Japanese Title: Big Marumine Explosion!?
Original Airdate: September 23th, 1999
US Airdate: September 30rd, 2000
The one where... Michael Bay apparently directed the episode.
Ash and friends end up on an island infested with Electrodes. A professional wrangler named Poncho steps in and saves them, telling them about his desire to bring the Electrode into a nicer open space. However Team Rocket provides a much faster solution: detonating the Electrodes.
Tropes
- An Aesop: Togepi gets one when its forced to say goodbye to Voltorb: Friends may have to say goodbye, and they will always stay together in each other's hearts.
- Bizarre Taste in Food: Ash can't wait to taste his mother's 'Deep Dish Chili Dog and Pizza Pot Pies'.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The sole Voltorb is unusually friendly toward Togepi, and tries to stand between Team Rocket and the Electrode.
- Evil Counterpart: Team Rocket to Poncho. Poncho tries to rid the the island of Electrode by evacuating them to a greener pasture, while Team Rocket injures the Electrode and captures them.
- Go Through Me: Togepi and Pikachu attempt to stand between Team Rocket, the Voltorb, and the Electrode.
- Gone Horribly Wrong: An experiment gone wrong allowed a single Voltorb to grow into numerous Electrode, endangering the whole town.
- Ghost Town: Hamlin Island, due to the presence of Electrode making the town too dangerous to live.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: The Electrodes. Team Rocket utilize this by inventing a machine that taps them on the head, causing them to Self-Destruct, and making them too weak to resist capture.
- Humble Hero: Poncho has a brief Luminescent Blush when Misty compares him to a movie hero.Poncho: Movie hero? I'm no movie hero.
- Innocently Insensitive: Ash asks Poncho something rather personal, and as a result, Misty gets onto him and forces him to apologize. However, Poncho doesn't seem that bothered and accepts the apology easily.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Togepi uses its Metronome when it sees Voltorb in trouble. Unfortunately, all it does is Splash (which is useless on land), and then tries to get between Team Rocket and the Voltorb.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Poncho resembles The Man With No Name himself, Clint Eastwood.
- Oh, Crap!: The gang, especially Misty, when they see Togepi walking on top of a Voltorb. And later when the are surrounded by dozens of angry Electrode.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: The gang and Poncho don't do anything against Team Rocket because they have a contract with the mayor. Poncho, however, steps in when Team Rocket try to run over Togepi, Pikachu, and the Voltorb.
- Trying Not to Cry: Togepi when it says goodbye to Voltorb, but it does eventually cry.
