Japanese Title: The Three of the Jungle! Battle in the Hot Springs!!
Original Airdate: October 5th, 2000
US Airdate: September 22nd, 2001
Arriving at a beautiful hot springs, Ash, Misty and Brock decide they and their Pokémon need to take a much needed break from their journey. As Ash and the Pokémon hit a beach ball around, Totodile, Chikorita and Cyndaquil play a little too rough. Totodile ends up blasting the ball deep into the nearby forest and when Ash sends these three Pokémon to retrieve it, they run into a gang of antagonizing Aipom! In order to survive the escapades of retrieving the beach ball and the pitfalls of trying to make it back to Ash, these three must learn to work together. Watch as Chikorita, Totodile and Cyndaquil learn to appreciate the power of friendship.
Tropes
- Banana Peel: Ash slips on one in the beginning of the episode. Brock lampshades the trope before falling victim to it himself.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: While hiding from Snorlax, Meowth wishes Jessie and James were with him. He gets his wish when they arrive in a deluge.
- Cassandra Truth: Meowth really did nothing against the Snorlax but he certainly looks like the kind of pokemon to pull something with him trying to capture the Johto starters.
- A Day in the Limelight: For the Johto starters and to a lesser extent Meowth. Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock, Jessie and James are comparatively Out of Focus as they really have little to do with the episode's plot.
- For Want Of A Nail: The episode's plot only kicks off because a group of Aipom steal the twerps beach ball.
- Inevitable Waterfall: The Johto starters narrowly avoid going over one at the climax. Team Rocket end up going over it in the final scene.
- Oh, Crap!: Meowth when he realizes the very dangerous Snorlax blames him for disrupting his nap.
- Sherlock Homage: James impersonates Holmes while deducing that since Ash's Pokémon are around, Ash himself must be near.
- Ungrateful Bastard: After the Johto starters save Meowth and help him escape the cave, he immediately turns on them and tries to capture them.
