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This episode is essential viewing because: Ash saves Erika's Gloom and is rewarded with a Rainbow Badge.

Ash and co. arrive in Celadon City, which is renowned for its tall buildings and its perfumes. Brock suddenly runs off, but Ash finds him pressing his face against the window of a perfume shop. The reason: there are three girls inside, talking. Brock wants to stay for a while so Ash goes to look for Misty and Pikachu. They are both inside the shop sampling perfumes. He runs in and tells Misty that perfume is a waste of money and it stinks. The shop's manager is offended by Ash's comments. She tells him perfume is pretty, elegant, radiant, fun, urbane, mysterious and energising. After a few more insulting remarks from Ash, he gets kicked out of the shop. He heads for the gym on his own. It turns out the perfume is manufactured in the gym and the girls won't let Ash in. He gets a red X stamped on his face and is booted out again.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is trying to break into the gym to steal the perfume's secret ingredient. Jessie imagines being 'as irresistable as Cleopatra', James imagines 'making zillions of dollars', however, Meowth just wants the money to buy cat food. Inside, they discover a sleeping Gloom. James sends out Koffing to attack it with Poison Gas. Unfortunately, the Gloom sucks up the gas and sprays it out again at Team Rocket.

The girls discover them and knock them all out with a mallet. They get the red X treatment, too, and are tied up and hung on a tree outside. Ash is passing by and Team Rocket strike a bargain with him: If he unties them they will help him to get into the gym. Later, they dress up 'Ashley' in girls clothes and pose as his mother and father (James puts Meowth down his shirt to get a beer belly!). Ash gets away with it and is taken to see the leader, Erika. Team Rocket say goodbye to him and slip away to try and steal the secret ingredient again.

Meanwhile Misty, Brock and Pikachu are in the gym with Erika, who is telling a story, while others are training their Pokemon to dance. Ash comes in and is introduuced. He is surprised to see Misty and Brock and worries that they will recognise him. Erika turns out to be the manager of the perfume shop. Misty then asks her why they can all sit so close to Gloom without getting the bad smell. Erika explains that Gloom only lets out the bad smell when it feels endangered. She goes on to tell the story of how she met Gloom as a young girl, when it rescued her from a Grimer one day.

Misty says to Ash that he looks familiar, Ash says she could have met his sister. Then Pikachu recognises Ash and Thundershocks him so his wig falls off. Ash explains to Erika about the disguise. Meanwhile, Team Rocket have finally found the perfume in a locker. Erika accepts Ash's challenge to a match and the battle begins. First, Ash sends out Bulbasaur and Erika chooses Tangela, which Ash checks with Dexter. He orders Bulbasaur to use Vine Whip, Tangela spins and cannot be moved. Then it uses a Stun Spore on Bulbasaur, who Ash recalls.

Ash then thinks of using Primeape but has a flashback to Primeape Goes Bananas! and decides against it. He eventually sends out Charmander. Erika sends out Weepinbell who uses Razor Leaf, but Charmander uses Flamethrower and burns all the leaves. It finishes off Weepinbell with a Headbutt. Erika recalls Weepinbell and sends out Gloom, who uses a gas attack and makes Charmander faint. Suddenly the battle is interupted by Team Rocket who jump down from the roof and recite the motto. Meowth presses a detonator and there is a massive explosion that blows out half of the gym roof. Team Rocket blast off with it and they still have the secret ingredient.

There is a fire now raging and the girls are rushing around trying to rescue all the Pokemon. They battle against the fire: Ash and Misty send out their water Pokemon to use Water Gun on the fire. Brock's Geodude throws dirt onto the flames. Erika tells the gang that Gloom is missing, so Ash runs into the blazing gym to find it. When he finds it, it releases its bad smell and Ash can't get any closer to it. Finally, Gloom relaxes and Ash is able to rescue it.

The next morning, Erika awards Ash with the rainbow badge as thanks for saving Gloom. It turns out that the bottle Team Rocket stole only had Essence of Gloom in it. Team Rocket find this out - the hard way! Ash, Misty and Brock continue their journey with a new badge in Ash's jacket.

This episode guide has been written by AR.

Characters appearing in this episode

Ash

Misty

Brock

Erika

Jessie

James

Meowth

Ash's Pikachu

Pokémon appearing in this episode

• Gloom belonging to Erika
• Bulbasaur belonging to Ash
• Charmander belonging to Ash
• Squirtle belonging to Ash
• Pikachu belonging to Ash
• Oddish
• Vileplume
• Meowth
• Bellsprout
• Weepinbell belonging to Erika
• Victreebell
• Geodude belonging to Brock
• Grimer: Erika's flashback
  
• Exeggcute
• Tangela belonging to Erika
• Staryu belonging to Misty
• Starmie belonging to Misty
• Omanyte: In story book
  

Moves used in this episode

• Constrict by Tangela
• Flamethrower by Charmander
• Poison Gas by Koffing
• Razor Leaf by Bulbasaur
• Skull Bash by Charmander
• Stun Spore by Tangela
• Vine Whip by Bulbasaur
• Water Gun by Squirtle

Items seen in this episode

• Pokeball

Locations seen in this episode

• Celadon City
• Safari Zone (Kanto)

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