AG088

The Garden of Eatin' (Japanese: バナナナマケロ園のカビゴン！！ Banana Garden and !!) is the 88th episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 362nd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on August 5, 2004, and in the United States on August 27, 2005.
==Blurb==
The kids have stopped by the Banana Slakoth Garden on their way to Lilycove City, but the gate is closed and the trees have no fruit on them. When they meet the director, a man named Marcel, they find out a Snorlax came down from the mountains looking for food, and has been eating all of the bananas.
Ash decides the only way to take care of the Snorlax is to catch it, so he and Pikachu confront the giant Pokémon just after it eats. Unfortunately, Pikachu's attacks have no effect and Snorlax puts them all to sleep with its Yawn attack.
After consulting with Professor Oak, they get the recipe for a PokéBlock that will feed the ravenous Normal-type, and he advises them to use a Pokémon that can't be put to sleep to catch it. Slakoth's evolved form, Vigoroth, is one such Pokémon.
Marcel talks to all of the Slakoth, trying to convince them to help save their home, and one comes forward. They have it battle and defeat all of Ash's Pokémon, gaining enough experience to evolve into a Vigoroth. The next time the Snorlax wakes up, Marcel and Vigoroth challenge it to a battle.
When Snorlax's Yawn attack proves ineffective, it uses Hyper Beam instead. Vigoroth attacks furiously, eventually knocking down the giant Pokémon with Focus Punch.
The park reopens, the Slakoth are happy, and Marcel shows the kids what he did with the Snorlax—placed it in the center of a relaxation chamber where people can take a refreshing nap.
==Plot==
On the way to Lilycove City, the group notices a big banner in the middle of nowhere advertising the Banana Slakoth Garden. reads from his guidebook that the garden supposedly has the largest population of in the . Keen to check out the hype, the group decided to stop by. , however, is more interested in getting dessert in the next town, but quickly changes her mind after Brock informs her that the garden also makes banana splits. The group soon arrives, only to find the entrance gates shut. Ash notices the gates aren’t even chained, so May leads the way inside, still keen on bingeing on banana desserts.
Inside, they notice that trees are oddly stripped bare of any bananas. Max also gets disappointed at the lack of Slakoth. Suddenly, a big, loud rumbling shakes the forest, scaring them out of their wits. Then a few more pounds tremble the earth under them, just when the ground begins to crack. Fortunately, a young man, Marcel, comes running to their rescue, escorting them to the reception office. He explains to them that the place is closed temporarily because of some recent troubles. After the rumbling calms down, he shows them to a window, and right outside they see a sleeping . May looks it up in the Pokédex, and Marcel explains that the Snorlax has been terrorizing the Slakoth and eating all the bananas. A lot of the Slakoth have either run away or have been hiding in fear without even a chance to eat the bananas, because of that Snorlax. Brock points out that Snorlax usually live up in the mountains, not in foothill areas like the garden. Marcel remembers that a large building project began a month ago, and considers whether that is the reason for Snorlax's unannounced appearance. Ash adds that he a in the past, but it's currently at Professor Oak's Laboratory. Marcel tears up as the group volunteers to help him save the Slakoth and take care of the troublesome Snorlax. Meanwhile, peer through their binoculars, watching the sleeping Snorlax. After suggests they gift the Snorlax to , the trio set their sights on catching the rare find.
Back at the office, Marcel shows them the security cameras he has placed in the garden, as Ash and the others keep an eye on the sleeping Snorlax. Ash feels confident enough to battle Snorlax and maybe help get rid of it by capturing it in a Poké Ball. Suddenly, Max notices on the screen that Snorlax is now wide awake, and feasting away on the bananas. Ash rushes outside to find it and challenge it, while the others follow. As Snorlax nears the area where the Slakoth are taking cover, Ash finds it and demands it to stop, and when it doesn't, he threatens to capture it. It doesn't seem to care as it just continues eating, so Ash has try his attack, but Snorlax keeps snacking on banana bunches as if nothing happened. While Max and Brock are paying attention to the attack, all May seems to notice is that her precious bananas are still being eaten, to which Max and Brock sigh in disappointment. Ash tries having Pikachu strike with his , but it seems to have caused no damage at all. Just then, Snorlax leans back with its mouth open. Brock warns Ash that Snorlax is about to counter with . Ash is clueless, but before he can ask, Snorlax releases many pink bubbles that hit Ash and Pikachu and they both collapse on the ground, having been put to . As the others try to shake Ash awake, Snorlax's Yawn bubbles also hit them, and they drift off as well. Snorlax returns to its slumber.
Afterward, Team Rocket flies over the garden in their balloon equipped with a lever and robot claw, searching for Snorlax. To their luck, they find not only it sleeping, but the twerps are sleeping next to it. Meowth gently lowers the claw at Snorlax, trying not to wake it. Unfortunately for them, they don't know about its ability to attack in its sleep. Snorlax uses a Yawn attack, and the three of them doze off. While they are asleep, Meowth lets go of the lever, losing control of the claw. Consequently, the balloon explodes and the trio crash land into the forest below.
A few hours later after they have all woken up, Marcel and the others are back at the lodge, and Ash has decided to make a call to . Having explained the situation, Professor Oak is rather surprised they were all hit by a Yawn attack. Max reminds Ash of his Snorlax, so he asks Oak for it. Professor Oak says that he has been feeding it specially-made Snorlax Pokéblock, designed to satisfy a Pokémon with a large appetite. However, Oak informs Ash that he can't battle the other Snorlax with it because Snorlax needs to wait between meals to battle. He suggests they use a with an Ability such as , so it won't be able to fall asleep. Max, having grown up with his dad, knows that has Vital Spirit. Seeing as there are Slakoth in this garden, there must be one close to evolution. Following Oak's suggestion, Marcel calls out to his Slakoth. The Slakoth prove hesitant, though one eventually volunteers itself, and training against some of begins. Ash chooses Pikachu, , and to face off against Slakoth. Pikachu uses while Slakoth uses and knocks it back. Torkoal uses but Slakoth easily dodges it. Grovyle tries , but Slakoth counters with . As they continue the match, all of Ash's Pokémon faint just as they had planned and Slakoth evolves. Now that Marcel has a Vigoroth, they search for Snorlax.
They find Snorlax in a nearby grove eating banana bunches. Marcel challenges it for a rematch with his newly evolved Vigoroth. As he sends it to fight, Snorlax opens its mouth for a Yawn, but Vigoroth just pops the Yawn bubbles and keeps running before hitting it hard with a Scratch. Snorlax fires a barrage of s which Vigoroth is fast enough to dodge. Snorlax tries Yawn again, but it fails. Vigoroth retaliates with another Scratch, nearly knocking Snorlax out. Vigoroth uses , as Snorlax is about to use . Vigoroth uses a , which knocks Snorlax out. Marcel uses the Poké Ball and successfully captures it. Marcel congratulates Vigoroth, and just then all the Slakoth emerge from hiding and hug both of them. With the problem finally settled, the renamed Banana Slakoth and Vigoroth Garden reopens to the public, and a Vigoroth has been added to the entrance sign. To celebrate, Marcel has made them a banana cake with tiers, and a Slakoth on top, which May particularly appreciates. Marcel also reveals that he has come up with a novel use for Snorlax, as he's made a rest area for people to take a nap with the help of Snorlax's Yawn. Marcel again thanks the group for their assistance before heading off towards Lilycove City.
==Major events==
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Max
* Jessie
* James
* 
* (fantasy)
* Marcel
===Pokémon===
Pokémon Trainer's Choice: 
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; at 's )
* ()
* ()
* (Marcel's; new; evolves)
* (Marcel's; newly evolved)
* (Marcel's; new)
* (Garden Pokémon; multiple)
==Trivia==
* The English dub title is derived from the biblical .
* In this episode, uses a variation of their .
* In the boss fantasy, the letter 'S' in 's pajamas is a reference to his Japanese name, Sakaki.
===Errors===
* Max says that is the largest Pokémon he has ever seen, despite the fact that he saw a in a previous episode. However, it is possible he was exaggerating.
* When gets out her Pokédex to look up Snorlax, her hand is colored like 's.
* When Ash explains how to get rid of Snorlax from the garden, May's socks are missing.
AG088 error.png|May's miscolored hand
AG088 error 2.png|May's missing socks
===Dub edits===
* In the English dub, during Ash's battle with Snorlax, May makes a pun by saying "That's bananas!", leaving Max, Brock, and Marcel dumbfounded at her joke as she sheepishly says she couldn't help it. In the Japanese version, May instead expresses her dismay at Snorlax eating the bananas she wanted for a banana split, with the others' reaction being as a result of her backward priorities.
====Pokémon Trainer's Choice====
* Question: Trainers, which one of these Pokémon is the best choice to battle ?
* Choices: , , 
* Answer: OK, Trainers! If you chose Cacnea, you were right!
==In other languages==
088
Category:Episodes written by Aya Matsui
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Yukihiro Shino
Category:Episodes directed by Yoshihisa Matsumoto
Category:Episodes by one-time animation directors
de:Der Bummelz-Bananen-Garten
es:EP364
fr:AG088
ja:AG編第88話
zh:宝可梦 超世代 第88集