http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/ Bulbagarden - The original Pokémon Community en Thu, 23 May 2013 19:13:35 GMT vBulletin 60 http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/images/styles/Millenium/misc/rss.jpg http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/%2Aauthors-note%2A-47346/ Thu, 17 May 2012 09:57:15 GMT Due to an unavailability of many episodes following "Charizard's Burning Ambition," the Retro Review project has been suspended indefinitely. We at DracoMan, Inc. apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/%2Aauthors-note%2A-47346/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/charizards-burning-ambition-47315/ Wed, 16 May 2012 10:22:20 GMT For a group that walks as much as they do, I wouldn't expect Our Gang to be so tired from walking...

Kinda interesting to see the TRio owning up to the fact that they're no match for Our Gang in a straight-up battle, especially against Charizard. While I can certainly understand why the TRio would fear The Charizard, it would mean more if we'd actually seen the big guy used more often. As a matter of fact, since evolving, Charizard has been used against the TRio a grand total of...six times. And only two of those times since Johto started. Not to mention the fact that the TRio has freqently attacked Our Gang while showing no fear of The Charizard. A little more setup for this would've been nice.

And that kinda tied in to what Brock and Misty were saying to Ash--that using a Charizard would be unfair when most Pokemon wouldn't be a match for it. While that may be somewhat true (like in "The Double Trouble Header"), it doesn't take into account that there are plenty of Pokes that have given The Charizard a run for his money, so keeping him around would be a smart idea. Plus it seemed like they were criticizing the use of powerful, fully-evolved Pokemon, which is not a good thing to do as Pokemon evolving and becoming powerful is simply what happens.

A pink bow on a Charizard? That just doesn't work as far as I'm concerned. Couldn't there have been a better way to show that Charla was a girl?

Ash claimed he'd never flown on Charizard. Actually, he's done it twice as of this ep (though he was asleep once, in "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon"). So not only did this make Ash a liar, it also made Charizard look unaccountably weak for not being able to carry Ash any real distance. Remember, this is the same Charizard who's defeated four Pokemon with Seismic Toss, and yet he couldn't fly with Ash on his back?

A valley full of super-sized Charizard? Coooooooool. I do hafta wonder, though--the Charizard may train there and make themselves stronger, but then what do they do with that strength? If they spend all their lives cloistered in the valley, then what use is their strength?

Liza's comment that only weak Charizard would show off like Ash's Charizard had kind of a Zen feel about it. Charizard did seem like the littlest bull in the pasture, desperate to prove his strength. (Actually, he kinda was.) Watching him repeatedly get the crap kicked out of him was painful. It had to be, if it got the TRio to sympathize with him.

Now I'm convinced that the fire on Charizard's tail has some kind of internal fuel that resists water. (I think the Olympic Torch is like that.) And I guess it takes strength for a Charizard to stay in water overnight without going under.

The Transformer du joir was probably the ugliest one yet. And watching the TRio altruistically letting themselves get blown up was weird.

If you listen very carefully during the last scene, you can probably hear the sound of Ash's heart breaking. It's believable that he'd be struggling with his desire to keep Charizard with him and his hope that Charizard can find happiness, even without him. I haven't seen a moment that emotional for him since "Pikachu's Goodbye," and this was almost as tear-jerking.

Next: Dracoman's episode collection reaches its first major gap. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/charizards-burning-ambition-47315/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/tanks-lot-47274/ Tue, 15 May 2012 10:51:23 GMT Did Our Gang start the ep by sleeping on the job? Well, Fate certainly wouldn't let that go unpunished.

Even though the ep started with the TRio at the controls of the Arbo-Tank, I'm guessing this Transformer was designed to pretty much drive itself. Otherwise, there's no way Togepi and Sentret could've wrought half the havoc they did. (Misty's gonna need a leash or something for Togepi.)

Misty's behavior when Togepi went missing seemed pretty out of character for her--for a while, she seemed more interested in checking out Sentret for a while than finding Togepi. Contrast this with other eps, when she nearly freaks out. I don't think Ash would've been so easily distracted if it were Pikachu MIA.

With all the nonstop antagonism since arriving in Johto, it was nice to get an ep in which Our Gang and the TRio were forced to work together. Broke up the repetitiveness a bit.

Remember what I said a few blogs back about Plan A never succeeding? It may have had some merit, but the mud wasn't thick or deep enough. Even Brock's army outfit couldn't have changed that. (Though he did look more like a soldier than anyone else in this ep.)

Just outta curiosity, what exactly was that attack that Togepi's Metronome triggered? Could've been some form of Dig.

Hey, someone finally remembered how strong Charizard is. Of course, it makes me wonder why they didn't call on him to help earlier?

Here's a bit of sage advice for the TRio: Never run into any piece of machinery that's about to explode.I guess TPTB couldn't let an ep go by without the TRio in the statosphere.

Since Jenny Clone J-5 only had a minute of screentime, she didn't have a lot to do; of course, it also meant she didn't have a chance to fail at doing her job. Though I do wonder if she or anyone else in that town had ever thought of drilling that tunnel through the mountain. Maybe they didn't have enough revenue to get started, or something.

Next: Charizard goes from champ to chump. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/tanks-lot-47274/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/crying-out-loud-47225/ Mon, 14 May 2012 11:01:57 GMT So Brock started the ep all set to meet the girl of his dreams? Just like every day for the poor boy. (Countdown to Brock's heart being broken: T-21 min.)

I think this ep further established that Poke Balls can't be used to catch Pokemon that already have trainers (after the Season 1 Snorlax ep). And after Brock calmed down crybaby Marill twice, Misty was wondering why it was afraid of her. Gee, Misty, ya think it might be because you bonked the lil' guy in the head with a Poke Ball?

I won't even touch on the TRio's crappy disguises. And this was another instance when Charizard would've come in handy. Then again, Ash can't be too competent when reacting to emergencies, now can he?

Any surprise that Misty and Marill would end up stuck together, after such a bad start between the two? Yeah, it's a cliche, but it's not limited to Pokemon, so I'll cut TPTB some slack on that note. It's almost a surprise, though, that the rest of Our Gang didn't locate them sooner just from the racket.

Too bad Brock didn't take notes from this ep--reassuring the female CotD that he'd help her when she was in trouble was much more effective than some overenthusiastic pickup line.

The Beedrill attack was another instance in which Charizard could've easily saved the day. Between him and Brock's Vulpix, Our Gang could've burned through every Beedrill in the forest. (Then again, we've hardly seen any of Brock's Pokes since his return. Talk about underused.) Plus, considering how close proximity they all turned out to be, shouldn't it have been a lot easier to reunite everyone?

Apparently, no one told Our Gang that standing under a tree is one of the worst things to do in a lightning storm. (And we even saw a lightning bolt demolish a tree. Case in point.) Brock's little monologue while under the tree pretty much summed up his entire time on the show.

Speaking of reuniting, what the hell was Misty doing crossing that bridge instead of just backtracking? And is it a constant that whenever someone tries to cross a bridge, something bad always happens? At least the rest of Our Gang paid just enough attention to show up in the nick of time. (Though I wonder why everyone's so scared of falling? All you do is create a human-shaped impact crater. The injuries you'll suffer are pretty much self-healing.)

Once again, the TRio should never engage Our Gang in a straight-up battle. They'll just end up sucking.

So, at the end, why was Misty so shy about admitting that she liked Marill after all? It was a Water Pokemon, and everyine knows about Misty's feelings in that regard.

Next: Togepi and Sentret's Excellent Adventure. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/crying-out-loud-47225/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/fighing-flyer-fire-47179/ Sun, 13 May 2012 08:32:01 GMT So with Ash three badges behind compared to Kanto, we can finally see the inagural gym battle.

It's too bad TPTB didn't come up with more bad guys for Ash to battle; that way, they wouldn't have had to reuse the TRio in every single ep. Is hard to take things seriously when Our Gang battles the same half-wits over and over, and doubly so when said half-wits wear disquises that Stevie Wonder could see through.

And when the TRio stole Pikachu and outwitted Heracross, why didn't Ash call on Charizard? From the way he was talking, it was as if he had absolutely no options for rescuing Pika. Maybe it was just so there'd be a way to introduce Falkner, though I'm sure a better option was available.

Hey, a reference to Ash's Pidgeot! Not that we ever see it again, but it's better than some of Ash's old Pokes have gotten. *cough*Primeape*cough*

The rooftop battle arena made darn good sense for a Flying Pokemon specialist.

As for the battle...

Chikorita vs. Hoothoot: I wonder if Ash was simply trying to make a point about the Type Matchups switch not being the end-all, be-all in deciding a battle, but he tempted fate way too overtly.

Pikachu vs. Hoothoot: Smarter on Ash's part, and it made sense that Pikachu won.

Pikachu vs. Dodrio: Yeah, another Type Matchups win, but at least Pikachu had to work for it.

Pikachu vs. Pidgeot: Nice bit of realism that the last two rounds took enough of a toll on Pikachu for Pidgeot to win.

Charizard vs. Pidgeot: Nice to see Charizard strut his stuff, plus Ash got to show off his talent for turning his opponents' strategies against them. The only thing is that it was an example fo Ash's Pokemon taking severe nd extended punishment, only to turn it around for a quick victory in one or two strikes. (And it's only gotten worse.)

Next: The first time a girl gives Brock googly eyes. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/fighing-flyer-fire-47179/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/bout-sprout-47142/ Sat, 12 May 2012 10:44:49 GMT So Ash finally made it to the city with the first gym. To put this in perspective, about this time in Kanto, Ash was in position to win his third badge.

I guess little kids don't automatically know that nearly tearing an animal apart isn't a good way to endear said animal to themselves. (I'd also like to say that the look on Ash's face as Brock was repeatedly patting him on the head in front of Miss Priscilla was priceless.)

Yikes! Earl did not look good in that manitard. And what exactly was that stupid accent supposed to be? Oh, and Brock should never be allowed to wear that costume ever again.

Well, here's one aspect of Ash's character that's remained consistent, and that is that he's no good in a classroom, either teaching or listening to the teacher. And any surprise that the kid who almost pulled Pikachu's ears off was the troublemaker?

And speaking of Brat Boy, did he seriously think he of all people could get Pikachu to deep-six Ash? I'm guessing Miss Priscilla didn't get to the lesson on trainer ethics.

At this point in the anime, I'n not sure if TPTB had established that you can't use a Poke Ball to catch a Pokemon that already had a trainer. Not that it really matters--if you watch the scene where Brat Boy thought he caught Pikachu, you'll see that the Poke Ball landed well behind the lagomouse.

"I choose you, Pika...sprout?" Well, that's one way to spoil an otherwise dramatic moment.

Hey, the voice megaphones from "The Case of the K-9 Caper" came back. Score one for continuity. And notice that even though Meowth could change his voice, he couldn't disguise that accent. Still, I would've thought that Pikachu would've caught on sooner.

So the main support beam of the Sprout Tower swayed back and forth? I never read about anything like that in any of my classes. I won't even delve into all the potential engineering issues.

Now I'm thinking that the TRio get all their Transformers from hammerspace. It's the only way they could've gotten that rocket without ever leaving the tower. (And yes, they did comment on how appropriate the rocket was for Team Rocket.)

Ash's "There's nothing wrong with being a sprout" attitude was a vast improvement from "Challenge of the Samurai," where the word "novice" was treated as the worst kind of insult. And speaking of sprouts, I guess the fact that no one there expected Bellsprout to be the hero (or possibly even noticed it at all) made its surprise attack plausible.

Good thing Brat Boy was too young to know he was a CotD, and therefore destined to never return. Let him keep living the dream.

Next: Pokemon meets Dogfights. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/bout-sprout-47142/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/ignorance-blissey-47095/ Fri, 11 May 2012 11:04:00 GMT Actually, "clumsiness" might've worked better in the title. Let's see...Blissey opened a door in Ash's face, spilled food all over him, sliced his back open (and how'd blood get past the censors?), doused the wound in alcohol, and wrapped him up like a mummy. Oh, and scared the crap out of Joy Clone J-3. Ash must've been working overtime to keep being nice.

Okay, comic relief out of the way...

This ep may be the first time Jessie met up with an old friend from her past. Flashback time...

Interesting to see that Jessie wasn't always stuck up or evil, though I didn't think a school for Pokemon would accept a human student. (I wonder what rear-echelon puke screwed that one up.) Seeing how competent Jessie was made me wonder why the human school wouldn't accept her.

I kinda wonder if events like this helped set Jessie up to turn to the Dark Side. (That schoolmarm was a little too harsh with her.) Okay, flashback over...

Did Blissey really hafta give the TRio every box of food in the Pokemon Center? If it'd been one box, I doubt it would've been missed. And did Blissey even know about the security camera? I guess "ignorance" really does work for the title. And what exactly does legal punishment entail for Pokemon, anyway?

Kinda weird to see the TRio actually doing the right thing. At least they're three-dimentional villains (some of the time, at least). And for once, Jessie looked like she really didn't enjoy attacking someone else. (As a side note, I don't think we've ever seen Ash angrier than when the TRio falsely confessed to stealing the food. Kinda reinded me of me.) I can only imagine what Blissey must've been thinking.

So Blissey got off the hook, Ash got to eat, and the TRio...okay, where the hell did that ocean come from? That wasn't leftover Orange Island footage, was it?

Next: Ash goes back to school. Agan. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/ignorance-blissey-47095/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/whistle-stop-47044/ Thu, 10 May 2012 10:45:36 GMT Ash Ketchum, report to the bridge! Oh, wait...never mind. And not only did the TRio break the bridge, they also broke the friggin' fourth wall. Dammit, Meowth!

At least Ash has been paying enough attention to call Misty on her inconsistent entomophobia. Plus we've now seen the introduction of the Brockedex. (I can only imagine how many girls he's got stored in there.)

I think ladybugs do help pollinate flowers in real life, so having Ledyba do so in Poke-Earth makes sense. And I'm guessing Ash had his obligatory moment of cluelessness so that Brock Nye the Science Guy could explain pollination to him and, by extention, the viewing audience. (I'll bet Brock had another kind of pollination on his mind.)

Given how often Our Gang (and anyone with them) has been robbed, cheated, hornswaggled, etc., I'm thinking that anytime a man and a woman show up looking too interested in something rare and potentially valuable, Ash should immediately tell them to [EFF!] off. (Or the kid-friendly equivalent.) Of course, if Ash were smart enough to do that, you'd think he'd also be smart enough to see through the TRio's crappy disguises. Seeing this happen episode after episode stretches credibility enough to make Mr. Fantastic jealous. At least the Ledyba were smart enough to give the TRio the "Are you [BLEEP]ing me?" look.

And all this time I thought the TRio's balloon could self-repair. It's unusually realistic to see them mending it the old-fashioned way. And I'll bet Meowth wished he could've had that flute back in "Island of the Giant Pokemon" when he failed to command Ekans and Koffing.

Okay, Our Gang's attempts to find the Ledyba were decent, even if TPTB decreed that they should fail. And Ash finally made up for his earlier cluelessness with that pep talk to Arielle.

If you look this ep up on Bulbapedia, you'll find out that when James was being swallowed by Victreebel, he was calling 4Kids the devil. Anyone care to disagree? Didn't think so.

Oe thing that always bugs me: Whenever Our Gang gets caught in a net, it's implied that they've been rendered completely helpless. Yet a minute later, Ash is able to call on Bulbasaur to destroy the net. If he could still bring his Pokemon out, couldn't he do that as soon as the net is sprung? Or even direct the battle from the net? I really would expect more from him. And about all that degree precision that Arielle used--wouldn't taking the time to say all that be a liability? Then again, time consistently freezes while a trainer gives a command, so maybe I'm overstating the problem.

Next: Jessie's Very Special Episode. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/whistle-stop-47044/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/once-blue-moon-46993/ Wed, 09 May 2012 10:13:30 GMT I wonder if Ash's "Poke Ball maintenance" line might've been a callback to that ep where Snorlax's Poke Ball got damaged. At least Ash seemed to learn his lesson, as Misty even commented on how responsible Ash was being. Then Brock announced lunch was ready, and Ash left his Poke Balls unattended by the river. So much for maturity.

So who would've won the great Psyduck vs. Quagsire Staring Contest had Misty not interrupted it? I'd bet 47 quatloos on Psyduck, since he'd probably forget to blink. (My fellow Trekkies might know what a "quatloo" is.) And based on that scene, it looks like the MacGuffin Ball can move by itself.

About the No-Quagsire-Catching laws: Didn't Professor Oak tell Ash anything he needed to know? I'm also wondering if that law might've been mentioned in that Johto League handbook Ash got in New Bark Town (and, knowing him, never read). Given what a big deal it was, you'd think someone could put a sign for travelers to read when they enter town.

And speaking of what Jenny Clone J-4 said about the Quagsire taking round objects for some unknown reason: Has no one else been curoius enough to check it out for themselves? shudder to think what it would be like if all humanity shared their non-inquisitiveness.

Awwww, Chikorita's got a crush on Ash. Too bad she wasn't any help in this ep.

Nice pentagram on James' magic robe. How'd that get past 4Kids' censors? (That wouldn't have happened on Yu-Gi-Oh! And the Quagsire just taking J&J's Poke Balls right out of their hands was a nice way to screw with the TRio.

Not that I ever took the TRio's evil aura seriously, but when their Plan A starts failing before they've even finished their stupid motto, that's a sign that they should just call it a day. And Meowth had a good point--people so often have to go with Plan B that they might as well just start with Plan B. Oh, and one more thing...where the hell was Charizard? Has it seemed like Ash has been determined to not use his strongest Pokemon to his full potential?

Okay, we need a name for that game the Quagsire were playing...Moon Shooting? Well, I'll think of sopmething while everyone who bet on the MacGuffin Ball can go over to collect their winnings.

So the MacGuffin Ball turned out lucky? Is that why it would eventually be written out? After all, Ash can't get too lucky, now can he?

Next: Ledyba, Ledyba, fly away home... ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/once-blue-moon-46993/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/chikorita-rescue-46956/ Tue, 08 May 2012 10:24:42 GMT You know, Misty really oughta invest in something more appropriate for cold weather (unless her skin has super insulation). And figures that Brock would take up skiing just to hang with the snow bunnies. Is is SOP for a trainer to call out for whoever may be the trainer of a seemingly wild... You know, Misty really oughta invest in something more appropriate for cold weather (unless her skin has super insulation). And figures that Brock would take up skiing just to hang with the snow bunnies.

Is is SOP for a trainer to call out for whoever may be the trainer of a seemingly wild Pokemon? I don't recall Ash having ever done this before or since.

Okay, I can believe a Chikorita being a match for Bulbasaur, but Charizard? The big guy must've really been having an off-day. And it still seems odd for Ash to use the big dragon against such a small opponent. Charizard's gotta be itching for something good to do.

I think the first thing that should've tipped off Our Gang (and Joy Clone J-2) that the TRio was striking again was that they weren't dressed as Joy Clones. Everyone knows that only Joy Clones are allowed to practice Pokemon medicine. Although, if Chikorita was a wild Pokemon, did Ash really have any legal right to stop the TRio from claiming her? Maybe he took a page from Kaiba's book and screwed the rules. And speaking of legal rights, can Pokemon sign contracts?

Nice to see Ash improvising to make up for leaving his team behind (though he was in just enough of a rush for that to be forgiveable). His parody of the TRio's motto was actually clever (and, I think, the only time the word "brash" gets used on this show).

Did anyone else get a "Snow Way Out" vibe when Ash and Pikachu were in that snow cave? At least their cold-weather tolerance has improved. And it makes sense that a Grass Pokemon would fare poorly in cold weather.

A snowball launcher? Really? That was the best the TRio could do? If only Blofeld could see these shenanigans...

Awww, Chikorita gave Ash a kiss at the end. For the record, this is the 2nd Johto Pokemon Ash has won over just by being a nice guy. Vaguely Season 1, I know...

Next: Overzealous fans try to get their hands on the MacGuffin Ball. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/chikorita-rescue-46956/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/little-big-horn-46908/ Mon, 07 May 2012 10:41:26 GMT Wow--four cities in a row? Johto's more crowded than I thought. And where is Custer, anyway? (I don't expect my non-American readers to get the reference.)

If Ash and Misty thought those Stantler antlers were eyes, then I guess they did their job. Nice reference to real-life nature, where fake giant eyes are meant to scare potential predators. But how does Brock of all people see the difference. (I almost wonder if his eyes have atrophied, and he's seeing with the Force.)

Oh, that's right, Brock eats Pokemon food. (Remember Season 1?) Then again, for a while, he probably thought he was a Pokemon.

Normally I'd be on somebody's case about not doing anything about the Stantler stampedes, but since they turn out to be illusions, I guess you really can't stop what doesn't actually exist. That means Jenny Clone J-3 is off the hook. And again, squinty-eyed Brock Eastwood was the only one who could see through the illusion. Ash and Misty really need to see an optometrist soon.

Two eps in a row where Brock got to read a Pokemon's heart. Somebody was on a roll. Of course, he then made a fool of himself with Jenny. Can't look too good, eh?

So the TRio's plan this time was...an oversized Transformer? Just how much do those things cost? No wonder Jessie got so pissed at James. (And Blofeld keeps sending them funds for crap like that? Is that typical bureaucratic mismanagement?)

You know how when a character's facing a major moral dillema, he'll often have an angel and a devil on his shoulders? (Animal House, The Emperor's New Groove, et al...) Meowth did a pretty good job of channeling both.

So the TRio had Stantler in their balloon, way out of reach of Our Gang. My question: Where the [EFF!] was Charizard? And how would a lightning bolt fizzle out so abruptly? And wasn't anyone worried about zapping Stantler with the TRio? And Our Gang was doing so well up until now...I guess that was all just so TPTB could have their deus ex stantler, but it could've been handled better.

And the TRio got to face the real Stantler herd. One of those times when the "fool me once" attitude doesn't pay off.

Next: A hot-tempered Chikorita gets to chill out. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/little-big-horn-46908/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/snubbull-snobbery-46869/ Sun, 06 May 2012 10:39:54 GMT "Palm Hills"? I'm guessing that's a cross between "Palm Springs" and "Beverly Hills."

Ass Ketchum just can't pass up a chance to make a dork of himself with Misty, can he? Though the comparison he drew was kinda weak. (And I can only imagine what Misty-haters might've said.)

Little factoid: 90% of all butlers are either named "Jeeves" or "Sebastian." No, I don't know why that is, either.

Okay, a bedroom for Snubbull on Saturday? Outfits that Snubbull doesn't wear more than once? Does Madam Muchmoney like spending money just for the sake of spending money? And, from watching this ep, I'm guessing that seeing so much green was blinding her to the factthat Snubbull was extremely annoyed. When the guy who never opens his eyes can see things you can't, something's seriously wrong.

"Popcorn" balls? Damn you, 4Kids!

James bragging about his rich youth to the rest of the TRio as though it were soemthing to be pitied? Are TPTB trying to make all rich people look like assholes? And who'da thought Meowth's tail would double as a chew toy?

"Winthrop"? Are there really people or Pokemon named "Winthrop"? And what was with his owner's voice? (Calling her a trainer would be much too generous.) I can't see anyone talking like that in real life. By this point, it was obvious that TPTB were making the grown-ups look like dodos again so that Our Gang would look good.

Using Meowth as bait for Snubbull fishing? That's creative. Not to mention funny to see Meowth in pain.

Watching Snubbull battle, I figured this was one of those times when the Pokemon pretty much trained herself. Normally, I'd complain about one small Pokemon taking out two bigger ones so easily, but she was battling the TRio, so it was easy enough to look good.

And we now have a new recurring Poke-character. Watch out, Jigglypuff.

Next: Oh, deer! ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/snubbull-snobbery-46869/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/spinarak-attack-46820/ Sat, 05 May 2012 10:58:35 GMT For some reason, Misty screaming about Bug Pokemon reminds me of that scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, when Cameron screams upon seeing how many miles were put on his dad's Ferrari and the camera cuts to various scenes around Chicago. At least Misty didn't go catatonic.

Why would the TRio think that throwing bottlecaps would effectively deter the police from chasing them? For that matter, why did it work?

So Jenny Clone J-2 thought setting up Spinarak threads across city thoroughfares where numerous civilians travel would help catch the burglar? I'm gonna assume she was overcompensating for her Kantoan sisters' inactivity, but she was trying too hard.

Nice reference back to six eps ago, plus it makes sense that the Jenny Clones might be trading notes like that. Our Gang acting like professional crimefighters had echoes of "Hypno's Naptime," but this time Ash wasn't being a total doofus, and Brock...was being Brock. Same old, same old. And poor Misty--dealing with Brock and arachnophobia. I'm almost surprised this ep didn't put her in a coma.

Poor James, losing his bottlecaps just so the TRio can play "cops and robbers" with the fuzz. And as for leaving a note about their next heist, I've read plenty of stories about criminals doing things like that. Of course, in the stories I've read, they all failed miserably. (Anyone who's seen TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest... knows what I mean.)

Brock calling the meeting to order and Ash ordering a burger and fries reminded me of a scene from Mulan, with Brock channeling Chi Fu (or, as I like to call him, Captain Q-tip). (Watch the scene where Chi Fu tries to take a bath with a bunch of rowdy soldiers and you might get the "Q-tip" thing.)

At least Ash's Pokemon knew how to make him look like a competent crimefighter. (After over a hundred eps of fighting the TRio, they oughta be.) Note that at no point did Ash actually admit to being a professional, possibly because he isn't. Volunteer, vigilante, I'll buy those.

Okay, I'll admit the TRio hiding in the mansion itself instead of breaching its defenses after they'd been set up was clever, though Jenny and Our Gang should've made sure the whole mansion was secure before starting the waiting game. (As a side note, the ensuing battle debuted one of my favorite pieces of background battle music. Just thought I'd mention it.)

It just occurred to me that I don't recall any future Johto Jenny Clone hearing about Ash before he arrives in [insert name] City. Ah well. I guess I should enjoy the continuity while it lasts.

Next: Being rich can be a bitch. (That is what a female dog is called, right?) ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/spinarak-attack-46820/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/flower-power-46778/ Fri, 04 May 2012 10:55:28 GMT "Pokemon Exhibition"--I guess that's a Pokemon Contest without a formal system of judging or corresponding game mechanic, right? And Misty had a point about Ash's idea--who honestly thinks a TV show about Pokemon is at all worth watching? Anyone? Anyone?

It took Brock a while to get his flirt on, didn't it? Though if the Bellossom twins were having problems with their performance, wouldn't Bailey have had them practicing in private instead of before an audience?

Okay, Jessie in a flamenco gown--not too bad. James in a tutu--brain bleach, please! And the look on Meowth's face--priceless. Kinda the look I'd have in his...um...shoes... And who'da thought Meowth would get stage fright? Not that James' jokes helped--even my my standards, they sucked.

What exactly was that Transformer the TRio rode in on, and what was it supposed to do? Not that it mattered, since it got whupped so easily. And now we know--the TRio's so weak, they can be defeated by dancing.

Once again, Pika shows that he's got more talent than the whole TRio put together (and looks cuter doing so). I guess it makes sense that dance moves would help a fighter, but it's too bad we don't see this in later eps.

Okay, J&J's disguises may have been their most transparent yet. And given how high the balloon was, couldn't Ash have sent Charizard? Not that the plan he went with wasn't clever, but it seemed unnecessary.

As I said above, too bad we never see Pika use those moves again. I'm trying to remember exactly when Ash starts learning new techniques and remembers them several eps down the road.

I guess there's nothing like the urgency of a battle to force someone to master a half-learned trick. I'd explain it, but it's one of those things that can only be felt inside.

Next: Arachnophobia, anyone? ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/flower-power-46778/ http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/illusion-confusion-46741/ Thu, 03 May 2012 10:50:54 GMT Just outta curiosity: Has Our Gang ever gone anywhere without getting lost? (Even Togepi was dismayed.) A GPS would really come in handy.

I guess when it looks like the forest is coming to life, you might not have enough wits left to figure out if you're being snookered. For Ash, the worst part had to be getting rescued by Gary. A bit of his old arrogance was showing, but it was clearly tempered. Nice to see some sign of character development there.

Normally I'd mention how conveeenient it was that a Hoothoot showed up when Our Gang needed one, but if it liked girls, then it was no surprise that it would find Misty. And speaking of which, has every old hag on this show been voiced by Jimmy Zoppi? Hagatha did sound just like Weevil Underwood.

A Hoothoot who fails to lead a trainer through a haunted forest--now there's a campfire story waiting to be told.

"Too bad there aren't any [pretty girls] here..." Ash, you're an idiot.

Too bad Our Gang never saw the Star Trek ep "Specter of the Gun." I'll bet Spock would've helped them out against the ghostly illusions. Ash's "tough love" approach to Hoothoot was a bit surprising, but still in character as well as a nice counterpoint to Misty's coddling.

Was the TRio's interference really necessary, besides being contractually obligated?

I wonder if those ghosts were also mind-readers, since the bug illusion was tailor-made to scare the crap outta Misty. At least Ash's scolding finally worked.

Too bad the TRio didn't get their own Hoothoot. Though I do wonder how they got outta their illusion...

Next: TPTB try to introduce Pokemon Contests a generation early. ]]> DracoMan http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/23921/illusion-confusion-46741/