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This episode is essential viewing because: Jessie catches a Shellder but later releases it.

Ash is in Pallet town to train for the Pokémon League. We see a lady, and Misty, Brock, and a bunch of people are in a line behind, carrying backpacks. Ash asks where theyre all going. His mom says that theyre going to Seafoam Island! Misty says that shell bring Ash a seashell. Ashs mom had invited them to come. Ash says he wants to go, but his mom says he has to stay home and train for the Pokémon League. They say bye, and Misty and Brock says not to goof around while theyve gone, and his mom says to take care of Mimie. Ash says its not fair, and Mimie, who is oddly enough sweeping the dirt road, sweeps up a cloud of dust around them.

Prof. Oak is typing at a computer when Ash comes in. Prof. Oak looks upset about something, and Ash asks if he has a headache. Prof. Oak says no, hes been wracking his brain trying to solve a Pokémon evolution puzzle! He says that when a Shellder latches onto a Slowpokes tail, it will evolve into Slowbro. Ash says so thats how it evolves. But Prof. Oak says he cant figure out why, and needs to solve this mystery! Ash says that mayeb Prof. Oak can check the Pokédex for answers, but Prof. Oak syas it doesnt have the information. But, he says, one person may havw the answers, Prof. Westwood! Hes the Pokologist who programmed the Pokédex. He lives on Seafoam Island. Ash says thats where the others went! So, he goes there, because maybe he says it can help him train. He says goodbye to Mmie, and goes to Seafoam Island.

Ash and Pikachu get to Seafoam Island, at the beach. He sees Brock and Misty windsurfing, and says hi. Brock says that Ash is supposed to be training! Ash says hes here for special training. Misty says does he mean training or tanning, and loses her balance and falls in the water. Later, they all head to Prof. Westwoods Lab. Brock says that hes the guy who programmed the Pokédex. They come to a building, and ring the bell. An old bald guy with a big nose answers, and they all go inside. The guy is Prof. Westwood. Brock asks if this is where Prof. Westwood does his research, as they walk past shelves of books. Porf. Westwood says not to call him that! His friends, colleages and associates call him Westwood the Fifth. He shows them four paintings on the wall. Westwood the First, Second, Third, Fourth all look the same. (Jenny and Joy Syndrome) But the last pic of him looks a bit, um, off. =) Misty says they all look alike, and Ash says the last looks abstract.

Westwood (Ill just call him that) says that he comes from a long line of Pokémon Researchers! He says that Togepi, who Misty is carrying, is very interesting. She says isnt it cute? Westwoodsays that hes constantly updating his Pokémon data. Hes currently working on studying rare and legendary Pokémon! Brock says hes interested in legendary Pokémon, too, and that Westwood must have tons of information. Westwood says hes not convinced that some of these Pokémon exist, though. So, hes writing fictional information about them. Mistys says, hes making it up? Westwood gtes upset, and stand by each picture and says to forgive him, Westwood the First, Second, Thrid, Fourth, and Fifth! Then he remembers that the fifth one is him. Ash says hes really eccentric. Brock says it must be hereditary, and he got it from Westwoods one through four.

Westwood tells the about the mystery hes trying to figure out, slowly but surely. A Slowpoke is out on some rocks by the lab. Westwood says that when Shellder latches on to Slowpokes tail, it evolves. Ash says that Prof. Oak cant figure it out. Westwood say hell figure it out, and report his findings to the Pokémon Symposium! Its a group of the top Pokémon Researchers.

They go outside, and Westwood starts fishing. He says it part of his research. Slowpoke is also fishing, using its tail. Westwood says that Slowpoke is one of the few Pokémon that fishes. Misty says Slowpoke must be smarter than it looks if it catches fish. Ash checks the Pokédex, which says Slowpoke is the Dopey Pokémon, and no one knows what it thinks, if it ever does. Misty asks who decided to call it Dopey. Westwood says that one of his assistants probably wrote that, but it is an accurate description of Slowpoke. Ash says Slowpoke doesnt look very smart. Misty asks if Slowpoke is going to defend itself! Pikachu goes over to it and says something, and Slowpoke says something.

Misty says that shes seen a face like Slowpokes before. Psyduck pops out of its Poké Ball then, and Misty remembers that Psyduck has the same dopey expresion! Psyduck and Slowpoke talk. Ash says that it must not be the most intelligent conversation in the history of Pokémon. Misty tells Psyduck to tell Slowpoke not to act so dopey, like it does! Psyduck and Slowpoke just get a bunch of ? by their heads. Ash says theyre probably saying hello, but it could take all day!

Just then, a Krabby comes out of the water, and grabs Slowpokes tail in a claw. Then it grabs Psyducks, then it leaves. They both stand their for a moment, then the pain finally reaches Psyducks brain, and it freaks out and goes crazy. Misty says that it would take a while for such a big pain to find such a small brain. Slowpoke gets a bite, and pulls its tail out, which has a Magikarp on it, and starts flailing around, too. Psyduck finally calms down. Westwood says that hes hungry, so theyll go get some food.

They go to some places to eat at the beach. On another part of the beach, we see Giovanni, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and sunglasses, on a lounge chair, with Persian on the ground next to him drinking milk from a saucer. He says this is a nice way to relax after the Team Rocket Headquarters got destroyed. He pats Persian on the head, saying it should realx, too. Meowth watches from a distance, crying because Giovanni fawns over Persian so much. James and Jessie are digging in the sand. James says that first the boss has them scrubbing the deck of his yaught (sp?), now he has them digging for clams like a bunch of clam diggers! Meowth says to keep digging or the boss might give them another pay cut! Jessie wonders what would happen if they buried Meowth in the sand head-first.

James looks to see lots of people windsurfing. He says that everyone is having fun but them! He digs furiously, and hits something! He says he might have found a giant clam, and pulls whatever it is out. Its a Shellder! It sticks it tongue out at Meowth, and Meowth gets angry. James sends Weezing to attack it. Jessie says hes no better than Meowth. Weezing hits Shellder, but Shelldar counters by firing beams from the two horns on its shell, and causes some ice to form on the sand. Jessie says that thats the Ice Beam! James has Weezing use Haze, which knocks out Shellder. (Hey, Haze isnt an attack!) James is about to catch it, but then Jessie throws a Poké Ball, and catches it!

James gets upset, of course. Then, another Team Rocket guy comes up to them, and says the boss wants to see them. Giovanni tells them that hes sick and tired of watching them fail. Persian is drinking some milk, and Meowth tries to get some with a straw as Giovanni speaks. He says that they better not fail, or else. He asks if they want to find out what or else is, and Jessie says that they can figure it out! He tells them to break into Prof. Westwoods lab. They say they will right away! Giovanni says not to screw up.

Meanwhile, Ash and the others are eating, while Prof. Westwood tells them about Slowpoke evolving into Slowbro. He shows them a computer simulation, sort of. A Shelldar latches into a Slowpokes tail, and it evolves. He says the most interesting thing is that before this, Shelldar has a hinged shell, but after, it has a spiral shell! He says that if he can solve the mystery of Slowpokes evolution, hell be a world renouned Pokémon researcher, and will get a standing ovation at the Symposium!

They here a motor, and Ash and Misty go to see some people parasailing. But then the parasail starts heading for them! It crashes on the balcony, and its, of course, Team Rocket. They say their lines. Jessie asks if Westwood was the one who programmed the Pokédex, and he says yes. She hands him a paper which has the information for them. Westwood reads the stuff it says about Jessie, James and Meowth on the paper, which isnt entirely true. Misty says theyre all lies. Westwood is surprised that Meowth is speaking. Meowth says what does he expect, for him to bark? Westwood then freaks out, and says that they must have a plot to kidnap him and uses his genius! He runs over to the paintings of the five Westwoods, and asks each one to save him. then he stops, and remembers that the fifth one is him. (You know, this guy, Ozwald, and Seymore must all be related somehow)

Meowth says that theyre there to steal Pokémon! Westwood says that the only Pokémon he has there is Slowpoke. It walks in, and sits down next to him. James asks if he has anything smarter. Meowth says that they have a surprise. Jessie says that they have a Pokémon that will make Slowpoke evolve! Meowth says its Shelldar, and they can take a Slowbro to the boss! Westwood yells at Slowpoke to hurry and get away! Of course, its a Slowpoke and really cant hurry, so he picks it up, and runs outside, everyone chasing after.

Westwood trips, and drops Slowpoke. Jessie sends Shellder! It chases Slowpoke around, who is moving pretty quick. Jessie tells it stop and let Shellder bite it! Ash is about to send a Pokémon, but Misty says that theyre near the water, so shell use heres! Shes about to use Staryu, but Psyduck comes out instead! Slowpoke has stopped running, and they say something to each other. Shellder jumps up to bite Slowpoke, but bites Psyducks tail instead! Ash says its going to be a Psybro! Misty says shes never heard of a Psybro. Brock says thats because it doesnt exist. Jessie says that Shellder got the wrong one! Psyduck finally feels the pain of Shellder latched into its tail, and runs around crazily, fianlly swinging the Shellder off.

James sends Weezing to get Psyduck. Weezing bounces on Psyducks head. Misty tells Psyduck to run, but it trips and falls. Jessie throws Shellder to bite Slowpokes tail, but Slowpoke ducks, and it grabs Psyducks head instead! And, of course, Psyduck gets a headache, and starts glowing. (It looks evil when its eyes glow like that) Team Rocket finds that they cant move! Psyduck uses its powers to get Shellder off. Psyduck sends Team Rocket flying. Westwood writes notes, saying hes read about this, but never saw it! Then, Psyduck abruptly stops glowing, and Team Rocket crashes into the sand behind them.

Ash says Psyduck was great! Westwood tells Slowpoke that it should thank Psyduck. Slowpoke goes over to thank it, but slips on Shellders shell! Shellder leaps up, and bites Slowpokes tail! Meowth says that its going to become a Slowbro! Misty is upset because Psyduck tried so hard to stop the Shellder. So Slowpoke evolves into Slowbro. Westwood says that no researcher has ever witnessed this before! Brock says its cool.

Team Rocket starts running towards them to get the Slowbro. Westwood says that now Slowbro can use its attack, Mega Punch! But it cant remember! Westwood says its suffering from another of its attack, Amnesia. Brock says that thats supposed to make its opponents forget! But then Slowbro remembers. It punches Meowth, James and Jessie and sends them flying. Adn Westwood says that hes finally figured out the mystery of Slowpokes evolution! Its mutually beneficial, which means it helps both Pokémon. He says that the Shellder on Slowbros tail helps it balance, and stand on its hind legs, leaving its front legs free to do attacks like Mega Punch. And because the Shellder is on Slowbros tail, it can travel on land. Ash says thats amazing.

Later, as they leave, Misty tells Ash that he missed an entire day of training! He says he didnt, because he was learning about Pokémon. Misty sees that Psyduck looks upset, and asks whats wrong. Ash says that maybe it wants to say goodbye to Slowbro. So, they go to say goodbye. A while later,Psyduck and Slowbro are just standing there, speaking very slowly. Pikachu and togepi have fallen asleep. Misty says that shes heard of not knowing how to say goodbye, but this is ridiculous!

This episode guide has been written by flik.

Characters appearing in this episode

Ash

Misty

Brock

Jessie

James

Meowth

Ash's Pikachu

Pokémon appearing in this episode

• Pikachu belonging to Ash
• Meowth

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