Tentacool & Tentacruel (Japanese: メノクラゲドククラゲ, Hepburn: Tentacool & Tentacruel) is the 19th episode of Pocket Monsters of Pocket Monsters (1997 series), Season 1 of Pokémon the Series, and Pokémon: Indigo League of Pokémon the Series: The Beginning.
Synopsis[]
Our heroes arrive at Hutber Port, where a ferryboat line runs to the mainland. There they meet a cousin of the old man's competitor from Acapulco who, having recently acquired a great deal of money, is trying to construct a huge luxury hotel, turning a coral reef area into a tremendous resort. This section of coral reef, however, is very important to the Tentacool and Horsea that live there. When a huge school of Tentacool interferes with the construction of the hotel, the cousin and a group of young people organize a campaign to drive them away, offering a reward of $10,000 to anyone who can repel the Tentacool. Naturally this draws the attention of Team Rocket who attempt to get rid of the Tentacool by spreading a mixture of super secret stun sauce over the ocean. Their plan backfires, however, transforming the Tentacool into a gigantic Tentacruel which begins a fierce counterattack against the humans. In order to defeat this reign of terror, Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon are drawn into a battle that will require more than just strong combative skill.[1]
Episode plot[]
Our heroes have missed their boat to the mainland. As they wait though, Misty finds an injured Horsea trying to warn them about something by drawing an image out of its ink. Misty doesn't understand and attempts to catch it. Before she can though, disaster strikes and a nearby sea faring vessel explodes, hurling its sailors into the sea. Our heroes scramble to rescue the sailors, all while the sailors speak of what sank them. It is revealed that near the area a hotel is being built in the ocean, and its disturbing the sea life, which is what prompted the Tenacool's attack. The owner of the new hotel, Nastina, a woman that looks strikingly like Brutella from the former episode, approaches Ash, Misty and Brock and offers them a million dollars, all-you-can-eat buffet, and vouchers for free stays in her hotel to take out the attacking Pokémon, but Misty, upset from the wrecking of the eco system and targeting of the Water-Type Pokémon she so loves, refuses this. In turn, Nastina just offers the same to all other trainers in the vicinity, which eagerly attempt to help out. Team Rocket also show up to help, offering to use a special formula to stun the Tentacool and claim the million dollar prize. They then plan to take the Water-Type Pokémon to the fish market and sell them for more money. However, when attacked by the Pokémon, they spill the formula, which has adverse affects, causing one Tentacool to evolve into a massive Tentacruel that begins to wreck the city. Ash and the heroes try to reason with it, but the Tentacruel, using Meowth as a puppet, informs them that it is exacting revenge on the humans for wrecking their home the same way with the construction of the hotel. When Horsea tries to reason with the Tentacruel, it says it cannot do so. As a result, when Horsea calls Tentacruel spineless, enraged by that insult, Tentacruel flings Horsea out of the water and into the air. Ash has Pidgeotto catch Horsea, but after Horsea is brought safely to Misty, Pikachu, angered by Tentacruel's attack on Horsea, wants to fight. Joined by Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, Zubat, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree, the Pokémon attack the Tentacool, but disgusted to see them aiding humans, Tentacruel takes out all of them but Pikachu and Pidgeotto, who attempt to reason with Tentacruel. For a moment, Tentacruel hesitates as it considers Pikachu's words. Misty confronts the Tentacruel and tells it that the humans have learned from their mistake and will never again disturb the coral reef. The Tentacruel relents but leaves a warning, stating that should they ever attack their home again, they will not stop the assault next time until the city is destroyed. Nastina tries to attack the Tentacruel, but instead is sent blasting off like Team Rocket with a simple slap of its tentacle where she smashes into a new restaurant that Brutella is making, destroying it. The heroes then proceed to continue their way down the road where Misty reveals that she caught the little Horsea. All the while, Team Rocket are planning their next moves.
Debuts[]
Character[]
Pokémon[]
Quotes[]
- "Blue skies." - Ash
- "White clouds." - Brock
- "And sea as far as you can see." - Misty
- "THAT'S DISGUSTING!" - Misty about Nastina wanting to get rid of the Tentacool
- "There's a girl that can't be bought." - Nastina about Misty
- "What're you so mad about?" - Brock
- "Doesn't that old woman make you sick?" - Misty
- "Well, she's not really my type but-" - Ash
- "She wants to destroy the Tentacool." - Misty
- "And they're all so cute." - Misty
- "Cute?" - Ash before checking Dexter about Tentacool
- "Ugly." - Ash after checking Dexter about Tentacool
- "I guess ugly is in the eye of the beholder." - Brock
- "If Tentacool are attacking humans, then there must be a very good reason for it." - Misty
- "Do you really think so?" - Ash
- "Of course! Tentacool are so squishy and nice when you hold them, and they call the pretty red spot on their heads 'The Ruby of the Sea'." - Misty
- "Who calls it that?" - Brock
- "Well, I call it that, it's my name for it." - Misty
- "When you talk about Water Pokémon, it's like you get a different personality." - Ash
- "I don't understand why you can't see their charm. Water Pokémon are so beautiful and have such depth, like that Horsea we saw, it was a talented artist." - Misty
- "Art? You mean that ink it spit out of its mouth?" - Ash
- "EXTERMINATE?!" - Misty about Nastina's proposition
- "She'll do anything to destroy them." - Brock about Nastina
- "She expects to get people to destroy the Tentacool for money? Ridiculous." - Misty
- "It's not ridiculous to them." - Ash, before the gang are run over by a large crowd of eager volunteers wanting to take Nastina up on her offer
- "Hey, they got a lot of spunk." - Nastina, referring to Team Rocket
- "That's a new definition of 'Spunk'." - Ash
- "Look at that hair." - Jessie
- "Disaster." - James
- "I don't need your beauty tips! I need to get rid of Tentacool!" - Nastina
- "It's a very distinctive style, just don't shoot." - Jessie
- "You mean di-stink-tive." - Meowth
- "We are terribly sorry." - Jessie
- "Yes, very sorry, please, leave your little Tentacool extermination project to Team Rocket." - James
- "Yes we heard you the first time." - Jessie about Nastina
- "Get the stun sauce, start the stun sauce!" - Meowth
- "We don't have enough of it." - Jessie
- "There must be 10,000 of them." - James
- (One Tentacool, possibly the alpha, fires its laser at Team Rocket's boat, blowing it up, but causing their stun sauce to fall on it, resulting in the Tentacool undergoing an evolution into a massive Tentacruel, way bigger than what normal Tentacruel are size-wise)
- "Aaaah! We super-sized it!" - Jessie about the Tentacool that evolved into a gigantic Tentacruel.
- "This is impossible. Even at it's greatest height, a Tentacruel shouldn't be more than seven feet tall." - Brock about Tentacruel
- "That must be the gang leader." - Ash about Tentacruel
- "It's Meowth." - Jessie
- "Meowth has abandoned us. Ah, it's a Tentacruel world." - James
- "No time for drama, let's get out of here." - Jessie
- "We are Tentacool and Tentacruel, hear us now! Humans have destroyed our ocean home and now we will have our revenge." - Meowth
- (Tentacool destroy buildings.)
- "Tentacruel's using Meowth as a puppet." - Brock
- "Now we will begin to destroy your world, your home, as you have so foolishly tried to destroy ours, and not one of you has the right to complain about it!" - Meowth
- "Their homes must've been where that hotel's being built." - Ash
- "That's right, the coral reef!" - Brock
- (Misty gasps as she recalls earlier the ominous warning Horsea had been trying to tell her and the others.)
- "That's exactly what Horsea was trying to tell us. I should've understood what it was trying to say. And I call myself a Water Pokémon trainer." - Misty, ashamed of not realizing the danger sooner and dishonoring calling herself a Water Pokémon trainer
- "Please listen Tentacruel. This is enough! We humans, understand that we've hurt you. We won't destroy your homes anymore. We're sorry, so please." - Misty
- (After a short pause to take in Misty's apology on behalf of the people of Porta Vista, Tentacruel holds up Meowth to deliver its final warning)
- "If this happens again, we will not stop. Remember this well!" - Tentacruel speaking through Meowth
- "You shouldn't drop in on me like this." - Brutella
- "I thought that's what cousins are for." - Nastina
- "Wait a minute that's supposed to be my pose." - Ash
- "I know, but I've always wanted to try it out for myself." - Misty
- "That's a good idea. Next time I'll try it." - Brock
- "OHH! Why don't you guys just think up your own poses ok?!" - Ash
- "You should be flattered that people want to try out your pose." - Brock
- "That's right, don't be so greedy." - Misty
- "What?!" - Ash
- "We'll get them next time." - Team Rocket as the episode ends
Trivia[]
- Who's That Pokémon?: Horsea (JA, EN and KO)
- The episode's tentative title used in production was 「メノクラゲ・アタック!」 The Tentacool Attack!
- This is one of few episodes that feature non-Pokémon fish.
- Pokémon Theme's opening animation features a Giant Tentacruel smashing a building which is based on this episode.
- Also the scene where the Pokémon are shown flying head on was also included in the theme
- Brutella returns in this episode fixing her restaurant after the damage caused in Beauty and the Beach, but it's destroyed again when Nastina crashed into it.
- This episode was removed from reruns temporarily on Kids' WB!, due to the September 11 attacks in 2001.
- Coincidentally, Nastina's cousin, Brutella, also had her debuting episode initially banned in America, although, the reasons were completely different.
- This is the first time Meowth is used to communicate to humans by a Pokémon.
- According to Brock, a regular Tentacruel is on 7 feet tall
- This episode also introduces the running gag of Misty thinking Tentacool and Tentacruel are cute which Brock and Ash don't get.
- The Tentacruel may be based on the Toho monster Gezora the giant cuttlefish from Space Ameoba.
- The tank that Nastina appears in seems to either be a German Leopard 2A4 or Japanese Type 90.
Dub differences[]
- In subsequent airings, this is Brutella's only appearance in the dub (not counting the one-off airing of the previous episode).
- Moreover, the running gag involving Ash and co. and Team Rocket mistaking Nastina for Brutella were replaced by jokes pertaining to how ugly she looks.
- Nastina calling the Tentacruel "Squiddly" may be a reference to the Hanna-Barbera character Squiddly Diddily.
- The kanji for 「徳用」 economical on the barrel is replaced with an image of a Tentacool with a no-entry sign over it.
- In the English dub, the prize for the extermination of the Tentacool was changed from 1,000,000 yen to 1,000,000 US dollars.
Videe[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ (n.d.) . "Tentacool & Tentacruel | Pokémon TV (pokemon.com)". From The Official Pokémon Website | Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024.