In the process of translating the Pokémon anime to English and many other languages, certain references need to be changed in order for them to make sense to audiences. This can result in some bizarre and hilarious (often unintentionally so) quotes.
The Japanese have a unique sense of humor, so what makes sense and sounds funny to a Japanese audience won't necessarily apply to western audiences. It's the job of translators to add dialogue that keeps the story going while also making sense and being humorous where appropriate, but there's plenty of evidence to show that it doesn't always go to plan.
10 Ash Goes Off On A Bizarre Tangent
In "Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village," the tenth episode of the anime, Ash and Misty are wondering what happened to Brock after he fell from a rope bridge. Ash says: "Maybe the river carried him far away, all the way to the ocean. Then some pirates spotted him and brought him aboard their ship, and one of the pirates has a wooden leg." Misty replies: "You have a crazy imagination," but Ash just keeps going with the story: "Then came the storm."
9 Brock Thinks About String Cheese While Listening To An Old Lady Telling A Story
In "Moving Pictures," the 187th episode of the Pokémon anime, as a sweet old lady named Sophia is regaling Ash, Misty, Brock, and photographer Todd Snap with a story, the four retreat into their thoughts out of boredom.
Todd thinks: "We're stuck now." Ash thinks: "She's getting ready to tell her whole life story." Misty thinks: "We'll be here forever." Brock thinks: "I wonder if she has any string cheese."
8 James Appears To Have A Meltdown While Staring Into A Hole
Jessie and Meowth both make concise and punchy remarks about the hole they've dug as a trap for Ash and Pikachu, but James, out of nowhere, takes it to a whole new level by saying: "Those crazy contraptions can't create the kind of classic catastrophe one can cause by cleverly concealing a calamitous crater!" It seems as though the writers got a little carried away with their use of alliteration.
7 Meowth Gets Meta And Makes Us Question Reality
In "Pokémon Scent-sation," the 26th episode of the anime, after Gloom releases a foul stench, Meowth says: "My nose feels like it's on fire!" Jessie reminds him that he doesn't have a nose, and Meowth replies: "My nose, what happened? The stink dissolved it off my face! Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the cartoonist never gave me a nose!" thus opening a metaphysical can of worms. How was it possible for Meowth to smell the stench without a nose? And if he's aware of the fact that he's a cartoon, do other Pokémon and characters in the anime know that as well?
6 Ash, Brock, And The Minnesota Vikings
In the first Pokémon movie, while sitting in a boat steered by Vikings, Brock says: "I didn't know Vikings still existed," to which Ash replies: "They mostly live in Minnesota." If you don't live in the United States, this is going to go right over your head, as it's a play on the Minnesota Vikings NFL team. In the Danish version, Ash replies that the Vikings are touring in Sweden, and in the Swedish version, Ash says the Vikings are hanging out in Norway.
5 Squirtle Shows His Sinister Side
In episode 17, "Island of the Giant Pokémon," Squirtle, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Charmander are stranded on an island. Wondering where Ash and the others are, Squirtle suddenly gets macabre when he says: "Maybe they all got eaten by wild Pokémon!"
This comes out of nowhere and seems uncharacteristic of the cute, cool Pokémon. Pikachu and Charmander reprimand Squirtle for his outburst, prompting the Tiny Turtle Pokémon to apologize.
4 Brock Says "These Donuts Are Great!" While Holding Rice Balls
Brock dishes a meme-friendly quote with this one. What he says isn't strange on its own, it's the context that makes it out of the ordinary. The Pokémon Breeder says: "These donuts are great! Jelly-filled are my favorite! Nothing beats a jelly-filled donut," while holding what are clearly not donuts, but rice balls, or onigiri. The translators have obviously tried to make it relevant for western audiences, but why not just use 'rice balls'?
3 Jessie Tells Meowth To Buy Bread, Not Bread
In "Jumping Rocket Ship," the 103rd episode of the Diamond and Pearl series, Meowth is lamenting Jessie and James' harsh treatment of him. In his imagination, an angry Jessie berates him with an odd outburst: "I didn't tell you to buy bread, I told you to buy bread!" But...bread is bread. It seems like an error, but if there's a joke here it's certainly not an easy one to get.
2 James Encourages Ash To Dance Like An Eggplant
This quote seems particularly strange out of context, but even in context, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. In "Claydol Big and Tall," the 104th episode of the Ruby and Sapphire series, Ash and James mistakenly believe a giant Claydol likes eggplants, and when attempting to lure the Claydol towards its giant Poké Ball, James exclaims: "Quick! It's coming! Dance like an eggplant!" It begs the question: just how does one dance like an eggplant?
1 Brock's Non-Sensical "Drying Pan" Is Meme Heaven
Countless memes have been made off the back of this quote from Brock, which appears in Mewtwo Returns. Ash, Misty, and Brock are running through a forest when it begins to rain. Brock, holding a frying pan, says: "Hey, I know, I'll use my trusty frying pan as a drying pan." Out of context, one might wonder why Brock is running while holding a frying pan in the first place. And then there's the fact that the frying pan only covers the top of Brock's head, meaning the rest of him is going to get soaked regardless. Never change, Brock.