Episodes of the Pokémon anime are full of brilliant moments that showcase the characters' capacity for humor, from Pikachu electrocuting Ash to Team Rocket's constant failed attempts to capture Pikachu. The humor in this series makes the characters more loveable, as it shows them being kids having fun with their friends.
As the anime is aimed at a younger audience, a lot of the humor relies on slapstick and situational comedy, but fans of any age will find and appreciate the hidden gems of humor throughout the series.
Misty Becomes The Princess Day Champion
In the episode "Princess vs Princess," Jessie and Misty battle to become the Queen of the Princess Festival and win a set of expensive Pokémon dolls. However, the contest is not smooth sailing for either of them, and Misty's victory is almost thwarted by Psyduck, who pops out of his Pokéball at the exact wrong moment during the final battle.
Psyduck is one of the most consistently funny sidekicks in the series, aggravating Misty constantly but always coming in clutch to help the heroes score a win.
Jessie And James Infiltrate The SS Anne
Jessie and James are a goldmine for hilarious moments, but the SS Anne episodes are especially full of comedy. Having Team Rocket and Ash's group get shipwrecked is a great storyline, and a highlight of the episode is James' insistence that his newly bought Magikarp will become a powerful Pokémon, envisioning himself as a millionaire.
The best scene in the episode is a short one, with Jessie and James dres as schoolgirls to sell Ash's group tickets onto the SS Anne so that Team Rocket can steal their Pokémon. James is excited at the new look, but Jessie is annoyed by his happiness, slapping him with a fan and telling him to "stop acting like an ignoramus."
Ash Tries To Catch A Pidgey While Pikachu Laughs
Ash and Pikachu have formed a strong, irreplaceable bond over the years, but it is fun to go back and watch the early episodes of the show where they didn't have quite as strong a friendship. As Ash attempts to catch a Pidgey and then a Spearow in the first episode of the anime, Pikachu watches from a tree and rolls around laughing as Ash's attempts backfire.
Pikachu's reaction is adorable and makes Ash's annoyance even funnier. This scene is heartwarming in hindsight from Ash and Pikachu's later friendship. Another classic funny scene from the first episode of the show is Pikachu electrocuting Ash as soon as they meet, determined not to be partnered up with such a childish trainer.
Ash Teams Up With Team Rocket
It is always a treat to see Team Rocket featured prominently in an episode, but the most classic example is Ash teaming up with them to get into the Celadon City Gym. Ash is booted out of the gym's perfume shop for being ignorant, and he reluctantly asks Team Rocket for help challenging the gym leader to a match.
Team Rocket are masters of disguise—in their own minds, at least—so putting on an act comes naturally to them. Their heist attempt is brilliant, but the funniest scene in the episode is the gym tying Team Rocket to a tree and stamping their faces with a red X mark, sparking an argument between Jessie and James.
Ash And Friends Mimic The Team Rocket Motto
Team Rocket's iconic motto gets mimicked by Ash's group several times throughout the series, and Jessie, James, and Meowth are always dumbfounded when it happens. After so many years of chasing Ash and Pikachu, it makes sense that the group would know every line of the motto that they state in practically every episode.
The best occurrence of this gag is in episode 21 when Ash, Misty, and Brock stage a whole entrance with dramatic lighting as they bust a Team Rocket heist. Jessie and James are astonished that their own words are being thrown back at them, and they realize—but soon forget—just how strange the motto is.
Team Rocket Almost Beat Misty At A Beauty Contest
Season 1's "Beauty and the Beach" episode was a controversial and inappropriate one due to Team Rocket's actions. The scenes including James' bikini shots were never dubbed into English and were cut out of American broadcasts of the episode.
However, the episode is full of brilliant moments such as Ash, Misty, and Brock crashing an old man's boat, Brock narrating the beauty pageant and getting predictably carried away, and Gary Oak inexplicably showing up to make a surprise entrance with his cheerleaders. The highlight of the episode is Misty's reaction to Team Rocket's bikinis, but it is no surprise that these scenes were cut from the American broadcasts.
James Goes Home To Meet His Fiance
In the season 1 episode Holy Matrimony, Team Rocket's James goes home to his unexpectedly rich family and reveals that his parents are just as weird as he is. James meets up again with Jessabelle, his eccentric fiance that looks a lot like Jessie. The episode is full of highlights, but the best scene is at the very start.
Jessie and Meowth find a wanted poster showing a picture of James as a child and call him pathetic, hurting James' feelings, and their exchange is typical of Team Rocket's light-hearted teasing of each other. This episode explored James' childhood trauma and made fans wonder how much they really knew about Pokémon's Team Rocket.
Pikachu Is Stalked By Paparazzi
The protagonist of the original Pokémon Snap, Todd, appears in this episode to take photos of Pikachu. However, his determination to remain hidden and take discreet photographs worries Ash, as he thinks Todd's camera is a gun. In one of the funniest moments in the anime, Ash pushes his group to the ground, literally punching Pikachu off a bench, to escape the expected gunshots.
This overreaction is incredible and cements Ash as not only one of the densest anime characters, but also somehow the most loyal and brave. Todd makes an appearance in New Pokémon Snap, a recent game that is taking Twitter by storm.
Gary Mocks The Size Of Ash's Krabby
Ash vs Gary Oak, based on the rivalry between Red and Blue in the main series games, is the most entertaining rivalry in the show. Gary's insults are brilliant and his nickname for Ash, Ashy-boy, never fails to rile Ash up. Their constant competing brings up some of the best scenes in the anime such as Gary trash-talking Ash on live TV.
However, the funniest scene of their rivalry takes place at Professor Oak's farm where Ash and Gary get into an argument over whose Krabby is bigger. For a show aimed at a younger audience, the animators never up an opportunity to create adult innuendo comedy. But, even ignoring the subtext, the scene is still funny thanks to Ash's intensity and Gary's arrogance.
Possessed By The King of Pokelantis
This episode confirms that every problem and dispute within the Pokémon universe can be resolved with a Pokémon battle. Ash and his friends fall into the ancient ruins of Pokélantis, and Ash becomes possessed by the spirit of the evil dead King.
This episode is played completely straight, and the characters take the events very seriously, as their friend is in danger. However, Ash becoming evil is so unlike his usual self that it becomes laughable, and, whether it was intentional or not, this episode will forever be ed as having the funniest line in the series. It's doubtlessly become a part of some of the fanbase's darkest theories regarding the Pokémon series.