Japanese Title: The Legend of the Surfing Pikachu
Original Airdate: October 22nd, 1998
US Airdate: October 2nd, 1999
The one where... We get the Pikachu responsible for why there's so many real life events that have a Pikachu that knows the move surf.
In an effort to train hard and maintain top shape for the Pokémon League, Ash decides to try some surfing. When he hits rough waters, a surfer named Victor comes to the rescue and tells Ash about a gigantic wave called Humungadunga which hits the island just once every 20 years. Having failed to ride the wave in his youth, Victor is afraid to try again so Ash and Pikachu must provide Victor with the confidence he needs to conquer Humungadunga!
Tropes
- Animation Anatomy Aging: As evidenced by the lines under its eyes, its scratchier voice, and its scruffier fur, Puka sure looks like a much older Pikachu.
- Beach Episode: The second in a row after "Evolution Solution", and also contains surfing.
- Cross Cultural Reference: The episode is a reference to the 1978 film Big Wednesday.
- Fridge Brilliance: Happens with regional variants in Pokémon Sun and Moon which bring a new perspective to Puka. These games introduce a variant of Raichu (not Pikachu, interestingly) native to Alola. The Alolan Raichu have blue eyes (like Puka), have tails shaped like surfboards (Puka is a surfing Pokémon), and a dual Electric/Psychic typing (Puka can sense when a big wave is about to come).
- My Greatest Second Chance: Victor tries to ride Humungadunga once again, after failing 20 years ago.
- Passing the Torch: Jan, the first surfer to conquer Humungadunga forty years earlier, inspired a younger Victor by telling him "Hey, you can do it too." After Victor lives up to his mentor's encouragement, he sees two young fans and tells them "Hey, you can do it too."
- Spider-Sense: Puka has a sort-of psychic awareness for large waves, particularly Humungadunga.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The entire episode is a shoutout to the 1978 surfer movie Big Wednesday. Easier to see in Japanese, where Humungadunga is called "Big Tuesday" and Victor and Puka are respectively Vincent and Michael, completing the shout-out to the film’s lead actor, Jan-Michael Vincent. The film seems to have made a huge impact in Japan despite being a box-office flop in the States and fading into obscurity there.
