Affiliates
Pokémon Episode Guide
Orange League Series
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The Lost Lapras Synopsis: Ash finds a Lapras. Ash and Misty meet Tracey. This is the first Orange League episode, although Ash has already been in the Orange Islands for a couple of episodes. In this series, Ash consolidates what he has gained from his Pokémon Journey and his battles at the Indigo Plateau, and combines it with new experience and significant new lessons. He ends up a much better trainer, as his final victory demonstrates. The Orange Islands and their gyms were not based on a game. In this episode we are also introduced to Tracey. I haven't got much to say about Tracey himself. However, his introduction is impressive. He displays a lot of knowledge and insight into Pokémon, which derives from his hobby as a Pokémon watcher. He is of course a replacement to Brock, someone older and more knowledgeable than Ash who serves role of teaching Ash and explaining to the viewers background information that is necessary to understand what is going on. |
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Fit to be Tide Synopsis: Ash gets the Coral Eye Badge at the Mikan Island Gym. |
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Pikachu Re-volts Synopsis: Butch and Cassidy are behind a scheme to control Pokémon using psychic waves. I believe this is the first episode in which Togepi uses an attack. In this case, it is an explosion caused by its Metronome. No-one realizes that Togepi is behind it. |
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The Crystal Onix Synopsis: Ash and his friends help an artist find a rare Pokémon that he believes will inspire him. |
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In the Pink Synopsis: Ash and his friends end up by accident on Pinkan island full of unusual pink varieties of Pokémon. |
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Shell Shock! |
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Stage Fight! Synopsis: Ash and Pikachu help a young actress with her Raichu. |
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Bye Bye Psyduck Synopsis: Misty's useless Psyduck appears to have evolved into one top notch Golduck. |
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The Joy of Pokémon Synopsis: Ash and his friends meet a Nurse Joy specializing in marine Pokémon. |
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Navel Maneuvers Synopsis: Ash earns the Sea Ruby Badge from Danny at Navel Island. The Orange Islands are named after citrus fruit. Navel oranges are named after their navel (belly button)-like formation at the bottom of the fruit. The title of this episode is a pun on "naval maneuvers", i.e., warship tactics. |
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Snack Attack Synopsis: Ash catches a Snorlax that was consuming all the grapefruit on the seven Grapefruit Islands. |
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A Shipful of Shivers |
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The "twerps" don't play a role in this episode that focuses on Meowth. "Payday" is an attack that Meowth learns in the game in which it creates coins and hurls them at its opponent. However, Team Rocket's Meowth for some reason has never managed to learn it. |
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Tracey Gets Bugged |
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A Way Off Day Off |
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The Mandarin Island Miss Match Prima is actually Lorelei, one of the Elite Four from the first generation of Pokémon games. |
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Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon |
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Get Along Little Pokémon |
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The Mystery Menace |
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Misty Meets Her Match Synopsis: Ash wins the Spike Shell Badge from Trovita Island Gym Leader Rudy. |
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In this lovely episode, two enemies are forced to work as friends for their survival. It is interesting to note that between cat and mouse, the mouse has the upper hand (of course its element gives it an unfair advantage). Meowth's feelings include the need for friendship, the longing for someone to care for him. Yet Team Rocket are interested more in financial gain than in Meowth himself. It is a tragedy that Meowth returns to crime as his only option for a way of life, yet had circumstances been otherwise, he had the potential for so much better. It is ironic that he is so blinded as to the alternative, that he wistfully thinks about Pikachu joining Team Rocket. My favourite scene: Pikachu falling asleep on Meowth's lap. |
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Synopsis: Charizard finally decides to obey Ash. This episode marks the great turnaround in Ash's relationship with his recalcitrant Charizard. My favourite scene #1: The sequence of verbal and non-verbal exchanges between Misty and Ash before they land on the island. My favourite scene #2: Charizard freezing up. My favourite scene #3: Ash taking care of Charizard overnight, and falling asleep against him. |
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The Pokémon Water War |
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Notice that Gulzar pulled down an eyelid before he left Ash and his group. As far as I know, pulling down one lower eyelid is a Japanese gesture of ridicule called akambe. It is similar to the Western gesture of sticking out one's tongue or uttering "Nyaa, nyaa". My favourite scene: The whole first scene with Gulzar, from the moment Tracey starts pulling on the flowers until the time he runs off. I like the wit, the comedy and all the characters' responses all the way through. My favourite quote: |
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Pokémon Double Trouble Synopsis: Ash wins the Jade Star Badge from Gym Leader Luanna. This is the first instance of a two-on-two Pokémon battle. These became possible in later versions of the game. My favourite quote: |
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The Wacky Watcher! Pokémon's answer to wildlife documentaries. It may be tongue-in-cheek, as Magikarp are the dullest Pokémon. One commentator notes that Dr. Quackenpoker is based on Groucho Marx. |
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The title of this episode is read by Misty rather than Ash. Since Ash and Tracey were both sick from Stun Spore inhalation, I guess the job fell the remaining human member of the team. This is the episode where Misty gets her Poliwag. |
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Synopsis: Ash challenges the Orange League champion, Drake. This episode and the next one feature Ash's first full Pokémon battle: six on each side. They really are very well done. |
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Synopsis: Ash wins at the Orange League. The title of this episode is based on the title of a marshall arts film, Enter the Dragon, starring Bruce Lee. |
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Viva Las Lapras Synopsis: Ash returns Lapras to its school. A heart-moving episode, one I really enjoyed. An unusual ending in this episode: Team Rocket gets caught by the police. How they are able to return in the next episode is left unexplained. To be honest, I was hoping that the Orange League series would close with Jessie and James's demise. However, that was not to be. |
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The Underground Rumble |
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A Tent Situation Synopsis: Ash returns home. Brock shows up at Ash's house. |
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Synopsis: Ash and Misty say goodbye to Tracey, who stays with Professor Oak. Gary has not appeared throughout the Orange League series. He was defeated earlier than Ash at the Indigo Plateau. This was due not as much to lack of potential but to overly confident arrogance. Following Richie's encouragement, Ash sought to improve his skills by competing in the Orange League, and he made great strides. In the mean time, unknown to him and the viewers, Gary was also training on his own, and this time, he exhibits quiet confidence issuing from self-assurance, instead of boastful self-conceit. Note how it is Ash who is boasting this time, not Gary. So which rival would win? Impetuous Ash does not keep his cool, which immediately puts him at a disadvantage. Gary knows now that attitude counts as much as aptitude, so he uses Ash's weakness of character to his advantage. A one-on-one battle means that Ash has no chance of a comeback so long as Gary can win the round. If he could make Ash choose rashly, Gary would need to choose one Pokémon that can defeat Ash's obvious choice. Ash falls for the trap. He loses his cool and fails to think. He has just come home victorious with the Orange League trophy—how could Gary beat him? Any of his Pokémon could surely beat any of Gary's any day! Behold the consequences. Ash obviously still has lessons to learn. |
Meowth Rules!
