EP010: Difference between revisions

Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village

EP010   かくれざとのフシギダネ Fushigidane of the Hidden Village

First broadcast Japan June 3, 1997 United States September 21, 1998

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ひゃくごじゅういち

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 開木菜織 Naori Hiraki Assistant director 広島秀樹 Hideki Hiroshima Animation director 平岡正幸 Masayuki Hiraoka Additional credits

Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village (Japanese: かくれざとのフシギダネ Fushigidane of the Hidden Village) is the tenth episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on June 3, 1997 and in the United States on September 21, 1998.

Ash, Misty, and Brock find a hidden village of recovering abandoned Pokémon, guarded by a surly and protective Bulbasaur.

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

Synopsis

Our heroes were wandering through the forest without a compass, trying to find the path to Vermilion City. Ash and Misty were fighting, as usual, this time over who led them astray, while Brock was trying to get them to cool down.

They paused for a rest, and Ash saw an Oddish taking a drink. Misty sent her Starmie to fight the Oddish so she could catch it. The Oddish was defeated, but Misty's Poké Ball was deflected by the appearance of a Bulbasaur before she could claim it. The Bulbasaur attacked and defeated the Starmie; Ash sent his Butterfree after the Bulbasaur with a Sleep Powder attack, but the Bulbasaur blew the powder back at Butterfree. Both the Oddish and the Bulbasaur ran off into the underbrush.

The trio attempted to cross a rope bridge, but a wind started to rip the bridge apart. Brock fell into the river below, while Misty and Pikachu clang to Ash. Ash ultimately managed to pull them up, and the three made their way to the end of the bridge. They made their way down to water level and went looking for Brock. At once, Misty fell through a dead fall into a pit. Ash pulled her out, and they went on looking. As they walked along, Misty's toe caught a rope, and they found themselves suspended in a net. They were found by Bulbasaur.

Team Rocket appeared, looking for a village across the bridge.

Ash speculated that Brock had been washed to sea and shanghaied by pirates; moments later, Brock appeared and cut them down. Brock related his experience in the river; he was rescued from the rapids by an "incredibly beautiful" girl. Brock took them to the village and introduced them to the girl, Melanie.

Ash and Misty noticd the large number of Pokémon in the village and wondered if they belonged to Melanie. Brock explained that this village is a place for abandoned or injured Pokémon to come to rest and relax. Melanie cares for them until they're better, then they leave. Melanie collected plants to use for medicine, though she said she's unqualified to be a Pokémon doctor. Misty teased Brock for falling in love with Melanie; he reacted a little violently, fearing Melanie might overhear.

Melanie explained that she set the traps they fell into to prevent Pokémon Trainers from reaching the village. She was trying to protect the injured Pokémon from being captured while they are too ill to escape.

Jessie, James and Meowth tried to cross the remains of the bridge, but it collapsed under them, dumping them into the river.

Brock promised Melanie they wouldn't capture any of the Pokémon in the village; Misty asked if he sealed the promise with a kiss, and Brock thumped her hard on the top of her head. Misty agreed anyway, saying, "Only bad guys try to capture sick Pokémon." Ash worried that the traps weren't enough to keep robbers away, saying, "You'd have to be pretty stupid to fall into one of those holes." Almost immediately, Team Rocket climbed out of a hole and Jessie said, "That's the third hole we've fallen into!" They got out only to immediately get caught in a net.

Brock and Ash were tending to a Staryu, while Misty apologized to the Oddish. She and Ash began quarreling, and the Bulbasaur tackled Misty, thinking Oddish was in danger. Melanie explained that Bulbasaur volunteered to protect the whole village. Bulbasaur tried to push Ash out of the village because it didn't trust Pokémon Trainers. Ash wished he had a Pokémon that brave.

Team Rocket appeared from behind a cloud, standing on a balloon-lifted platform, reciting their mantra. They landed in a clearing outside the village, and tried to collect all the Pokémon in the village with a massive vacuum. Brock herded everyone into the cabin, but Oddish got caught in the suction. Bulbasaur rescued Oddish with its vine whip, and Ash helped block the wind so it could carry Oddish to the cabin. The vacuum started to actually pull the roof off the cabin, so Bulbasaur used its vine whips to smack the hose around. Ash released his Pidgeotto with instructions to start a Gust attack. The resultant tornado tossed Team Rocket and their platform into the distance.

Melanie asked Ash to take the Bulbasaur with him; the village was too small for its bulb to grow. She said the Pokémon are staying in the village too long, because the Bulbasaur had done too good a job of protecting them. She felt Ash would be a good Trainer for Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur agreed to go with Ash, on condition that they battle first. Ash sent Pikachu, and the two traded rams. Bulbasaur used its vine whips to toss Pikachu around, but Ash called for a Thunderbolt, which shocked Bulbasaur into submission, allowing Ash to catch it in a Poké Ball. Brock offered to stay and help, but Melanie refused, telling him to continue on his adventures.

Major events

• Ash catches a Bulbasaur.
• Misty unsuccessfully tries to capture an Oddish.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Bulbasaur (Ash's)
• Oddish

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Melanie

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Bulbasaur

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Butterfree (Ash's)
• Pidgeotto (Ash's)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's; new; debut)
• Starmie (Misty's)
• Caterpie
• Rattata
• Oddish (debut)
• Paras
• Weepinbell
• Staryu
• Magikarp

Trivia

• This is the first episode of a three-episode arc where Ash gets each of Kanto's starter Pokémon.
• Eric Stuart takes over for Ted Lewis in the role of James as of this episode.
• James makes a reference to Nomo Hideo in the Japanese version when Pidgeotto blows the stadium away.
• The dub title sounds similar to the Japanese title. It shares this trait with other episodes.

Errors

• Before Ash helps Bulbasaur, part of Bulbasaur's bulb disappears.
• When Team Rocket falls down into a hole, Meowth's paws turn dark brown and his lower body turn dark colored.
• When Team Rocket got caught in the net, Meowth's ears turn light brown.
• Misty believes Oddish to be a Template:Type2 because she saw it taking a drink.
• After Ash captures Bulbasaur, Melanie's shirt is red instead of pink.
• Ash's gloves turn completely lime green after he pulls Misty, Pikachu and himself up from the broken bridge.

Dub edits

• The exchange between Ash and Misty at the bridge was different: In the dub versions, Ash was losing confidence, while Misty was encouraging him, while in the original version, Ash says Misty is far too heavy, and Misty berates Ash for implying that she's fat.
• Also, when Ash was guessing about what happened to Brock, he speculates that he was picked up by pirates in the dub, while in the original he was actually guessing that he was picked up by an ugly old hag washing clothes in the river.

In other languages

• Brazilian Portuguese: Bulbassauro e a Vila Escondida
• Czech: Bulbasaur a Utajená Vesnice
• Dutch: Bulbasaur en de Verborgen Stad
• European Portuguese: Bulbasaur e a Aldeia Escondida
• Finnish: Bulbasaur ja Pokémonien suojapaikka
• French: Le village caché
• German: Bisasam und das versteckte Idyll
• Italian: Un'oasi felice
• Latin American Spanish: ¡La aldea secreta de Bulbasaur!
• Iberian Spanish: Bulbasaur y la aldea oculta
• Mandarin:　神奇宝贝乡的妙蛙种子

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