Japanese Title: Nyula and the Sacred Flame!
Original Airdate: September 12, 2002
US Airdate: September 16, 2003
With Larvitar returned to its rightful home, Ash and company make their way to Silver Town for the Silver Conference Tournament. On the way, they find a group of people lined up by the Ho-Oh Shrine, where the Silver Conference Torch is ready to be carried!The torch runner appears to be late, and when an attendant goes to tell them the news, Togepi and Pikachu run inside. Ash and the others catch them, but not before they see two trainers leaving in a huff, afraid for their Pokémon's safety. The attendant is saddened that two more trainers have fled the Shrine, and turns to Silver Conference entry Ash Ketchum for help! Before Ash can answer, Harrison, a trainer from Hoenn, appears to help them out.
The attendant tells the tale of the shrine and why it is here; a Ho-Oh put a stop to a battle by spreading its flame throughout the area. All weapons burned, and the land was left uninhabitable, until one day, plant and animal life returned. One flame remains, which has been preserved as The Sacred Flame at the Ho-Oh Shrine. At the top of the steps is a Sneasel, which is intent on stopping anyone from approaching the Shrine. Without being able to get close, they will be unable to use the Ho-Oh's flame to light the torch!
Ash and crew approach the Secret Flame, just as Team Rocket get approached by the Sneasel, and its Machop and Machoke friends, for invading their space. Sneasel's Faint Attack sweeps Team Rocket into a frenzy and blast off before long. Ash makes his way to the shrine while Misty and Harrison deal with Machop and Machoke, but Sneasel shows up toss top Ash before he can take the flame. Totodile tries to stop the Sneasel, but gets taken out of the match before long by Sneasel's Shadow Ball. Ash and Totodile crash into a tree, but Ash refuses to give up.
In the forest, Team Rocket talk about replacing Meowth with Sneasel, believing that Meowth is keeping them down, while Sneasel could help them start winning some battles. Meowth overhears the conversation, and puts a plan into motion to stop them from getting the Sneasel. Ash and Harrison are still trying to stop Machoke and Machoke, and use Phanpy and Houndoom to get the job done. Before Harrison can catch Sneasel, team Rocket come around in a Sneasel shaped balloon!
Meowth, dressed in a Sneasel outfit, approaches the wild Sneasel with a smoke bomb, but clues Sneasel in on the trick before it can go off. The bomb goes off anyway, but Team Rocket grab Meowth by accident, who goes and pops the balloon, blasting them off for a while longer. Harrison calls out his Blaziken, a Pokémon Ash's Pokédex has no data on, as it is native to the Hoenn region. Blaziken's Fire Punch manages to knock down Sneasel, long enough for Harrison to catch it!
Machop and Machoke are hired to guard the shrine for good, as the torch is lit and carried off to Silver Town. Harrison announces that he too is entered in the Tournament, and cannot wait to meet Ash in the stadium!
Tropes
- Curbstomp Battle: Sneasel and it's goons swiftly take out Team Rocket before they themselves are beaten down easily by Ash's gang.
- The Dog Bites Back: Meowth sabotages Jessie and James' plan and gives them a good Fury Swipes for trying to dump him in favour of Sneasel.
- Early-Bird Cameo: For Blaziken (which, being vaguely based on a chicken, really is an "early bird"), a few episodes prior to Advanced Generation. The Hoenn region itself is also mentioned for the first time in the anime.
- Gone Horribly Right: Meowth tells Sneasel about Jessie's trap with the smoke bomb and conspires to out gambit her, though this just prompts Sneasel to swat him and the bomb away from it, setting it off anyway.
- Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: James really isn't fond of Jessie's idea of replacing Meowth with Sneasel.
- Heel–Face Turn: Machop and Machoke continue guarding the shrine, this time for benevolent purposes. While it's not shown until later on, Sneasel also becomes a loyal Pokemon for Harrison upon capture.
- Jerkass Ball: Even for Jessie, her vehemence to replace Meowth with another Pokemon verges as an Out-of-Character Moment concerning their Villainous Friendship otherwise.
- Mythology Gag:
- Jessie views Meowth as Always Second Best to Sneasel. In terms of game stats and design conceptnote , Sneasel was theoretically a bigger, meaner mirror of Meowth.
- Sneasel having a posse might also be a nod to it's signature move, Beat Up, where Sneasel can summon other Pokemon on its team to attack the opponent.
- Troll: Sneasel pranks and attacks people searching for the Sacred Flame, seemingly just for the fun of it.
- Villain Ball: Jessie's whole plan to replace Sneasel falls apart because she intends to throw out Meowth for it which, unlike with Snubbull much earlier in the saga who Meowth insisted against, didn't have any solid reasoning except thinking Sneasel would be cooler mascot.
