Chikorita’s Big Upset – Pokémon Season 3, Episode 20

Filler / stand-alone episodeChikorita’s jealousyAired early in the US

Chikorita’s Big Upset is the 20th episode of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 136th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 138, Bulbapedia code EP136). It first aired in Japan on 24 February 2000 and in the United States on 20 January 2001. It falls within the season’s Between the Gyms stretch (EP135–EP140).

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

Synopsis

Ash is locked in battle with an aspiring young trainer the group met on their way to Azalea town, with his Chikorita taking on the trainers Raticate; despite taking a number of attacks Chikorita still wants to fight. Ash tries to tell Chikorita to return but it refuses to stop, especially when Ash mentions the prospect of Pikachu replacing it in the battle, it even dodges Ash’s attempts to return it to its Pokéball. The opposing trainer is called for dinner and leaves mid battle stating that he can’t wait all night for Ash to get his Chikorita to listen.

The next day Ash makes a call to check in with Professor Oak who reminds him of his goal to deliver the GS Ball. Muk then “attacks” Oak and the call ends. Ash finds all the Pokémon eating except Chikorita who is sat on it’s own, even rejecting Pikachu’s offer of food quite rudely. Nurse Joy then enters the room and starts talking about Pokémon psychology and therapy; offering Ash and his Pokémon a counselling session. A couple of minutes into the counselling session Nurse Joy realises that Chikorita was very envious and jealous; it felt like it was about to win the battle for him and trying to substitute it for Pikachu made Chikorita think that he didn’t trust it as much as he does Pikachu.

The group stay on at the Pokemon Center overnight, while they’re sleeping Pikachu notices something isn’t right and goes to speak with Chikorita in it’s grassy chamber. Chikorita comes out of it’s Pokéball and uses the whole thing as an excuse to run off into the tall grass outside, with Pikachu trying to follow but Chikorita using camouflage in the grass to evade him. Chikorita arrives at some derelict buildings and goes to sleep on a box; it is then confronted by a Machoke, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Primeape who all seem particularly nasty. Chikorita defiantly ignores them and goes back to sleep, that is until the Primeape throws a bolt at it. Chikorita goes head to head with Primeape and defeats it. The other three Pokémon then bow in submission to Chikorita’s might.

The next day Nurse Joy and the others watch the CCTV footage of Chikorita running away with Pikachu in pursuit. Nurse Joy tells them it’s a pretty tough neighbourhood with some pretty rough Pokémon so they should hurry. Ash and co are running around the streets but its obvious they’d be hard pushed to find Chikorita and Pikachu any time soon like that; Brock suggests sending out Bulbasaur to sniff out Chikorita and they follow it. Team Rocket have been watching in the bushes nearby and overheard that Chikorita and Pikachu are missing… deciding that if they can find them first it’ll be a good opportunity to steal them. They radio Meowth who is in their balloon overhead, he spots Pikachu just as it reaches the warehouse Chikorita has been hiding in. Jessie and James arrive shortly later to try and steal them both, as Team Rocket throw a net at Chikorita the Primeape jumps by and saves them both, punching it out of the way.

Meowth deploys an enormous robot to attack Primeape, Machoke, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan who are quickly defeated by it’s colossal size. Ash and co have spotted the commotion from the distance and start making their way over. Chikorita and Pikachu try to attack the machine but it’s made mostly of tyres and Pikachu’s electric attacks are fairly useless against it; the robot grabs both Chikorita and Pikachu. Brock spots an antenna on top of the robot which receives commands from Meowth’s remote, Ash sends out Heracross to launch him toward the top of the robot. Unfortunately it misses and Ash hits the floor.

Ash is however intent on shutting the robot down himself, he climbs a nearby building using it as leverage to try and jump on the robots head but Meowth dodges him and Ash plummets toward the ground, that is until Chikorita catches him with it’s vine whips, lifts him right next to the Antenna, allowing him to break it, sending the robot into complete disarray; and making it release both Chikorita and Pikachu. The robot explodes, sending Team Rocket blasting off.

Ash is reunited with Chikorita and Pikachu who seem to have put their problems behind them. Ash and friends say goodbye to Nurse Joy and thank her for her help. Pikachu takes its place on Ash’s shoulder, and Chikorita it’s place on the other and our heroes continue their journey.

Major Events

• Chikorita’s jealousy
• Chikorita’s Tackle
• Nurse Joy the Pokémon psychologist

Trivia

• The English title plays on a sporting upset, and an upset Chikorita.
• The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
• This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Johto story.
• The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Primeape in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Hoppip in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• Dub inserts an instrumental of “Together Forever”.
• Pokémon Karaokémon: “Two Perfect Girls” (Eric Stuart as Brock).

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