Life Skills (Learning League)

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These are all the lessons that appear in the Life Skills section of the Pokémon Learning League website. Quinn appears in all of these lessons.

Lessons

Teamwork

Ash and May were in a Multi Battle and they badly lost. As they argue about the battle, Team Rocket spy on them and formulate a plan to steal their Pokémon by forming battle partnerships with Ash and May separately, with Jessie (in disguise) teaming up with May, and James (also in disguise) teaming up with Ash. Max has a bad feeling about this, which later materializes as Team Rocket's plan has worked and they end up with both Pikachu and Skitty. Ash and May continue to argue, so Max calls Quinn and they learn about teamwork.

Characters that appear in this episode are:

This episode bears some similarities to the anime episode The Bicker the Better.

I Messages

Ash and Quinn are talking to each other over the PokéPilot, when suddenly Max and May get into a particularly nasty argument over Skitty tearing up one of Max's books, and they exchange mean words to each other. Quinn recalls having similar arguments with his older sister, and, using the PokéPilot, he plays back some parts of the argument, and points out what Max and May could have said to one another without sounding mean to each other, and how the conflict could have been resolved with "I messages".

Characters that appear in this episode are:

Expressing Emotions

May and Max are getting ready for an upcoming Pokémon Contest, as there will be many new Trainers and Coordinators there. All of a sudden, a frightened Ralts shows up and hides behind May. Its Trainer, a young girl, follows it and meets May and Max. The girl introduces herself as Vanessa and says that she's a new Trainer and she's having trouble with her Ralts. Max mentions that he's worked with a Ralts once before. Vanessa is impressed and says that she can't keep it from running away, getting frustrated or even from crying. Max mentions that Ralts are capable of copying the emotions of people. Vanessa wants to know how she could get Ralts to copy good emotions. Max suggest that they contact Quinn. They explain the situation to Quinn, and he suggests that in addition to telling how they feel, they also must show how they feel in a constructive empathetic manner.

Characters that appear in this episode are:

Vanessa is an original Pokémon Learning League character. While Vanessa herself only appears in this episode, Vanessa's character model is used in many Learning League episodes as an extra.

It is also notable that emotional expressions used in the examples are represented by anime emotions (anger crosses, sweatdrops, etc.)

Media Part 1: Forms of Media

Ash and his friends, along with Squirtle and Forretress are at a Pokémon Center. They decide to call Professor Oak to ask some questions and to check on Ash's Pokémon. When they call him, the group discovers that DJ Mary is with him. They ask if they're going to air another Pokétalk show, but find out that Trainers are now watching a new show instead of training their Pokémon, or tuning into Pokétalk. The new show in question is called "The New Pokémon Training Show", and it asks the viewers to send their Pokémon in for "special training". Oak has a hunch that they're obviously up to no good. A clip of this training show is shown to the group, which stars a "Red Trainer" and a "Blue Trainer" that have scarves over their faces, and a very badly disguised "Pikachu" as proof that their training techniques work. Ash's Pikachu obviously doesn't buy it, and neither does anyone else. Professor Oak and DJ Mary say they'll try to find out more about the show and hang up. Ash decides to get to the bottom of it, but wonders how this show is affecting how people behave. They call Quinn and learn about the different forms of the media and how to be aware of their messages. Will the Trainers of Goldenrod City get the message and learn the truth of the Trainer show?

Characters that appear in this episode are:

Just like most episodes in the anime, the hosts of the dubious TV show is none other then Team Rocket, whose disguises are easy enough for the viewer to figure out, but just enough to fool the characters. Apparently, Team Rocket not only devised a TV show, but also managed to put their message into all forms of media: magazines, posters, websites, video games, even coming up with a snack food and theme song associated with their show.

Unlike most episodes of the Learning League, this one ends on a cliffhanger, which is resolved in Media Part 2: Fact or Opinion.

This episode also refers to the Pokétalk show as a TV show, even though it's actually a radio show.

This episode also appears in the Language Arts section.

Media Part 2: Fact or Opinion

The episode begins where the first part left off. Ash and his friends had come up with the idea of broadcasting their own message asking who are the Trainers behind the masks, but right when the identities of the Trainers are about to be revealed, their message abruptly ends. Part 2 begins with The New Pokémon Trainers show still airing in Goldenrod. With the show cutting to a commercial advertising Puff Snacks, our heroes are not so happy with the new show, because not only are their messages questionable, but everyone is too busy watching the show to battle anymore. They wonder if the messages being portrayed by the show are fact or merely opinion, so they contact Quinn to learn more about this.

Characters that appear in this episode are

It's revealed that the Trainers are in fact Team Rocket, and just like in the anime, they get blasted off by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. The episode ends with The Pokétalk radio show back on the air and Oak reciting a poem about the media:

"In time of information, when everything is a click away, you can always be a master, if you listen closely to what they say"

This episode also appears in the Language Arts section.

Win Win Solutions

Ash and May, along with Phanpy and Squirtle, are in a city. May spots a large jewel necklace in the window of the shop. May adores it while Ash doesn't particularly care for it at all. Ash wants to get going while May wants to look at the jewel for a little while longer. They both get into an argument over what to do next. They both realize that they won't be able to do anything if they keep arguing, so they call Quinn. He then teaches how to compromise so both sides win.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Bullying

Ash and Pikachu are walking through the woods when all of a sudden, Pikachu steps on Meowth's tail by accident. Ash wonders why Meowth is all alone sulking by himself. Meowth explains that Jessie and James were being mean to him, taking away his noodles from him and calling him a "blabbering furballed runt". He's reminded of the time when another Meowth ignored him for being a freak. He exclaims that he has no friends, everybody picks on him and nobody cares. Ash decides to help him by calling up Quinn and explaining Meowth's situation. He teaches them how to recognize bullying behavior and how to deal with it.

Characters that appear in this episode are

This episode starts off with a message that if you are threatened by a bully, get help from an adult immediately, and a disclaimer saying that this episode isn't an intervention program, that it's only used to provide helpful tips on how to recognize bullying behavior and dealing with it.

During the episode, Ash mentions Harley when he talks about strength in numbers.

It is also the only episode to give credit to one of the members of the Learning League Advisory Board.

The noodle seller's character model is used extensively as an extra in various episodes.

Making Friends

Brock is in the park with a lot of people. He is trying to make friends with them, but is not doing a very good job, as he is hiding behind bushes and is yelling "Hello" to them. He ends up being completely ignored by everyone. He calls Quinn to talk about his problem, and learns how to make friends with others.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Food Pyramid

Ash is training hard with Pikachu, he decides to stop training for a bit to rest and get something to eat. He chooses a donut, but Brock wonders if he could have something better that could help his training. Ash doesn't understand what the food he eats has to do with how he trains. They call up Quinn to ask him about it. They catch him just finishing his lunch, he has a bottle of water with him. He tells Ash and Brock about his newest project: The Food Pyramid.

Characters that appear in this episode are

It's interesting to note that they have pictures of a hamburger, hotdog and a can of tuna in the Meat and Beans group, as it is a constant source of debate over whether Pokémon are eaten in the Pokémon World.

This episode also appears in the Science section.

Appreciating Differences

May and Ash are at a Contest Hall. Ash can't want for it to start, while May is feeling a bit glum. Ash asks her what's wrong, May explains that there's a Trainer telling everyone that the younger Trainers, including May, are babies who can't do well at Contests and shouldn't even try. Ash tries to console her, but May is starting to believe she isn't good enough to compete. Ash concludes that the Trainer is the one with the problem. They call Quinn to talk about appreciating differences and how judging people based on stereotypes is wrong.

Characters that appear in this episode are

The model used for the discriminating Trainer is nearly the same as May's father Norman.

Problem Solving

May and Max are ready to give Munchlax a rest at the Pokémon Center after a long battle, and a good thing to considering that it's so cold outside, which is unusual considering the time of year. They find out at the Pokémon Center that a freak blizzard has hit the normally warm area, causing problems for the local Bellsprout population, who are much more used to a warm habitat. May and Max decide to help them out, but are unsure of where to start. They decide to call Quinn, who tries to teach them the six steps to a solution, but Siara also has a problem, with an explosive outcome.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Goal Setting

May has just healed her Pokémon at the Pokémon Center and is just about to leave when Nurse Joy tells her about a hot air balloon race near Saffron City in the coming week. May wants to enter with a Skitty balloon, and Max agrees to help out. The only catch is that she has no idea where to begin, in fact, she doesn't even know what a hot air balloon caption is called. She calls up Quinn for help on how to set goals using the SMART system.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Not surprisingly, Team Rocket enters the Contest, but don't actually appear themselves, only their balloon.

Peer Pressure

May is preparing Eevee for another Contest, she tells Eevee not to be discouraged about not being an evolved form, like the Espeon they saw earlier. An Umbreon shows up and May is suddenly not feeling so good about entering with just an Eevee. She wonders if she could get it to evolve into one of its many forms. Eevee doesn't seem to agree with this, but May feels like everyone else has an evolved Eevee while May doesn't. She even considers not competing in the Contest, even though they've worked so hard. She calls Quinn and learns about peer pressure, both the bad and the good kinds.

Characters that appear in this episode are

May's Eevee would eventually evolve into a Glaceon.

Managing Stress

May is preparing for a Contest, this time with Beautifly, as she has decided to use its Silver Wind in a unique way, but she isn't sure if she's practiced enough. Ash and Max try to make her feel better, but May is reminded of the time Beautifly lost to a Milotic. She begins to panic over the Contest. Ash and Max try to distract her, but their attempts were unsuccessful. It turns out that there is a Trainer that has entered with a Milotic. May freaks out and snaps at Ash and Max. Ash decides to contact Quinn, who gives tips on stress management.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Nurse Joy, Misty, Tracey and Brock only appear in this episode as examples of them coping with stress in some way.

Nutrition Labels

Ash and his friends are having a picnic at the beach before heading to the next town for another battle. After Pikachu accidentally kicks sand into Skitty's face, May decides that she needs more space. Brock joins her to train Ludicolo. While they train, Max and Ash decide to eat the food they brought with them on the picnic, unbeknownst to them, Team Rocket is planning on stealing their food. Using an air puffer, they blow sand into the faces of Ash, Max and Pikachu. While they were blinded, they swipe the picnic basket and run off, with Max trying to chase them, but they get away. May and Brock hear the commotion and wonder what's going on. Max explains that Team Rocket stole all the best food, or at least the food that tasted the best. Brock explains that ingredients are what makes food good. They call up Quinn, who explains to them about nutrition labels on food packages.

Characters that appear in this episode are

As with the Food Pyramid episode, many of the food items used as examples have meat in them.

This episode also appears in the Science section.

Helping a School or Community Problem

Ash and May are heading towards a beautiful lake that they've heard about, which is populated by Goldeen. When they finally get there, they find that the shoreline is full of trash. People are becoming careless with their garbage. Even Team Rocket is leaving their garbage behind. Ash and May try to tell them to pick up their trash, but they don't listen to them. Ash thinks about leaving, but May wants to do something about it. Ash agrees with her and calls up Quinn, who teaches them the steps on how to fix a big problem through the acronym CHANGE.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Characters used in the Try section are Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, Brawly, Norman, Misty and Professor Oak.

Good Sportsmanship

May is competing in a Pokémon Contest with her Eevee against a Trainer named Jessandra, who is really Jessie in disguise, with her Seviper. Seviper uses a Poison Tail attack, which generates cheers from the crowd. May decides to launch a counterattack, while James and Meowth plan on disrupting her. James orders Cacnea to use Pin Missile, which hits Eevee from behind. May asks her Pokémon what's wrong, Eevee isn't too hurt but is feeling a bit saddened. James's deed hasn't gone un-noticed though: Nurse Joy and an extra in the audience notices it as well. While Seviper attacks with another Poison Tail, Jessandra begins to gloat. Max tells May to not to listen to her and to focus on the match. Eevee gets its confidence back and tries to attack. However, Cacnea shoots another Pin Missile from the sidelines, knocking Eevee off balance again. Jessandra insults May, and Meowth joins in. Round one is over with Jessandra as the winner, which causes her to gloat even more. May thinks about telling the judges that it's Jessandra's fault and that she should be disqualified for teasing her. Max reasons that even if she's a bad sport, doesn't mean that May should be one as well. However, May is too worked up about Jessandra to listen. Max calls Quinn up and he explains good sportsmanship to May and Max.

Characters that appear in this episode are

This episode is notable in that it's the only one that actually has Pokémon battling in a real competition. It also may be the only time where Jessie won a Contest against a main character, even though she cheated. Naturally, Lilian is told of Jessandra's cheating by Nurse Joy and the extra, and the Ribbon goes to a Rapidash owned by Regina. James admits to using Cacnea, and Jessie yells at him; at some point, James grabs onto her clothing, revealing themselves to be Team Rocket.

Lilian's model is somewhat off, since her hair is pointing downward instead of sideways, and her mole is missing.

Self Esteem

Ash, May and Max are heading towards Pallet Town. Ash and May are psyched because they're going to have a Double Battle, and Ash hopes that Professor Oak is able to see him perform. May adds that even if he wasn't there, at least all the new Trainers can watch him. Max wants to meet him to talk about what it takes to be a great Pokémon Trainer, and hopes he didn't forget anything. May says that his memory is like a book, which gives him an idea to write a book about the experiences of Pokémon training, and of his adventures with Ash. Ash decides to use Pikachu for the battle, while May chooses Eevee. They prepare for the battle while Max writes what happens. Later on, it's revealed that both of them were sorely beaten. Max is saddened by the loss — so much so that he isn't able to write about it any longer, he even considers to change the ending. However, Ash and May don't seem to mind the loss: Ash just likes to battle while May got some great ideas for her next Contests. Max wonders how he could feel good even after a defeat like that. Ash mentions that there were times when a loss would bum them out, but then they realized that it shouldn't get them down. They call Quinn up to explain things better. He then teaches the group about Self Esteem.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Homework Skills

The episode starts off with Roxanne telling everyone how proud she is of how everyone is working in her Future Trainer's Workshop. She's also especially proud of Max, who didn't miss a single question on the test on Pokémon native to Hoenn. As a reward, there's a traveling Pokémon battle Team coming and the whole class are the special guests at the battle. This gets the class very excited. Later on, Max is at a drinking fountain with one of his classmates, Max is excited and talks about how they could study how Trainers train. However, his classmate wonders how he could be a Pokémon Trainer when he does poorly on his tests. Max suggests that they should talk to some real Trainers and coordinators, since that's the best way he can study. He then mentions that his sister and his friend are Trainers. A little while later, May and Ash are training with Pikachu and Squirtle. Max and his friend talk about how much preparation is done before the actual battle or Contest can begin. May and Ash meet them and Max introduces his classmate as Brent. They ask him what he knows so far, and tells them that he knows he has a long way to go. Ash and May have to continue training, so Ash suggests they call Quinn. Max follows Ash's advice and call Quinn up. Quinn shows them the new wheels for his skateboard that Siara made. He proceeds to ride his skateboard and ends up crashing into a wall. Luckily he's wearing a helmet, so he can practice all he wants. Brent explains his problem, and Quinn gives some tips on how to study effectively.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Brent is an original Pokémon Learning League character. While Brent himself only appears in this episode, Brent's character model is used in many Learning League episodes as an extra.

Many of the homework examples used in the episodes are related to Pokémon, such as lists of first partner Pokémon or Water-type Pokémon.

Dealing with Anger

Ash and May are going to a park for a picnic, they hear something in the bushes. It turns out to be Team Rocket, who are quarreling with each other. Jessie fell into a hole and is covered in dirt and twigs. She yells at Meowth for not digging the hole where she wanted it. Meowth is angry because neither Jessie or James rarely do any work and are terrible at catching Pokémon. As they squabble among each other, Ash and May agree to never fight like that, but they want to know more about how to deal with anger. They call Quinn up who explains to them how to deal with anger in a healthy way. After they're done talking. May and Ash decide to leave, but then decide to talk to Team Rocket on how they can deal with their anger.

Characters that appear in this episode are

Exercise

Ash and Brock are watching a Trainer and his Machop perform a DynamicPunch. Both of them are impressed by its intensity, by how much muscle it has and by its Karate Chop. Ash looks up Machop in the Pokédex, which mentions how much it trains to master all kinds of martial arts, and its unbelievable strength. Ash wishes that he were that strong, so Brock suggests that he should build up his muscles as well. So Ash decides to run for a bit to build them up. Brock then suggests that he should have something against his muscle, so Ash does some push-ups and slips. Brock mentions that he has to do more than that. So they decide to call Quinn up to see if he has any advice on how to exercise properly.

Characters that appear in this episode are

This episode is the first episode that has Ash and Brock in their Diamond and Pearl clothing.

When proteins are talked about during the lesson, they have soybeans and tofu as the examples.

This episode also appears in the Science section.

Giving Back

Ash and friends are walking when a girl with a sack full of dolls passes by. As she is walking, she is blissfully unaware that the dolls are falling out of her sack. They call for her, but she only notices when Pikachu calls. She explains that the dolls are for a toy drive at the local children's hospital. The girl introduces herself as Lainea. She explains that her sister is currently staying at the hospital and that her favorite Pokémon is Pikachu. They meet the nurse and she introduces them to her. They wonder what they can do to help, so they call about Quinn and learn about volunteering and giving back to the community.

Characters that appear in this episode are:

The dolls that Lainea has are of Pikachu, Wobbuffet, Munchlax, Eevee, and Phanpy.

PUSA supports the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, at the end of the episode, it offers a link to their website.

Listening Skills

Ash and Dawn have chosen a good spot to rest in the middle of the woods at night. As they sit, Ash listens to the Hoothoot calling, Dawn would also love to listen, but she's far too busy thinking about her Contests. Ash decides to teach Dawn a thing or two about Pokémon training. As Ash starts talking about what it takes to be a great Trainer (Putting your Pokémon first, ensuring their happiness comes above winning competitions, etc.) Dawn is increasingly becoming distracted by thoughts about Contests. Ash becomes a little annoyed that Dawn isn't paying attention, so Dawn apologizes. So Ash decides to listen to Dawn's goals. As Dawn shows Ash her mother's Ribbon, it seems like Ash is also getting distracted by the Hoothoot. They realize that they are good listeners, just not to each other. So they call Quinn up and learn about listening skills.

Characters that appear in this episode are

This lesson also appears in the Language Arts section.

Online Safety

Ash, Dawn and Brock are preparing for another Pokémon Contest. They meet Zoey, who has her laptop open. Zoey introduces the group to a Coordinator message board. Brock mentions that they saw posters about the website. Dawn gets excited and introduces herself on the message board. She immediately gets contacted by a poster by the username of "CoolGirlTrainer", who asks if they could meet and hang out before the Contest, the poster also asks where and when she'll be there and what Pokémon Dawn will bring. They ask Zoey who "CoolGirlTrainer" is, Zoey isn't really sure who she is, but she mentions that she apparently contacts a lot of coordinators, including Zoey herself, but she hasn't replied back yet. Dawn automatically assumes that she's just a fellow coordinator who they've probably met before. Zoey mentions that nobody really know who this poster really is. Ash also isn't so sure about trusting this person, but Dawn quickly dismisses the thought and continues to chat with "CoolGirlTrainer". Ash, Zoey and Brock call Quinn and learn about how to be safe on the Internet.

Characters that appear in this episode are

During the lesson, Dawn makes plans to meet with "CoolGirlTrainer", Zoey tries to explain what they've just learned to Dawn, but she interrupts her to say she's going to meet her anyway. When Ash, Brock and Zoey finally meet up with Dawn, she explains that both Piplup and Buneary have gone missing. It turns out that Team Rocket caught both of them. They then reveal that they are in fact "CoolGirlTrainer" and that they decide to catch the Pokémon of other Coordinators who have fallen for the trap. As they escape in their balloon, Ash calls Staravia and Zoey calls Shellos. Shellos uses Blizzard while Staravia snatches Buneary and Piplup away. Once the two are safe, Pikachu Thunderbolts them and they blast off. Dawn apologizes for not listening to them earlier and Zoey explains that Coordinators must look out for one another and their Pokémon.

At one point, Quinn types his name into a search engine, which results in information about skateboarding tricks.

This episode is noteworthy because it's the first episode that features a character that's considered a rival.

This episode is also listed in the Language Arts section.

Self-Control

Ash, Brock and Pikachu have arrived at a Pokémon Trainer Fair. Ash is very excited because he's been looking forward to it for months. He immediately grabs Brock and goes rushing in. Ash cuts in front of a few people that are standing in line for a certain event. Brock tries to remind Ash to control himself, but he doesn't hear him and he goes over to a booth for Flying-type Pokémon techniques. While trying to get in front, he accidentally shoves a few people. Brock reminds him to get a hold of himself, which at this point, Ash realizes this and tries to calm down, but just can't. Since they have some time to wait, they decide to call Quinn and learn about the various ways of self-control.

Characters that appear in this episode are

During the lesson, Ash sees Team Rocket playing a ring toss game. The sight of them at the fair makes Ash angry, but they aren't doing anything bad at the moment. At another point of the lesson, Brock sees a Munchlax eating five sticks of cotton candy at once and gets frustrated at the sight, since he knows that Pokémon need better nutrition than that.

Cyberbullying

Ash's friends and Dawn's friend/rival, Zoey, are preparing for a Pokémon Contest. Zoey has some new ideas for moves they can try out on her laptop. Meanwhile, hiding in the bushes, Team Rocket is conspiring to capture Zoey's Glameow for the boss. James wants to grab it then and there, but Jessie adds that she's got all her friends and is too confident at the moment, and that they should wait until her guard is down to strike. As they spy on her, they notice that she's working on her laptop. When she sees Zoey's email address, Jessie finds the perfect way to get at her: spam her inbox with emails claiming how worthless she is and similar "bogus" messages on the coordinator message board. Then when she loses the Contest, she should give her Glameow to a more worthy coordinator: herself! Later on, Zoey is getting very frustrated because she keeps getting nasty emails from someone she doesn't know. She tries to ignore them, but they keep on coming. Ash decides to help by calling Quinn and learn about cyberbullying and how to deal with it.

Characters that appear in this episode are:

Zoey reports the emails to Officer Jenny who manages to trace the domain name back to Team Rocket. They eventually get Team Rocket banned from checking their email and get found out. As they escape in their balloon, Pikachu thunderbolts them, causing Meowth to drop their laptop, breaking it.

Much like the episode Bullying, this episode starts off with a warning that states that you must tell a trusted adult if you or someone you know is the target of a bully.

Manners

There's a Trainer parade that's about to begin and Ash and his friends found a wonderful spot to see everything. Suddenly, a disguised Team Rocket show up and intentionally block their view of the parade. They try telling them to move, but they ignore their requests, so they decide to move to another spot. While there isn't any rule against it, they felt that what they did was pretty rude. Suddenly some other people bump into them and they get jostled about. They call Quinn and learn about manners and how they are applied to everyday life.

Characters that appear in this episode are:

At the end, an announcer proclaims that someone is going to ride on the final float as the crowned Trainer. Jessie automatically assumes it's her. In her attempt to get herself noticed, she knocks over a girl and Dawn rushes over to her and helps her up. The announcer notices this and chooses Dawn to be the crowned Trainer. Team Rocket wonder how she got chosen, and Ash just tells them that it's part of "the code".

The girl that was knocked over shares the same character model as Laniea from Giving Back.

Lessons that appear in other sections

Some episodes that are listed in this section may appear in other sections and may be taught by a different mission guide.