AG036

The Spheal of Approval

AG036   EP310 海の博物館を守れ！マグマ団の襲撃!! Protect the Ocean Museum! Attack of Team Magma!!

First broadcast Japan July 31, 2003 United States May 29, 2004

English themes Opening I Wanna Be A Hero Ending

Japanese themes Opening アドバンス・アドベンチャー Ending ポルカ・オ・ドルカ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita Storyboard 木村竜二 Ryūji Kimura Assistant director 大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi Animation director たけだゆうさく Yūsaku Takeda Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Spheal of Approval (Japanese: 海の博物館を守れ！マグマ団の襲撃!! Protect the Ocean Museum! Attack of Team Magma!!) is the 36th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 310th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on July 31, 2003 and in the United States on May 29, 2004.

Ash and Max visit the Oceanic Museum and meet Captain Stern who is analyzing a rock sample from the ocean's surface. However, Team Magma also wants the rock and will stop at nothing to get it.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Synopsis

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Major events

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Spheal
• Sealeo

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• May
• Brock
• Max
• Jessie
• James
• Officer Jenny
• Captain Stern
• Marius
• Team Magma agents (several)

Pokémon

Who’s That Pokémon?: Nuzleaf

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Corphish (Ash's)
• Seviper (Jessie's)
• Cacnea (James's)
• Spheal (Marius's; debut)
• Sealeo (Captain Stern's; debut)
• Mightyena (Team Magma's; multiple)
• Growlithe (Officer Jenny's)
• Groudon

Trivia

• Team Magma uses the object much later to get the Groudon.
• This episode's title is a reference to the term "seal of approval."
• After this episode, Pokémon underwent a nearly three-month hiatus on KidsWB, and did not return with new episodes until September, despite the new season not beginning until AG041.

Errors

Tabitha is referred to as Harland again. This error was finally corrected in Fight For The Meteorite.

Dub edits

In other languages

• French: L'Obalie qui approuve
• German: Der geheimnisvolle Stein
• Italian: Guai al museo
• Latin American Spanish: ¡La roca misteriosa!
• Brazilian Portuguese: A Pedra Misteriosa
• Iberian Spanish: La palmada de Spheal

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This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.