Anime Hajime Impressions: Benkyou – Pokémon Indigo League – Episodes 31 to 35

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Japanese Title: ディグダがいっぱい!
Romaji Title: Diguda ga Ippai!
English Title: Dig Those Diglett!

Episode Synopsis

Ash and the team are traveling through the mountains when they come across a dam construction site. The build looks highly advanced and intricate, with tons of material moving down the road. Then suddenly, a large convoy of trucks stops in its tracks when the road gives way.

Apparently, the dam has been experiencing problems with the native Digletts and Dugtrios.

At his wit’s end, the dam’s foreman is looking for as many Pokémon trainers as possible. Ash is raring to help, but his enthusiasm dives when his arch-rival, Gary Oak, arrives on the scene.

Ash, his friends, Gary, and a crowd of trainers prepare to take on the little digging Pokémon. However, no one’s Pokémon seem willing to help remove the Digletts and Dugtrios.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket looks on and sees a potential opportunity to obtain plenty of Pokémon. The problem is Jessie and James lament over the countless defeats. Together, the two wish their Pokémon, Ekans and Coughing respectively, were stronger. Almost on cue, Team Rocket’s most loyal Pokémon evolve.

Back at the site, most of the trainers have given up since none of their Pokémon cooperate. Ash and his friends prepare to move on when the Diglets lead our heroes to their den. There, Ash sees how the Digletts and Dugtrios have been protecting the mountain forest. It turns out everyone’s Pokémon had sided with the tiny burrowers.

But at that moment, Team Rocket appears and attempts to steal the Digletts and Dugtrios away. Except, the Pokémon’s sheer numbers easily overwhelm the villains. During the battle, the dam crumbles, and there are no plans to rebuild. The dam foreman has a change of heart and realizes the Pokémon have won.

With this adventure over, 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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Japanese Title: セキチクにんじゃたいけつ!
Romaji Title: Sekichiku Ninja Taiketsu!
English Title: The Ninja-Poké Showdown

Episode Synopsis

While in search for the Fuchsia Gym, Ash and company find themselves lost in the woods. Soon they come across a massive mansion in the middle of nowhere. Hoping to find direction, the group enters and comes across a lone Venomoth.

Venomoth leads our heroes through the mansion, but they soon realize the place is not so straightforward. There are traps, false pathways, and turnabouts at seemingly every turn, and eventually, the friends become lost.

After some time, Venomoth brings them to a room where the ninja Aya is waiting for them. She challenges Ash to a Pokémon battle, who happily accepts. 

Ash easily defeats Aya, but upon doing so, the head of the mansion, Koga, steps out of the shadows. Koga reveals that they are actually at Fuchsia Gym, and he is its leader. Thus, if Ash can defeat Koga, he can earn the Soul Badge.

But before the fight can conclude, Team Rocket appears. Their sudden arrival takes everyone by surprise, which allows the villains the chance to take control of the battle for once. 

In the confusion, Misty’s Psyduck leaves its Poké Ball and starts bumbling about. While Psyduck acts confused and unsure of where it is, the most remarkable thing happens. Psyduck demonstrates its powerful psychic abilities and defeats Team Rocket.

With that distraction over, Ash and Koga conclude their match, and Ash comes out the victor. Ash claims his Soul Badge, and our heroes say good-bye to the ninja mansion.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: ほのおのポケモンだいレース!
Romaji Title: Honō no Pokemon Dai Rēsu!
English Title: The Flame Pokémon-athon!

Episode Synopsis

In their travels, Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock have made it to Laramie Ranch, where they meet Lara Laramie, whose family runs the place.

Lara tells the group of an upcoming festival, and our heroes decide they want to join in the fun. And the keystone event of the festival is the annual Pokémon race. And if the crowd is anything to go by, Lara and her prized Ponyta are favorites to win.

This reality greatly upsets Lara’s main rival, Dario. In fact, Dario wants to win so badly; he makes a deal with Team Rocket to prevent Lara from entering. Accordingly, Team Rocket causes a huge ruckus which leads to Lara accidentally hiring her arm.

Unable to compete, Lara asks Ash if he will race with Ponyta instead. Ash accepts.

The race begins, and Dario takes an early lead. However, Ash and Ponyta are closing the distance fast. Team Rocket tries to halt Ash and the other competitors’ progress all along the way but to no avail. 

Entering the final stretch, Dario has a slight lead, but Ponyta can’t close the distance. In one final push, something remarkable happens. Ponyta evolves into the much faster Rapidash and pulls off a close victory.

Having secured the win, Ash and his friends say farewell to Laramie Ranch. 

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: ガルーラのこもりうた
Romaji Title: Garūra no Komoriuta
English Title: The Kangaskhan Kid

Episode Synopsis

Our heroes enter the Safari Zone, where they run into the resident Officer Jenny, who mistakenly accuses them of poaching. The group quickly clears up the misunderstanding, and as they are about to leave, they see a heard of Kangaskhans off in the distance.

And sure enough, Team Rocket appears and tries to capture the Kangaskhans. With the help of Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu, Officer Jenny rush over to stop the villains. But before they can get there, a young boy bursts through the jungle and successfully chases off Team Rocket.

The boy then joins up with the Kangaskhans, and together, they head off.

Back at the police station, a helicopter arrives carrying a couple, Mama and Papa. The two explain how they have been searching for their son, Tommy, for years after they lost him in an accident. Ash tells them that his group had just seen Tommy.

Ash agrees to lead Mama and Papa in the jungle to search. There, they come across a hurt baby Kangaskhan. Our heroes rush over to heal the little Pokémon when Tommy, who misreads the situation, attacks. 

Seeing their son, Mama and Papa run to embrace him. However, having lost his way when he was only a baby, Tommy struggles to remember anything about them. It turns out the Kangaskhans had raised the boy as one of their own.

With Tommy’s memories of his birth mother slowly coming back, Team Rocket reappears in a giant mech Kangaskhan and goes after the heard of parental Pokémon.

Tommy and Ash try to stop the robot, but they are unable to stop it. Just then, Mama and Papa crash their helicopter into the mechanical Pokémon, thus blasting Team Rocket away.

At first, it appears as though Mama and Papa had lost their lives, but they emerge from the rubble ready to join their son in the wild.

With a family reunited, Ash and his friends continue their adventure. 

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: ミニリュウのでんせつ
Romaji Title: Miniryū no Densetsu
English Title: The Legend of Dratini

Episode Synopsis

*Note: This episode never received and English dubbing.*

While still in the Safari Zone, our heroes meet the game warden Kaiser, a quick to anger, gun-carrying individual.

After a rocky introduction, Ash, Misty, and Brock collect the materials they will need to catch the unique Pokémon in the Zone. But before they start, Team Rocket appears and issues a challenge. If Ash fails to collect more Pokémon than them, he must relinquish his entire team, including Pikachu. Feeling confident, Ash accepts.

Ash runs off to win, never realizing Team Rocket had any intention of competing. Instead, Jessie, James, and Meowth get the jump on Kaiser and demand to know the location of the legendary Pokémon Dratini. Giving in to Team Rocket’s integration (and not wanting to get shot by his own guns), Kaiser tells them to check Dragon Valley.

Team Rocket reaches the location and begins their search. However, it is Dratini who finds them and quickly makes fools out of our bad guys. 

Hearing the commotion, Ash and his friends arrive at Dragon Valley. Having failed to capture Dratini, Team Rocket turns to blowing up the lake to force the dragon Pokémon to the surface. 

Ash dives into the water to find the explosive. But though he finds the device, he doesn’t have the air to return to the surface. With his situation dire, Ash receives help from the even rare Dragonair.

Having foiled Team Rockets’ plan, Ash and his friends leave the Safari Zone and continue down the road.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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