Pokémon Scent-sation! – Pokémon Season 1, Episode 26

Plot episodeRainbow Badge“Ashley”

Pokémon Scent-sation! is the 26th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 26th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 26, Bulbapedia code EP026). It first aired in Japan on 23 September 1997 and in the United States on 12 October 1998. It falls within the season’s Ghosts, Psychics & the Celadon fire stretch (EP20–EP27).

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

Synopsis

Upon arriving at Celadon City, Brock instantly decides he’s going to like it there after he spots a number of beautiful girls. Ash wants to head straight to the gym but Brock wants to check out girls and Misty wants to buy perfume. After causing great offence in a perfume store Ash is asked to leave and is eventually ejected.

Ash continues to the Celadon City Gym where he is told he can’t enter because of what he said about perfume, and it turns out the gym is where the perfume is manufactured! In the meantime Team Rocket are breaking into the back of the gym in order to find the secret formula they use to make their perfume, in yet another scheme to become rich. They bump into a Gloom on the way who was completely immune when Koffing hit it with Poison gas, Gloom releases some stinky gas of its own and defeats Team Rocket who are then promptly kicked out by gym staff and hung from a tree. Then Ash finds them ‘hanging out’ outside. Team Rocket want Ash to help them out of the tree, he’s reluctant but they appeal to him by saying they can get him into the gym to challenge the gym leader. They all dress up, Ash posing as a little girl called Ashley and Jessie and James posing as his parents. Ash registers while Team Rocket run off to try and again steal the secret perfume formula.

“Ashley” is introduced to Erika and her class who are all learning about Perfume. Brock, Pikachu and Misty all happen to be in the class too. Erika tells the class the tale of how she met Gloom, and how it rescued her from a Grimer when she was a little girl. Pikachu shocks Ash and his disguise falls off, Ash challenges Erika who is duty bound to accept.

A three on three battle commences with Ash choosing Bulbasaur and Erika sending out Tangela who quickly defeats Bulbasaur with stun spore. Ash sends out Charmander next who promptly defeats Erika’s Weepinbel but is then defeated by Gloom. Pikachu volunteers to face Gloom next but then Team Rocket interrupt the battle, setting off bombs throughout the gym and stealing the secret perfume formula before blasting off (again). With the gym on fire an evacuation effort begins with all the trainers trying to rescue the Pokémon.

Ash, Misty and Brocks Pokemon help to try and fight the fire, Erika runs out and says she can’t find Gloom anywhere, Ash reacts by running into the flames (don’t try this at home) and going to find Gloom. Gloom releases it’s vile scent preventing Ash from getting near, Ash holds his breath, and approaches Gloom – Gloom stops releasing the horrible smell when he see’s Ash just wants to help. Ash grabs Gloom and runs out of the burning building getting it to safety. Erika presents Ash with the Rainbow badge for saving her Gloom. Erika reveals that the ‘secret formula’ Team Rocket stole was infact just a vial of essence of Gloom, which by the way, stinks.

Major Events

• — Rainbow Badge (given for saving Gloom from Team Rocket’s fire
• Battle unfinished)
• Ash cross-dresses (“Ashley”). Debuts: Erika
• Gloom, Vileplume, Victreebel, Exeggcute, Tangela
• Grimer (flashback). Banned in South Korea.

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Gloom#0044 · EP026
• Vileplume#0045 · EP026
• Victreebel#0071 · EP026
• Grimer#0088 · EP026
• Exeggcute#0102 · EP026
• Tangela#0114 · EP026

Trivia

• The English title plays on “sensation — Erika’s Gym doubles as a perfume shop”.
• The screenplay is by Hideki Sonoda.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• Perfume-shop and department-store kanji removed (5+ shots)
• Gym banners scribbled out
• “snot” added to the eyecatch Gloom
• The dub invents a League rule that Gym Leaders must accept every challenge
• Dub ending: the Kanto Pokérap (Monday segment)

Part of our Pokémon: Indigo League guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.