Electric Shock Showdown (Pokémon the Series: Original Series)

Electric Shock Showdown (Japanese: でんげきたいけつ！クチバジム Electric Shock Showdown! Kuchiba Gym) is the 14th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on July 1, 1997, and in the United States on September 25, 1998.

Plot
The Pokémon Center in Vermilion City is full of Pokémon that have been injured in battles with gym leader Lt. Surge; Ash challenges Lt. Surge to a battle so he can earn the Thunder Badge.

Why It Rocks!

 * 1) The concept of Pikachu vs. Raichu is excellent, and inspired similar plots in future episodes that are just as good.
 * 2) The plot is very well-done, as Ash finally gets a badge by actually battling a gym leader and winning.
 * 3) The gang arrives in Vermilion City, and relax and heal up at the Pokémon Center first after some hard traveling.
 * 4) The music is amazing, and fits really well with the episode as usual.
 * 5) Some funny moments in the episode, such as the gang getting hungry after arriving in Vermilion City, and Team Rocket cheering for Ash and Pikachu.
 * 6) The shocking moment where many Pokémon are shown unconscious after being brutally defeated by Lt. Surge, showing us just how tough he's going to be.
 * 7) Great animation for its time, especially for the Indigo League season.
 * 8) There's a hilarious moment where Pikachu gets scared after seeing a Pidgey that was badly beaten by Lt. Surge. Ash acknowledges that he cares if Pikachu does end up like him, but then shakes it off, saying there's nothing to worry about, resulting in Pikachu shocking Ash again.
 * 9) Awesome introduction to Lt. Surge and his Raichu that makes them look and feel like a tough challenge, with Ash and Pikachu ready to face them, especially after being made fun of.
 * 10) The first battle was tough. Even after Ash decides to follow advice from Brock and Misty about forfeiting, Pikachu still wants to go on, not wanting to be defeated, only for it to be badly beaten like the other Pokémon.
 * 11) While Pikachu is healing up at the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy gives Ash the Thunder Stone, and it's nice that Ash's giving Pikachu the choice to evolve or not, showing he cares about his Pokémon's feelings.
 * 12) Pikachu decides not to evolve, showing that he wants to beat Raichu just the way he is and touching Team Rocket's hearts in the process. Ash understands, and they agree that they will beat Lt. Surge and Raichu together.
 * 13) Brock thinks about the strategy Ash could use, knowing that Raichu never learned speed moves when it was a Pikachu because it evolved too fast, and that's what Ash taught his Pikachu.
 * 14) This episode really shows that Pikachu can be a real MVP, as evidenced when he rematches against Raichu.
 * 15) The rematch was awesome. As soon as the speed moves kick in, Pikachu's too fast for Raichu to handle, as "Agility" and "Quick Attack" really help out. Pikachu dodges Raichu's "100,000 Volt Thunderbolt" attack by sticking his tail in the ground, and then finishes Raichu off by wrapping himself in electricity and slamming straight into him, giving Ash and Pikachu the win.
 * 16) This is the point where Pikachu's speed becomes an important part of his character. While he did end up forgetting "Agility" when he learned "Iron Tail" in the Advance series, he has kept "Quick Attack" as a permanent part of his arsenal since this episode, and he's been always using his speed to help him in many battles.
 * 17) Lt. Surge, his Raichu and his crew all congratulate Ash and Pikachu on their victory, as Ash gets the Thunder Badge and Misty and Brock also congratulate him. Ash and Pikachu embrace and Pikachu shocks him again in joy as everyone laughs together.
 * 18) Great ending: Alongside the above-mentioned reason, there's also a funny moment where Team Rocket are walking away and realize they've been cheering for the good guys this entire time.

The Only Bad Quality...

 * 1) The infamous part where Ash almost punches Misty, which is kind of out-of-character.
 * 2) * Plus, Nurse Joy saying that two people who argue must love each other is nonsense and hard to believe. Of course, this was in the days when Misty and Ash argued despite being friends, but that's still nonsensical.

Reception
This episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, audiences and fans of the Pokémon franchise. It's one of the few episodes that YouTuber Lumiose Trainer Zac gave a 10/10, and it has an 8.2/10 rating on IMDb.

Videos
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