EP061

← EP060 : Beach Blank-Out Blastoise

Original series

EP062 : Clefairy Tales →

The Misty Mermaid

EP061   ハナダジム！すいちゅうのたたかい！ Hanada Gym! Underwater Battle!

First broadcast Japan September 3, 1998 United States September 23, 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 岡崎幸男 Yukio Okazaki Animation director 林広道 Hiromichi Hayashi Additional credits

The Misty Mermaid (Japanese: ハナダジム！すいちゅうのたたかい！ Hanada Gym! Underwater Battle!) is the 61st episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on September 3, 1998 and in the United States on September 23, 1999.

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

Synopsis

While in Viridian City, Misty's Horsea, swimming in a fountain looks ill. Brock suggests that it needs to find a bigger pool to swim in, and so, the gang decide to head for Misty's home town, Cerulean City. When they get there, the discover that Misty's sisters at the Cerulean Gym are having trouble attracting crowds to their performances and have advertised Misty to be in a new performance called the "Underwater Ballet." Misty is reluctant to be a part of this at first, but finally agrees after much begging from her sisters. They then celebrate.

The whole gym fills up with people eager to see the show. Ash and Brock are sitting among the audience, and Ash is excited to see Misty. The show starts smoothly with Misty swimming with the water Pokémon. While Lily and Violet (in costume) are watching Team Rocket attacks them and replaces them to be the antagonists of the show. Daisy, who had been taking tickets, hears her cue on the pre-recorded voiceover and goes to change. Ash and Brock rush past them to help Misty. Confused at this, Daisy hears banging on a nearby locker, and finds Lily and Violet bound and gagged. An underwater battle commence between Misty's and Ash's water Pokémon and Jessie's Arbok, which happens to put up a good fight.

The battle continues and the audience are completely convinced that it's all part of the show and are practically enjoying it. Horsea, Goldeen, and other Water Pokémon fight against Arbok (Koffing floated to the surface, unable to be underwater). Seel fights well against Arbok and eventually evolves into Dewgong to freeze Team Rocket in ice. After Misty and Brock pull out the water Pokémon, Pikachu electrocutes the water, sending Jessie, James, and Arbok upwards, hitting Meowth and the balloon, sending them blasting off once more. The crowd goes wild, an obvious fact that they enjoyed the show. Because of this, the Cerulean Gym shows are popular again.

Before departing, Misty decides to leave Horsea in the gym and her sisters borrowed her Starmie. They also want Togepi and Pikachu as well, but Misty and Ash refuse to hand them over, but Misty offers to let them have Psyduck, which the sisters say they aren't that desperate for. After all that, Ash and his friends bid farewell to the Sensational Sisters to continue their journey. As they leave Cerulean City, Ash says that Misty was pretty amazing back there, but Misty reminds him that he still owes her a bike.

Major events

• Misty's Horsea is revealed to know Bubble and SmokeScreen.
• Misty's sisters' Seel evolves into Dewgong.
• Misty leaves her Horsea and Starmie at the Cerulean Gym.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Dewgong
• Seaking

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• The Sensational Sisters
  • Daisy
  • Violet
  • Lily

Pokémon

Who’s That Pokémon?: Clefairy (US and international), Tattu (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Squirtle (Ash's)
• Goldeen (Misty's)
• Staryu (Misty's)
• Starmie (Misty's; leaves)
• Horsea (Misty's; leaves)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Seel (Cerulean Gym's; evolves)
• Dewgong (Cerulean Gym's; newly evolved, debut)
• Shellder (Cerulean Gym)
• Goldeen (Cerulean Gym's; multiple)
• Seaking (Cerulean Gym's; debut)

Trivia

• This is the first episode in the Japanese version to feature Oak's Pokémon Lecture, which would last until mid-Advanced Generation series then start again in the early Diamond & Pearl series.
• The dub title of the episode is a reference to the story The Little Mermaid.
• Since Ash registered Dewgong underwater, the Pokédex is apparently waterproof.
• Unlike its pre-evolution Ekans, Jessie's Arbok is shown to have the ability to swim underwater. James's Weezing however, is less dense than water and is unable to stay underwater.
• The DVD/VHS release of this episode incorrectly places it directly after The Purr-fect Hero.
• The book Splashdown in Cerulean City is based on this episode.
• This episode is featured on the Volume 3: Water copy of Pokémon Elements.
• It's revealed that Psyduck doesn't know how to swim, despite being a Water Pokémon.
• Real world fish are seen outside the window of the Cerulean Gym, for some reason, instead of the Generation I fish Pokémon Magikarp, Seaking, and Goldeen

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		華籃道館！！水中的戰鬥
Czech		Mořská panna Misty
Finnish		Merenneito-Misty
European French		La sirène magique
German		Bezaubernde Meerjungfrau
Hebrew		מיסטי בת הים Misty bat hayam
Hungarian		Misty, a sellő
Italian		Uno spettacolo straordinario'
Portuguese	Brazil	A Sereia Misty
	Portugal	A Sereia Misty
Russian		Мисти-русалочка
Spanish	Latin America	¡Misty la sirena!
	Spain	Misty la sirena
Swedish		Den magiska sjöjungfrun

← EP060 : Beach Blank-Out Blastoise

Original series

EP062 : Clefairy Tales →

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