Ask John: What Was The Missing Pokemon Episode About?

Question:
I know (from the Wizards’ Guide) that one of the Pokemon episodes of the TV series wont be translated because of the problems it caused in Japan due to causing epilepsy in children. What exactly happened then, anyway? More to the question, though, what was the episode story about?

Answer:
Possible spoiler info. Please page down several times to see the answer

Actually, I’ve seen this episode myself, so I can provide first hand knowledge about this episode. This particular episode, episode 38, deals with the kids and their Pokemon entering a computer virtual-reality world where they meet the electronic Pokemon Polygon. When the Rocket Team accidentally triggers the security system, heat seeking missiles target the characters as they try to escape the virtual world. When the missiles explode, the entire background flashes very bright alternating white, blue and red colors. While everyone I know that has watched this episode, myself included, either felt no ill-effects or felt merely a minor, temporary head-ache, this color flashing caused several hundred young Japanese viewers to suffer epilictic-type seizures. In a distinctly Japanese sort of faux-pa, the evening news that night re-broadcast the “brain-melting” segment, causing yet more unsuspecting viewers to suffer seizures. While this episode was never re-broadcast in Japan or, as far as I’m aware, re-edited for home video release, this episode will be re-edited and eventually broadcast on domestic TV.

You may be interested to know that anyone watching untranslated, Japanese source Pocket Monster TV episodes may be mildly surprised by how many minor differences there are between the original versions and their domestic counterparts. Original Japanese Pocket Monster episodes commonly use much more background effects and flashing lights than the US versions. Much of the brief, incidental violence, such as Kasumi (Misty) often slapping Satoshi (Ash)is edited out of the US broadcast versions, and observant viewers will pick out inexplicable alterations made in the US TV versions, such as the boiling rice in Professor Oak’s pot in his laboratory being removed for the US version, so that his pot appears empty.