“The Brockster is In!” Review Thread

[pharaohyami5000]

My only gripe for this episode was it's another late development for Brock. It's such a shame they displayed this after the league instead of before then. When I heard of this episode the first time, I thought he would be healing Ash's Pokemon who were injured by their battles against Paul and Tobias. Especially Tobias where my thoughts of him being a relentless trainer wielding Legendary Pokemon got shot down as him being a nice guy instead. *sighs*

Oh well. I did enjoy this episode as Brock's greatest development. Although his 2nd special is under way, I do miss the guy and wished that he was treated better.

[Contrary]

Is it me, or does Dawn look kind of cool?

[OmigawdMatt]

This episode is great because it gives a great conclusion for Brock, especially with Happiny. The only thing is that when Happiny evolved, Brock didn't seen so surprised with the "Wow, Chansey." I would have been screaming in joy if my Pokemon evolved after so long. :P

[Dentogirl]

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."

Favorite TRio quote for this region EVER. (but they forgot Emerald D: )

:< This episode always makes me kind of sad...it being one of Brock's final episodes and all...

[Torterra Trainer]

Wow, just wow.
I don't know why but I was super excited for this episode, actually more than some of the episodes of Ash in the League.
I thought that TR was a little less annoying in this episode and I agree with everyone that the qoute about the upcoming games was the best one ever!
I think that Brock got a good ending and that he now has a set goal for him to achieve, instead of wandering around with Ash and telling everyone he's a pokemon breeder.
Sigh. Just one more episode of DP. Man, this series sure has gone on for a long time. Oh well, we are about to be flung into Unova and I'm not complaining!
This episode gets a 9.8 out of 10

[C.S.]

Another good one! What is that, like twenty in a row? The end of Diamond & Pearl has been amazing.

Brock considering becoming a Pokémon doctor... that's huge. The biggest development in his character in ages. I was seriously doubting that Brock would get the completion of his character arc that properly justified him leaving the series the way Misty and May did. But now, I have a little more faith... Can't wait for the last episode.

Plus, Team Rocket KILLED IT in this episode. They had me laughing more than they have in years. I mean... what would those Tentacruel even want with a bottle cap!? Hysterical.

[Emolga]

I really find dub Team Rocket to be annoying. Please don't keep their stupid rhyming and etc in Best Wishes...

Amazing episode; already saw the original and I'm glad to say the dub pulled it off quite well. Brock's dedication to helping those Pokemon was quite something. I really wish he went with Ash to Isshu along with Iris and Dento, but I guess they can't please everyone. Hopefully his new career goes well!

[Mijumaru]

James's bottle cap obsession is getting kind of old, but otherwise this was a good episode.

[Ashfangirl22]

It was an ok episode, sad how he finally got an episode and it was the second to last episode of the D/P series LOL. Team Rocket's comical side here, I do miss that part about them.

[Queen Cynthia]

I had great expectations for this episode but unfortunately I was disappointed. It wasn't all too bad but it was nothing to get excited about either.

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)

1. Happiny's evolution happened so quickly and Brock's reaction to it was rather indifferent so that you can't help thinking that it just had to evolve in order for the audience to see one last evolution before the curtain comes down on Sinnoh for good.
So, I'd say Happiny evolving is not a valid argument to call it an important episode.

2. Brock found a new goal? This argument is particularly flawed and I'll tell you why: What difference does it make if Brock suddenly wants to become a Pokemon doctor or if he keeps on pursuing his goal of becoming the world's best breeder? In the end, Ash and Brock will part anyways regardless of Brock's plans. So, this episode didn't have any influence on the plot at all. (You said, however, that it did and therefore mustn't be called a filler)

And by the way, do you remember how passionate he was about staying with Professor Ivy and how he totally changed his mind 32 episodes afterwards? Also, you surely remember how often Ash and Brock have already said goodbye to each other and how often the latter has returned so far. What I want to say is that I'm sure we'll see Brock again after the Unova journey as he obviously changes his mind pretty frequently. If I were you, I'd be very careful when it comes to Brock's ultimate goal because nobody knows what he'll be up to when he comes back.

Anyways, I wanted to show that your definition of what distinguishes a good episode from a filler can't be applied here. Thus I wholeheartedly agree with Gliscor'd that this weeks episode could have easily be replaced with another great and above all exciting Sinnoh League battle !


Finally, there's one special aspect I also want to complain about. It might seem to be a minor point at first glance, but for some strange reason it bugged me like hell:
Brock actually had the nerve to throw James' precious bottle cap overboard. No matter how great he was when treating the suffering Pokemon, what did he think he was doing?? In a series which is constantly emphasizing the importance of human values, how in the world can he just throw away somebody else's legitimate property???
To begin with, the explanation for that mess on the ship (Team Rocket "stealing" the Tentacruel's treasure) was so incredibly far-fetched that you just won't believe it. For James as a passionate collector said bottle cap had an intrinsic value, but I honestly doubt that the Tentacruel had the same intentions with that cap, let alone that they knew about its preciousness. For them it was probably just a random glittering object lying on the seabed, so why did they have to defend it at all costs in the first place??
And this brings me back to my original point of criticism. By no means did Brock had the right to throw away something that meant so much to James. When he cried that bottle caps were his life I could feel with him, and yes, strange though it may sound, I shared his pain. After this loss James must have felt like I would feel if someone told me I wasn't allowed to see and admire my beloved angel Cynthia anymore! Poor poor James!
Isn't it unfair? Brock is being celebrated as the hero of the day although he did something really mean. If that's the moral message of this week's episode, then I'm slightly concerned.


All in all, a disappointing episode and I would much rather have seen another Sinnoh League battle instead!

6.5 out of 10 points

[dman_dustin]

Finally, there's one special aspect I also want to complain about. It might seem to be a minor point at first glance, but for some strange reason it bugged me like hell:
Brock actually had the nerve to throw James' precious bottle cap overboard. No matter how great he was when treating the suffering Pokemon, what did he think he was doing?? In a series which is constantly emphasizing the importance of human values, how in the world can he just throw away somebody else's legitimate property???
To begin with, the explanation for that mess on the ship (Team Rocket "stealing" the Tentacruel's treasure) was so incredibly far-fetched that you just won't believe it. For James as a passionate collector said bottle cap had an intrinsic value, but I honestly doubt that the Tentacruel had the same intentions with that cap, let alone that they knew about its preciousness. For them it was probably just a random glittering object lying on the seabed, so why did they have to defend it at all costs in the first place??
And this brings me back to my original point of criticism. By no means did Brock had the right to throw away something that meant so much to James. When he cried that bottle caps were his life I could feel with him, and yes, strange though it may sound, I shared his pain. After this loss James must have felt like I would feel if someone told me I wasn't allowed to see and admire my beloved angel Cynthia anymore! Poor poor James!
Isn't it unfair? Brock is being celebrated as the hero of the day although he did something really mean. If that's the moral message of this week's episode, then I'm slightly concerned.


All in all, a disappointing episode and I would much rather have seen another Sinnoh League battle instead!

6.5 out of 10 points

I disagree entirely.

How is it more acceptable that many Pokemon die for a human's stupid collection, no matter how important it might be to him? Life should be far more important than someone's collection.

Let's say I collect Pokemon cards, and there's this bear has this really rare card. And I steal it, and because of my direct stealing the card the bear goes and attacks and kills anything standing in its way. I am directly responsible for that Carnage.

The Tentacruel weren't going to stop, and they would've likely killed Jessie and Meowth as well as James, and all this is acceptable just because James "needs" a bottle cap.

I suppose it's possible they were starving to death, and that bottle cap could afford them food, but James had no desire to sell it or get rid of it and they weren't starving to death.

Edit: And "Finders Keepers" is never an acceptable legitimate property argument, either.

[Ashfangirl22]

Well that's the thing, Tracey wasn't popular during Orang Islands, so Brock was brought back and kept ever since. Some say the reason he was kept was cuz they didn't know who to bring in next. Others say it was cuz they were afraid if of what happened during the Orange Islands, would fans react the same way they did back than when Brock was first replaced? I think the other one is more true, other wise why replace him now with Dento? Any who, Dento's the more popular one of the group at the moment, so they don't really have to bring him back, since this is a reboot kind of.

[Druddigon]

“The Brockster is In!”
James/Kojirou's bottlecap obsession almost got a load of Pokemon killed. Notice that's there good at doin' bad stuff when their not tryin' to. I thought Poison was suppose to be Purple sparks not a sick face but it makes more sense. This ep reminded me of the ep back n' Kanto where I think Pikachu n' a bunch of others pokes got sick cause of Muk or Magnemite or somethin'.

Glad we got to see Baby Pokemon(n' Teddiursa) that arent worthless pieces of shit. Its strange all those Pokemon just happen to be poisoned. I thought Pichu was to suppose to be hurt after usin' a electric attack? It's a cool Pokemon so they probably got rid of that handicapped cant have Pichu lookin' bad with all of em' appearin' n stuff sellin'. Splash has a use meh that's good to know they need to make it useful n' the game.

I cant help but wonder where the hell r the security? You gotta a bunch of ppl on a boat n' pokemon bein' attacked yet no body had a set big enough besides Satoshi-Tachi/Ash n' Co. to fight back. Does that boat not have a Junsa/Jenny? What kinda damn ship doesnt have 1st aid stuff ready incase of this?

Funny that Croagunk uses half-poison on Brock/Takeshi would he have got poisoned if he took a full-on poison Jab? I so forgot bout' Happiny STRENGTH n' that it could use Secret Power. I aint seen James with a rose n' a long time. Azurill probably cant use Refresh n' that state.

Lava Cookie?　Looked more like a Ricecracker. Glad were seein' Brock/Takeshi's Breeder skills n' how he can help those Pokemon get better. There goes those ice makin' skills. But seriously worst ferry ever not ONE DOCTOR or FIRST AID KIT ready. Im glad this ep showed up Pikachu n' Pichu's species connection sharin' electricity with it.

I cant believe he even trusted Happiny with feedin' a baby Pokemon that'd be like a doctor trustin' me to fix a meal for a sick person. That evolution took me by big suprise. It's strange seein' a Chansey that wasnt n' a Nurse's office or wearin' a hat. I always thought Happiny would stay a Happiny it seemed more fittin'. This is my first time seein' this ep I never knew Happiny evovled.

It's funny back n' Kanto I thought he was gonna have nothin' but Rock, Steel, Fightin', or Ground types hes had Water, Poision, n' Normal types pokes I was sure he'd never get. Its nice to see Pichu reunite with the rest of the Pokemon Rugrats. It woulda been nice to see him catch Pichu it loved him a lot. Must hurt to have your butthole jabbed by Croagunk.

Brock/Takeshi really took center stage this ep he really came through n' was useful. It's sad watchin' him reflect on his future. Ayako/Johanna bein' their to greet them was cool.

[Queen Cynthia]

I disagree entirely.
Let's say I collect Pokemon cards, and there's this bear has this really rare card. And I steal it, and because of my direct stealing the card the bear goes and attacks and kills anything standing in its way. I am directly responsible for that Carnage.

The Tentacruel weren't going to stop, and they would've likely killed Jessie and Meowth as well as James, and all this is acceptable just because James "needs" a bottle cap.

Your analogy with the bear is flawed.
You MIGHT perhaps be partly responsible for the damage because you were so carefree as to provoke the bear by stealing the card (but I doubt even that because it's not your fault if an animal goes crazy provided you didn't torment it or something like that)
However, you can't simply apply that logic to Pokemon for the following reason:
It should have become clear by now that Pokemon are not merely animals with an instinct but are somehow equal to humans as they seem to have reason as well.(This is also indicated by the fact that most characters in the Pokemon world treat their Pokemon like human-like partners with human rights)
So, if we agree that the Tentacruel have reason as well, their behavior was even more inappropriate. It's fair to assume that they knew exactly what they were doing, thus they could have known that their rampage was out of all proportion to James "stealing" that little bottle cap.
So given the fact that those beings are not just primitive machines which can't be turned off anymore, we mustn't say that it would have been James' fault if the Tentacruel had wreaked havoc. If something really bad had happened, you could have put the blame solely on the Tentacruel.
Again, what they were doing was out of all proportion to James' "theft".

[Druddigon]

I had great expectations for this episode but unfortunately I was disappointed. It wasn't all too bad but it was nothing to get excited about either.



1. Happiny's evolution happened so quickly and Brock's reaction to it was rather indifferent so that you can't help thinking that it just had to evolve in order for the audience to see one last evolution before the curtain comes down on Sinnoh for good.
So, I'd say Happiny evolving is not a valid argument to call it an important episode.

2. Brock found a new goal? This argument is particularly flawed and I'll tell you why: What difference does it make if Brock suddenly wants to become a Pokemon doctor or if he keeps on pursuing his goal of becoming the world's best breeder? In the end, Ash and Brock will part anyways regardless of Brock's plans. So, this episode didn't have any influence on the plot at all. (You said, however, that it did and therefore mustn't be called a filler)

And by the way, do you remember how passionate he was about staying with Professor Ivy and how he totally changed his mind 32 episodes afterwards? Also, you surely remember how often Ash and Brock have already said goodbye to each other and how often the latter has returned so far. What I want to say is that I'm sure we'll see Brock again after the Unova journey as he obviously changes his mind pretty frequently. If I were you, I'd be very careful when it comes to Brock's ultimate goal because nobody knows what he'll be up to when he comes back.

Anyways, I wanted to show that your definition of what distinguishes a good episode from a filler can't be applied here. Thus I wholeheartedly agree with Gliscor'd that this weeks episode could have easily be replaced with another great and above all exciting Sinnoh League battle !


Finally, there's one special aspect I also want to complain about. It might seem to be a minor point at first glance, but for some strange reason it bugged me like hell:
Brock actually had the nerve to throw James' precious bottle cap overboard. No matter how great he was when treating the suffering Pokemon, what did he think he was doing?? In a series which is constantly emphasizing the importance of human values, how in the world can he just throw away somebody else's legitimate property???
To begin with, the explanation for that mess on the ship (Team Rocket "stealing" the Tentacruel's treasure) was so incredibly far-fetched that you just won't believe it. For James as a passionate collector said bottle cap had an intrinsic value, but I honestly doubt that the Tentacruel had the same intentions with that cap, let alone that they knew about its preciousness. For them it was probably just a random glittering object lying on the seabed, so why did they have to defend it at all costs in the first place??
And this brings me back to my original point of criticism. By no means did Brock had the right to throw away something that meant so much to James. When he cried that bottle caps were his life I could feel with him, and yes, strange though it may sound, I shared his pain. After this loss James must have felt like I would feel if someone told me I wasn't allowed to see and admire my beloved angel Cynthia anymore! Poor poor James!
Isn't it unfair? Brock is being celebrated as the hero of the day although he did something really mean. If that's the moral message of this week's episode, then I'm slightly concerned.


All in all, a disappointing episode and I would much rather have seen another Sinnoh League battle instead!

6.5 out of 10 points

You'd rather Pichu-Tachi die for James/Kojirou's stupid obsession?