Love, Totodile Style – Pokémon Season 3, Episode 37

Filler / stand-alone episodeAzumarill debut

Love, Totodile Style is the 37th episode of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 153rd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 155, Bulbapedia code EP153). It first aired in Japan on 22 June 2000 and in the United States on 26 May 2001. It falls within the season’s On the road to Goldenrod stretch (EP148–EP155).

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

Synopsis

While heading for Goldenrod City, the next stop on their journey to Johto our friends find a pretty place for a Pokémon pitstop where they release all of their Pokemon to play and Brock prepares some of his famous beef stew.

As the group are preparing to eat their meal and the Pokemon are enjoying a swim, Totodile comes across an Azumarill who it takes quite a liking to, however the Azumarill rejects him and walks off. Ash and friends then spot a Golduck in the bushes who appears to be looking for something and it’s trainer then turns up asking if its found anything yet. Brock approaches the girl and asks if she needs any help, she introduces herself as Trixie. After Misty escorts Brock away because of his advances on Trixie, Ash asks her whats wrong and she tells him that she’s lost her Azumarill but just then it emerges from the bushes, closely followed by Ash’s Totodile. Azumarill doesn’t look too happy to see Totodile, but does seem to have taken a liking to Trixie’s Golduck.

Trixie takes Ash and friends back to the Pokemon Circus that her and her Pokemon perform in, she tells the group that Azumarill is her best performer but lately it’s been acting really weird and not turning up to shows etc. Brock and Totodile volunteer to help set up the next show; Totodile brings out a paddling pool, fills it with water and throws Azumarill in, she again rejects him and runs off.

A few hours later the circus is packed and Trixie begins her Pokemon Magic Show, the crowd is loving all her tricks and when the finale comes Azumarill starts its performance with some amazing water patterns. Totodile jumps out of Ash’s arms and heads to the stage to put on a performance of its own, even starting to steal the show from Azumarill who goes storming off the stage in anger. Ash and Pikachu catch a pile of fruit quite luckily and save the show.

Team Rocket are also at the venue preparing to steal the performing Pokemon from the circus. Brock is outside giving Totodile lessons in love; presenting it with some of his homemade Pokemon treats to present to her. Totodile tries to present them but Azumarill runs off, before being captured in a net by Team Rocket a few seconds later. Brock has been watching the whole time and see’s events unfold, Ash and Misty catch up and the three then spot Team Rockets balloon making its ascent, with Azumarill still caught in their net. Ash sends Pikachu jumping into the air to launch an electric attack when Team Rocket fire an anti Pikachu net and capture him!

Weezing uses its smokescreen as a cover and Team Rocket get away. Azumarill’s ribbon drops from the net and Totodile catches it before diving into the water and giving chase. Team Rocket are trying to get Azumarill to perform, but its really not playing ball. Totodile is still on their trail and spots the Team Rocket balloon in the distance. Just as Team Rocket are about to get nasty with Azumarill, Totodile shows up and attacks them but is quickly captured by Meowth’s lasso and jaw clamp.

Ash and friends, along with Trixie and her Golduck are out searching for Totodile, Pikachu and Azumarill. That night Team Rocket are sleeping in their cabin and Azumarill, Totodile and Pikachu are caged. Azumarill starts to cry but Totodile gives her the ribbon she lost and does a dance and she soon cheers up. The next day Team Rocket are loading up the Pokemon onto their balloon and preparing to leave. Ash and friends find them just as they’re taking off and Trixie’s Pidgey punctures the balloon, knocking it out of the sky. Ash gets his Pikachu and Totodile back, but Team Rocket still have Azumarill. Trixie sends her Golduck to take on Team Rocket’s Pokemon while Ash uses his Bulbasaur’s razor leaf to free Totodile and Pikachu. Ash then uses Pikachu’s thunderbolt to send Team Rocket blasting off.

Bulbasaur frees Azumarill from its cage and it begins running toward what everyone thought was Totodile…. But it was actually Trixie’s Golduck she was running toward. Totodile looks on in horror as Brock gives it more advice on love. As the group are about to move on it seems Totodile has spotted a Quagsire with a Pink Ribbon that it likes the look of. The Quagsire starts running off and Totodile gives chase, with Ash and friends just behind him trying to capture him so they can continue their journey.

Major Events

• Azumarill debut
• Totodile confirmed male
• Movie Preview Special replaces Oak’s Lecture (EP153–EP156)

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Azumarill#0184 · EP153

Trivia

• The English title plays on the TV anthology Love, American Style (the form was reused for EP267 and AG069).
• 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 Azumarill in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Furret in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• The dub narrator says the heroes are on the road “to Johto”, although they are already there.
• Pokémon Karaokémon: “Pikachu (I Choose You)” (Élan Rivera).

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