EP265
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Pop Goes The Sneasel
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First broadcast
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English themes
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Japanese themes
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Credits
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Pop Goes The Sneasel (Japanese: ニューラとせいなるほのお！ Nyula and the Sacred Flame!) is the 265th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on September 12, 2002 and in the United States on September 16, 2003.
Synopsis
After returning Larvitar, Ash and the gang head toward Mt. Silver. 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 Mt. Silver, 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 notices that they are 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 to be 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. Ho-Oh appeared after a battle and unleashed a rose colored flame that stopped the battles and "burned" the area 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, a Machop, and a Machoke preventing people from getting near. Every trainer who volunteered to try to stop the offending Pokémon ended up coming back with hurt Pokémon, broken bones, and other serious injuries. The attendant is really worried, because without the Sacred Fire, the ceremony 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, Jessie and James are searching for the Sacred Fire. They plan to get it and sell it off, and finally they find the shrine, but as soon as they run, they get clotheslined by a Machoke. All but Meowth are 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 Headbutt, but Sneasel simply jumps out of the way and uses Fury Swipes on Arbok. Meowth makes a snobby comment but Jessie throws him to battle to prove what he said. Meowth tries to use Fury Swipes on Sneasel, but Sneasel dodges the attack and gives Meowth a Slash, which sends the cat Pokémon crashing into Jessie and James 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 distract the Pokémon and then run from them since our heroes 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 take the Sneasel on. Ash tells Totodile to use Water Gun, but tells Totodile not to hit the Sacred Fire, and Totodile attacks Sneasel. Sneasel strikes back with Slash and knocks Totodile down, but not out. Finally the Sneasel gives 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.
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, as 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 hesitant, since he can't picture someone replacing Meowth. Meowth hurries back before they're finished and soon Jessie and James goes back. Jessie tries to cover up their plot with some excuse and Meowth pretends to be happy about it. James on the other hand seems a little hesitant.
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 hits Machoke with Headbutt. This knocks 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 Pokédex, but there's no data. Then, Brock realizes that this must be a Pokémon from the Hoenn region. The first attack Blaziken uses is Quick Attack, which the Sneasel has no chance of dodging. The Sneasel tries to counter with a Shadow Ball, but Blaziken dodges from that and counters with Flamethrower. 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. The ceremony 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.
Major events
- Ash meets Harrison and together they allow the Silver Conference to commence.
- Harrison captures a Sneasel.
- For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series, please see the timeline page.
Debuts
Pokémon
TV episode
Characters
Humans
Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: Elekid (US and international), Sneasel (Japan)
- Pikachu (Ash's)
- Meowth (Team Rocket)
- Togepi (Misty's)
- Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
- Totodile (Ash's)
- Phanpy (Ash's)
- Corsola (Misty's)
- Arbok (Jessie's)
- Houndoom (Harrison's)
- Blaziken (Harrison's; debut)
- Sneasel (Harrison's; new)
- Ho-Oh (flashback)
- Machop
- Machoke
- Poliwrath (Trainer's)
- Butterfree (Trainer's)
- Scyther (flashback)
- Fearow (flashback)
- Ursaring (flashback)
- Rhydon (flashback)
Trivia
- This episode begins the eight-part Silver Conference arc.
- 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.
- This is the first time the Hoenn region is mentioned in the anime.
- The Pokédex has no available data on Blaziken. This will change with the Pokédex upgrade in The Ties That Bind.
- The English title is derived from the nursery rhyme "Pop Goes The Weasel".
- In one scene, Meowth was thinking about evolving.
- This episode is featured on the Volume 6: Dark copy of Pokémon Elements.
Errors
- When Ash steps out and introduces himself to Harrison, Pikachu, of whom Ash is holding, appears distorted and almost flat.
Dub edits
In other languages
| Language | Title | |
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| Mandarin Chinese | 狃拉與聖火 | |
 Danish
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Em Sneasel For Meget | |
 Dutch
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Krab Doet de Sneasel | |
 Finnish
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Sneasel-metsällä | |
 European French
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Le gardien de la flamme Sacrée | |
 German
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Ein Sniebel geht um | |
 Hebrew
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סניזל Sneasel | |
 Italian
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La fiaccola | |
| Portuguese |  Brazil
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A Chama que nunca se Apaga |
 Portugal
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Lá vai o Sneasel | |
| Spanish |  Latin America
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¡Sneasel y el fuego sagrado! |
 Spain
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Sneasel el centinela | |
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This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |