Cheer Pressure – Pokémon Season 7, Episode 12

Filler / stand-alone episodeThatcher returnsNew Japanese ending

Cheer Pressure is the 12th episode of Pokémon: Advanced Challenge, the seventh season of the Pokémon anime, and the 325th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 328, Bulbapedia code AG052). It first aired in Japan on 20 November 2003 and in the United States on 6 November 2004. It falls within the season’s Mt. Chimney & the Heat Badge stretch (EP52–EP56).

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

Synopsis

May is celebrating her contest win as Ash and the gang are on the way to Lavaridge Town for Ash’s next gym battle.

Ash and the gang hear drums being played. The sound is coming from an old friend of theirs, Thatcher. Ash asks about how Plusle and Minun are doing and they run up to Pikachu and they all take off to play with each other. Ash asks about what the drums are for and Thatcher says they’re for a pep squad. Thatcher goes into a back story about him becoming a Pokemon Trainer. Thatcher met someone on the road named Sheridan, a recruiter for a pep school.

Team Rocket watches the conversation nearby and Jessie and James tell Meowth about being a cheerleader. James had a cheerleader squad. Max asks Brock about using Plusle and Minun’s Helping Hand to influence a battle. Brock ran off to flirt with some cheerleaders. Thatcher explains that the cheering is in the Pokemon’s power. The power revitalizes the Pokemon, so nothing is against the rules. Pikachu, Plusle and Minun come back.

Team Rocket threw on some disguises and went to talk to Sheridan about getting some help with them winning a battle. One of the cheerleaders asks for a favor. Thatcher says there are some new students and he wanted Ash and the gang to battle. Brock volunteers himself first. The battle begins, Brock vs. Jamester. Jamester sends out Cacnea and Brock chooses Forretress. Cacnea leads with Pin Missile and Forretress uses Rapid Spin, then Tackle. Sheridan begins cheering and the cheering revives Cacnea. Cacnea uses Needle Arm, directly hitting Forretress. Cacnea then uses Sandstorm, then Pin Missile. Forretress uses Rapid Spin, but gets knocked out by Cacnea.

Max remarks about how weird it was for Cacnea to just be revived. The next battle is Ash vs. Jessica. While they’re battling, Max goes snooping around for clues as to what he saw. Jessica chooses Seviper and Ash chooses Pikachu. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, and Iron Tail, knocking Seviper down without even using a move. Max is hiding while waiting for Sheridan’s cheering to begin.

The cheering begins and he orders an Aromatherapy from Roselia and Vileplume hiding in a drum. He orders a Helping Hand from a Shroomish and Makuhita hiding in another drum. Seviper, now buffed from Aromatherapy and Helping Hand, goes for a Poison Tail. Pikachu counters with Thunderbolt, and Sheridan asks for another Aromatherapy. Pikachu goes for several Thunderbolts and several Aromatherapies and Helping Hands come from the drums. Seviper goes for a Poison Tail and Pikachu didn’t have enough energy to dodge. Seviper finishes the battle with a Wrap. Sheridan orders another Helping Hand. Before the drummer can hit the drum, Max pushes the drum off the stands, revealing the Pokemon inside. Sheridan runs off and leaves Team Rocket to try and grab Pikachu. Seviper uses Haze and Pikachu tries to use Thunder, and just barely has enough energy to knock Seviper out, and end the battle. Team Rocket finally reveal themselves and grab Pikachu. Plusle and Minun use Helping Hand to give Pikachu the energy it needs to use Thunder to break free, and cause a thunderstorm, sending Team Rocket blasting off again.

Major Events

• Thatcher returns with Plusle and Minun
• Sheridan’s fake cheering squad hides Pokémon that whisper Helping Hand and Aromatherapy
• Plusle and Minun’s real Helping Hand powers Pikachu up
• New Japanese ending Smile

Trivia

• The English title plays on "peer pressure".
• The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
• This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Hoenn story.

Changes in the English Dub

• A line about the Mt. Chimney route changed
• James is given a cheerleading past
• Pokémon Trainer’s Choice (dub only, in place of Who’s That Pokémon?): which Pokémon is best against Shiftry? Answer: Torkoal (Taillow was equally good)
• Takeshi’s Paradise used as background music in Japan; new Japanese ending Smile

Part of our Pokémon: Advanced Challenge guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.