EP210

← EP209 : Machoke, Machoke Man!

Original series

EP211 : Fly Me to the Moon →

Around the Whirlpool

EP210   うずまきれっとう！あらたなるちょうせん！！ A Chain of Whirlpool Islands! A Renewed Challenge!!

First broadcast Japan August 9, 2001 United States September 14, 2002

English themes Opening Believe in Me Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター (Whiteberry) Ending 前向きロケット団！

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 藤本義孝 Yoshitaka Fujimoto Assistant director 鈴木敏明 Toshiaki Suzuki Animation director 志村泉 Izumi Shimura Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Around the Whirlpool (Japanese: うずまきれっとう！あらたなるちょうせん！！ A Chain of Whirlpool Islands! A Renewed Challenge!!) is the 210th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on August 9, 2001 and in the United States on September 14, 2002.

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

Synopsis

Ash and his friends are going to the Whirl Islands. Ash boasts about getting his new Badge, but Misty is dreaming about all the Water-type Pokémon in the ocean and how she wants to be a "Water Pokémon Master".

The ferry comes across a whirlpool. The gang becomes scared as they see a lot of whirlpools. However, two attendants on the ferry offer them drinks and assure them that it's all right, as they pass through the sea of whirlpools harmlessly (though they look oddly familiar). The gang looks over the rail to see the ship really passing by without trouble. Meanwhile, the attendants are talking to each other and Meowth appears, thus giving away the fact that the "attendants" are Team Rocket. James gets a net out and then he tries to snag Pikachu. However, a bump makes Ash lean over towards Pikachu's place and Ash ends up getting caught. Realization dawns on Ash and the gang that Team Rocket are up to no good, as usual. In a funny twist, Meowth imitates Wobbuffet at the end of their motto. Jessie and James release their usual picks (Arbok and Weezing) and use their usual attacks (Poison Sting and Smog, respectively). Ash tries to end it quickly with Pikachu using Thunderbolt. However, Jessie has Wobbuffet use Mirror Coat to deflect the attack, thereby causing a massive surge that sends everyone (Ash and his friends and Team Rocket) overboard.

Ash and the gang break the surface, but then are horrified to realize that they're being separated from each other by the whirlpools! Misty doesn't panic as she pulls out Goldeen and Poliwhirl; Ash gets out Totodile. They start to make progress getting away from the whirlpool but soon they get dragged in as easily! Just when they are about to get sucked in... something happens. They stopped being dragged in! While floating in the water, they notice a mysterious looking shadow and hear a strange call (This in fact being Lugia). A Pokémon comes after them shortly: a Corsola! The Corsola races towards them then circles around them. Misty wonders what's going on. Soon they are picked up by some tentacles, or possibly a Tentacruel, and soon taken towards a boat. Misty seems to be enjoying herself, but the others seem quite afraid. The Corsola jumps up to Professor Elm, who just happens to be on board.

Professor Elm and Ash spend some time catching up, and Misty admires the Professor's Corsola. He takes a few minutes to explain to Misty about Corsola and its abilities. The captain comes down saying that they'll get to the islands soon, and he gets to know the others. When they do arrive, Misty still is going on about Water Pokémon. Professor Elm suggests that they should enter the Whirl Cup tournament. Obviously, Ash and Misty are up for it, Ash because of his desire to battle and win, and Misty because of (in her opinion) the ideal Pokémon to use, Water types. They decide to go to the Pokémon Center for more information. Meanwhile, Team Rocket wash ashore and talk about their next plan.

Nurse Joy hands them a guide book and talks about the Whirl Cup for a while. Then Elm's Corsola jumps out and heads off. Misty asks what the Pokémon was doing and Elm replies saying that Corsola loves pools. Misty goes over towards the pool, admiring and observing the Corsola. Elm then shows the map of how the Whirl Cup league works. The Whirl Islands map is similar the Orange Islands. The Whirl Islands consist of five islands. The first island is near to the mainland, and is easily accessible by boat. Professor Elm offers to take Ash and the gang to the first island on his boat.

On the boat, Elm notices a balloon heading towards them. It's Team Rocket's balloon! They balloon drifts towards the Pokémon Center and they release a net and swipe all the Pokémon in the pool! Ash tells Pikachu to go after them but Misty stops him. Instead, Misty releases Staryu to battle Team Rocket. Jessie calls out Arbok, which swims towards Staryu. Staryu starts off with a Swift attack, and this hits Arbok, which counters with its own Poison Sting attack. The Arbok's attack is also successful, and it poisons Staryu. Misty recalls Staryu but before she can release another Pokémon from her team, but Psyduck comes out instead! Psyduck bravely jumps into battle, but has trouble swimming and Misty recalls it. Ash finally gets a chance to fight and Pikachu attempts a Thunderbolt, but James gets out a net launcher and fires it, snagging Pikachu! With Misty and Ash both defeated, Corsola jumps into the water, ready for battle. Elm tells her to do a Tackle attack, however, James releases Weezing and Weezing does a Sludge attack. Corsola manages to dodge all the Sludge attacks and then eventually Tackles Arbok high up in the air, near the balloon. Elm then tells her to execute Spike Cannon. Corsola jumps up out of the water and then fires numerous spikes towards the balloon, cutting up the nets and the balloon, sending Team Rocket blasting off and freeing the other Pokémon.

All's well that end's well, and Misty is still as crazy about Water types as ever. She seems to want to capture a Corsola badly. The gang soon heads off to the first city of the Whirl Islands to start off the Whirl Cup!

Major events

• Ash and Misty learn about the Whirl Cup, and both decide to compete.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

TV episode debuts

• Corsola

Characters

Humans

Pocket Monster TV

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Professor Oak
• Nurse Joy
• Professor Elm
• Captain Marius

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Houndoom (US and international), Skarmory (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Totodile (Ash's)
• Goldeen (Misty's)
• Staryu (Misty's)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Poliwhirl (Misty's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Chansey (Nurse Joy's)
• Corsola (Professor Elm's; debut)
• Tentacruel (Captain Marius's)
• Lugia (shadow)
• Golduck
• Poliwhirl
• Tentacruel
• Seel
• Dewgong
• Goldeen
• Staryu
• Starmie
• Magikarp
• Marill (unnamed Trainer's)
• Scizor (example)
• Skarmory (example)

Trivia

• For the English opening, Born to Be a Winner is replaced by Believe in Me.
• In this episode, a new title card is introduced, changing as Ash obtains each Badge.
• This is the first episode of the thirteen-part Whirl Islands arc.
• This episode was initially going to be titled "A Whirlpool Affair".
• The title of "Water Pokémon Alpha-Omega" may be derived from Revelation 21:6, a passage from the Christian Bible.
• This is the first episode of the fifth season, Pokémon: Master Quest.
• The passage reads, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
  • Alpha and Omega are also the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet.
    • Thus, it is implied that those who bear the title are "Water Pokémon Beginning to End," a convoluted form of a Water Pokémon Master.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		漩渦列島，新的挑戰！
Dutch		Rondom De Draaikolk
European French		Autour du tourbillon
German		Mitten im Strudel!
Hebrew		מסביב למערבולתmisaviv lama'arbolet
Italian		Prima tappa sulle Isole
Polish		Dookoła wirów
Portuguese	Brazil	Enrolados nos Redemoinhos
	Portugal	As Ilhas Remoinho
Spanish	Latin America	¡Las islas Remolino!
	Spain	Alrededor del remolino

← EP209 : Machoke, Machoke Man!

Original series

EP211 : Fly Me To The Moon →

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