EP007: Difference between revisions

'''The Water Flowers of Cerulean City''' (Japanese: ''' ハナダシティのすいちゅうか''' ''The {{tt|Suichūka|water flowers}} of {{tt|Hanada|Cerulean}} City'') is the seventh episode of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It first aired in Japan on May 13, 1997 and in United States on September 16, 1998.

<!--http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-episodes/01_07-the-water-flowers-of-cerulean-city/-->

When Ash and Brock enter Cerulean City, they see a big crowd of people surrounding a building. Unbeknownst to them, {{TRT}} had stolen a vacuum machine from the store overnight. Ash and Brock push through to the front, they see [[Officer Jenny]] and she accuses them of being criminals. When they prove their innocence, she lets them go, and ushers the crowd away. After that, they sit on a bench and Ash asks Brock for inside information on the [[Gym Leader]]. Brock tells him that as a Gym Leader, he cannot give out that information. Then Brock decides to check something out that he has been meaning to look at. They split up, and Ash heads to the [[Cerulean Gym]] alone.

When Ash reaches the Gym, he finds three sisters performing a synchronized swimming show for a lively crowd. Ash meets the girls backstage, finds out that they are the Gym Leaders, and challenges them to a battle. The girls, {{ka|Lily}}, {{an|Daisy}}, and {{an|Violet}}, explain that their {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} are too tired to battle from matches against three Trainers from [[Pallet Town]]. Lily shows Ash the trio's final Pokémon, a {{p|Goldeen}}. Daisy claps her hands and a {{p|Seel}} with the badge in its mouth appears, whereupon she offers Ash the Cascade Badge without a proper match. Misty, who had been spying on the entire scene, intervenes and challenges Ash to a battle. As it turns out, Misty is herself a Cerulean Gym Leader as well, and also the youngest of [[The Sensational Sisters]], but because she is so much younger than her three sisters, they call her a runt.

After Misty argues with her sisters, she challenges Ash to an official Cerulean Gym battle, two Pokémon per side. Ash tries to send out {{AP|Pikachu}}, but Pikachu refuses to go into battle because he considers Misty a friend. Instead, Ash sends out {{AP|Butterfree}} to battle [[Misty's Staryu]]. Ash hits Staryu with a {{m|Tackle}}, and Staryu replies with several {{m|Water Gun}}s. Butterfree's {{m|Stun Spore}} paralyzes Staryu temporarily, though it dives and washes the powder off. Ash tries {{m|Sleep Powder}}, though Staryu dives once again. Staryu performs several Tackles and eventually knocks Butterfree into the pool, causing him to lose the battle. After that, Misty sends out {{TP|Misty|Starmie}} and Ash sends out {{AP|Pidgeotto}}. Pidgeotto uses {{m|Whirlwind}} on Starmie, but it jumps into the water and attacks Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto uses {{m|Gust}}, causing Starmie to hit the wall and its red core to flash, with Misty becoming concerned about Starmie's energy wearing out. However, before the battle can continue, {{TRT}} interrupts and tries to steal all of the {{type|Water}} Pokémon and the water from the Gym using a giant vacuum machine &ndash; the one stolen the previous night.

While Team Rocket's vacuum is sucking up the Water Pokémon, Pikachu releases a {{m|Thunderbolt}} attack, which causes Team Rocket to fall into their machine and be blasted off. Ash rushes over to the machine and reverses the vacuum, just as Pikachu is sucked in. After Team Rocket is gone, Daisy gives Ash the {{Badge|Cascade}} in recognition of Pikachu's efforts. Misty tries to argue, but her sisters convince her that if Ash had used Pikachu he would have easily beaten her Water-type Pokémon. Misty agrees with her sisters and claims that when she comes back from her journey with Ash, she will be a great Trainer. Brock then meets Ash outside of the Gym. Ash and Misty continue to argue about who would have won the match, as the trio heads for Vermilion City.

* Ash learns that {{an|Misty}} is also one of Cerulean City's Gym Leaders and that Daisy, Violet, and Lily are her [[The Sensational Sisters|sisters]].

* This is the first Gym where Ash doesn't use a [[starter Pokémon]]. It wouldn't happen again until ''[[XY074|Fairy-Type Trickery!]]'', 866 episodes later.

* This is the only time [[Ash's Butterfree]] is used in a gym battle.

* [[Misty's Staryu]] knocking Ash's Butterfree into the water is the first of the few instances in the Indigo League episodes that features a Pokémon considered unable to battle from a condition aside from fainting. In this case, Ash was forced to recall Butterfree as he was unable to swim.

 

* In the {{pmin|Spain|Spanish}} dub, when Misty's sister calls for Seel, she said "See-al".

* In one scene, a part of Pikachu's right ear is missing, making his left ear look longer than his right.

* When Team Rocket is coming out of their tank, the brim on Ash's hat is miscolored white.

* When Pikachu electrocutes Team Rocket, the edge of Meowth's ears are cream colored instead of black.

* When the recap of the previous episode is shown, in the English dub, the sign is shown to be written in Japanese.

* When {{TRT}} begins reciting their motto, [[James]] is holding a light blue rose instead of red.

* When Ash's Pokédex reads Staryu, it classifies the Pokémon as a hermaphrodite. Ash calls this strange, and Misty tells him it shouldn't matter who someone falls in love with. In the English dub, the Pokédex makes no mention of Staryu's gender and instead highlights its shining core, which is sold as a type of jewelry. Ash now remarks that it is typical of a girl to "show off her jewelry", and Misty responds by telling him to "quit stalling".