In the Pink – Pokémon Season 2, Episode 8

Filler / stand-alone episodePinkan Island

In the Pink is the 8th episode of Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands, the second season of the Pokémon anime, and the 88th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 90, Bulbapedia code EP088). It first aired in Japan on 18 March 1999 and in the United States on 12 February 2000. It falls within the season’s Island-hopping stretch (EP86–EP92).

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

Synopsis

Today our friends are enjoying another day on the tropical seas as they continue to explore the Orange islands with their friend Lapras. Tracey is playing with Togepi and he states that it’s weird that Togepi hasn’t learned any attacks by now… just as they are discussing it the group is caught offguard by a giant Whirlpool.

The group wake up some time later on the shore of an island, Tracey observes its sheer cliffs, whirlpools etc and concludes that they must be on Pinkan Island and rushes toward the cliffs to begin climbing them, excited that there might be new types of Pokémon here, as it’s largely unexplored. Once the group reach the top of the cliff they spot a Pink Rhyhorn which Tracey manages to make careful observations of before Ash attempts to pet it, causing it to attack the group; sending Ash flying before running at the whole group and chasing them to a cliff edge, just as it looks like Rhyhorn’s takedown is going to knock them all off the cliff the group is teleported by Togepi to safety (although they don’t know it was Togepi). The group head back to the cliff to see where the Rhyhorn went and find its fell off the cliff edge, and only a small tree has stopped it from falling into the water.

Officer Jenny arrives and tells them it’s a protected Pokémon reserve, the group explain about Rhyhorn and together they focus their efforts on saving it, Team Rocket are in the waters nearby in their sub, watching the rescue unfold on their periscope but they get caught in a whirlpool (they are unaware of the fact that Jigglypuff is also sat on their periscope). Meanwhile Rhyhorn has been hoisted back up the cliff after having ropes secured to it by Ash and Tracey, Rhyhorn is fine and returns to the wild.

Just then Tracey points out that Pikachu’s tail and electricity sacs have turned pink after it ate the Pinkan berries, Ash looks a bit panic’d, but Jenny explains that the Pokémon will only stay pink if they eat the berries all the time, so Pikachu won’t be “Pinkachu” for long. Team Rocket find themselves washed up somewhere on the island, on the lookout for Pink Pokémon (which they believe to be rare and valuable compared to their normal counterparts), Jigglypuff emerges from the sub and then they run away from it into the forest, where they discover an abundance of different types of pink Pokémon from Pidgey’s to Nidoran, to Paras to Diglett and many more. Jessie uses her imagination to think about what they could do with hall the pink Pokémon; including opening their own Pink Pokémon theme park and musical shows.

Team Rocket decide to start attacking the wild Pokémon, James sends his Victreebel but as usual it just attacks him, Jessie’s Lickitung however tries to attack a pair of Pink Nidoran, it pursues them into a cave but is then chased out by their very angry father (a giant, pink and very angry Nidoking). The Nidoking charges at Team rocket, pursuing them through the forest. Meanwhile at Officer Jenny’s Island Station she explains to Ash and co that Pinkan Island is protected and no one should be there, but says she won’t press charges against them as they at least helped her save the Rhyhorn. The group call Professor Oak to tell him about the Island, but he already knew about it, he explains to Ash and gang that they should keep it quiet about the Island or the whole place will get swarmed by poachers who simply want to make money from exhibiting the Pokémon etc. Just then an alarm is sounded and Officer Jenny reports that someone; probably poachers, have landed on the island and she has to go and stop them, Ash and co of course volunteer to help her and she agrees.

Meanwhile the Nidoking caught up to Team Rocket who surprisingly manage to defeat it using a combination of Weezings and Lickitungs attacks, a few moments later Officer Jenny plus Ash and co arrive in the jeep, and Pikachu immediately opens with a thundershock on team Rocket and their Pokémon, this thundershock also awakens Nidoking who sends Team Rocket blasting off, but then angrily turns on Officer Jenny and the group, giving chase to the jeep. Misty tries to send out Staryu to slow Nidoking down but Psyduck comes out instead, and it quickly turns its tail and run, Tracey’s Marill doesn’t fare much better. The group reach a dead-end with Nidoking just behind them, it powers its most powerful attack; a hyper beam, but a mysterious shield appears over the group saving them. The Nidoking is shocked that its attack didn’t destroy the group, Jenny tells the group to get out of the Jeep and then performs a risky lasso manoeuvre; restraining Nidoking without harming it.

Later on the group are on Officer Jenny’s boat and she’s taking them out to sea past the whirlpools, Ash and friends vow to keep the secret of Pinkan Island and Misty seems to suspect that Togepi was the one who saved them from both the Rhyhorn takedown and the Nidoking’s hyperbeam but Ash and Tracey laugh it off.

Major Events

• The pink Pokémon of Pinkan Island
• Togepi’s Metronome teleports the group
• Tracey’s Gengar and Tauros costumes
• Dub Misty calls for a Starmie she left at Cerulean

Trivia

• The English title plays on the idiom for being in perfect health, on an island of pink Pokémon.
• The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
• This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Orange Islands story.
• The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features a pink Rhyhorn in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Kabuto in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• Officer Jenny’s opening line and Team Rocket’s cries in the whirlpool muted
• Misty calls for Starmie, which she had left at Cerulean

Part of our Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.