Anime Hajime Impressions: Benkyou – Pokémon Indigo League – Episodes 16 to 20

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Japanese Title: ポケモンひょうりゅうき
Romaji Title: Pokemon Hyōryūki
English Title: Pokémon Shipwreck

Episode Synopsis

The St. Anne has capsized and sunk, with Ash, his friends, and Team Rocket still inside. The ship comes to rest on the edge of a deep abyss. 

The first group to recover is our heroes. They try to get their bearings, so Misty uses her water Pokémon to search the areas inundated with water, and they come across a nearly drowned Team Rocket.

As soon as Team Rocket recovers from their close shave, the two groups instantly prepare for battle. However, the commotion of their actions threatens to push the ship over the edge. Therefore, the adversaries put their differences aside and agree to work together. 

To escape the ship, the group must use their Pokémon’s moves in creative ways. Eventually, they make it to their last hurdle – the bottom hull. From this point, they must use water Pokémon to escape.

Although Ash and his friends are fine, Team Rocket doesn’t have any water Pokémon, or so Jessie and Meowth think. James, on the other hand, gloats that his purchase of Magikarp wasn’t so stupid after all. Unfortunately, the fish proves less than useful. With nowhere to go, Team Rocket goes down with the St. Anne.

Up at the surface, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu assume the worst when Team Rocket does come up. Luckily, James’ Magikarp pulls our favorite villains from the depths. But now everyone is stuck on a raft in the middle of the sea.

After some time, the group is on edge. In a spark of frustration, James kicks Magikarp off the raft and throws nonstop insults at it. That was a mistake.

Miraculously, Magikarp evolves into the immensely more powerful – and more aggressive – Gyarados, and the Pokémon is mad. 

Everyone tries to row the raft away as fast as they can, but it is futile. Gyarados calls for reinforcements, and a swarm appears. Together, the Pokémon create a massive water cyclone. The storm hurles and separates Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Team Rocket across the ocean. 

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: きょだいポケモンのしま!?
Romaji Title: Kyodai Pokemon no Shima!?
English Title: Island of the Giant Pokémon

Episode Synopsis

Following Gyarados cyclone, Ash, his friends, and Team Rocket go flying. After some time, Ash wakes up to find himself on a beach next to Misty and Brock. However, he begins to panic when he sees that Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle are no longer with him.

Elsewhere, Jessie and James find themselves on their own beach without Meowth, Jessie’s Ekans, and James’ Koffing. 

As for the Pokémon themselves, they manage to come together and form their group. Although Meowth is initially antagonistic, he realizes he is alone in his aggression when Ekans and Koffing explain they will only listen to their trainers. So, for the moment, the Pokémon of Ash and Team Rocket are allies and soon become good friends. 

The three teams search what appears to be an island in the hopes of running into one another. But as they wander, they come across a problem no one was expecting.

On the island, there exist gargantuan Pokémon. Pikachu’s group tries talking to the giants, but to no avail, forcing them to run for their lives. Still, they did better than their humans, who the giants immediately went after.

In the chaotic scramble, the three groups find each other, and together, they attempt to defend themselves from the monstrous Pokémon. The thing is, though, the giants turn out to be robots. Our heroes had landed on a unique tourist attraction known as Pokémon Land.

Having survived this adventure, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu continue on their way. Eventually, they find themselves on the outskirts of a beautiful beach resort town, Porta Vista.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: アオプルコのきゅうじつ
Romaji Title: Aopuruko no Kyūjitsu
English Title: Beauty and the Beach

Episode Synopsis

Taking the chance to enjoy themselves, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu let loose in Porta Vista. However, their fun takes a turn when the group smashes a rental boat into the docks. To pay for the damages, the team agrees to assist the boat’s owner at his beach-side restaurant. 

Elsewhere, a broke Team Rocket finds employment of their own. As it happens, they begin working at the rival restaurant to where Ash and his friends are.

A bitter battle for customers ensues, and Team Rocket takes a clear edge. When it appears the shop owner Ash is working for won’t be able to compete, some reassuring news comes from a surprising place. Ash’s Mom and Professor Oak have just arrived in Porta Vista, and they tell our heroes about an upcoming beauty contest.

Hoping to pay off their debt and save the restaurant, Misty agrees to join in the contest. Seeing this, and not wanting to lose, Jessie and James enter as well. 

As the contest commences, it appears as though Team Rocket is on the verge of losing. Thus, they elect to sabotage everything and attack the festivities. Ash easily defeats Team Rocket, and as a thank you for his efforts, he wins the prize money.

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: メノクラゲドククラゲ
Romaji Title: Menokurage Dokukurage
English Title: Tentacool & Tentacruel

Episode Synopsis

Having missed the boat that would take them away from Porta Vista, Ash and his friends must wait for the next departure. While sitting around, Misty sees an injured Horsea swimming in the ocean. The Horsea warns of an incoming assault from a hoard of Tentacools.

Sure enough, the swarm of jellyfish Pokémon moves in. To our heroes, the Tentacools appear to be targeting the construction site for a new resort.

Following the attack, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu investigate the resort. It turns out the owners are building the complex on the Tentacools’ reef, which is why they are attacking. 

Angered by this irresponsible behavior, Misty vows to make things right. But before she can do anything, the Tentacools return, along with a massive and very angry Tentacruel. The Tentacruel begins ravishing the town.

For the sake of the city, Misty manages to calm the Tenacruel’s wrath, and the giant Pokémon returns to the sea.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: ゆうれいポケモンとなつまつり
Romaji Title: Yūrei Pokemon to Natsumatsuri
English Title: The Ghost of Maiden's Peak

Episode Synopsis

Having finally caught the boat leaving Porta Vista, Ash and his friends make it to Maiden’s Peak. As the team is disembarking, they see the town preparing for the yearly summer festival. But though Ash and Misty are looking forward to the festivities, Brock catches a glimpse of a beautiful girl. 

The thing is, the girl appears to disappear right before Brock’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket’s Jessie, James, and Meowth also make it to Maiden’s Peak. Just like Brock, James sees the image of the beautiful girl as well.

During the festival, our characters learn the legend of the maiden who turned to stone while waiting for her beloved to return from war. Rumor has it that her ghost still haunts the nearby cliffs. 

Despite the tale, Brock and James resolve to meet the maiden.

That night, everyone goes up to the waiting spot mentioned in the legend. Unbelievably, the maiden appears. However, it turns out to be the ghost Pokémon Ghastly. Ash tries to battle Ghastly, but the Pokémon proves far too powerful. Or, at least, that is until the sun starts to rise. 

Having solved the mystery of Maiden’s Peak, Ash and his friends continue on their journey. 

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Final Thoughts

Correct me if I am wrong, but two episodes in this batch generated some controversy, especially in the United States. 

The first was “Beauty and the Beach,” which was not only extremely sexual for a kids show, but Team Rocket’s James joined the beauty contest with a pair of inflatable – and realistic – breasts. Yeah, I can see how something like that would not have flown back in the late ’90s.

The second was “Tentacool & Tentacruel.” Maybe the word “controversial” is a bit harsh, but there was a time when the episode was pulled from American airwaves. The scene where Tentacruel was destroying buildings hit far too close to home following the September 11th attacks.

With both episodes now over twenty years old, they certainly have a legacy. And believe me, they aren’t the only Pokémon episodes that found trouble.

Thanks for following along with me. If you’ve seen this series and feel I am wrong in my descriptions, please let me know in the comments below. I wouldn’t want to put this show in an inaccurate light.

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For Anime Hajime, I’m Odyssey, and I’ll see you next week for more of Pokémon Indigo League with episodes 21 to 25.

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