Episode #281 - Taming of the Shroomish

The gang arrives at a city after being in the forest for some time. Everyone wants to do something different, so they agree to meet back at the Pokemon Centre later.

In town, workers are busy cutting down trees at an abandoned mansion. Local gossip is that the place is haunted. Team Rocket is working there also, upset about having to work for money to eat.

May drags Brock around shopping while Max and Ash get a burger. Then Max wants to look for Pokemon, so Ash goes with him. In an alley they find a Shroomish.

Meanwhile, May and Brock overhear two people mention an old house that is being demolished, and learn that it's "cursed". May wants to see it and pulls Brock along with her, despite his protests.

Ash and Max make friends with the Shroomish by giving it some Pokemon food. Max wonders why the it's here, because normally Shroomish live in the forest. They decide to take it to the Pokemon Centre, but when they pass an old house, Shroomish runs away and jumps into the house through a broken window.

Team Rocket sees them and make plans to catch Pikachu. The kids are reunited at the house, where they meet a young man who says they shouldn't be here. When they tell him about the Shroomish, he replies that this was his grandfather's mansion, and he used to come here as a boy to play with the Shroomish. As the town grew the forest around the house was cut down for buildings, and the Shroomish left. The house is going to be demolished now, but he heard the "haunted" story and has come to check it out.

All of them go inside, and soon find a group of Shroomish. It seems they moved into the house when the forest was cut down, and now if the house is destroyed they won't have anywhere to go. Suddenly an explosion rips up the floor and Team Rocket appears! They send out their Pokemon but are stopped by the arrival of a huge herd of Shroomish, which lets loose a cloud of Stun Spore. Everyone is forced to flee outside.

Max theorizes that by their behaviour, the Schroomish aren't just scared of losing their home, but they want to live here and be happy like they were before. The man wishes they could but it's too late to stop the demolition.

Meowth comes up with a plan to capture all the Shroomish and Pikachu. They threaten the kids with a giant robot, then crash into the house to scare the Shroomish into coming out. Pikachu zaps them but the robot is electric-proof! The Shroomish are picked up one by one, and although the remaining ones use Stun Spore, the robot is sealed so no spores can get in. Unfortunately for Team Rocket, no fresh air can get in either, and before long they have to open the windows for air and they get stunned. May's Torchic finally obeys orders and frees the captive Shroomish before Pikachu sends Team Rocket blasting off.

The young man says that when the house is torn down he'll plant trees and restore the forest so the Shroomish can live there. The kids continue on their journey.

By: Audrey