Once in a Blue Moon – Pokémon Season 3, Episode 11

Filler / stand-alone episodeGS BallQuagsire debut

Once in a Blue Moon is the 11th episode of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 127th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 129, Bulbapedia code EP127). It first aired in Japan on 23 December 1999 and in the United States on 2 December 2000. It falls within the season’s The road to Violet City stretch (EP122–EP129).

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

Synopsis

Our heroes have stopped near a pretty little town called Cherrygrove City on their way to the Johto League when they encounter a Quagsire. Misty decides shes going to capture it but accidentally sends out Psyduck to capture it, Psyduck and Quagsire stare at each other for a while and Quagsire gets bored, steals the GS ball and starts to swim off, Ash sends Squirtle to chase Quagsire and retrieve the GS ball which after a bit of a battle it manages to do. The GS Ball is now in the possession of Pikachu.

Seconds later the towns Officer Jenny arrives and arrests the group for violating Quagsire preservation restrictions, back at the station Officer Jenny speaks to Professor Oak who apologises for not warning them about the Quagsire and Officer Jenny drops the charges against Ash and co. Oak and Jenny explain that the Quagsire are protected in Cherrygrove City because they only live in the cleanest waters, and this helps the people of Cherrygrove keep an eye on their local water quality. Ash is wondering why the Quagsire tried to steal the GS Ball, and Jenny says it’s because around this time of year the Quagsire try to take anything that’s round to Blue Moon falls, and the next day all of the items will come back downstream bringing the townsfolk pure water and good luck. It’s also said that whoever’s item comes back downstream last will be the very luckiest of all.

Ash and co leave the station and witness a Quagsire stealing a round item from the bridge. Just then the Quagsire who previously tried to steal the GS ball appears and jumps on Ash’s back, eventually it manages to get hold of the GS ball and slips away back into the water, heading upstream.

Team Rocket are nearby trying to use a mystic ball to find out the location of the twerps, but a Quagsire swipes the ball from them and escapes. Just as Jessie and James are about to send their Pokémon out to attack more Quagsire appear and steal their Pokéballs and run off. Ash and friends continue following the river to try and find the Quagsire who stole the GS ball when they spot a couple of other Quagsire, they decide to follow them hoping they will lead them to the one who stole the GS Ball.

Later that night Ash and friends stumble upon Blue Moon Falls and they spot a huge group of Quagsire including the one with the GS Ball. Ash’s first instinct is to attack and try to capture the Quagsire with the GS ball however Misty reminds him what Officer Jenny said. Team Rocket are also watching the Quagsire nearby and shortly after they attack with a mechanical grabbing machine, but every Quagsire they grab just slips right back out with its slippery skin. Team Rocket switch to Plan B and catch all the Quagsire in a huge net and start flying off. Ash and friends confront Team Rocket but the mechanical grabber grabs Pikachu.

A huge group of Quagsire start throwing rocks at Team Rocket’s balloon slowing them down just enough for Ash to free the captured Quagsire from their net using Bulbasaurs razor leaf attack. The Quagsire send Team Rocket blasting off and Ash and friends continue to observe the Quagsire who begin to head upstream, Ash and co give chase and they eventually find the Quagsire gathered at a waterfall, the full Moon high in the sky above it. The Quagsire all begin to throw their round objects and use their waterguns to try and get them as close to the moon as they can. The Quagsire with the GS ball got it’s one the highest, and all of the items begin to get washed down the river in the opposite direction. Ash and friends give chase once more.

The next day the sun rises and the Townspeople are gathered on a bridge, watching and waiting for all of their items to return to them. The people run into the water and collect their belongings one by one, when eventually the GS ball arrives as the last one back, meaning Ash will have the best luck of any of the people this year. Ash arrives to retrieve the ball and the townspeople cheer him as the luckiest one of all.

Now that the GS ball has been safely returned Ash is more eager than ever to try his luck in the Johto League.

Major Events

• Quagsire debut
• Misty twice stopped from catching one
• GS Ball thrown over Blue Moon Falls

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Quagsire#0195 · EP127

Trivia

• The English title plays on the idiom for something rare, and the Blue Moon Falls ritual.
• The screenplay is by Shinzō Fujita.
• This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Johto story.
• The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Quagsire in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Ledyba in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• Dub inserts an instrumental of “Everything Changes”.
• Pokémon Karaokémon: “You & Me & Pokémon” (Élan Rivera & PJ Lequerica).

Part of our Pokémon: The Johto Journeys guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.