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Pop Goes The Sneasel!

EP265   ニューラとせいなるほのお！ Nyula and the Sacred Flame!

First broadcast Japan September 12, 2002 United States September 16, 2003

English themes Opening Believe in Me Ending

Japanese themes Opening Ready Go! Ending ポケッターリ・モンスターリ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi 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 No additional credits are available at this time.

Pop Goes The Sneasel! (Japanese: ニューラとせいなるほのお！ Nyula and the Sacred Flame!) is episode 265 of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on September 12, 2002 and in the United States on September 16, 2003.

The torch that will light the flame for the Silver Conference is due to set off but a territorial Sneasel is preventing the ceremony from starting. Ash and Harrison, another trainer who appears as the story is being explained, promise to get to the flame. Meanwhile, Jessie decides that the Sneasel should replace Meowth.

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

Synopsis

After returning Larvitar, Ash and the gang head towards Silver Mountain. Along the way, they notice people gathered at a large closed gate. When they get there, Ash asks a bystander what's going on. The person says that there's some commotion going on the other side. The bad thing is though, this gate leads to Silver Mountain, so everyone's stuck! The gate opens a tad and one of the attendants explains the current situation. While this is happening, Togepi, who was on the ground, walks towards the gate. Pikachu follows after Togepi and soon the attendant noticed that they were inside the gate! The gang runs after them.

Pikachu and Togepi are reunited with their trainers, and they apologize to the guard. But the attendant says it's probably perfect timing anyway, since he didn't know how else to say this. Before he can finish, two trainers run down a set of stone steps and it looks like they were in a battle. One of them yells at the attendant. Ash asks what was that all about, then attendant finally says that nobody's been able to get to the Sacred Fire. Ash, as usual, asks about that. Soon another trainer steps in to tell about that.

But before the stranger could tell the story, the gang breaks that off with a "Who are you?". The trainer is Harrison from Littleroot Town in Hoenn. Brock says he's heard of Hoenn, which is supposed around here. Harrison starts to explain that long ago, this area was one major place for battles and wars. People ravaged the place so badly that the Pokémon suffered because of it and the vegetation was wiped out. Soon Ho-oh used its power to "burn" the place back to life. Eventually the forest that stands now was restored. But a bit of a tree was left burning for the longest of times. And they placed the fire in a shrine that's supposed to be around here.

The attendant adds that recently there have been reports of a Sneasel preventing people from getting near. And the Sneasel's also known to use a Machop and Machoke to help. And every trainer who volunteered to try ended up coming back, not only with hurt Pokémon, but even broken bones and other serious injuries. The attendant is really worried, because without the Sacred Fire, the ceromony for the Silver Tournament can't start, and thus, no tournament this year.

Ash says he'll make sure he can get the Sacred Fire secure from the Sneasel, mainly because he wants to go compete. Harrison, on the other hand, wants the Sneasel and will help Ash out if he can get his hands on it. Ash asks where is the shrine and the attendant points the way: the same stone steps. Everyone soon goes up the stairs.

Somewhere else in the forest, Team Rocket walks around talking about this Sacred Fire. They plan to get it and pawn it off, and finally they find the shrine, but as soon as they run, they get clotheslined by a Machoke. All but Meowth were decked, Meowth looked around and saw that there was a Machoke and a Machop, followed by a Sneasel. Jessie and James get back up and see the Sneasel and decide to capture it as well.

Jessie sends out Arbok to try to take care of the cat. She commands Arbok to use Slam, but Sneasel simply jumps out of the way and gives it one heck of a slash. Meowth makes a snobby comment but Jessie throws him to battle to prove what he said. Meowth tries to give the Sneasel scratches, but Sneasel dodges them all and gives Meowth one large swipe, which sends the cat Pokémon crashing into the Rockets and sending them all clear across the path.

The gang is almost there, and when they almost reach the top, Ash runs towards the shrine. However, he almost gets clotheslined as well, but manages to avoid it. He almost falls backwards down the stairs, but everyone else grabs him. When everyone reaches the top, they find out it's the Machop and the Machoke that the attendant was talking about. They decide to hit-distract-and-run since they don't want to waste time.

Misty sends out Corsola and Harrison uses his Houndoom to take down the fighting duo. They successfully hold them back with Spike Cannon and Flamethrower. While this is happening, Ash goes up to the shrine and opens the doors, but almost gets swiped by the Sneasel. Ash sends out Totodile to try to take the Sneasel on. Ash tells Totodile to use Water Gun (but makes a comment not to hit the Sacred Fire) and Totodile fires water at the Sneasel. Sneasel strikes back with a Slash which gets Totodile down, but not out. Finally the Sneasel gvies Totodile a Shadow Ball that throws Totodile right into Ash! Both get sent right back down the hill, but fortunately they collide into a tree. Something tells them that this isn't going to be easy.

As for the Rockets, Jessie and James get a little doubtful about Meowth. Jessie pulls James over for a private talk about this. Jessie says that they should get the Sneasel, since it's more powerful than Meowth but no less different, it's still a cat. Meowth sneaks up on the conversation and listens to the whole plot to ditch Meowth for that Sneasel. James' is a little hesistant, since he can't picture someone replacing Meowth. Meowth hurries back before they're finsihed and soon Jessie and James goes back. Jessie tries to cover up their plot with some excuse and Meowth is all "happy" about it. James on the other hand seems a little less hesistant.

The gang plans out some tactics and soon goes at the Sacred Fire again. This time they encounter the fighters who are waiting. Ash sends out Phanpy and Harrison uses Houndoom. Phanpy takes the Machop down with a Tackle and Houndoom gets the Machoke with Take Down. This puts the fighters back and when they try to run to their opponents, Houndoom and Phanpy lift them up and send them down the hill. The duo lands on the bottom where the attendant is standing, looks like they could do something else now.

They find the Sneasel, but soon the Rocket's in a Sneasel balloon float above. Everything's almost the same, except Meowth imitating Sneasel. Everyone but Ash knows that it's just Meowth in a Sneasel costume. So the Rockets put their plan into effect. Meowth brings over a present box to the Sneasel. Jessie tells the plan: Meowth gives the box which is really a smoke bomb, Jessie and James pick up Sneasel, and they run off. As for Meowth, he tells the Sneasel what's really going on. The Sneasel doesn't bite and slashes Meowth, the smoke bomb coming out of the present anyway. The bomb explodes and the Rocket's make their move and grab Sneasel. They run off and laugh in their success, but when they check on Sneasel, it's really Meowth! Meowth gives both Jessie and James a good slashing.

The smoke clears and the gang is surprised to see that Sneasel is still there. With no time to waste, Harrison takes the chance and initiates battle. He sends out a new Pokémon this time: Blaziken. Ash tries to scan it on the PokeDex, but there's no data. The brock realizes that this must be a Pokémon from the Houen region. The first attack Blaziken does is Quick Attack, which the Sneasel has no chance of dodging. The Sneasel tries to counter with a Shadow Ball, but Bashamo dodges from that and retorts with a Flamethrower. Finally Blaziken gives Sneasel a Fire Punch, knocking it down. Harrison throws a Poké Ball at Sneasel and catches the Pokémon!

Ash comments about Harrison's Blaziken, seeing this Pokémon being strong and all. Finally, they go get the Sacred Fire. Finally the ceromony of the Silver Tournament begins with a runner bringing the fire to the stadium. Harrison says that he'll be at the Tournament and he's looking forward to seeing Ash there. Ash on the other hand is left stunned, but then again, nothing comes easy.

Major events

• Ash meets Harrison and together they allow the Silver Conference to commence.
• Harrison catches a Sneasel.

Debuts

• Harrison
• Blaziken (Harrison's)

Characters

Humans

• Ash Ketchum
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Harrison

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Elekid

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Totodile (Ash's)
• Phanpy (Ash's)
• Corsola (Misty's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Houndoom (Harrison's)
• Blaziken (Harrison's)
• Sneasel (Harrison's; new)
• Ho-oh (legend flashback)
• Machop
• Machoke
• Poliwrath
• Butterfree

Trivia

• The ceremony beginning the Silver Tournament uses a runner carrying a lighted torch into the stadium in the same manner as the Pokémon League Games in Kanto.
• The Pokédex has no available data on Blaziken. This will change with the Pokédex upgrade in The Ties That Bind.

Errors

Dub edits

In other languages

• French: Le gardien de la flamme Sacrée

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