EP174

Imitation Confrontation (Japanese: めざせメタモンマスター！イミテふたたび！！ Aim to Be a Master!, Once Again!!) is the 174th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 23, 2000 and in the United States on October 27, 2001.

Blurb
''Stopping off at a Pokécenter, the gang looks around for Nurse Joy. Suddenly she appears with Chansey, but makes the confusing statement Nurse Joy is seeing a patient. Brock nears the Joy-look-alike and reveals it isn't Nurse Joy and Chansey at all, but Duplica and her Ditto! Our heroes find out the real Nurse Joy is checking on Duplica's newest Pokémon, Mini-dit. Though there's nothing wrong with Mini-dit, it retains it's pint size, even when Transforming into large Pokémon. Be sure to watch for a teeny Arbok, an undersized Ursaring and a wee Wobbuffet. Although it may be small, this puny Pokémon can sure pack a wallop!''

Plot
and arrive at a Pokémon Center, only to find nobody there. Just then, a and an unusual-looking Nurse Joy appear. She tells them that she was doing a examination. , however, is suspicious, and calls out Nurse Joy as being an impostor. She congratulates him on seeing through the disguise, and then reveals themselves to be Duplica and her. Duplica explains that she is participating in a Pokémon acting competition, and will enter with her new, Mini-Dit. Meanwhile,, spying on the s from afar, recognize Duplica. They begin formulating their plan to snatch her Ditto, and are thrilled to see Mini-Dit's unusual defect where it can only into small versions of large Pokémon like Brock's Onix.

Misty accidentally insults Duplica and her unusual assortment of Ditto with problems, but Ash then challengers her to a to boost her confidence. Ash sends up against Mini-Dit. It successfully Transforms into the and uses. However, it ends up entertaining Totodile, who starts laughing at the move. It then uses and hits Mini-Dit. Unfazed, Duplica commands Mini-Dit to use. Unfortunately, as Totodile doesn't know that move, so nothing eventuates. She then knocks Totodile to the ground with a before telling Ash that he needs to teach his Pokémon more attacks. Out of nowhere, an explosion occurs in the Pokémon Center. Looking up, they see Jessie and James in the guise of Duplica and Ash on the Center's roof. While explaining their goal of stealing all the Center's Pokémon, sneaks up and grabs Mini-Dit. The trio takes off into the Center, when suddenly Duplica realizes that Mini-Dit is gone. After inspecting the Pokémon Center, they discover that Team Rocket's only goal was to steal Mini-Dit, as all the other Pokémon are safe.

After their escape, Team Rocket celebrates their successful capture. But before long, they're formulating their next scheme; Meowth decides to have Mini-Dit transform into a mini. He believes they'll trick somebody into trading them a rare Pokémon like. They also decide to steal Mini-Dit back, and repeat the scheme over and over again. While they plot, Ash and the others are having no luck in finding Mini-Dit or Team Rocket. Even and Ditto transformed into Noctowl perform an aerial search, but their efforts are in vain. Just then, Nurse Joy appears and tells them a Trainer told her about some suspicious-looking characters trying to sell a Mini-Arbok. When Ash and the others check it out, they find the trio trying to auction off Mini-Dit. Thanks to Meowth's appearance, the gang realize the auctioneers are the Rocket trio. Ash has Pikachu use on Team Rocket, and Mini-Dit is returned to Duplica.

Not wanting to lose Mini-Dit, Jessie sends out Arbok in an attempt to regain it. However, appears as well. Jessie prepares to recall Wobbuffet, but Meowth reminds her that Wobbuffet’s might be useful. Jessie goes up against Duplica and her two Ditto in a Double Battle. Ditto becomes Arbok, while Mini-Dit becomes a miniature Wobbuffet. Ditto attacks, but Jessie's Wobbuffet uses Counter. Likewise, Jessie's Arbok's is countered by Mini-Dit. While the battle rages, Meowth and James decide to steal Pikachu. James sends out, but Duplica notices and has Ditto use. Ash then has Pikachu use Thunderbolt, which is countered by Wobbuffet. Having an idea, Duplica mocks Team Rocket for not attacking her stronger Mini-Dit. Jessie commands Arbok to it, but it is countered by Mini-Dit. James has Weezing use, but Mini-Dit then counters with. Duplica then explains to the trio that Mirror Coat is a move that counters special attacks. Now angrier than ever, Jessie commands Meowth to use, but it is once again countered by Mini-Dit. Then both Ditto transform into Pikachu, and join Ash's Pikachu for a triple dose of. As the attack approaches, Jessie scrambles to think which attack to use, but the attack hits and Team Rocket are sent blasting off again.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Duplica puts on a show, where she has Mini-Dit transform into a miniature. The gang tells Duplica that even though Mini-Dit doesn't grow bigger, it's still the same Pokémon only a bit special. Duplica tells Ash and the others that she plans to become the greatest performer, and names herself and her Pokémon Team Ditto. After Ash comments that Duplica can become a Ditto master, she reminds him that they never finished their battle. They both head outside to continue their match. Elsewhere, Team Rocket is stuck in a tree. Jessie criticizes Wobbuffet for being dense and losing to Mini-Dit.

Major events

 * Duplica returns with a new named.
 * Ash's Totodile is revealed to know and  via Mini-Dit's.
 * Jessie's Wobbuffet is revealed to know via Mini-Dit's Transform.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Duplica
 * Nurse Joy
 * s
 * (fantasy)
 * Crowd
 * s
 * (fantasy)
 * Crowd

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international),  (Duplica's Ditto and Mini-Dit) (Japan)


 * (Duplica's; Mini-Dit)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (poster)
 * (poster)
 * (poster)
 * (poster)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (fantasy)
 * (poster)
 * (poster)
 * (poster)
 * (poster)

Trivia

 * In this episode, Duplica enters in a Double Battle with Jessie, using her and Mini-Dit against Jessie's  and.
 * Later, and James join the battle, making it the second unofficial Triple Battle in the series.
 * This episode marks the first time in the that a  commands a Pokémon to use.
 * However, Jessie's Wobbuffet has always used the appropriate counter for a given situation, even though she only ever commanded it to use.
 * The Japanese title is a reference to the opening song Aim to Be a Pokémon Master.
 * This is the first of two episodes in which James disguised himself as ; the second time was in Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike!.
 * In this episode, Mini-Dit uses after ing into Ash's Totodile, meaning that Totodile knows the move. However, Totodile itself isn't seen using the move until much later in One Trick Phony!.
 * The that appears in 's fantasy looks very similar to the one who traded with  in Battle Aboard the St. Anne, with the only differences being that this Gentleman wears a monocle and has a slightly longer mustache.

Errors

 * Misty's Togepi disappears when Team Rocket look in the window through their binoculars.
 * 's ponytail disappears in one scene.
 * When James's Weezing uses, Mini-Dit uses Mirror Coat and is able to reflect it. This is incorrect, as Sludge is a move (which relies on a Pokémon's  prior to Generation IV). The correct counter would be  since Counter is used against physical attacks and Mirror Coat is used against special attacks. In Generation IV and beyond, however, since Sludge is itself a special attack, Mirror Coat would reflect it.
 * After Meowth jumps on both Jessie and James's heads, the former's glasses disappear for a short while.
 * When Mini-Dit transforms into Totodile, it uses, implying that Totodile knows Tackle; a move it cannot learn in the games.
 * In the dub, when Jessie and James are attempting to trade Mini-Dit (transformed into a miniature Arbok), Jessie refers to it as "Arbok the Rock Pokémon, now in pebble size." This is incorrect, as Arbok is actually a Pokémon.
 * When uses,  prevented it from doing damage. However, it should have been  instead of Counter.
 * 's animation freezes after Duplica says that she wants to be a Ditto master.
 * In one scene, Ash's Noctowl and Duplica's Ditto as a Noctowl are at an abnormally large size.

Dub edits

 * The original airing of this episode on Hungama TV in started it directly from the title card, skipping the part of the episode that comes before it.

In other languages
Imitation, Konfrontation EP176 EP174 無印編第174話 精灵宝可梦 第175集