TB053: The Purr-fect Hero

is the 53rd episode as well as a special of of , Season 1 of , and of .
==Synopsis==
It's Kids Day, and Ash and friends help the children at a nearby school celebrate the holiday. Team Rocket spoils the fun with a Pikachu-napping scheme that goes awry when they snatch a kid instead of the Pokémon. But in a shocking turn of events, Meowth becomes a good guy—or does he?
==Episode plot==
As Ash and his friends continue their journey across the Kanto region, they notice a variety of Pokémon banners floating in the wind at a nearby town. The three of them announce that it is Kid's Day. After Misty expresses her excitement over the thought of playing all day long, Brock reminds her that she has already participated in Princess Day, and both Ash and Brock state that Kid's Day should be for "real" men. However, Misty smacks them over the head with a paper fan, informing the two of them she is equally as tough as they are.
Ms. Reiko arrives, stating that the children are awaiting their arrival in the playground, interrupting their argument. Brock undergoes his typical antics, before the girl receives a call on her phone. She expresses her disappointment over the fact that some Pokémon Trainers were unable to make it to the preschool. Ash reveals that they are Trainers, and they will cheer the children up. Team Rocket then emerges from hiding, as each member contemplates what they did on Kid's Day.
Ms. Reiko calls the children to meet Ash's Pokémon, and they instantly crowd around them. Ash's Pikachu is less than amused by their prodding, and before he can electrocute the children, Ash pulls him away before being shocked himself. The girl berates the children, as Ash, Misty and Brock release all their Pokémon. Togepi tries go play with the children as well, but Misty has to rein it in, saying it's not a good idea to play with the children. While the children play with their Pokémon, Misty notices a child sitting away from the main group.
She reveals that the boy's name is Timmy, as Ash and the others walk up to him. When they go up to him, they ask him whether he is afraid of the Pokémon. He says that he isn't scared, and reveals that the only Pokémon he wants to see is a Meowth. He explains that during his childhood, a Meowth saved him from being attacked by a Beedrill. Misty asks Timmy whether the Meowth could speak English, to which he denies it. The other children dispute his claims, leading to an argument brewing. Suddenly, Team Rocket enters the fray under the disguise of a Pokémon Magic Show.
Whilst the audience crowds around the stage, James takes Ash's Pikachu and with Jessie, places it inside a magic box. With James' aid, the box is immersed in a puff of smoke and Meowth jumps out in Pikachu's place. Timmy and the other children are enthralled. However, Team Rocket unveils their disguises after Ash asks where Pikachu went. After reciting their motto, despite constant interruptions from the children, James orders his Weezing to use Smokescreen. In the confusion, Timmy rushes at Meowth, as Team Rocket makes a swift getaway in their van. Ash is unable to stop them, but Pikachu emerges from within the room. Ash is overjoyed, but then Ms. Reiko states that Timmy's gone, making everyone realize that Timmy was transported in Team Rocket's magic box instead.
In the woods, Team Rocket opens the box, only to be shocked to find young Timmy inside instead of Pikachu. Timmy's fear is quickly replaced by delight when he spots Meowth. Meowth does not reciprocate his feelings. Jessie and James convince Meowth to pretend he was the one who saved Timmy and Meowth agrees to go with the plan. They pretend to attack Timmy. Meowth intervenes to protect Timmy, using his Fury Swipes on the two. Jessie and James collapse onto the ground with scratch marks on their faces, as Timmy and Meowth flee.
Back at the school, Ash and the others split up in order to find Timmy. However, Timmy returns to the school, showcasing Meowth to the others. Ash and the others note that it looks similar to Team Rocket's Meowth. The children apologize for not believing Timmy, and ask if they can play with him. As the children crowd around Meowth, he accidentally lets slip and speaks English. Misty instantly catches on, proclaiming that Meowth belongs to Team Rocket. Meowth nervously walks backwards, before running away, with Timmy and the others in close pursuit. As Ash and the others enter the clearing, they walk into a trap set by Team Rocket. After reciting their motto once again, Team Rocket announces that they will settle things with a Pokémon battle.
Jessie and James summon their Arbok and Weezing, whilst Ash and Brock counter with Pidgeotto and Onix. Weezing uses Smog Attack, which is easily blown away by Pidgeotto's Gust. Arbok attempts to launch a surprise attack, but is subdued by Onix. This causes a boulder to dislodge from the mountainside, heading towards Ash and Timmy. The real Meowth saves them by slicing the boulder in half. Meanwhile, Jessie and James are trapped on top of the rolling boulder, running away with Meowth. Reiko thanks Ash and his friends for fulfilling Timmy's wish, whilst Timmy proclaims that one day he will join the Pokémon League. Ash laughs, stating that the two of them could meet again one day as rivals. Meanwhile, Team Rocket walk away at sunset, contemplating upon their day. They state that Meowth could have been seen as a hero by the children if only he kept quiet.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Timmy
*Reiko
===Move===
*Bubble
==Quotes==
:"I SAID STOP IT NOW!" - Miss Reiko
:"Sorry to keep you waiting, crybaby." - Jessie (to Timmy)
:"Huh?" - Timmy
:"Even tough guys are scared of Team Rocket." - James
:"Now we'll show you why." - Jessie
:"What a relief!" - Jessie
:"The hero show is over!" - James
:"We've retired from the world of magic..." - Jessie
:"...but we still have some tricks up our sleeve!" - James
==Trivia==
*"Who's That Pokémon?": Meowth (JA and KO), Wartortle (US)
*The originally intended air date of the episode would have been May 5, 1998, the of 1998, also falling on a Tuesday, complying with the anime's original time slot of Tuesdays at 6:30 PM JST, should it have aired as planned. However, Pokémon was placed on hold from TV Tokyo's programming following the hospitalization of hundreds of viewers of "Cyber Soldier Porygon" the day that episode aired.
*This episode and the previous one were skipped during the production of season 1, resulting in the dub skipping from "Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden" to "The Case of the K-9 Caper" and placing these two episodes as the first and second episodes of season 2.
===Mistakes===
*When the real Meowth intervenes, it slices the boulder cleanly in half. In the next shot, the boulder is shown completely intact.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Special episodes
Category:Episodes focusing on Meowth