The Ninja-Poké Showdown – Pokémon Season 1, Episode 32

Plot episodeSoul BadgeMaddie Blaustein’s first Meowth

The Ninja-Poké Showdown is the 32nd episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 32nd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 32, Bulbapedia code EP032). It first aired in Japan on 4 November 1997 and in the United States on 20 October 1998. It falls within the season’s Fuchsia, the Safari Zone & the Pokémon Shock stretch (EP28–EP38).

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

Synopsis

The group arrive… somewhere, and find themselves deep in the Forest, stopping for a short break. Ash is enthusiastic to get moving to find and take on the Fuschia Gym. Meanwhile something is watching our heroes from the undergrowth.

While still trying to find the Fuschia gym the group happen upon a large Mansion in the middle of nowhere and it’s revealed that it’s a Venonat who has been following them, it then proceeds to run through the giant mansion, which turns out to be rigged with traps including angry voltorbs and invisible walls, much to the dismay of Ash.

Eventually they encounter Venonat and it’s trainer Aya, who is a Ninja and leader of the training camp that they’ve stumbled upon. Ash challenges her to a battle and sends his Bulbasaur to face Venonat, with Bulbasaur eventually victorious by use of leech seed. Aya’s older brother arrives saying no one can leave this mansion unless they battle him, he turns out to be Master Koga of the Fuschia Gym.

The first battle is Ash’s Pidgeotto vs. Koga’s Venonat, which immediately evolves into Venomoth at the start of the battle, quickly defeating Pidgeotto. Charmander is called out next but the Battle is then interrupted by Team Rocket. Ash and Koga agree to work together to fight them off but Team Rocket use a sticky goo to pin everyones Pokemon, Misty tries to help by sending out Starmie but gets Psyduck instead. Koga uses one of the traps and a group of Voltorb are released from the ceiling, one of which self destructs on Team Rocket who aren’t quite beaten yet.

After Team Rocket reject Psyduck and are quite nasty to it, Psyduck manages to emmit a powerful attack which turns out to be Disable, followed by Confusion which it uses to blast Team Rocket off! It then even uses its psychic power to remove all the sticky stuff off everyones Pokemon. Koga and Aya both ask to trade their Venomoth and or Venonat respectively with Misty’s Psyduck. Ash and Koga head outside to finish their battle, Koga sending out Golbat against Charmander, and Charmander managing to win the match with Fire Spin after a shaky start. Koga awards Ash with the Soul Badge and admits that he too has a lot to learn about battle.

Our heroes continue their journey, Ash has a new badge and the group have a newfound respect for Psyduck and the powers they never knew it had.

Major Events

• — Soul Badge (won: Charmander’s Fire Spin beats Golbat after Venonat → Venomoth paralyses Pidgeotto)
• Psyduck’s first battle
• Maddie Blaustein’s first Meowth. Debuts: Koga, Aya
• Golbat, Venomoth. All-Stars Vol. 13. Banned in South Korea.

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Golbat#0042 · EP032
• Venomoth#0049 · EP032

Captures and evolutions

• Venonat → Venomoth#0049 · Koga

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• One 忍 kanji erased
• Kabuki left intact
• Koga’s and Aya’s archaic ninja speech lost
• Maddie Blaustein’s first episode as Meowth
• Dub ending: the Kanto Pokérap (Tuesday segment)

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