EP144

← EP143 : Going Apricorn!

Original series

EP145 : A Farfetch'd Tale →

Gettin' The Bugs Out

EP144   ヒワダジム！もりのバトルフィールド！！ Hiwada Gym! Forest Battlefield!!

First broadcast Japan April 20, 2000 United States March 17, 2001

English themes Opening Pokémon Johto Ending

Japanese themes Opening OK! Ending ポケモンはらはらリレー

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 米村正二 Shōji Yonemura Storyboard 横田和 Kazu Yokota Assistant director 大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi Animation director たけだゆうさく Yūsaku Takeda Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Gettin' The Bugs Out (Japanese: ヒワダジム！もりのバトルフィールド！！ Hiwada Gym! Forest Battlefield!!) is the 144th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on April 20, 2000 and in the United States on March 17, 2001.

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

Blurb

When Ash reaches the Hive Gym, he has just the Pokémon to challenge the Gym Leader's Bug Pokémon. But what's this? Cyndaquil, the Fire Pokémon can't get its burners going.

Plot

Ash, Brock, and Misty are walking to the Azalea Gym when Misty—using a canteen as a microphone—asks Ash like a reporter how the battle will go, Ash then responds that he will win. Misty then points out that it may be hard as he hasn't got his Charizard, which could always help him when he needed it. Ash then says that even though Charizard is gone Cyndaquil has plenty of fire power.

When they enter the Gym, Misty feels like something will come out at her. A Caterpie dangles in front of her face. She freaks out. When Misty calms down, they see a boy in a tree. He reveals he is Bugsy, the Gym Leader. He uses bug Pokémon to Misty's disgust. Bugsy is stuck in the tree so he asks Ash to get the ladder which fell.

Meanwhile, outside the Gym, Team Rocket is planning on how to get Pikachu. They disguise themselves; Jessie as a flower, James as a tree and Meowth as a bit of grass. The bug Pokémon see through their disguise and use String Shot to tie them up.

Bugsy and Ash start their Pokémon battle.

Bugsy sends out Spinarak and Ash sends out Cyndaquil with the obvious type advantage. Ash tells Cyndaquil to use Flamethrower but feeble smoke comes out instead of flames. Bugsy taunts Ash and tells his Spinarak to use String Shot. Cyndaquil dodges all the String Shots so Bugsy switches to Poison Sting. Cyndaquil gets hurt multiple times by the Poison Sting, losing its balance. Bugsy uses this chance and tells Spinarak to use another Poison Sting, but Ash recalls Cyndaquil and sends out Chikorita. Bugsy tells Ash about the type disadvantage but Ash says it takes more than type advantage to win a Pokémon battle.

Spinarak uses String Shot but Chikorita dodges it and uses Vine Whip, but Bugsy then tells his Spinarak to dodge, and Ash orders her to take aim and use Vine Whip, which Spinarak dodges. They continue to attack but dodge at the same time. Spinarak uses Poison Sting but Ash tells Chikorita to counter with Razor Leaf, then he tells her to use Sweet Scent, which catches Spinarak off guard allowing Chikorita to Tackle, winning Ash the round.

Bugsy then sends out Metapod. Ash goes for a Vine Whip, but Metapod uses Harden to block it. Chikorita tries a Razor Leaf, but no avail with another Harden. Bugsy tells his Metapod to jump and use Tackle, surprising Ash and knocking out Chikorita.

Ash decides to send out Pikachu. Metapod uses Tackle and Pikachu avoids it which causes the Tackle to go in a cloud of dust. Pikachu avoids another Tackle from Metapod and it vanished. Pikachu listens for Metapod and he dodges its Tackle. Metapod jumps and uses Tackle again, which Pikachu avoids by using Agility and uses Thunderbolt, knocking out Metapod in the process.

Bugsy's last and final Pokémon is a Scyther. Ash orders a Thunderbolt which Scyther dodges with Double Team. Bugsy then tells Scyther to use Slash, but Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt to blast Scyther's Double Team but they all disappear much to Pikachu's surprise. Bugsy tells Scyther to use Fury Cutter, knocking out Pikachu.

After giving Pikachu a rest, Ash is now forced to send out Cyndaquil, who looks tired from its battle with Spinarak. Scyther uses Fury Cutter while Cyndaquil dodges. Scyther uses Double Team while it uses another Fury Cutter, this time faster than the other Fury Cutter, while Cyndaquil is still able to dodge. This gets Cyndaquil really fired up and Cyndaquil uses Flamethrower, which got rid of Scyther's Double Team, but the real Scyther deflects it by using Swords Dance and hits Cyndaquil. Bugsy says his Scyther has a special way of deflecting Fire-type attacks by using Swords Dance. Bugsy tells Scyther to use Fury Cutter but he tells it to use Swords Dance when Cyndaquil is going to use Flamethrower. Ash comes up with an idea and has Cyndaquil jump above Scyther and use Flamethrower while spinning, making Scyther unable to dodge and take damage. Cyndaquil is able to finish Scyther off with a Tackle and Ash wins the match, earning himself the Hive Badge.

When Ash, Misty, and Brock are about to leave Azalea Town, Maizie comes running towards them with three Poké Balls. She gives Ash and Misty Lure Balls while she gives Brock a Heavy Ball. Ash and his friends say goodbye to Maizie and continue on with their journey.

Major events

Ash holding the Hive Badge

• Ash and his friends arrive to the Azalea Gym and meet the local Gym Leader, Bugsy.
• Ash defeats Bugsy in a Gym battle and earns the Hive Badge.
• Ash's Chikorita is revealed to know Sweet Scent.
• Ash and Misty both receive a Lure Ball and Brock receives a Heavy Ball from Kurt.

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

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Bugsy
• Maizie

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Elekid (US and international), Metapod (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Chikorita (Ash's)
• Cyndaquil (Ash's)
• Victreebel (James's)
• Spinarak (Bugsy's)
• Metapod (Bugsy's)
• Scyther (Bugsy's)
• Caterpie (Azalea Gym's; multiple)
• Metapod (Azalea Gym's; multiple)
• Weedle (Azalea Gym's; multiple)
• Kakuna (Azalea Gym's; multiple)

Trivia

The Heavy Ball and Lure Balls Maizie delivered to Ash and his friends.

• Although Ash and Misty will both use their Lure Balls which they receive in this episode, the Heavy Ball which Brock receives (as well as the Fast Balls Ash and Misty received in the last episode) are never actually used by the characters.
• Team Rocket tries to catch Pikachu by digging underground while Ash is in a Gym battle. This happens in two future episodes, too.
  • This episode and the latter one mentioned above both involve Ash's battle against the second Gym Leader of the region introduced in an even-numbered generation, and both their Badges allow the player to use Cut.
  • Also when underground, Team Rocket recites a variation of their motto.
• Team Rocket does not blast off in this episode.
• The book Secrets of the GS Ball is based on this episode.

Errors

• At one point Ash says "I'll save Chikorita for later, and use Pikachu now." Chikorita had just been defeated—he meant to say Cyndaquil.
• Ash commands Chikorita to use Sweet Smell on Spinarak, when the actual move is Sweet Scent.
• Bugsy commands Spinarak to use Poison String instead of Poison Sting.
• On occasion throughout the episode, Misty would talk and Togepi's lips would move, but it was not talking.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		檜皮道館！森林的戰鬥場地！
Czech		Hmyzí zápasení
Dutch		Daar Heb Je De Besies!
European French		Dans le feu de l'action
German		Die Arena von Azalea City
Hebrew		הקרב במכון אזליהhakrav bemachon Azalea
Hindi		जब तक है बग Jab tak hai Bug *
Hungarian		Harc a rovarokkal
Italian		Una Palestra immersa nel verde* Sfida all'ultimo round*
Polish		Pogonić robala
Portuguese	Brazil	Exterminando Insetos
	Portugal	À Procura dos Insectos
Romanian		Scoțând Gândacii
Slovak		Ako vyhrať nad hmyzom
Spanish	Latin America	¡Duelo con los insectos!
	Spain	Ahuyentando a los bichos

← EP143 : Going Apricorn!

Original series

EP145 : A Farfetch'd Tale →

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