“The Brockster is In!” Review Thread

[Mijumaru]

I guess that Tentacruel's chance of poisoning relies on its anger.

[The Fighting Misty]

I thought this ep could have been used for an extra league ep instead.

Brock's decision could have been decided in the last ep, most of this ep was just an average filler plot.

[Piplup]

Brock's decision could have been decided in the last ep, most of this ep was just an average filler plot.

This "filler" word again... let's see:
- A main character's Pokémon evolved and learned a new move (I don't care if we see it again or not, it happened)
- A main character found out his new goal in life
- The end of this ep is directly connected to the next ep (the group see Johanna as they arrive in Twinleaf)

[¿Mukuhawku?]

I thought this ep could have been used for an extra league ep instead.

Brock's decision could have been decided in the last ep, most of this ep was just an average filler plot.

Ummm......it would be terrible for Brock to be like, "Hey guys, I'm a Pokemon Doctor now, I'll more than likely never be on the main cast again!" so suddenly on the last episode. It's called "Character Development". Just because Brock did virtually nothing in DP doesn't mean he should get shafted in the end.

Dawn got to shine in the Grand Festival. Ash got to shine in the Sinnoh League. Brock got to shine in this episode. Not to mention Brock is likely never gonna be on the main cast again, it would be terrible for the writers to just boot him off without a good ending for him. The last episode is meant to be a goodbye for all three members as a group, not just Brock.

....Onto the episode, I only woke up to the second half of the episode, which I thought was really good and emotional.

[Chosen of Mana]

I liked the piece used when Happiny evolved. Was that Oración?

[Ampharos King]

Once again, TRio makes a reference to the new games, when they notice a glimmer in the bottom of the sea next to a group of wild Tentacruel.

Jessie: "What could this be? Gold? Silver? Platinum? Rubies or Sapphires?"
Meowth: "Diamonds and pearls would be rockin' too!"
James (reaches for a button to steal the treasure): "It's not all black and white."

If I am not mistakened, I do believe the Japanese version made a similar game allusion during this scene. TRio were excited that this treasure might have been rubies, sapphires, gold, silver, or platinum. The "Black and White" reference was a dub-only addition since these games will soon be released internationally.

If you remember, TRio made a similar reference to the release of the Diamond and Pearl games during the ninth pokemon movie (Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea).

Considering how the Tentacruel arrived on the ship because James stole their treasured bottlecap, which in turn the Tentacruel attacked and poisoned the COTD's pokemon, TRio effectively shaped Brock's decision to leave Ash's group and to become a Pokemon Doctor.

On another note, I am glad that this episode elaborates on items which are used to heal poison, status conditions, or both. I do believe this was the first time we were introduced to both Heal Powder and Lava Cookies.

By all means, this episode is not a filler. This was one of the very few times in the series where we saw a glimpse of Brock's characterization. He began to doubt his capabilities with raising pokemon after finding out that he had insufficient resources on the ship to sufficiently cure all of the pokemon. In turn, Happiny (who was usually carefree and spontaneous) began to reflect her trainer's anxieties and tried her best to help. It was because of these concerns that Happiny evolved into Chansey, where she was not able to use a move to cure the Pichu.

I felt that Refresh, a move which Chansey is able to learn that can cure a pokemon's status conditions, would have been more appropriate in this case. The Pichu was (or appeared to be) poisoned, regardless of the treatment Brock already administered to it.

[CommanderPigg]

I liked the piece used when Happiny evolved. Was that Oración?

As mentioned in this thread (where the music discussion should be taken place ^^;) It's an unknown dub piece. But I would have to listen again to make sure. (It didn't really sound like Oracion to me though...)

[Dogasu]

I'm puzzled as to why it took Happiny 152 episodes to evolve.

You would think it would have evolved into Chansey sometime in the middle of Sinnoh - say, during the DP Battle Dimension season - and then evolve into a Blissey in time for some HeartGold & SoulSilver promotion. But nooo...it had to stay a Happiny until the last possible minute.

It really makes you wonder what was going through the writers' heads.

[Serperiority]

A great episode. Very dramatic, especially for Brock. A very opposite approach than the episode before. Well, 1 more episode left, then off to Unova!

[Dogasu]

A Blissey would be able to signify that just as well.

Remember, we saw that one Blissey in Johto who belonged to a Nurse Joy.

[Musashi]

Ugh. Ash, Dawn and Brock split up for good next week, so why can't Jessie, James and Meowth? They obviously hate being around each other. (Though I admit I loved the BW joke.)

Jessie: Love those alliterations!

The joke was that James (aka Zoppi) loves alliterations. Enjoy making them while you can!

Thankful the real plot of the episode was quote good. I've always enjoyed Brock episodes, and this one was no exception. Like others have said, it was great to see Brock doubt himself and be forced to figure everything out on his own. A nice little lead up to his career change,

[Samurott]

"...it's not that Black and White" They just had to, didn't they? "That was my life." Somehow, this statement has more weight considering what happens. Yeah, let us take Pechas that don't belong to us, I'm sure they won't mind. :P Note: Do not cheese off Happiny. I must admit, I've never seen Brock take it to the next level like this. It's a nice closing for his character. The time is almost upon us. The end of DP awaits...

[Froakie]

I'm going to post a big review this time which I rarely ever do.

This is the second to last episode of the DP saga. I remember watching it on keyhole when it first came out in Japan, and enjoying it then. Now I've seen the dub this really is one my, if not my favourite episodes. Although in another sense, I hate it and wish it never existed.

I'm not going to comment at all on Team Rocket in here. They were the (very cheap) reason Brock decided to leave, and I'll always be bitter towards the writers for something so stupid as James' bottle caps. They could have used something else, or done it earlier than the EPISODE BEFORE HE LEAVES, but I guess it just wasn't to be.

This episode really highlights Brock as a character despite what anybody says about him. It pained me to watch him doubt himself and the fact that he truly felt sorry he couldn't help really showed his character. He was brave to get those Tentacruel after him, and we never saw him do anything like that before. Probably because the writers really let him down as they admitted themselves in a few instances. He deserved so much more than what they did with him and the time he had actually been on the show with Ash for. This is his last focused episode ever as a main traveling companion, and it also is the first/last episode he chooses a new dream after 13 years.

Happiny evolving was nice, and it's cool that Brock now has a Chansey as it fits into his goal - but it could have been ealier than this. At the end Brock was very modest towards the praise he was getting, but I guess it was because he realised without Happiny evolving Pichu would have probably died, so he probably felt like he hadn't really helped. Felt useless.

I'll always remember this episode and it was so emotional (infact I'm pretty much crying right now LOL).
I was considering starting to watch the Black & White dub when it gets released, but after this, after realising how badly Brock was written and how much they neglected a very much deserving character has left me bitter. Brock deserved so much more and I'll never forgive them.

Other than moaning about what could have been, the dub was really fantastic. I noticed a few new pieces of music (?) and it was really as emotional/if not more than the raw.

One more episode to go..

[Contrary]

Best Team Rocket Quotes EVAR. Is it me, or are they worse better than usual?

James: "The travelling twerp means Pikachu's in tow!"
Jessie: "And that means one thing, you know."
Meowth: "Team Rocket follows, yo!"

And

James: "Toxic twerp talk."

Good to see that James got a bottlecap - he lost a lot of them in that Togepi episode.

[Froakie]

^ he hasn't got that bottlecap anymore, Brock threw it overboard.