Pokémon Season 3: The Johto Journeys

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: The Johto Journeys is the third season of the Pokémon animated series. It follows Ash, who is accompanied by Misty and Brock on his journey to the Johto League and to deliver the mysterious GS Ball to Kurt on behalf of Professor Oak. You can read more about the key events in this season by clicking here.

This season of the Pokémon Anime features many of the towns, characters and Pokémon from the Pokémon Gold & Silver video games which were released around the same time that this season was aired.

This season would also mark the beginning of the Johto saga and would be followed directly by Pokémon Season 4 – Johto League Champions and finally by Pokémon Season 5 – Master Quest, the third and final part of said saga.

Dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment, The Johto Journeys premiered on Kids’ WB on 14 October 2000 — exactly a year after Japan, and the day before Pokémon Gold and Silver reached North American shops — and covers Japanese episodes 117 to 157, which TV Tokyo broadcast between 14 October 1999 and 27 July 2000 as part of Pocket Monsters. With Tracey staying behind as Professor Oak’s assistant, Brock is back alongside Ash and Misty for the first full season of the original trio since the Indigo League, and the group make their way from Professor Elm’s laboratory in New Bark Town through Violet City and Azalea Town towards Goldenrod City.

Along the way Ash wins the Zephyr Badge from Falkner and the Hive Badge from Bugsy, catches Heracross, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile and the anime’s very first Shiny Pokémon, a Noctowl, and says goodbye to two old friends: Charizard stays behind to train in the Charicific Valley and Squirtle goes back to lead the Squirtle Squad. Kurt finally takes delivery of the GS Ball — a mystery the series never solved — and Jessie accidentally swaps her Lickitung for the Wobbuffet that would stay at her side for the next 511 episodes. Thirty Generation II Pokémon make their series debut, the Japanese opening OK! brings the first digital colouring, and the dub adds the Pokémon Johto theme and the Karaokémon sing-along. Our complete episode guide below preserves the original synopses written for Pokémon Dungeon, now with Japanese titles, air dates and the Who’s That Pokémon? answers for every episode.

• 41episodes in Japan and on DVD (52 in the US TV season)
• 2Gym badges — Zephyr and Hive
• 30Generation II Pokémon make their series debut
• 5new Pokémon for Ash, from Heracross to a Shiny Noctowl
• 2old partners left behind: Charizard and Squirtle
• 1GS Ball delivered to Kurt — and never opened

Quick Answers

Story Arcs

The Johto Journeys runs for 41 episodes and — filler aside — follows Ash from Professor Elm’s lab in New Bark Town to the edge of Goldenrod City, with two Gym badges, five new teammates and two hard goodbyes along the way. Here is how the season breaks down, with stills from our episode guide below.

Arrival in JohtoEP117–EP121

Fresh from the Orange League and with Brock back in the party, Ash, Misty and Brock glimpse a mysterious Suicune in the fog and reach New Bark Town, home of Professor Elm, just as Team Rocket make off with one of his three new starters, a Totodile. Ash gets it back, registers for the Johto League and learns that the first Gym is in Violet City. The road there introduces the new generation fast: rookie trainer and Electabuzz baseball fanatic Casey challenges Ash with her Chikorita, a sap-loving Heracross that befriends Bulbasaur in a Pinsir-ravaged forest becomes Ash’s first Johto capture, Rochelle’s amberite-sniffing Donphan hands Ash his first Johto loss, and in an illusion-filled forest the group run into Gary — now with a Hoothoot — and borrow one of Hagatha’s to find their way out.

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The road to Violet CityEP122–EP129

A run of character-of-the-day stories shows off one new species after another: Bailey’s dancing Bellossom in Florando, Officer Jenny’s Spinarak and the legend of the Black Arachnid, Madame Muchmoney’s pampered Snubbull — who runs off after Meowth’s tail and keeps chasing him for the rest of the season — and a lost baby Stantler that Brock looks after. In the snowy mountains Ash finally earns the respect of a stubborn wild Chikorita by sheltering her through a blizzard, the Quagsire of Cherrygrove City borrow the GS Ball for their Blue Moon Falls ritual, Arielle’s Ledyba whistle is stolen, and Jessie runs into a Blissey she knew from her days at Pokémon Nurse School.

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Violet City: the Zephyr BadgeEP130–EP131

In Violet City Ash guest-teaches at Earl Dervish’s Pokémon academy and climbs the swaying Sprout Tower, where young Zackie catches a Bellsprout with one of Ash’s Poké Balls. Hang-gliding Gym Leader Falkner then rescues Pikachu from Team Rocket’s fake “Pokémon Bureau” and accepts Ash’s challenge. Hoothoot beats Chikorita, Pikachu beats Hoothoot and Dodrio before Pidgeot’s Whirlwind brings it down, and Charizard — one wing injured, with Ash refusing Falkner’s offer to call it off — traps Pidgeot in Fire Spin and finishes it with Seismic Toss for Ash’s first Johto badge.

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Towards Azalea & Charizard’s farewellEP132–EP134

With the next Gym in Azalea Town, Misty tries to catch a crybaby Marill that turns out to belong to Wilhomena — the one girl who actually likes Brock back — and is swept away in a storm with it and Pikachu. Togepi and a wild Sentret then joyride in Team Rocket’s Arbok-shaped tank until Charizard stops it short of a town. The arc ends in the Charicific Valley, where caretaker Liza shows Ash how far his Charizard lags behind the wild Charizard who train there. After a night outside the gates and a victory over Team Rocket, Charizard is accepted, and Ash leaves his oldest powerhouse with Liza and Charla, running off in tears. It is the season’s only script by head writer Takeshi Shudō.

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Between the GymsEP135–EP140

The longest filler stretch of the season: Sonrisa’s gloomy Sunflora wins the Bloomingvale Sunflora Festival after finding its old friend, a jealous Chikorita runs off and takes on four Fighting-types single-handed before Ash rescues her (an episode Kids’ WB aired five weeks early), Mariah’s weather-forecasting Hoppip are scattered by a tornado, toy-shop owner Mr. Parker moonlights as the masked hero Gligarman, shepherd girl Mary’s Mareep drives off Team Rocket, and at Muramasa’s training school Heracross beats Shingo’s laptop-coached Scizor in the first digitally animated shots the series ever used.

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Azalea Town: Kurt, the GS Ball & the Hive BadgeEP141–EP145

Ash catches a Cyndaquil that struggles to light its flame, beating a rival trainer and his Sandslash to it. In Azalea Town he treads on the tail of a sacred Slowpoke, learns how a Slowpoke once ended a drought, and meets Kurt, the town’s gruff Apricorn craftsman, just as Team Rocket raid the Slowpoke Well. Ash finally hands over the GS Ball, which baffles Kurt so much that he keeps it for study; in return Kurt gives each of the trio a Fast Ball, and Brock uses his to catch a self-destructing Pineco while gathering Apricorns with Kurt’s granddaughter Maizie. In the forest-garden Gym, Cyndaquil’s spinning aerial Flamethrower beats Bugsy’s Scyther for the Hive Badge, and Kurt’s new Lure and Heavy Balls arrive. In Ilex Forest a beginner’s Farfetch’d learns to cut charcoal wood, and Ash learns there is a Gym in Goldenrod City.

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Trades & partingsEP146–EP147

At the Pokémon Swap Meet in Palmpona, Ash swaps Heracross to Professor Oak for one of his Tauros and wins the Running of the Tauros against the unbeaten Fernando, while Jessie, knocked into the real trading machine, unknowingly swaps her Lickitung for young Benny’s Wobbuffet. Next stop is the Fire and Rescue Grand Prix, where Squirtle is reunited with the Squirtle Squad and Officer Jenny, helps them beat Team Wartortle and Team Rocket’s fire-starting mecha, and stays on as the Squad’s leader. Heracross remains with Oak.

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On the road to GoldenrodEP148–EP155

Wobbuffet starts popping out of its ball uninvited and muscles into the motto, Jigglypuff and Madame Muchmoney’s Snubbull return in the Onix Tunnel, and a Houndour pack stealing food for an injured friend introduces the first Dark-type Pokémon. Ash and Misty hit the same wild Totodile with Lure Balls at once, and Brock referees a three-on-three to settle it: Misty’s Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl mid-battle, but Bulbasaur’s Solar Beam wins Totodile for Ash. Cyndaquil learns to light its flame at will to beat Miki’s Skarmory, Totodile falls for a circus Azumarill, Ash catches a rare Shiny Noctowl that outwits Team Rocket’s mechanical copy, and the heroes and Team Rocket are forced into a truce when they end up swapping partners while fleeing an Ursaring breeding ground.

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Len Town & the Day Care finaleEP156–EP157

Cherry’s Girafarig and the Psychic Pokémon of Len Town take on Team Rocket’s Psychic-reflecting Gengar mecha in the episode Kids’ WB later promoted as a “lost episode”. In the finale a Pokémon fortune-telling craze convinces James that he is a “flaming Moltres”, and Team Rocket stumble on a Day Care that turns out to be a front run by Butch and Cassidy. Spying on their video call, the heroes see Giovanni for the very first time before Officer Jenny hauls the pair away, exactly 100 episodes after their first Breeding Center scam.

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Episode Guide

All 41 episodes of The Johto Journeys are listed below in Japanese 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 numbered its television season differently (it began eleven episodes earlier, in the Orange Islands) and aired four of these episodes out of story order, so if you grew up with the TV run you may remember Ash’s Totodile turning up before The Totodile Duel.

	#	Episode	First aired	In short
	1EP117	Don’t Touch That ‘dileワカバタウン! はじまりをつげるかぜのふくまち!	Japan 14 Oct 1999 US 14 Oct 2000	Ash and friends find themselves lost in the forest on the way to the Johto region when they see a Pokémon that they’ve never seen before; Suicune. · Season premiere Episode guide →
	2EP118	The Double Trouble Headerルーキーのチコリータ!	Japan 21 Oct 1999 US 21 Oct 2000	On the route to Violet City Ash and friends discover a young trainer and her Chikorita on the roadside training. · Casey debuts Episode guide →
	3EP119	A Sappy Endingげきとつ! へラクロスVSカイロス!!	Japan 28 Oct 1999 US 28 Oct 2000	Ash and friends find themselves in a serene forest, when they spot a group of Pokémon they haven’t seen before eating sap from a tree; it turns out… · Ash catches Heracross Episode guide →
	4EP120	Roll On, Pokémon!ドンファンのたに!	Japan 4 Nov 1999 US 4 Nov 2000	Ash and friends are continuing their journey to Violet City when they notice the valley they are trekking through is crumbling. · Donphan debut Episode guide →
	5EP121	Illusion Confusion!ホーホーとあやしいもり!	Japan 11 Nov 1999 US 4 Nov 2000	Our heroes find themselves lost deep in the forest once more, they continue wandering about lost when all of a sudden they start seeing some strange,… · Gary returns Episode guide →
	6EP122	Flower Powerキレイハナのバトルダンシング!	Japan 18 Nov 1999 US 11 Nov 2000	Our heroes have escaped the forest and arrived at Florando City, where they are spoilt for choice with things to do. · Bellossom debut Episode guide →
	7EP123	Spinarak Attackイトマル! だいそうさせん!!	Japan 25 Nov 1999 US 11 Nov 2000	Today our friends are passing through Castelia City famed for it’s beautiful buildings and the exploits of a legendary thief. · Spinarak debut Episode guide →
	8EP124	Snubbull Snobberyブルーのかれいなせいかつ!?	Japan 2 Dec 1999 US 18 Nov 2000	Ash and friends arrive at Palm Hills, a place made famous by its sprawling estates and sweeping lawns. · Madame Muchmoney debuts Episode guide →
	9EP125	The Little Big Hornオドシシ！まぼろしのもり!?	Japan 9 Dec 1999 US 18 Nov 2000	Ash, Misty and Brock are walking through a Park in the middle of a big city when they spot a young Stantler in the bushes. · Stantler debut Episode guide →
	10EP126	The Chikorita Rescueいじっぱりのチコリータ!!	Japan 16 Dec 1999 US 25 Nov 2000	While on the road to Violet City and the first Johto Gym challenge, Ash and his friends encounter a sleeping Chikorita which appears to be wild. · Ash catches Chikorita Episode guide →
	11EP127	Once in a Blue MoonヌオーとGSボール!?	Japan 23 Dec 1999 US 2 Dec 2000	Our heroes have stopped near a pretty little town called Cherrygrove City on their way to the Johto League when they encounter a Quagsire. · GS Ball Episode guide →
	12EP128	The Whistle Stopレディバのふえ!	Japan 1 Jan 2000 US 2 Dec 2000	Ash and friends continue their journey to the Johto League, as they cross a bridge Team Rocket make another bungled attempt to steal Pikachu; their… · Ledyba debut Episode guide →
	13EP129	Ignorance is Blisseyハピナスのハッピーナース!	Japan 6 Jan 2000 US 9 Dec 2000	On a beautiful moonlit night our heroes arrive at a little place called Happy Town, they are all hungry and tired so get pretty excited to see the… · Blissey debut Episode guide →
	14EP130	A Bout with Sproutだいピンチ! マダツボミのとう!	Japan 13 Jan 2000 US 16 Dec 2000	Ash and friends are drawing ever nearer to Violet City when they encounter a couple of young whippersnappers who try to “capture” Pikachu. · Violet City Episode guide →
	15EP131	Fighting Flyer with Fireキキョウジム! おおぞらのたたかい!!	Japan 20 Jan 2000 US 16 Dec 2000	Ash and friends have finally made it to Violet City and Ash is excited to challenge for his first Johto League gym badge. · Zephyr Badge Episode guide →
	16EP132	For Crying Out Loudなきむしマリル!	Japan 27 Jan 2000 US 20 Jan 2001	Ash is intent on taking on the Azalea Gymas soon as possible to keep his winning streak going. · Brock meets Wilhomena Episode guide →
	17EP133	Tanks a Lot!ばくそう! オタチ&トゲピー!!	Japan 3 Feb 2000 US 27 Jan 2001	Ash and friends have found a quiet spot where they are taking a rest before their next Johto league gym battle, little do they know that Team Rocket… · Sentret debut Episode guide →
	18EP134	Charizard’s Burning Ambitionsリザードンのたに! またあうひまで!!	Japan 10 Feb 2000 US 3 Feb 2001	Ash, Misty and Brock are growing weary of walking but continue their journey none the less, meanwhile Team Rocket are reluctantly plotting to try and… · Charizard stays behind Episode guide →
	19EP135	Grin to Win!だいパニック! キマワリコンテスト!!	Japan 17 Feb 2000 US 10 Feb 2001	Once again our heroes are heading to the Azalea Gym, with Ash hot on the trail of his next Johto league badge; however they are still a way off and… · Sunflora Festival Episode guide →
	20EP136	Chikorita’s Big Upsetチコリータはごきげんななめ!?	Japan 24 Feb 2000 US 20 Jan 2001	Ash is locked in battle with an aspiring young trainer the group met on their way to Azalea town, with his Chikorita taking on the trainers Raticate;… · Chikorita’s jealousy Episode guide →
	21EP137	Foul Weather Friendsハネッコはねた! だいそうげんのたたかい!!	Japan 2 Mar 2000 US 10 Feb 2001	Ash and friends are continuing their journey through a place filled with grass type Pokemon when they are approached by a little Hoppip. · Hoppip debut Episode guide →
	22EP138	The Superhero Secretなぞのスーパーヒーロー! グライガーマンとうじょう!!	Japan 9 Mar 2000 US 17 Feb 2001	Whilst continuing their journey to Azalea Town Ash and friends see something mysterious pass by overhead, Brock thinks it was a Gligar. · Gligarman Episode guide →
	23EP139	Mild ‘n Woolyメリープとまきばのしょうじょ	Japan 16 Mar 2000 US 17 Feb 2001	Today our heroes Ash, Misty and Brock have stopped at a beautiful spot to enjoy a brief break from their journey to the Johto League when they spot a… · Mareep debut Episode guide →
	24EP140	Wired for Battle!バトルしようぜ! ハッサムVSヘラクロス!!	Japan 23 Mar 2000 US 24 Feb 2001	Team Rocket are in the bushes, plotting their next pitfall plan attack on Ash and friends when a mysterious guy appears from the bushes and asks if… · Scizor debut Episode guide →
	25EP141	Good ‘Quil Huntingヒノアラシ! ゲットだぜ!!	Japan 30 Mar 2000 US 3 Mar 2001	Ash and friends are lost in the woods on the way to Azalea Town when a trainer comes out of the bushes and asks if they’ve seen any Cyndaquil nearby;… · Ash catches Cyndaquil Episode guide →
	26EP142	A Shadow of a Droughtヒワダタウン! ヤドンのいど!!	Japan 6 Apr 2000 US 3 Mar 2001	Ash, Misty and Brock are walking through a desolate and drought-ridden valley and are getting really thirsty when Misty has the good idea of using… · Azalea Town Episode guide →
	27EP143	Going Apricorn!クヌギダマとボングリのみ! うらやまのたたかい!!	Japan 13 Apr 2000 US 10 Mar 2001	Having just been shocked by the revelation that the guy in the Slowpoke suit from last episode is infact the guy they are looking for; Kurt – the… · GS Ball delivered Episode guide →
	28EP144	Gettin’ the Bugs Outヒワダジム! もりのバトルフィールド!!	Japan 20 Apr 2000 US 17 Mar 2001	With the GS Ball now delivered to Kurt Ash only has one thing on his mind, taking on the Azalea Gym for his second Johto League Badge. · Hive Badge Episode guide →
	29EP145	A Farfetch’d Taleウバメのもり! カモネギをさがせ!!	Japan 27 Apr 2000 US 17 Mar 2001	After winning a Hive Badge from the Azalea Gym leader Ash and friends are in search of their next Johto League challenge when they become lost in a… · Ilex Forest Episode guide →
	30EP146	Tricks of the Tradeソーナンスとポケモンこうかんかい!!	Japan 4 May 2000 US 24 Mar 2001	Ash and friends are passing through the seaside city of Pompona on the way to Goldenrod City when they encounter a young trainer named Benny and his… · Jessie gets Wobbuffet Episode guide →
	31EP147	The Fire-ing Squad!もえろゼニガメだん! ほのおのように!!	Japan 11 May 2000 US 21 Apr 2001	Today our heroes adventure continues as they head for their next Johto League adventure in Goldenrod City, but first they stop at a Pokemon Center… · Squirtle leaves Episode guide →
	32EP148	No Big Woop!ウパーがいっぱい!	Japan 18 May 2000 US 31 Mar 2001	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… · Wooper debut Episode guide →
	33EP149	Tunnel VisionプリンVSブルー!	Japan 25 May 2000 US 7 Apr 2001	Ash and his friends are continuing on their journey to Goldenrod City, however they’ve come up against a bit of an obstacle; the Onix tunnel! · Jigglypuff returns Episode guide →
	34EP150	Hour of the Houndourダークポケモン・デルビル	Japan 1 Jun 2000 US 14 Apr 2001	After travelling safely through the Onix Tunnel, our heroes have decided to take a lunch break before continuing on to the gym in Goldenrod City. · Houndour debut – first Dark type Episode guide →
	35EP151	The Totodile Duelワニノコはだれのもの!? サトシVSカスミ!	Japan 8 Jun 2000 US 5 May 2001	Today we find our friends taking a breather on a lush bank of a lazy river, the group are fishing but without much luck, Misty seems to be enjoying… · Ash catches Totodile Episode guide →
	36EP152	Hot Matches!エアムードVSヒノアラシ! はがねのつばさ!!	Japan 15 Jun 2000 US 12 May 2001	After getting a good night’s rest at a nearby Pokemon Center, Ash and friends are leaving to continue their journey to Goldenrod City when they bump… · Skarmory debut Episode guide →
	37EP153	Love, Totodile Styleおどれワニノコ! あいのステップを!!	Japan 22 Jun 2000 US 26 May 2001	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… · Azumarill debut Episode guide →
	38EP154	Fowl Play!いろちがいのヨルノズク! ゲットだぜ!!	Japan 29 Jun 2000 US 28 Apr 2001	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… · Ash catches a Shiny Noctowl Episode guide →
	39EP155	Forest Grumpsリングマでドッキリ!!	Japan 6 Jul 2000 US 2 Jun 2001	After a blistering battle that netted him a Noctowl, Ash and his friends decide to take a break, sending their Pokemon out to play while they get… · Ursaring debut Episode guide →
	40EP156	The Psychic Sidekicks!キリンリキ! エスパーポケモンのむら!	Japan 13 Jul 2000 US 11 Aug 2001	Ash and friends are in the forest when they come across a sign with the trainer tip “Beware of ghost Pokemon, use Psychic Pokemon for your… · Girafarig debut Episode guide →
	41EP157	The Fortune Huntersポケモンうらない!? だいらんせん!	Japan 27 Jul 2000 US 19 May 2001	Today our friends find a Pokemon Center, where they find a group of kids talking about a book called the Pokemon Fortune Telling book, in which you… · Season finale Episode guide →

Characters & Travelling Companions

Ash spends this season travelling with his original companions, Misty and Brock after Tracey decided to stay behind as Professor Oak’s lab assistant. Tracey hasn’t fallen off the face of the earth though and can sometimes be seen in the background when Ash is on videocalls to Oak, strangely enough though during these instances Tracey doesn’t even bother to say hi to his former companions.

Brock stays true to form and finds the Johto region full of girls who are just his type (anyone female). Misty stays true to form and drags him away from these girls each time by his ear, except in one instance during Episode 16, For Crying Out Loud (EP132), where Misty had been washed away in the river; allowing Brock to actually persevere in his romantic endeavours for once without being dragged away; the girl in question Wilhomena does actually seem to like Brock back, but the two say goodbye when the episode finishes. Misty throughout this series continues to be the sometimes fiery, and often stubborn travelling companion she has always been.

Ash registers for the Johto League in New Bark Town, wins two badges, catches five new Pokémon and lets two of his oldest teammates go: Charizard (EP134) and Squirtle (EP147). Misty tries and fails to catch a Quagsire, Wilhomena’s Marill and a Totodile, but sees her Poliwag evolve into Poliwhirl — the first on-screen evolution of a Pokémon belonging to one of Ash’s companions — and sends Togepi into battle for the first time (EP151). Brock, back for every episode after his stint with Professor Ivy, catches a self-destructing Pineco with the Fast Ball Kurt gives him (EP143), babysits a lost Stantler and a whole Wooper preschool, and coaches a lovestruck Totodile in the art of romance.

• 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
• BrockBrock finally finds someone who actually likes him back, a girl called Wilhomena (EP132)
• Ash’s Shiny NoctowlCaught in Fowl Play! (EP154)
• Misty’s PoliwhirlEvolved from Poliwag in EP151
• Brock’s PinecoCaught with a Fast Ball (EP143)

Team Rocket

Jessie, James and Meowth follow the heroes into Johto with Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung and Victreebel, but the season’s big roster change happens by accident. At the Pokémon Swap Meet in Tricks of the Trade (EP146), Jessie is knocked into the real trading machine and swaps her Lickitung for a young trainer’s Wobbuffet. It first pops out of its ball uninvited in EP148, barges into the motto in EP149 and stays in Jessie’s party for 511 consecutive episodes — the first traded Pokémon to become part of the main cast. In the same episode James runs into the Magikarp salesman who conned him back in Kanto. Meowth gains a lovestruck pursuer in Madame Muchmoney’s Snubbull, and Jessie’s backstory grows with her time at Pokémon Nurse School in Ignorance is Blissey (EP129), inspired by voice actress Megumi Hayashibara’s own nursing training.

Butch and Cassidy return in the finale, The Fortune Hunters, running a fake Day Care exactly 100 episodes after their first Breeding Center scam, and Butch’s Primeape makes its debut. Their video call to headquarters gives the heroes their first look at Giovanni and his Persian before Officer Jenny arrests the pair. Behind the scenes, James’s muffled mumbling from inside Victreebel in The Whistle Stop (EP128) turned out to be a backmasked protest recorded by his English voice actor, Eric Stuart (see Dub Edits).

• JessieTeam Rocket
• JamesTeam Rocket
• MeowthTeam Rocket’s talking Meowth
• Jessie’s WobbuffetHers by accident from EP146

Rivals, Gym Leaders & recurring characters

Gary Oak, who set off for Johto ahead of Ash, appears only once, in Illusion Confusion! (EP121), now carrying a Hoothoot. Casey, the New Bark Town rookie and Electabuzz baseball superfan, debuts in The Double Trouble Header with the Chikorita she received from Professor Elm, who studies the three Johto starters in the premiere. The Gym Leaders are Falkner (Violet City) and Bugsy (Azalea Town), and the GS Ball’s long-awaited recipient Kurt, the Apricorn Poké Ball craftsman, appears with his granddaughter Maizie in EP142–EP144. Liza of the Charicific Valley and her Charizard Charla take charge of Ash’s Charizard; Madame Muchmoney and her butler Jeeves chase their runaway Snubbull through four episodes; Professor Oak appears only on the videophone, approving the Heracross–Tauros swap and keeping Heracross at the lab; and Jigglypuff trails the group into Johto for another round of interrupted concerts in Tunnel Vision (EP149). Catallia City’s Officer Jenny has a Spinarak as her family’s traditional partner (EP123), and another Jenny now runs the Squirtle Squad as a fire brigade (EP147).

• Professor Elm of New Bark Town(debut EP117)
• CaseyThe Electabuzz-mad rookie from New Bark Town (debut EP118)
• Liza and Charla of the Charicific Valley(debut EP134)
• KurtThe Azalea Town Apricorn craftsman (debut EP142)

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
Gary Oak	Carter Cathcart (as Jimmy Zoppi)	Yūko Kobayashi
Casey	Kerry Williams	Nina Kumagaya
Professor Elm	Paul Frank	Kazuhiko Inoue
Falkner	Matthew Mitler	Akira Ishida
Bugsy	Tara Sands (as Tara Jayne)	Hiromi Ishikawa
Kurt	Carter Cathcart (as Jimmy Zoppi)	Masashi Hirose
Liza	Lisa Ortiz	Sakiko Tamagawa
Professor Oak	Stuart Zagnit	Unshō Ishizuka
Butch	Eric Stuart	Takehito Koyasu
Cassidy	Megan Hollingshead	Masako Katsuki
Giovanni	Ted Lewis	Hirotaka Suzuoki
Narrator	Rodger Parsons (credited as Ken Gates)	Unshō Ishizuka

Pokémon: Captures, Changes, Encounters & Evolutions

In brief:

• All about the Pokémon we see during The Johto Journeys, whether we see them caught, they were already owned prior to the events of the season or we witnessed them via evolution they’re all here broken down into different tables. There’s also a table for the Pokémon we said goodbye to this season.
• Ash catches five new Pokémon: Heracross (EP119), Chikorita (EP126), Cyndaquil (EP141), Totodile (EP151) and a Shiny Noctowl (EP154).
• Brock catches a Pineco with a Fast Ball made by Kurt (EP143).
• Jessie’s Lickitung is accidentally traded for Wobbuffet (EP146).
• Charizard stays in the Charicific Valley (EP134), Heracross stays at Professor Oak’s lab and Squirtle rejoins the Squirtle Squad (EP147).
• Misty’s Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl in the middle of a battle with Bulbasaur (EP151).

New Pokémon captured or hatched

• Heracross#0214 · Ash · EP119
• Chikorita#0152 · Ash · EP126
• Cyndaquil#0155 · Ash · EP141
• Totodile#0158 · Ash · Lure Ball · EP151
• Shiny Noctowl#0164 · Ash · first Shiny in the anime · EP154
• Pineco#0204 · Brock · Fast Ball · EP143
• Wobbuffet#0202 · Jessie · accidental trade · EP146
• Lickitung#0108 · Benny · from Jessie · EP146
• Rattata#0019 · Casey · EP118
• Bellsprout#0069 · Zackie · with Ash’s Poké Ball · EP130

Evolutions

• Poliwag → Poliwhirl#0061 · Misty · mid-battle · EP151

Releases, departures and returns

Charizard is left with Liza in the Charicific Valley in EP134 — still Ash’s, and back for the Clair rematch and the Silver Conference in Master Quest. Heracross is sent to Professor Oak in exchange for one of Ash’s thirty Tauros so that Ash can enter the Running of the Tauros in EP146; Tauros goes back the next episode, but Oak hangs on to Heracross. Squirtle, reunited with the Squirtle Squad at the Fire and Rescue Grand Prix, stays on as their leader in EP147 and returns for the Silver Conference. Brock looks after a lost baby Stantler (EP125) until it can rejoin its herd, and on Team Rocket’s side Jessie’s Lickitung leaves the series with Benny in EP146. By the end of the season Ash’s team on hand is Pikachu, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile and Noctowl, with Bulbasaur making six.

There were a number of occasions where either Ash or another character released a captured Pokémon back into the wild or at least released a Pokémon from their own care. Don’t despair though, these aren’t permanent trades, technically they are still Ash’s Pokémon, he knows where they are and they can be called upon if needed.

New Pokémon captured by Ash & other characters

Pokémon	Caught by	Episode	Notes
Heracross	Ash	EP119 A Sappy Ending	After restoring equilibrium to the Pinsir and Heracross forests by defeating Team Rocket, the Heracross Ash helped against the Pinsir decides to accompany Ash on his journey as his newest Pokémon.
Chikorita	Ash	EP126 The Chikorita Rescue	Ash and co encounter a sleeping Chikorita on the road to Violet City and battle it, it’s tough and won’t give up despite taking a beating. In the end Ash earns its respect when he cares for it during a snowstorm in the mountains. Ash keeps it warm for the night and at the end of the episode it decides it wants to accompany Ash on his journey.
Cyndaquil	Ash	EP141 Good ’Quil Hunting	After hearing from another trainer that there are Cyndaquil in the area Ash runs off and immediately sets out to find one and succeeds in doing so, after an attack from Team Rocket, and the other trainer who wanted the Cyndaquil, Ash catches Cyndaquil in a Poké Ball to save it from being hit by the blast caused by the defeat of one of Team Rocket’s latest mechanical devices.
Pineco	Brock	EP143 Going Apricorn!	Brock made no secret of his desire to capture a Pineco, but before he could do so the group, the Pineco and Maizie are attacked by Team Rocket. One of the Pineco was going to self destruct at Team Rocket in order to get rid of them, Brock caught the Pineco with his Fast Ball to stop it harming itself, and took it on as his newest Pokémon.
Wobbuffet	Jessie	EP146 Tricks of the Trade	James encountered the Magikarp salesman who had ripped him off in the first season and chased him, during the commotion Jessie got knocked into a Pokémon trading machine, her Lickitung’s Poké Ball fell out of her pocket into the machine and accidentally got traded for a Wobbuffet which had previously belonged to a young trainer called Benny.
Lickitung	Benny	EP146 Tricks of the Trade	Benny attended the annual Pokémon Swap Meet with hopes of swapping his Wobbuffet for something else, these hopes were answered when Jessie’s Lickitung got traded to him by pure accident.
Totodile	Ash	EP151 The Totodile Duel	While fishing at the side of the river the group encounter a Totodile; Misty wants it because it’s a Water type, Ash wants it because it’s a generally cool Pokémon. After one of the two captures it (it’s inconclusive which did) they decide to have a battle to see who gets to keep Totodile. Ash wins the battle and custody of Totodile.
Noctowl	Ash	EP154 Fowl Play!	After saving a uniquely coloured Noctowl from the clutches of one of Team Rocket’s mechanical monstrosities it challenges Ash to a one on one battle, he battles it with Pikachu and manages to win, capturing this rare and extremely intelligent Pokémon and adding it to his team.

Pokémon released back into the wild / released for other misc reasons

Pokémon	Released by	Episode	Notes
Charizard	Ash	EP134 Charizard’s Burning Ambitions	Ash and his Charizard challenge powerful Charizard from the Charicific Valley to battle. Ash’s Charizard is beaten easily, twice and is very upset… clearly it wants to be stronger. Ash sees this and decides to leave his Charizard to train with its peers, under the supervision of Liza so that it can fulfill its dream of becoming stronger.
Squirtle	Ash	EP147 The Fire-ing Squad!	Ash’s Squirtle reunites with its old friends from the Squirtle Squad to compete in the annual Fire Fighters Grand Prix competition, which they go on to win with Ash’s Squirtle at the helm. The Squirtle Squad were badly underperforming without their old leader and so Ash lets his old friend go back to being a firefighter with his Squad.
Heracross	Ash	EP146–EP147	Ash also left his Heracross with Professor Oak for longer than he perhaps originally intended, as Oak wanted to study it some more.

Evolution

Pokémon	Evolves into	Episode	Trainer	Notes
Poliwag	Poliwhirl	EP151 The Totodile Duel	Misty	Misty’s Poliwag battled against Ash’s Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur overpowered and defeated it. Poliwag however wanted to win for Misty so badly that it evolved just as it looked like the battle was over (it faced Bulbasaur and still lost, but it’s the thought that counts).

Pokémon making their anime debut this season

Thirty species, every one of them from Generation II, make their first appearance in the main TV series during The Johto Journeys (a few had already been glimpsed in a movie or a Pikachu short). The new generation reached Japanese television on 14 October 1999, more than a month before Pokémon Gold and Silver went on sale, with Suicune, Cyndaquil and Totodile all appearing in the very first episode. The season also introduces the first Dark-type species (Houndour, EP150), the first Steel-types other than Magnemite and Magneton (Scizor, EP140, and Skarmory, EP152) and the anime’s first Shiny Pokémon (Noctowl, EP154).

• Suicune#0245 · EP117
• Cyndaquil#0155 · EP117
• Totodile#0158 · EP117
• Chikorita#0152 · EP118
• Elekid#0239 · EP118 (fantasy)
• Heracross#0214 · EP119
• Donphan#0232 · EP120 (TV debut)
• Hoothoot#0163 · EP121 (TV debut)
• Bellossom#0182 · EP122 (TV debut)
• Spinarak#0167 · EP123
• Snubbull#0209 · EP124 (TV debut)
• Stantler#0234 · EP125
• Quagsire#0195 · EP127
• Ledyba#0165 · EP128 (TV debut)
• Blissey#0242 · EP129
• Sentret#0161 · EP133
• Sunflora#0192 · EP135
• Hoppip#0187 · EP137
• Gligar#0207 · EP138
• Mareep#0179 · EP139
• Scizor#0212 · EP140
• Pineco#0204 · EP143
• Wobbuffet#0202 · EP146
• Wooper#0194 · EP148
• Houndour#0228 · EP150 · first Dark type
• Skarmory#0227 · EP152
• Azumarill#0184 · EP153
• Noctowl#0164 · EP154 · Shiny
• Ursaring#0217 · EP155
• Girafarig#0203 · EP156 (TV debut)

Key Events, Gym Battles & Tournaments

The Gym battles in detail

Badges won this season

Badge	Gym & Leader	Leader’s Pokémon	Ash’s Pokémon	Result	Episode
Zephyr Badge	Violet Gym · Falkner	Hoothoot, Dodrio, Pidgeot	Chikorita, Pikachu, Charizard	Win — Hoothoot beats Chikorita, Pikachu beats Hoothoot and Dodrio, Pidgeot’s Whirlwind downs the tired Pikachu, and a wounded Charizard traps Pidgeot in Fire Spin and finishes it with Seismic Toss	EP131
Hive Badge	Azalea Gym · Bugsy	Spinarak, Metapod, Scyther	Cyndaquil, Chikorita, Pikachu	Win — Cyndaquil is recalled after Spinarak’s String Shot, Chikorita beats Spinarak, Metapod’s leaping Tackle beats Chikorita, Pikachu beats Metapod, Scyther beats Pikachu, and Cyndaquil’s spinning aerial Flamethrower and Tackle finish Scyther	EP144

The Charicific Valley

The Charicific Valley (Charizard’s Burning Ambitions, EP134) is not a Gym but a reserve where wild Charizard come to train, watched over by Liza and her own Charizard, Charla. Ash’s Charizard is beaten twice by the valley’s residents, spends a night shut outside the gates, and finally earns its place by helping drive off Team Rocket’s bug-shaped mecha. Ash decides to leave it with Liza so that it can grow stronger and runs off in tears rather than say a long goodbye — a decision that pays off when Charizard returns to beat Clair’s Dragonair and Gary’s Blastoise in Master Quest.

The episode is head writer Takeshi Shudō’s only script of the season. It confirms that Ash’s Charizard is male — the first fully evolved first-partner Pokémon with a confirmed gender — features one of the rare occasions when Team Rocket actually want to be blasted off, and was later picked by singer and Pokémon fan Shoko Nakagawa for TV Tokyo’s Pocket Monsters Premier 10 selection. It is also the most heavily rewritten episode of the dub (see Dub Edits).

The Sunflora Festival

The Sunflora Festival in Bloomingvale (Grin to Win!, EP135) is a contest to find the finest Sunflora in town. Sonrisa’s Sunflora, Sunny, has lost its smile, but recovers its spirit after reuniting with its old friend Gwendela, the local Nurse Joy’s Sunflora, and wins the contest with a dazzling Solar Beam. Meowth enters in a Sunflora costume — the first of seven times he would wear one — and is exposed when Madame Muchmoney and her Snubbull turn up.

The Running of the Tauros

The Running of the Tauros (Tricks of the Trade, EP146) is held in Palmpona alongside the Pokémon Swap Meet and is modelled on Pamplona’s bull run. A stampeding herd of Tauros charges into a stadium, where trainers pit their Tauros against one another for a trophy presented by the mayor. Ash swaps Heracross to Professor Oak for one of his own Tauros, leaps out of the stands just as Fernando — who has already beaten ten challengers — is about to be crowned, and wins a head-to-head clash of Take Downs.

The Fire and Rescue Grand Prix

The Fire and Rescue Grand Prix (The Fire-ing Squad!, EP147) is a firefighting competition for teams of Pokémon. Ash’s own entry falls at the early rounds, but his Squirtle is reunited with its old friends in the Squirtle Squad, now working as a fire brigade under Officer Jenny, helps them see off Team Rocket’s “Torcher Scorcher” mecha and leads them to a narrow win over Team Wartortle in the final. Seeing how much the Squad needs its leader, Ash lets Squirtle stay.

Other battles & contests

There is no League or multi-round tournament in The Johto Journeys — the Whirl Cup and the Silver Conference are still two seasons away. Outside the Gyms, Ash beats Casey (EP118), Shingo (EP140), Koji (EP141), Miki (EP152, twice, ending her Skarmory’s unbeaten streak) and Cherry (EP156), and loses only to Rochelle’s Donphan (EP120). Bailey’s Bellossom stage their dance exhibition in Florando (EP122), shepherd girl Mary fights her first official battle with her Mareep (EP139), and Heracross’s win over Shingo’s laptop-trained Scizor (EP140) contains the first digitally animated shots in the series.

Movies & Specials Released During the Season

The third movie, Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unown (Emperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei in Japan), opened in Japanese cinemas on 8 July 2000, between Forest Grumps (EP155) and The Psychic Sidekicks! (EP156), paired with the Pikachu short Pikachu & Pichu; the four episodes around the premiere (EP153–EP156) replaced Professor Oak’s Pokémon Lecture with a four-part Movie Preview Special. Warner Bros. released it in the US on 6 April 2001, while The Johto Journeys was in the middle of its Kids’ WB run, opening with a movie version of the Pokémon Johto theme sung by a different vocalist. The second movie, Pokémon the Movie 2000, had opened in Japan in July 1999 and reached US cinemas on 21 July 2000, three months before the Johto premiere; its Lugia and Slowking fly through the OK! opening.

Several smaller specials fall inside the season too. The home-video Pikachu’s Winter Vacation 2000 (Winter Games and Stantler’s Little Helpers) came out in Japan in December 1999, the three-minute Slowking’s Day aired with The Whistle Stop on New Year’s Day 2000, and the Johto-set TV special Mewtwo Returns, which uses OK! as its opening, premiered in Japan on 30 December 2000, in the middle of the American run.

Side Stories, Specials & Crossovers

Side-story tie-ins

• Pikachu & Pichu (PK07), the short shown with the third movie in Japan on 8 July 2000, introduces the Pichu Brothers and gives first appearances to a crowd of Generation II Pokémon — Cleffa, Igglybuff, Magby, Hitmontop, Furret, Chinchou, Murkrow, Smeargle, Shuckle and Smoochum — several of which turn up in the dub’s Who’s That Pokémon? segment this season.
• Slowking’s Day (ヤドキングのいちにち), a three-minute short following a day in the life of a Slowking near the shrine from The Power of One, aired only once, on TV Tokyo on 1 January 2000 alongside The Whistle Stop, and has never been dubbed.
• Pikachu’s Winter Vacation 2000 (Winter Games and Stantler’s Little Helpers) was released on Japanese home video in December 1999; English viewers got it on VHS as Pokémon Pikachu’s Winter Vacation 2. Its 2001 follow-up (Delibird’s Dilemma, Snorlax Snowman and Trouble in Big Town) came out in Japan in December 2000, during the US run, but reached English audiences only years later inside Pokémon Chronicles.
• Mewtwo Returns, the Johto-set TV special that follows the clone Pokémon to Mt. Quena, premiered in Japan on 30 December 2000 with OK! as its opening and reached US home video on 4 December 2001.
• Meowth’s Party, the season’s first Japanese ending, aired on Kids’ WB twice in August 2000 — once in Japanese and once with a one-off English vocal — and its 3D Meowth went on to star in a GameCube tech demo at Nintendo Space World 2000 that later became a cinematic in Pokémon Channel.

Characters from the games, manga and specials

• Professor Elm and his three starters come straight from the opening of Pokémon Gold and Silver, where the player chooses Chikorita, Cyndaquil or Totodile in New Bark Town; in the anime the Totodile Team Rocket steal was promised to a new trainer later revealed to be Marina from The Legend of Thunder!.
• Falkner and Bugsy are the first two Gym Leaders of the Johto games. Bugsy keeps his game Metapod and Scyther, but Falkner is the only anime Gym Leader to use none of the Pokémon from his game team (Pidgey and Pidgeotto), fielding Hoothoot, Dodrio and Pidgeot instead.
• Kurt, his granddaughter Maizie and the Apricorn Balls — Fast, Lure, Heavy, Level, Love, Friend and Moon Balls all make their anime debut in Going Apricorn! — come from Azalea Town in the games, and Team Rocket’s raid on the Slowpoke Well recreates the games’ first run-in with Team Rocket in Johto. The GS Ball itself became a real item in Pokémon Crystal as a Japanese mobile event that led to Celebi in Ilex Forest.
• Earl Dervish’s Pokémon academy and Sprout Tower (EP130) are Violet City landmarks from the games, as is the Ilex Forest Farfetch’d that runs away from the charcoal maker’s apprentice, which inspired A Farfetch’d Tale (EP145); the Day Care near Goldenrod City that Butch and Cassidy fake in EP157 is another game location.
• Suicune, glimpsed in the fog of the very first episode, became the mascot of Pokémon Crystal (Japan, December 2000) and is finally pursued on screen by Eusine in Master Quest.
• Casey, Liza, Madame Muchmoney and Wilhomena are anime originals; Casey returns in Johto League Champions, Master Quest and Pokémon Chronicles, and Liza and Charla reappear when Charizard is summoned back in Master Quest.

Opening & Ending Themes

The theme tune for the Japanese release of this season is “OK!” by Rica Matsumoto and there were a couple of ending themes which include “Meowth’s Party” by Inuko Inuyama, Megumi Hayashibara & Shin-ichiro Miki, “Exciting Pokémon Relay” by Rikako Aikawa. There was also one instance of “Takeshi’s Paradise” by Yūji Ueda being used as the ending theme but only for one episode. The English intro theme is “Pokémon Johto” by PJ Lequerica. All four Japanese songs have lyrics by Akihito Toda and music by Hirokazu Tanaka, while Pokémon Johto is the work of 4Kids’ John Loeffler and John Siegler. The dub never used the Japanese endings: every English episode closes with the Pokémon Karaokémon sing-along instead.

The Karaokémon rotation never varies: You & Me & Pokémon (Élan Rivera & PJ Lequerica) closes EP117, EP122 and every fifth episode through to EP157; Pikachu (I Choose You) (Élan Rivera) follows on EP118, EP123 and so on; then come Song of Jigglypuff (EP119…), All We Wanna Do (Élan Rivera & Jamily Gray, EP120…) and Brock’s Two Perfect Girls (Eric Stuart, EP121…). The Kids’ WB premiere of Hot Matches! (EP152) swapped the segment for the full Pokérap GS, which names 99 of the 100 Generation II Pokémon (all but Celebi). Inside the episodes, Casey’s Electabuzz fight song in The Double Trouble Header keeps its melody but gets entirely new lyrics in English, Team Rocket sing their motto to Pokémon Ondo in the Japanese Gettin’ The Bugs Out, Spinarak Attack (EP123) is the first episode to borrow Generation II game music, and the Pika Pika Massaichu instrumental from the first Pikachu short opens Hour of the Houndour in both languages. 4Kids also wove instrumentals of its own songs — Together Forever, Misty’s Song, Everything Changes, Viridian City and You Can Do It (If You Really Try) — into its replacement score.

The English Dub Intro & Theme — Pokémon Johto by PJ Lequerica, the English opening of every Johto Journeys episode. Video: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel.

TV Broadcasts & Original Airing Dates

Pokémon: The Johto Journeys was originally aired on Japan’s TV Tokyo network between October 14th, 1999 and July 27th, 2000. The season followed in the United States a year later when it began airing in October 2000 and ran through to August 2001 on the WB Television Network as part of its Saturday morning line-up.

Japan. TV Tokyo broadcast the 41 episodes weekly in the series’ regular Thursday-evening slot, from Don’t Touch That ’dile on 14 October 1999 to The Fortune Hunters on 27 July 2000. Two weeks broke the pattern: The Whistle Stop moved to Saturday 1 January 2000 to air inside TV Tokyo’s New Year anime programme together with the short Slowking’s Day — the first Japanese episode of the 2000s — and there was no new episode on 20 July 2000, between EP156 and EP157. The Johto episodes reached Japanese screens more than a month before Pokémon Gold and Silver went on sale on 21 November 1999, a date that fell between Flower Power (EP122) and Spinarak Attack (EP123). Japan has no concept of a “season 3”: these are simply the first 41 episodes of the Gold & Silver chapter of Pocket Monsters.

United States. Kids’ WB announced in spring 2000 that 52 new episodes of what it then called “Pokémon GS” would anchor both its Saturday-morning line-up and its Friday-afternoon block. The Johto premiere aired on Saturday 14 October 2000 — exactly a year after Japan, and the day before Gold and Silver launched in North America — and the run continued on Saturdays, often two episodes at a time, with a break from 23 December to 13 January. Four episodes premiered out of story order: Chikorita’s Big Upset (EP136) aired five weeks early; The Fire-ing Squad! (EP147) aired after Tunnel Vision, in which Ash had already mentioned that Squirtle was gone; Fowl Play! (EP154) showed Ash’s Totodile a week before The Totodile Duel; and the story finale The Fortune Hunters aired on 19 May 2001, ahead of EP153, EP155 and EP156. After a two-month summer hiatus Kids’ WB promoted The Psychic Sidekicks! as a “lost episode” and premiered it on 11 August 2001; Johto League Champions began the following Saturday.

How many episodes is The Johto Journeys? Japan and the home-video releases count 41 (EP117–EP157): every episode that opens with Pokémon Johto. Kids’ WB’s television season, however, ran to 52 episodes, because it began on 19 August 2000 with Pokémon Food Fight! and took in the last eleven Orange Islands episodes (EP106–EP116, still with the Pokémon World opening) before the Johto premiere — which is why the season’s official description begins with the Orange League. The Australian DVDs, Toonami Jetstream and, for a while, Pokémon TV followed the 52-episode television definition; VIZ Media’s DVDs, the later Pokémon TV library and DisneyNOW use the 41-episode one.

Elsewhere. In the United Kingdom Sky One held first-run pay-TV rights to the early seasons, with the series also seen on GMTV’s Up on the Roof, ITV’s SM:TV Live and CITV, and later on Toonami; in Australia it aired in Network Ten’s Cheez TV block. South Korea banned three episodes — A Bout With Sprout and Fighting Flyer with Fire for Sprout Tower’s architecture and Falkner’s traditional dress (leaving Ash’s Zephyr Badge unexplained), and Wired for Battle! for its focus on Japanese culture. Denmark and Norway never aired seasons 3 and 4 at all, and Finland and Sweden stopped after A Shadow of a Drought (EP142). Later US airings include the Toonami Jetstream stream (2006–07), Cartoon Network and Boomerang reruns until 2017, Pokémon TV (until the service closed in March 2024) and DisneyNOW.

Dub Edits & Censorship

Changes in the English version

No banned episodes. All 41 episodes were dubbed and broadcast in the United States — the season sits neatly between the banned episodes of the Indigo League and Master Quest’s never-dubbed The Ice Cave!. The only casualties were scheduling ones: four episodes premiered out of story order (see TV Broadcasts), which let Tunnel Vision spoil Squirtle’s departure and showed dub viewers Ash’s Totodile before its capture, and the final two episodes were left out of the original US VHS and DVD volumes until 2015.

Title cards, eyecatches and segments. The dub kept its original Kanto-era title card for the whole season — The Fortune Hunters is the last episode to use it, and the last to begin only after the opening — and misspelled Snubbull as “Snubble” on the card for EP124 (corrected on Pokémon TV and the 2015 DVD). The dub’s Who’s That Pokémon? usually featured a Pokémon from the following episode (Heracross before A Sappy Ending, Pineco before Going Apricorn!, Wobbuffet before Tricks of the Trade), a habit the scrambled US order sometimes undid, whereas Japan’s segment almost always matched the episode; Grin to Win!’s Ho-Oh is the first featured Pokémon to give no cry, because it had not been voiced yet. The Japanese-only Professor Oak’s Pokémon Lecture, with its closing senryū poem, was never dubbed, and Karaokémon replaced the Japanese endings.

Cuts and paint edits. Visual edits are rare. 4Kids erased the writing on Professor Elm’s book spines and a pay phone (EP117), covered two baseballs hitting Ash in the face with impact stars (EP118), replaced a two-second close-up of a valley Charizard striking Ash’s Charizard in the face with an impact star (EP134), removed a Japanese character from the Squirtle Squad’s flag (EP147) and turned the usual rice balls into sandwiches and snacks. Hot Matches! lost 38 seconds — Ash asking Cyndaquil to tackle him into an apple tree at breakfast — on its Kids’ WB premiere to make room for the Pokérap GS, but later airings are uncut.

The backmasked message. In The Whistle Stop (EP128), James’s muffled mumbling from inside Victreebel is, played backwards, a message criticising 4Kids and the advertising agency Leo Burnett. Fans discovered it in 2007, and Eric Stuart later confirmed at conventions that he had recorded it deliberately as a protest over lost commercial pay and health coverage. Pokémon TV and the 2015 Complete Collection replace it with screaming; in Japanese, James simply tells Victreebel to stop.

Dialogue and localisation. Charizard’s Burning Ambitions is almost entirely rewritten: the valley’s “guardian deities” become “the greatest Charizard in history”, Liza is given a backstory raising Charla from a Charmander, a Karl Busse poem and a string of puns disappear, and Team Rocket’s jokes about Pikachu’s and Charizard’s popularity become fears of being fired. Elsewhere Casey’s Kansai dialect becomes a Midwestern accent (EP118), Jessie’s okonomiyaki stand becomes the “International House of Jessie” (EP119), agate becomes the invented “amberite” (EP120), Muramasa turns from Shingo’s father into his teacher (EP140) and Yosaku from Sylvester’s master into his father (EP145), rice balls become “popcorn balls” (EP124) and a “delicious but non-nutritious snack treat” (EP151), and rock-paper-scissors becomes “odd finger” (EP155). The Fortune Hunters gave James the line Eric Stuart calls his favourite: “I am a flaming Moltres!” Move names slip too — Sweet Scent is called “Sweet Smell” (EP144) and Swift “Speed Star” (EP139) — and in the second half of the season the narrator repeatedly says the heroes are on the road “to Johto”, although they have been there for months.

Episode titles explained

Almost every English title in the season is a pun or a play on a familiar phrase. A few worth decoding:

• Don’t Touch That ’dile — the old TV slogan “don’t touch that dial!”, plus Totodile
• The Double Trouble Header — double trouble meets a baseball doubleheader
• A Sappy Ending — a happy ending, with tree sap
• Roll On, Pokémon! — Woody Guthrie’s “Roll On, Columbia, Roll On”
• The Little Big Horn — the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and Stantler’s antlers
• Ignorance is Blissey — “ignorance is bliss”
• Fighting Flyer with Fire — “fighting fire with fire”
• Tanks a Lot! — “thanks a lot”, for Team Rocket’s Arbotank
• Grin to Win! — “spin to win”
• Foul Weather Friends — fair-weather friends
• Mild ’n Wooly — “wild and woolly”
• Good ’Quil Hunting — the film Good Will Hunting
• A Shadow of a Drought — “a shadow of a doubt”
• Going Apricorn! — “going ape”
• A Farfetch’d Tale — a far-fetched tale
• The Fire-ing Squad! — a firing squad, for the Fire and Rescue Grand Prix
• No Big Woop! — “no big whoop”, with Wooper
• Love, Totodile Style — the TV anthology Love, American Style
• Fowl Play! — foul play
• Forest Grumps — Forrest Gump

DVD & Blu-ray / Streaming

The Johto Journeys has two lives on disc. North American releases use the 41-episode home-video season, while the Australian sets follow Kids’ WB’s 52-episode television season, which starts with The Pokémon Water War (EP106) in the Orange Islands. The final two episodes, The Psychic Sidekicks! and The Fortune Hunters, were left out of the original US volume series and did not reach Region 1 DVD until 2015.

North America (Region 1)

Release	Date	Contents
Pokémon Vol. 39: A Brand New World (VHS & DVD, Viz Video / Pioneer)	27 March 2001	EP117–EP119
Vol. 40: Midnight Guardian	27 March 2001	EP120–EP122
Vol. 41: Mission Spinarak	29 May 2001	EP123–EP125
Vol. 42: Snow Rescue	29 May 2001	EP126–EP128
Vol. 43: Flying Ace	31 July 2001	EP129–EP131 (the Zephyr Badge)
Vol. 44: Fire Power	31 July 2001	EP132–EP134 (Charizard’s farewell)
Vol. 45: Team Green!	25 September 2001	EP135–EP137
Vol. 46: Crimson Warrior	25 September 2001	EP138–EP140
Vol. 47: Azalea Adventures	27 November 2001	EP141–EP143
Vol. 48: Buggy Boogie	27 November 2001	EP144–EP146 (the Hive Badge)
Vol. 49: The Squirtle Squad	29 January 2002	EP147–EP149
Vol. 50: Midnight Heroes	29 January 2002	EP150–EP152
Vol. 51: Ursaring Rampage	26 March 2002	EP153–EP155 — the last volume; EP156 and EP157 were never issued in the series
Pokémon – The Johto Journeys: The Complete Collection (4 DVDs, VIZ Media / Warner Home Video)	10 November 2015	All 41 episodes (920 minutes), with the first Region 1 release of EP156 and EP157; extras include the Who’s That Pokémon? segments and the Karaokémon videos, and the “Snubble” title card and EP128’s backmasked audio are replaced
Compilation discs (VIZ Pokémon All-Stars and Pokémon Elements)	Various	All-Stars Vol. 3 Charizard (EP134), Vol. 16 Totodile (EP117, EP151, EP153), Vol. 18 Chikorita (EP126, EP136); Elements Vol. 2 Fire (EP141), Vol. 3 Water (EP132)

Australia & New Zealand (Region 4)

Release	Date	Notes
Pokémon Season 3 Super Wallet (13 discs + bonus disc, Magna Pacific)	6 June 2007	52 TV episodes (EP106–EP157), four per Ultra Ball-themed disc, plus a Premier Ball bonus disc with three Pokémon Chronicles episodes
Season 3 DigiPack disc set (6 discs, Magna Pacific / Beyond)	2 June 2010 (NZ 3 November 2010)	Discs themed around Dragonite, Donphan, Chikorita, Charizard, Cyndaquil and Totodile; re-issued by JB Hi-Fi for the 20th anniversary in 2016
MetalPak limited edition (Beyond Home Entertainment)	5 June 2013 (NZ 13 June 2013)	Steelbook-style re-release of the 52-episode set
Slimline re-release (Beyond)	2 April 2014	Repackaged disc set
Bulbasaur T-shirt pack (Beyond, JB Hi-Fi exclusive)	18 November 2015	The disc set bundled with a T-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 Collection and the Seasons 1–19, 1–20 and 1–21 box sets

Japan

In Japan, Shogakukan and Media Factory released the episodes as Pocket Monsters ~Gold & Silver Chapter~, four episodes per volume on VHS and DVD in parallel, starting with Volume 1 (EP117–EP120) on 30 May 2001; Volumes 2 to 5 (EP121–EP136) followed between July and October 2001. Prime Video Japan streams the series as Pocket Monsters (Gold & Silver chapter).

Streaming

Toonami Jetstream streamed the 52-episode TV season from 9 October 2006 to 1 October 2007. Pokémon TV rotated the Gold and Silver seasons in and out of its library from 2010 until the service closed on 28 March 2024, and since 6 December 2024 the Pokémon TV YouTube channel has been streaming seasons 1–11, The Johto Journeys included, five episodes a week. DisneyNOW carried the 41-episode season in the US, and Prime Video, Google Play and iTunes sell it digitally. Availability changes frequently, so check your local service.

Covers

• Vol. 39 A Brand New World (Region 1, 2001)
• Vol. 43 Flying Ace (Region 1, 2001)
• Vol. 48 Buggy Boogie (Region 1, 2001)
• Vol. 49 The Squirtle Squad (Region 1, 2002)
• The Complete Collection (Region 1, 2015)
• Season 3 Super Wallet (Region 4, 2007)
• Season 3 DigiPack (Region 4, 2010)
• MetalPak limited edition (Region 4, 2013)

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 YouTube channelHas been streaming seasons 1–11, The Johto Journeys included, at five episodes a week since December 2024.
• Prime VideoSells and streams the season in many territories, often under the Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver banner; Google Play and iTunes also sell it digitally.
• DVD – North AmericaPokémon – The Johto Journeys: The Complete Collection (VIZ Media, 4 discs, 2015) is the one to buy: all 41 episodes, including the two that never made it onto the old VHS and DVD volumes.
• DVD – Australia & New ZealandBeyond Home Entertainment’s Season 3 sets carry the 52-episode TV season, starting in the Orange Islands, and are included in the multi-season box sets.
• Not currently onPokémon TV closed in March 2024; Netflix and Hulu rotate Pokémon seasons but have not been confirmed to carry this one.

Trading Cards Released During the Season

The Johto Journeys aired as Wizards of the Coast took the English Trading Card Game into the Neo era, bringing the first Generation II cards to Western shelves just as the new Pokémon were appearing on TV. If you want to collect the cards that were in the shops while these episodes were new, these are the expansions released during the US run:

• Gym Challenge — 16 October 2000 — released two days after the Johto premiere; the last set of the Gym era
• Neo Genesis — 16 December 2000 — the first English set with Generation II Pokémon, including the Johto starters
• Neo Discovery — 1 June 2001
• Southern Islands — 31 July 2001 — a promotional collection released during the summer hiatus

In Japan the season coincided with the start of the Neo era: Gold, Silver, to a New World… (4 February 2000), the basis of Neo Genesis, and Crossing the Ruins… (7 July 2000), released the day before the third movie opened.

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

Three cards from those sets tie straight into what was on screen:

• Totodile · Neo Genesis 81/111Neo Genesis (16 December 2000) brought the Johto starters to Western shelves while the dub was still in its first stretch; Ash caught his Totodile in The Totodile Duel (EP153) the following summer.
• Pichu · Neo Genesis 12/111The Pichu Brothers starred in Pikachu & Pichu, the short shown before Pokémon 3: The Movie (Japan 8 July 2000, US 6 April 2001) — the film of this season.
• Entei · Wizards Black Star Promo 34Handed out at US screenings of Pokémon 3: The Movie in April 2001, during the dub’s spring run.

Firsts & Lasts

• First Johto episode and first appearance of Generation II in the TV series: Don’t Touch That ’dile (EP117), with Professor Elm, Suicune, Cyndaquil and Totodile — five weeks before the games launched in Japan.
• First Shiny Pokémon in the anime, and the only one Ash has ever owned: his Noctowl, in Fowl Play! (EP154).
• First Dark-type species: Houndour (EP150); first Steel-types other than Magnemite and Magneton: Scizor (EP140); first on-screen mention of the Steel type: Hot Matches! (EP152).
• First digitally animated shots in an episode (Heracross vs Scizor, EP140), first fully digitally coloured Japanese opening (OK!) and first completely digitally animated dub opening (Pokémon Johto).
• First on-screen evolution of a companion’s Pokémon — Misty’s Poliwag into Poliwhirl — and Togepi’s first battle, both in The Totodile Duel (EP151).
• First Pokémon on Ash’s team with a then-unique type combination: Heracross, the only Bug/Fighting species (EP119).
• First fully evolved first-partner Pokémon with a confirmed gender: Ash’s Charizard, confirmed male in EP134.
• First traded Pokémon to join the main cast: Jessie’s Wobbuffet (EP146).
• First time the heroes see and hear Giovanni: The Fortune Hunters (EP157).
• First explicit statement that a Poké Ball will not catch a Pokémon that already has a trainer: For Crying Out Loud (EP132).
• First anime appearance of the Apricorn Balls — Fast, Lure, Heavy, Level, Love, Friend and Moon Balls (EP143); Totodile is the only Pokémon Ash has ever kept in one.
• Last physical appearance of the GS Ball: Going Apricorn! (EP143) — it is mentioned for the last time in EP145 and seen only in a flashback in EP148.
• Last Pokémon Karaokémon video (the dub’s final music-video segment), last original dub title card and last episode to begin only after the opening: The Fortune Hunters (EP157).
• Only anime Gym Leader to use none of his game team: Falkner (EP131); only anime uses of Pay Day (EP123) and of Leer by Pikachu (EP150).

Trivia & Facts

• Kids’ WB ordered the season from 4Kids under the working title Pokémon GS, tying it to Nintendo’s Gold and Silver launch.
• Generation II reached the anime five weeks before the games: Gold and Silver went on sale in Japan on 21 November 1999, between EP122 and EP123, so Spinarak Attack (EP123) is the first episode to use Generation II game music. In the US, the Johto premiere aired the day before the games’ North American release on 15 October 2000.
• The GS Ball storyline was never resolved. Series director Masamitsu Hidaka explained in a 2008 interview that the ball was meant to contain a Celebi for a big Johto arc, which was dropped when Celebi became the star of the fourth movie, so it was left with Kurt “in the hope viewers would forget”.
• A Bout With Sprout (EP130) was storyboarded and directed by Tatsuya Ishihara with Kazumi Ikeda as animation director — a guest team from Kyoto Animation, where Ishihara went on to direct Air, Kanon and Clannad.
  

  

• Charizard’s Burning Ambitions (EP134) is the only episode of the season written by head writer Takeshi Shudō, was chosen by Shoko Nakagawa as one of TV Tokyo’s Pocket Monsters Premier 10, and was reanimated for flashbacks in the Best Wishes and Journeys series.
• Jessie’s Wobbuffet, acquired by accident in EP146, went on to spend 511 consecutive episodes in her party.
  

  

• The Whistle Stop (EP128) aired on Saturday 1 January 2000 — the series’ second New Year’s Day episode after EP078 and its first episode of the 2000s — together with the never-dubbed short Slowking’s Day.
• Good ’Quil Hunting premiered on Megumi Hayashibara’s 33rd birthday (30 March 2000) and Hot Matches! on Yūji Ueda’s (15 June 2000); Ignorance is Blissey’s Nurse School flashbacks are based on Hayashibara’s own nursing-school days.
• Butch and Cassidy’s fake Day Care in The Fortune Hunters (EP157) comes exactly 100 episodes after their first Breeding Center scam in EP057.
• The Psychic Sidekicks! aired in Italy on 20 April 2001, 113 days before its US premiere — the longest Europe-first gap of any episode — which is how Kids’ WB could sell it as a “lost episode”.
• The first four dubbed episodes (EP117–EP120) each aired in the US exactly one year after their Japanese broadcast.
• Denmark and Norway skipped seasons 3 and 4 entirely, Finland and Sweden dubbed only EP117–EP142, and South Korea banned three episodes — including Falkner’s, leaving Ash’s first Johto badge unexplained there.
• The dub’s Who’s That Pokémon? art has its slips: Totodile is drawn without nostrils (EP125) and Cyndaquil with only one arm (EP140).
• Fighting Flyer with Fire is the only episode in which the English dub calls the move Fly by name.
• Togepi’s Metronome produces the first Earthquake ever seen in the anime in Forest Grumps (EP155); Spinarak Attack holds the only anime use of Pay Day.
• The Pokérap GS, shown in full only once, on the Kids’ WB premiere of Hot Matches!, names 99 of the 100 Generation II Pokémon — all but Celebi — and misspells Tyrogue as “Tyrouge”. It is track 12 of Totally Pokémon and a bonus feature on the original Pokémon 3 DVD.
• Tie-ins on shelves during the US run included the Neo Genesis trading cards (December 2000), the Totally Pokémon CD (23 January 2001), whose songs make up the Karaokémon videos, Pokémon 3: The Movie (April 2001) and Scholastic chapter books adapting the episodes, from Battle for the Zephyr Badge to Secrets of the GS Ball and Teaming Up With Totodile. See our TCG section for the cards.
• Fowl Play! shares its title with a Mario Party 3 mini-game released in North America the week after the episode aired.
• In September 2019 Pokémon GO ran a “Johto Journey” event, possibly a nod to the season’s name.

Reception

Ratings. Kids’ WB’s November 2000 sweeps release said The Johto Journeys “ranked as the top program among boys aged 2–11”, and Anime News Network’s summary of the Nielsen figures put Kids’ WB first among all children 2–11 for the sweep with a 3.5 rating and 14 share — “carried by Pokémon: Johto Journies [sic] and Cardcaptors” — ahead of Fox Kids (2.7/11), ABC (2.2/9) and CBS (2.0/9). Kidscreen had reported in May 2000 that the network was counting on “Pokémon-driven ratings” for the autumn, and the momentum carried into the next season: on 3 November 2001 Johto League Champions was Saturday morning’s top programme among kids 2–11 (4.5/17). Japanese ratings for 1999–2000 are not reliably documented in English-language sources.

Fan favourites. On IMDb, where the episodes are listed under translated Japanese titles, Charizard’s farewell (EP134) is the season’s highest-rated episode at around 8.0/10, followed by the Zephyr Badge battle (EP131) and The Totodile Duel (EP151) at 7.7 and the Hive Badge battle (EP144) at 7.6; Good ’Quil Hunting, The Fire-ing Squad! and The Fortune Hunters all sit around 7.3. The lowest-rated entry we found is the Gligarman filler The Superhero Secret at 6.7. Charizard’s Burning Ambitions was also the episode Shoko Nakagawa chose for TV Tokyo’s Pocket Monsters Premier 10.

Critical commentary. Dogasu’s Backpack, the long-running dub-comparison site, finds the Johto opening “decent, not amazing, but better than its reputation” and names Pokémon Johto its favourite dub theme. It praises Charizard’s farewell for removing an overpowered team member with a moving final scene while panning the dub’s wholesale rewrite of it, argues that A Sappy Ending disproves the idea that plot episodes are good and filler bad, enjoys The Totodile Duel as a Johto take on Who Gets to Keep Togepi?, and singles out Hot Matches! as the first time Ash diagnoses and trains away a specific weakness. Its complaints are mostly about the English adaptation — Casey’s “loud, grating” dub voice, the unexplained “amberite” rewrite and the “odd finger” game — and about filler such as A Farfetch’d Tale, which it sees as a wasted Kanto-Pokémon story in a season meant to showcase Johto.

Continue the journey with Season 6: Pokémon Advanced, go back to Season 4: Johto League Champions, or browse every season of the Pokémon anime.