August 18, 2025 • 28 mins
🎙 About the Pika Pals Podcast
Your weekly trip back to Pokémon’s classic era — from Ash’s first steps in Pallet Town to the height of Pokémania. Hosted by Pokémon Trainer Jed, a lifelong fan and proud jelly donut defender, this nostalgic rewatch covers the original anime and the world that surrounded it: toys, trading cards, magazines, playground rumours, and more. Each episode is packed with laughs, trivia, retro fun, satirical “sponsor” skits, and spotlights on the Pokémon of the week.
📲 Follow & Connect
Follow: @PikaPalsPod
Email: pikapalspod@gmail.com
Letters via Poké-mail also accepted.
💛 Support Mental Health
I’m raising money for Mind in Somerset — inspired by Pokémon’s themes of courage and connection. Donate via Pika Pals Unite and support mental health in the Pokémon community.
🚨 Disclaimer
Pika Pals Podcast is a fan project and not affiliated with Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company. All rights to characters, names, and images belong to their respective owners. Episode details and Pokémon facts are referenced from Bulbapedia and Serebii with appreciation for their amazing fan communities — and, of course, from the dusty old bookshelves of Professor Oak’s Pokémon Research Laboratory.
Keywords: Pokémon anime podcast, Pokémon nostalgia, Pokémania, Indigo League rewatch, Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Misty, Brock, Kanto region, Team Rocket, 90s anime, Pokémon episode review, anime podcast, retro anime, classic Pokémon, fan theories, Pokémon rewatch, mental health, fandom, Pika Pals Podcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:19):
And now, join Pokémon Trainer Jed for a non-stop,
action-packed, laugh filled perilous journey.
Turn your hat around, grab your pokeballs, and get ready for the
fantastic Pika Pals podcast, where the excitement never ends.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Pika Pals podcast.
I'm your host, Pokémon trainer Jed and I thank you for tuning
(00:42):
in. Now on today's show, we're
diving into episode 22, Abra andthe Psychic Showdown.
But before I get to covering today's Pokémon episode, I just
wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has
supported my Pika Powers podcast.
From the bottom of my heart. It really means the world that
(01:05):
you've taken the time to listen to my show, that you enjoy it,
that you followed, that you've sent me comments on social
media. Just this past week I passed 500
total plays of the Pika Powers Podcast, which is incredible.
When I started this, I had no idea that over 500 people in
total would listen to my podcastand I know that at least 100 of
(01:29):
them have to be legitimate listens because I know I only
pressed the replay button about 400 times.
So thank you very much for all of your support.
Again, it means the world to me and you really are my peak of
pals. And if you enjoy my little
Pokémon podcast then I'll continue to make it.
So stick with me for this fun adventure back through the glory
(01:51):
days of Pokémon. But let's get to today's
episode. It's Abra and the Psychic
Showdown. The episode Abra and the Psychic
(02:11):
Showdown at the Japanese title KC Psychic Showdown and is the
22nd episode of the Pokémon animated series.
It was first broadcast in Japan on August the 26th, 1997 and in
the United States on October the6th, 1998.
(02:33):
Now it's been fascinating for meto go back and re watch some of
these Pokémon episodes but not only that find the original air
dates. Now I've got the Japanese air
date and the United States air date.
I have done some research on theUK air dates, although I haven't
been able to find anything 100% accurate as to the episode Air
(02:55):
dates in the United Kingdom. I do know that they first
started getting shown in the UK in the late 90s around 1999, but
I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of these
original air dates and place where that is in time.
So for this episode, for example, it was first shown in
(03:17):
the US on October the 6th, 1998.Do you know what the number one
movie was on that date? It was Ants.
Remember the movie Ants? Kind of like Bug's Life, but
with ants. Here's a fun fact about ants for
you. Ants earned approximately
$954,000 on release day and overthe weekend it earned $16.8
(03:44):
million, setting a new October opening record.
So the number one movie that thetime this episode was released
was Ants and the number one songwas The First Night by Monica.
This single reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on
(04:05):
October the 3rd, 1998 and would remain #1 for two consecutive
weeks. I personally have never heard
the song The First Night by Monica.
It might be a banger. So there you go.
There's some fun facts to let you know just what was happening
in the world at the time that this episode was released.
(04:27):
Let me know if you'd like me to continue doing that in future
episodes and I can maybe pull out some more fun facts as to
what was happening on the date that these Pokémon episodes were
originally released. But let's start off today with
some cool trivia about the episode APRA and the Psychic
showdown. Now, during this episode, it is
(04:49):
stated that Ghost types are strong against psychic types,
but during generation one when this episode originally aired,
Psychic types were actually immune to ghost type moves, so
this was more likely a mistake on the games rather than the
animated series. However, the official Nintendo
(05:10):
Strategy Guide states that Psychic type Pokémon take extra
damage from Ghost type Pokémon, and in Pokémon Red and Blue, a
trainer in the Saffron Gym mentions that Psychic type
Pokémon only fear bugs and ghosts.
Bit like Misty, Pokémon Yellow amended this dialogue to say
(05:32):
that they only fear bugs. Maybe they got over their fear
of ghosts by the time that Pokémon Yellow was released.
And did you know that this is also the first episode in which
Ash challenges a Gym Leader but doesn't get the Gym badge?
Later in the episode, it would turn out that Sabrina isn't as
easy to impress as the other GymLeaders that Ash has met so far.
(05:57):
At one point in this episode, Ash and his friends find
themselves in a dollhouse, and this could be a reference to the
Twilight Zone episode. Stop Over in a Quiet Town.
Also, when Pikachu fills the stadium with lightning to negate
Amber's teleportation. The striking sound effect is
(06:18):
from Back to the Future when theDe Lorean travels through time.
Go back and re watch this episode.
If you're a Pokémon fan and you're Back to the Future fan
like me, see if you can pick outthe moment where you hear the De
Lorean sound effect. This episode also marks the
first time when Ash has been shrunk in the Animated series.
(06:41):
Now, that might seem like a strange fact.
Getting shrunk doesn't happen toyour everyday person, but to
Ash, it happens more than once. The next two episodes where this
happens to Ash are Historical Mystery Tour and Dummy You
Shrunk the Kids. This is the only animated series
episode to date to feature a warp panel, referred to here as
(07:03):
the Warp Tile. I thought myself that the warp
tile just coming out of nowhere and being used by Team Rocket
with a pretty impressive feature, as if we all just have
a warp tile in our house. We see Ash, Misty Rock, and
Pikachu fall through this warp tile and land in a completely
different room, and it's the only time that we ever see the
(07:24):
warp tile. And as far as tiles go, it's a
pretty impressive tile. Did you know that this episode
was also partially adapted into the book Night in the Haunted
Tower? And this episode is featured on
Volume 7, Psychic of Pokémon Elements.
So there's some fun Pokémon trivia about this episode, but
(07:45):
what about some episode errors? Now as a poker perfectionist, I
do like to fine pick these episodes and see if I can find
any goofs or animation slip ups.And in this episode, listen
closely because Sabrina's Apras Japanese cry sound effect can
actually be heard over it's dubbed voice.
(08:08):
And also in another scene, when Sabrina's Cadabra evolves from
Abra, it's Japanese voice is briefly heard.
So they hadn't removed the Japanese voices for Abra and
Cadabra from this episode, and they can very briefly be heard.
Now. One of my favorite things to do
is look at the dub edits. Of course, let's talk about the
(08:31):
changes from the original Japanese version.
In the Japanese version of this episode, when Jesse and James
are disguised as the Hawaiian girls and they lead Ash and his
friends to the skyscraper, Jesseclaims that she is taking them
to a party to commemorate Ash and his friends being the
millionth visitors to Saffron City.
(08:54):
But in the dub this is changed to Jesse supposedly directing
them to a grand prize room. And another Team Rocket change
is in the scene where they are presenting the Prepare for
Trouble or Make It Double Show as there's a scene that shows
Ash and his friends saying aboutthe show getting cancelled soon.
(09:14):
But that was only actually in the dub.
In the original Japanese version, Ash and his friends are
shown to just be simply bored ofTeam Rocket saying the same old
motto again. So interesting that they added
that extra dialogue just for thedubbed episode.
I definitely recommend going back and re watching this
episode if you haven't seen it for a long time or if you
(09:35):
haven't seen it at all the majorevents in this episode.
We got to see Ash challenge Sabrina at the Saffron City gym,
but her Abra evolved into Cadabra mid battle.
We got to see Pikachu hopelesslyoutmatched by said Cadabra, and
so Ash was forced to retreat with the help of Sabrina's
(09:59):
mysterious father. Now, Sabrina's psychic powers
actually trapped Ash and friendsinside of a dollhouse, and
things took a very dark turn until they were able to escape.
It's a dead end.
(10:38):
She's coming this way. We're going to have a ball.
I want to play. Yeah, we're going to get
squashed. Listen.
(11:01):
Let your minds rely on mine teleportation.
It has to be one of the eeriest,most atmospheric Pokémon
episodes to date, and the tone is very creepy and dreamlike.
It reminded me of the Pokémon movies where the story is
(11:23):
sometimes much more elaborate than we see in the Pokémon
episodes, and it kind of gave mea real sense of danger as to how
Ash was going to get out of thissituation.
Sabrina might have seemed like the most intimidating villain
that he'd come across so far. This would actually be a key
episode to set up the following episode as Ash finds out that he
(11:44):
needs to visit Lavender Town to capture a ghost type Pokémon.
While we're watching this episode, I thought well what did
we learn about Ash, Pikachu and the gang?
Well, Ash's cockiness got him introuble again as he thought that
he was only battling a little girl and he really
underestimated the power of Sabrina.
And Sabrina really is the first true psychic powerhouse that Ash
(12:08):
has faced. I think this episode would show
us just how powerful but strangePokémon Gym Leaders can be, and
that sometimes retreating is maybe the wisest option.
Some of my favorite episode moments included the dollhouse
horror scene, which was just weird and creepy, especially
with Brock biting the fake Pieceof Cake and Ash seeing the doll
(12:32):
in the bath, all sorts of crazy Pokémon nonsense, APRA suddenly
evolving into Cadabra mid battle, and Pikachu's epic
lightning storm strategy even though it wasn't very effective.
Now here is one of my favorite clips from the episode.
Just maybe one way you can defeat her.
(12:53):
Only one other type of Pokémon can battle the Psychic type.
If you capture a ghost Pokémon from Lavender Town, you might
have a chance. A ghost Pokémon from Lavender
town. Thank you.
Ash, Ash, are you OK? You haven't got a chance against
(13:15):
a psychic Pokémon. Let's go on to Lavender Town.
With some luck, that kid may be the one who can rescue Sabrina.
OK, it's time to hear from the Pokémon fandom, and let's peek
at what Pokémon fans said about this episode online.
(13:35):
It's IMDb. The very best Haunter of Dreams
92 said this is the creepiest episode by far.
I was not ready for the dolls house scene, Jim Badge Hunter
(13:57):
says. Sabrina has always freaked me
out, her eyes unblinking, her mind terrifying teleporting.
Tim said Apra's glow up into Cadabra was epic.
Just blink and boom. TV Trivia said the lightning
effect is straight from Back to the Future and I love it.
(14:21):
Dolls House Dan said Imagine getting shrunk and having to
watch your friends get squished.Sabrina is not messing around
and Bug Catcher Ben said Ash didn't get a badge.
Finally, some challenge in this show.
There's a Pokémon fan who was happy with the fact that Ash
wasn't just given a badge by Sabrina on this episode.
(14:44):
Now I will be back on the Pika Pals Podcast, but first we've
got to take a pause for the cause.
Keep the lights on in the Pika Pals Studio with a quick message
from our sponsor. Today's episode of the Pika Pals
Podcast is proudly sponsored by Mark's Miracle Sludge.
(15:06):
Are you tired of pesky stains coming out too easily in the
wash? Fed up with surfaces that don't
smell like a chemical spill? Wish your house guests would
leave sooner? Well, Muck's got you covered.
Muck's Miracle Sludge is a 100% organic, 100% mysterious
substance guaranteed to coat, clog, and confuse anything it
(15:32):
touches. Just one dab and you'll enjoy
benefits such as a permanent newsewer smell in every room if
floor's so sticky you'll never misplace your keys again, and
the Peace of Mind knowing that burglars won't get far once they
step in. The Muck family have been
producing this miracle goop naturally since 1996, and now
(15:56):
you can too, with each purchase of a limited edition Miracle
Sludge Bucket. Warning.
Once opened, it cannot be resealed or disposed of or
forgotten, ever. So next time life feels too
clean, too fresh, too sanitary, smear a little muck miracle
(16:18):
sludge on it and experience the true meaning of grime with time
Muck's miracle sludge. Because if it ain't broke, muck
will fix it by making it worse. Hey Pika Pals, welcome back.
(17:01):
You are listening to the Pika Pals podcast where I am talking
about the Pokémon episode Abra and the Psychic showdown.
Thank you for sticking with me. Before I continue with the rest
of the show, I've just been informed that I'm about to
receive a very special phone call live on the Pika Pals
(17:22):
podcast. So I'm going to keep my
microphone recording and answer the call as soon as it comes in.
This is a call from Misty and Ash Ketchum and I'm pretty
excited. So the phone should ring any
second. Oh, there it is.
There it is. Hello Misty and Ash, it's an
(17:54):
absolute honour to have you on the show and I just wanted to
ask what you think of the Pika Powers podcast their.
Show is pretty boring, it'll getcancelled pretty soon.
Well, that's nice, isn't it? At least they didn't use 0800
Reverse. OK, it's time to crack open the
Pokedex. This yellow Pokémon sleeps most
(18:14):
of the day, but if you think you've found it, it may have
already teleported away. Which leaves me with just one
question. Who's that Pokémon?
(18:34):
It's Abra. National Pokedex number is 63.
Abra is a psychic type Pokémon. The evolution line Abra evolves
into Cadabra, which evolves intoAlakazam.
Abra is a mammalian Pokémon thatis primarily yellow.
(18:56):
It's face is kite shaped with a small pale yellow snout and two
short pointed ears with pale yellow interiors.
It's wide eyes are normally closed.
Abra's body is segmented with black skin visible between its
joints and along its neck. It has 3 digits on each hand and
(19:17):
foot, but it's fingers are considerably shorter than its
toes. Two of its toes face forward and
one faces backwards. Abra's tail is thick and long,
with a brow band located near the tip.
Abra can sense danger through telepathic radar.
When it does, it teleports to a safe location.
(19:39):
However, Abra sometimes becomes panicked if it wakes in an
unknown location. By hypnotizing itself, Abra is
able to teleport itself even while sleeping.
Abra can use other extrasensory abilities while sleeping as
well, and can even teleport intotreetops to pick and eat
berries. The deeper Abra sleeps, the
(20:02):
farther it teleports due to the strain on its telepathic powers.
However, Abra sleeps for 18 hours a day, and if it fails to
rest for long enough, it will become unable to use its powers.
And did you know that the contents in Abra's dreams can
also affect its powers? Abra lives in urban areas, but
(20:24):
has been observed to teleport todifferent locations once per
hour. In the Pokémon Red and Blue
Beta, Abra was originally known as Hocus, and in Pokémon
Conquest, Abra is seen floating.Despite this, it is still
considered a Grounded Pokémon and can activate ground traps
(20:45):
such as the Cogwheel in Valog. Of all the Psychic type Pokémon,
Abra has the lowest base attack and is tied with Smoochum for
the lowest base defence. In Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and
Pokémon Let's Go Evie, a wild Abra will teleport away if the
(21:05):
player tries to approach it fromthe front.
Abra has the highest Flea rate in Pokémon Go at 99%, meaning
it's almost guaranteed to run away after breaking out of the
Poker Ball. This is actually an homage to
the core series, where it uses Teleport to escape on its first
(21:26):
turn. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Wild,
Abra will always drop a Max Ether when defeated.
Abra may be based on a Mystic ora Psychic.
It also has similarities to Foxes, an animal mythologically
tied to magic. Given the rat like tail of its
(21:46):
early sprites and the fact it sleeps for 18 hours a day, Abra
could also draw inspiration froman Opossum.
It's segmented body parts and animations in such games as
Pokémon Stadium are similar to those of marionette puppets.
Abra's name may be derived from Abracadabra, an incarnation used
(22:08):
in stage magic. Cayce may be named after Edgar
Cayce, a purported psychic famous for entering self induced
trances. You know, they say Abra
disappears before you even know it's there.
Kind of like your friend when it's their turn to pay at the
Poker Centre Cafe. And that's all the facts you
(22:28):
could ever want to know about Abra.
It's now time for a little bit of fun.
It's time for everyone's favorite segment.
It's time for joking on. This is the part of the show
where I tell Pokémon jokes. I have been collecting all these
jokes, by the way. I've got them categorized by
(22:50):
Pokémon. Eventually I'm going to have
enough to bring out a joke book.Let me know if you would buy
that. Probably nobody.
OK, let's get going with this week's Pokémon jokes.
Why did Psyduck bring a ladder to school?
Because he kept getting high pressure headaches.
(23:11):
What's Hitman Lee's favorite type of pasta?
Oh, well, actually, hold on. Before this is even a joke, I've
always wondered what Hitman Lee's favorite type of pasta
was. What's Hitman Lee's favorite
type of pasta? Kick a Tony.
Why don't you ever play cards with Machamp?
(23:34):
Because he's always got four of a kind.
Get it? He's your forearms.
OK, maybe the next one. What did Jigglypuff say to the
microphone? Don't fall asleep on me now.
Maybe I've read that wrong. What did Jigglypuff say to the
(23:56):
microphone? Don't fall asleep on me now.
No, just as bad second time. Why was Doug Trio always invited
to parties? Because they really dig the
music. Very good.
Doug Trio loves a bit of music. Dig that.
(24:18):
On the other hand, no does not. He prefers silence.
What do you call a Snorlax in a fast food drive through?
Super sized. Why did Tentacool fail his
driving test? I'm 100.
(24:38):
Tentacool taking his driving test with Mrs. Puff from
SpongeBob. That'll be great.
Anyway, sorry, why did Tentacle fail his driving test?
Because he kept getting squid swerves.
Because he kept getting squid swerves.
(25:03):
Here's one about today's spotlight Pokémon.
It's Abra. How does Abra pay for coffee
with Telecash Mises? OK, why don't Voltaub and
(25:24):
Electrode ever tell secrets? Because they might blow up the
conversation. And lastly, what's Mewtwo's
favorite type of comedy? Clone jokes.
(25:47):
Well, there you go. That was this week's Pokémon
jokes. That was Jokeammon complaints to
the usual address. Thank you very much.
And that does it for this week'sPika Pals podcast.
(26:09):
I'm about to teleport myself outof here.
It's the end of the show, and you know what that means.
(26:32):
Somehow, someway, we have to saygoodbye.
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo. Somehow, someway, we have to say
goodbye. That's all for today's episode.
(26:52):
Thanks again for hanging out Pika pals.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and a
rating to help others discover the show.
And don't forget to show the episode with a fellow trainer,
sibling, friend, or your very own Pikachu.
Coming up, next time Ash heads to Lavender Town in search for
the ghost type Pokémon, it's Tower of Terror and let's just
(27:17):
say things get spooky fast. And remember, the Pika Powers
podcast is raising money for mental health through Mind in
Somerset. You can donate to my Pika Pounds
Unite fundraiser. All the details and the Just
Giving page link are in the episode description.
(27:38):
Catch me if you can across all your socials at Pika Powers Pod.
Actually probably can catch me. I'm quite easy to catch like a
weedle. Probably just throw a poker ball
and I'll catch me. You can find me at Peeka Pals
Pod or e-mail peekapals.pod@gmail.com.
I've been Jed, this has been thePeeka Pals podcast, and you've
(28:00):
been a real Peeka POW. The show may be over, but the
journey continues. Their show is pretty boring,
(28:26):
it'll get cancelled pretty soon.
And now, join Pokémon Trainer Jed for a non-stop,
action-packed, laugh filled perilous journey.
Turn your hat around, grab your pokeballs, and get ready for the
fantastic Pika Pals podcast, where the excitement never ends.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Pika Pals podcast.
I'm your host, Pokémon trainer Jed and I thank you for tuning
(00:42):
in. Now on today's show, we're
diving into episode 22, Abra andthe Psychic Showdown.
But before I get to covering today's Pokémon episode, I just
wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has
supported my Pika Powers podcast.
From the bottom of my heart. It really means the world that
(01:05):
you've taken the time to listen to my show, that you enjoy it,
that you followed, that you've sent me comments on social
media. Just this past week I passed 500
total plays of the Pika Powers Podcast, which is incredible.
When I started this, I had no idea that over 500 people in
total would listen to my podcastand I know that at least 100 of
(01:29):
them have to be legitimate listens because I know I only
pressed the replay button about 400 times.
So thank you very much for all of your support.
Again, it means the world to me and you really are my peak of
pals. And if you enjoy my little
Pokémon podcast then I'll continue to make it.
So stick with me for this fun adventure back through the glory
(01:51):
days of Pokémon. But let's get to today's
episode. It's Abra and the Psychic
Showdown. The episode Abra and the Psychic
(02:11):
Showdown at the Japanese title KC Psychic Showdown and is the
22nd episode of the Pokémon animated series.
It was first broadcast in Japan on August the 26th, 1997 and in
the United States on October the6th, 1998.
(02:33):
Now it's been fascinating for meto go back and re watch some of
these Pokémon episodes but not only that find the original air
dates. Now I've got the Japanese air
date and the United States air date.
I have done some research on theUK air dates, although I haven't
been able to find anything 100% accurate as to the episode Air
(02:55):
dates in the United Kingdom. I do know that they first
started getting shown in the UK in the late 90s around 1999, but
I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of these
original air dates and place where that is in time.
So for this episode, for example, it was first shown in
(03:17):
the US on October the 6th, 1998.Do you know what the number one
movie was on that date? It was Ants.
Remember the movie Ants? Kind of like Bug's Life, but
with ants. Here's a fun fact about ants for
you. Ants earned approximately
$954,000 on release day and overthe weekend it earned $16.8
(03:44):
million, setting a new October opening record.
So the number one movie that thetime this episode was released
was Ants and the number one songwas The First Night by Monica.
This single reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on
(04:05):
October the 3rd, 1998 and would remain #1 for two consecutive
weeks. I personally have never heard
the song The First Night by Monica.
It might be a banger. So there you go.
There's some fun facts to let you know just what was happening
in the world at the time that this episode was released.
(04:27):
Let me know if you'd like me to continue doing that in future
episodes and I can maybe pull out some more fun facts as to
what was happening on the date that these Pokémon episodes were
originally released. But let's start off today with
some cool trivia about the episode APRA and the Psychic
showdown. Now, during this episode, it is
(04:49):
stated that Ghost types are strong against psychic types,
but during generation one when this episode originally aired,
Psychic types were actually immune to ghost type moves, so
this was more likely a mistake on the games rather than the
animated series. However, the official Nintendo
(05:10):
Strategy Guide states that Psychic type Pokémon take extra
damage from Ghost type Pokémon, and in Pokémon Red and Blue, a
trainer in the Saffron Gym mentions that Psychic type
Pokémon only fear bugs and ghosts.
Bit like Misty, Pokémon Yellow amended this dialogue to say
(05:32):
that they only fear bugs. Maybe they got over their fear
of ghosts by the time that Pokémon Yellow was released.
And did you know that this is also the first episode in which
Ash challenges a Gym Leader but doesn't get the Gym badge?
Later in the episode, it would turn out that Sabrina isn't as
easy to impress as the other GymLeaders that Ash has met so far.
(05:57):
At one point in this episode, Ash and his friends find
themselves in a dollhouse, and this could be a reference to the
Twilight Zone episode. Stop Over in a Quiet Town.
Also, when Pikachu fills the stadium with lightning to negate
Amber's teleportation. The striking sound effect is
(06:18):
from Back to the Future when theDe Lorean travels through time.
Go back and re watch this episode.
If you're a Pokémon fan and you're Back to the Future fan
like me, see if you can pick outthe moment where you hear the De
Lorean sound effect. This episode also marks the
first time when Ash has been shrunk in the Animated series.
(06:41):
Now, that might seem like a strange fact.
Getting shrunk doesn't happen toyour everyday person, but to
Ash, it happens more than once. The next two episodes where this
happens to Ash are Historical Mystery Tour and Dummy You
Shrunk the Kids. This is the only animated series
episode to date to feature a warp panel, referred to here as
(07:03):
the Warp Tile. I thought myself that the warp
tile just coming out of nowhere and being used by Team Rocket
with a pretty impressive feature, as if we all just have
a warp tile in our house. We see Ash, Misty Rock, and
Pikachu fall through this warp tile and land in a completely
different room, and it's the only time that we ever see the
(07:24):
warp tile. And as far as tiles go, it's a
pretty impressive tile. Did you know that this episode
was also partially adapted into the book Night in the Haunted
Tower? And this episode is featured on
Volume 7, Psychic of Pokémon Elements.
So there's some fun Pokémon trivia about this episode, but
(07:45):
what about some episode errors? Now as a poker perfectionist, I
do like to fine pick these episodes and see if I can find
any goofs or animation slip ups.And in this episode, listen
closely because Sabrina's Apras Japanese cry sound effect can
actually be heard over it's dubbed voice.
(08:08):
And also in another scene, when Sabrina's Cadabra evolves from
Abra, it's Japanese voice is briefly heard.
So they hadn't removed the Japanese voices for Abra and
Cadabra from this episode, and they can very briefly be heard.
Now. One of my favorite things to do
is look at the dub edits. Of course, let's talk about the
(08:31):
changes from the original Japanese version.
In the Japanese version of this episode, when Jesse and James
are disguised as the Hawaiian girls and they lead Ash and his
friends to the skyscraper, Jesseclaims that she is taking them
to a party to commemorate Ash and his friends being the
millionth visitors to Saffron City.
(08:54):
But in the dub this is changed to Jesse supposedly directing
them to a grand prize room. And another Team Rocket change
is in the scene where they are presenting the Prepare for
Trouble or Make It Double Show as there's a scene that shows
Ash and his friends saying aboutthe show getting cancelled soon.
(09:14):
But that was only actually in the dub.
In the original Japanese version, Ash and his friends are
shown to just be simply bored ofTeam Rocket saying the same old
motto again. So interesting that they added
that extra dialogue just for thedubbed episode.
I definitely recommend going back and re watching this
episode if you haven't seen it for a long time or if you
(09:35):
haven't seen it at all the majorevents in this episode.
We got to see Ash challenge Sabrina at the Saffron City gym,
but her Abra evolved into Cadabra mid battle.
We got to see Pikachu hopelesslyoutmatched by said Cadabra, and
so Ash was forced to retreat with the help of Sabrina's
(09:59):
mysterious father. Now, Sabrina's psychic powers
actually trapped Ash and friendsinside of a dollhouse, and
things took a very dark turn until they were able to escape.
It's a dead end.
(10:38):
She's coming this way. We're going to have a ball.
I want to play. Yeah, we're going to get
squashed. Listen.
(11:01):
Let your minds rely on mine teleportation.
It has to be one of the eeriest,most atmospheric Pokémon
episodes to date, and the tone is very creepy and dreamlike.
It reminded me of the Pokémon movies where the story is
(11:23):
sometimes much more elaborate than we see in the Pokémon
episodes, and it kind of gave mea real sense of danger as to how
Ash was going to get out of thissituation.
Sabrina might have seemed like the most intimidating villain
that he'd come across so far. This would actually be a key
episode to set up the following episode as Ash finds out that he
(11:44):
needs to visit Lavender Town to capture a ghost type Pokémon.
While we're watching this episode, I thought well what did
we learn about Ash, Pikachu and the gang?
Well, Ash's cockiness got him introuble again as he thought that
he was only battling a little girl and he really
underestimated the power of Sabrina.
And Sabrina really is the first true psychic powerhouse that Ash
(12:08):
has faced. I think this episode would show
us just how powerful but strangePokémon Gym Leaders can be, and
that sometimes retreating is maybe the wisest option.
Some of my favorite episode moments included the dollhouse
horror scene, which was just weird and creepy, especially
with Brock biting the fake Pieceof Cake and Ash seeing the doll
(12:32):
in the bath, all sorts of crazy Pokémon nonsense, APRA suddenly
evolving into Cadabra mid battle, and Pikachu's epic
lightning storm strategy even though it wasn't very effective.
Now here is one of my favorite clips from the episode.
Just maybe one way you can defeat her.
(12:53):
Only one other type of Pokémon can battle the Psychic type.
If you capture a ghost Pokémon from Lavender Town, you might
have a chance. A ghost Pokémon from Lavender
town. Thank you.
Ash, Ash, are you OK? You haven't got a chance against
(13:15):
a psychic Pokémon. Let's go on to Lavender Town.
With some luck, that kid may be the one who can rescue Sabrina.
OK, it's time to hear from the Pokémon fandom, and let's peek
at what Pokémon fans said about this episode online.
(13:35):
It's IMDb. The very best Haunter of Dreams
92 said this is the creepiest episode by far.
I was not ready for the dolls house scene, Jim Badge Hunter
(13:57):
says. Sabrina has always freaked me
out, her eyes unblinking, her mind terrifying teleporting.
Tim said Apra's glow up into Cadabra was epic.
Just blink and boom. TV Trivia said the lightning
effect is straight from Back to the Future and I love it.
(14:21):
Dolls House Dan said Imagine getting shrunk and having to
watch your friends get squished.Sabrina is not messing around
and Bug Catcher Ben said Ash didn't get a badge.
Finally, some challenge in this show.
There's a Pokémon fan who was happy with the fact that Ash
wasn't just given a badge by Sabrina on this episode.
(14:44):
Now I will be back on the Pika Pals Podcast, but first we've
got to take a pause for the cause.
Keep the lights on in the Pika Pals Studio with a quick message
from our sponsor. Today's episode of the Pika Pals
Podcast is proudly sponsored by Mark's Miracle Sludge.
(15:06):
Are you tired of pesky stains coming out too easily in the
wash? Fed up with surfaces that don't
smell like a chemical spill? Wish your house guests would
leave sooner? Well, Muck's got you covered.
Muck's Miracle Sludge is a 100% organic, 100% mysterious
substance guaranteed to coat, clog, and confuse anything it
(15:32):
touches. Just one dab and you'll enjoy
benefits such as a permanent newsewer smell in every room if
floor's so sticky you'll never misplace your keys again, and
the Peace of Mind knowing that burglars won't get far once they
step in. The Muck family have been
producing this miracle goop naturally since 1996, and now
(15:56):
you can too, with each purchase of a limited edition Miracle
Sludge Bucket. Warning.
Once opened, it cannot be resealed or disposed of or
forgotten, ever. So next time life feels too
clean, too fresh, too sanitary, smear a little muck miracle
(16:18):
sludge on it and experience the true meaning of grime with time
Muck's miracle sludge. Because if it ain't broke, muck
will fix it by making it worse. Hey Pika Pals, welcome back.
(17:01):
You are listening to the Pika Pals podcast where I am talking
about the Pokémon episode Abra and the Psychic showdown.
Thank you for sticking with me. Before I continue with the rest
of the show, I've just been informed that I'm about to
receive a very special phone call live on the Pika Pals
(17:22):
podcast. So I'm going to keep my
microphone recording and answer the call as soon as it comes in.
This is a call from Misty and Ash Ketchum and I'm pretty
excited. So the phone should ring any
second. Oh, there it is.
There it is. Hello Misty and Ash, it's an
(17:54):
absolute honour to have you on the show and I just wanted to
ask what you think of the Pika Powers podcast their.
Show is pretty boring, it'll getcancelled pretty soon.
Well, that's nice, isn't it? At least they didn't use 0800
Reverse. OK, it's time to crack open the
Pokedex. This yellow Pokémon sleeps most
(18:14):
of the day, but if you think you've found it, it may have
already teleported away. Which leaves me with just one
question. Who's that Pokémon?
(18:34):
It's Abra. National Pokedex number is 63.
Abra is a psychic type Pokémon. The evolution line Abra evolves
into Cadabra, which evolves intoAlakazam.
Abra is a mammalian Pokémon thatis primarily yellow.
(18:56):
It's face is kite shaped with a small pale yellow snout and two
short pointed ears with pale yellow interiors.
It's wide eyes are normally closed.
Abra's body is segmented with black skin visible between its
joints and along its neck. It has 3 digits on each hand and
(19:17):
foot, but it's fingers are considerably shorter than its
toes. Two of its toes face forward and
one faces backwards. Abra's tail is thick and long,
with a brow band located near the tip.
Abra can sense danger through telepathic radar.
When it does, it teleports to a safe location.
(19:39):
However, Abra sometimes becomes panicked if it wakes in an
unknown location. By hypnotizing itself, Abra is
able to teleport itself even while sleeping.
Abra can use other extrasensory abilities while sleeping as
well, and can even teleport intotreetops to pick and eat
berries. The deeper Abra sleeps, the
(20:02):
farther it teleports due to the strain on its telepathic powers.
However, Abra sleeps for 18 hours a day, and if it fails to
rest for long enough, it will become unable to use its powers.
And did you know that the contents in Abra's dreams can
also affect its powers? Abra lives in urban areas, but
(20:24):
has been observed to teleport todifferent locations once per
hour. In the Pokémon Red and Blue
Beta, Abra was originally known as Hocus, and in Pokémon
Conquest, Abra is seen floating.Despite this, it is still
considered a Grounded Pokémon and can activate ground traps
(20:45):
such as the Cogwheel in Valog. Of all the Psychic type Pokémon,
Abra has the lowest base attack and is tied with Smoochum for
the lowest base defence. In Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and
Pokémon Let's Go Evie, a wild Abra will teleport away if the
(21:05):
player tries to approach it fromthe front.
Abra has the highest Flea rate in Pokémon Go at 99%, meaning
it's almost guaranteed to run away after breaking out of the
Poker Ball. This is actually an homage to
the core series, where it uses Teleport to escape on its first
(21:26):
turn. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Wild,
Abra will always drop a Max Ether when defeated.
Abra may be based on a Mystic ora Psychic.
It also has similarities to Foxes, an animal mythologically
tied to magic. Given the rat like tail of its
(21:46):
early sprites and the fact it sleeps for 18 hours a day, Abra
could also draw inspiration froman Opossum.
It's segmented body parts and animations in such games as
Pokémon Stadium are similar to those of marionette puppets.
Abra's name may be derived from Abracadabra, an incarnation used
(22:08):
in stage magic. Cayce may be named after Edgar
Cayce, a purported psychic famous for entering self induced
trances. You know, they say Abra
disappears before you even know it's there.
Kind of like your friend when it's their turn to pay at the
Poker Centre Cafe. And that's all the facts you
(22:28):
could ever want to know about Abra.
It's now time for a little bit of fun.
It's time for everyone's favorite segment.
It's time for joking on. This is the part of the show
where I tell Pokémon jokes. I have been collecting all these
jokes, by the way. I've got them categorized by
(22:50):
Pokémon. Eventually I'm going to have
enough to bring out a joke book.Let me know if you would buy
that. Probably nobody.
OK, let's get going with this week's Pokémon jokes.
Why did Psyduck bring a ladder to school?
Because he kept getting high pressure headaches.
(23:11):
What's Hitman Lee's favorite type of pasta?
Oh, well, actually, hold on. Before this is even a joke, I've
always wondered what Hitman Lee's favorite type of pasta
was. What's Hitman Lee's favorite
type of pasta? Kick a Tony.
Why don't you ever play cards with Machamp?
(23:34):
Because he's always got four of a kind.
Get it? He's your forearms.
OK, maybe the next one. What did Jigglypuff say to the
microphone? Don't fall asleep on me now.
Maybe I've read that wrong. What did Jigglypuff say to the
(23:56):
microphone? Don't fall asleep on me now.
No, just as bad second time. Why was Doug Trio always invited
to parties? Because they really dig the
music. Very good.
Doug Trio loves a bit of music. Dig that.
(24:18):
On the other hand, no does not. He prefers silence.
What do you call a Snorlax in a fast food drive through?
Super sized. Why did Tentacool fail his
driving test? I'm 100.
(24:38):
Tentacool taking his driving test with Mrs. Puff from
SpongeBob. That'll be great.
Anyway, sorry, why did Tentacle fail his driving test?
Because he kept getting squid swerves.
Because he kept getting squid swerves.
(25:03):
Here's one about today's spotlight Pokémon.
It's Abra. How does Abra pay for coffee
with Telecash Mises? OK, why don't Voltaub and
(25:24):
Electrode ever tell secrets? Because they might blow up the
conversation. And lastly, what's Mewtwo's
favorite type of comedy? Clone jokes.
(25:47):
Well, there you go. That was this week's Pokémon
jokes. That was Jokeammon complaints to
the usual address. Thank you very much.
And that does it for this week'sPika Pals podcast.
(26:09):
I'm about to teleport myself outof here.
It's the end of the show, and you know what that means.
(26:32):
Somehow, someway, we have to saygoodbye.
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo. Somehow, someway, we have to say
goodbye. That's all for today's episode.
(26:52):
Thanks again for hanging out Pika pals.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and a
rating to help others discover the show.
And don't forget to show the episode with a fellow trainer,
sibling, friend, or your very own Pikachu.
Coming up, next time Ash heads to Lavender Town in search for
the ghost type Pokémon, it's Tower of Terror and let's just
(27:17):
say things get spooky fast. And remember, the Pika Powers
podcast is raising money for mental health through Mind in
Somerset. You can donate to my Pika Pounds
Unite fundraiser. All the details and the Just
Giving page link are in the episode description.
(27:38):
Catch me if you can across all your socials at Pika Powers Pod.
Actually probably can catch me. I'm quite easy to catch like a
weedle. Probably just throw a poker ball
and I'll catch me. You can find me at Peeka Pals
Pod or e-mail peekapals.pod@gmail.com.
I've been Jed, this has been thePeeka Pals podcast, and you've
(28:00):
been a real Peeka POW. The show may be over, but the
journey continues. Their show is pretty boring,
(28:26):
it'll get cancelled pretty soon.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.