Japanese Title: Save Laplace!
Original Airdate: February 18th, 1999
US Airdate: January 22nd, 2000
"Quick, tell me: what's your favorite boxing movie?"
The one where... Ash and Misty find their Brock replacement.
After picking up the GS Ball from Professor Ivy, Brock decided to stay on the island so Ash and Misty head back home by blimp. Unfortunately, our duo gets double-crossed by Team Rocket once again, and Jigglypuff puts the whole crew to sleep. After another crash landing in the middle of nowhere they meet a new friend named Tracey while trying to help a Lapras that washed up on the beach.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Berserk Button: As usual, sleeping in front of Jigglypuff. It is so annoyed, it ruins Tracey's sketch.
- Deserted Island: Subverted. Ash and Misty think they are on one, leaving Misty to fear eating bugs and berries for the rest of her life...but then come the tourists, revealing that the island is Not So Remote and there's a town nearby.
- Ditzy Genius: How Tracey was introduced. He interrupts a heated fight between Ash and a gang of thugs, make observations about the Pokémon. While he does make some impressive observations, he was also oblivious to the fact that he was right in the line of fire between Pikachu and some pretty annoyed Pokémon: A Spearow that "Could stand to lose a few pounds", a Beedrill who's "Coloring is way off" and a Hitmonchan that's "Clearly not getting enough excersise".
- Establishing Character Moment: For Tracey, we seem him interrupt a pitched Pokémon battle in his zeal to observe Pokemon, and is able to deduce the shape of each sides Pokémon: he describes the bullies' Pokémon to be in sorry shape, while Pikachu is very well trained.
- Gentle Giant: Lapras, since it is an infant despite its large size.
- Hawaiian-Shirted Tourist: Ash and Misty encounter a group of these, who are eager to get a picture with Pikachu and Togepi.Tourists: Pika-Cheese!
- High-Speed Hijack: To save Lapras, Ash chases after Team Rocket's truck on a bicycle, then when he gets close enough, jumps on it followed by climbing into the front and wrestling with Team Rocket.
- Hindenburg Incendiary Principle: The blimp, mentioned by Jessie earlier to be filled with inflammable hydrogen gas, blows up when crash-landing on the island.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: Lapras thinks so, until Ash risks himself to rescue it.
- Kick the Dog: Beating an injured creature with a stick doesn't demonstrate good character.
- Non-Fatal Explosions: The blimp blows up when it crash-lands, but Ash, Misty and Pikachu manage to survive the explosion just fine.
- Skewed Priorities: Team Rocket shows up to steal Lapras, but all Tracey can think about is the talking Meowth. Almost becomes two way since Meowth becomes quite flattered by the attention until Jessie knocks some sense into him.
- Speak of the Devil: Ash tries to calm Lapras down by singing a lullaby, but then Jigglypuff shows up to sing its own.
- Squee: Tracey's reaction when he learns that Ash and Misty know Professor Oak.
