Japanese Title: The Carrier Poppo of the Poppo Store!
Original Airdate: September 14th, 2000
US Airdate: September 22nd, 2001
Just outside of Ecruteak City, our heroes see a flying Pidgey being attacked by a huge Fearow and decide to intervene. With Brock carrying the wounded Pidgey, the gang enters Ecruteak City in hopes of finding its trainer. Not only do our heroes find this Pidgey's home, they discover it is a member of the Carrier-Pidgey Express! Join Ash, Misty and Brock as they learn about caring for carrier-Pidgey and witness the dedication of a young boy and his grandfather to these very special Pokémon.
Tropes
- Blow You Away: Noctowl and Pidgey use Whirlwind to blow away Team Rocket's cloud.
- Didn't Think This Through: Meowth's plan to disguise the balloon with a cloud of smoke is surprisingly effective. Too bad that this also means the T Rio has to breath in smoke for as long as the twerps are around. [All for Nothing And then Noctowl and Pidgey find them anyway].
- End of an Age: Denjirō plans to close the Pidgey Express because he can't compete with airplanes and email. He reconsiders after seeing how dedicated his grandson is.
- Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress: Jessie sends Arbok out, forgetting they were in mid-air.
- Instant Messenger Pigeon: Denjirō has trained Pidgeys to deliver mail and small packages. He directs them by showing them their destination on a map. Although it turns out to be an averted case. The massive drawbacks to this service are part of what has convinced him to end it.
- Master of Illusion: Noctowl as usual. This time it uses Hypnosis to convince the Fearow, it's actually a fearsome Charizard. Later it uses Hypnosis on Team Rocket to attack an image of the twerps while they free the Pidgeys.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The Pidgey Express might be a fantastical take on carrier pigeons but it proves to be no less obsolete. Airplanes and emails are noted to be far more reliable while also not as costly in time and effort. And as this episode shows, the Pidgeys can be pretty unreliable even when not dealing with competition. The episode kicks off with one being attacked by a wild Fearow.
