No Big Woop! – Pokémon Season 3, Episode 32

Filler / stand-alone episodeWooper debut

No Big Woop! is the 32nd episode of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 148th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 150, Bulbapedia code EP148). It first aired in Japan on 18 May 2000 and in the United States on 31 March 2001. It falls within the season’s On the road to Goldenrod stretch (EP148–EP155).

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

Synopsis

As our friends continue on their journey to Goldenrod City and the next Johto League gym they spot a cute little place in the middle of nowhere, as they’re trying to work out what the place is used for something lands on Brock’s neck and startles him, making him fall down a Cliffside. At the bottom of the cliff Brock meets a girl called Alesha who apparently runs a Wooper Pre-School; explaining that she used to babysit Wooper when she was younger, then she found the Pond nearby and the Wooper just kept coming so she ended up opening a school to train them. Alesha shows Ash and co how she teaches the Wooper, who are clearly very well trained.

Team Rocket are in the woods nearby trying to find a rare Pokemon to appease the boss. Alesha gives the Wooper something to eat before then giving Ash and friends something to eat. Just then their lunch is interrupted; Alesha receives a call from her mother who has fallen down the stairs and broken her leg. Alesha’s mother lives in the next town, she’s really worried and wants to go and see her mother but she can’t leave the Wooper all by themselves; so Brock volunteers the services of himself, Ash and Misty to look after the Wooper while she’s gone. Alesha hands Brock a little book that tells them everything they need to know about caring for the Wooper before she leaves on her motorscooter.

Misty is a bit worried about how difficult it will be, as they don’t know anything about caring for Wooper but Ash and Brock are fairly complacent about the situation. The group return to the pond to find it empty, the Wooper have all disappeared. Pikachu points out that the Wooper’s tracks head right inside the school building; once inside Ash and co find the Wooper ransacking the place and eating everything. Brock reads from his Wooper care book that they are much more likely to behave if you show them affection and food, Brock uses some of his homemade food to try and get control of the Wooper but it goes wrong. Next the book says to try and use a Tambourine, Misty pulls one out and plays, but the Woopers cover their ears in disgust until Togepi grabs it and starts playing – this brings all the Wooper under control and they head back out to the pond – but theres one missing.

Ash and Misty head inside the building to try and retrieve the final Wooper but its rather evasive and runs rings around them. After saving a pile of falling crockery Ash and Misty head outside to see the renegade Wooper climbing up a very steep, rocky hillside, the two give chase and find themselves following the Wooper over a VERY unstable rope bridge which is basically falling apart around them… it manages to escape them once more.

Team Rocket meanwhile are nearby trying to cook Mushroom soup. Jessie and James have just got back with the Mushrooms they picked and they’re all really hungry, they turn their backs for a second and the Wooper finds them and eats all of their Mushrooms. Just as Jessie is trying to catch the Wooper Pikachu catches up and tells them to stop, Jessie and James try to bribe Pikachu into telling Wooper to get in the Pokéball, but it declines – a few moments later Ash and Misty turn up and a confrontation ensues.

Jessie and James attack with Arbok and use Weezing’s smokescreen to make their escape with Wooper, as they are making their escape in the Balloon Alesha and Brock turn up on her motorscooter and give chase. Ash, Misty and Brock are about to use their Pokemon to attack Team Rocket, but Alesha tells them not to worry, she commands Wooper to take care of the situation itself, it defeats Team Rocket and their Pokemon and sends them blasting off.

The group all head back to the Wooper pre-school where Togepi is still playing the Tambourine to keep the rest of the Wooper under control. Alesha’s mother is OK and her leg is in a cast healing, she thanks the gang for looking after her Wooper while she was away and Ash and friends bid her farewell.

Major Events

• Wooper debut
• Wobbuffet first pops out of its ball
• GS Ball’s final appearance (flashback)

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Wooper#0194 · EP148

Trivia

• The English title plays on "no big whoop", with Wooper.
• The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
• 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 Wooper in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Skarmory in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• Olesia never introduces herself in the dub, yet is later called by name.
• The dub narrator says the heroes are on the road “to Johto”, although they are already there.
• Score cues from Pikachu’s Vacation and Mewtwo Strikes Back.
• Pokémon Karaokémon: “Pikachu (I Choose You)” (Élan Rivera).

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