History Recap / PokemonS1E2PokemonEmergency

* DubPersonalityChange: In the original version, Professor Oak is much more neutral and stern on Ash's performance, lecturing him on how trainers leaving Pallet Town would always catch Pokémon at this point of the journey and being heavily disappointed when he learns that Ash has yet to catch one. The English dub makes Oak a much more supportive figure for Ash, to the point that he even bets against his own grandson Gary a million dollars that Ash would catch at least one Pokémon before arriving to Viridian City.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Team Rocket are presented as cool, competent, and legitimately dangerous opponents in their debut. They would not be allowed to enjoy such a presentation again outside of flashback episodes to before they met Ash.

* RealityEnsues:
** Just because Ash and Pikachu walked victoriously after defeating the Spearow flock doesn't mean that their troubles are over. This episode opens with Ash running with a critically injured Pikachu towards the nearest Pokémon Center, which takes nightfall to reach by motorbike.
** The Pokémon Center is treated like a real vet hospital and Pokémon recovery isn't instant. It takes several hours for Pikachu's condition to stabilize, and he's in no shape to fight when Team Rocket crashes in.
** Misty's Goldeen is used to fight Team Rocket. It works well in the games, where the fish Pokémon are either static sprites or the FlyingSeafoodSpecial kind. Not so well in the anime which [[{{AvertedTrope}} averts the trope entirely in this series]], meaning that all Goldeen can do is flop and flounder uselessly on land like a [[JokeCharacter Magikarp]].

* {{Cliffhanger}}: The episode ends with Ash encountering a Caterpie in the Viridian Forest and throwing at Poké Ball at it.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The [[TraumaInn Pokémon Centers]] in the games are often seen as safe havens for trainers with tired and worn out Pokémon, complete with a Nurse who can heal your Pokémon in no time. In the anime, RealityEnsues as Pikachu's injuries from the previous episode is treated as a serious emergency, and Pikachu is placed on a hospital gurney for Nurse Joy to heal him. The procedure isn't instant as the games as it takes several hours for Pikachu's condition to stabilize, and Ash simply stays in the waiting room, constantly worried for his only Pokémon. This long waiting period for Pikachu's recovery also makes Ash vulnerable when Team Rocket makes their assault on the Center. With Pikachu unable to battle for the majority of the episode, Ash is forced to run from Team Rocket or use substitute Pokémon to slow them down.

** Misty's name. In the original version, she introduced herself to Team Rocket as the most beautiful girl Misty and Jessie mocks her by saying she's the only beautiful girl here. In the English dub, Misty does not introduce herself, only taking compliment of Team Rocket saying she's "pretty", to which Jessie replies that they meant Misty is pretty ''pathetic''. Her name is only mentioned by Nurse Joy at the end of the episode, long after she and Ash had left to the Viridian Forest.
** A very subtle one with Team Rocket. In the original, Meowth's line before the raid mentions how the boss will run happily in the garden, and that the cat shall enjoy coins in the heating table if they succeed. 4Kids interprets it as Meowth talking about himself, hence why Meowth has a more leadership role here and refers himself as the top cat in the English dub. [[{{Foreshadowing}} However, this means losing out the first hint that Team Rocket is working for]] [[TheManBehindTheMan an unseen boss, later revealed to be Giovanni]].

* EatTheDog: In the Japanese, Meowth makes clear he intends to eat Pikachu. In the English dub, he refers to Pikachu as "cat food", though it could be inferred as a more general threat given NeverSayDie is in force for the [=4Kids=] dub.
* ExplosiveStupidity: As Koffing is engulfed in [[ShockAndAwe the Thunder Shock]], it happily releases its DeadlyGas right into the electric current, causing the electric to ignite the gas and subsequently create [[StuffBlowingUp a huge explosion in the Pokémon Center.]] Due to the power display it causes, one could consider Koffing responsible for starting off Team Rocket's obsession with Ash's Pikachu.

* LostInTranslation: A minor one but Pikachu constantly saying "Pika! Pika!" to Ash regarding the bicycle's light to generate electricity for Pikachu to use makes more sense in the Japanese as the Japanese onomatopoeia word for shine/sparks is pika. So to Satoshi, Pikachu is saying "Shine" or "Sparks" while pointing at the bicycle's headlight.

** Misty's Goldeen is used to fight Team Rocket. It works well in the games, where the fish Pokémon are either static sprites or the FlyingSeafoodSpecial kind. Not so well in the anime which [[{{AvertedTrope}} averts the trope entirely in this series]], meaning that all Goldeen could do is flop and flounder uselessly on land like a [[JokeCharacter Magikarp]].

* SkewedPriorities: Ash feels bad and has apologized for what happened to Misty's bike, but he can't do anything until Pikachu has recovered. Misty doesn't care and just wants her bike replaced immediately.
** Although to her credit, after Ash actually says Pikachu is in trouble, she immediately softens.
* SoundtrackDissonance: The Pokémon Center blowing up is accompanied by cheerful, upbeat music. Justified in that Ash and Pikachu were defeating Team Rocket and foiling their plans, but it's a rather unusual choice of music to play during a building explosion [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse that possibly killed other innocent Pokémon inside the Center]].

* VillainDecay: [[{{Foreshadowing}} Foreshadowed]]. Despite presenting themselves to be no-nonsense and threatening villains, Team Rocket begins to show their comedic traits after their defeat, bickering and arguing amongst themselves of how they had lost to a kid and his electric mouse. This leads them to conclude that Pikachu must be a rare and powerful specimen and they must capture it at all cost. [[GoldfishPoopGang The balloon burst, as stated above,]] [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain would only indicate how much success they are going to have.]]
* WantedPoster: Jessie and James were notorious enough to have one by the police. Their only complaint about it is that the photographer took a bad shot of them.

[[caption-width-right:200: We are extremely cool and threatening villains and [[TemptingFate will never be the butt of any jokes ever.]] [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Prob]][[VillainDecay ably]].]]

* PreExplosionGlow: Happens when the Pokémon Center blows up.

* LostInTranslation: A minor one but Pikachu constantly saying "Pika! Pika!" to Ash regarding the bicycle light to generate electricity for Pikachu to use makes more sense in the Japanese as the Japanese onomatopoeia word for shine/sparks is pika. So to Satoshi, Pikachu is saying "Shine" or "Sparks" while pointing at bicycle.

* NonFatalExplosions: Jessie, James and Meowth (of course), albeit visibly charred from the blast, in the first of many times they are caught right inside an explosion. Ash and his Pikachu, Misty and Nurse Joy also manage to survive the Pokémon Center blowing up without a scratch, but [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse nothing is said of all the additional Pikachus that provided the "Pika-Power Source."]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Nothing is said of how the Pokémon Center's sick occupants managed to fare from the ''entire building exploding'', not to mention all the additional Pikachus that provided the "Pika-Power Source". [[LightNovel/PocketMonstersTheAnimation The novelizations]] by Creator/TakeshiShudo mention that the occupants were sent to Pewter City's Pokémon Center.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Team Rocket are presented as cool, competent, and tough opponents in their debut. This does not last very long, so enjoy it!

* FirstAppearance: For Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and the Team Rocket Trio.

** Although to her credit after Ash actually says Pikachu is in trouble she immediately softens.

* EyeCatch: The featured ''Who's That Pokémon?'' this episode is Koffing.
* FirstAppearance: This marks the first ever appearance of the Team Rocket Trio, Nurse Joy, and Officer Jenny.

* SideBet: Exclusive to the 4Kids version, Professor Oak mentions how he and Gary made a bet on Ash's performance as a trainer. Gary believes that Ash won't catch a single Pokémon by the time he arrives to Viridian City, and Oak bets a million dollars that he'll be wrong. Unfortunately for the professor, Ash hasn't gotten any Pokémon by this point.

[[caption-width-right:200: We are extremely cool and threatening villains and will never be the butt of any jokes ever. [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Prob]][[VillainDecay ably]].]]

* GoldfishPoopGang: Team Rocket is set up to be reoccurring villains right from their debut episode when they agree to keep stalking Ash until they can steal his Pikachu.

* SkewedPriorities: Ash feels bad and has apologised for what happened to Misty's bike, but he can't do anything until Pikachu has recovered. Misty doesn't care and just wants her bike replaced immediately.

* DubPersonalityChange: In the original version, Professor Oak is much more neutral and stern on Ash's performance, lecturing him on how trainers leaving Pallet Town would always catch Pokémon at this point of the journey and being heavily disappointed when he learns that Ash has yet to catch one. The English dub makes Oak a much more supportive figure for Ash, to the point that he even bets against his own grandson Gary a million dollars that Ash would catch at least one Pokémon before arriving to Viridian City.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Professor Oak. In the original version, Professor Oak is much more neutral and stern on Ash's performance, lecturing him on how trainers leaving Pallet Town would always catch Pokémon at this point of the journey and being heavily disappointed when he learns that Ash has yet to catch one. The English dub makes Oak a much more supportive figure for Ash, to the point that he even bets against his own grandson Gary a million dollars that Ash would catch at least one Pokémon before arriving to Viridian City.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Nothing is said of how the Pokémon Center's sick occupants managed to fare from the ''entire building exploding''. [[LightNovel/PocketMonstersTheAnimation The novelizations]] by Creator/TakeshiShudo mention that the occupants were sent to Pewter City's Pokémon Center.

--> ''Ash:''' Well, money isn't everything.\\

-->'''Prof. Oak:''' Oh, why do I even bother...

* HumiliationConga: Team Rocket's defeat involves them getting shocked two times; one by a dozen Pikachu, the other by Ash's Pikachu harnessing the electricity of Misty's bike light. [[ExplosiveStupidity Then Koffing releases its poison gas into the electricity currently engulfing them, causing a huge explosion.]] The aftermath reveals a burnt Team Rocket barely escaping into their balloon, complaining on how they lost to a mouse and vowing to capture it. [[TwinkleInTheSky And then the balloon bursts, blasting them off for the first time.]]

--> '''Prof. Oak:''' ''Oh, why do I even bother...''

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Nothing is said of how the Pokemon centre's sick occupants managed to fare from the ''entire building exploding''. [[LightNovel/PocketMonstersTheAnimation The novelizations]] by Creator/TakeshiShudo mention that the occupants were sent to Pewter City's Pokémon center.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Professor Oak. In the original version, Professor Oak is much more neutral and stern on Ash's performance, lecturing how trainers leaving Pallet Town would always catch Pokémon at this point of the journey and becomes heavily disappointed when he learns that Ash has yet to catch one. The English dub makes Oak a much more supportive figure for Ash, to the point that he even bets against his own grandson Gary a million dollars that Ash would catch at least one Pokémon before arriving to Viridian City.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Professor Oak, sort of. In the original version, Professor Oak is much more neutral and stern on Ash's performance, lecturing how trainers leaving Pallet Town would always catch Pokémon at this point of the journey and becomes heavily disappointed when he learns that Ash has yet to catch one. The English dub makes Oak a much more supportive figure for Ash, to the point that he even bets against his own grandson Gary a million dollars that Ash would catch at least one Pokémon before arriving to Viridian City.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The [[TraumaInn Pokémon Centers]] in the games are often seen as safe havens for trainers with tired and worn out Pokémon, complete with a Nurse who can heal your Pokémon in no time. In the anime, RealityEnsues as Pikachu's injuries from the previous episode is treated as a serious emergency, and Pikachu is placed on a hospital gurney for Nurse Joy to heal him. The procedure isn't instant as the games as it takes several hours for Pikachu's condition to stabilize, and Ash simply stays in the waiting room, constantly worried for his only Pokémon. [[TalkingIsAFreeAction This long waiting period for Pikachu's recovery]] [[{{SubvertedTrope}} also makes Ash vulnerable when Team Rocket makes their assault on the Center]]. With Pikachu unable to battle for the majority of the episode, Ash is forced to run from Team Rocket or use substitute Pokémon to slow them down.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Nothing is said of how the Pokemon centre's sick occupants managed to fare from the ''entire building exploding''.

* ExplosiveStupidity: As Koffing is engulfed in [[ShockAndAwe the Thunder Shock]], it happily releases its DeadlyGas right into the electric current, causing the electric to ignite the gas and subsequently create [[StuffBlowingUp a huge explosion in the Pokémon Center.]]

* WantedPoster: Jessie and James were notorious enough to have one by the police. Their only complaint about it is that the photographer took a bad shot of them.