Pokémon Season 4: Johto League Champions

Quick answers · Story Arcs · Episode Guide · Characters · Pokémon · Gyms & Competitions · Movies & Specials · Side Stories & Crossovers · Music · TV Broadcasts · Dub Edits & Censorship · DVD & Streaming · Where to Watch · Trading Cards · Firsts & Lasts · Trivia · Reception

Pokémon: Johto League Champions is the fourth season of the English-language Pokémon anime and the second of the three seasons that make up Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver, the Johto chapter of the original series. Dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment, it premiered on Kids’ WB on 18 August 2001 with a double bill and covers Japanese episodes 158 to 209, which TV Tokyo broadcast as part of Pocket Monsters between 3 August 2000 and 2 August 2001. Every one of its 52 episodes was dubbed, so — unlike its successor Master Quest — the Japanese, television and DVD counts all agree.

The season opens with the first defeat of Ash’s Johto journey: Goldenrod City Gym Leader Whitney’s Miltank rolls over his whole team, and it takes an unofficial rematch on her uncle’s dairy farm to win the Plain Badge. From there the road leads through the National Park’s Bug-Catching Contest, the Ruins of Alph and a long run of character-of-the-day adventures to Ecruteak City, where Ash learns from Morty that the rainbow-winged bird he saw on his first day as a trainer was Ho-Oh, and Noctowl learns Confusion mid-battle to beat Morty’s Ghost types for the Fog Badge. Heading west for Olivine, the group climbs Snowtop Mountain with Todd in search of Articuno, Ash borrows Snorlax back from Professor Oak to win the Pokémon Sumo Conference and its King’s Rock, Brock’s Zubat becomes a Golbat and then a Crobat, and Ash’s Chikorita finally evolves into Bayleef. With Jasmine refusing to battle while her lighthouse Ampharos is ill, the season ends across the water in Cianwood City, where Bayleef beats Chuck’s Poliwrath and Machoke for the Storm Badge — Ash’s fifth in Johto.

Johto League Champions is also the season in which the Japanese broadcast was overhauled: from EP192 Japan had a new opening (Whiteberry’s cover of the very first theme song), a Team Rocket ending, a “Pocket Monster TV” eyecatch and a badge-counting title card. It brought 29 species to the TV series for the first time, among them Miltank, Umbreon, Houndoom and Raikou, and — sixteen months before Ruby and Sapphire — Kecleon, the first Generation III Pokémon ever seen in the anime. Its English opening, Born to Be a Winner, also opened Pokémon 4Ever. Our complete episode guide below has a full synopsis of every episode written for Pokémon Dungeon, with Japanese titles, air dates and the Who’s That Pokémon? answers.

• 52episodes — every one dubbed
• 3Gym badges: Plain, Fog & Storm
• 29Pokémon species make their series debut
• 5competitions for Ash — two won, one shared
• 1Gym defeat — Ash’s only official loss in Johto
• 1stGeneration III Pokémon in the anime: Kecleon

Quick Answers

Story Arcs

Johto League Champions runs for 52 episodes and, filler aside, carries Ash from his first Johto defeat to his fifth badge. Here is how the season breaks down, with stills from our episode guide below.

Goldenrod City & the Plain BadgeEP158–EP160

Ash arrives in Goldenrod City, gets lost looking for the Goldenrod Galleria and is rescued by a bubbly local girl who turns out to be the Gym Leader, Whitney. Their official three-on-three match is the first defeat of his Johto journey: Cyndaquil disposes of Nidorina and Clefairy’s Metronome fizzles into Splash, but Miltank’s Rollout bowls over Cyndaquil, Totodile and Pikachu in turn. At her uncle Milton’s dairy farm the trenches that Totodile’s Water Gun digs to stop Team Rocket’s runaway barrel give Ash an idea, and in an unofficial rematch Pikachu flips the rolling Miltank into the air and finishes it with Thunderbolt for the Plain Badge. A live interview at the Goldenrod Radio Tower with DJ Mary then turns into an improvised radio drama when Team Rocket gatecrash the broadcast.

• 
• 
• 

The National Park & the road from GoldenrodEP161–EP172

Casey, the Electabuzz-mad trainer from earlier in Johto, returns for the National Park’s Bug-Catching Contest, where her Chikorita evolves into Bayleef and Ash wins a Sun Stone with a Beedrill he promptly gives her. The episodes that follow are mostly stand-alone adventures: a Sudowoodo that confounds two bickering researchers, living Omanyte at the Ruins of Alph with Professor Oak, a family-run Pidgey Express, Dr. Anna’s castle clinic — where Brock’s Zubat evolves into Golbat to rescue her from a maze — and a dojo duel between a dancing Hitmontop and a Hitmonlee. Misty wins the Seaking Catching Competition with a Poliwhirl everyone underestimated, Brock finally hands Vulpix back to Suzie at a Pokémon Beauty Contest, and Gary reappears with a newly evolved Umbreon to help wreck Team Rocket’s power-stealing Wobbuffet robot.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Wobbuffet Village to the gates of EcruteakEP173–EP180

For once Team Rocket are the heroes, breaking the Wobbuffet Festival’s no-battling rule to see off three thugs, and Duplica returns with Mini-Dit, a Ditto that can only Transform into miniature Pokémon. Madame Muchmoney’s Snubbull, which has been chewing on Meowth since The Johto Journeys, evolves into Granbull and finally goes home; Koga’s sister Aya trains her Venonat at a Pokémon Jujitsu Academy; and a window-shattering Yanma is released and recaught. Ash’s overconfident Bulbasaur loses the Grass Tournament final to Ephraim’s Skiploom, a gang of hungry Pichu learn to earn their apples, and Togepi is carried home across the mountains by Old Man Gon’s gentle Houndoom — with Raikou making its only physical appearance of the original series along the way.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Ecruteak City & the Fog BadgeEP181–EP183

In the Burned Tower Ash meets Morty, protector of Ecruteak’s Ghost types, who identifies the bird Ash glimpsed on the day he left Pallet Town as Ho-Oh — while James blows the food money on an Itemfinder that digs up nothing but bottle caps. The Gym battle is one of the season’s best: Gastly knocks out Pikachu with Night Shade, Haunter’s Mean Look traps Cyndaquil, and Noctowl, confused and outmatched, learns Confusion mid-battle to beat Haunter and expose the invisible Gengar for the Fog Badge. Before leaving, Misty befriends Sakura, the youngest of the Kimono Sisters, who longs to travel with the group, and the road turns west towards Olivine City.

• 
• 
• 

Westward with Todd: Snowtop Mountain & ArticunoEP184–EP191

Three Murkrow make off with Ash’s four Johto badges, an artist who has waited 24 years finally sees a school of Remoraid paint the sky with rainbow lights, and a sweet-faced Teddiursa frames Ash’s Pokémon for its thefts before evolving into Ursaring. Then Todd, the photographer the group first met in Kanto, rejoins them on his quest to photograph Articuno: Ash spends his Sun Stone evolving a wild Sunkern so that an elderly couple can have their golden-anniversary picture taken with Sunflora, three Swinub sniff out a hot spring, and on Snowtop Mountain Articuno rescues Ash and Todd from a blizzard and Todd gets his shot. Ash learns to ride an Arcanine on a Fire Stone delivery and helps a boy catch a Dunsparce, closing the OK! era in Japan.

• 
• 
• 
• 

A new look in Japan: Wobbuffet, sumo & CrobatEP192–EP196

Japan’s broadcast got a makeover at EP192 — a new opening, a Team Rocket ending, a new eyecatch and title card — and the first episode of the new look belongs to Jessie’s Wobbuffet, which drifts through a city-wide police chase holding the only key to the pod Pikachu is locked inside. Brock falls ill and Ash and Misty discover how much he does for them, then Ash borrows Snorlax from Professor Oak to win the Pokémon Sumo Conference and its King’s Rock. Simon, a man who claims to talk to Pokémon, is arrested as a con artist until a swarm of Magnemite proves him sincere, and in the ruins of an ancient temple Brock’s Golbat evolves into Crobat to stop Jessie, who has found a golden mask that lets her command any Pokémon.

• 
• 
• 

Whitestone & BayleefEP197–EP200

Jack Pollockson’s Smeargle splash colour over the white city of Whitestone, and a marriage-obsessed girl named Temacu chases Brock, then James, then her doctor. Then comes the emotional centre of the season: trapped in an automated power station overrun by Electric types, Ash’s Chikorita evolves into Bayleef to protect him from Arbok and Victreebel. In the 200th episode Bayleef, not yet used to her new size, flattens Ash with affection and runs away when he snaps at her; their reconciliation at a herb garden ends with her learning Body Slam.

• 
• 
• 

Festivals, balloons & the first Gen III PokémonEP201–EP207

A shy boy and his fortune-telling Natu beat stage fright at a street performers’ festival, and Ash pilots a Pikachu-shaped balloon to a share of victory in the Pokémon Balloon Race despite Team Rocket’s sabotage. A film star’s secret Smoochum, a surfing Rhydon that uses the anime’s first Iron Tail and a Water-type Nurse Joy who is terrified of Water types fill the road to the coast, while The Kecleon Caper, set aboard the airship Leviathan II, introduces Kecleon — the first Generation III Pokémon ever seen, sixteen months before Ruby and Sapphire. In the desert a Miltank heals an injured Cyndaquil with Heal Bell, and Meowth refuses to fight it.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Olivine & Cianwood: the Storm BadgeEP208–EP209

Olivine City brings Jasmine and her apprentice Janina, who poses as the Leader with a wax-coated Onix. The real Jasmine will not accept challenges while Sparkle, the Ampharos whose tail once lit the coast, is ill, and Janina redeems herself by rescuing it from Team Rocket. Ash sails with her to Cianwood City to fetch its medicine and challenges Chuck, the Fighting-type master who cries as readily as he fights. Pikachu falls to Poliwrath’s Double Slap, but Bayleef beats Poliwrath with Body Slam and wins a tug-of-war with Machoke for the Storm Badge — Ash’s fifth in Johto — and with Jasmine still busy, the gang set sail for the Whirl Islands.

• 
• 

Episode Guide

All 52 episodes of Johto League Champions are listed below in broadcast order. Every episode has its own page with our full synopsis, both titles, air dates, major events, Pokémon debuts, trivia, dub changes and the Who’s That Pokémon? answers — click the title or the screenshot. The # column is the episode’s number within the season and the orange code is the Bulbapedia EP number used by most fan sites. Kids’ WB aired several episodes out of story order and often showed two new episodes on the same Saturday, so the US dates do not always run in sequence.

	#	Episode	First aired	In short
	1EP158	A Goldenrod Opportunityコガネジム! スピード&パワー!?	Japan 3 Aug 2000 US 18 Aug 2001	Ash arrives in Goldenrod City and loses his Gym battle to Whitney, whose Miltank proves unstoppable with Rollout. · Season premiere Episode guide →
	2EP159	A Dairy Tale Endingミルタンク! リベンジバトル!!	Japan 10 Aug 2000 US 18 Aug 2001	Ash earns the Plain Badge after an unofficial rematch in which Pikachu finally topples Whitney’s Miltank. · Plain Badge Episode guide →
	3EP160	Air Timeラジオとうのたたかい! じくうをこえて!!	Japan 17 Aug 2000 US 8 Sep 2001	Ash’s radio interview at the Goldenrod Radio Tower turns into a chaotic live drama when Team Rocket crash the broadcast. · DJ Mary debuts Episode guide →
	4EP161	The Bug Stops Hereむしとりたいかい! しぜんこうえんでゲットだぜ!!	Japan 24 Aug 2000 US 25 Aug 2001	Ash wins the National Park Bug-Catching Contest with a Beedrill, then hands his prize Pokémon to Casey. · Bug-Catching Contest Episode guide →
	5EP162	Type Castingウソッキーはどこにいる!?	Japan 31 Aug 2000 US 1 Sep 2001	A Sudowoodo that mimics other Pokémon’s attacks baffles two researchers arguing over whether it is a Rock or a Grass type. · Sudowoodo debut Episode guide →
	6EP163	Fossil Foolsこだいポケモンパーク! アルフのいせき!!	Japan 7 Sep 2000 US 15 Sep 2001	Ash’s group join Professor Oak at the Ruins of Alph, where living Omanyte and Omastar have surfaced in a prehistoric theme park. · Professor Oak Episode guide →
	7EP164	Carrying Onポッポやのでんしょポッポ!	Japan 14 Sep 2000 US 22 Sep 2001	Ash’s Noctowl rescues an injured carrier Pidgey, leading the gang to a family-run Pidgey Express threatened with closure. · Pidgey Express Episode guide →
	8EP165	Hassle in the Castleズバットのやかた! きけんなめいろ!!	Japan 21 Sep 2000 US 29 Sep 2001	Brock falls for a doctor who treats patients with Pokémon, and his Zubat evolves into Golbat while rescuing her from a castle maze. · Brock’s Zubat evolves Episode guide →
	9EP166	Two Hits and a MissカポエラーVSフシギダネ! かくとうたいけつ!!	Japan 28 Sep 2000 US 15 Sep 2001	Ash helps a dojo heir train her dancing Hitmontop to beat a travelling “Dojo Destroyer” and his Hitmonlee. · Hitmontop debut Episode guide →
	10EP167	A Hot Water Battleジャングルのさんびき! おんせんバトル!!	Japan 5 Oct 2000 US 22 Sep 2001	Ash’s three bickering Johto starters learn to work together after a lost beach ball leads them into a cave with Team Rocket and a Snorlax. · Aipom TV debut Episode guide →
	11EP168	Hook, Line, and Stinkerアズマオウ! フィッシングバトル!!	Japan 12 Oct 2000 US 29 Sep 2001	Misty wins a Seaking Catching Competition and proves her Poliwhirl is no pushover against a bully’s Poliwrath. · Misty wins the Seaking Competition Episode guide →
	12EP169	Beauty and the Breederさよならロコン! ポケモンビューティーコンテスト!!	Japan 19 Oct 2000 US 6 Oct 2001	Brock reunites with breeder Suzie, returns her Vulpix and partners her in a Pokémon Beauty Contest in Bonitaville. · Brock returns Vulpix Episode guide →
	13EP170	A Better Pill to SwallowツボツボVSマダツボミ	Japan 26 Oct 2000 US 13 Oct 2001	An eccentric pharmacist who brews medicine inside wild Shuckle enlists the gang to find a rare purple one, with disastrous results for Team Rocket. · Shuckle debut Episode guide →
	14EP171	Power Play!ブラッキー! やみよのたたかい!!	Japan 2 Nov 2000 US 20 Oct 2001	Ash runs into Gary, whose Eevee has evolved into Umbreon, and the rivals team up to stop Team Rocket’s power-stealing Wobbuffet robot. · Gary returns Episode guide →
	15EP172	Mountain Timeレディアン! かぜのたにをこえて!!	Japan 9 Nov 2000 US 20 Oct 2001	A young Mountain Patrol trainee and his Ledian prove themselves rescuing Pikachu and Togepi from a cliffside after Team Rocket’s balloon… · Ledian debut Episode guide →
	16EP173	Wobbu-Paloozaソーナンスのむら!?	Japan 16 Nov 2000 US 27 Oct 2001	Team Rocket break a festival’s no-battling rule to defend a village of Wobbuffet from three thugs, and Jessie’s Wobbuffet saves the day. · Team Rocket win a battle Episode guide →
	17EP174	Imitation Confrontationめざせメタモンマスター! イミテふたたび!!	Japan 23 Nov 2000 US 27 Oct 2001	Duplica returns with Mini-Dit, a Ditto that can only Transform into miniature versions of larger Pokémon. · Duplica returns Episode guide →
	18EP175	The Trouble with Snubbullニャースとブルーとグランブル!?	Japan 30 Nov 2000 US 3 Nov 2001	Madame Muchmoney’s runaway Snubbull evolves into Granbull, and the two finally bond while fighting Team Rocket’s giant Meowth robot. · Snubbull evolves into Granbull Episode guide →
	19EP176	Ariados, Amigosアリアドス! にんぽうバトル!!	Japan 7 Dec 2000 US 17 Nov 2001	Ash meets Koga’s sister Aya again at a Pokémon Jujitsu Academy, where she learns to turn her Venonat’s weakness into strength. · Aya returns Episode guide →
	20EP177	Wings ‘N’ Thingsはばたけヤンヤンマ! あしたのそらへ!!	Japan 14 Dec 2000 US 17 Nov 2001	A glassmaker’s son struggles to control a window-shattering Yanma that Team Rocket turn into a lucrative scam. · Yanma debut Episode guide →
	21EP178	The Grass Routeポポッコ! くさポケモンバトル!!	Japan 21 Dec 2000 US 3 Nov 2001	Ash’s overconfidence costs him a Grass Tournament final when a boy’s Skiploom unleashes a surprise Solar Beam on Bulbasaur. · Grass Tournament Episode guide →
	22EP179	The Apple Corpピカチュウとピチュー!	Japan 4 Jan 2001 US 1 Dec 2001	A gang of hungry Pichu raiding an orchard become its guardians after Pikachu teaches them to earn their apples. · Pichu TV debut Episode guide →
	23EP180	Houndoom’s Special Deliveryヘルガーとトゲピー!	Japan 11 Jan 2001 US 1 Dec 2001	A lost Togepi is carried home across mountains and rivers by a gentle Houndoom with a satchel on its back. · Houndoom & Raikou debut Episode guide →
	24EP181	A Ghost of a Chanceやけたとう! マツバとうじょう!!	Japan 18 Jan 2001 US 10 Nov 2001	Ash reaches Ecruteak City and meets Gym Leader Morty in the haunted Burned Tower, where Gengar’s Shadow Ball shows what awaits him. · Morty debuts Episode guide →
	25EP182	From Ghost to Ghostエンジュジム! ゴーストバトル!!	Japan 25 Jan 2001 US 10 Nov 2001	Ash defeats Morty’s Ghost types to win the Fog Badge, with Noctowl learning Confusion mid-battle. · Fog Badge Episode guide →
	26EP183	Trouble’s Brewingイーブイ5しまい! おちゃかいでバトル!!	Japan 1 Feb 2001 US 8 Dec 2001	Misty befriends Sakura, the youngest of Ecruteak’s Kimono Sisters, who battle Ash’s group to decide whether she may travel with them. · Kimono Sisters debut Episode guide →
	27EP184	All That Glitters!ヤミカラス! うばわれたバッジ!!	Japan 8 Feb 2001 US 15 Dec 2001	Three mischievous Murkrow steal Ash’s Gym Badges and lead the gang on a chase through the forest. · Murkrow TV debut Episode guide →
	28EP185	The Light Fantasticテッポウオのそら!	Japan 15 Feb 2001 US 15 Dec 2001	A painter who has waited 24 years to capture the mysterious Rainbow Lights finally sees them created by a school of Remoraid. · Remoraid TV debut Episode guide →
	29EP186	UnBEARableヒメグマのひみつ!	Japan 22 Feb 2001 US 19 Jan 2002	An adorable Teddiursa frames Ash’s Pokémon for its food thefts, then evolves into Ursaring after Chikorita finally beats it. · Teddiursa evolves into Ursaring Episode guide →
	30EP187	Moving Picturesこおったヒマナッツのなぞ!!	Japan 1 Mar 2001 US 26 Jan 2002	Todd Snap rejoins the gang, and Ash uses his Sun Stone to evolve a Sunkern so an elderly couple can take their golden-anniversary photograph. · Todd returns Episode guide →
	31EP188	Spring Feverここほれウリムー! おんせんをさがせ!!	Japan 8 Mar 2001 US 2 Feb 2002	Three Swinub help a hot-spring prospector finally strike water after Team Rocket try to steal them for a spa empire of their own. · Swinub debut Episode guide →
	32EP189	Freeze FrameフリーザーVSプリン! ふぶきのなかで!!	Japan 15 Mar 2001 US 9 Feb 2002	Todd finally photographs Articuno on Snowtop Mountain, where the Legendary bird saves both Team Rocket and Ash from the blizzards. · Articuno Episode guide →
	33EP190	The Stolen Stones!ウインディとほのおのいし!	Japan 22 Mar 2001 US 16 Feb 2002	Ash learns to ride an Arcanine while helping two sibling couriers recover a stash of Fire Stones from Team Rocket. · Ash rides an Arcanine Episode guide →
	34EP191	The Dunsparce Deceptionノコッチはのこっちない!?	Japan 29 Mar 2001 US 23 Feb 2002	A boy who missed his town’s Dunsparce swarm finally catches one after Team Rocket swindle every child’s Dunsparce with a fake Moltres… · Dunsparce debut Episode guide →
	35EP192	The Wayward Wobbuffetソーナンス! そうなんす?	Japan 5 Apr 2001 US 2 Mar 2002	Jessie’s Wobbuffet drifts into a city-wide police chase holding the only key to a pod with Pikachu locked inside. · New Japanese opening & ending Episode guide →
	36EP193	Sick Dazeタケシたおれる! あぶないキャンプ!!	Japan 12 Apr 2001 US 9 Mar 2002	Brock falls ill, and Ash and Misty discover just how much their friend does for them when they try to cover his chores. · Brock falls ill Episode guide →
	37EP194	Ring MastersオーダイルVSカメックス! すもうバトル!!	Japan 19 Apr 2001 US 16 Mar 2002	Ash borrows Snorlax from Professor Oak to enter a Pokémon sumo tournament and wins a King’s Rock. · Pokémon Sumo Conference Episode guide →
	38EP195	The Poké-Spokesmanポケモンとはなせます!? ポケモンのことばポケモンのきもち!	Japan 26 Apr 2001 US 23 Mar 2002	An old man who claims to talk to Pokémon is arrested as a con artist, until his heartfelt words to a swarm of Magnemite prove him sincere. · Takeshi Shudō script Episode guide →
	39EP196	Control Freak!ゴルバットVSかめんのじょおうムサシ! いせきのたたかい!!	Japan 3 May 2001 US 30 Mar 2002	Jessie seizes an ancient mask and staff that let her command any Pokémon, and Brock’s Golbat evolves into Crobat to stop her. · Golbat evolves into Crobat Episode guide →
	40EP197	The Art of Pokémonドーブルのきせき!! あさひのなかでかがやいて!	Japan 10 May 2001 US 6 Apr 2002	A famous painter and his three Smeargle rediscover their inspiration after Team Rocket kidnap the “paintbrushes” in the white-walled city… · Smeargle TV debut Episode guide →
	41EP198	The Heartbreak of Brockニドリーノニドリーナ! タケシばらいろのひび!?	Japan 17 May 2001 US 13 Apr 2002	Brock is pursued for once by a marriage-obsessed girl named Temacu, who then falls for James and finally for her doctor. · Brock is the one being chased Episode guide →
	42EP199	Current Eventsさよならチコリータ!? でんきのラビリンス!	Japan 24 May 2001 US 27 Apr 2002	Ash’s Chikorita evolves into Bayleef to save him inside an automated power station overrun with Electric Pokémon. · Chikorita evolves into Bayleef Episode guide →
	43EP200	Turning Over a New Bayleefベイリーフはどこへいった!? ハーブばたけでつかまえて!	Japan 31 May 2001 US 4 May 2002	Ash’s newly evolved Bayleef runs away after he rebuffs her clumsy affection, and the two must rebuild their trust at a herb gardener’s… · 200th episode Episode guide →
	44EP201	Doin’ What Comes Natu-rallyネイティうらない! みらいよちのしんぴ!!	Japan 7 Jun 2001 US 18 May 2002	A shy boy and his fortune-telling Natu overcome stage fright at a Pokémon street performers’ festival. · Natu debut Episode guide →
	45EP202	The Big Balloon Blow-Upポケモンききゅうだいレース! あらしをこえて!!	Japan 14 Jun 2001 US 25 May 2002	Ash pilots a Pikachu-shaped balloon in a Pokémon Balloon Race that Team Rocket sabotage from the sky. · Balloon Race – joint win Episode guide →
	46EP203	The Screen Actor’s Guiltムチュールにもうむちゅう!! スーパースターはポケモンがおすき?	Japan 21 Jun 2001 US 1 Jun 2002	A heart-throb film star’s secret Smoochum lands in Ash’s arms, exposing a manager who wants it gone for image reasons. · Smoochum TV debut Episode guide →
	47EP204	Right On, Rhydon!なみのりサイドンをおえ!? みずうみのたたかい!	Japan 28 Jun 2001 US 22 Jun 2002	A girl named Pietra and her Marill catch a swimming Rhydon so that it can finish digging a tunnel for her grandmother. · First Iron Tail Episode guide →
	48EP205	The Kecleon Caperカクレオンはどこにいる!? みえないポケモンにだいこんらん!	Japan 5 Jul 2001 US 17 Aug 2002	Two colour-changing Kecleon turn a luxury airship into a game of hide-and-seek with Team Rocket after they swallow a stolen jewellery box. · Kecleon – first Gen III Pokémon Episode guide →
	49EP206	The Joy of Water Pokémonみずポケモンぎらいのジョーイさん!? カスミのいかり!	Japan 12 Jul 2001 US 24 Aug 2002	Misty is crushed to learn that the Nurse Joy who runs a famous Water-type Pokémon Center is terrified of Water types. · Misty meets a Nurse Joy who fears Water types Episode guide →
	50EP207	Got Miltank?せいぼミルタンク! さばくのひみつ!	Japan 19 Jul 2001 US 31 Aug 2002	An injured Cyndaquil is carried to a secret desert oasis where a Miltank heals Pokémon with Heal Bell. · Miltank’s healing oasis Episode guide →
	51EP208	Fight for the Lightかがやきのとうだい! アサギシティのたたかい!!	Japan 26 Jul 2001 US 7 Sep 2002	Ash reaches Olivine City only to find Gym Leader Jasmine nursing a sick Ampharos and unable to battle. · Jasmine debuts Episode guide →
	52EP209	Machoke, Machoke Man!タンバジム! まっこうしょうぶかくとうたいけつ!!	Japan 2 Aug 2001 US 7 Sep 2002	Ash earns the Storm Badge in Cianwood City as Bayleef takes down both of Gym Leader Chuck’s Pokémon. · Storm Badge Episode guide →

Characters & Travelling Companions

The travelling party is unchanged from The Johto Journeys: Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, Misty with Togepi in her arms, and Brock. The only addition is Todd, the Pokémon photographer, who joins them for three episodes (EP187–EP189) in pursuit of a picture of Articuno and stays behind on Snowtop Mountain once he has it — his last appearance in the anime for more than a thousand episodes.

Ash loses to Whitney before winning the Plain, Fog and Storm Badges, enters five competitions (winning the Bug-Catching Contest and the Pokémon Sumo Conference and sharing the Balloon Race), catches a Beedrill only to give it to Casey, spends his Sun Stone on a wild Sunkern and sees his Chikorita evolve into Bayleef. Misty wins the Seaking Catching Competition, befriends Sakura of the Kimono Sisters and clashes with a Nurse Joy who is afraid of Water types. Brock says goodbye to Vulpix, watches his Zubat evolve twice — into Golbat and then Crobat — falls ill long enough for Ash and Misty to discover how much he does for them, and for once finds himself the one being chased, by the marriage-minded Temacu.

• Ash KetchumThe would-be Pokémon Master from Pallet Town
• MistyCerulean City Gym Leader, travelling with Ash
• BrockPewter City Gym Leader and would-be Pokémon Breeder

Team Rocket

Jessie, James and Meowth get an unusually varied season. They win a battle for once, defending the Wobbuffet Festival from three thugs in Wobbu-Palooza!, and James disguises himself as Ash for the first time in Imitation Confrontation. James spends the trio’s food money on an Itemfinder in Ecruteak, enters the Grass Tournament as “Mr Semaj”, attracts the attentions of Temacu and runs into the Magikarp salesman again; Jessie enters Wobbuffet in the Sumo Conference disguised as a Miltank called “Milky” and, in Control Freak!, puts on an ancient golden mask that lets her command any Pokémon. Meowth is finally freed from the Snubbull that has been biting his tail since The Johto Journeys, pictures the Boss’s delight at a stolen Kecleon in the first of the trio’s “send it to Giovanni” fantasies, and refuses to fight the healing Miltank of Got Miltank?

Jessie’s Wobbuffet gets two episodes of its own (EP173 and EP192), reveals Bide and Mirror Coat, and misses only one episode all season. Butch and Cassidy are reduced to a wanted-poster cameo in The Poké Spokesman, and the trio fail to blast off at all in The Art of Pokémon and Machoke, Machoke Man! — but manage it three times in both Houndoom’s Special Delivery and Freeze Frame.

• JessieTeam Rocket
• JamesTeam Rocket
• MeowthTeam Rocket’s talking Meowth

Gym Leaders, rivals & returning friends

The Gym Leaders are Whitney (Goldenrod), the cheerful Normal-type specialist whose Miltank hands Ash his only official Johto defeat; Morty (Ecruteak), guardian of the Burned Tower’s Ghost types, who tells Ash that the bird he saw on his first day was Ho-Oh; and Chuck (Cianwood), the tearful Fighting-type master whose wife teases him over dinner. Jasmine of Olivine and her apprentice Janina debut in EP208, though their Gym battle waits until Master Quest.

Old friends return throughout: Casey at the Bug-Catching Contest, Gary Oak with his new Umbreon, Duplica and her Ditto, Suzie to take back Vulpix, Koga’s sister Aya at a ninja academy, Madame Muchmoney in search of her Snubbull, and Todd. Professor Oak joins the dig at the Ruins of Alph and sends Snorlax for the Sumo Conference, Jigglypuff is still putting audiences to sleep in EP189 and EP199, and the new faces include DJ Mary of the Goldenrod Radio Tower and Sakura and the Kimono Sisters of Ecruteak, whose four Eeveelutions are kept in Apricorn Balls.

• WhitneyGoldenrod City Gym Leader (EP158)
• Whitney’s Miltank(EP158)
• MortyEcruteak City Gym Leader (EP181)
• ChuckCianwood City Gym Leader (EP209)
• JasmineOlivine City Gym Leader (EP208)
• Casey(EP161)
• Todd(EP187)
• Duplica(EP174)
• Suzie and Vulpix(EP169)
• Gary and Umbreon(EP171)

Voice cast

Character	English voice actor	Japanese voice actor
Ash Ketchum	Veronica Taylor	Rica Matsumoto
Pikachu	Ikue Ōtani	Ikue Ōtani
Misty	Rachael Lillis	Mayumi Iizuka
Brock	Eric Stuart	Yūji Ueda
Togepi	Satomi Kōrogi	Satomi Kōrogi
Jessie	Rachael Lillis	Megumi Hayashibara
James	Eric Stuart	Shin-ichiro Miki
Meowth	Maddie Blaustein	Inuko Inuyama
Wobbuffet	Kayzie Rogers	Yūji Ueda
Whitney	Megan Hollingshead	Yūko Miyamura
Morty	Andrew Rannells	Masaya Matsukaze
Chuck	Dan Green	Nobuaki Kakuda (karateka, guest role)
Jasmine	Tara Sands (as Tara Jayne)	Yumi Kakazu
Gary Oak	Carter Cathcart (as Jimmy Zoppi)	Yūko Kobayashi
Todd	Carter Cathcart (as Jimmy Zoppi)	Kappei Yamaguchi
Casey	Kerry Williams	Nina Kumagaya
Duplica	Megan Hollingshead	Orine Fukushima
Suzie	Megan Hollingshead (EP169; previously Leah Applebaum)	Rei Sakuma
Professor Oak	Stuart Zagnit	Unshō Ishizuka
Narrator	Rodger Parsons (credited as Ken Gates)	Unshō Ishizuka

Pokémon: Captures, Changes, Encounters & Evolutions

In brief:

• Ash loses to Whitney’s Miltank, then wins the Plain, Fog and Storm Badges.
• Ash catches a Beedrill in the Bug-Catching Contest — and gives it straight to Casey.
• Chikorita evolves into Bayleef: the only evolution of an Ash Pokémon in the whole Gold and Silver series.
• Brock’s Zubat evolves into Golbat and then into Crobat, and Brock returns Vulpix to Suzie.
• Ash uses his Sun Stone on a wild Sunkern and borrows Snorlax back from Professor Oak for the Sumo Conference.
• Kecleon becomes the first Generation III Pokémon to appear in the anime.

New Pokémon captured or hatched

• Beedrill#0015 · Ash · Park Ball · given to Casey · EP161
• Seaking#0119 · Ash and Misty · Lake Balls · released after the contest · EP168
• Yanma#0193 · Zachary · released and recaught · EP177
• Dunsparce#0206 · Bucky · EP191
• Rhydon#0112 · Pietra · EP204

Evolutions

• Chikorita → Bayleef#0153 · Ash · EP199
• Chikorita → Bayleef#0153 · Casey · EP161
• Zubat → Golbat#0042 · Brock · EP165
• Golbat → Crobat#0169 · Brock · EP196
• Sunkern → Sunflora#0192 · Wild · Ash’s Sun Stone · EP187
• Snubbull → Granbull#0210 · Madame Muchmoney · EP175
• Teddiursa → Ursaring#0217 · Wild · EP186
• Eevee → Umbreon#0197 · Gary · off-screen · EP171

Releases, departures and returns

Beedrill barely belongs to Ash at all: he wins the Bug-Catching Contest with it in EP161 and immediately gives it to Casey, who adores anything black and yellow — the only time Ash has ever given a Pokémon away. The Seaking that he and Misty land in EP168 are released under the competition’s rules, and the Sun Stone from the Bug-Catching Contest goes on a wild Sunkern in EP187, so that an elderly couple can pose with Sunflora on their golden anniversary — the only time Ash has used an Evolution stone. For the Sumo Conference in EP194 Ash swaps Noctowl for Snorlax from Professor Oak’s lab; Snorlax wins the King’s Rock, eats the year’s supply of Pokémon food in one sitting and goes straight back to Pallet Town.

Brock’s Vulpix goes home to its original owner, the breeder Suzie, in EP169, leaving him with Onix, Geodude, Golbat (a Crobat from EP196) and Pineco. Elsewhere, Madame Muchmoney’s newly evolved Granbull finally goes home (EP175), Zachary releases his window-shattering Yanma in the forest only to catch it again — the series’ first release-and-recapture (EP177) — and Pietra’s new Rhydon, which has learned to Surf, takes over the digging of her grandmother’s tunnel (EP204). Ash ends the season carrying Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Noctowl, Bayleef, Cyndaquil and Totodile.

Pokémon making their anime debut this season

Twenty-nine species make their first appearance in the main TV series during Johto League Champions (twelve of them had already been seen in a movie, a Pikachu short or a TV special). The headline is Kecleon in The Kecleon Caper (EP205): the first Generation III Pokémon ever shown in the anime, sixteen months before Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were released. Raikou makes its only physical appearance of the original series in EP180, and the season also gives Articuno, Feraligatr and Pichu their TV debuts.

• Miltank#0241 · EP158
• Bayleef#0153 · EP161
• Sudowoodo#0185 · EP162
• Hitmontop#0237 · EP166 · TV debut
• Aipom#0190 · EP167 · TV debut
• Shuckle#0213 · EP170 · TV debut
• Umbreon#0197 · EP171
• Ledian#0166 · EP172
• Granbull#0210 · EP175 · TV debut
• Ariados#0168 · EP176
• Yanma#0193 · EP177
• Skiploom#0188 · EP178
• Pichu#0172 · EP179 · TV debut
• Houndoom#0229 · EP180
• Raikou#0243 · EP180
• Murkrow#0198 · EP184 · TV debut
• Remoraid#0223 · EP185 · TV debut
• Teddiursa#0216 · EP186 · TV debut
• Articuno#0144 · EP187 · TV debut
• Sunkern#0191 · EP187
• Swinub#0220 · EP188
• Dunsparce#0206 · EP191
• Feraligatr#0160 · EP194 · TV debut
• Crobat#0169 · EP196
• Smeargle#0235 · EP197 · TV debut
• Natu#0177 · EP201
• Smoochum#0238 · EP203 · TV debut
• Kecleon#0352 · EP205 · first Gen III
• Ampharos#0181 · EP208

Key Events, Gym Battles & Tournaments

Badges won this season

Badge	Gym & Leader	Leader’s Pokémon	Ash’s Pokémon	Result	Episode
Plain Badge	Goldenrod Gym · Whitney	Miltank (official battle in EP158: Nidorina, Clefairy, Miltank)	Cyndaquil, Totodile, Pikachu	Win in an unofficial rematch at Milton’s dairy, after losing the official battle in EP158 — Rollout beats Cyndaquil and Totodile, then Pikachu flips Miltank out of a trench and finishes it with Thunderbolt	EP159
Fog Badge	Ecruteak Gym · Morty	Gastly, Haunter, Gengar	Noctowl, Pikachu, Cyndaquil	Win — Gastly beats Pikachu and falls to Cyndaquil, Haunter beats Cyndaquil, and Noctowl learns Confusion to beat Haunter and expose the invisible Gengar for a finishing Tackle	EP182
Storm Badge	Cianwood Gym · Chuck	Poliwrath, Machoke	Pikachu, Bayleef	Win — Poliwrath’s Double Slap beats Pikachu; Bayleef’s Body Slam beats Poliwrath, and Vine Whip, Body Slam and Razor Leaf finish Machoke	EP209

Whitney, Miltank & the rematch

The Goldenrod Gym (EP158–EP159) is the only Gym in Johto that Ash fails to win at the first attempt. Whitney, who has spent the morning showing the group around the city without mentioning her day job, agrees to an official three-on-three. Cyndaquil’s Flamethrower sees off Nidorina and Clefairy’s Metronome produces nothing more useful than Splash, so Whitney withdraws it — and then Miltank’s Rollout knocks out Cyndaquil, flattens Totodile in a single hit and rolls straight through Pikachu’s Thunderbolt and Agility. It is Ash’s only official Gym defeat in Johto.

A dejected Ash considers going home to Pallet Town until Nurse Joy talks him round, and the next morning Whitney takes the group to her uncle Milton’s Miltank farm. When Team Rocket’s giant rolling barrel is stopped by the trenches that Totodile’s Water Gun gouges into the hillside, Ash uses the same ground for an unofficial rematch in which he may use three Pokémon against Miltank alone — the first Gym battle in which Ash was allowed more Pokémon than the Leader, something not repeated until Best Wishes. Cyndaquil and Totodile fall, but Pikachu’s Agility sends Miltank tumbling into the ditches; lying flat in one, Pikachu flips the rolling Miltank into the air and finishes it with Thunderbolt. Whitney and Milton agree that a fair win over a Leader’s strongest Pokémon is worth a badge, and Ash leaves with the Plain Badge.

The Bug-Catching Contest

The Bug-Catching Contest (EP161) in the National Park follows the rules of the games: every entrant gets a single Park Ball and may use one Pokémon, the catches are judged and released, and the winner keeps their Pokémon and takes home a Sun Stone. (Team Rocket are turned away for being over the age limit, which the dub lowered from 18 to 16.) Casey snatches a Weedle from under Ash’s nose — his second failure to catch one, after Challenge of the Samurai — and drives her exhausted Chikorita so hard that it hides from her, until she apologises and it evolves into Bayleef to free Ash from Team Rocket’s cage. Pikachu’s Thunderbolt and a Park Ball win Ash a Beedrill and the contest, and he hands the Beedrill straight to Casey.

The Seaking Catching Competition

The Seaking Catching Competition (EP168) is a fishing contest: any rod and lure, one registered helper Pokémon, and the heaviest Seaking landed in a Lake Ball wins a trophy and a year’s supply of chocolate. Ash hooks a sizeable Seaking with Pikachu’s help, but the top two catches — Misty’s and that of the bullying Andreas — weigh exactly 55 kg each, so a battle decides it. Andreas’s Poliwrath sends Poliwhirl flying with Submission until Staryu, Goldeen and Psyduck burst out of their Poké Balls to cheer it on, and Poliwhirl wins with Bubble, Mega Punch and a finishing Water Gun. Misty takes the trophy and shares out the chocolate, forgetting Ash entirely; all the Seaking go back into the lake.

The Grass Tournament

The Grass Tournament (EP178), held just short of Ecruteak City, is open only to Grass types, and its prize is a heap of Leaf Stones. Ash enters with Bulbasaur and skips training, confident after Chikorita’s practice win over young Ephraim’s Skiploom, Skippy. James competes as “Mr Semaj” with Victreebel and loses to Skippy in the first round, and Jessie’s attempt to pass Meowth off as a Sunflora ends under Bulbasaur’s Razor Leaf. In the final Bulbasaur dominates, but Ash eases off rather than hurt Skippy, and Skiploom answers with a Solar Beam nobody knew it had and a finishing Tackle. Ash finishes as runner-up, having learned that pride and power alone do not win trophies.

The Pokémon Sumo Conference

The Pokémon Sumo Conference (EP194) in Rikishii Town is decided by strength alone: no moves are allowed and every entrant must weigh at least 80 kg, so Ash swaps Noctowl for Snorlax from Professor Oak’s lab — it breaks the registration scale. Jessie’s Wobbuffet, disguised as a Miltank called “Milky”, beats an Ursaring but is disqualified for using Counter. Snorlax’s belly bounces a Poliwrath’s blows straight back in the first round and rebounds a Machamp in the semi-final, making Ash the first rookie ever to reach the final, where Raiden’s Feraligatr — making its TV debut — shoves Snorlax to the edge of the ring.

Ash tells Snorlax to breathe deep and push back with its belly; thrown into the air, it lands with a stadium-shaking thud that unbalances Feraligatr and bundles it out of the ring. The prize is a King’s Rock and a year’s supply of Pokémon food, which Snorlax devours on the spot before going back to Oak. The King’s Rock pays off later, when it evolves Misty’s Poliwhirl into Politoed in Master Quest. Because of its Japanese cultural content, the episode is one of six from this season banned in South Korea.

The Pokémon Balloon Race

The Pokémon Balloon Race (EP202) is a cross-country race for Pokémon-shaped hot-air balloons that finishes with a marker ball dropped on a target. Ash flies a Pikachu balloon lent by the designer Tenma, whose son Skyler pilots a Fearow balloon. Team Rocket, after the prize of an advanced burner, sabotage most of the field the night before and attack the rest from a jet-boosted Meowth balloon — to the fury of Meowth, who genuinely loves ballooning. When Ash’s burner fails, Cyndaquil’s Flamethrower keeps the envelope hot and Noctowl hauls it over a mesa, and Skyler’s Fearow Drill Pecks Team Rocket’s missile launcher to pieces. Ash and Skyler both hit the bullseye and share the win, and Ash gives the burner to Skyler’s family, who will actually use it.

Movies & Specials Released During the Season

The third movie, Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unown, opened in Japan on 8 July 2000, four weeks before the season began, together with the Pikachu short Pikachu & Pichu. Warner Bros. released it in US cinemas on 6 April 2001 — the studio’s last Pokémon film until Detective Pikachu — and the VHS and DVD followed on 21 August 2001, three days after Johto League Champions premiered; Aipom, Granbull and Teddiursa, all introduced in the film, make their TV debuts this season. The fourth movie, Celebi: A Timeless Encounter, opened in Japan on 7 July 2001 between The Kecleon Caper (EP205) and The Joy of Water Pokémon (EP206), paired with Pikachu’s PikaBoo; Miramax released it in the US as Pokémon 4Ever in October 2002, five weeks after the season finale, with this season’s Born to Be a Winner as its English opening.

Two television specials also fall inside the season. Mewtwo Returns, written by Takeshi Shudō and set in western Johto, aired on TV Tokyo on 30 December 2000 in the only gap of the Japanese run, between EP178 and EP179, with the current ending To My Best Friend over its credits; it reached US home video on 4 December 2001, between the dub premieres of EP180 and EP183. Eight days earlier, on 22 December 2000, Pichu & Pikachu’s Winter Vacation 2001 had introduced Qwilfish and Remoraid, along with a bonus short, Trouble in Big Town, that was Feraligatr’s first appearance. In the US window, the special Pocket Monsters Crystal: Raikou – Legend of Thunder aired in Japan on 30 December 2001; English audiences saw it, and the Winter Vacation shorts, years later in Pokémon Chronicles.

Side Stories, Specials & Crossovers

Side-story tie-ins

• Mewtwo Returns (TV special, 30 December 2000) aired in the only break in the Japanese run, between EP178 and EP179. Written by Takeshi Shudō and set at Mt. Quena in western Johto, it brings back Mewtwo and the clones of the first movie, uses OK! and closes with the full version of the season’s ending To My Best Friend. The US video arrived on 4 December 2001, during the dub’s first run.
• Pichu & Pikachu’s Winter Vacation 2001 (22 December 2000) paired Delibird’s Dilemma and Snorlax Snowman — the short that introduced Qwilfish and Remoraid — with the bonus short Trouble in Big Town, Feraligatr’s first appearance. All of them reached English audiences through Pokémon Chronicles.
• Pikachu & Pichu (PK07), shown with the third movie, had already featured Hitmontop, Shuckle, Pichu, Murkrow, Smeargle and Smoochum, and all six make their TV debuts in this season. Pikachu’s PikaBoo (PK10), shown with the fourth movie two days after The Kecleon Caper aired, features another Kecleon.
• Pocket Monsters Crystal: Raikou – Legend of Thunder (30 December 2001) aired in Japan during the US run of this season and gave Typhlosion and Meganium their anime debuts; it was dubbed as the first three episodes of Pokémon Chronicles.

Characters from the games, manga and specials

• Whitney, Morty, Chuck and Jasmine are the Goldenrod, Ecruteak, Cianwood and Olivine Gym Leaders of Pokémon Gold and Silver, and Whitney’s Miltank brings its notorious Rollout from the games to the anime, where it hands Ash his only official Johto defeat.
• The Bug-Catching Contest with its Park Balls and Sun Stone prize, the Ruins of Alph, the Sudowoodo that passes itself off as a tree, a mail-carrying bird service echoing the games’ Spearow delivery, the Burned Tower and its Firebreathers, the Kimono Girls of Ecruteak and the surfing Rhydon are all drawn from Gold, Silver and Crystal; Crystal went on sale in Japan on the day Wings ’N’ Things aired.
• Sparkle, the Olivine lighthouse Ampharos, is the games’ Amphy under a new dub name, and DJ Mary is the radio host of the Goldenrod Radio Tower from the games.
• Special Poké Balls appear throughout: Park Balls (EP161), Lake Balls (EP168), and the Kimono Sisters’ Apricorn-made Lure, Moon, Fast and Love Balls (EP183) — the Moon Ball’s first physical appearance.
• Todd is the anime’s nod to Pokémon Snap. On TV the dub dropped his surname, reportedly over legal concerns involving Kellogg’s (whose cereal mascots are Snap, Crackle and Pop), but kept it on VHS and DVD, and Toonami Jetstream finally called him “Todd Snap” in December 2007 to promote the game’s Virtual Console release.
• Aya is the sister of Koga, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader of Red and Blue, while Casey, Duplica, Suzie and Madame Muchmoney are anime originals returning from earlier seasons.
• Kecleon (EP205) is a preview of Ruby and Sapphire sixteen months ahead of their release, and its colour-changing trick is the first Pokémon Ability shown in the anime.

Opening & Ending Themes

Johto League Champions changes its Japanese themes several times: the opening switches from OK! to Whiteberry’s cover of Mezase Pokémon Master at EP192, and four different endings run across the season. In English a single opening plays over all 52 episodes: Born to Be a Winner, performed by David Rolfe and written by John Loeffler and John Siegler, whose lyrics borrow heavily from the original Pokémon Theme — mirroring the way Whiteberry’s version revisits the first Japanese opening. A shortened edit plays over the end credits, and the same song opens Pokémon 4Ever. Its animation features ten Gym Leaders, more than any other opening, including Pryce and Clair before either had appeared in the series.

Insert songs are mostly a Japanese affair. The radio-tower episode Air Time! (EP160) plays Mezase Pokémon Master, OK! and Pokémon Ondo (the dub substitutes instrumental versions of All We Wanna Do and Pokémon Johto), Team Rocket’s Team Rocket Forever accompanies the Wobbuffet robot in EP171, the Pichu defend their orchard to Let’s Make an Exploration Party! in EP179, and EP180 reuses the first movie’s ending, Together With the Wind. 4Kids added one vocal of its own, Never Too Far From Home, to Houndoom’s Special Delivery (EP180). The background scores borrow from the movies too: All That Glitters! (EP184) is the first episode to use music from The Power of One, all of it replaced in the dub.

Born to Be a Winner — the English opening used for every Johto League Champions episode. Video: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel.

TV Broadcasts & Original Airing Dates

Japan. TV Tokyo broadcast the 52 episodes weekly from 3 August 2000 (A Goldenrod Opportunity) to 2 August 2001 (Machoke, Machoke Man!) as part of Pocket Monsters. The only break came at New Year: no episode aired on 28 December 2000, and the TV special Mewtwo Returns filled the gap on 30 December, which makes The Grass Route (EP178) the last Japanese episode of the 20th century and The Apple Corp! (EP179) the first of the 21st. Wings ’N’ Things (EP177) aired on the day Pokémon Crystal and Pokémon Stadium 2 went on sale, and the fourth movie opened between EP205 and EP206. Japan has no “season 4”: these episodes are simply part of the Gold & Silver chapter of Pocket Monsters.

United States. Kids’ WB announced in March 2001 that it had acquired “52 episodes of Pokémon: Johto League Champions” for Saturday mornings, with The Johto Journeys continuing on weekday afternoons. The season premiered on 18 August 2001 with a double bill, and because the network scheduled Pokémon in two Saturday slots (8:30 and 10 a.m.), twelve Saturdays carried two new episodes, the finale among them. Several episodes premiered out of story order — Air Time! aired after the two episodes that follow it, and the Ecruteak Gym two-parter (EP181–EP182) went out on 10 November 2001, ahead of four of the episodes set on the road to Ecruteak (EP176, EP177, EP179 and EP180) — and some early broadcasts still used the Pokémon Johto opening up to Type Casting (EP162). After a holiday break and a summer hiatus from 29 June to 10 August 2002, the season ended with a double bill on 7 September 2002; Master Quest began the following Saturday.

Elsewhere. In the United Kingdom Sky One held first-run rights to the early seasons, and GMTV’s Sunday-morning block aired seasons 1–4, making Johto League Champions the last season shown on GMTV (until April 2003). In Australia the series aired in Network Ten’s Cheez TV block. Six episodes are banned in South Korea for their Japanese cultural content (see Dub Edits), Finland dubbed only the first 26 episodes, Sweden aired only the first 25, and Denmark and Norway skipped the season entirely; Machoke, Machoke Man! was the last original-series episode dubbed into Czech.

Later US airings. Cartoon Network and Boomerang reran the season until 2017 — although Air Time! did not reach Cartoon Network until the “Pokémon Master Marathon” of 2 June 2007 — and Toonami Jetstream streamed it weekly from 28 May 2007 to 27 May 2008. Pokémon TV rotated the season in and out of its library until the service closed in March 2024, and the Pokémon TV channel on YouTube now carries it (see Streaming).

Dub Edits & Censorship

Changes in the English version

No banned episodes. All 52 episodes were dubbed and aired in the US. The bans that do exist are in South Korea, where six episodes were withheld for their Japanese cultural content: Ariados, Amigos (EP176, ninjas), the Ecruteak pair A Ghost of a Chance and From Ghost to Ghost (EP181–EP182, set in a Kyoto-inspired city — which leaves Korean viewers without the Fog Badge battle), Trouble’s Brewing (EP183, the Kimono Sisters’ tea ceremony), Ring Masters (EP194, sumo — and with it the King’s Rock) and Doin’ What Comes Natu-rally (EP201, Shinto-style fortune-telling).

Cuts. The edits are few and mostly small — Dogasu’s Backpack calls the season “dull from a comparison standpoint”. The largest are in The Poké Spokesman (EP195), which loses 29 seconds of Team Rocket firing a bazooka at the gang’s cabin — a cut Dogasu suspects Kids’ WB requested because the episode aired two months after the September 11 attacks — and Got Miltank? (EP207), which loses about 45 seconds, including every shot of Meowth and Cyndaquil suckling the healing Miltank. Elsewhere a Jynx contestant is cut from the Beauty Contest (EP169), Hitmonlee’s High Jump Kick connecting with Hitmontop becomes an impact flash (EP166), Meowth scratching Ash’s face becomes stars on a black screen (EP181), shots of Victreebel’s Vine Whip hitting Ash are trimmed (EP199), and Machoke, Machoke Man! (EP209) loses 26 seconds, most of it footage replayed before the commercial break.

Titles and names. A Ghost of a Chance was originally announced as The Tower Inferno — a nod to The Towering Inferno — and renamed after 9/11, though the Fire and Ice VHS still lists the old title. Goldenrod’s department store became the “Goldenrod Galleria”, the Dodrio Clan the “Dugtrio Trio”, the Itemfinder a “Treasure Detector”, the kotatsu a “coffee table” and the Pokémon interpreter Lang “Simon”, losing the pun on “language”; Houndoom gained the nickname “Doomy”, Jasmine’s Ampharos became “Sparkle”, and the Bug-Catching Contest’s age limit dropped from 18 to 16 so that Jessie and James could be “over 16”. In Ring Masters almost every sumo reference, from Rikishii Town’s name to Team Rocket’s wrestler aliases, is written out.

Title cards, eyecatches and music. The dub introduced a new title-card template with A Goldenrod Opportunity, with each episode running cold open, opening theme, then title card. The Who’s That Pokémon? segment, which in Japan almost always shows a Pokémon from the episode, became effectively random in the dub; The Dunsparce Deception features Mew, the first Mythical Pokémon to appear in it, while the Japanese segment of The Bug Stops Here shows Jessie in a Venomoth costume. Japan’s post-credits Professor Oak’s Pokémon Lecture, which covers only Generation I Pokémon this season, was never dubbed. 4Kids replaced most of the Japanese score with older Kanto-era library music — Machoke, Machoke Man! keeps only five of its eighteen original tracks — and added jokes of its own, from “See you later, Feraligatr” (EP190) to “Try not to have a cow, Jessie” (EP194).

Episode titles explained

Almost every English title is a pun. A few worth decoding:

• A Goldenrod Opportunity — a golden opportunity
• A Dairy Tale Ending — a fairy-tale ending
• The Bug Stops Here — “the buck stops here”
• Fossil Fools — fossil fuels
• Two Hits and a Miss — the two Hitmons and “Miss” Chigusa
• A Hot Water Battle — a hot-water bottle
• Hook, Line, and Stinker — hook, line and sinker
• A Better Pill to Swallow — a bitter pill to swallow
• The Trouble With Snubbull — Star Trek’s “The Trouble with Tribbles”
• Ariados, Amigos — “adiós, amigos”
• The Apple Corp! — an apple core, and the Beatles’ company Apple Corps
• From Ghost to Ghost — from coast to coast
• The Light Fantastic — to “trip the light fantastic”, and a Discworld novel (as is Moving Pictures, two episodes later)
• The Screen Actor’s Guilt — the Screen Actors Guild
• Turning Over A New Bayleef — turning over a new leaf
• Doin’ What Comes Natu-rally — “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly” from Annie Get Your Gun
• Got Miltank? — the “Got Milk?” advertising campaign
• Machoke, Machoke Man! — the Village People’s “Macho Man”

DVD & Blu-ray / Streaming

Unlike Master Quest, Johto League Champions has the same 52 episodes on every release. North America got seven single-disc DVD volumes and nine three-episode VHS tapes between 2002 and 2004, followed by a complete box set in 2016; Australia and New Zealand have had the full season on disc since 2007. No UK release is known.

North America (Region 1)

Release	Date	Contents
Journey to the Johto League Champion (DVD Vol. 1, Viz Video / Pioneer)	10 December 2002	EP158–EP164
Road to the Johto League Champion (DVD Vol. 2)	10 December 2002	EP165–EP171
Distance to the Johto League Champion (DVD Vol. 3)	24 June 2003	EP172–EP178
Path to the Johto League Champion (DVD Vol. 4)	26 August 2003	EP179–EP185
Way to the Johto League Champion (DVD Vol. 5)	28 October 2003	EP186–EP192
Circuit to the Johto League Champion (DVD Vol. 6)	2 December 2003	EP193–EP199
Journey’s End (DVD Vol. 7)	10 February 2004	EP200–EP209 (ten episodes); all seven single volumes are now out of print
VHS High Voltage Collection Vols. 53–61 (Viz Video)	6 August 2002 – 20 April 2004	Three episodes per tape, 27 of the 52 in all, from The Moonlight Showdown to Whitestone Tails
Game Boy Advance Video Pokémon Vol. 1 (Nintendo)	21 June 2004	A Hot Water Battle (EP167), the season’s only episode on GBA Video
VIZ Pokémon All-Stars and Pokémon Elements compilations	2006–2010	Themed discs including EP173, EP178, EP179, EP181, EP183, EP188, EP189, EP192, EP199 and EP206
Pokémon – Johto League Champions: The Complete Collection (6 discs, VIZ Media / Warner Home Video)	31 May 2016	All 52 episodes in one case (the cover wrongly says five discs); the fourth set in VIZ’s Complete Collection line

Australia & New Zealand (Region 4)

Release	Date	Notes
Pokémon Season 4 Super Wallet (13 discs + bonus disc, Magna Pacific)	6 June 2007	52 episodes, four per disc, plus a Premier Ball bonus disc of three Pokémon Chronicles episodes; Type Casting keeps the wrong Pokémon Johto opening
Season 4 DigiPack disc set (6 discs, Magna Pacific)	2 June 2010 (NZ 22 December 2010)	Discs themed on Sudowoodo, Umbreon, Pichu, Teddiursa, Wobbuffet and Smoochum; JB Hi-Fi re-issues in 2016
MetalPak limited edition (Beyond Home Entertainment)	5 June 2013 (NZ 13 June 2013)	Steelbook-style re-release
Slimline re-release (Beyond)	2 April 2014	Repackaged disc set
Pikachu T-shirt pack (JB Hi-Fi exclusive, Beyond)	18 November 2015	Disc set bundled with a shirt
Alternate-cover re-release (Beyond)	28 August 2019 (NZ 18 September 2019)	Also included in the Johto Collection, Heritage Collection, Gold and Silver limited edition and the multi-season Deluxe, Ultra and Mega box sets

Japan

In Japan Shogakukan released the episodes in its retail series Pocket Monsters: Gold & Silver Chapter (ポケットモンスター 金銀編), four episodes per VHS tape with parallel DVD volumes, issued monthly from May 2001; the Johto League Champions episodes fall in the later volumes of that run. The Japanese streaming services list the Johto episodes under the same title.

Streaming

Toonami Jetstream streamed the season weekly from 28 May 2007 to 27 May 2008. Pokémon TV rotated the Gold and Silver seasons in and out of its library from 2010 until the service closed on 28 March 2024; since 6 December 2024 the Pokémon TV channel on YouTube has carried seasons 1–10, Johto League Champions included, in English (except in the UK) and several other languages. Prime Video sells the season as part of Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver. Availability changes frequently, so check your local service.

Covers

• Journey to the Johto League Champion (Region 1 DVD Vol. 1, 2002)
• Journey’s End (Region 1 DVD Vol. 7, 2004)
• Crash of the Dairy VHS (Region 1, 2003)
• The Complete Collection (Region 1, 2016)
• Season 4 Super Wallet (Region 4, 2007)
• Season 4 DigiPack (Region 4, 2010)
• MetalPak limited edition (Region 4, 2013)
• Alternate-cover re-release (Region 4, 2019)

Where to Watch & Buy

Availability changes constantly, so treat this as a snapshot (October 2026) and check your local service. Links will be added here once we have settled on referral partners.

• The Pokémon TV channel on YouTubeHas carried seasons 1–10, including Johto League Champions, since December 2024 — in English everywhere except the UK, and in several other languages.
• Prime VideoSells the season in many territories as part of Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver, with the correct opening on Type Casting.
• DVD – North AmericaPokémon – Johto League Champions: The Complete Collection (VIZ Media, 6 discs, 2016) has all 52 episodes in one case; the single-volume DVDs are out of print.
• DVD – Australia & New ZealandBeyond Home Entertainment’s Season 4 disc sets are regularly re-issued and included in the multi-season box sets.
• Not currently onPokémon TV closed in March 2024, and Netflix, Hulu and DisneyNOW are not known to have carried this season.

Trading Cards Released During the Season

Johto League Champions aired in the US during the final stretch of Wizards of the Coast’s Neo era. If you want to collect the cards that were on shop shelves while these episodes were new, these are the expansions:

• Neo Revelation — 21 September 2001 — a month after the US premiere
• Neo Destiny — 28 February 2002 — the last expansion of the Neo series
• Legendary Collection — May 2002 — reprints of the classic Base Set-era cards
• Expedition Base Set — 15 September 2002 — released a week after the finale; the first e-Reader set

In Japan the run coincided with the second half of the Neo series, Awakening Legends (Neo 3, 23 November 2000) and Darkness, and to Light… (Neo 4, 20 April 2001). In the US, Topps also issued a 50-card Pokémon Johto League Champions trading-card set in 2001, with “Screen Snaps” such as “Got Miltank?” and “Zubat Times Two!”.

Our TCG section has a full card list, print variations and the most valuable cards for every one of them.

Cards with a link to the season

Neo Revelation, out a month after the US premiere, happens to hold three cards with a direct line to the season:

• Houndoom · Neo Revelation 8/64The title Pokémon of Houndoom’s Special Delivery (EP180), which aired in the US on 1 December 2001, ten weeks after the set’s release.
• Raikou · Neo Revelation 13/64Raikou’s only physical appearance in the original series is its cameo in that same episode.
• Celebi · Neo Revelation 3/64Celebi’s first English card arrived two months after Celebi: Voice of the Forest opened in Japan (7 July 2001), the film that slots in between EP205 and EP206 in the Japanese running order.

Firsts & Lasts

• First Generation III Pokémon in the anime: Kecleon, in The Kecleon Caper (EP205) — also the first episode to show a Pokémon Ability.
• Only official Johto Gym loss for Ash: Whitney, in A Goldenrod Opportunity (EP158).
• First Gym battle in which Ash may use more Pokémon than the Leader: the Whitney rematch (EP159), not repeated until Best Wishes.
• Only evolution of an Ash Pokémon in the whole Gold and Silver series: Chikorita → Bayleef (EP199), also the first successful evolution of one of his Grass-type starters.
• Only time Ash uses an Evolution stone (his Sun Stone, on a wild Sunkern, EP187) and the only time he gives a Pokémon away (Beedrill to Casey, EP161).
• First on-screen evolution of a Brock Pokémon: Zubat → Golbat (EP165), also the first time a main character’s Pokémon evolves during a battle with Team Rocket.
• First use of Iron Tail in the anime: the surfing Rhydon of Right On, Rhydon! (EP204).
• First release-and-recapture of a Pokémon in the series: Zachary’s Yanma (EP177).
• First Team Rocket “send it to the Boss” fantasy: The Kecleon Caper (EP205).
• First Mythical Pokémon in the dub’s Who’s That Pokémon?: Mew, in The Dunsparce Deception (EP191).
• First Japanese opening not sung by Rica Matsumoto: Whiteberry’s Mezase Pokémon Master, from EP192.
• Only physical appearance of Raikou in the original series: Houndoom’s Special Delivery (EP180).
• 200th episode of the anime: Turning Over A New Bayleef (EP200).
• Last Japanese episode of the 20th century (The Grass Route, EP178) and first of the 21st (The Apple Corp!, EP179); last OK! opening and original “Dare da?” eyecatch: EP191.

Trivia & Facts

• Every one of the 52 episodes was dubbed and aired in the US, so — unlike Indigo League and Master Quest — the Japanese, television and DVD episode counts all agree.
• Both bookends are Gym battles: the season opens with Ash’s defeat by Whitney (EP158) and closes with his victory over Chuck (EP209).
• Kecleon (EP205) appeared in the anime sixteen months before Ruby and Sapphire went on sale, and another Kecleon turned up two days later in the short Pikachu’s PikaBoo.
  

  

• Bayleef is confirmed as female in Turning Over A New Bayleef (EP200). After her evolution, Ash does not see another of his Pokémon evolve for 141 episodes (Treecko into Grovyle) — the longest such gap in the series.
• Raikou’s cameo in Houndoom’s Special Delivery is its only physical appearance in the original series; its next animated appearance came 1,130 episodes later.
  

  

• Wings ’N’ Things (EP177) aired in Japan on the day Pokémon Crystal and Pokémon Stadium 2 were released; Crystal reached North America on 30 July 2001, less than three weeks before the US premiere. The Ruins of Alph, the tree-impersonating Sudowoodo, the Burned Tower and the Kimono Girls all come straight from the games.
• Chuck is voiced in Japanese by the karateka Nobuaki Kakuda rather than a professional voice actor, and Alex Davis, the trainer Gary beats in Power Play!, was voiced in the dub by a competition winner of the same name.
• Born to Be a Winner shows ten Gym Leaders — the most of any opening — including Pryce and Clair, who would not appear until Master Quest.
• The dub narrator’s sign-off “as the journey continues” is first heard in EP180, and he keeps saying the group is “on the road to Johto” in at least nine episodes, although they are already there.
• Wobbu-Palooza! (EP173) premiered in Japan on Shigeru Miyamoto’s 48th birthday and The Trouble With Snubbull (EP175) on Rica Matsumoto’s 32nd.
• Team Rocket’s “Triple Battle” in EP173 and Double Battle in EP174 came years before those formats existed in the games, and Jessie calls Wobbuffet “Sōnano” in EP174 — later the Japanese name of Wynaut.
• When Misty’s Staryu, Goldeen and Psyduck leap out of their Poké Balls to cheer on Poliwhirl in EP168, it is the first time the Pokémon of a main character other than Ash have come out on their own to support a teammate.
• The 4Kids title card introduced with EP158 is missing the Pokémon logo on five episodes: EP175, EP176, EP178, EP181 and EP182.
• Kids’ WB ordered 52 more episodes — Master Quest — on 11 February 2002, on the strength of this season’s Saturday-morning ratings.
• Several episodes aired in the US exactly one year and one day after Japan, among them The Bug Stops Here and Type Casting.
• The clay figure dug up at the Ruins of Alph in Fossil Fools returns in both Advanced Generation and Diamond and Pearl.
• Scholastic’s 2002 novel Winner Takes All adapts four episodes of the season, and Pokémon Reader and Pokémon Junior books retell A Better Pill to Swallow, Houndoom’s Special Delivery, Wobbu-Palooza! and The Apple Corp!.
• The trading card expansions released during the US run were Neo Revelation (September 2001), Neo Destiny (February 2002) and Legendary Collection (May 2002), with Expedition Base Set following a week after the finale; Topps also issued a 50-card Pokémon Johto League Champions set in 2001 — see our TCG section.

Reception

Ratings. The season was a hit for Kids’ WB. On 29 September 2001, the launch of the network’s autumn schedule, Pokémon: Johto League Champions scored a 4.4 rating and 18 share among children aged 2–11 and a 6.0/24 among kids 6–11 in its 10 a.m. slot — the network’s best figures, and enough to put Kids’ WB first on Saturday morning — and on 3 November it was again the network’s top programme in both groups. Kidscreen reported that the show and X-Men: Evolution gave the channel its highest ratings of late 2001, a rebound after the slump that followed the 1999 boom, and in February 2002 Kids’ WB said the series had consistently dominated its Saturday time periods, ranking first among boys aged 6–11, as it ordered another 52 episodes. Japanese ratings for 2000–01 are not reliably documented in English-language sources.

Fan favourites. On Rotten Tomatoes the season, listed as Pokémon the Series season 4, holds a 76% audience score from a small number of ratings and has no critic reviews. The episodes that fans return to are the ones that move Ash’s story along: the Whitney two-parter, whose Rollout-spamming Miltank was already infamous among players of the games, Noctowl’s mid-battle Confusion against Morty, Chikorita’s long-awaited evolution in Current Events and the Snorlax sumo of Ring Masters. The long run of character-of-the-day episodes between the Gyms is what gives the Johto saga its reputation for filler.

Critical commentary. Dogasu’s Backpack, the long-running dub-comparison site, finds the season “dull from a comparison standpoint” because 4Kids changed so little. Of the episodes it reviews, it enjoys Sick Daze as a low-stakes Brock episode, likes the premise of Ring Masters and the “much-needed screen time” it gives Snorlax, and calls The Poké Spokesman “a good Johto filler”, while dismissing Control Freak! as “boring and uninspired”. It praises Shinzō Fujita’s script for Machoke, Machoke Man! for “packing a lot into 22 minutes without feeling rushed” and Nobuaki Kakuda’s committed performance as Chuck, but questions the choice of Machoke over Hitmontop, criticises the dub’s editing and rescoring, and calls the “Macho Man” title pun “eye-rollingly bad”.

Continue the journey with Season 5: Pokémon Master Quest, go back to Season 3: The Johto Journeys, or browse every season of the Pokémon anime.