Japanese Title: Pikachu VS Nyarth!?
Original Airdate: July 15th, 1999
US Airdate: September 15th, 2000
The one where... Pikachu and Meowth get in a Chained Heat situation. (For the first time.)
After leaving Trovita Island, Ash and his friends stop off at a place that has a reputation for super-sized Pokémon. After falling for a Team Rocket trick that lands them in a giant hole in the ground, Pikachu gets stolen once again. This time Team Rocket locks Pikachu and Meowth together just before a giant Pidgeot swoops down and grabs them. Can the two survive in a land of giant Pokémon, being stuck together and without a key?
Tropes
- Aside Glance: When Jessie and James are wondering if Meowth might get Pikachu back to them on his own, they look at the camera.Both: No way.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Meowth uses his Tickle Attack on Rhydon, which makes it open its mouth to laugh. Pikachu could then use an electric attack getting around its invulnerable hide.
- Big Damn Heroes: Ash, Misty and Tracey arrive in the nick of time to save Pikachu from the giant Rhydon.
- Chained Heat: Meowth and Pikachu are tied together but have to work together.
- Curbstomp Battle: Ash's Snorlax manages to effortlessly send Rhydon flying over the horizon with Mega Punch. Arbok only has slightly more trouble against the Pidgeot.
- Enemy Mine: Meowth and Pikachu against both Pidgeot and Rhydon.
- Foreshadowing: This is the first time we get to see Snorlax battle. He takes out a Rhydon that's not only twice its species' normal size but resists his Normal-type attacks in one shot. This previews the incredible power he shows in the Johto League and the Battle Frontier.
- Hidden Depths: Pikachu shows concern for Meowth, when attacked by the giant Rhydon, pulling him to safety. Earlier in the anime he was disappointed that Meowth survived the shipwreck of the St. Anne. Meowth, for his part, thanks Pikachu for saving him. Also, despite his Big Eater tendencies, Pikachu is willing to split an apple with Meowth, even though Meowth had tried to steal it for himself earlier. Meowth then starts to talk about the two of them could have been great teammates, if they had met under different circumstances. By the time he gets there, Pikachu has fallen asleep.
- Megaton Punch: Snorlax takes out Rhydon-a Rhydon that's twice the normal size for its species and has a type resistance to the attack-with Mega Punch.
- Pick on Someone Your Own Size: When facing the giant Pidgeot and Rhydon, Ash and Jessie send out Snorlax and Arbok to fight them as they're large enough to match their opponents in brute strength.
- Schmuck Bait: Misty notes that an inexplicable basket of fruit in the road has to be a trap. Subverted in that Team Rocket anticipated this, and put the real Pit Trap near the innocuous fruit trees.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The giant Pidgeot hauls ass after Arbok proves just as strong and much more skilled as it.
- Smart Ball: The episode's plot kicks off because Team Rocket not only successfully carried out a Batman Gambit on the heroes, but also executed a well coordinated and efficient trap that incapacitated the twerps, captured Pikachu, and allowed them to flee in their balloon all within a few minutes.
- Strong as They Need to Be: Arbok easily defeats the giant Pidgeot that even Pikachu was afraid of, where in plenty of other episodes it goes down easily to far weaker opponents.
- Villainous Rescue: Jessie and James arrive in the nick of time to save Meowth from the giant Pidgeot.
- Worthy Opponent: Meowth has to admit that Pikachu is one to him.
