When it comes to Pokémon anime, there are some episodes that are notorious for producing strong emotions among viewers, and one of them always moves me. This episode is actually the special “Snow Way Out!”, and it shows how strong the bond between Ash and his Pokémon is.
“Snow coming out!” was a special episode aired in October 1998 in Japan and December 1999 in the USA. The episode was apparently created after the “Pokémon Shock” incident, in which many Japanese children suffered seizures due to the strobe lights caused by Pikachu's electricity. This caused the anime to go off the air for a while before returning, and this episode was added to the schedule during the period when the show was not airing. High-quality episodes like this have helped the Pokémon anime recovers after the shock, so “Snow Way Out!” was essential for Pokémoncontinuation.
The best Pokémon episode saw Ash lost in a snowstorm
The episode centers on Ash's bond with his Pokémon
“Snow coming out!” begins with Ash, Misty and Brock traveling through a mountainous area. Despite Brock's concerns, Ash advances into the snowy area, and soon a blizzard begins, which carries Pikachu away. Ash chases Pikachu, while Brock and Misty try to create a shelter for themselves. Ash wanders too far away in his search for Pikachu, and just as he's about to faint, he hears Pikachu nearby. Ash rescues Pikachu, but goes down the mountain in the process, with no way to get back to where Brock and Misty are.
Ash digs a snow cave to hide in and uses Charmander's flames to help open an opening for them to enter. Bulbasaur and Squirtle close the entrance from the inside afterwards, preventing the weather from reaching them, but it is still very cold and Ash is poorly dressed for the weather. He calls his Pokémon back so they don't have to be cold and insists that Pikachu enter his ball as well, although Pikachu disobeys. Soon, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pidgeotto emerge from their Poké Balls, intending to keep Ash warm as best they can.. Ash sheds a tear and says that they will all have to be cold together.
Ash and his Pokémon survive through the night, and the storm has subsided by morning. He emerges to see Brock, Misty, and Onix not far away, with Onix helping Ash get back to them. Ash explains how he survived the storm, while Brock and Misty reveal that they discovered a hot spring and had a rather pleasant night. Finding Team Rocket's balloon abandoned, Ash and co. Take control and use the balloon to reach the next town where everyone can relax.
“Snow coming out!” This is what Pokémon is all about
The episode's themes are essential to Pokémon
I distinctly remember watching this episode for the first time, and it remains one of the best, even if it's not technically part of the regular episode count. As a child, the episode is touching, showing how Ash's Pokémon truly care for him, and vice versa, as Ash does everything he can to keep the Pokémon warm, even at the expense of himself.. It highlights the bond between Pokémon and trainer, something the series always strives to emphasize, and no episode does that better than this one.
As an adult, the episode still hits hard, but has an added dimension of adult fear as Ash wanders through the snowstorm, as the extreme danger of this situation is obvious.. Ash could have easily fallen off a cliff in his search for Pikachu (in fact, he kind of did) and seriously injured himself. Episodes like this sometimes have the unintended effect of highlighting how dangerous an adventure as a Pokémon trainer would be, and how that's a little out of reach for a 10-year-old.
This episode sums up almost the entire Kanto era in a nutshell, with Ash and Pikachu's bond front and center, while their other Pokémon reinforce the themes of friendship and how suffering together can be better than being comfortable alone. Building these bonds has been the goal of the entire series, and it's great to see them pay off in this episode, undoubtedly saving Ash's life.
It's a landmark episode for Ash's character as well.
Ash's growth is on full display
The episode is not only high quality and emblematic of the series' themes, but also impactful for Ash's character. This episode shows Ash taking his responsibilities as a Pokémon trainer very seriously, placing the safety of his Pokémon as the highest priority.. It's not necessarily something Ash would have done in the first few episodes of the series; remember, for example, how Ash allowed his Metapod to be taken by Beedrill because he ran away and forgot to get it back. Ash learned his lesson from that incident and is showing how much he values his Pokémon now.
Ash himself also grows up in this episode. He learns to accept that his Pokémon also have desires of their own and that, even in a survival situation, he must take their opinions into consideration. If his Pokémon wants to stay out of their Poké Balls, Ash must respect that. It makes it clear that the relationship between Pokémon and trainer is more than just that of owner and their pet, but of partnership. After all, they are just as worried about Ash as he is about them.
All in all, “Snow coming out!” is an excellent episode with a heartbreaking scene that is sure to leave even jaded viewers teary-eyed. It's an episode that's strongly representative of the series' important themes, and a fantastic episode for Ash and his Pokémon. It's just one of the episodes that make up the first seasons of Pokémon So special and worth returning today.