July 21, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode of the Pika Pals Podcast, Jed rewatches Pokémon “Beauty and the Beach” — the infamous, rarely-aired beach episode where Ash, Misty, and Brock enter a beauty contest, Team Rocket cause trouble, and chaos unfolds in the sun-soaked port town of Porta Vista. Expect a full recap, anime trivia, dub changes, and a round of “Who’s That Pokémon?”
⚡️ What you’ll hear in this episode:
Full recap and analysis of Pokémon Indigo League – “Beauty and the Beach”
Behind-the-scenes Pokémon anime trivia, production notes, and dub edits
A round of the classic “Who’s That Pokémon?” game — can you guess it before the reveal?
Pokémon-themed jokes, parody sponsors, and nostalgic mini games
Heartfelt life lessons inspired by Pokémon
💬 Join the conversation:
Do you remember the first time you heard about this “banned” episode — did you ever get to watch it?
Which part of the beach contest was your favorite: Misty’s performance, Brock’s antics, or Team Rocket’s schemes?
Do you think this episode deserved its controversial reputation, or is it just a piece of Pokémon history?
🎙 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
Leave me a voice message: PikaPalsPodcast
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 referenced from Bulbapedia and Serebii with appreciation for their amazing fan communities.
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
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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
(00:43):
in. Today on the Pika Pals podcast,
I'm diving into Pokémon episode 18, Beauty and the Beach.
This was the infamous band episode.
Let's just say it's not your average beach day in Canto.
Before I get started with today's show, I would like to
say thank you very much to everybody who has supported the
(01:05):
Pika Pals podcast. I have now passed 500 total
lessons of my Pika Pals podcast and I'm really blown away by
that. And people have been tuning in
from all over the world. I've been digging into some of
the locations where people are listening to the Peak Pals
podcast. And hello, if you're listening
(01:26):
from the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, Canada,
Germany, Russia, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Brazil, India, the
Netherlands, the Philippines, Argentina, Poland, Taiwan,
(01:48):
Malaysia, and Israel, to know that people have tuned into the
Pika Pals podcast, even if just for a few minutes, from all of
those different countries is absolutely amazing.
And I cannot thank you all enough.
And hello, to anyone who is listening from any of those
countries, please drop a commenton the podcast episode and let
(02:12):
me know where you're listening from today.
We've got a real good Pokémon episode to talk about.
It's the one where James has a massive pair of problems that
got this episode banned. Let's not wait around any
further peek of pals and get straight to it,
(02:40):
OK? You ready?
Things are about to get weird, fans.
This episode of Pokémon was called Beauty and the Beach.
The Japanese title was Holiday at Apuclo APPULCO Apulosco
Apuclo Acapolo, while James was definitely going loco down in
(03:04):
Apuclo. This originally aired in Japan
on August the 6th, 1997 and would air in the United States
on June the 24th, 2000. It was quite a big gap between
the Japanese airing and the United States airing, and we're
going to get into it on today's show because this episode was
(03:28):
banned from international broadcast for years.
I'm going to look at what aired,what didn't, and what made this
episode the most talked about beach trip in Pokémon history.
Grab your swimsuits, lather up in sun cream.
Don't forget your poker beach balls.
Let's get straight into the controversy.
(03:50):
This episode was one of five banned episodes that have aired
on Japanese television, and thiswas the first episode that was
banned in all countries outside of Asia.
It was a scene where James Crossdresses and wears an inflatable
pair of breasts that caused all the trouble.
Although he was just trying to enter a beauty contest, and I'm
(04:12):
guessing that this scene was intended for Comic Relief.
It caused so much controversy that the whole episode was
banned for almost three years. Finally, a heavily cut version
would be aired and it was only 18 minutes long.
It was titled The Lost Episode and was shown in the year 2000.
(04:36):
The English dubs only rerun was advertised as a special
presentation, and of all the band episodes, this is the only
one that was intended to be skipped completely by 4 Kids,
the production company behind Pokémon in the United States.
And ironically, it was the only one that eventually made it to
(04:59):
air. So this was the episode that
four kids saw and they did not want anything to do with.
But years later it ended up on TV.
Although heavily edited, it did end up airing as the Lost
episode because of the controversy and because it was
pulled from broadcast, this episode has the longest time
(05:20):
between its original Japanese airing and its first English dub
release. Who knew the absolute mess that
would be caused by an inflatablepair of breasts?
And this is also where the Pokémon timeline kind of gets
skewed because at 1061 days, this episode had the longest gap
(05:46):
between the Japanese anime original airing and the United
States air date, and so it's theonly major dubbed episode not
counted as part of a season internationally.
This is where the numbering of the Pokémon episodes gets a
little bit confusing. Outside of Japan, they were
(06:07):
split into seasons, but many of the band episodes were skipped,
so that episode number just wentto the next episode.
However, for the Pika Pals podcast, I am going to be going
by the full release run of the Japanese anime episodes.
In the first airing of the Japanese version, a subliminal
(06:30):
frame is shown in the middle of the impact animation when Misty
throws the beach ball at Ash's face.
And this frame actually depicts Misty posing in a bikini with
Pikachu holding a paper fan and a sign reading #1 Best.
So it's kind of a blink and you miss it moment.
(06:52):
An Easter egg frame. One of those frames that's added
for such a short amount of time on the screen, especially in the
days when we didn't have digitaltracking and we weren't able to
pause things digitally. Imagine trying to stop that on
Avhs and get the exact moment where you see Misty in a bikini
throwing a beach ball at Ash's face.
And for some reason, just to make things even more confusing,
(07:14):
the Japanese version of Netflix lists the English blurb for this
episode. It says Ash accidentally
destroys an old man's ship when he and his friends visit the
resort town of Puerta Vista, a beachside tourist destination.
So now with there's no law here in Pokémon with this episode,
(07:35):
it's years later. We're now on Netflix.
This episode's been put on the Japanese version of Netflix, but
for some reason they have the English translation.
Don't ask me. Let's just blame James's
inflatables. Now, this episode was not dubbed
when Nathan Price was voicing Meow, so it was chronologically
(07:56):
the first episode in which Maddie Blustein voiced Meow.
This episode's English dub titleis a reference to the popular
French fairy tale Beauty and theBeach.
The fairy tale is also referenced in the Japanese title
for Jump for Joy and the Englishdub title for the future episode
(08:19):
Beauty and the Breeder. And this episode also shares its
English dub title Beauty and theBeach with a Nintendo Comics
System story. Here's some more fun trivia.
Misty's Beach Ball appears to besimilar to a Master Ball.
This Master beach Ball later appears in a Hot Water Battle
(08:41):
episode and the Pikachu short Pikachu's Ice Adventure.
I actually thought that this Master Beach Ball was really
cool. I'm going to see if I can get
one of them myself. This episode is the one where
Misty and Brock chronologically meet Delia Ketchum for the first
time, as well as meeting Professor Oak in person.
(09:05):
They'd previously met Professor Oak via video call in Mystery at
the Lighthouse, but this would be the first episode where Brock
and Misty actually meet Professor Oak in person, and
it's the first time they met Ash's mum.
Speaking of first time encounters, Misty also meets
Gary Oak for the first time, whereas Brock had previously
(09:28):
battled Gary at his gym before Ash had arrived.
So those two had previously met,although we didn't see that
happen on screen. Now, contrary to popular belief,
Delia Ketchum did not win the beauty contest in either version
of this episode, nor in the Japanese nor the English dub as
she was never technically an entrant.
(09:50):
The winner of the contest is actually unknown and
unspecified, although we do see Delia with the trophy and she is
rocking a bikini and there are some interesting close-ups shown
in the episode. So I can see why a lot of
Pokémon fans maybe thought she did win the trophy.
Hell, let's give her the trophy.Let's give the trophy to Delia
(10:12):
Ketchum Swimsuit Model of the Year.
This is one of the few occasionswhere the Japanese riding on a
sign was not edited for the American version, so if you look
closely, you can still see some Japanese symbols on some of the
signs on shop fronts and on the leaflets that are shown in this
episode. In the Japanese version of
(10:34):
episode 40, Jesse refers to Misty as being a fat brat girl,
which is a reference to Jesse and James beating Misty in the
swimsuit competition. This reference was removed from
the English dub. Maybe for the best.
That was quite mean, Jesse. This episode also marks the
(10:55):
first chronological time that James says fight three times at
the end of the motto instead of just once.
How many times do you say it in your head?
If you think of the Team Rocket motto and you think of the the
last verse, do you say surrendernow or prepare to fight or
(11:17):
surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight.
As this would be the first time that James added in those extra
fights. Maybe he had a stutter, might
have been from all the excitement.
This episode marks the first chronological appearance of Team
Rockets Gyarados submarine, one of my personal favorite Team
Rocket contraptions. And here's another fact,
(11:40):
Starmie's line, after appearing with Squirtle as part of their
extraterrestrial UFO costume, which is actually only in the
Japanese version, can also be heard in, you guessed it, Super
Smash Bros. And it can be heard after you
summon Starmie via a poker ball.It's interesting the amount of
(12:02):
episodes so far that have pulleddirect sound clips from the
anime and have been reused for the Super Smash Bros game.
It makes me want to play Super Smash Bros.
I'm going to have to see if I can grab a copy of that.
Need to do Pikachu versus Kirby?Get some classic Nintendo
battles going on now. There are a few errors if you're
(12:22):
on the lookout for them. There is a scene where Meowth's
paw is seen with pads when talking to Jesse about fixing
the Gyarados submarine, but Meowth in general are not
actually seen to have a pad on their paw, although a cat does
in real life. Meowth doesn't.
There's a scene where Ash calls out all of his Pokémon, but
(12:45):
Butterfree isn't seen for some reason.
Maybe Butterfree doesn't like the beach and in the English
dub, Brock mistakenly calls Misty's Star me, Star you.
But don't worry Brock, we've allmade that mistake.
I call Star Me and Star you the wrong names all the time, so I
think we can forgive him for that each week.
I love looking at the dub edits between the original Japanese
(13:08):
version and the English dub. And of course, this one had a
lot of editing take place, so bear with me.
I'm going to try and run throughit all.
OK, prepare yourself because some of these dub edits are very
strange and it just goes to showwhy this episode was probably so
controversial. Now, in the English version, MO,
the old man, tells Misty that she reminds him of his
(13:31):
granddaughter, whereas in the Japanese version he said he's
looking forward to her in eight years.
And in the original version, Misty feels confident about
entering the bikini contest, only feeling a little shy.
The dubbed version has her feeling embarrassed and degraded
about having to appear in the contest.
(13:53):
Now let's talk about James. James was wearing an inflatable
bikini in one of the cut out scenes.
James says to Misty. However, when you're older,
you'll have a chest like this. But what else was removed Well
after Misty finished her turn inthe contest, the next footage
originally showed James showing off his inflatable bikini.
(14:17):
Then their Pokémon posing as an Amistar comes on stage.
Only the Pokémon gets shown in the English dub.
I feel sorry for the English dubeditor who had to try and piece
this episode together and still have it make some sort of sense.
Also, after Brock comments aboutGary's cheerleaders, Jesse and
(14:42):
James with the bikini still on are seen fuming before being
pulled aside by Brutella. In the English version, this
scene again is completely skipped and we go straight to
their conversation with Brutella.
I'm just imagining some of the dubs being so hilariously edited
(15:02):
that they just zoom in on Brutella's face and try and cut
James completely off of the screen, and I'm wondering what's
worse, a close up of Brotella's face or James with boobs?
I know what I think now. James's response to Brotella's
command to destroy Moe's restaurant is actually different
(15:23):
between the two versions. Originally, James says we'll go
through fire and through water, which is also the first line in
aim to be a Pokémon Master in the English Derb.
However, James says you can count on us destroying is our
speciality. Also, Ash and Brock were
(15:47):
inviting everyone to have peculiar dishes at the
restaurant, such as French friedflounder, 7 layered crab cakes,
squid on a stick, and clam juicesnow cones in the dubbed
version. However, in the original, they
(16:07):
only invited everyone to have ramen and shaved ice and to take
a break from the sun, so the English dub got very creative
there with some of the dishes onoffer.
Seven layered crab cakes Squid on a stick sounds like something
you'd have at a really fancy restaurant and pay a lot of
money for. And as I said earlier,
(16:29):
unusually, most of the Japanese text was not actually edited.
From the English dub of this episode, the term oil on the oil
barrel that Meowth is pumping into the restaurant is edited
out. I think they probably had other
things to worry about. Now here's something
interesting. Although this episode uses the
(16:50):
Pokémon theme as the intro, the initial eye catch, which is the
little sound effect between the intro and the beginning of the
episode. Similar to the start of the Pika
Pals podcast in this episode, itwas originally the Pokémon World
eye catch used for the Orange Island episodes, and those are
(17:11):
episodes that we wouldn't see for years at this point.
The Orange Island interludes or sound effects would continue at
the end of the episode, leading us into Pikachu's Jukebox.
So again, I'm guessing because this episode was shown so many
years later in the English dub, and because it had to be edited
and changed so much that there was just so many different
(17:35):
changes. At this point, they were just
dragging and dropping sound effects from any season that
they had. Now going back to the winner of
the contest, again, in the Japanese version, no winner was
specified, although it's impliedthat Delia possibly won because
she was holding the trophy, whereas in the English dub, Ash
actually won. Ash won the bikini contest.
(17:56):
Well he actually got awarded thetrophy for saving the contest
from Team Rocket and Brutella. And the engraving on the trophy
says first place in our hearts. Ash Ketchum.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to announce the winner of
the swimsuit competition and after clearing up the mess from
(18:22):
the Team Rocket and Gyarados submarine, we are pleased to
announce. The following.
In 3rd place is Gary Oakes Cheerleaders, in second place is
(18:43):
Misty and in first place by unanimous decision, the winner
of the. Pokémon Swimsuit contest is.
Delia Ketchum, Congratulations, Delia, you have a rocking.
(19:11):
Oh, sorry, sorry, I've misread. It actually says that the first
place winner is Ash Ketchum, whois first place in our hearts.
Congratulations, Ash. But what else went down in this
episode? Well, after arriving at Puerta
(19:33):
Vista, Ash and Misty accidentally crashed a boat into
a dockside restaurant. And to repay the damage, they
and Team Rocket had to enter into various jobs and contests
to raise money. The climax of this episode
centered around the controversial beauty contest
(19:53):
which show Misty, Jesse, and a very bold James all compete.
Now this is a true filler episode.
You want to talk filler Pokémon episodes, then this is up.
There has little impact on the main storyline but a ton of
character focused comedy. We get to see comedy James at
(20:15):
his very best. Pacing of this episode feels a
little bit uneven due to the edited version, but if you watch
the original Japanese dub then it is kind of makes a little bit
more sense. Understandably, they had to make
do as best they could, taking out a lot of the controversial
scenes in terms of Ash, Pikachu,and the gang.
(20:40):
We got to see Misty showing resilience and confidence during
the competition, even if it wasn't her idea of a good time.
Misty doesn't immediately strikeyou as the type of character
who'd want to put on a bikini and show off on stage, but she
took part anyway. She actually came up with a
really clever design for her UFOextraterrestrial Pokémon that
(21:01):
involved a Squirtle and her starMe.
Or was it a star you can't remember?
After Ask Brock, you might know.We also got to see just how far
Team Rocket are willing to go for money.
And in this episode overall, Brock and Ash mostly took a back
seat. But we do see Ash willing to
take responsibility for his mistake, which is good.
(21:23):
And some nice character growth for Ash.
I guess this episode could teachus about appearance versus
reality. The idea of beauty being more
than skin deep is clearly, if not comically and
controversially explored. In this episode.
We get to see teamwork as Ash and the gang and all of his
(21:46):
Pokémon work together to help rebuild the old man's
restaurant. A very fun episode, infamous but
also well remembered by many Pokémon fans.
As soon as you call something the band episode, you know that
people are going to seek it out.Some of my favorite moments.
(22:07):
Misty's overall reaction to the contest itself.
It's nice to see Misty defend herself with pride and not let
others define her worth. She stayed true to that strong
Misty character. It was a lot of fun to see the
Pokémon working together and using their abilities to help
with running the restaurant. We got to see Bulbasaur serving
drinks using his vines, we got to see Piggioto using his gust
(22:30):
power and cook some corn on a barbecue.
And it was also a lot of fun to see Meowth and the antics that
he got up to to try and sabotagethe gang, including making Misty
and Bulbasaur slip on a banana peel.
But the moment of the show has to go to James and his bikini.
(22:51):
Here's a clip from the episode. And next we have. 2 Pokémon
calling themselves the Rocket Boosters dressed as a legendary
Pokémon. They're from Team Rocket.
(23:13):
This is a very. Interesting costume.
Now stick around Pika Pals, because I am going to be right
back with some more fun facts and Pokémon jokes.
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 sponsors. I'm off to do some more research
(23:34):
about James's Rocket boosters. This episode of the Peaker
Pounds podcast is brought to youby James's Beach Balls, the only
beach balls that have Team Rocket bounce.
Whether you're strutting down the sand in a frilly disguise or
(23:56):
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Crafted with parallel coughing, core technology and a splash of
drama, these premium spheres areas resilient as Jesse's hair and
(24:17):
twice as shiny as Meowth's coin.James's Beach Balls are great
for surprise beach ambushes, failing spectacularly at
contests and emotionally complexvillain backstories in tropical
settings. Order now and Pika Pow's podcast
listeners can get the limited edition Wheezing Tie Dye Beach
(24:42):
Ball absolutely free. Because when it comes to beach
toys, prepare for trouble and make it inflatable.
James's Beach balls pop one openand feel fabulous.
This episode of the Pika Pals podcast is begrudgingly
(25:02):
sponsored by Fratella's Beachside Bar and Grill.
The finest dump on the sand, whether you like it or not.
You've got burnt burgers, solelychips and a seafood platter that
might fight back. Our drinks are warm.
Our chairs are plastic and if you complain, I'll throw you in
(25:27):
the sea myself. Kids eat half price, but only if
they don't make noise. No Pokémon on the tables, no
singing, no splashing in the bararea, and absolutely no James.
You know what you did, so come on down to patellas.
Or don't. Makes no difference to me.
(25:50):
Rutella's Beachside Bar and Grill.
Eat, pay. Get out.
(26:28):
Welcome back to the Peek of Palspodcast.
A big thank you to this week's sponsors.
I cannot wait to go to Brutella's Bar and Grill.
Let's crack open the Pokedex. Here's a clue about this week's
Pokémon. This mid stage Pokémon that's
razor sharp, talons incredible eyesight and claims a massive
(26:54):
territory, especially if you're a cat or pee.
So that just leaves me with one question.
Who's that Pokémon? Wings wide, feathers flared and
(27:16):
always ready for a gusty entrance.
It's Pidgeotto, and trust me, this one has got some serious
wind power. National Pokedex number is 17.
Pidgeotto is a normal lying typePokémon and is also listed as a
bird Pokémon. It evolves from Pidgey starting
(27:37):
at level 18 and evolves into Pidgeotto starting at level 36.
Now, despite its name, Hijioto does not resemble a pigeon so
much as a bird of prey, such as an osprey or an eagle, due to
its large size and predatory behavior.
(27:57):
It also shares some characteristics with various
passerine birds such as sparrows, chickadees, waxwings,
and wrens. It's red chest is somewhat
similar to the crests of cockatoos.
The black markings around Piggioto's eyes are reminiscent
of Wrath and Horus, the sun and sky gods of Egyptian mythology
(28:23):
who were depicted with the headsof Vulcans.
Piggioto may be a combination ofthe words pigeon and the Italian
imitative suffix Otto. It is also very similar to the
Romanized spelling of Piggiot's Japanese name, Pioto.
(28:43):
Pigeon is literally pigeon. A Piggioto is the only Pokémon
with a base stack total of 349. In some games, the Pokedex
states that the Piggioto will fiercely Peck at any intruder.
However, Piggioto is unable to learn Peck.
(29:04):
Piggioto is also the first Pokémon of the Normal and Flying
types to have been owned by any main character in Pokémon the
series. Piggioto is the first of Ash's
Pokémon to have been caught and it's evolved form and to have
used a move that caused recoil damage, in this case, Double
(29:25):
Edge. Piggioto never won a Gym battle
under Ash's ownership, though ittook a strong lead against both
Misty Starmy and Giovanni's Rideon.
Unfortunately, neither battle was officially awarded to Ash.
Piggioto's evolution into Pigeonseems to have been teased or at
(29:47):
least influenced by the 1st opening of the animated series
of Pokémon, which displays Ash throwing a poker ball containing
A Pigeot to battle a Pharaoh. And in Pokémon Yellow and
Generation Two games, as well astheir remakes, it is possible to
actually catch an under leveled Piggioto in the Viridian Forest.
(30:11):
This is possibly a reference to Ash's Piggioto in the animasive.
So whether it's blowing away components with Gus or keeping
an aerial eye on danger, Piggioto doesn't just fly, he
soars. That was this week's Pokémon
Spotlight, and now it's time fora little bit of fun.
(30:31):
It's time for everyone's favorite segment.
It's time for Joke Him on. Here we go with some Pokémon
jokes. The first one, Canopy always
gets invited to book clubs. They love a good transformation
story. Here's one about Sand Slash.
(30:55):
Sand Slash opened a Barber shop but closed after one week.
Turns out giving haircuts with claws is a cutthroat business.
Here's a joke for you Oddish fans.
Oddish always smiles in photos because it's rooted in joy.
(31:16):
Did you know that Weazing ran for office?
His campaign slogan was Breathe Different.
OK, here's a joke about the Elite 4.
Why don't the Elite 4 use datingapps?
Because they don't swipe right. They KO in one hit.
But not getting any better this week.
(31:41):
Well, let's end with one about Officer Jenny.
Officer Jenny pulled me over theother day.
Said I was suspiciously throwingpoker balls at a parking meter.
In my defence, it looked like a Volt Orb.
Well, that was the Pokémon jokeseveryone, that was Jokimon.
(32:12):
It's time for Dragon Knight's mailbag.
And this week's question comes from Anthony Smith, who asks how
come this episode was banned when there are other weird
episodes that weren't. Well, I guess it all just comes
down to timing and individual broadcast standards.
At the time, cultural expectations in the US were a
(32:32):
little bit different. So James with boobs maybe push
the envelope just far enough forthe network to panic.
I think it would probably be allowed on TV today.
And there has been plenty of other questionable moments in
Pokémon and many other TV shows that have slipped by the
sensors. So it's a reminder that editing
choices don't always make sense,and neither do sensor choices.
(32:56):
Understandably. There were a few moments in
there and some dialogue that probably shouldn't have been in
a kids show. I guess that we were just in a
different time back in the late 90s and people weren't ready for
James with inflatable breasts. Well, it's the end of the show,
and you know what that means. The time has come.
(33:19):
It's for the best I know it. Somehow, someway, we have to say
goodbye. That's all for today's episode,
(33:43):
Peeker pals. Thanks for hanging out with me.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and a
rating as that will help others discover the show.
And don't forget to share the Pika Powers podcast with a
fellow trainer, family member, friend or your very own Pikachu
coming up next time. Tend to cool and tend to cruel
(34:05):
where things are about to get a little bit slimy.
Don't forget I'm raising money for the mental health charity
Mind in Somerset. Thank you to everyone who has
kindly donated so far. You can find out more about my
Pika Pals Unite fundraiser in the episode description.
Raising money for mental health,spreading friendship beyond the
(34:26):
screen. Thank you for your support.
You can catch me across all the socials at Eat a Mania that's
Eat a Mania or e-mail at eatamania@gmail.com.
But I've been Jed, this has beenthe Pika Pals podcast, and
you've been a real Pika pal. The show may be over, but the
(34:47):
journey continues.
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
(00:43):
in. Today on the Pika Pals podcast,
I'm diving into Pokémon episode 18, Beauty and the Beach.
This was the infamous band episode.
Let's just say it's not your average beach day in Canto.
Before I get started with today's show, I would like to
say thank you very much to everybody who has supported the
(01:05):
Pika Pals podcast. I have now passed 500 total
lessons of my Pika Pals podcast and I'm really blown away by
that. And people have been tuning in
from all over the world. I've been digging into some of
the locations where people are listening to the Peak Pals
podcast. And hello, if you're listening
(01:26):
from the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, Canada,
Germany, Russia, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Brazil, India, the
Netherlands, the Philippines, Argentina, Poland, Taiwan,
(01:48):
Malaysia, and Israel, to know that people have tuned into the
Pika Pals podcast, even if just for a few minutes, from all of
those different countries is absolutely amazing.
And I cannot thank you all enough.
And hello, to anyone who is listening from any of those
countries, please drop a commenton the podcast episode and let
(02:12):
me know where you're listening from today.
We've got a real good Pokémon episode to talk about.
It's the one where James has a massive pair of problems that
got this episode banned. Let's not wait around any
further peek of pals and get straight to it,
(02:40):
OK? You ready?
Things are about to get weird, fans.
This episode of Pokémon was called Beauty and the Beach.
The Japanese title was Holiday at Apuclo APPULCO Apulosco
Apuclo Acapolo, while James was definitely going loco down in
(03:04):
Apuclo. This originally aired in Japan
on August the 6th, 1997 and would air in the United States
on June the 24th, 2000. It was quite a big gap between
the Japanese airing and the United States airing, and we're
going to get into it on today's show because this episode was
(03:28):
banned from international broadcast for years.
I'm going to look at what aired,what didn't, and what made this
episode the most talked about beach trip in Pokémon history.
Grab your swimsuits, lather up in sun cream.
Don't forget your poker beach balls.
Let's get straight into the controversy.
(03:50):
This episode was one of five banned episodes that have aired
on Japanese television, and thiswas the first episode that was
banned in all countries outside of Asia.
It was a scene where James Crossdresses and wears an inflatable
pair of breasts that caused all the trouble.
Although he was just trying to enter a beauty contest, and I'm
(04:12):
guessing that this scene was intended for Comic Relief.
It caused so much controversy that the whole episode was
banned for almost three years. Finally, a heavily cut version
would be aired and it was only 18 minutes long.
It was titled The Lost Episode and was shown in the year 2000.
(04:36):
The English dubs only rerun was advertised as a special
presentation, and of all the band episodes, this is the only
one that was intended to be skipped completely by 4 Kids,
the production company behind Pokémon in the United States.
And ironically, it was the only one that eventually made it to
(04:59):
air. So this was the episode that
four kids saw and they did not want anything to do with.
But years later it ended up on TV.
Although heavily edited, it did end up airing as the Lost
episode because of the controversy and because it was
pulled from broadcast, this episode has the longest time
(05:20):
between its original Japanese airing and its first English dub
release. Who knew the absolute mess that
would be caused by an inflatablepair of breasts?
And this is also where the Pokémon timeline kind of gets
skewed because at 1061 days, this episode had the longest gap
(05:46):
between the Japanese anime original airing and the United
States air date, and so it's theonly major dubbed episode not
counted as part of a season internationally.
This is where the numbering of the Pokémon episodes gets a
little bit confusing. Outside of Japan, they were
(06:07):
split into seasons, but many of the band episodes were skipped,
so that episode number just wentto the next episode.
However, for the Pika Pals podcast, I am going to be going
by the full release run of the Japanese anime episodes.
In the first airing of the Japanese version, a subliminal
(06:30):
frame is shown in the middle of the impact animation when Misty
throws the beach ball at Ash's face.
And this frame actually depicts Misty posing in a bikini with
Pikachu holding a paper fan and a sign reading #1 Best.
So it's kind of a blink and you miss it moment.
(06:52):
An Easter egg frame. One of those frames that's added
for such a short amount of time on the screen, especially in the
days when we didn't have digitaltracking and we weren't able to
pause things digitally. Imagine trying to stop that on
Avhs and get the exact moment where you see Misty in a bikini
throwing a beach ball at Ash's face.
And for some reason, just to make things even more confusing,
(07:14):
the Japanese version of Netflix lists the English blurb for this
episode. It says Ash accidentally
destroys an old man's ship when he and his friends visit the
resort town of Puerta Vista, a beachside tourist destination.
So now with there's no law here in Pokémon with this episode,
(07:35):
it's years later. We're now on Netflix.
This episode's been put on the Japanese version of Netflix, but
for some reason they have the English translation.
Don't ask me. Let's just blame James's
inflatables. Now, this episode was not dubbed
when Nathan Price was voicing Meow, so it was chronologically
(07:56):
the first episode in which Maddie Blustein voiced Meow.
This episode's English dub titleis a reference to the popular
French fairy tale Beauty and theBeach.
The fairy tale is also referenced in the Japanese title
for Jump for Joy and the Englishdub title for the future episode
(08:19):
Beauty and the Breeder. And this episode also shares its
English dub title Beauty and theBeach with a Nintendo Comics
System story. Here's some more fun trivia.
Misty's Beach Ball appears to besimilar to a Master Ball.
This Master beach Ball later appears in a Hot Water Battle
(08:41):
episode and the Pikachu short Pikachu's Ice Adventure.
I actually thought that this Master Beach Ball was really
cool. I'm going to see if I can get
one of them myself. This episode is the one where
Misty and Brock chronologically meet Delia Ketchum for the first
time, as well as meeting Professor Oak in person.
(09:05):
They'd previously met Professor Oak via video call in Mystery at
the Lighthouse, but this would be the first episode where Brock
and Misty actually meet Professor Oak in person, and
it's the first time they met Ash's mum.
Speaking of first time encounters, Misty also meets
Gary Oak for the first time, whereas Brock had previously
(09:28):
battled Gary at his gym before Ash had arrived.
So those two had previously met,although we didn't see that
happen on screen. Now, contrary to popular belief,
Delia Ketchum did not win the beauty contest in either version
of this episode, nor in the Japanese nor the English dub as
she was never technically an entrant.
(09:50):
The winner of the contest is actually unknown and
unspecified, although we do see Delia with the trophy and she is
rocking a bikini and there are some interesting close-ups shown
in the episode. So I can see why a lot of
Pokémon fans maybe thought she did win the trophy.
Hell, let's give her the trophy.Let's give the trophy to Delia
(10:12):
Ketchum Swimsuit Model of the Year.
This is one of the few occasionswhere the Japanese riding on a
sign was not edited for the American version, so if you look
closely, you can still see some Japanese symbols on some of the
signs on shop fronts and on the leaflets that are shown in this
episode. In the Japanese version of
(10:34):
episode 40, Jesse refers to Misty as being a fat brat girl,
which is a reference to Jesse and James beating Misty in the
swimsuit competition. This reference was removed from
the English dub. Maybe for the best.
That was quite mean, Jesse. This episode also marks the
(10:55):
first chronological time that James says fight three times at
the end of the motto instead of just once.
How many times do you say it in your head?
If you think of the Team Rocket motto and you think of the the
last verse, do you say surrendernow or prepare to fight or
(11:17):
surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight.
As this would be the first time that James added in those extra
fights. Maybe he had a stutter, might
have been from all the excitement.
This episode marks the first chronological appearance of Team
Rockets Gyarados submarine, one of my personal favorite Team
Rocket contraptions. And here's another fact,
(11:40):
Starmie's line, after appearing with Squirtle as part of their
extraterrestrial UFO costume, which is actually only in the
Japanese version, can also be heard in, you guessed it, Super
Smash Bros. And it can be heard after you
summon Starmie via a poker ball.It's interesting the amount of
(12:02):
episodes so far that have pulleddirect sound clips from the
anime and have been reused for the Super Smash Bros game.
It makes me want to play Super Smash Bros.
I'm going to have to see if I can grab a copy of that.
Need to do Pikachu versus Kirby?Get some classic Nintendo
battles going on now. There are a few errors if you're
(12:22):
on the lookout for them. There is a scene where Meowth's
paw is seen with pads when talking to Jesse about fixing
the Gyarados submarine, but Meowth in general are not
actually seen to have a pad on their paw, although a cat does
in real life. Meowth doesn't.
There's a scene where Ash calls out all of his Pokémon, but
(12:45):
Butterfree isn't seen for some reason.
Maybe Butterfree doesn't like the beach and in the English
dub, Brock mistakenly calls Misty's Star me, Star you.
But don't worry Brock, we've allmade that mistake.
I call Star Me and Star you the wrong names all the time, so I
think we can forgive him for that each week.
I love looking at the dub edits between the original Japanese
(13:08):
version and the English dub. And of course, this one had a
lot of editing take place, so bear with me.
I'm going to try and run throughit all.
OK, prepare yourself because some of these dub edits are very
strange and it just goes to showwhy this episode was probably so
controversial. Now, in the English version, MO,
the old man, tells Misty that she reminds him of his
(13:31):
granddaughter, whereas in the Japanese version he said he's
looking forward to her in eight years.
And in the original version, Misty feels confident about
entering the bikini contest, only feeling a little shy.
The dubbed version has her feeling embarrassed and degraded
about having to appear in the contest.
(13:53):
Now let's talk about James. James was wearing an inflatable
bikini in one of the cut out scenes.
James says to Misty. However, when you're older,
you'll have a chest like this. But what else was removed Well
after Misty finished her turn inthe contest, the next footage
originally showed James showing off his inflatable bikini.
(14:17):
Then their Pokémon posing as an Amistar comes on stage.
Only the Pokémon gets shown in the English dub.
I feel sorry for the English dubeditor who had to try and piece
this episode together and still have it make some sort of sense.
Also, after Brock comments aboutGary's cheerleaders, Jesse and
(14:42):
James with the bikini still on are seen fuming before being
pulled aside by Brutella. In the English version, this
scene again is completely skipped and we go straight to
their conversation with Brutella.
I'm just imagining some of the dubs being so hilariously edited
(15:02):
that they just zoom in on Brutella's face and try and cut
James completely off of the screen, and I'm wondering what's
worse, a close up of Brotella's face or James with boobs?
I know what I think now. James's response to Brotella's
command to destroy Moe's restaurant is actually different
(15:23):
between the two versions. Originally, James says we'll go
through fire and through water, which is also the first line in
aim to be a Pokémon Master in the English Derb.
However, James says you can count on us destroying is our
speciality. Also, Ash and Brock were
(15:47):
inviting everyone to have peculiar dishes at the
restaurant, such as French friedflounder, 7 layered crab cakes,
squid on a stick, and clam juicesnow cones in the dubbed
version. However, in the original, they
(16:07):
only invited everyone to have ramen and shaved ice and to take
a break from the sun, so the English dub got very creative
there with some of the dishes onoffer.
Seven layered crab cakes Squid on a stick sounds like something
you'd have at a really fancy restaurant and pay a lot of
money for. And as I said earlier,
(16:29):
unusually, most of the Japanese text was not actually edited.
From the English dub of this episode, the term oil on the oil
barrel that Meowth is pumping into the restaurant is edited
out. I think they probably had other
things to worry about. Now here's something
interesting. Although this episode uses the
(16:50):
Pokémon theme as the intro, the initial eye catch, which is the
little sound effect between the intro and the beginning of the
episode. Similar to the start of the Pika
Pals podcast in this episode, itwas originally the Pokémon World
eye catch used for the Orange Island episodes, and those are
(17:11):
episodes that we wouldn't see for years at this point.
The Orange Island interludes or sound effects would continue at
the end of the episode, leading us into Pikachu's Jukebox.
So again, I'm guessing because this episode was shown so many
years later in the English dub, and because it had to be edited
and changed so much that there was just so many different
(17:35):
changes. At this point, they were just
dragging and dropping sound effects from any season that
they had. Now going back to the winner of
the contest, again, in the Japanese version, no winner was
specified, although it's impliedthat Delia possibly won because
she was holding the trophy, whereas in the English dub, Ash
actually won. Ash won the bikini contest.
(17:56):
Well he actually got awarded thetrophy for saving the contest
from Team Rocket and Brutella. And the engraving on the trophy
says first place in our hearts. Ash Ketchum.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to announce the winner of
the swimsuit competition and after clearing up the mess from
(18:22):
the Team Rocket and Gyarados submarine, we are pleased to
announce. The following.
In 3rd place is Gary Oakes Cheerleaders, in second place is
(18:43):
Misty and in first place by unanimous decision, the winner
of the. Pokémon Swimsuit contest is.
Delia Ketchum, Congratulations, Delia, you have a rocking.
(19:11):
Oh, sorry, sorry, I've misread. It actually says that the first
place winner is Ash Ketchum, whois first place in our hearts.
Congratulations, Ash. But what else went down in this
episode? Well, after arriving at Puerta
(19:33):
Vista, Ash and Misty accidentally crashed a boat into
a dockside restaurant. And to repay the damage, they
and Team Rocket had to enter into various jobs and contests
to raise money. The climax of this episode
centered around the controversial beauty contest
(19:53):
which show Misty, Jesse, and a very bold James all compete.
Now this is a true filler episode.
You want to talk filler Pokémon episodes, then this is up.
There has little impact on the main storyline but a ton of
character focused comedy. We get to see comedy James at
(20:15):
his very best. Pacing of this episode feels a
little bit uneven due to the edited version, but if you watch
the original Japanese dub then it is kind of makes a little bit
more sense. Understandably, they had to make
do as best they could, taking out a lot of the controversial
scenes in terms of Ash, Pikachu,and the gang.
(20:40):
We got to see Misty showing resilience and confidence during
the competition, even if it wasn't her idea of a good time.
Misty doesn't immediately strikeyou as the type of character
who'd want to put on a bikini and show off on stage, but she
took part anyway. She actually came up with a
really clever design for her UFOextraterrestrial Pokémon that
(21:01):
involved a Squirtle and her starMe.
Or was it a star you can't remember?
After Ask Brock, you might know.We also got to see just how far
Team Rocket are willing to go for money.
And in this episode overall, Brock and Ash mostly took a back
seat. But we do see Ash willing to
take responsibility for his mistake, which is good.
(21:23):
And some nice character growth for Ash.
I guess this episode could teachus about appearance versus
reality. The idea of beauty being more
than skin deep is clearly, if not comically and
controversially explored. In this episode.
We get to see teamwork as Ash and the gang and all of his
(21:46):
Pokémon work together to help rebuild the old man's
restaurant. A very fun episode, infamous but
also well remembered by many Pokémon fans.
As soon as you call something the band episode, you know that
people are going to seek it out.Some of my favorite moments.
(22:07):
Misty's overall reaction to the contest itself.
It's nice to see Misty defend herself with pride and not let
others define her worth. She stayed true to that strong
Misty character. It was a lot of fun to see the
Pokémon working together and using their abilities to help
with running the restaurant. We got to see Bulbasaur serving
drinks using his vines, we got to see Piggioto using his gust
(22:30):
power and cook some corn on a barbecue.
And it was also a lot of fun to see Meowth and the antics that
he got up to to try and sabotagethe gang, including making Misty
and Bulbasaur slip on a banana peel.
But the moment of the show has to go to James and his bikini.
(22:51):
Here's a clip from the episode. And next we have. 2 Pokémon
calling themselves the Rocket Boosters dressed as a legendary
Pokémon. They're from Team Rocket.
(23:13):
This is a very. Interesting costume.
Now stick around Pika Pals, because I am going to be right
back with some more fun facts and Pokémon jokes.
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 sponsors. I'm off to do some more research
(23:34):
about James's Rocket boosters. This episode of the Peaker
Pounds podcast is brought to youby James's Beach Balls, the only
beach balls that have Team Rocket bounce.
Whether you're strutting down the sand in a frilly disguise or
(23:56):
blasting off yet again, James's Beach balls are guaranteed to
keep your summer fun fully inflated.
Crafted with parallel coughing, core technology and a splash of
drama, these premium spheres areas resilient as Jesse's hair and
(24:17):
twice as shiny as Meowth's coin.James's Beach Balls are great
for surprise beach ambushes, failing spectacularly at
contests and emotionally complexvillain backstories in tropical
settings. Order now and Pika Pow's podcast
listeners can get the limited edition Wheezing Tie Dye Beach
(24:42):
Ball absolutely free. Because when it comes to beach
toys, prepare for trouble and make it inflatable.
James's Beach balls pop one openand feel fabulous.
This episode of the Pika Pals podcast is begrudgingly
(25:02):
sponsored by Fratella's Beachside Bar and Grill.
The finest dump on the sand, whether you like it or not.
You've got burnt burgers, solelychips and a seafood platter that
might fight back. Our drinks are warm.
Our chairs are plastic and if you complain, I'll throw you in
(25:27):
the sea myself. Kids eat half price, but only if
they don't make noise. No Pokémon on the tables, no
singing, no splashing in the bararea, and absolutely no James.
You know what you did, so come on down to patellas.
Or don't. Makes no difference to me.
(25:50):
Rutella's Beachside Bar and Grill.
Eat, pay. Get out.
(26:28):
Welcome back to the Peek of Palspodcast.
A big thank you to this week's sponsors.
I cannot wait to go to Brutella's Bar and Grill.
Let's crack open the Pokedex. Here's a clue about this week's
Pokémon. This mid stage Pokémon that's
razor sharp, talons incredible eyesight and claims a massive
(26:54):
territory, especially if you're a cat or pee.
So that just leaves me with one question.
Who's that Pokémon? Wings wide, feathers flared and
(27:16):
always ready for a gusty entrance.
It's Pidgeotto, and trust me, this one has got some serious
wind power. National Pokedex number is 17.
Pidgeotto is a normal lying typePokémon and is also listed as a
bird Pokémon. It evolves from Pidgey starting
(27:37):
at level 18 and evolves into Pidgeotto starting at level 36.
Now, despite its name, Hijioto does not resemble a pigeon so
much as a bird of prey, such as an osprey or an eagle, due to
its large size and predatory behavior.
(27:57):
It also shares some characteristics with various
passerine birds such as sparrows, chickadees, waxwings,
and wrens. It's red chest is somewhat
similar to the crests of cockatoos.
The black markings around Piggioto's eyes are reminiscent
of Wrath and Horus, the sun and sky gods of Egyptian mythology
(28:23):
who were depicted with the headsof Vulcans.
Piggioto may be a combination ofthe words pigeon and the Italian
imitative suffix Otto. It is also very similar to the
Romanized spelling of Piggiot's Japanese name, Pioto.
(28:43):
Pigeon is literally pigeon. A Piggioto is the only Pokémon
with a base stack total of 349. In some games, the Pokedex
states that the Piggioto will fiercely Peck at any intruder.
However, Piggioto is unable to learn Peck.
(29:04):
Piggioto is also the first Pokémon of the Normal and Flying
types to have been owned by any main character in Pokémon the
series. Piggioto is the first of Ash's
Pokémon to have been caught and it's evolved form and to have
used a move that caused recoil damage, in this case, Double
(29:25):
Edge. Piggioto never won a Gym battle
under Ash's ownership, though ittook a strong lead against both
Misty Starmy and Giovanni's Rideon.
Unfortunately, neither battle was officially awarded to Ash.
Piggioto's evolution into Pigeonseems to have been teased or at
(29:47):
least influenced by the 1st opening of the animated series
of Pokémon, which displays Ash throwing a poker ball containing
A Pigeot to battle a Pharaoh. And in Pokémon Yellow and
Generation Two games, as well astheir remakes, it is possible to
actually catch an under leveled Piggioto in the Viridian Forest.
(30:11):
This is possibly a reference to Ash's Piggioto in the animasive.
So whether it's blowing away components with Gus or keeping
an aerial eye on danger, Piggioto doesn't just fly, he
soars. That was this week's Pokémon
Spotlight, and now it's time fora little bit of fun.
(30:31):
It's time for everyone's favorite segment.
It's time for Joke Him on. Here we go with some Pokémon
jokes. The first one, Canopy always
gets invited to book clubs. They love a good transformation
story. Here's one about Sand Slash.
(30:55):
Sand Slash opened a Barber shop but closed after one week.
Turns out giving haircuts with claws is a cutthroat business.
Here's a joke for you Oddish fans.
Oddish always smiles in photos because it's rooted in joy.
(31:16):
Did you know that Weazing ran for office?
His campaign slogan was Breathe Different.
OK, here's a joke about the Elite 4.
Why don't the Elite 4 use datingapps?
Because they don't swipe right. They KO in one hit.
But not getting any better this week.
(31:41):
Well, let's end with one about Officer Jenny.
Officer Jenny pulled me over theother day.
Said I was suspiciously throwingpoker balls at a parking meter.
In my defence, it looked like a Volt Orb.
Well, that was the Pokémon jokeseveryone, that was Jokimon.
(32:12):
It's time for Dragon Knight's mailbag.
And this week's question comes from Anthony Smith, who asks how
come this episode was banned when there are other weird
episodes that weren't. Well, I guess it all just comes
down to timing and individual broadcast standards.
At the time, cultural expectations in the US were a
(32:32):
little bit different. So James with boobs maybe push
the envelope just far enough forthe network to panic.
I think it would probably be allowed on TV today.
And there has been plenty of other questionable moments in
Pokémon and many other TV shows that have slipped by the
sensors. So it's a reminder that editing
choices don't always make sense,and neither do sensor choices.
(32:56):
Understandably. There were a few moments in
there and some dialogue that probably shouldn't have been in
a kids show. I guess that we were just in a
different time back in the late 90s and people weren't ready for
James with inflatable breasts. Well, it's the end of the show,
and you know what that means. The time has come.
(33:19):
It's for the best I know it. Somehow, someway, we have to say
goodbye. That's all for today's episode,
(33:43):
Peeker pals. Thanks for hanging out with me.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and a
rating as that will help others discover the show.
And don't forget to share the Pika Powers podcast with a
fellow trainer, family member, friend or your very own Pikachu
coming up next time. Tend to cool and tend to cruel
(34:05):
where things are about to get a little bit slimy.
Don't forget I'm raising money for the mental health charity
Mind in Somerset. Thank you to everyone who has
kindly donated so far. You can find out more about my
Pika Pals Unite fundraiser in the episode description.
Raising money for mental health,spreading friendship beyond the
(34:26):
screen. Thank you for your support.
You can catch me across all the socials at Eat a Mania that's
Eat a Mania or e-mail at eatamania@gmail.com.
But I've been Jed, this has beenthe Pika Pals podcast, and
you've been a real Pika pal. The show may be over, but the
(34:47):
journey continues.
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