GS079: The Poké Spokesman

The Poké Spokesman (Japanese: 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！, Hepburn: You Can Speak with Pokémon!? Pokémon's Words and Feelings! ) is the 38th episode of Pokémon: Johto League Champions.

Synopsis

During their trek to Olivine City, Ash notices Pikachu seems tired for some reason. Just then a man named Simon, who can communicate with Pokémon, offers his help. A short while later the local Officer Jenny claims that Simon is a fraud who has been scamming people. Is she right? And if not, who are the real culprits?

Episode Plot

The heroes continue towards Olivine City. Suddenly, Pikachu is exhausted, so the heroes believe he is tired from walking on mountains. An old man approaches them, believing the minerals around absorb his energy. He converses with Pikachu and confirms that is the case, so tells them to go to his rest stop. Pikachu tries to go, but is too weak. The heroes are surprised, as Pikachu told the man this. The man replies he speaks fluent Pokémon, causing the heroes to be shocked. Team Rocket are disguised as old men and eat some food. James likes the fact they got a senior discount for the disguises, but they have no money. Meowth replies they'll think of something. Upon seeing the twerps, they hide under the bench. The man shows them the rest stop and knows Pikachu will have to be recharged. Upon wiring Pikachu to the machine, Ash paddles the bicycle, charging Pikachu up. The man asks if they have other Electric Pokémon, they need to be recharged. Brock tells they have no other. The man sees he won't charge much for using the bicycle and interpreting Pokémon language, since he needs to take care of the rest stop.

Team Rocket heard the part when Pikachu was out of electricity, so flip the bench, causing Misty, Brock and the old man to be bruised. Jessie tells them to prepare for trouble, so the man believes they need tea. James is furious, as he takes off his disguise, along with Jessie and Meowth. Suddenly, Team Rocket realize that man speaks Pokémon, but they never heard of a person able to talk Pokémon language. They ask him how he does that, so Simon speaks with Pikachu. Meowth cannot hear what they are talking. The man knows most people cannot understand Pokémon language. Jenny appears and goes to arrest the man, named Simon, under arrest for making a scam. She heard reports of a Pokémon interpretator and knows it is Simon. Simon tells it is not a fraud and tells she can ask a Pokémon. Jenny does not believe him, but turns her attention to Team Rocket. She thinks she saw them before and brings out a wanted picture of Cassidy and Butch. She still goes to get them, but, suddenly, smoke projectiles are being fired, clouding the area.

Team Rocket take advantage of it and escape. However, Simon disappeared as well. Pikachu coughs out smoke, so they all go to the Pokémon Center. Team Rocket hide and see Simon with three men going away. Thinking they threw the smoke bombs, Team Rocket decides to follow them. At a lodge, Simon faces the scam Pokémon interpretor, who faked all this for money. Simon wants his language skill to help Pokémon in trouble, while in exchange he can have his rest stop opened. The man just tells they tell the trainers the stuff they want to hear. Team Rocket heard all this. Jessie thinks they can be interpretors and James thinks what is important what the Pokémon says. Meowth scratches him and says that unlike these scam people, he knows that what the Pokémon says is true and honorable. Jessie and James respond they know a certain Pokémon who lies all the time. Meowth asks which one is that, then realizes it was him. He remembers before he talked, he was honorable, so wishes he did not have this intellect. Simon refuses to work with these men, who decide not to let him go. Team Rocket plan on rescuing Simon and have him work under their employ to earn cash.

At the Pokémon Center, Pikachu is recharged. Joy tells Ash. Pikachu will be fine tomorrow, while Jenny bids farewell to the heroes, wishing them luck on their journey. Ash wonders if Oak is awake, so contacts him. Oak tells the known cases of human understanding Pokémon language is written in fairy tales. Ash thanks him on this info and thinks Simon was a fraud. Simon comes and thinks he might be a fraud, but knows in his heart he can speak with Pokémon. He goes to see if Pikachu is okay and talks with him. Simon sees Pikachu is feeling better. Misty and Brock ask if he can really talk with Pokémon. Simon responds he mostly feels the feeling, not the words. However, he remembers when he did speak with Pokémon, perfectly. Simon goes to tell the tale, which happened 60 years ago. When a terrible storm came, his father put him in a basement to safety. Simon was alone, but was visited by Oddish, Pidgey and Rattata. They were bored, but were pleased to talk with a new person. Soon, he became friends with those Pokémon and talked with them for hours. When Simon was discovered, Simon told the Pokémon to come with him, but saw they disappeared. He never saw them again.

Simon thinks that day was an illusion, but always tries to speak with Pokémon in that fashion. He thinks they can understand and he can by his heart, but sometimes wonders that he only fools everyone. Pikachu comes and says to Simon, so Simon sees Pikachu thanked him. Suddenly, Magnemite and Magneton appear. The scam interpretors appear, as Simon escaped. Team Rocket fly in their balloon and see the event. The Magnemite and Magneton are draining electricity from the Center. Joy tells them to stop, but the men want Simon to join for that to happen. Ash goes to battle them, but Simon stops him, as he will talk to them with his heart. Simon converses with Magnemite and Magneton (making Meowth to hear him talking, though not in Pokémon language). Simon begs them to stop draining electricity, for even if he should go to jail, the Pokémon must not be left without the electricity, else they will not survive. Magnemite and Magneton stop draining electricity, as they fall down. Team Rocket are touched, as Meowth sees Simon can speak to a Pokémon's heart.

The fraud interpretor orders Magnemite and Magneton to fight. They are drained, so the man goes to scold them. Pikachu shares his electricity with Magnemite and Magneton. The men attempt to get away, but get shocked instead. The police surrounds them. Simon comes and tells if they are going to be captured, so should he. Jenny heard Joy's story about all this and thanks Simon for rescuing the Center. Team Rocket are glad for not being arrested and haven't blasted off. However, they blast off after a lightning bolt hits their balloon. Next day, Simon shakes hand Pikachu and decides to give up on interpreting. The heroes think he should continue, as he might have a breakthrough. Simon ponders this thought, then bids farewell to the heroes. Suddenly, Simon encounters a Meowth and talks with him. Meowth talks back and tells he speaks Pokémon. Simon sees this is the breakthrough and has confidence to continue as an interpretor. Jessie and James ask Meowth how does it feel to be the good guy. Meowth replies it is nice for a change.

Trivia

• "Pocket Monster TV:" Magneton (JP)
• "Who's that Pokémon?": Wooper (US)

Mistakes

• Simon says he speaks "fluent Pokemon", suggesting that although each Pokémon only says it's name (or makes other noises, such as Onix) this is the same language regardless of Pokémon species. There is no "Pikachu language" or "Bulbasaur language" etc., just one overall Pokémon language. This has been demonstrated on numerous occasions when different Pokémon easily communicate with each other as though they were speaking.
• Officer Jenny says that Pokémon can't understand human speech, but this is obviously not the case, otherwise trainers would not be able to give their Pokémon orders in battle. Pikachu for example, has never had any trouble understanding Ash or any other humans in or out of battle, plus Pikachu has always been able to convey various messages to Ash, mainly through gesture/mime, but should have been able to defend Simon.

Dub differences

There is a 29 second scene that is removed from the English dub featuring Team Rocket attempting to blow up the phony Pokémon interpreters' hideout. They shoot at the hideout three times, and on the third time, they are sent blasting off once again.

Gallery

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