EP097

Tracey Gets Bugged (Japanese: ストライクせんしのほこり The Soldier's Pride) is the 97th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on May 20, 1999 and in the United States on April 1, 2000.

Blurb
''Ash and Tracey are thrilled when they reach Murcott Island, an island famous for having tons of bug-type Pokémon. Misty must try and overcome her fear of bugs when the trio finds an injured Scyther in need of treatment. Meanwhile, Team Rocket gets into their own battle with a swarm of Scyther, and they come out of it with a whole new look!''

Plot
and arrive on Murcott Island, where  brings out  and. He reveals that the island is famous for housing plenty of s. Due to her fear of Bug Pokémon, Misty initially decides to stay on the beach, but when Ash tells Tracey of her fear and he taunts her by calling her a chicken, she changes her mind.

The group walks along, and eventually spot a badly injured, nearly passed out from exhaustion. Ash checks his Pokédex as Tracey steps forward to treat it. Scyther wakes up as Tracey tries to use a Potion, subsequently jumping back and assuming a battle position. However, it is too weak to fight, barely able to even stand. Ash throws a Poké Ball in an attempt to it, but Scyther swats it away, falling to its knees before struggling back up. Ash attempts to send out, but Tracey steps in with his Venonat. Tracey orders a attack, which puts Scyther to  despite its attempt to escape. Tracey tosses a Poké Ball, easily catching.

Meanwhile, is flying over the island in their balloon, surveying the land. A flies towards them and cuts through the balloon, bringing it down. Team Rocket gets out of the wreckage and notices all of the Bug Pokémon around before stumbling across a Scyther swarm. The leader, denoted by two cuts forming a cross on its forehead, leads an attack on Team Rocket.

At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy and work on Scyther. Ash and his friends watch through the window as Scyther glares at Tracey, seemingly mad at being caught. Chansey brings Scyther out of the room and takes it to recovery. Joy concludes that it lost its swarm leadership position from battling a younger Scyther challenger. The loss forced it to leave the swarm and live in exile unless it wins another leadership match. Ash calls, who points out that Scyther's is probably low due to losing its leadership and then being caught. Oak suggests that Tracey improve Scyther's mood and get it back in shape.

After outrunning the Scyther swarm, and James notify Jessie that her hair was crudely cut short. After checking it, she is outraged and declares her intent to confront the Scyther responsible. Meowth stops her and plans a method to capture the entire swarm. Meanwhile, Tracey tries to help Scyther recover, but it is resistant. Ash remembers Scyther's love of and advises Tracey to help Scyther prepare for a rematch.

Team Rocket watches the Scyther swarm as they rest by a pond. Jessie fires a loaded with yellow glue into the air, which immobilizes the swarm, before Meowth nets them all. Scyther hears their cries and flies out of the Center, but it then crashes back to the earth, still weak. Tracey tries to stop Scyther, but it resists and flies away again. Tracey and his friends follow.

Tracey's Scyther finds the trapped swarm and cuts them loose before confronting Team Rocket. Ash and the others arrive, noticing Jessie's hair and quickly making fun of her. Furious, Jessie brings out and, while James brings out  and. Ash sends out Pikachu as Weezing uses to cover the field. Scyther blows it away with, but it is still exhausted. Meowth translates that Scyther came back not to challenge the leader but to protect its brethren. Team Rocket's Pokémon outnumber Scyther four to one and Pikachu tries to step in, but Scyther wards him away. Ash tries to order Pikachu in, but Tracey stops him, saying Scyther needs to prove itself.

Meowth even joins the Pokémon to attack, leading the charge, but Scyther easily swats him away. Lickitung and Victreebel try to hit Scyther, but it flies up, and Victreebel bites Lickitung. Arbok attacks from underneath Scyther, but Scyther uses to throw Arbok off, sending it back to the ground. Scyther lands and tries to rest as Victreebel attacks with. Scyther stops the attack with its scythes as Tracey reveals how he knew Victreebel would use the move. Arbok attacks with, but Scyther dodges. It then collapses, low on stamina and unable to dodge a second Poison Sting. The new leader steps forward and team ups with Tracey's Scyther; they attack Team Rocket's Pokémon with. Jessie tries to fire a bazooka, but Pikachu stops her with. Scyther attacks Team Rocket and leaves them with, causing them to retreat.

The Scyther swarm washes off the glue as the new leader and Tracey's Scyther give their respect to each other. The swarm departs as Scyther regains its confidence, joining Tracey. As he officially announces his catch, Ash tries to correct his style so it could resemble how Ash celebrates his catches.

Major events

 * attempts to a.
 * Tracey's Venonat is revealed to know.
 * catches the that Ash tried to catch.

Pokémon debuts

 * Tracey's Scyther

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Nurse Joy
 * Others at the Pokémon Center
 * James
 * Nurse Joy
 * Others at the Pokémon Center
 * Others at the Pokémon Center

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international), Tracey's Scyther (Japan)


 * (new)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (new)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (new)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)

Trivia

 * Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture: : Oak discusses Ekans's ability to sense temperature and swallow prey ten times its own size whole. Oak tries to feed an Ekans some Pokémon food, but gets swallowed whole.
 * Pokémon senryū summary: Swallowing something whole, its belly gets full: Ekans.
 * 's catch of marks the first and only time that he is seen  a Pokémon in the.
 * When Tracey caught Scyther, he grabbed the Poké Ball as soon as Scyther was inside. The Ball never shook as it did with nearly every other catch before and afterwards. This also happened to Ash's Charmander and Brock's Vulpix.
 * decided to catch a in this episode but was quickly dragged off by, which was the only time where he wanted to catch a Pokémon from the same species that he had previously successfully caught.
 * Ash says, "I haven't caught a Caterpie in a long time." This marks the first time Ash's Butterfree was mentioned, albeit indirectly, since its release 76 episodes prior.
 * In this episode, uses a  of their motto.

Errors

 * When Tracey explains how well and  work as a team, Misty comments "At least they're not s". This is untrue in the sense that Venonat is indeed a Bug type.
 * In the Pokédex picture of Scyther, it shows that it has a third wing on its right side when it should be just two on each side. This made Scyther have a total of five wings.
 * When Ash is about to fight Scyther, he asks Pikachu. Pikachu seems as if he is going to attack without Ash telling him what attack to use, before Tracey interrupts.
 * When Ash orders Pikachu to help Scyther, his mouth is miscolored pink.
 * In the English dub, Jessie tells to use "Poison Needle" rather than . "Poison Needle" is actually the translation of , the Japanese name of Poison Sting.

Dub edits

 * Pikachu's Jukebox: Together Forever
 * In the dub, when Victreebel is going to use  on Scyther, Tracey orders Scyther to use its sharp scythes to defend rather than informing about the incoming attack.

In other languages
Tracey und die Käfer-Pokémon EP099 EP097 EP097 無印編第97話 精灵宝可梦 第98集