History Recap / PokemonS1E26PokemonScentsation

* CentralTheme: At the end, the narrator says Ash has learned that "you can't judge a Pokémon by its smell."

* AnAesop: At the end, the narrator says Ash has learned that "you can't judge a Pokémon by its smell."

* {{Perfumigation}}: Ash and friends go to a perfume shop run by Celadon Gym Leader Erika and whilst everyone else likes what's on sale, Ash is disgusted by the perfume, saying it's for wussies and that makes people like Brock act like idiots/zombies. This of course, gets him banned from the [[FelonyMisdemeanor Celadon Gym of all places]]. Ash does have a point since one of the perfume ingredient is Gloom's essence, which is horrid enough to cause a Pokémon to instantly faint.

* CurbStompBattle: Erika's Gloom curb-stomps Charmander easily with its scent.

* RunningGagged: This is the last time Pikachu shocks Ash in temper, until episode 30 of Pokemon Journeys.

* OverzealousUnderling: [[DubInducedPersonalityChange In the changed dialogue in the English dub]] is implied Erika, while very protective about her business, was willing, if not obligated outright, to accept Ash's challenge in her role as Gym Leader. Her staff, however, violently forces him out of the department store ''and'' the Celadon Gym. When Ash's disguise is blasted off and he simply challenges Erika to a fight, she agrees, stating it's her duty under League rules.

* OverzealousUnderling: It is implied Erika, while very protective about her business, was willing, if not obligated outright, to accept Ash's challenge in her role as Gym Leader. Her staff, however, violently forces him out of the department store ''and'' the Celadon Gym. When Ash's disguise is blasted off and he simply challenges Erika to a fight, she agrees, stating it's her duty under League rules.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Erika's rather overzealous staff also humiliatingly punish Team Rocket for trying to enter the Celadon Gym. In turn, the trio outright ''level the gym with everyone inside'' as payback.

The party arrives in Celadon City, a perfectly pleasant town full of large department stores, condominiums, and fancy arcades. Brock and Misty are mesmerized, listening to a pretty young girl in a miniskirt, selling perfume. Appalled by the price of the perfume, Ash is kicked out of the department store, and heads for the Pokémon gym alone, but he is denied entrance to the Celadon Gym. The perfume that Ash criticized in the department store is produced in this gym. Brock and Misty enter the gym and befriend those who inhabit it, but Ash must go to some outrageous lengths in order to even set foot in the gym, let alone prove himself worthy of battle against its Master.

* BerserkButton: Ash riles Erika and the workers at Celadon City's department store and gym by calling their perfume financially wasteful, which royally pisses them off to the point that they force him out of the department store and indirectly [[PersonaNonGrata ban him from entering Celadon Gym]].

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Ash insults Erika's perfume for its high prices as well as its scent, resulting in him being forced out of both her store ''and'' Celadon Gym as a punishment.
* FictionIsntFair: After criticizing the prices and scents of Erika's perfume, Ash is forced out the department store ''and'' Celadon Gym. Pokémon gyms are certified by a wider, [[SkeletonGovernment possibly]] government-affiliated league meant to provide places for trainers to battle. Ash never points out the blatant conflict of interest or that Erika should be obligated to meet his challenge, and instead forces himself into the gym to duel with her. Interestingly, when Ash does challenge her later on in the episode, Erika says it's her duty to accept all challenges (this is only in the dub version, though the original edit still accepts the challenge regardless).
* ForWantOfANail: While in the department store, Ash asks Misty not to buy any perfume because he thinks it's financially wasteful and he doesn't like its scent. If he didn't do that in front of Erika, he wouldn't have been banned from both the store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket and the gym's eventual bombing.
* FunWithAcronyms: In the English dub, Erika does this with the word PERFUME, using each letter of the word to stand for an adjective to describe perfume and ending it on a sort of CrowdChant note. This is in response to Ash's badmouthing perfume in general. In the original, she simply gives Satoshi a lecture about the benefits of using perfume.

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Ash laments that his efforts to challenge Erika led him to join forces with Team Rocket, who ultimately used him as an UnwittingPawn so they could steal Erika's perfume. Fortunately, [[TheAtoner he decides to make amends for what he did]].

* IdiotBall: Meowth placed the blaster ball near him and the others cause he didn't want to lose it.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Ash becomes grief-stricken upon discovering that he was forced to become Team Rocket's UnwittingPawn in their plans to steal Erika's perfume and blow up Celadon Gym (as well as his backhanded remark about its perfume that caused the whole mess in the first place).
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Ash teams up with Team Rocket to infiltrate the Celadon Gym, which ensures that Team Rocket will blow up the gym and steal Erika's perfume in the process.

* UnwittingPawn: Ash doesn't realize Team Rocket's using him to further their plans to steal Gloom's perfume, until it's too late.

* UnwittingPawn: Ash doesn't realize that Team Rocket is using him to further their plans to steal Gloom's perfume until it's too late.

* CallARabbitASmeerp: In the dub, Team Rocket call a CartoonBomb a "blaster ball," presumably for censorship reasons.

* ForWantOfANail: If Ash didn't tell Misty not to buy any perfume because he thinks it's financially wasteful and he doesn't like its smell in front of Erika, he wouldn't have been banned from both the department store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket.

* ForWantOfANail: If Ash didn't tell Misty not to buy any perfume because he thinks it's too much money and he doesn't like its smell inside Erika's perfume store, he wouldn't have been banned from both the store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Ash insults Erika's perfume for its high prices, resulting in him being forced out of both her store ''and'' Celadon Gym as a punishment.
* FictionIsntFair: After criticizing the price and smell of Erika's perfume, Ash is forced out the department store ''and'' Celadon Gym. Pokémon gyms are certified by a wider, [[SkeletonGovernment possibly]] government-affiliated league meant to provide places for trainers to battle. Ash never points out the blatant conflict of interest or that Erika should be obligated to meet his challenge, and instead forces himself into the gym to duel with her. Interestingly, when Ash does challenge her later on in the episode, Erika says it's her duty to accept all challenges (this is only in the dub version, though the original edit still accepts the challenge regardless).
* ForWantOfANail: If Ash didn't tell Misty that she shouldn't buy any perfume because he thinks it's was a waste of money and that he doesn't like the smell of it inside Erika's perfume store, he wouldn't have been banned from her department store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket.

* ForWantOfANail: If Ash didn't tell Misty that she shouldn't buy any because he thinks it's was a waste of money and that he doesn't like the smell of it inside Erika's perfume store, he wouldn't have been banned from her department store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket.

* ForWantOfANail: If Ash hadn't criticized the high price of Erika's perfume, he wouldn't have been banned from her department store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket.

* ForWantOfANail: If Ash hadn't criticized the high price of Erika's perfume, he wouldn't been banned from her department store and Celadon Gym, which resulted in his team-up with Team Rocket.

* MustMakeAmends: After Ash helps Team Rocket, thus indirectly setting Erika's set gym ablaze, he risks the fire to save her Gloom. This earns him Erika's respect and the Rainbow Badge.

* AnAesop: Think before you speak. At the end, the narrator says Ash has learned that "you can't judge a Pokémon by its smell."

* FictionIsntFair: After mocking Erika's perfume, Ash is forced out the department store ''and'' Celadon Gym. Pokémon gyms are certified by a wider, [[SkeletonGovernment possibly]] government-affiliated league meant to provide places for trainers to battle. Ash never points out the blatant conflict of interest or that Erika should be obligated to meet his challenge, and instead forces himself into the gym to duel with her. Interestingly, when Ash does challenge her later on in the episode, Erika says it's her duty to accept all challenges (this is only in the dub version, though the original edit still accepts the challenge regardless).

* PersonaNonGrata: After Ash insults Erika's perfumes, the latter bans him from the store ''and'' Celadon Gym. Ash, however, doesn't care and enters the Gym to battle Erika anyway.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: Two ways. Ash would still be allowed to enter the gym had he just kept his mouth shut about the department store's perfume. Also, said gym would not have caught fire if he hadn't resorted to trusting Team Rocket.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: Two ways. Ash would still be allowed to enter the gym had he just kept his mouth shut about the department store’s perfume. Also, said gym would not have caught fire if he hadn’t resorted to trusting Team Rocket.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Ash becomes grief-stricken upon discovering that he was forced to become Team Rocket's UnwittingPawn in their plans to steal Erika's perfume and blow up Celadon Gym.