04x13 - A Better Pill to Swallow

[bunniefuu]

male narrator:
As they continue on their way

to Ecruteak City,

one of our friends gets
an unpleasant "gut feeling."

- [groaning]

- Pika?

- Huh? What's the matter?
Something wrong?

- Yeah, my stomach.

- You've been
stuffing yourself again.

- What do you mean?

- Ash, at lunch,
you did eat four hamburgers.

- I did not.
I had five.

[both groan]

- Pika, Pi!

- Don't worry, Pikachu.
I'm okay.

[groans]
Or I will be.

- Brock, do you have anything
Ash could take?

- I used to,
but I'm all out now.

- Ash needs help.

What should we do?

- I don't know.

Maybe there's a pharmacy
around someplace.

- May I be of some help?

both:
Huh?

- Misty, I just heard somebody
say something.

- Yeah, so did I.

- Yes, I did too.

- Huh?

[both yell]

It's one of those evil,
disgusting little trolls!

- Who are you calling evil
and disgusting?

h*-h*!

I may be little,
but I'm not a troll.

I'm Old Man Shuckle.

- Old Man Shuckle?

- I only wanted to help
your sick friend,

but if you think
I'm evil and disgusting...

- I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it.

Please, wait a minute!
Old Man Chuckle!

- It's Old Man Shuckle!

- Aah!

- Brock made a mistake,
Old Man Shuckle.

Please, can you do something
to cure Ash's stomachache?

- h*-h*-h*-h*!

So Ash here
has an achy tummy, does he?

- That's right.

- Let's see where it hurts.

Here? Here?

And over here?

- That's right.

All over.

- Hmm.
I got just the thing.

[chuckles]

These'll ease the tummy.

- I hope so.

Thanks a lot, sir.

[gulps]

Hey!
[laughs]

boom!

- Huh?

- Pika, Pi!

- [singing]
Pokémon, Pokémon, Pokémon

- Let's do it.

I wanna be the very best

Like no one ever was

Ever was, ever was

To catch them is my real test

To train them is my cause

My whole life has led to this

Time to test my skills

I know I just can't miss

Gonna show the world

Born to be a winner

- Johto

- Born to be a champion

Born to be a winner

Born to be the very best

- Pokémon
- Johto

- Born to be a winner

Pokémon

- Ash, are you okay?
Wake up.

- Maybe...

What was in that medicine
you gave to our friend Ash?

- The same things I always
put in my Pokémon medicine.

- You gave him
Pokémon medicine?

- Yes.
But please, I can explain!

- Know what?
My stomachache's all gone.

- Huh?

Are you sure, Ash?

- Yeah.

[groans]

- Ash, what was that?

- That was a hunger pain.

- You see, the medicines
and remedies I make

work for both Pokémon
and humans.

- You mean you made
that miraculous medicine

all by yourself?

I knew the second I saw you

that you were like a wizard
or something.

- I like to think so.

- Just look at you.

You're surrounded
by a magical light.

- That's not a magical light,
Brock.

That's a flashlight.

- [clears throat]

I have an idea.

Why don't you come and see
where I do my work?

both:
Huh?

- We'd love to.
You just lead the way.

Oh!
- Well, here we are.

This is where I mix the herbs
and fruits and grasses

to make my Pokémon elixirs.

- Wow, so all your ingredients
are natural, huh?

- Natural or unnatural,
they sure cured my stomachache.

- But what you make

isn't ordinary natural medicine,
is it?

- [laughs]

No, it's not.

- There's that magic light
again.

- Better save the batteries.

- [clears throat]

Truth be told, young man,

there is a secret to how I make
my natural medicines.

- You have to tell it to me.

I'd keep it a secret.

- If you'd keep it a secret,
why shouldn't he?

- I guess that's true.

- Don't worry.
I'll tell you.

- Huh?
- You will, really?

- You just follow me.

- He's about to reveal
the secret

of his Pokémon medicine to me.

[all gasp]

- Pika.

- What are they?

- They look like some kind
of hard-shelled pods.

- There must be something
on the inside that makes them--

Huh?

[yelps]

- What's the matter?
What's wrong?

- There's something alive
inside.

both:
Huh?

- Shuckle, Uckle.

- Pika!
- Shuckle.

- That's just one of my Shuckle.

- Shuckle?

- Shuckle, the Mold Pokémon.

When Shuckle
places organic materials

in its husk-like shell,

the items are transformed
into a unique juice.

Shuckle are naturally shy

and are most often found
hiding beneath rocks.

- Without
my Shuckle friends here,

I couldn't make my medicine.

- Why's that, Old Man Shuckle?

- I mix up
the various ingredients

and pour them
into all the Shuckle shells

and seal them up tight,
and they turn into a juice.

This juice has many
powerful properties,

and it is the basis
of all my medicines,

elixirs, and tonics.

Using it, I can make pills
and potions

to restore Pokémon health
and increase muscle.

It can boost the strength
of Pokémon attacks

like Flamethrower, Water g*n,

and a host of other abilities.

- Absolutely fascinating.

- And by using
different ingredients

and different Shuckle,

I can create a variety
of different medicines.

For instance,
this is a regular Shuckle.

But a Shuckle like this
can produce a juice

that will allow anyone
who uses it to tame any Pokémon.

- Just imagine if I could tame
any Pokémon.

I could have all the Pokémon
I wanted.

I'd be the world's
greatest breeder.

[Pikachu groaning]

I've never asked you
for a favor before

mainly because
I've never met you before,

but I'd be the happiest person
in the world

if you gave me
that Shuckle juice.

- Sadly, I'm not as spry
as I used to be,

and finding a rare
purple Shuckle isn't easy.

- There must be some way.

- If I only had some way
to catch the purple Shuckle,

I suppose I could spare
some of its juice.

- What can I say?

Thank you so much.

- But only on one condition.

- Condition?

- This can't be done
without some very special help.

Spoopie.
Spoopie.

- What's Spoopie?
- Bellsprout.

Sprout, Bellsprout.

- Aha!
This is Spoopie.

- Bellsprout.

all:
A Bellsprout?

- Spoopie is amazing.

It can tell just by smelling
where the Shuckle are

and which ones
are finished making juice.

- Bellsprout.
Bellsprout.

Bell...sprout.

[sniffing]

- But I'm not getting
any younger,

and coming up into
these mountains with Spoopie

and looking for Shuckle
is getting harder and harder.

- Why don't you just capture
a bunch of them?

- Regretfully, only wild Shuckle
can make juice

that's powerful enough to use.

So I combine the ingredients

and put them
in the Shuckle shell,

take them back
to the mountains,

and wait one whole year.

When the year's passed,

I come up to the mountains
and begin the search.

And believe me,
these Shuckle are skittish,

so it takes quite a lot
of searching.

- So you use your Bellsprout

to sniff them out
and catch them.

- Yes, but even with my Spoopie,

I still need
quite a bit of help.

That's why I was thinking
if all of you pitch in...

- Then Brock gets some juice.

- That's right.

- To get a juice
that tames Pokémon,

I'll do anything.

- Good, then let's get started.

- Did you hear what I heard?

- With that juice,
we could be the masters

of the Pokémon universe.

- If we get our hands
on those Shuckle,

we'll be the richest trio
anywhere.

all:
Ah!

- Keeping up with Spoopie
isn't as easy as it sounds.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

- Don't you worry.
We'll be fine, Old Man Shuckle.

- [sniffing]
Bellsprout!

- Follow that Spoopie.

- Sprout, Sprout, Sprout,
Sprout, Sprout, Sprout!

both:
Aah!

- Let's go!
- Come on.

- Ready to roll, Togepi?

- Togepi.

- Good luck.

And don't forget,
I'm counting on you

to bring back
the purple-colored Shuckle.

- Don't worry!

We will!

- Bell.

[all panting]

Sprout, Sprout, Sprout,
Sprout, Sprout, Sprout!

[sniffing]

Sprout. Sprout.

Sprout?

Sprout.
[sniffing]

Sprout.

Bellsprout.
Bellsprout.

Bellsprout!

Sprout, Sprout.

Bellsprout.

Bellsprout.
Bellsprout.

Bellsprout!

Bellsprout.

- [groaning]

- How fast can Spoopie go?

- That Spoopie's pretty speedy.

- Bellsprout.

Sprout.
[sniffing]

Bellsprout.

- Ha, I think that's a winner.

- Bellsprout!

all:
Aah!

- [groans]

- Bellsprout.
Bellsprout.

Bellsprout.
Bellsprout.

- Hey, I'm a breeder,
not an outfielder.

- Bellsprout, Bellsprout,
Bellsprout, Bellsprout.

- They're all over.

- It's like a Shuckle shower.

- Pika!

[groans]

- Bellsprout.
Bellsprout.

Sprout!

- There it goes.

- The purple Shuckle.

- Huh?
- Spoopie!

- Wait, Brock.
Come back.

What are we supposed to do
with all of these Shuckle?

- Spoopie, slow down!
Wait for me!

[yelling]

- Who's that Pokémon?

- It's Eevee!

- Brock.

- If you can hear us,
say something.

- Hello!

- Pika!

- Where are you?

- [groaning]

Here I am.

- Brock, are you okay?

- Oh, my.

- I couldn't keep up
with Spoopie.

- Brock.

- Spoopie.

- Pika.

- [sniffing]

Bellsprout.

[sniffing]

Bellsprout.
Bellsprout!

Bellsprout.

Bellsprout!

Bellsprout!

- You know,
maybe this was a bad idea.

- Don't worry.

We'll find Spoopie

if we keep following
the Shuckle trail.

both:
Huh?

- There's Spoopie.

- Bellsprout. Bell.

- Shuckle, Uckle.

- Sprout, Bellsprout.

- Hmm-hmm-hmm.

- Bellsprout. Bell.

- Shuckle, Uckle.

- Spoopie found
the purple Shuckle after all.

- I wish I knew
what those two were saying.

- Bellsprout, Bell.

- Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm.

- Bell.

- Hmm-hmm-hmm.

- Bell.
- Uckle.

- Bellsprout!
Bell, Bellsprout!

- I bet they're talking

about a world
we can never imagine.

- I can imagine a world
where girls flock to me

'cause I'm suave and charming.

- Get real, Brock.

- Prepare for trouble.
The secret is out.

- And make it double.
Trouble's what we're about.

- To protect the world
from devastation...

- To unite all peoples
within our nation...

- To denounce the evils
of truth and love...

- To extend our reach
to the stars above.

- Jessie.
- James.

- Team Rocket, blast off
at the speed of light.

- Surrender now
or prepare to fight.

- Wobbuffet!

- Quit trying to steal my line.

- Wobbuffet!

all:
Stop right there.

- Leave that Shuckle alone.
It doesn't belong to you.

- It belongs to us now, kid.

[Team Rocket laughing]

- Drop that Shuckle!

- Not on your life.
Weezing, go.

- Weezing.
Weez. Weez.

[all coughing]

- They're gone,
and they've taken

the purple Shuckle
with them.

Huh?

- [sniffing]

- Spoopie, can you
pick up the scent

of the purple Shuckle?

- Bellsprout.

- Good.
Team Rocket won't get away.

[all panting]

- All that running
made me thirsty.

- Meowth, what did you do
with our water bottle?

- I turned it in
for the deposit.

[all groan]

[liquid sloshes]

all:
Huh?

[liquid sloshing]

- Huh?
- Ah!

- Say.

- Maybe one of us
should try the Shuckle juice

to see if it's safe to drink.

both:
Ha.

- Ah!

Hey, why you grabbing me?

- You must be very thirsty.

- Not that thirsty.

- I'm sure it's quite tasty.

- No way.

- Down the hatch.

- Ah.
It is tasty.

Hey, don't take it away.

- So it's safe to drink
after all.

Ah.

- I'm thirsty too.

Ah.

- I want to drink some more.

- Me first.

- No, me.

- Let go.
- You let go.

- Sprout, Sprout, Sprout,
Sprout, Sprout, Sprout, Sprout!

Sprout. Sprout.
Bellsprout.

- Look.

Spoopie's acting kind of funny.

- Maybe it's lost
the Shuckle's scent.

- Maybe they went into the river
so they wouldn't leave a scent.

- Shuckle, Uckle.
- Bellsprout.

- Huh?

- Shuckle, Uckle.

- Hey, the Shuckle
are coming out.

- I thought they're supposed
to be shy.

- Shuckle, Uckle.
- Shuckle.

Shuckle.
- Shuckle, Uckle.

- Shuckle.
- Shuckle, Uckle.

- What's going on here?

- This looks like trouble.

- You got that right.
- Aah!

- All the Shuckle who were
hiding in these mountains

are joining together.

- Yeah, but why?

- There can be only one reason:

the ones who stole
the purple Shuckle

must be drinking its juice.

all:
Huh?

- If we follow the Shuckle,
they'll lead us right to them.

- [groaning]

Don't you feel
all warm and fuzzy, James?

- Warm and very fuzzy.

- I feel warm too.

- That's nice, Meowth.
Huh?

- Especially when I think
of you.

- What's wrong with your eyes,
Meowth?

They're..

- They're filled with love
for you, Jimmy.

- Eee!

- I just want to be near you.

- Please, don't come any closer.

[yells]

- I don't understand.

Why would the Shuckle
be headed for somebody

just because they drank
the juice?

- Drinking the purple Shuckle's
juice in its undiluted form

causes the drinker's body
to emit a very powerful chemical

called a pheromone.

Pokémon are highly attracted
to that pheromone

and will follow the source
for three days and three nights

without stopping.

- Then Team Rocket
might be in for some trouble.

- More trouble
than you can imagine, Brock.

- Hey, knock it off.
Eee!

I may be a sucker,
but I'm no lollipop.

Stop it this instant.

- [slurping]

- Ah.
Huh?

Don't bother me while
I'm warm and fuzzy, Meowth.

- I'm saving all my love
for Jimmy-wimmy.

- Mm?

- [slurping]

- Get off me, you--

Huh?

[whimpers]

[all slurping]

Wha-wha-wha-what's happening?

- Pika?

[both yelling]

- Team Rocket.
- Pika!

- Why won't you get off me?

- I got to admit, I don't
understand it myself, Jimmykins.

My brain wants me to let go,

but my guts tell me
to keep hanging on.

- [slurps]

- [shrieks]

I think we've finally
been licked.

- Stay right where you are.

- Not you again.

- Shuckle.

- We know what you did.

You drank the juice from
the purple Shuckle, didn't you?

- That's none of your business.
What if we did?

- A man named Old Man Shuckle
uses that Shuckle juice

in a special mixture
that tames any kind of Pokémon.

But you drank it pure.

Pokémon'll be after you

for three days
and three nights straight.

- Nobody told us that.

- Now I know why I have
this indescribable yearning.

- Give that purple Shuckle back
right now,

or there's gonna be
even more trouble.

- We're not giving up that
Shuckle without a fight, twerp.

Arbok and Wobbuffet, go.

- Charbok!

- Wobbu!

- Get ready, Pikachu.

- Pika!

- Ah!

- Char.
- Wobb! Wobb! Wobb!

- What do you think
you're doing?

Get them, not me!

- Char!
- Wobb!

- Help me.

- Don't worry, Jessie.

I'll get them off of you.

Go, Victreebel.

[groaning]
- [shrieking]

- Is Victreebel trying
to kiss you or eat you alive?

- Wobbuffet.

- Not you too, Wobbuffet.

- [shrieking]

- Victreebel, please.

- Return, all of you.

- Wobb!
- Char.

- Victreebel, return.
- [shrieks]

- Well, you win.

- Blast us off already.

- Use your Thunderbolt attack,
Pikachu.

Huh?

Pikachu,
use your Thunderbolt.

Pikachu?

What's the matter, Pikachu?

Pikachu.

- Pika.
- Huh?

- Pikachu.
- Aw.

Well, isn't this
a pleasant little surprise?

- Pikachu likes Jessie?

- This has gone too far.

[yelling]

- Now what's happening to us?

- [yells]

- Shuckle, Uckle.
- Shuckle.

- What's that powder for,
Old Man Shuckle?

- It neutralizes the pheromone

and brings the affected Pokémon
back to normal.

- Huh?

- Wow, I just woke up
from a nightmare.

- Oh, good, you're back
to your old clueless self,

so we can take Pikachu and go.

- You're not going anywhere.

- Really?

We have Pikachu
and the Shuckle.

How are you gonna stop us?

- Shuckle?

[slurps]

- [screams]

- We got to save
that Shuckle.

- Use your Vine Whip, Spoopie.

- Bellsprout.

[Team Rocket groaning]

- Now what do we do?

- So what if we don't have
the Shuckle anymore?

We still have their Pikachu,

and it's totally in love
with me.

- I forgot that.
- Yeah.

- I think Pikachu's feelings
might've changed.

- Huh?
- Huh?

- Don't tell me
Pikachu's back to normal.

- I'm afraid so.

Kiss them good-bye, Pikachu.

- Pika...

chu!

- Here we go again.

- No Shuckle.

- And no Shuckle juice.

both:
Thank goodness.

- Wobbuffet!

- Pokémon Johto!

- Pokémon Johto!

- Well, I had my doubts,
but with your help,

I collected more juice
than ever before.

I'm very happy,
very grateful,

and I thank you all
for your able assistance.

all: You're welcome,
Old Man Shuckle.

- And just as we agreed,

here is
the Pokémon-taming medicine

I promised you, Brock.

- Thank you, Old Man Shuckle.

But I don't want it anymore.

both:
Huh?

- It might be nice to have
lots of Pokémon come to me

like all the Shuckle
came to Team Rocket.

But they only did that because
of some chemical reaction.

Even though the juice
was all-natural,

their reaction to Team Rocket
was artificial.

- And so?

- And so I'd rather tame Pokémon
the real way:

just using my natural abilities
and knowledge.

- I see your point.

- I want to be the world's best
more than anything

but only if I can do it
fair and square.

- You are wise
beyond your years,

and I wish you success.

- Thank you.

- Maybe Brock's
more mature

than you and I think
he is.

- Yeah.
- Pika.

narrator: At first,
it seemed our friend Brock

had discovered
a magical shortcut to success.

But now he knows better.

Now he knows the only way
to reach his goals

is the hard way:

on the long and winding road
that lies ahead.

- How much longer
are they gonna be lovey-dovey?

- The effects of the juice
last for three days.

- Then they'll attack.

all:
I hope so.

- Let's do it.

[singing]
Born to be a winner

- Johto

- Born to be a champion

Born to be a winner

Born to be the very best

- Pokémon

- Born to be a winner

- Johto

- Born to be a champion

Born to be a winner

Born to be the very best

- Pokémon
- Johto

- Born to be a winner

Pokémon