Episode Stats:

Japanese Episode 046:  "Fukkatsu!  Kodai Pokemon" ("Resurrection!  Anchient Pokemon")
American Episode 044:  "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon"
Pokemon Dare Da?  Kabutops
Japanese Air Date:  May 28th, 1998
American Air Date:  February 27th, 1999
Important Places:  Guranpa Kyanion (Grandpa Canyon)

Satoshi-tachi are making their way through Grandpa Canyon where a fossil rush is going on.  Shigeru is there and tells Satoshi about the discovery of extinct pokemon fossils.  Angered by the fact that Shigeru's always showing him up, he decides to catch as many fossils as he can.  Meanwhile, Purin peeps in from behind a rock, looking on...

While everyone's digging, Satoshi-tachi hear Nyasu talking to himself.  The Rocket Dan's there to blow up the canyon so that they can have all the fossils to themselves.  Satoshi-tachi declare that they must stop them, but the fuse's already lit.  So a massive race begins where Satoshi and his Zenigame are trying to put out the fuse while the Rocket Dan's chasing after him trying to stop Satoshi.  Matadogasu and Arbok are called, and time's running out!  As the Rocket Dan's running, Kojirou trips and falls, causing the Rocket Dan and their pokemon to form into this big ball.  The big Rocket Ball hits Satoshi, and the fuse can't be stopped.  The explosion occurs, and Satoshi and the Rocket Dan fall into a big hole in the ground.  Takeshi and Kasumi are left on top, desperately trying to dig them out.

Deep underground, everyone comes to and realize that they're trapped.  Before they can figure out a way to escape, a bunch of glowing red eyes appear in the darkness.  They're all the eyes of previously-extinct pokemon:  Kabuto, Kabutops, Ominait, and Omastar.  The Rocket Dan are happy because they've found such rare pokemon, so they throw Monster Balls to catch them.  But they just reflect the balls and become angry.  Satoshi calls on Lizard, but it just wants to sleep and won't obey.  So the prehistoric pokemon start chasing Satoshi and the Rocket Dan.

Meanwhile, Officer Junsa runs off to get some help for Takeshi and Kasumi.  Takeshi uses Ishitsubute to help them move rocks while Kasumi says Satoshi must survive to give her a new bike.

Back underground, Pikachu's electric shock is inaffective against the prehistoric pokemon.  The pokemon are about to close in on Satoshi, but they suddenly back away.  They all scatter, and we are soon shown why:  Putera!  It hits Lizard on the way in, so when Putera starts chasing everybody it decides to battle.  Lizard's knocked out in one hit.  Just then, Putera picks up Satoshi and bursts through the underground roof!  It flies high with Satoshi as Lizard's thrown to the ground.  After Putera and Lizard insult each other for a while, Lizard evolves into Lizardon!  Also at that time, Purin shows itself, and Kasumi cooks up a plan.  Lizardon flies up to Putera, intent to battle.  Lizardon starts to chase Putera (who still has Satoshi in its grips).  Lizardon starts to breathe its fire at Putera, but it never hits.  Takeshi and Kasumi realize Satoshi's in great danger, so they get Purin to sing to everyone.  Putera falls asleep and falls into the hole created by the explosion.  Satoshi falls, but Lizardon swoops down and saves it before it falls asleep itself.  He lands right beside a strange egg...

After everyone wakes up, Officer Junsa says everything was just a dream and that they cannot permit any more digging.  Satoshi-tachi leave the canyon and Satoshi shows Takeshi and Kasumi the egg he found.  Takeshi volunteers to take care of it, and the three leave fighting over the egg.

Meanwhile, the Rocket Dan are still underground, trying not to wake up the sleeping pokemon.  Poor Musashi, Kojirou, and Nyasu!

---

The sign at the beginning of the episode said "GURANPA KYANION" (Grandpa Canyon).  It was covered up with a picture of a pick-axe and a shovel making an "x."  They did this for every shot of the sign.

There's a neat little pun.  Kasumi says:

"Oomukashi no kaseki nante Roman yo ne..."

Which roughly means "Ages ago, the Romans discovered fossils..." or something like that.   To that, Satoshi says:

"Souda yo Maron da yo!"

Which roughly means "I hear that is was the Maron!"  Then, Kasumi angrily spells out "RO-MA-N."  You see, Satoshi transferred the symbol for "RO" with the symbol for "MA" to make the word "maron," which is some kind of fruit.  In the dub, this was changed to:

Misty:  "If they've been lying underground for thousands of years, maybe they'd like a little fresh air!"
Ash:  "I think it's your brain that needs fresh air."
Misty:  "Who asked you!?"

Definitely NOT a translation...

The second consecutive episode with a cut!  In America, we never actually see Nyasu light the fuse of the dynamite.  But in Japan we do.  Nyasu lights it with a lighter, which is what's used to light...cigarettes!  Oh no! Think of the children~!  What 4Kids did was do a close-up of Nyasu's face from that scene so you don't see the lighter ("Hahahahaha.  Pretty soon we'll have all the Pokemon fossils to ourselves").  That's why that one shot looks kind of pixelated.  In fact, if you look at the scene in slow motion, you can see part of the rope near his mouth.  It's kind of funny if you look at a following shot because, despite the fact that Nyasu is in the back, you can still see the lighter in his hand.

Personally I think it's a stupid edit.  Later on they edit out a match, actually cutting scenes because Nyasu is using matches (it's when the Rocket Dan are trapped in an igloo).  And the ironic thing is, Hiroshi's Hitokage, Zippo, keeps its Japanese name!  Yet Zippo's a brand of cigarette lighters!  Oro.....

*When Kasumi's trying to dig Satoshi out, she says that he'd better not die on her.  She doesn't in the dub.

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