The beloved Pokémon Trainer’s adventures in Johto continue in
Season 4 of Pokémon the Series. Ash,
Misty, Brock, and their Pokémon are on the road doing what they do best:
winning Gym badges, battling Team Rocket, and helping Pokémon in distress. Each
episode brings Ash closer to his goal of winning enough Gym badges to take part
in the Johto League, and you can follow along for free as every episode of Pokémon: Johto League Champions is now
available to watch on Pokémon TV. But
first, here are some highlights from Season 4 to give you an idea of what to
expect and whet your appetite for more Johto adventures.
Ash’s Johto League quest this season kicks off with an unexpected
defeat at the hands of Goldenrod City Gym Leader Whitney (“A Goldenrod
Opportunity (Part 1)”). It turns out that Whitney’s Miltank is too
much for Ash’s Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Pikachu. How Ash handles this defeat
will say a lot about who he is as a person and Trainer. And being Ash, he gets
back on his feet and challenges Whitney once more in the hopes of winning the
Plain Badge (“A Dairy
Tale Ending (Part 2)”). But that isn’t the only defeat Ash will
suffer over the course of Season 4. At an annual Grass Tournament in which only
Grass-type Pokémon compete, Ash gets a little overconfident, to the point that
he doesn’t bother training for the competition (“The Grass
Route”). And though he makes it to the finals, he faces a young Trainer
named Ephraim who has been taking the competition much more seriously.
While it’s always exciting to meet new friends—and Ash and
his companions will make many over the course of Season 4—sometimes it’s nice
to meet up with old friends and learn what they’ve been up to. Highly
competitive Pokémon Trainer Casey is one of the first old friends to put in an
appearance (“The Bug
Stops Here”). Casey plans to compete in the Bug-Catching Contest at the
National Park and, true to character, she’s so determined to beat Ash that she
doesn’t take very good care of her Chikorita. Later, Brock is thrilled by the
opportunity to meet up with Pokémon breeder and stylist Suzie who is eager to
enter both their Vulpix in a beauty contest (“Beauty and
the Breeder”). While Brock is on the hunt for romance, as usual, Suzie has
other valuable insights to offer concerning the nature and styling of Pokémon.
On the road to Ecruteak City, Ash encounters his longtime rival, Gary Oak from
Pallet Town (“Power
Play!”). While Ash is eager to defeat his rival, Gary has other
concerns, leaving our hero frustrated and even more determined to prove his
worth as a Pokémon Trainer. On the long walk to Olivine City, Ash and his
companions encounter their old friend Todd, who prefers to capture Pokémon in
photographs rather than Poké Balls (“Moving
Pictures”). Todd is attempting to get a photograph of an Articuno but is
happy to help the trio send Team Rocket blasting off yet again.
Pokémon the
Series is filled with thrilling Pokémon races and competitions, some of
them more serious than others. Fortunately, Pokémon:
Johto League Champions is no exception, with plenty of opportunities for
our heroes to show off their prowess as Pokémon Trainers and learn some
valuable lessons along the way. The first such competition is the Bug-Catching
Contest at the National Park (“The Bug
Stops Here”). Unsurprisingly, Ash enters the contest hoping to catch the
strongest Bug-type Pokémon and win a coveted Sun Stone—and equally unsurprisingly,
Team Rocket interrupts the proceedings. Later, Brock and his friends race to
Bonitaville to help their friend Suzie enter Vulpix in a Pokémon Beauty Contest
(“Beauty and
the Breeder”). Misty gets competitive trying to win the Seaking Catching
Competition by catching the largest Seaking in the provided Lake Ball (“Hook,
Line, and Stinker”). Ash leaps headlong into an annual Grass
Tournament without bothering to train for the event, offering a lesson in
overconfidence and the value of humility (“The Grass
Route”). Rikishii Town’s Pokémon battles are a little bit different,
which intrigues Ash enough to enter his Snorlax in the town’s Pokémon Sumo
Competition (“Ring
Masters”). Rather than using special attacks, Pokémon grapple during
these matches, using sumo moves to overcome their competitors. Snorlax’s size
gives it a major competitive advantage despite its lack of sumo experience. And
finally, our heroes decide to participate in the Pokémon Balloon Race, using a
Pikachu-shaped hot air balloon they receive as a gift (“The Big
Balloon Blow-Up”). With an advanced burner as the prize for the winner, Team
Rocket decides to enter. Antics ensue, but which team will emerge victorious?
It’s always exciting to learn more about Pokémon, especially from
a scientific perspective. As Ash, Misty, and Brock travel across Johto, they
encounter and assist their share of scientists working to advance the world’s
understanding of Pokémon. On the way to Ecruteak City, Ash and his friends
agree to catch a Sudowoodo in exchange for a ride across a river (“Type
Casting”). While looking for their Pokémon, they encounter a pair of
scientists conducting Sudowoodo field research. The duo can’t seem to agree
whether the Pokémon is a Rock type or Grass type. Later, Professor Oak invites
the trio to the Ruins of Alph to explore the incredible discovery of a live prehistoric
Water-type Pokémon (“Fossil
Fools”). Following a rare visit to The Ancient Pokémon Study Park,
Omanyte and Omastar put in an appearance (as does Team Rocket, of course)
before research can continue as usual. Still on the road to Ecruteak City, Ash
suffers a stomachache from eating too much, and a kindly pharmacist named Old
Man Shuckle offers him some unusual medicine (“A
Better Pill to Swallow”). As it turns out, Old Man Shuckle makes the
medicine himself, using some unorthodox methods including filling Shuckle
shells with ingredients and then collecting the Shuckle when the medicine is
ready. Could this unusual form of medicine be the cure Ash needs?
There are
plenty of fun and exciting adventures to be found in Pokémon: Johto League Champions,
so don’t miss your chance to watch them all. You can catch the entire season by
visiting watch.pokemon.com or by loading up the Pokémon TV mobile app to enjoy these classic
episodes on the go!
Source: Pokemon
