EP110

← EP109 : The Wacky Watcher!

Original series

EP111 : Hello, Pummelo! →

The Stun Spore Detour

EP110   ニョロモとカスミ Nyoromo and Kasumi

First broadcast Japan August 26, 1999 United States September 16, 2000

English themes Opening Pokémon World Ending

Japanese themes Opening ライバル！ Ending ラプラスにのって

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Stun Spore Detour (Japanese: ニョロモとカスミ Nyoromo and Kasumi) is the 110th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on August 26, 1999, and in the United States on September 16, 2000.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Blurb

When a chance encounter with a Vileplume leaves Ash and Tracey incapacitated, Misty sets about finding a healing plant that will restore their health. Meanwhile James and Meowth of Team Rocket lurk nearby, planning to steal the herb for their own nefarious uses.

Plot

While staying at another island, Ash and Pikachu prepare for the Orange League. After a wave crashes over the pair, they make their way over to Tracey to ask for assistance, but Ash trips on a stone, knocking both himself and Tracey into a Vileplume's head opening. The two try to struggle to get free, but Vileplume uses a point-blank Stun Spore on them. Pikachu, unaffected, races back and soon finds Misty, who is busy walking with Psyduck. Pikachu tries to explain, but it is after Ash and Tracey stumble over that Misty realizes the pair have been paralyzed.

At the cabin, Misty struggles to cure Ash and Tracey, since they have no first aid aside from band-aids, and the nearest Pokémon Center is on another island. Tracey, in his weakened state, tells Misty to look at Ash's Pokédex for advice. She learns that boiled Salveyo weed has the ability to cure Vileplume's Stun Spore, and they are found on lake bottoms with Poliwag wherever Vileplume are found. Leaving Pikachu to take care of Ash and Tracey, Misty and Togepi set out to find the Salveyo weed.

Meanwhile, at another cabin, it is also revealed that Jessie was a victim to Vileplume's Stun Spore, after she dove headfirst into a field of flowers, right into a Vileplume's head opening. James quickly recalls that Salveyo weed can help cure her, and he and Meowth set off to find the Salveyo weed. They manage to find a Poliwag with Salveyo weed stuck on its tail. This makes James remember that Poliwag can be used to find Salveyo weed, causing Meowth to declare their goal: to capture the Poliwag. James sends out Victreebel, which attempts to hit Poliwag, but it jumps out of the way and uses Water Gun to defend itself. Due to its type advantage, Victreebel absorbs the hit and retaliates with Razor Leaf, which Poliwag narrowly dodges. Meowth eventually jumps onto Poliwag and catches it with a weaved basket, but it soon escapes.

At the same time, Misty, having unsuccessfully searched several lakes for the Salveyo weed, encounters Poliwag. Poliwag warms up to Misty just as James and Meowth appear. James and Meowth demand the Poliwag, but Misty, seeing that Poliwag is hiding behind her, refuses. Seeing that Misty is outnumbered, James and Meowth proposition a battle, which Misty accepts. However, the battle does not go well for Team Rocket, with Goldeen evading Victreebel's Razor Leaf before striking it with a Horn Attack, and then repeatedly juggling it with Fury Attack, forcing James to recall it. Then, Staryu cuts through Weezing's Smog with Double-Edge and defeats it. Next, Meowth claws Psyduck's face, then tries to bite its head, causing it to unleash a headache-induced Confusion that sends both it and James blasting off. Misty, who had managed to ask for Poliwag's help, walks away with Poliwag in tow.

Later, Misty heals Poliwag's injuries from Team Rocket's attack with some Pokémon cream, and the gesture makes it fully warm up to Misty. Out of gratitude, it manages to help Misty get more than enough Salveyo weed for Ash and Tracey. However, as Misty leaves to help her friends, Poliwag continues to follow her. She realizes that it wants to be her Pokémon and happily allows it to join her and Togepi. As they walk back together, Misty tells Poliwag about her friends, all the while ignoring lures to pitfall traps left by James and Meowth. In a last-ditch effort, James disguises himself as an old lady and Meowth as a baby, hoping to appeal to Misty. However, after Meowth reacts uncharacteristically to James's tear-jerking story, Misty realizes the pair's true identities. James and Meowth recite their motto, then Meowth reveals that Jessie is suffering from a Vileplume attack, and James calls upon Weezing's assistance. Poliwag uses Double Slap, knocking Weezing into James and Meowth, and off a cliff. Much to the pair's surprise, Misty decides to leave some Salveyo weed for them afterwards, to help Jessie recover. On their way to Jessie, James and Meowth gush over Misty's kindhearted gesture.

Later, both parties have recovered, and Jessie, believing that Ash and Tracey are still sick, decides to seize this opportunity to steal Pikachu. Jessie initiates the attack without James and Meowth's support, as they feel guilty about doing so after Misty had helped them. Pikachu, in self-defense, lands a Thunder Shock on Arbok and Jessie, paralyzing them again. Not wanting another conflict, James and Meowth quickly cart Jessie and Arbok off. Afterwards, Ash thanks Misty for her efforts, but Misty acknowledges her new friend and team member, Poliwag. Ash again thanks Misty for being nice, but she warns him not to expect it too often. Misty then catches Poliwag offscreen, and the group soon leaves the island on Lapras for Ash's upcoming Orange League championship match.

Major events

• Misty's Goldeen is revealed to know Fury Attack.
• Misty catches a Poliwag.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Misty's Poliwag

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Tracey
• Jessie
• James

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Dragonair (US and international); Poliwag (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Lapras (Ash's)
• Goldeen (Misty's)
• Staryu (Misty's)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Poliwag (Misty's; new)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Victreebel (James's)
• Vileplume

Trivia

• In both the Japanese and English versions, Misty reads the title card. The same happened in the dub in an earlier episode.
• This episode marks the only time in which Misty's Goldeen wins a battle onscreen.
• This marks the first time Meowth fills in for Jessie in Team Rocket's motto.
• The part when Jessie says that she will die when the last leaf from the tree outside the window falls is based on the O. Henry short story The Last Leaf.

Errors

• The English dub opening has the narrator mention the "Orange League competition", which has also been brought up in several preceding episodes, even though the next episode shows that the Orange League does not include a tournament.

Dub edits

• Pikachu's Jukebox: 2.B.A. Master
• A short scene of Jessie and Meowth kicking James is removed from the dubbed version and replaced with impact stars.
• In the Japanese version, Tracey says that Misty should catch Poliwag, which she agrees with, while in the dub, the two just emphasize how good Misty and Poliwag's teamwork and friendship is.
• In the original Japanese version, Ash notes that Misty was unusually nice today, and she sharply responds that she's always nice. The dubbed version instead has Ash thanking Misty for her help and her telling him to not get used to it.

In other languages

Language		Title
Arabic		الغبار المنوم
Mandarin Chinese		蚊香蝌蚪和小霞！
Czech		Omračující pyl
Dutch		De Verdeelspooromweg
European French		Les algues salsifiques
German		Stachelsporen-Chaos
Hebrew		פרשיית אבקת השיתוק Parshiyat Avkat Ha'Shituk
Hindi		स्टन स्पोरे का एंटीडोट Stun Spore ka Antidote *
Hungarian		Az álomspóra-túra
Italian		L'alga curativa* Un'alga miracolosa*
Polish		Pyłkowa afera
Portuguese	Brazil	O Caso dos Esporos Paralizantes
	Portugal	O Desvio do Esporo de Atordoamento
Romanian		Deturul Prafului Paralizant
Spanish	Latin America	¡La desviación paralizadora!
	Spain	La espora paralizadora

← EP109 : The Wacky Watcher!

Original series

EP111 : Hello, Pummelo! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.