Fowl Play! – Pokémon Season 3, Episode 38

Plot episodeAsh catches a Shiny NoctowlAired early in the US

Fowl Play! is the 38th episode of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 154th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 156, Bulbapedia code EP154). It first aired in Japan on 29 June 2000 and in the United States on 28 April 2001. It falls within the season’s On the road to Goldenrod stretch (EP148–EP155).

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

Synopsis

Ash, Misty and Brock find themselves in a dark forest when they spot a birdhouse in tree, as they are discussing what type of Pokemon might nest there they spot a Noctowl and decide to hide in the bushes and watch it. Just then a tree branch comes out of nowhere and scares the Noctowl off. The next Noctowl that lands is a different colour to the standard Noctowl. A branch comes out of the tree again this one covered in berries which are offered to the Noctowl; it promptly rejects them and starts banging the tree, revealing a human hiding behind some branches under camouflage.

The guy in the tree clings onto the branch by one hand and the Noctowl pecks his hand until he lets go and falls to the ground, Ash and co rush over to see if the guy is ok and he introduces himself as Dr. Wiseman who tells the group he has been trying to catch that strange coloured Noctowl for a very long time. Ash thinks about how nice it would be if he could catch a rare Pokemon like that Noctowl and Dr. Wiseman happily advises that Ash basically wouldn’t be smart enough to catch it, but Ash runs in and throws a Pokéball at it anyway; the Noctowl knocks the ball away and hits Ash with a psychic attack…. The group wonder why Ash is talking to a rock as if it’s Pikachu. Dr. Wiseman advises that its because Noctowl hypnotised Ash.

The group accompany Dr. Wiseman back to his cabin in the forest, which he only moved to in order to dedicate his time to catching the unusually coloured Noctowl. Ash and Dr. Wiseman both vow to catch the Noctowl, it appears Dr. Wiseman has a secret trap in mind to catch it… Brock dismisses this as a poor idea since the Noctowl would never respect a trainer who caught it that way. Ash vows to try and catch Noctowl the traditional way, fair and square. Team Rocket are on the roof of Dr. Wisemans cabin thinking what a great present Noctowl would be for the boss.

The group head back into the forest to try and capture Noctowl again. Brock questions how Dr. Wiseman can be sure that Noctowl will even come back; Dr. Wiseman replies that Noctowl never likes to miss an opportunity to test its wits against his. Noctowl arrives a few minutes later just as he said, Dr. Wiseman deploys his secret trap; Noctowl hypnotises itself in Dr. Wisemans mirror, Noctowl manages to get a hynopsis attack on Dr. Wiseman before it falls out of the tree which makes him think that a nearby rock is Noctowl. Ash chases after the real Noctowl who is still suffering the effects of its own hynopsis and just then Team Rocket arrive in their latest mechanical monstrosity; this one looks just like a giant Noctowl. Team Rocket declare that they’re here to capture the Noctowl. Ash, Misty and Brock stand in their way and try to protect Noctowl, Pikachu uses its thunder but Team Rocket’s robot fires the electric straight back at them.

Ash sends out Totodile and Cyndaquil too, but Meowth’s robot fills up two giant balloons with air and then blows strong winds at Ash and friends, knocking Noctowl out in the process. Dr. Wiseman seizes the opportunity to grab Noctowl but he is caught by Team Rocket’s Robot, and so is Noctowl. Team Rocket begin their ascent in their Noctowl-robot but Ash sends Bulbasaur and Chikorita to grab it with their Vine Whips, preventing it gaining anymore altitude. Ash climbs a tree and tries to free Noctowl from the robots hand, but it won’t move. Ash tells Noctowl to get ready, before pulling as hard as he can and Noctowl escapes; Noctowl speaks with Ash’s Pokemon and they seem to be putting together a plan to defeat Team Rocket.

Cyndaquil begins using its flamethrower attack, then Noctowl signals for Totodile to use its water gun, the heat to cold water effect makes the robot crack, Pikachu aims a thunderbolt through the cracks in the robot and it sends Team Rocket blasting off. Just after, the Noctowl appears in the tree above Ash and co and seems to communicate that it wants to challenge Ash to a battle. Ash sends Pikachu to face Noctowl, Pikachu tries to open with a thunderbolt but Noctowls hypnosis results in a lot of thunder flying all over the place, one of Pikachu’s own bits of thunder hits it, snapping it out of confusion. Ash tells Pikachu to not look into the Noctowl’s eyes and to attack only when it hears the sound of Noctowls wings, the strategy works and Pikachu sends Noctowl crashing to the earth, Ash throws his Pokéball and guess what? He got Noctowl.

Dr. Wiseman concedes defeat and congratulates Ash on his capture. Ash and friends wave goodbye to the Doctor, and now with a wise and wily Noctowl added to their group the friends continue on their journey to Goldenrod City.

Major Events

• Ash catches a Shiny Noctowl (Noctowl debut) — first Shiny Pokémon in the anime
• Dr. Wiseman
• Dub swaps the Cyndaquil/Totodile call-outs

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Noctowl#0164 · EP154

Captures and evolutions

• Shiny Noctowl#0164 · Ash · first Shiny in the anime

Trivia

• The English title plays on "foul play", for the bird Pokémon Noctowl — also the name of a Mario Party 3 mini-game released the week after the dub aired.
• The screenplay is by Junki Takegami.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Johto storyline.
• The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Noctowl in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Entei in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.

Changes in the English Dub

• The dub swaps the Cyndaquil/Totodile call-outs.
• The dub narrator says the heroes are on the road “to Johto”, although they are already there.
• Pokémon Karaokémon: “Song of Jigglypuff”.

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