Holiday Hi-Jynx

Holiday Hi-Jynx (Japanese title: Rougela's Christmas) was an episode from the Japanese anime metaseries Pokemon. The program aired in Japan on October 5, 1998 (after a postponement from the original date of December 23, 1997 due to the infamous Porygon incident) in Japan and December 11th, 1999 in the USA.

Story
NOTE: English names are used, Japanese names are in parenthesis. On Christmas Eve, Jessie (Musashi), a member of the infamous Pokemon crime syndicate known as Team Rocket, traps Santa - in this case, her cohort James (Kojiro) in disguise - as she and Meowth (Nyarth), a cat-like pocket monster (the portameantu of the show's title) as a revenge for taking her doll ten years earlier. Instead of Santa, a Jynx (Rougela), which acts as an assistant to Santa Claus in the Pokemon universe, comes and takes it. Meanwhile, in the southern part of the Kanto region, Ash, Misty, Brock (Satoshi, Kasumi and Takeshi) and Pikachu befriend a Jynx with a boot belonging to Santa. They head to the North Pole, but with Team Rocket tailing them all the way in a submarine shaped like a Gyrados. At the North Pole, Team Rocket steals the toys being made by Santa and hold everyone hostage, until the Jynx that took Jessie's doll (broken in the enthusiasm of the moment) gives the doll back to her good as new. But that still isn't good enough as the other Jynx use a move called Psywave to blast Team Rocket off into the unknown. As Santa is finally released, and is off on his journey, Team Rocket is back home with a stocking hung by their bed waiting for a gift, but another Jynx appears giving it a Lovely Kiss to put them to sleep.

English Voice Cast
Ash - Veronica Taylor Misty, Jessie, Jynx - Rachael Lillis Brock, James - Eric Stewart Pikachu - Iuke Otani Lapras - Lisa Ortiz Santa Claus - Ted Lewis

Jynx Controversy
The episode was pulled after a commentary written in a syndicated newspaper article by Carole Boston Weatherford shortly afterward, citing that Jynx offended African Americans because of its' color. The episode which has not aired since either on Kids' WB, syndication or on Cartoon Network, is currently available on the Indigo League Volume 3 DVD set. Since then, Ken Sugimori, the art director for Pokemon worldwide, had the color of the face changed to purple from black.