EP018

Beauty and the Beach

EP018   アオプルコのきゅうじつ Holiday at Aopulco

First broadcast Japan July 29, 1997 United States June 24, 2000

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ひゃくごじゅういち

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 園田英樹 Hideki Sonoda Storyboard 鈴木敏明 Toshiaki Suzuki Assistant director 鈴木敏明 Toshiaki Suzuki Animation director 酒井啓史 Keishi Sakai No additional credits are available at this time.

Beauty and the Beach (Japanese: アオプルコのきゅうじつ Holiday at Aopulco) is episode 18 of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on July 29, 1997 and in USA on June 24, 2000.

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

Synopsis

Ash and company have finally arrived in Porta Vista, a beachside tourist town. Wasting no time, Ash, Brock and Pikachu change into swimsuits and jump into the ocean. Misty arrives a few minutes later, also in a swimsuit, and Ash stares at her. She asks why he's looking at her, and he cracks that "It's unusual to see [you] looking like a girl!" This earns him a beachball to the face by an angry Misty.

Team Rocket, still using their Gyarados submarine spy on beachgoers from their vantage point underwater. They decide to steal the money of the wealthy tourists. Suddenly, Jessie notices a speeding boat heading in their direction. The boat is piloted by Brock, who borrowed it. The boat collides with the sub and eventually crashes into a dock. Moe, the owner of the boat, comes out to survey the damage. Ash volunteers that he, Brock and Misty will work to help pay the cost of repairing the boat and the dock. Moe agrees to this.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket's sub has washed up onto a private beach and they're greeted by a woman named Brutella. James asks if they can work for her restaurant to help pay for repairs to their sub, and she agrees. Later, it's revealed that both Moe and Brutella are restauranteurs and rivals. For a while, Brutella's restaurant has more customers and James taunts Ash and his friends over this. Ash decides to have his Pokemon help out as well. Squirtle and Pikachu are told to hand out fliers advertising Moe's; Pidgeotto and Charmander are to help keep the grill going in the kitchen, and Bulbasaur is assigned to help Misty do her waitressing duties. This works well until Meowth sabotages everything (including throwing banana peels on the floor to trip Misty up) and the crowd leaves Moe's restaurant for Brutella's. Ash apologizes for messing everything up.

Brutella arrives with Team Rocket a few minutes later and tells Moe that he needs to pay her the money he owes her. If he's unable to pay, she'll take his boat as payment. Moe is despondent, as he doesn't think he'll have the money by tomorrow. He explains that he'd planned to take a world cruise in his boat. Ash encourages him not to give up on his dream.

Then, two familiar faces appear: Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum. Ash is surprised to see both of them. Professor Oak explains that the Beach Beauty and Pokemon Costume Contest is set to start shortly, and he suggests handing out fliers to the audience. He also suggests that Misty enter and (hopefully) win some prize money to help out Moe. Ash releases Pidgeotto, who blankets the beach and town with fliers. Soon, Moe's restaurant is full again, much to Brutella's dismay.

As the contest begins, Moe sits with Delia and Professor Oak. He explains how Ash encouraged him not to give up on his dream. Delia says that she and the professor are in town with the Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol. The contest begins, with Brock as emcee. Misty is the first contestant, and she uses her Starmie and Ash's Squirtle to form a UFO. Team Rocket's Ekans and Koffing are next, and they're costumed as an Omastar. They're kicked off the stage by Gary Oak and his cheerleaders, who are apparently the next contestants. Gary grabs the microphone from Brock and insults Ash, who jumps out of his seat and heads for the stage.

Meanwhile, Brutella tells Jessie and James that she knows they're Team Rocket members and that she's fixed their submarine. She blackmails them into stopping the contest so that the audience will come to her restaurant. Jessie tells Brutella that they can destroy things without even trying.

Back onstage, Ash challenges the always-cocky Gary to a Pokemon battle, but Gary refuses, stating that he doesn't want to battle an amateur trainer. Brock steps between the two rivals before Ash's anger gets the best of him. Just then, the Gyarados submarine explodes from the water, causing panic. People run away, thinking that it's a real Gyarados on a rampage. Ash grabs the microphone and tells the remaining frightened audience members that it's a mecha, not a Pokemon. Team Rocket then fire a missile from the sub. Gary looks at Ash, who sends out Pidgeotto and Charmander. Charmander's Flamethrower attack hits the missile, which turns and changes course: straight for the submarine! Team Rocket pedal furiously to get away, but they crash into Brutella's restaurant, which is then destroyed by the missile.

Ash and his friends say farewell to Moe, who is heading off on his long-awaited cruise. Ash also says goodbye to Profesor Oak and his mother, who is holding a trophy inscribed with the words: "First Place in Our Hearts: Ash Ketchum."

Major events

Debuts

Team Rocket's Gyarados Submarine

Characters

Humans

Ash Ketchum Misty Brock Gary Oak Delia Ketchum Professor Oak Gary's cheerleaders Moe Brutella Jessie James

Pokémon

Who’s That Pokémon?: Pidgeotto

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Pidgeotto (Ash's)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's)
• Charmander (Ash's)
• Squirtle (Ash's)
• Starmie (Misty's)
• Ekans (Jessie's)
• Koffing (James')

Trivia

Dub edits

James was wearing a Inflatable Bikini

Originally, the "Who's That Pokémon?" was Nastina. It showed her dodging a bunch of random objects. Afterwards, she stick out her tongue and is answered by having a sink drop on her head. In the dub, it was Pidgeotto.

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