to come and marry his fiance so they could continue the family line. James' fiance is a beautiful woman who looks a lot like Jessie - named Jessiebell. Jessiebell attacks James (literally) and uses a Vileplume, trying to get him to do what she wants, while Team Ash and Rocket have been thrown outside. James is saved by a Growlithe who carries him away.
James explains to everyone how he ran away from home in the first place to escape Jessiebell; he hated rich life and especially her, because he was never refined enough and she was always trying to change him, put rules on how to behave. Growly, his Growlithe, was his only friend. Jessiebell comes back and attacks, but Growlithe and Pikachu team up to beat her Vileplume and send her running away. James goes back with Jessie and Meowth, leaving Growly behind to take care of his family. I guess he does care about them despite everything. He may not be rich now, but he has freedom which is most important.
This episode amazed me. It was so unlike anything I had expected; being a huge James fan when I first saw it, that it would show him as a human being... it was just like something out of a fanfic. James was great, Growlithe was great, the whole episode was great. At the end, the sweet moment between Jessie and James was just... sweet. (That was redundant. ^_^.)
46. So Near, Yet so Farfetch'd 6/10
Ash and his friends stop to rest in an area where there are alleged wild Farfetch'd. Misty sees one, but it is a decoy; the Farfetch'd owner steals her bag, with all her Pokeballs! The boy who owns the Farfetch'd doesn't like to steal but has no choice, since his own duck Pokemon is too weak to fight. He also takes Team Rocket's Pokemon.
Misty's Psyduck manages to escape its ball and returns to Misty, leading everyone, including Officer Jenny, to the Farfetch'd and his trainer. Ash challenges Farfetch'd with Bulbasaur, and to the duck's owner's amazement, his Pokemon wins! He never knew it had that power before... now Misty uses Psyduck, and it wins. Ash-tachi tell the boy that his Farfetch'd can become strong, any Pokemon can, if he believes in it. The boy returns all the Pokeballs he stole.
Officer Jenny in this episode... it's weird. In some ways, they can be strict and harsh, but in others they are too lenient. Police officers in real life do not seem to take into account circumstances; if the law is broken, it's broken. But Jenny was perfectly willing to let this boy go free without any punishment.
47. Who gets to keep Togepi? 9/10
The egg that Brock has been taking care of is a source of mystery, and everyone wonders what it will hatch into - Team Rocket included. The Rockets steal the egg and Meowth says he will take care of it, incubating it with the warmth of his body. Meowth loves the egg and takes very good care of it until Ash-tachi attack them and take it back. As they are fighting, the egg hatches. Misty snatches it out of Ash's arms to look, and a Pokemon appears. It's Togepi, a new species, a cute baby Pokemon.
Ash, Brock and Misty argue about who should keep Togepi; Ash found the egg, Brock looked after the egg and Togepi seems to like Misty best. Then Meowth appears and says he took more care of it than anyone, so it should be his. He really cares about it. The three good guys and Meowth take part in Pokemon battles to decide who should win (Meowth fights as himself and beats Onix!), and Ash comes out as the overall victor. However, Togepi doesn't want him, it likes Misty best. Apparently a Togepi will consider whoever it sees first to be its mother. So Misty gets to keep it, and she gloats.
I really thought Meowth should have gotten Togepi. This was one of the only times where we got to see a soft side of the cat! But, I suppose it's understandable... they wouldn't want such a 'cute' Pokemon being a bad guy, and all that comes with it - being beaten up constantly, having to steal from Ash-tachi, etc. Although I know a lot of people who would LIKE to see Togepi beaten up constantly. Anyway, the best part of this episode was Team Rocket; Jessie and James so casual, like normal humans. And when they were watching the battle and eating chips, heheh.
48. Bulbasaur and the Mysterious Garden 6/10
Outside, some plants are acting strangely. Ash's Bulbasaur acts strangely too, but Joy says it is because it is ready to evolve. Ash is excited, and that night, Bulbasaur finds itself walking outside, as if called by something. Pikachu follows it, and to its horror, some other Bulbasaur come and take Ash's away. Pikachu runs to get Ash, and the good guys all go following Bulbasaur. Around them in the night forest, nature is going whacko, vines trying to block their path.
But that doesn't stop them, and the three find themselves in a hidden garden, beautiful with sparkling pollen, where dozens of Bulbasaur are gathered under the moonlight. A Venusaur comes and speaks to them all, and then all the Bulbasaur evolve, except for Ash's, who tries to resist it. The Ivysaur and Venusaur get mad at it, but Ash runs in, defending it. Team Rocket appears before things get too messy, and starts to steal a lot of Ivysaur. But Bulbasaur learns Solar Beam and destroys their hot air balloon, saving its fellow bulb Pokemon. The evolved forms respect it now, even if it chose to stay as it was.
Ash was the best in this episode. Diving to save Bulbasaur like that, while before he had been excited about it possibly evolving. My belief is that Bulbasaur didn't want to evolve because a) it liked being as it was, b) was too stubborn, and c) saw what had happened to Charizard's attitude...
49. The K-9 Caper 7/10
Ash and his friends find a school where police canines (Growlithes) are trained. He asks the Officer Jenny to help him train Pikachu like she trains Growlithes. It's quite tough for them. Team Rocket attacks, putting on disguises as Officer Jennies and taking up megaphones that will change their voices. They spray gas everywhere that a) ruins everyone else's voices but theirs (they wear gas masks) and b) ruins everyone's sense of smell.
Speaking in Officer Jenny's voice, Jessie plays on the fact that the Growlithes judge by smell and sound, and now finds she is able to order all the dogs around as she pleases. She tries to imitate Ash also, but Pikachu knows its trainer too well. But when Team Rocket orders the Growlithes to attack Jenny, they recognise that SHE is their real trainer - who looked after them, raised them and cared about them for so long. They turn on Team Rocket, and all is well. ^_^;
I want to know how Jenny can run/do obstacle courses in high heels! But it was nice to see a more human Jenny. This plan of theirs was actually quite ingenious. James thought it up. Why do people call him an idiot? James wearing short skirts ceases to amaze me. -_-;
50. Pokemon Paparazzi 7/10
A boy called Snap is secretly following Ash, trying to take a photo of Pikachu. When caught, he invites the friends to his house and shows them all his photos; he's a famous and very talented photographer, taking shots of Pokemon in their natural environments - happy. His camera is extremely important to him, as he loves what he does. He has been hired by Team Rocket to photograph Pikachu (Meowth read an article that said he was the best at 'capturing Pokemon', but he didn't realise the capturing was on film).
Ash-tachi continue on their way, with Snap following, trying to get good shots of Pikachu. After a while, Pikachu gets a complex because there are always cameras flashing and he hates having his photo taken. ^_^; When Team Ash fall in a hole dug by the Rockets, Snap goes to help them get out, and Team Rocket realise their error in hiring him. The bottom of the hole caves in and Ash/Pikachu fall into a sewer below. Snap follows them, and manages to just save them from falling from a waterfall by using the cord of his precious camera for Ash to grab.
Team Rocket attacks with bombs, trying to make the two boys fall, while Snap is hanging onto the camera for dear life, trying not to let Ash fall. Ash tricks the Rockets into blowing themselves up, and the two boys get to safety. Snap and Ash, now friends, decide to travel together for a while.
I found many parts of this episode to be really funny. Maybe because it was the first new episode I had seen in months, when I saw it. Team Rocket were quite nasty in this episode. James was actually TRYING TO KILL ASH!
51. The Ultimate Test 10/10
Snap idly mentions a difficult Pokemon League Entrance Exam which can be passed in order to gain admittance to the Pokemon League without winning badges; a good idea for those unable to travel and fight. Ash decides he'll try out, as do Jessie and James, in disguise, who secretly want to be Pokemon Masters. They take the test and find it very difficult. Jessie gets mad after getting yet another question wrong, saying that answering stupid quiz questions won't make you a Pokemon Master. She gets thrown out.
James wants to do his best for Jessie. It's time for the practical part of the test, where trainers get three random Pokeballs and have to fight against the examiner's three Pokemon. James gets Pikachu, which pleases him, but also uses Charizard and Ivysaur... using three is against the rules and he is kicked out. Ash finds himself fighting with an Arbok, Weezing and Meowth! He doesn't do too badly, but Meowth is frozen by the opposing Vaporeon.
Team Rocket's Meowth comes in to help the other Meowth of its kind, and the examiner tries to catch him, a talking Meowth. ^_^; Jessie and James come and stop him, James using his temporary Pokemon to fight with. However, they will obey the examiner first as he raised them, and Team Rocket are sent off. Ash decides that he prefers to get to the Pokemon League by winning badges. Which was just as well, as he did REALLY badly on that test. -_-;
Boy, they sure don't know much about Pokemon. -_-; I thought the Pokemon battling system was kind of stupid, personally. Unfair disadvantages which proved NOTHING about battling skill. I mean, no wonder Nurse Joy won, with a Squirtle against a Charmander, and there was no way for James to possibly win with Pikachu vs Graveler. Meowth being frozen was something Ash could not have possibly helped, it proved nothing. And why should people be allowed to enter the Pokemon League without proving their own Pokemon's strengths? You could get someone with extreme knowledge in these intense battles, with just a Metapod or something!
Jessie was so cool in this episode though. I liked her disguise. It was a good, entertaining episode.
52. The Breeding Centre Secret 9/10
Ash and his friends see the opening of a new Pokemon breeding centre, where the owner, a beautiful blonde lady, promises that with their loving care, they can make Pokemon more powerful, and maybe even evolve. Inspired, Misty leaves Psyduck there to test the quality of the claims. Then they go looking for a place to eat, and find a restaurant offering free food for anyone who can show the chef his favourite Pokemon - a Psyduck!
Misty goes back to the centre to look for Psyduck, and they find a horrible surprise; behind the scenes, this isn't a Pokemon paradise; all the Pokemon are kept in poorly lit, small cages. Snap takes pictures of the cages for evidence. She goes to free her Psyduck, but there is a commotion; Jessie, James and Meowth come in through the window to steal Pokemon. The two groups confront each other before being found by the owners of the centre; the woman, Cassidy, and her partner, Butch, who are really for Team Rocket, using the centre as a front to steal the Pokemon for Giovanni!
Everyone runs away from Cassidy and Butch (why don't they stay and fight?) but they are all caught except for Misty and Pikachu. Framing them, Cassidy has Ash, Snap, Brock, Jessie, James (with the Victreebell he had left in the centre) and Meowth sent to gaol. Misty clears their names by, when going to collect Psyduck, giving Pikachu the chance to retrieve Snap's camera with the evidence. Jenny goes and arrests Cassidy and Butch instead, while the other Team Rocket escapes from gaol...
Jenny was a leetle unreasonable in this episode, although I did like James and his Victreebell (it kept trying to eat his head -_-;). Butch and Cassidy are kind of cool also. The series was sort of ended here; after this came the 'new episodes'. This may not have been a great place to end the series as it left a lot of people thinking that Butch and Cassidy might have been going to be permanent fixtures, who replaced Jessie/James/Meowth.
53. Princess VS Princess 9/10
It's Princess Day, a special day for women of all ages to get things on special, get free food and basically be waited on by the whole male gender. I think we should have such a holiday in Western society. ^_^. Misty and Jessie have a great time, while their male friends do not... Jessie also buys cheap things as a gift to soften up Giovanni, but a wild Lickitung wanders in and starts eating them all. Jessie, furious, captures it and then forgets all about it. Then there is a competition to win Princess Dolls; a set of Pokemon dolls that Misty and Jessie both really want. Misty because she only ever had spoiled hand-me-downs from her sisters, Jessie because she never had dolls at all and it ruined every Princess Day for her.
The two both enter the competition. It's both a beauty contest - both are quite beautiful when they try - and a Pokemon competition. Jessie borrows James' Weezing, and Meowth, while Misty borrows Pikachu, Vulpix and Bulbasaur, I think. The two both win a lot of matches (YAY ARBOK!) and predictably face each other. Pikachu eliminates all of Jessie's Pokemon, but then she remembers the Lickitung she caught. It beats Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Vulpix with no problems, but then faces Psyduck, who is too stupid to be affected by its lick, and so Misty beats Jessie and wins the dolls. Team Rocket dress up as the dolls to try and cheer Jessie up. Sweet ending.
I give it a 9 objectively, for from my own opinion I would give it a 6 or 7. This was totally spoiled because I foolishly allowed myself to read spoilers, which gave away the entire episode and offered me no surprises left. After this, I did not read any spoilers if I could help it, and enjoyed the future new episodes well. ^_^; Misty certainly likes to cheat Team Rocket members of something they truly care about, huh? First Togepi and now this. (Well, actually, it should have been first this and then Togepi, because this episode was originally set a little while before the Togepi one.)
I like this sort of episode; they build up in the viewer some sort of empathy for a Team Rocket member (by not having them behave too badly, and express sadness about something), and then, even if the Rockets ARE beaten or smashed away... the writers will pay them some respect/sympathy by giving them an ending such as this.
54. The Purr-fect Hero 6/10
It is Boy's Day, or Children's Day, or whatever you want to call it. Ash-tachi walk along and meet a teacher who tells them in disappointment that the Pokemon trainer who was going to let her class play with their Pokemon had just cancelled. So Ash and his friends step in and the kids have a great time playing. But one kid is not playing; all he wants is a Meowth. He remembers a wild Meowth that saved him from a Beedrill, but nobody believes him. Timmy, the boy, really wants to see this Meowth again.
Team Rocket plays on this by sending in their Meowth to pretend to be the wild Meowth. Meowth has a good time playing with the kids and having fun, before his teammates come in and steal Pikachu. Everyone runs after them to a kind of valley. In the battle that ensues, a boulder is dislodged from a higher peak and hurtles towards Ash and Timmy. They are saved when a Meowth jumps in and kicks the boulder in half (o.O;). It is Timmy's brave wild Meowth.
This episode and its predecessor were originally shown a little earlier in the series (Misty does not have Togepi)... they were not dubbed right away because, I believe, the schedule was tight and these episodes had too much Japanese writing in them to change quickly. That's what I heard anyway. I thought Timmy's Meowth should not have come. Meowth looked as if it were about to save Ash/Timmy.
The story so far: Ash's Charmander recently evolved into Charmeleon. He currently has 6 Pokemon badges, and is making his way slowly to Cinnabar.
41. The Problem with Paras 7/10
