EP259

Entei at Your Own Risk (Japanese: エンテイとおんせんのなかまたち！ Entei and Friends of the Hot Spring!) is the 259th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on August 1, 2002, and in the United States on August 16, 2003. 
==Blurb==
As Ash and friends continue their travels with Larvitar, it remains wary of all other Pokémon and people, particularly of Misty. They stop briefly at a Hot Springs, and there meet a young trainer who reports that he is there searching for an Entei. Jessie and James disguise themselves as snow cone salespeople and trap Ash and friends, but using their Pokémon these trainers are quick to escape. Ash than challenges the Entei-seeking trainer to a battle in hopes of learning more about the secret attack that this trainer claims his Misdreavus will use to defeat Entei. This secret weapon turns out to be Mean Look, an attack that prevents one's opponent from leaving a battle. Moments after this battle, the enthusiastic young trainer runs off toward a sensor that is detecting the presence of Entei. Ash and friends follow, soon after witnessing a battle between this trainer and Entei. The battle doesn't go exactly as this trainer had planned, but leaves him nonetheless with a renewed respect for Entei.
==Plot==
 is on their way to Mt. Silver, with napping peacefully in 's backpack. It wakes up, but cowers in fear when and talk to it. Ash snuggles Larvitar, promising to protect it from scary s like Misty, which leads to criticisms from Brock that Ash is babying it. Ash's only response is to rub the fact that Larvitar opens up only to him and in Misty and Brock's faces, which irritates both of them. Misty tells him that he needs to see how it has improved around other Pokémon. At that moment, a very angry wild comes out of the scrub and chases the group away, firing s.
Having lost the Ursaring, the group stops to catch their breath. Larvitar wanders over and discovers a hot spring. Brock notices a variety of wild Pokémon sitting serenely in the hot water. Ash walks forward to test the water but sets off an alarm by breaking a tripwire with his foot. A boy walks out from the growth, calling a challenge to , only to discover the group instead. He explains that he has studied all of the recent Entei sightings and determined that it is next due to appear at the springs. He introduces himself as Nelson. Just then, the Ursaring comes bursting from the scrub, roaring. However, it doesn't pay attention to the group, but instead dives into the springs, emerging with a roar of pleasure. Nelson explains that the springs have relaxation and even healing powers on Pokémon.
After Nelson leaves to check his other sites, Ash releases his Pokémon to enjoy the springs. goes jogging towards the water eagerly, but lands on his face when Ash calls for him to wait. Ash introduces his team to Larvitar, who quickly hides shyly. Totodile happily jogs up, seizes Larvitar by the hand, and spins it around joyfully. It crashes into , causing both to freeze in fear. It also does not respond well to 's cradling or her lullaby and is severely intimidated by . Despite Ash's assurance that the group is his and, therefore, Larvitar's friends, Larvitar bursts into earsplitting tears using . Later on, Larvitar has recovered and appears encouraged by Ash, Misty, and Brock's Pokémon, save for the and , enjoying the springs. However, Larvitar flinches away after being splashed by as it flails around in an attempt to swim, reminding the kids that it is a Rock-type Pokémon that does not like water. Misty attempts to get Psyduck into the springs, but it ends up trapped in hot sand. Brock discovers that it is pleasantly warm and sends out his Onix and Geodude to enjoy it with Psyduck. Onix promptly buries Psyduck in the sand as it makes a bed for itself. Geodude lands behind Larvitar and, having no intention of babying it, shoves the young Rock-type headfirst into the sand. However, Larvitar enjoys the sand, and Ash notes that it is finally beginning to enjoy itself. Later, Cyndaquil and Totodile start a sandball fight, but when hits Larvitar by accident, it does not take it or Totodile's humor very well, and despite Ash desperately pleading with it not to, it promptly begins to cry again with Screech, hurting Ash, Misty, Brock, and all of the Pokémon's ears in the process.
Watching nearby are Jessie, James, and , with the latter two noting that the last thing they want in is another screamer. However, they plot to steal Larvitar, anyway, with Meowth hatching his "At the Bath Fruit Smoothie Plan." A disguised Jessie and James pull up in a large truck and recite their , before offering the group some free taste test smoothies. Misty and Brock are suspicious, but Ash waves away their queries and takes Larvitar, Pikachu, and his other Pokémon into the back of the truck. Suddenly the ramp retracts and the door slams shut. Team Rocket speeds away, gloating to Misty and Brock.
In the back, Jessie and James slide back a panel and taunt Ash, causing him to realize the deception and he plans to break out. However, despite all of his Pokémon's efforts to tackle the door open, not even Bayleef makes a dent. Pikachu attempts a , succeeding only in shocking everyone in the back while Jessie and James gleefully proclaim that attacks are useless in their anti-electrified truck. Cyndaquil unleashes a , succeeding only in making the metal glow. Ash remembers the hot-cold technique to rapidly expand and shrink the metal and orders his two first partner Pokémon to alternate between and Flamethrower attacks until Bayleef's flurry cleaves straight through the metal. Noctowl grabs and Cyndaquil and flies out, while Ash and the others cling to Bayleef, whose seizes a nearby branch and Ash's group is yanked to safety. Ash loses hold of Larvitar while making his landing, though a catches Larvitar in time and returns it to Ash. Ash thanks it for the rescue and checks his Pokédex for more information. Nelson runs up, revealing the Misdreavus to be his. Misty and Brock come running to catch up, and they meet Misdreavus, Misty exclaiming it to be pretty. Nelson challenges Ash to a , promising to show off his Pokémon's special move that he claims will help him catch Entei. Team Rocket later discovers, to their horror, that Ash has escaped.
Brock referees a two-on-two , and Ash's Phanpy volunteers to fight first. Phanpy's attack overcomes Misdreavus's , and Misdreavus's attack is blocked by . However, Phanpy's attempt to dodge with a attack fails, and the scores a direct hit, Phanpy. Nelson reveals his secret attack, , which Ash notes doesn't seem to have done anything. On Misty's advice, Ash tries to recall Phanpy, but the does not recall Phanpy, much to Ash's bewilderment. Nelson explains that Mean Look prevents substitutions in battle, or fleeing in wild Pokémon, and that he plans to use it to capture Entei. 
Suddenly, Team Rocket arrives again and swipes Misdreavus in a net. After reciting their motto, they unleash a huge vacuum, attached to their Meowth balloon, to suck up all of the water and wild Pokémon in the hot spring. Brock's Onix shelters the Trainers' Pokémon, allowing to escape the water in time, but is not quick enough and is sucked up in the vacuum. In despair, Brock leaps into the typhoon of water after his Pokémon, managing to catch Pineco until the Ursaring from before crashes into him and knocks him away. Pineco, upset by this, evolves into a , hoping to save Brock in doing so. The evolution induces an explosion of energy that breaks the waterspout, causing Brock, Forretress, and the wild Pokémon to land in the water. Brock immediately thanks his newly-evolved Forretress for saving him, much to Forretress's delight. Bayleef uses Razor Leaf to break Misdreavus free, allowing it to return to Nelson. In a fury, Meowth unleashes the machine at full power, causing the water to shoot up at a tremendous pace and trap Team Rocket in a huge waterspout. 
On the outside, Ash, Misty, and Brock attack the tornado with all of their Pokémon. The wild Pokémon join in with Hyper Beams from Ursaring and Houndoom, Flamethrowers from Houndour, and Swift attacks courtesy of the Aipom. However, these attacks inflict nothing on the waterspout. Suddenly, Nelson's sensors activate, and a colossal Flamethrower comes from the mountains, stopping the typhoon and sending Team Rocket flying. The trio lands in front of Entei, who is not sympathetic and unleashes another Flamethrower to send the trio blasting off.
Nelson leads the way to Entei's position, challenging it to a battle. He has Misdreavus use Mean Look to keep Entei from running before it unleashes Swift and Psybeam. Entei shakes off both attacks and as Misdreavus goes in for a Headbutt, it unleashes a , sending Misdreavus back into its Poké Ball and allowing itself to escape, having negated the effects of Mean Look. Nelson sinks to the ground, not having expected such a rebutting tactic. However, he claims that his desire has only increased and that he is determined to capture it one day. The trio leaves Nelson and continues onto Mt. Silver, with Larvitar having grown accustomed to the company of others, with the exception of Misty.
==Major events==
* Ash's Phanpy is revealed to know .
* Brock's Onix is revealed to know .
* 's evolves into a .
* and see an .
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
* ()
=====Main series and English dub debuts=====
* 
=====TV episode debuts=====
* 
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* Nelson
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international), (Japan)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; )
* ()
* (; unofficial)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* () 
* ()
* (; evolves)
* (; newly evolved; debut)
* (Nelson's)
* 
* (×2)
* (×2)
* 
* (×2)
* 
* (×4)
* 
* (picture)
==Trivia==
* The episode's English dub title is derived from the warning phrase "enter at your own risk".
* This marks the first time a main character's Pokémon has evolved in the same episode a Legendary Pokémon has appeared.
* In this episode, uses two variations of their .
* This is the first episode to use music from Spell of the Unown: Entei. However, the background music is replaced in the English dub.
* This marks the final appearance of Misty's Goldeen in the main series, excluding a flashback in the dub of Gotta Catch Ya Later!.
* A shot in this episode was reanimated and reused as a flashback in Alola, Kanto!.
* Pocket-ering Monster-ing plays in the background of this episode in the original Japanese version. 
===Errors===
* 's , being a move, shouldn't have had any effect on , a Pokémon, as it did during the .
* After and escape 's s and rest, is leaning on something that doesn't exist.
* When seizes by the hand and spins it around joyfully, Ash and 's sights stop at midway instead of seeing them directly.
* When Pikachu used on Team Rocket's truck, Ash and his Pokémon were being electrocuted. Phanpy and Larvitar were also affected despite both of them being types.
* Ash acts like he is unaware of the effects of despite encountering the move in his Gym battle with Morty.
EP259 Error.png|The error with Brock leaning on something
===Dub edits===
* In the English dub, Team Rocket calls the drink "fruit smoothies", while in the original Japanese version, they call it "fruit milk".
* When Team Rocket flees with the dairy truck, Ash, and his Pokémon, Meowth says "We blinded 'em with science!" in the English dub, making a reference to the song by .
==In other languages==
259
Category:Episodes written by Shōji Yonemura
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada
Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane
Category:Episodes focusing on Brock
Category:Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon evolves
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes in which an alternately colored Pokémon appears
de:Das legendäre Entei
es:EP261
fr:EP259
it:OA143
ja:無印編第259話
zh:宝可梦 第260集