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| Season | Pokémon: Johto League Champions (Season 4) · Wobbuffet Village to the gates of Ecruteak arc (EP173–EP180) |
| Episode | Season 4, episode 21 · English episode 178 · Japanese episode 180 · Bulbapedia code EP178 |
| English title | The Grass Route |
| Japanese title | ポポッコ! くさポケモンバトル!! Popokko! Kusa Pokemon Batoru!! — “Popocco! Grass Pokémon Battle!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 21 December 2000 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 3 November 2001 · Kids’ WB |
| Screenplay | Shinzō Fujita |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | OK! – Rica Matsumoto · Boku no Best Friend e (To My Best Friend) – Hiromi Iwasaki |
| English opening | Born to Be a Winner – David Rolfe |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Girafarig (US) · Skiploom (Japan) |
| Previous episode | Wings ‘N’ Things (EP177) |
| Next episode | The Apple Corp (EP179) |
Plot episodeGrass TournamentSkiploom debut
The Grass Route is the 21st episode of Pokémon: Johto League Champions, the fourth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 178th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 180, Bulbapedia code EP178). It first aired in Japan on 21 December 2000 and in the United States on 3 November 2001. It falls within the season’s Wobbuffet Village to the gates of Ecruteak stretch (EP173–EP180).
Synopsis
Ash’s overconfidence costs him a Grass Tournament final when a boy’s Skiploom unleashes a surprise Solar Beam on Bulbasaur. Just short of Ecruteak, Chikorita beats young Ephraim’s Skiploom, Skippy, in a friendly match with Razor Leaf and Tackle, and the gang spend the night at his family’s flower farm. Ephraim is preparing for the annual Grass Tournament, a Grass-type-only event with a heap of Leaf Stones as the prize, and Ash enters with Bulbasaur, dismissing any need for training.
Team Rocket want the Leaf Stones: James competes as “Mr Semaj” with Victreebel, while Jessie dresses Meowth as a Sunflora. Skippy’s Leech Seed and Double Team dispatch Victreebel in round one, and Bulbasaur’s Razor Leaf knocks Meowth’s disguise off in round two, prompting the motto and a Vine Whip that sends the trio flying when they grab for the stones.
Both Trainers cruise to the final. Bulbasaur dominates early and Ash, not wanting to hurt Skippy, eases off, so Ephraim asks his partner whether it wishes to continue, and Skippy fires a Solar Beam nobody knew it had, following up with Tackle for the win. Brock reckons the day’s battles levelled it up on the spot, and Ash learns that pride and power alone do not win trophies.
Major Events
- Skiploom debut
- Ash loses the Grass Tournament final to Ephraim
- Bulbasaur reveals Take Down
- Last Japanese episode of the 20th century
Pokémon making their anime debut
Skiploom#0188 · EP178
Trivia
- The English title plays on “grass roots”.
- The screenplay is by Shinzō Fujita.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Johto storyline.
- The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Skiploom in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Girafarig in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.
Part of our Pokémon: Johto League Champions guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.