Indigo League, Episode 24: "Haunter VS Kadabra"

Season 1, Episode 24, Original Air Date: September 9, 1997 (JP),  October 8, 1998 (US)

Picking up where we left off, everyone has returned to Saffron City for Ash's rematch against Sabrina. Despite Brock and Misty being wary, Ash is confident that he'll be able to win the Marsh Badge from Sabrina this time. He even sends out his other Pokémon as he gets ready to face Sabrina!

Ash requests a rematch from Sabrina; who sends out Kadabra as her Pokémon. Ash counters with Haunter, but the ghost is missing! It's strange how things happen that way sometimes. Where did he get the binoculars and megaphone?

With the same rules in play from before, Sabrina demands a battle; or everyone will be sent back to her toybox! Pikachu and the others are reluctant, so everyone tries to run for it!

However, Sabrina not only seals all the doors in the gym; she turns Brock and Misty into dolls! She tries to do the same to Ash and his Pokémon, before the bearded man from before teleports them out! Sabrina then coldly says "He's back" as she walks over to the dolls of Brock and Misty.

After everyone is teleported outside (and Ash and his Pokémon briefly land on the man), we get a flashback to when Sabrina's psychic powers awakened as a little girl. She not only was able to bend spoons like nothing, but she cut herself off from her parents to master her powers; culminating in their home being destroyed. Today, she has two forms: a confident but cold Pokémon trainer, and a doll that's modeled after her inner child!

Though Ash rationalizes that the man is just a photographer rather than her dad; the two realize what must be done: find Haunter in the city and defeat Sabrina, and not only will she be saved; but so will Brock and Misty! Team Rocket is posing as a pair of window washers to try and catch Pikachu from above with a fishing net, but Haunter reappears and spooks them out of the scaffolding! Jessie tries to hang on, but Haunter provokes her into letting go, laughing as she; James and Meowth all crash into the pavement below! Ash has found out Haunter, and they all head back to the Saffron Gym to beat Sabrina and rescue Brock and Misty!

Back in Sabrina's toybox, Brock and Misty wonder if they'll be stuck as dolls forever; when another doll speaks to them, saying it's up to Sabrina! It's her mother, and even though she's been turned into a doll as well; she still believes there's good in Sabrina; like any mother would see in her daughter.

As Sabrina wonders what to do with her new dolls, Ash returns for his rematch! Even though Haunter disappears again, Pikachu decides to fight for Ash against Kadabra! 

Though Kadabra is still a formidable opponent, Pikachu fares far better than before! Haunter then shows up to joke around with Sabrina; culminating in blowing a cartoon bomb up in her face; much to her delight and everyone else's surprise.

The man from before reveals himself to be Sabrina's father; and the doll representing Sabrina's younger self fades away; restoring Brock, Misty and Sabrina's mother to their human forms! Sabrina's father calls the match in Ash's favor, awarding Ash the Marsh Badge for his help. We then close on everyone headed to the next gym challenge in Celadon City, with Team Rocket having cement poured in the hole they're in; despite their protests.

"Haunter VS Kadabra" is an overall strong conclusion to the Saffron City mini-arc, and it's another episode that's been in heavy rotation ever since I was a kid. I once again apologize that it's taken me longer than I thought to finish this, but I am glad to have shared this with you all. Happy Thanksgiving, and next time I will talk about one of my favorite episodes of this season. To be continued...