EP074

All Fired Up! (Japanese: ファイヤー！ポケモンリーグかいかいしき！ ! Pokémon League Opening Ceremony!) is the 74th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 10, 1998, and in the United States on October 23, 1999. 
==Blurb==
On the day before the Pokémon League Tournament, Ash, Brock and Misty watch as the torchbearer runs by on his way to Indigo stadium. They learn that it is the flame of a Moltres, a legendary Pokémon that stands for the whole spirit of the Pokémon League that lights the torch. Ash's excitement and nervousness build up to the next morning as he joins the other trainers in the march of the athletes. But, its Team Rocket once again who tries to spoil the moment when they attempt to steal the flame of the Moltres.
==Plot==
At the Indigo Plateau, and approach a large crowd that is cheering, and Ash thinks they are cheering for him. However, they are all actually cheering on the torchbearer, who is said to light up a huge flame that burns for the duration of the Indigo Plateau Conference. The flame is said to be derived from and represent the ambitions and competitive spirits of all s. Impulsively, Ash approaches the torchbearer with the hopes of taking over the duty. However, he is confronted by Officer Jenny, who explains that only approved competitors can hold the torch. Ash shows that he is a competitor with his Badges pinned to the inside of his shirt.
Jenny tells Ash that he needs to be approved, when a man arrives and says they should bend the rules by letting Ash be the torchbearer in honor of his spirit. Jenny introduces the man as Charles Goodshow, the President of the Pokémon League Torch Committee. Goodshow reiterates that the competition is about spirit, and that Ash would be a perfect pick for the role of the torchbearer. As the previous torchbearer transfers the flame onto Ash's unlit torch, Ash explains to that it is very valuable and it shall be kept safe in his possession.
Just then, , intent on stealing the torch and some Pokémon, traps and in a large sinkhole as they follow Ash and Pikachu running with the torch by van. Team Rocket jumps out of their balloon; lands on Ash and him, causing Ash to let go of the torch. Meowth catches it, but quickly throws it away after catching fire, allowing Pikachu to catch it. James sends out and commands it to bite Meowth to put out the flame. Instead, Victreebel catches fire as well and starts to chase Team Rocket. Ash sends out to put out Jessie, James, Meowth, and Victreebel. Despite having been saved, Team Rocket explains to Ash that they will not stop trying to get the torch because it could sell for a huge price and get them lots of money.
James jumps up and prepares to tackle Pikachu for the torch, but it throws the torch away and uses an attack on him. Ash and Jessie both go for the torch, and get their hands on it. They begin grappling and Squirtle leaps onto Jessie's face to help Ash, while Meowth jumps onto Ash and begins tickling him. Jessie ultimately wrestles control of the torch away from Ash, and Team Rocket soon drifts away in their balloon. Though Ash is initially distraught by this, Goodshow reveals a miniature lantern that he carries around his neck at all times, which holds a small flame taken from the fire of Moltres. Meanwhile, Jessie notices that the flame in the torch is about to go out. Meowth explains that she just needed to turn it up, and operates a small switch on the bottom of the torch handle. This causes a massive flareup that singes them all, before the flame completely goes out.
After Officer Jenny uses the lantern flame to light a new torch, Ash resumes running with Pikachu, and later, he goes on to pass the flame to , who runs on with before reaching and giving the torch to him. Brock then runs on with and gives the torch to Goodshow, whereupon he invites the group to the opening ceremony, which will take place the following day. In the evening, Ash and his friends are mingling with other Trainers when they meet up with and his cheerleader entourage. He soon leaves after some gloating and snide comments. Overnight, Ash becomes restless with worry from Gary's comments and goes out for a walk. He heads to the Indigo Plateau stadium while Goodshow sits amongst the grandstands and watches on. There, Ash resolves to beat the Pokémon League.
The next day, the opening ceremony of the League begins with the competitors walking onto the field. The last torchbearer is about to light the flame when Team Rocket, disguised as League officials, swipes the torch from her. uses , and Jessie lights the main flame. Then, Team Rocket heads inside a robot and puts the Moltres Flame on its back. Pikachu attempts to electrocute the robot, but it resists the electricity. Team Rocket attempts to incinerate Ash while using the flame, but it does not hurt Ash or his Pokémon. Moltres suddenly appears from the flame and obliterates Team Rocket's mecha, blasting them off. The crowd seems unfazed, as Moltres reignites the stadium torch's flame. Despite the distraction, Ash and the other competitors set their sights on the burning stadium torch and listen to Goodshow's welcome speech.
==Major events==
* , , and arrive at Indigo Plateau.
* Ash, , and help carry the flame of to the stadium.
* Ash sees the legendary bird, Moltres.
* The Indigo Plateau Conference begins.
===Debuts===
====Humans====
* Charles Goodshow
====Pokémon debuts====
* 
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* Charles Goodshow
* Officer Jenny
* Gary Oak
* Gary's cheerleaders
* s
* Torchbearer
* Spectators
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international), (Japan)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (torchbearer's)
* 
* (debut)
==Trivia==
* Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture: 
** Pokémon senryū summary: When meeting a , you're super lucky for one day.
* This episode begins the seven-part Indigo Plateau Conference arc.
* The torch-carrying ceremony is a reference to the , including the backup flame that's also used with the real Olympic Torch in case its fire goes out along the way to its destination.
* This episode marks the first of very rare instances of a main character (excluding Jessie and James) showing interest in catching a Legendary Pokémon, as Ash dreams of catching and training a Moltres one day while watching the torch. The next one wouldn't occur until A Crackling Raid Battle!, 1,051 episodes later. Coincidentally, said instance also involved one of the legendary birds.
* The mecha that Team Rocket uses in this episode looks similar to a .
* This episode marks the second appearance of James's Victreebel. In The Breeding Center Secret, Victreebel's dub voice was provided by Eric Stuart, but from this episode onward, the dub leaves Victreebel's Japanese voice undubbed.
* This is the first episode to feature a Legendary Pokémon whose name is mentioned in the episode, as Ash's Pokédex didn't recognize in Pokémon - I Choose You! and Gary's Pokédex failed to recognize the armored in The Battle of the Badge.
* Another example of animation physics appears in this episode. When Victreebel swallows a burning Meowth to put out the flame, the fire continues to burn, even though its oxygen has been cut off.
===Errors===
* When Team Rocket first do their , James appears to be wearing shoes instead of boots.
* In the dub, when the van drives down into the hole that dug, Ash can be heard falling down the hole despite him not falling into it.
===Dub edits===
* Pikachu's Jukebox: What Kind of Pokémon Are You?
* The Pokémon League flame is referred to as the 聖火 (sacred flame) in the Japanese version and just "the torch" in the dub.
* Misty and Brock's reactions to Ash's excitement are slightly more out of cynicism than surprise in the dub.
* Misty mentions Ash's Charizard as an example why he wouldn't be able to catch and train Moltres in the dub. In the original, she doubts Ash's skills in general.
* Ash initially mistakes Charles Goodshow for Santa Claus in the dub, despite the fact that he had met Santa prior in Holiday Hi-Jynx. In the original, he just asks who the "old geezer" is.
* During the scene where Ash, Misty, and Brock carry the torch, the second verse of the Pokémon Theme is used in the dub.
** In the original Japanese version, Aim to Be a Pokémon Master is used.
** In the and dubs, the Pokémon Theme starts from the beginning.
** In the dub, the Mewtwo Strikes Back version of the theme is used. The sound effects from the battle between Ash and Raymond can also be heard in the background.
* Ash's monologue when he's laying in bed after remembering Brock and Gary's discouraging remarks is completely different between the dub and original. In the dub, he says they're both wrong and that he will win. In the original, he says he needs to get some sleep because the competition starts the next day.
* Following this, at the stadium, Ash expresses doubt in the dub that he might not be ready or no good, then reaffirms that he will win if he does the very best he can. In the original, he reminds himself that this is where he will battle and that he has to fight the only way he knows how.
* Charles Goodshow tells Ash that they could use a spirited young man like him to deliver the flame to Indigo Stadium; this was changed to Indigostaden (Indigo City) in the dub.
==In other languages==
074
Category:Episodes written by Hideki Sonoda
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Kiyotaka Itani
Category:Episodes by one-time directors
Category:Episodes by one-time animation directors
Category:Pokémon League episodes
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
de:Im Zeichen der Flamme
es:EP076
fr:EP074
it:GA074
ja:無印編第74話
zh:宝可梦 第75集