EP057

← EP056 : The Ultimate Test

Original series

EP058 : Riddle Me This →

The Breeding Center Secret

EP057   そだてやのひみつ！ The Secret of the Breeding Center!

First broadcast Japan August 6, 1998 United States May 1, 1999

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ポケモン音頭

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 志村泉 Izumi Shimura No additional credits are available at this time.

The Breeding Center Secret (Japanese: そだてやのひみつ！ The Secret of the Breeding Center!) is the 57th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on August 6, 1998 and in the United States on May 1, 1999.

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

Synopsis

Template:Incomplete synopsis Ash, Misty, Brock and Todd are taking a break in the middle of a city when they see a commercial for a Pokémon breeding center. Thinking it might be an interesting place to visit, they head off to locate it. Misty decides to drop off her Psyduck at the breeding center in order to get its eyes fixed. Ash believes that Misty is planning on leaving the Pokémon at the center, but she tells him that no matter how annoying it is, she'll keep it.

After leaving the breeding center, Todd notices a sign in a restaurant, advertising an all-you-can-eat meal for free. He believes that there is a catch, but the group heads in regardless. The owner tells the kids that he will give them a free meal if they can guess and show him his favorite Pokémon. Everyone releases all of their Pokémon, but the owner tells them none are his favorite. He then pulls out a picture of a Psyduck. Shocked, Misty asks him if the restaurant will still be open later in the evening. The owner informs her that he will be, and the group heads back to the breeding center, only to find it closed. Todd tells her they could wait until tomorrow, but Misty angrily tells him she wants to get Psyduck then and there. Snooping around the back, they find a secret entrance and walks in.

Misty and the others are shocked to discover all the Pokémon in cages. They also find a conveyor belt leading into another room. Unknown to them, Butch and Cassidy are in the other room deciding on which Pokémon to give to Giovanni.

Major events

• Ash and his friends encounter Butch and Cassidy, two more competent members of Team Rocket.
• James's Weepinbell evolves into a Victreebel (Albeit offscreen).
• James's Victreebel appeared for the first time.
• Todd Snap leaves the group.

Debuts

• Butch and Cassidy

Pokémon debuts

• James's Victreebel

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Todd Snap
• Officer Jenny
• Butch
• Cassidy
• Giovanni

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Psyduck (US and international), Utsubot (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Victreebel (James's; new)
• Persian (Giovanni's)
• Raticate (Cassidy's)
• Geodude (Brock's)
• Onix (Brock's)
• Vulpix (Brock's)
• Zubat (Brock's)
• Horsea (Misty's)
• Goldeen (Misty's)
• Staryu (Misty's)
• Starmie (Misty's)

Pokémon seen at Breeding Center:

• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Caterpie
• Metapod
• Pidgeotto
• Rattata
• Spearow
• Sandshrew
• Nidoran♂
• Nidorino
• Oddish
• Paras
• Mankey
• Poliwag
• Poliwrath
• Bellsprout
• Weepinbell
• Cubone

Trivia

• This is the last episode to play the Pokérap.
• This episode is followed by different episodes between the original Japanese version and dubbed versions. The episode is followed by Riddle Me This in the original Japanese version and by Princess Versus Princess in the dub.
• The Psyduck-loving Chef later makes a cameo appearance in A Friend In Deed (He's the chef who mentions how a customer (Delia) was never able to work in the chefs area before)
• James asks Jessie who Cassidy is and if she knows her. This would later become contradictory to the events in Training Daze where James would have known who Cassidy was because they were in a competition against each other.
• Cassidy and Butch's motto is said for the first time.
• Meowth addresses James as "James Bond" one point. Incidentally, this episode aired six months prior to the release of the 19th film in the James Bond series, The World is Not Enough.

In other languages

• Finnish: Kasvatuskeskuksen salaisuus
• French: Le secret du centre d'élevage
• German: Butch und Cassidy
• Italian: L'inganno
• Latin American Spanish: ¡El secreto del centro de entrenamiento!
• Iberian Spanish: El secreto del centro de crianza
• Swedish: Uppfödningscentret
• Brazilian Portuguese: O Segredo do Centro de Criação

← EP056 : The Ultimate Test

Original series

EP058 : Riddle Me This →

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