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| Season | Pokémon: Indigo League (Season 1) · Cinnabar, Cerulean & Viridian: the last badges arc (EP58–EP63) |
| Episode | Season 1, episode 59 · English episode 59 · Japanese episode 61 · Bulbapedia code EP059 |
| English title | Volcanic Panic |
| Japanese title | けっせん! グレンジム! Kessen! Guren Jimu! — “Decisive Battle! Guren Gym!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 20 August 1998 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 18 September 1999 · Kids’ WB |
| Screenplay | Junki Takegami |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Mezase Pokémon Master (Aim to Be a Pokémon Master) – Rica Matsumoto · Pokémon Ondo – Garura Kobayashi, Dogars & Arbo |
| English opening | Pokémon Theme – Jason Paige |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Paras (US) · Magmar (Japan) |
| Previous episode | Riddle Me This (EP058) |
| Next episode | Beach Blank-Out Blastoise (EP060) |
Plot episodeVolcano Badge
Volcanic Panic is the 59th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 59th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 61, Bulbapedia code EP059). It first aired in Japan on 20 August 1998 and in the United States on 18 September 1999. It falls within the season’s Cinnabar, Cerulean & Viridian: the last badges stretch (EP58–EP63).
Synopsis
Pikachu is in real Pika-peril with a Fire Blast heading his way and nowhere to go but down. Pikachu crouches and misses the bulk of the blast, managing to survive with just a slightly burned back, Pikachu clings on and climbs back up, wanting to fight again but Ash surrenders and forfeits the match.
The group head to the hotsprings for the Pokemon to recover, Ash is intent on facing Blaine again but Misty and Brock try to talk him out of it. Meanwhile Team Rocket have also found the entrance to Blaines gym and enter it, fully intent on stealing Magmar. They use a special device to Freeze magmar and celebrate their success, unfortunately Magmar quickly defrosts, Team Rocket respond by panic freeze-blasting the whole place with their ice gun, causing some serious tremors in the Volcano.
Ash and co along with Blaine rush into the Volcano to investigate, Blaine tells them that freezing all the hot rock could result in a reaction deep within the Volcano. Rock is starting to crack within the Volcano, Lava will follow through the cracks and prompt a huge Volcanic eruption, risking the lives of everyone on the Island, and more immediately to Blaine, our heroes and Team Rocket. Blaines gym is destroyed and rock plates begin shifting, lava begins flowing and bursting through the cracks. Blaine commands Magmar to pile up rocks to block the lava flow, Ash calls out Charizard to help, Charizard decides it would be better to lie down.
Magmar continues to do its best to block the lava flow and briefly creates a damm of rock, which is destroyed by the lava. Charizard see’s Magmars strength and how hard it works and decides at the last minute to help it block the lava flow, even if more to demonstrate its own strength then truly to help. Brock calls out Onix and Geodude to help too, and Misty and Ash call Staryu and Squirtle to use their water attacks to help keep everyone cool while they work (Except for Charizard and Magmar, who probably wouldn’t appreciate it). Working together they manage to block the flow of lava and save Cinnibar Island.
Charizard and Magmar’s eyes meet, and the mutual respect for one anothers strength is apparent. Blaine thanks everyone for their help and offers Ash another chance to try and win the Volcano badge, with the gym in the Volcano destroyed, they fight on the Volcano top itself which is where Blaine found Magmar. The battle is 1v1, and Charizard actually volunteers to battle to prove its strength against Magmar. Without even being commanded Charizard heads over to face Magmar, and the Pokemon are shown to be fairly evenly matched, Magmar gets on Charizards back and takes Charizard under the Volcano, Ash fears the worst and just then Charizard bursts out of the lava, with Magmar still attached to his back. Charizard flies high into the sky and uses its aerial submission attack sending Magmar’s head spinning before performing a Seismic Toss, defeating Magmar and securing victory for Ash.
Blaine takes his wig off to Ash in congratulations, Charizard burns Ash to further demonstrate its power, and Ash is awarded the Volcano badge. Our heroes set off on the road to Viridian City.
Major Events
- — Volcano Badge (won: Charizard’s Submission/Seismic Toss beats Magmar on the crater after Ash forfeited the first match to save Pikachu). First 24:35 episode (new standard length)
- First two-part battle
- Masaaki Iwane’s first AD credit.
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto storyline.
- The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Magmar in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Paras in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.
Changes in the English Dub
- 大/中/小 flame shape held constant (SFX plays twice)
- Staryu called Starmie
- Dub ending: Pikachu’s Jukebox — Together Forever
- A 30-second edit of the Pokémon Theme was used on some airings
Part of our Pokémon: Indigo League guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.