IL008: The Path to the Pokémon League

The Path to the Pokémon League (ポケモンリーグへのみち)is the eigth episode of the Pokémon anime series, except in the United States, after Battle Aboard the St. Anne was broadcast as the first episode. The episode was first broadcast in Japan on May 20, 1997 and in the United States on September 17, 1998. The episode follows Ash Ketchum, Misty, Brock and Pikachu as they head to Vermilion City where they hear of a trainer named A.J. who aims to have one hundred victories under his belt before heading off on his journey.

Episode plot
Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu are on their way to Vermilion City. Ash says that he can't wait to earn his third badge. A trainer appaers and asks Ash if he will battle him. Ash says he will. Ash's Pidgeotto defeats the trainer's Rattata. The trainer admires Ash's two badges. He says that he may be able to win at A.J.'s gym and points Ash to it. Ash races off to the gym.

At A.J.'s gym, there is a sign that says he has a record of 98 wins to 0 losses and that the gym is not an offical gym. A.J. walks up and challenges Ash to a battle. A.J. snaps a whip, making Ash jump. A.J. tells Ash that he plans to start challenging gym leaders for badges after his 100th win. Ash tells him that he has won ten battles and two badges. A.J. calls the Gyms "Failure City" and "Wimpsville", making Brock and Misty very mad.

A.J. summons his Sandshrew to battle Ash. Misty reminds him that electric attacks don't work on ground types. Ash ignores her advice and sends out Pidgeotto. Brock says that a flying type would do well aganist a ground type. Sandshrew rolls up into a ball and hurls itself into the air, taking Pidgeotto out quickly.

Ash sends out his Butterfree next and tells it to use Stun Spore, but A.J. cracks his whip and Sandshrew goes underground, avoiding the attack. It then bursts out of the ground, taking Butterfree out.

Ash wants Pikachu to fight, but Pikachu grabs onto the edge of the battle field and refuses to let go. Pikachu Thunder Shocks Ash to make him let go.

Team Rocket is spying on the battle from a nearby tree. They decide to steal A.J.'s Sandshrew, then for a moment they critize his clothes. James whacks Meowth when he makes fun of their style.

Ash accuses A.J. of cheating and A.J. tells him to stop whining.

As they are leaving, Ash hears A.J. training his pokemon and cracking his whip like mad. Ash confronts A.J. and tells him to stop hurting his pokemon, but A.J. tells him to mind his own business. His Sandshrew is wearing a "strength intensifier" that A.J. invented. It allows Sandshrew withstand the effects of water on it. A.J. says that he is tougher on Sandshrew than his other pokemon because it was his first pokemon.

Ash says that a great pokemon trainer should be friends with his pokemon. Ash asks Brock what he thinks but Brock only wants to know what kind of food A.J. gives his pokemon. A.J., like Brock, makes his own pokemon food from a secret recipe.Pikachu tries to pick up one of Sandshrew's weights, but falls backward from the weight, unlike Sandshrew who did alternating curls rapidly.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is outside A.J.'s tent, checking their equipment for their newest plan to catch Pikachu. They fight over changing their motto.

A.J.'s pokemon are all very tired. A.J. insults Pikachu, and Ash tries to punch him, but only making them both fall into the pool. Pikachu tries on the strength intensifier, but it doesn't fit well and Pikachu rolls up into a ball. Sandshrew laughs at Pikachu and rolls up into a ball.

Team Rocket rolls into the tent in a rubber ball, ready to take Pikachu. However, they are confused on who is who, and they take Sandshrew by mistake. A.J. and everyone else realize that Sandshrew is missing and they walk over to Pikachu. A.J. realeases Pikachu from the strength intensifier. Sadly, Pikachu doesn't know where Sandshrew is either. Ash thinks that Sandshrew may have ran away because he saw how much better Ash treated Pikachu. A.J. gets angry, insisting that Sandshrew would never run away because of all he and A.J. have been through together. He sends out his three Rattata, his Butterfree, and his Beedrill to look for Sandshrew.

Jessie and James argue on who should carry the bag when Sandshrew bursts out startling them all. Meowth grabs Sandshrew's tail with his teeth to prevent him from running away.

Ash tries to convince A.J.'s pokemon to leave with him, but they ignore him. Suddenly Sandshrew burts out of the ground with a worn out Meowth still biting its tail.Watching A.J. and his pokemon, Brock points out how much A.J. cares for them despite his brutal training methods.

Ash wakes Meowth up and gets clawed in the face. Meowth realizes that he is facing aganist some angry pokemon and their trainers. He tries to figure a way out of the situation when Jessie and James show up and say their intro. Jessie tells A.J. that taking his Sandshrew was a mistake and James calls it" second-rate" really making A.J. mad. He challenges them to a battle. Jessie sends out her Ekans and James sends out his Koffing. Sandshrew takes them both out and Meowth tries to bite Sandshrew's armored skin. All of Team Rocket's pokemon give up when Sandshrew uses a Fissure attack.

This was A.J.'s 100th win and he sets out to earn badges. Like Ash, he wants to be the world greatest pokemon master. They become rivals and agree to meet at a Pokemon League compotiton.

Debuts
Human Characters Pokemon Characters
 * A.J
 * Sandshrew

Trivia

 * The english version of this episode mentions a real animal. Misty says that A.J. controls Sandshrew with the crack of his whip just like a Lion Tamer, but in the Japanese episode, she says that it is amazing how A.J. can control Sandshrew with the crack of his whip.
 * This is the last episode where Ted Lewis voices James before passing that honor on to Eric Stuart.
 * When Ash brags about his victories and badges his nose grows like Pinnochio, except Ash was bragging, not lying. The nose broke off when he lost to A.J.
 * The little boy with the Rattata that Ash beat before facing A.J. was voiced by Lisa Ortiz.

Quotes

 * Narrorator: "With two pokemon badges pinned to his jacket, our hero Ash marches boldly along the path to, uh, the path to..."

Ash: Where are we going?"
 * "And I win! That's number ten."

~Ash after winning ten times in a row.
 * "I think giving him those badges was a mistake."

~Misty
 * Little boy: "I bet you could even beat A.J."

Ash: "A.J.?"

Little boy: "Yeah, he lives over there. A.J. trains savage pokemon. He built his own gym. He's never lost a single match."

Ash: "Until now. He hasn't come up against somebody like me."

Misty: "He's getting a big head."

Brock: "Yeah, but his brain's still the same size."

Pikachu agrees.
 * "Are you my next victim?"

~A.J.
 * "You may think that you're hot stuff kid, but you're not playing in the pokemon little league anymore."

A.J. to Ash.
 * Ash: "Ninety-eight wins and you still don't have a badge? That's tough luck A.J. I have ten wins and I've won two pokemon badges."

Ash's nose grows.

A.J.: "Did you buy those badges or steal them? Either that or you competed in some loser gyms. Where were they, Failure City or Whimpsville?"

Misty and Brock are insulted.

Misty: "What do you mean loser gyms?"

Brock: "Hey Ash, pulverize this guy.
 * "A Sandshrew huh? This should be interesting."

Ash about his opponent's pokemon.
 * "Too bad Sandshrew can't fly."

~Ash about Sandshrew
 * Jesse: "That Sandshrew is very tempting."

James: "We should grab it."

Meowth: "Hmm. Looks fat. You two gotta carry it."

Jesse: "The outfit that trainer is wearing is positively hideous."

James: That shirt looks like it's from a century or two ago. He'd fit right in perfectly at a museum."

Meowth: "At least he doesn't look like he's out trick-or-treating like you two."
 * "Now what do you want a swimming match?"

A.J. after Ash knocks him into the pool.
 * "Nice Dive."

Misty about Sandshrew.
 * Ash: Hey wait, I thought you said pacing not passing."

Bad joke alert. Pikachu holds a pillow.

Ash: "Huh, I said padding. I mean, I said pacing!"
 * "To get the results I want, I have to carefully monitor the pokemon diets. Of course the recipe is secret."

~A.J. about his pokemon food.
 * Jessie: "Here's a line you'll like."

James: "And what's that?"

Jessie: "How about choreography killed the cat?"
 * Meowth: "I'm getting dizzy."

James: "Stop complaining, look for Pikachu."

Jessie: "Roll over there."

James: "What's that?"

Jessie: "Could it be Pikachu?"

Meowth: "Yeah, that's it. Now hurry, all that rolling made me naucious."
 * Meowth: "My leg fell asleep."

James: "I wish your mouth would."
 * "SANDSHREW WOULD NOT BREAK THE PROMISE WE MADE! NOT AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH! NOT JUST BEFORE OUR HUNDREDTH VICTORY!"

~A.J. screaming at Ash and Pikachu.
 * James: I'm exhausted. You take the bag now."

Jessie: "But a real gentleman always carries the bag."

James: "Is that so? Well as you know, I'm no gentleman."
 * A.J. "You see what happens when you try to start a mutiny in my gym? My pokemon are all loyal."

Ash: "So then, where's Sandshrew?"
 * "A.J. is tough, but as you can see he cares deeply for his pokemon."

~Brock about A.J.
 * "Use the old motto."

Meowth
 * Jessie: "That felt great. We don't need a theme song."

James: "It's a classic."
 * A.J.: "Team Rocket has insulted our Gym. We'll answer them with our one hundredth win."

Ash: "One hundredth?"

A.J.: "That's right. As Sandshrew and I vowed."

Ash: "Good luck."
 * Meowth: "Just Biting my time."

Meowth's teeth break.

Meowth: "Ahhh! The moment of tooth."
 * "Go Sandshrew. Dill into the ground till it splits."

A.J. commanding Sandshrew to use Fissure.
 * "That's it I forefit the match."

Meowth surrendering.

Links
Watch this and other episodes: | Pokemon Episode 8: The Path to the Pokemon League