IL033: The Flame Pokémon-athon!

The Flame Pokémon-athon! (ほのおのポケモンだいレース！) is the 33rd episode of Pokémon: Indigo League.

Synopsis
Going to catch a Tauros, a lady named Lara stops Ash from catching, as he is in the Safari Zone, where people cannot capture any Pokémon. Later, Lara attempts to calm down her Ponyta, but gets wounded in the process, so asks Ash to participate in her stead. Meanwhile, Lara's opponent, Dario, makes a deal with Team Rocket, which gives Dario a big (yet unfair) advantage in the race...

Episode Plot
As Ash, Misty, and Brock continue on their way, they come into where they think is the Safari Zone. They are stopped from catching the Tauros there by a girl named Lara Laramie who tells them it is not the Safari Zone, but the Laramie Ranch owned by the Laramie clan. Brock immediately recognizes the name of the ranch when Lara says it, snapping him out of his love -induced trance. He explains that the ranch preserves and raises wild Pokémon and that the Pokémon raised at the ranch are very strong.

She shows them around and tells them about the big race the following day at a nearby festival. Lara tells Ash and his friends that she plans to enter the race with her Ponyta. Ash tries to touch Ponyta, but his hand is burned by Ponyta's flaming mane and tail. He is burned so badly that Squirtle has to cool off his hand. Lara's main rival for the race is Dario, who is racing with his Dodrio. Lara explains that the winner of the race will be named an honorary member of the Laramie clan.

Dario wants to win, at any cost, and he hires Team Rocket to help him win and they start by firing globs at the Tauros. Lara comes and has Growlithe calm them. Another blob is fired and it causes Ponyta, who she is riding on, to get scared and throw her back. She brakes her arm and she can't race. She volunteers Ash to race. At first, both Ash and Ponyta think its a bad idea especially when Ponyta burns him again. They both train the whole night for the race.

At the race, there are many teams entered: Ash and Ponyta, Dario and Dodrio, Brock and Onix,Misty and Starmie, and Pikachu and Squirtle. When the race starts, Dario takes the lead while Pikachu and Squirtle quickly fall back. Team Rocket starts pulling various tricks to get all other competitors out of the race. The first was using a slingshot to hit Tauros in the forehead, making it go crazy and bump into Nidorina, and battle, as They disobey their trainers' orders to stop fighting. Soon the racers climbed up a hill and on coming down the Electrode rider fell into a pit trap and exploded, taking out two more racers and Ash with Explosion. however Pikachu used thundershock to wake Ash and Ponyta. Later they arrive at a lake where the Rhyhorn trainer sank to the bottom and Onix began to cry due to its weakness of water.

Soon, only four teams are left: Dario and Dodrio, Ash and Ponyta, Misty and Starmie, and Pikachu and Squirtle. Dario is still ahead but, there's a part of the race where the competitors must stop and let their Pokémon eat before continuing. Since Dodrio's three heads start fighting over who gets to eat, the other competitors catch up. Dario is desperate to get rid of the other teams, so he asks of Team Rocket's help again. Ash and Misty learn that Dario is working with Team Rocket at this point. Ash tells Pikachu and Squirtle to get rid of Team Rocket, but they are frozen by Arbok's Glare while Starmie gets blinded by Weezing's Sludge.

Dario takes off for the finish line and Misty tells Ash to try to catch up as they try to keep Team Rocket busy. Team Rocket then tries to attack Ponyta with poison sting, But, Ponyta flames up, making Arbok back off. When Weezing tries to attack Ponyta with sludge, its flames ignite Weezing's attack, sending Team Rocket flying.

Ash and Ponyta race for the finish line. When they catch up with Dario, he tells one of Dodrio's heads to use Peck on Ponyta. The attack makes Ponyta falter, and then evolve into Rapidash. Ash and Rapidash quickly race past the finish line and they win the race. Thinking they cheated, Dario tells Dodrio to attack Rapidash, but they are sent flying by Rapidash's Stomp.

As the festival ends, Ash and his friends say good bye to Lara and they head off for the Safari Zone. Meanwhile, Dario yells at Team Rocket for not doing the job he paid them for.

Character

 * Dario
 * Lara Laramie
 * Race announcer

Pokémon

 * Ponyta
 * Rapidash
 * Sandslash
 * Nidorina
 * Nidorino
 * Tauros
 * Electrode
 * Rhyhorn

Move

 * Poison Sting
 * Glare
 * Stomp

Quotes

 * "That's okay. We tried." - Brock comforting Onix

Trivia

 * The "Who's that Pokémon?" in this episode is Ponyta.
 * This is the first episode that does not have the "Pokémon" logo. Instead, the episode name is written in letters.

Mistakes
A trainer is riding a Nidorino in the starting line, but after being hit with a slingshot, the trainer is seen riding a Nidorina.