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| Season | Pokémon: Indigo League (Season 1) · The comeback, Charizard & the Egg arc (EP39–EP51) |
| Episode | Season 1, episode 51 · English episode 51 · Japanese episode 53 · Bulbapedia code EP051 |
| English title | Bulbasaur’s Mysterious Garden |
| Japanese title | フシギダネのふしぎのはなぞの Fushigidane no Fushigi na Hanazono — “Fushigidane’s Mysterious Flower Garden” |
| First aired (Japan) | 2 July 1998 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 3 April 1999 · Kids’ WB |
| Screenplay | Yukiyoshi Ōhashi |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Mezase Pokémon Master (Aim to Be a Pokémon Master) – Rica Matsumoto · Poketto ni Fantajī (Fantasy in My Pocket) – Sachi & Juri |
| English opening | Pokémon Theme – Jason Paige |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Ivysaur (US) · Ivysaur (Japan) |
| Previous episode | Who Gets to Keep Togepi? (EP050) |
| Next episode | Princess vs. Princess (EP052) |
Plot episodeBulbasaur refuses to evolve
Bulbasaur’s Mysterious Garden is the 51st episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 51st episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 53, Bulbapedia code EP051). It first aired in Japan on 2 July 1998 and in the United States on 3 April 1999. It falls within the season’s The comeback, Charizard & the Egg stretch (EP39–EP51).
Synopsis
Ash marches onward toward Cinnibar Gym, hoping to win his 7th badge, but on the way he bumps into another trainer who wants to battle. This gruff old trainer sends out Rhyhorn which charges Bulbasaur with a takedown, Bulbasaur tries to get a leech seed off but isn’t quick enough, Bulbasaur is badly hurt but won’t quit, Ash tells it to return but it won’t have it. Bulbasaur avoids the next attack and hits the Rhyhorn with Razorleaf and Vine whips, winning the battle. Bulbasaur is lying on the ground after the battle, it’s bulb glowing strangely and Ash is worried that he might be sick, taking him to see Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy takes Bulbasaur in for an examination, she seems to have a suspicion whats wrong but won’t comment til she checks it out. Joy emerges from the E.R and tells Ash that Bulbasaur is getting ready to Evolve. They peer out of the window to see all the flowers outside the Pokemon Center blooming and sparkling, Nurse Joy speaks of a Mysterious Garden nearby and Bulbasaur listens in. During the night Bulbasaur sneaks out of the Pokemon Center, with only Pikachu noticing him leave. Pikachu follows Bulbasaur and watches it get picked up by lots of other Bulbasaur who start carrying him off, Pikachu gives chase and is about to drop some thunder into them but Bulbasaur tells him to go back and get Ash etc instead which he does, the gang get up and find Bulbasaur missing.
Meanwhile Team Rocket are walking around nearby, indicated by the sparkling blooms in the forest, plotting once more to steal Pikachu, they then notice the group of Bulbasaur carrying Ash’s Bulbasaur and while they prepare to capture them they get Vine Whipped into oblivion and blast off once more. Ash, Misty and Brock give chase after Bulbasaur following the trail of pollen, lots of vines start to rapidly grow to close up the Mysterious Garden and it becomes apparent why no ones ever seen it before. They reach a clearing and look down into a Valley seeing hundreds of Bulbasaur, and the pollen gathering at an old tree, which then bursts into life itself, a huge banging sound is heard from within the tree and a Venusaur then emerges. Ash spots his Bulbasaur and is about to shout it, but Brock stops him because human beings aren’t supposed to be here. The Bulbasaur’s begin to chant Saur with the Venusaur and many of them start to evolve into Ivysaur. Meanwhile Team Rocket are outside trying to break through the vines with axes before being chased away. With all of the Bulbasaur now evolved into Ivysaur, except Ash’s which seems to be struggling, almost like it’s trying not to evolve, the Venusaur spots this and has a seemingly angry word with him, the other Ivysaur seem to be getting really angyry with im. Venusaur attacks Bulbasaur with his vine whips but Ash gets in the way and blocks it. Ash apologises to Venusaur and the Ivysaur for bursting in on their festival, but tells them they have no right to force him to evolve, it seems that Venusaur and all the Ivysaur accept what Ash has said.
Team Rocket then arrive in their Hot Air Balloon and start trying to snatch all the Ivysaur with a suction device, Venusaur manages to save a small minority of them before Team Rocket turn up the suction to even grab Venusaur. The gang decide an electric attack is no good because it will hurt all the Pokemon they’ve captured. Team Rocket see that only Ash’s Bulbasaur is left and laugh at it, stating they don’t want to capture a puny Bulbasaur, this aggravates Bulbasaur somewhat and it begins charging it’s first ever Solar Beam attack, destroying Team Rockets balloon and freeing his peers, before unleashing a razor leaf to break the bag they were held in. Team Rocket land in the middle of the festival and are attacked by Bulbasaur, the group of Ivysaur and Venusaur, they blast off once more. Venusaur approaches Bulbasaur and they shake vine whips in friendship. The Mysterious Garden disappears once more, the Ivysaur and Venusaur depart into the woods and Ash and his friends wave them goodbye. Bulbasaur remains Bulbasaur and doesn’t want to evolve, for now.
Major Events
- — Bulbasaur refuses to evolve and learns Solar Beam. The episode after which Bulbagarden is named
- Last OS episode whose dub “Who’s That Pokémon?” matched the episode. All-Stars Vol. 7.
Pokémon making their anime debut
Venusaur#0003 · EP051
Trivia
- The English title plays on the Japanese title puns on *fushigi* (mysterious) and Fushigidane (Bulbasaur); Bulbagarden is named after the episode.
- The screenplay is by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- 診察室 → “E.R.” (3 shots)
- R組 lettering erased from Team Rocket’s jackets (7 shots)
- Sign → “R”
- Dub ending: the Kanto Pokérap (Monday segment)
Part of our Pokémon: Indigo League guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.