A Bout with Sprout – Pokémon Season 3, Episode 14

Plot episodeViolet CitySprout Tower

A Bout with Sprout is the 14th episode of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 130th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 132, Bulbapedia code EP130). It first aired in Japan on 13 January 2000 and in the United States on 16 December 2000. It falls within the season’s Violet City: the Zephyr Badge stretch (EP130–EP131).

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

Ash and friends are drawing ever nearer to Violet City when they encounter a couple of young whippersnappers who try to “capture” Pikachu. Ash runs over just in time to stop Pikachu shocking the two kids and tells the kids it belongs to him. The kids teacher then runs out of the school gate and tells Zachy and Lizzy (the kids) that they should be in class, apologising to Ash and friends.

The kids realise that Ash is a Pokemon Trainer and say they know all about Pokemon Training; it turns out the school they attend is a Pokemon Academy for aspiring young trainers. Brock volunteers himself and his friends to stay on at the Academy for a while to help teach the kids about Pokemon. Miss Priscilla (the teachers name) introduces the group to the schools Principal; Mr. Earl Dervish who names Ash and friends honorary teachers at the Academy!

Each take their turn teaching the kids, who are mostly pretty excited except Zachy who has a bit of an attitude. At recess Ash ,Misty and Brock send out their Pokemon to play with the kids and everyone looks like their having a good time. Brock spots a strange tower in the distance and asks Miss Priscilla about it; she tells them it’s called The Sprout Tower and which is held up by a single swinging pillar which swings from side to side just the way a Bellsprout would. Zachy tries to convince Pikachu to leave Ash and become his Pokemon; when Pikachu declines, Zachy steals a Pokéball from Ash and chases Pikachu out of the school grounds with it.

Miss Priscilla is about to take the rest of the class on a school trip to The Sprout Tower; accompanied by Brock and Misty. Ash chases after Zachy, who throws the Pokéball into the bushes where he thinks Pikachu went, and appears to catch it. Ash catches up to him and the two fall into one of Team Rocket’s traps. Ash asks Zachy for the Pokéball he thinks Pikachu is in, but when its thrown it seems he caught a Bellsprout! Team Rocket however are still intent on capturing Pikachu and set a trap for it, knowing it must be nearby. They use a voice simulator to simulate Ash’s voice and call Pikachu over. Team Rocket are about to throw a net over Pikachu but Ash warns him just in time. Ash sends Pikachu to hit Team Rocket with a thunderbolt and sends them blasting off.

Miss Priscilla, Brock and Misty arrive at the Sprout Tower and are checking out the beam which swings in the center of the tower, just like a Bellsprout would. Team Rocket landed in the Sprout Tower after Pikachu sent them blasting off, and from the roof beams they listen in on Brock and Misty talking to Miss Priscilla – overhearing that Ash is on his way over they decide to set a trap. James uses Weezings smog to fill the tower and simulate the affect of it being on fire, Miss Priscilla, Brock and Misty evacuate the children. Ash, Pikachu, Zachy and his Bellsprout run to the tower when they see the smoke. There they find Team Rocket waiting for them; using their Pokémon to saw through the pillar and destroy the tower.

Team Rocket put forward the ultimatum that if Ash gives them Pikachu they won’t destroy the tower. Pikachu goes to Team Rocket to save the tower. Meowth has a remote in his hand that will destroy the whole tower. Zachy’s Bellsprout uses a swift Razor Leaf which knocks the remote out of Meowths hand. Team Rocket try to escape on their Rocket with Pikachu strapped to it; but the razor leafs of Bulbasaur and Bellsprout prevent their escape, rescue Pikachu and result in Team Rocket very much blasting off again.

The tower has been destabilised badly as it has been sawed through quite a lot, but is saved none the less. The whole experience has made Zachy very fond of his new Bellsprout. Ash and his friends bid farewell to Miss Priscilla, the Principal and the Children of the Pokemon Academy.

Major Events

• Earl Dervish debuts
• Zackie catches Bellsprout with Ash’s Poké Ball
• First “exploding Thunderbolt” blast-off
• Banned in South Korea
• Storyboard/direction by Tatsuya Ishihara

Captures and evolutions

• Bellsprout#0069 · Zackie · with Ash’s Poké Ball

Trivia

• The English title plays on a bout with Sprout Tower and its Bellsprout.
• The screenplay is by Hideki Sonoda.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Johto storyline.
• The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Bellsprout in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Cleffa in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• Pokémon Karaokémon: “All We Wanna Do” (Élan Rivera & Jamily Gray).

Part of our Pokémon: The Johto Journeys guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.