EP032

← EP031 : Dig Those Diglett!

Original series

EP033 : The Flame Pokémon-athon! →

The Ninja Poké-Showdown

EP032   セキチクにんじゃたいけつ！ Sekichiku Ninja Showdown!

First broadcast Japan November 4, 1997 United States October 20, 1998

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ニャースのうた

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 井硲清高 Kiyotaka Itani Assistant director 井硲清高 Kiyotaka Itani Animation director 志村隆行 Takayuki Shimura Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Ninja Poké-Showdown (Japanese: セキチクにんじゃたいけつ！ Sekichiku Ninja Showdown!) is the 32nd episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on November 4, 1997 and in the United States on October 20, 1998.

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

Blurb

Fuchsia Gym, the authorized gym where Ash seeks his next badge, turns out to be a hidden ninja's lair. After finally discovering and entering the gym, he is held up by a complex system of traps. At last, the gym's eccentric trainer challenges Ash to a match. Just as he defeats the trainer, the official battle with the Master begins. The battle goes out of control as Team Rocket also enters the gym and its vast array of traps. Can Ash actually earn the gym badge?

Plot

Ash, Misty, and Brock find themselves lost in a forest en route to the Fuchsia Gym and decide to take a break by a waterfall. Brock brushes Vulpix and comments on its wonderful hair, whilst Psyduck takes a sip of water. Misty tells Psyduck that drinking cold water will only make its headache worse, but Psyduck responds with a blank stare, which angers her. She then asks Brock if he would like to trade Vulpix for Psyduck, though he refuses. As they head off for the Gym, a Venonat watches them from the trees.

As Ash and his friends continue walking, they end up at an odd-looking mansion where they stop to ask directions, though it appears to be deserted. Misty leans against a wall and falls through it. Brock knocks on the wall and it is revealed to be a secret door, in which they quickly locate Misty. Suddenly, the same Venonat that was spying on them before appears. It hops away, so they decide to follow it. However, Ash runs into a small series of mishaps, such as being electrocuted by a Voltorb, colliding into an invisible wall, nearly falling off a ledge because of a wall trap and being pinned to another wall by several throwing stars. Then, a girl, who identifies herself as a ninja warrior Aya, jumps from the ceiling. Though Ash and Misty criticize Aya's dangerous traps, Brock is smitten and compliments Aya's outfit. However, she slaps his hand away and pushes him to the ground before claiming that she will not let the group go until she and Ash have a battle; he accepts the one-on-one match.

Aya sends out Venonat and Ash chooses Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur uses Tackle, but Venonat jumps on its head and launches a Stun Spore attack, which Bulbasaur blows away. It then replies with its Vine Whip, though Venonat evades it and scores a direct hit with its Psybeam. Bulbasaur then finishes it off with Leech Seed before its vines quickly entangle the Insect Pokémon and drain it of its energy. Aya recalls Venonat, just as a Voltorb appears and uses Self-Destruct, filling the room with smoke. Koga appears, explains that they are at the Fuchsia Gym, reveals that he is the Gym Leader, introduces Aya as his younger sister, and announces that he will battle Ash and not let the group go until he does. Ash states his intentions of wanting to find the Gym and challenge Koga, and Koga shows him a Soul Badge that he can earn by defeating him. Ash sends in Pidgeotto, and Koga responds by sending out his own Venonat, which promptly evolves into Venomoth. Koga orders Venomoth to use Stun Spore, and Ash orders Pidgeotto to use Whirlwind. This time, however, the Stun Spore paralyzes Pidgeotto. Venomoth then follows up with Sleep Powder, prompting Ash to recall Pidgeotto and send out Charmander. Venomoth uses Stun Spore again, but Charmander blocks it with Flamethrower.

At that point, Team Rocket arrives on the scene and performs a theatrical kabuki rendition of their motto, sending out Arbok and Weezing in the process. Ash, Aya, and Koga send in Charmander, Venonat, and Venomoth, respectively, to battle, but James throws a fistful of a sticky thread at them, immobilizing them. Pikachu then steps up, only to meet the same fate from Jessie. Misty then tries to send out Starmie, but Psyduck breaks out of its Poké Ball instead. An infuriated Misty asks Ash what moves Psyduck knows; Ash consults the Pokédex, which lists Tail Whip. Misty tells Psyduck to use Tail Whip, but Psyduck wags its tail to no effect whatsoever. The Pokédex then lists Psyduck's second move as Scratch, which Psyduck does use on Arbok, but it doesn't work. Arbok begins biting Psyduck's head, worsening its headache.

Koga then pulls a cord, opening up several ceiling panels and unleashing a large amount of Voltorb on the trio. However, Team Rocket uses more of their sticky thread to reel in the entire pack of Voltorb. Brock then notices that the room is slanted, and Koga explains that it is a strategy to confuse any opponents. Team Rocket breaks through a wall, with the Voltorb stuffed in a loot bag. Meowth bowls a Voltorb towards Ash and his friends, and it explodes. Ash attempts to retaliate, though his Pokemon are still entangled in Team Rocket's sticky web. When Psyduck runs frantically through the scene, Meowth hits Psyduck out of the way, agitated by its chaotic behavior. At that moment, Psyduck uses a variety of Psychic powers to freeze Team Rocket, send them blasting off, and remove the sticky gunk from Venonat, Venomoth, Charmander, and Pikachu. Ash's Pokédex chimes in, identifying Psyduck's third and fourth attacks as Disable and Confusion, respectively. Koga and Aya both offer to trade for Psyduck, but Misty declines, saying she wouldn't trade Psyduck for the world.

Ash and Koga resume their battle outside in the courtyard. Koga's Golbat makes the first move, swooping on Ash's Charmander with a Wing Attack. Charmander keeps Golbat away with his Ember attack, though Koga responds with Screech. Despite the high frequency, Charmander launches a series of Flamethower attacks, burning Brock's face and Golbat's wing in the process. Charmander then wins the battle with an intense Fire Spin. Koga promptly gives Ash a Soul Badge in recognition of Charmander's battle skill alongside Psyduck's efforts for saving the Gym and his Voltorb from Team Rocket, and the trio goes on their way.

Major events

Ash holding the Soul Badge

• Ash and his friends arrive at the Fuchsia Gym and meet the Gym Leader Koga, and his sister, Aya.
• Ash's Bulbasaur is revealed to know Leech Seed.
• Ash challenges Koga to a Gym battle, but the battle is interrupted by Team Rocket.
• Misty's Psyduck battles for the first time and is revealed to know Tail Whip, Scratch, Disable, and Confusion.
• Ash's Charmander is revealed to know Ember and Fire Spin.
• Ash continues his battle with Koga and wins, earning a Soul Badge.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Aya
• Koga

Pokémon debuts

• Golbat (Koga's)
• Venomoth

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Koga
• Aya

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Venonat

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Pidgeotto (Ash's)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's)
• Charmander (Ash's)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Vulpix (Brock's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Venonat (Koga's; evolves)
• Venomoth (Koga's; newly evolved; debut)
• Golbat (Koga's; debut)
• Voltorb (Koga's; multiple)
• Venonat (Aya's)

Trivia

Brock's eyes open

• This is Maddie Blaustein's first episode as Meowth.
  • However, the first one, chronologically speaking, is Beauty and the Beach due to it being initially skipped in the dub.
• Brock's eyes open up after being hit by Charmander's Flamethrower.
• This episode marks the first time Psyduck jumps out of Misty's Poké Ball when she attempts to summon another Pokémon.
• This episode was partially adapted into the book Psyduck Ducks Out.
• This episode is featured on Volume 13: Psyduck from Viz Media's Pokémon All-Stars series.
• Team Rocket performs Kabuki, a type of Japanese dance-drama, when they enter Koga's Gym.
• Due to Koga later becoming a member of the Elite Four in the games, this is technically the first appearance of an Elite Four member in the anime.
  • The first appearance of a current Elite Four member would not be until To Master the Onixpected!, 39 episodes later.
• The Gym is not located in Fuchsia City as it is in the games. Fuchsia City itself would not appear until almost 400 episodes later in Time Warp Heals All Wounds.
• This episode was banned in South Korea, likely because of references to Japanese culture.
• Parts of this episode were reanimated and used for flashback material for The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion!.

Errors

Ash's Bulbasaur using Whirlwind

• Ash commands his Bulbasaur to use Whirlwind, though in the games, Bulbasaur cannot legitimately know this move.
  • This was most likely a dubbing error, since Whirlwind is known as ふきとばし Blow Away in Japanese. Ash was most likely telling Bulbasaur to simply "blow it away" rather than the actual attack.
• Koga has his Venomoth attack Ash's Pidgeotto with Stun Spore and Sleep Powder, which paralyze it and put it to sleep, respectively. However, no Pokémon can have more than one major status condition on it at the same time.
• Ash instructs his Pikachu to use "electric attack", which does not exist, while in the Japanese version he instructs it to use ThunderShock. This is most likely a translation error, as ThunderShock's Japanese name でんきショック means Electric Shock.
• Even though Ash is stuck to the wall by the throwing stars, when the camera changes to show the side of Ash's face and sleeve, the stars are missing.
• The Pokédex classifies Venonat as the Bug Pokémon instead of the Insect Pokémon.
• In the shot right after Team Rocket performs their motto, Ash's gloves are completely black.
• When Ash and his friends enter the slanted trap room in the mansion, there are many errors. First, the wall design differs between shots as well as the wall design to Brock's right. Third, the back wall is sloped, but appears normal in the next.
• After Team Rocket blasts off, the room isn't slanted anymore.
• When Koga gives Ash his Soul Badge, it is perpendicular and rounder. However, when Koga unrolls it earlier, the badge was pointing away from the top.
• In the Swedish dub, after obtaining the Soul Badge, Ash's English voice can be heard.
• The Pokédex lists Psyduck's attacks in the incorrect order and leaves out two, Fury Swipes and Hydro Pump.

Dub edits

• Kanto Pokérap: Day 2
• In the original version, Brock questions if Koga's Venonat's evolution was it using "Kawarimi no Jutsu", a ninja art also known as "Body Replacement Technique" or "Substitution Jutsu" in the West. In the English dub, this was changed to "metamorphosis attack".

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		淺紅道館的忍者決鬥 / 浅红道馆的忍者决斗
Czech		Zápas s ninjou
Danish		Dysten I Ninjatemplet
Dutch		De Ninja Poké-Demonstratie
Finnish		Ninjojen ja Pokémonien välienselvittely
French	Canada	Le Ninja Pokémon
	Europe	Le Ninja Pokémon
German		Die Arena der Ninjas
Hebrew		קרב הנינג'ה Krav ha'ninja
Hindi		निंजा पोकेमोन मैच Ninja Pokémon Match *
Hungarian		A nindzsa Pokéiskola
Italian		La villa dei ninja* Un covo di ninja*
Norwegian		Ninja Pokémon-oppgjør
Polish		Rycerze poké-ninja
Portuguese	Brazil	Os Poderes do Poké-Ninja
	Portugal	O Confronto do Pokémon Ninja
Romanian		Confruntarea Poké-ninja
Russian		Бой с покемоном-ниндзя
Spanish	Latin America	¡El duelo Pokémon ninja!
	Spain	El Pokenfrentamiento ninja El Poké-enfrentamiento ninja*
Swedish		Ninjaherrgården* Poké-Ninja utmanar*
Turkish		Ninja-Pokémon Karşılaşması

← EP031 : Dig Those Diglett!

Original series

EP033 : The Flame Pokémon-athon! →

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