Anime Hajime Impressions: Benkyou – Pokémon Indigo League – Episodes 41 to 45

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Japanese Title: おきろ! カビゴン!
Romaji Title: Okiro! Kabigon!
English Title: Wake Up Snorlax!

Episode Synopsis

As our heroes are traveling down the road, they come across an old Hippie playing a Poké Flute. The group enjoys a little break, and afterward, they thank Hippie for the song. Soon after, they come across a small town.

Hoping to get some food, Ash and his friends find a city void of anything to eat. Wondering what to do, the group runs into the mayor, who explains the situation. Apparently, the river had run dry a few weeks ago; thus, all the crops have failed. Our heroes happily offer to discover the source of the disturbance.

The group follows the river until they eventually see what is causing the blockage – a sleeping Snorlax. Try as they might, Ash, Misty, and Brock cannot wake the sleeping giant. Desperate for a solution, the friends even accept assistance from Team Rocket when they appear. But even with everyone working together, the effort is futile. 

After several failed attempts to stir the Snorlax, Ash notices a note. According to the slip, only the Poké Flute can wake a sleeping Snorlax. Knowing what to do, Ash and his friends run to find the Hippie.  

The group finds the old musician, who reveals that the Snorlax is one of several he trains. He follows our heroes to the sleeping Pokémon and plays the flute. Like magic, the Snorlax begins to move. But by doing so, Ash and his friends have a horrible realization.  

The Snorlax wasn’t what was blocking the river. Instead, it was a massive bushel of thorns. Fearing it will take forever to clear a path, the group is in for a pleasant surprise. It turns out the Snorlax’s favorite food is the thorn bush, and the Pokémon effortlessly eats the entire lot.

With the obstruction gone, the river starts to flow again. 

Once they get a good meal in them, Ash, Misty, and Brock continue 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: たいけつ! ポケモンジム!
Romaji Title: Taiketsu! Pokemon Jimu!
English Title: Showdown at Dark City

Episode Synopsis

Ash and the gang arrive in Dark City and find the place void of people. While searching the town, they come across a few residents who run away in fear of our heroes. For some reason, no one here likes Pokémon Trainers. The groups make their way to a small restaurant where the owner explains the situation. 

Within Dark City, there are two rival gyms, the Kaz and Yas, vying to become the town’s official Pokémon Gym. To stop the other from claiming that title, the two sides have been conducting a destructive and violent turf war to drive their adversary out. 

At that moment, there is a commotion outside. A squad of Kaz trainers is causing trouble. Bursting into the restaurant are the recently recruited Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket. Rather expectantly, our heroes easily push the villains back. As a result, a representative of the Yas Gym offers to bring Ash, Misty, and Brock to see their leader. Ash agrees, but he has no intention of joining the fight on either side.

Upon meeting the gym leader, Ash learns that neither Yas nor Kaz have any interest in running an honorable gym – both sides only want to make a lot of money. Ash explains as much, and the enraged Yas Leader sends his goons after our heroes.

After successfully escaping, Ash wonders what he can do to bring the two sides to see reason. The group realizes they managed to get away from the Yas Gym because the leader’s Scyther accidentally had ketchup splashed into its eyes (Pikachu had found a liking for the condiment and was carrying around a bottle at the time; it was very cute). Consulting his Pokédex, Ash learns that Scyther and the Kaz Gym Leader’s Electabuzz are color sensitive and enter into a rage when they see red.

Our heroes set a trap and wait for the Yas and Kaz to start fighting again. Soon enough, a battle breaks out, which leaves the town devastated. Seeing their chance, Ash springs the trap and douses the combatants with ketchup. Sure enough, Scyther and Electabuzz turn on their trainers.

Ash confronts the two trainers, who agree to put aside their differences. However, they do so to get their revenge on Ash. But before anything can happen, a representative of the Pokémon League, Nurse Joy, arrives. Having seen the horrible behavior of the Yas and Kaz, Nurse Joy determines that neither will become the official Dark City Gym. Instead, she instructs the two sides to learn from Ash, who has a much clearer sense of what it means to be a Pokémon Trainer.

Working together, the Yas, Kaz, Ash, and his friends rebuild Dark City.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: ナッシーぐんだんだいこうしん!
Romaji Title: Nasshī Gundan Daikōshin!
English Title: The March of the Exeggutor Squad

Episode Synopsis

Ash and his friends come across a carnival, the trio spits up to join the festivities.

While wandering, Misty comes across a woman berating a timid-looking man. It turns out the man is a struggling magician named Melvin, and Misty had just witnessed his assistant quit on him. 

Seeing how down Melvin is, Misty offers to be his assistant for the next show. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Misty, Melvin’s act is notoriously bad. The performance did not go well, but there was some small success with Melvin’s fire trick and his trusty Pokémon Exeggcute.

Ash and Brock, who were in the audience, meet up with Misty and Melvin. The group isn’t sure how to build up the magician’s confidence. Ash thinks maybe the Exeggcute might need to play a bigger role. Little does the Pokémon Master-hopeful realize, Exeggcute is a Psychic-type Pokémon. As soon as Ash looks into its eyes, he falls under a hypnotic spell. 

Melvin exploits this opportunity and commands Ash to pull him and Exeggcute to a nearby forest where dozens of Exeggutors (the evolved form of Exeggcute) gather. Using Ash’s Pokémon to weaken the herd, Melvin goes on a catching spree and collects as many Exeggutors as possible. 

From afar, Team Rocket sees a chance to cause some mischief. Jessie, James, and Meowth corner Melvin and force the magician to use his new Exeggutor army to hypnotize other Pokémon. But coming to his trainer’s aid, Melvin’s Exeggcute evolves into an Exeggutor itself and hypnotizes Team Rocket. 

Unfortunately, this causes a chain reaction, and the Exeggutors start casting the same spell onto one another. Then as one giant stampede, the Exeggurots move towards the carnival. 

Misty and Brock catch up and successfully snap Ash out of his daze. Our heroes rush back to the carnival to see it destroyed. However, the droning Exeggutors have turned around and are heading back in another wave.

Ash calls on Charmander, and the two begin blasting the Exeggutors back to their senses. But there are simply too many of them. Fortunately, Melvin arrives, and he adds his fire trick to Charmander’s flame.

Together Ash, Charmander, and Melvin stop the horde before anyone can get hurt. And due to the experience gained from this battle, Charmander evolves into its next form Charmeleon. 

Promising to work on his act, Melvin says goodbye to Ash, Misty, and Brock.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: パラスとパラセクト
Romaji Title: Parasu to Parasekuto
English Title: The Problem with Paras

Episode Synopsis

Ash, Misty, and Brock have run out of medicines and antidotes. Fortunately, they pass a nearby village and decide to stop over and restock. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is close on their heels.

As Jessie and James follow our heroes, the duo realizes Meowth is not with them. They turn back and see their companion is incredibly ill. Feeling that capturing Ash’s Pikachu is their main goal, Jessie and James have no problem leaving Meowth behind. But before they can leave, a voice calls out, telling them to stop.

The shout came from a young woman who tells Jessie and James off for not caring for their Pokémon (f.y.i., neither Jessie nor James is Meowth’s trainer). After mixing up some herbs, the woman cures Meowth of his sickness. From that moment, Meowth becomes infatuated with the woman.

Back down at the village, Ash and his friends find the local apothecary. The shop owner creeps the group out, but they are in luck when the owner’s granddaughter, Cassandra – and the woman from earlier – returns. Once Cassandra learns our heroes, she requests a Pokémon Battle. 

Ash gladly takes up the challenge, but before the match begins, Cassandra tells the group her true motives. She wants her Paras to evolve to use the Pokémon mushroom to create a powerful cure-all medicine. The problem is, Cassandra’s Paras is a complete pushover.

Although Ash agrees to go easy on the little bug Pokémon, Paras gets knocked out even when he and Pikachu put in the smallest amount of effort. 

Ash goes through several of his Pokémon, but they all run into the same issue. Finally, Ash pulls out his newly evolved Charmeleon, only to realize a troubling truth.

Since Charmander evolved into Charmeleon too quickly, the Pokémon’s strength outclasses Ash’s trainer level. Therefore, Charmeleon has lost all respect for his trainer and refuses to follow commands. As a result, Charmeleon pulls no punches with Paras. The fire-lizard chases poor Paras off, and Ash only recalls his Pokémon after Pikachu zaps Charmeleon with a thunderbolt. 

While running away, Paras runs into Meowth. Wanting to meet Cassandra again, Meowth offers to build Paras’ confidence. Meowth gets Jessie and James on board when he explains how helping Paras can make them all very rich. 

Little by little, Paras begins to believe in itself – even though Team Rocket lets Paras win every match. Eventually, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Cassandra find Paras raring for a fight. So, Ash continues his battle, and as his Pokémon keep throwing matches, Paras grows bolder. That is until he throws out Charmeleon again.

Like before, Charmeleon goes all out.  But thanks to a stroke of dumb luck, Paras lands a critical hit and defeats Charmeleon. The win is enough to allow Paras to evolve into Parasect.

With the ordeal over, Ash and his friends refill their supplies and head out. At the same time, Meowth asks Cassandra if he can become her shop’s mascot. Sadly, Cassandra cannot bear the thought of separating Meowth from his trainers. In the end, Team Rocket’s efforts were for nothing.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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Japanese Title: うたって! プリン!
Romaji Title: Utatte! Purin!
English Title: The Song of Jigglypuff

Episode Synopsis

Our heroes have arrived in Neon Town, a city that never sleeps. The group hasn’t been walking around for five minutes when they find themselves in an altercation. Fortunately, Officer Jenny arrives and calms the situation. Nevertheless, everyone appears a little on edge.

The next morning, Ash and his friends head towards a nearby forest. There they encounter a wild Jigglypuff. 

Misty tries to capture the Pokémon but only succeeds in upsetting it. Losing the heart to fight, and wanting to cheer the tiny creature up, the group asks Jigglypuff to sing. However, Jigglypuff is too embarrassed.

Not wanting the Pokémon to feel bad, Misty offers to teach Jigglypuff how to sing. Eventually, they succeed, but the group runs into a problem they can’t seem to overcome. Every time Jigglypuff sings, everyone, no matter what, falls asleep. 

Whenever this happens, Jigglypuff gets extremely huffy and proceeds to draw marks all over the sleeping audience members’ faces. Still, our heroes hope that Jigglypuff can sing in front of a large crowd. To make that a reality, they bring Jigglypuff back to Neon Town. 

The group unknowingly borrows a stage from a scheming Team Rocket, and Jigglypuff begins to perform. Within moments, the whole city falls into a deep sleep. Seeing this, an angry Jigglypuff proceeds to mark up everyone’s face.

Once everyone revives, the well-earned nap calms the townspeople’s tension; everyone is a lot nicer to one another. 

Ash and his friends continue on their adventure. But from this day forth, Jigglypuff will follow our heroes to find an audience that will sit through the Pokémon entire song.

Featured Pokémon

English Name (Japanese Name) – Pokédex Number

Pokémon Images Taken From: The Offical Pokémon Website

Principle Charcters

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