A Friend in Deed – Pokémon Season 1, Episode 78

Plot episodeRitchie debuts

A Friend in Deed is the 78th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 78th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 80, Bulbapedia code EP078). It first aired in Japan on 7 January 1999 and in the United States on 20 November 1999. It falls within the season’s The Indigo Plateau Conference stretch (EP74–EP80).

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

Synopsis

Ash, Misty and Brock are walking around the Pokemon League Village when they decide to go for a meal to celebrate Ash’s victory. They then see Ash’s mom and Professor Oak, his mom says shes going to cook him his favourite but Ash doesn’t understand where she’s going to cook, as the chalets they’re staying in don’t have cookers. They head to one of the Pokemon League restaurants and it soon becomes apparent; Ash’s mom briefly takes over the restaurants kitchens and makes everyone dinner (Pokemon included) before coming to join everyone herself. Everyone enjoys the meal and apparently the Chef even asked her for the recipe.

At the table they discuss whats next, and Oak tells Ash that if he wins his next battle he’ll be able to use Six Pokemon in battle after that. Oak also offers to transfer any additional Pokemon Ash needs over to him right away, but Ash wants to see who he’s up against first. They leave the restaurant and get into the lift, when another trainer asks them to hold the door and gets into the lift with them, this trainer see’s Pikachu and pets it without getting shocked, then telling Ash he did a really great job raising his Pikachu. The power goes out on the lift, even the emergency call button doesn’t work and the group is stuck in the lift. That is until the trainer who joined them in the lift messes with some wiring and then uses Pikachu’s electricity to jumpstart the lift for just long enough to make it to the lobby. The trainer introduces himself as Ritchie, and says goodbye.

There is an announcement from a vehicle outside for trainers to bring their Pokéballs for official inspection immediately. While in the queue to have his Pokemon examined, Ash bumps into Ritchie again, the trainer from the lift and realises that he too must be in the Pokemon League. The inspectors state that any trainers who don’t turn in ALL of their Pokemon will be disqualified from the league. The female league inspector tries to pick up Pikachu and despite being electrocuted still manages to get it into the bag. The male inspector lets slip that the female inspectors name is Jessie and it’s then that both Ash and Ritchie realise exactly who they are; Team Rocket. They jump onto the roof of their vehicle and hit all the trainers with Weezings smog as a cover to enable them to jump into the drivers seat and leave via the Center Gate. Ash and Ritchie chase them, Ash dangerously runs straight down a steep hillside, Ritchie chases but shouts for him to stop, Ritchie tackles Ash to the ground just in time to stop him dropping off a cliff edge, Ash angrily shoves Ritchie off and the two continue on, blocking Team Rocket in the road and causing them to steer off course down a hill and down a river. Ash and Ritchie continue to pursue them for hours and hours into the night, Ritchie suggests they get some sleep and look for Team Rocket and their Pokemon when they can see where they’re going, Ash doesn’t look sure but when Ritchie, who is obviously mature and prepared offers him a spare sleeping bag he accepts. The two sit beside a fire lit by Ritchie and Ash apologises for shoving him, the two find they have a lot in common and become friends.

Meanwhile Team Rocket are sat at a clearing in the woods eating a meal to celebrate their haul of Pokemon. Ash and Ritchie can’t really sleep and are mostly just chatting and staring at the sky to see what sort of Pokemon shaped patterns they can see in the stars, while learning that they both share the same goal of becoming Pokemon Masters.

The next day Ash and Ritchie begin their search once more and spot some tire tracks near the river, they follow the tracks back to Team Rocket’s camp and find Jessie, James and Meowth asleep. They enter Team Rockets RV and find Pikachu and all the trainers Pokéballs. Team Rocket however have woken up, and lock the two, along with Pikachu and the Pokéballs in the back of the R.V and start driving off. Ritchie quickly finds his own Pokémon from the huge bag of Pokéballs due to the stickers he placed on top of them all which enable him to quickly find them. Ash however isn’t so prepared and has no true way of telling his own Pokéballs from everyone elses, having to go through some serious trial and error before Pikachu then tells Bulbasaurs Pokéball by scent. Bulbasaur tries a tackle attack followed by a razor leaf on the R.V’s walls.

Ritchie sends out Zippo, his Charmander who uses its slash attack and breaks the wall between them and Team Rocket. Jessie sends Arbok to attack, and just as Pikachu is about to hit it with thunderbolt James performs a driving manouevere knocking Pikachu off balance and allowing Arbok to attack. Ritchie calls out his own Pikachu, “Sparky” and the two chu’s easily overwhelm Arbok, their dual thunderbolts destroy the front of the vehicle and send Team Rocket blasting off. The danger isn’t over however and the remains of the vehicle they’re still onboard heads toward a cliff edge. Ritchies quick thinking to use his Butterfree and Ash’s Pidgeotto as parachutes to slow their falls buys them some time, but they’re still heading toward the ground too quick. Ritchie tells Ash to command Pidgeotto to use whirlwind, aiming it toward the ground, Ritchies Butterfree does the same, and this slows their falls just enough that they aren’t hurt when they land. Seconds later a group of Jeeps arrive led by a group of Officer jenny’s aswell as Misty and Brock.

Everyone arrives back at Pokemon League HQ where the next round is being drawn. Ash uses a rod to pick a random trainer ID out of a pool, he draws “A-3” which means he is seeded against his new friend Ritchie in the next battle.

Major Events

• — Ritchie debuts (Sparky, Zippo, Happy)
• Team Rocket’s fake physical exam
• Ash drawn against Ritchie. Lecture: venue (2).

Trivia

• The English title plays on "a friend in need is a friend indeed".
• The screenplay is by Shōji Yonemura.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto storyline.
• The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Weezing in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Diglett in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• “Representative Village” banner erased
• Dub ending: Pikachu’s Jukebox — My Best Friends
• A “Together Forever” instrumental is added in the dub

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