[Pokémon] Pokemon Anime Marathon Club

Season 2 Episode 10 - "The Evolution Solution"

It's a bit disappointing how the show changes both the Seafoam Islands and Cinnabar into tourist hot spots (I wouldn't mind one of the other being changed, but it feels redundant to have both locations essentially serve the same role), but it's nice to see another beach arc since it's been a long time since the last one. TR were really solid this EP, with Jessie catching a new Pokemon (that she loses by the end) and the trio creating hilarious "Team Rocketex" entries for themselves. Professor Westwood the 5th was a mediocre COTD at best though, the ancestor gag gets annoying after the first few times, and retconning him to being the creator of the Pokedex feels like a pointless change. The plot was decent and I like how Giovanni has been more present in recent episodes, but it's still nothing special. Overall, it's a filler EP that increases the episode count and not much more. I'd give it a 5.5/10


Season 2 Episode 11 - "The Pi-Kahuna"

This episode is just an excuse to plug the surfing minigame in Pokemon Yellow, but I still really liked it! It's always refreshing to see the gang do stuff with Pokemon outside of battling, and I liked their new outfits. Victor is also a pretty compelling COTD, he isn't annoying like a lot of the recent ones, and I liked how the show took time to flesh out his backstory / motivation as well as connecting him to Jan. In comparison, Puka felt a little overlooked; why he was just floating on some random raft or why he can "sense the waves" isn't explained at all, and he hardly gets any screentime compared to Victor. As for TR, they were just average, I found their scheme pretty generic, but they mostly stay out of the way and don't really impact the main plot. Overall, it's another filler episode, but it's well executed and the tie-in with the surfing minigame didn't feel too forced. I'd give it an 8.5/10.


Season N/A Episode N/A - "Pokemon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (Pikachu's Vacation)"

We've reached the first movie! Some of the early films have corresponding shorts that aired before them, and while I'll be counting them as part of their respective movies; I'm still going to write separate reviews for them because they're entirely disconnected from the movie plots. This one centers on the gang's (and TR's) Pokemon being left to their own devices and getting into slice-of-life style shenanigans. The first thing that struck me was the vastly improved animation over the regular show, it's obvious that it had a larger budget than a normal episode, and it shows in the backgrounds and how much more expressive the Pokemon are (particularly with their facial expressions). The mini-stories were all cute and entertaining to watch, and there's a throughline of the Gen 2 teasers slowly warming up to the gang's Pokemon. It's also just nice to have an episode entirely focused on the Pokemon since the show's put a lot of emphasis on the human characters recently. Overall, it's a really fun appetizer before the movie with good animation and a relaxing story. I'd give it a 9.5/10.


Season N/A Episode N/A - "Pokemon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back"

Now for the movie itself! Like the Pikachu short, the improved animation really helps the film stand out from the rest of the show, with the Pokemon / backgrounds again being significantly higher quality in addition to a lot of dynamic camera angles / shots being used. The plot takes a pretty long time to get going (the first ~40 out of 75 minutes is dedicated to setup), but that time is used well to build up Mewtwo's character and establish New Island. It also gives us plenty of time to take in the OST, which is chock-full of bangers (I particularly enjoyed the remixed intro theme). Mewtwo is a really intimidating villain that's been built up for a while now, and the film does a great job of creating a sense of seriousness / urgency to the gang's situation, and generally making it feel like a proper movie instead of an extended episode. I did find the theme of anti-violence really contrived and kinda nonsensical considering how emphasized battling is in Pokemon (apparently fighting with water cannons and fire beams is OK, but fighting hand-to-hand is wrong and must be stopped), as well as basically appearing out of nowhere, but the scene with Ash being turned to stone and brought back to life was still geniunely emotional. Overall, I had a great time and enjoyed the film, even if the themes felt a bit rushed and I would've preferred a slightly longer runtime. I'd give it a 9.5/10.


Season 2 Episode 12 - "Make Room for Gloom"

This is a nice slower episode after how serious the movie was. It's always good to see Delia, and we get some rare details on Ash's childhood where we find out how he used to constantly visit the Xandanu Nursery. I was pretty surprised at how huge it was considering how rural Pallet Town seems to be, but I liked how Brock got some extra focus since he hasn't gotten much attention recently. The COTD, Florinda, was also pretty good, and it was enjoyable watching her gain confidence over the course of the EP; as was seeing the roasts the gang spat at each other. TR were also solid this time around, their scheme isn't anything crazy, but it's nice to see them return to being overt villains after being pretty sympathetic in the movie. Overall, it's a fun time and an entertaining filler. I'd give it an 8/10.
 
Season 2 Episode 13 - "Lights, Camera, Quack-tion!"

This episode has a great premise alongside great execution, which makes it a very entertaining watch. To start, TR were actually really good; their variation of the motto with each of them trying to squeeze in front of the camera was extremely funny, and I liked how they tried to audition earnestly before revealing their scheme instead of just spying on the gang until near the end. I also liked all the jabs the episode made at the movie industry, like poking fun at overly-pretentious directors through the COTD (who I found hilarious) and how pretty much every major production is just a sequel / spinoff of something else instead of an original story. The plot also ties into the general through-line of Ash not training enough recently, which is pretty realistic for a 10yo and shows some self-awareness on the part of the showrunners regarding how the gang seemingly gets side-tracked every other day. Overall, it's a great watch that ties in well with the recent movie given that it's about filmmaking. I'd give it a 9/10.
 
Season 2 Episode 14 - "Go West Young Meowth"

We finally find out why Meowth can talk, I'm honestly surprised it took 60+ episodes for the show to address this in detail, but I'm not complaining since I really loved this EP! To start, I liked how the plot ties into the previous episode, with everyone going to Hollywood to watch the movie Cleavon filmed. There's a plot hole where Meowth "goes west" to Hollywood when you'd actually go east from Japan to visit California, not to mention how the trip is implied to only be a short jaunt instead of a 10 hour flight each way, but that's just a nitpick. The actual plot was extremely good, the gang mostly stayed out of the way after the beginning (though Misty's roast went hard) and I felt like Meowth's backstory struck a good balance between drama and humor. Parts of it were geniunely tragic and help to develop Meowth's character, but there are enough jokes to prevent things from getting too depressing (particularly the fake-outs with Meowzie near the end). I also can't say I was expecting not one but two unique musical numbers, but I loved both of them. Outside of that, I enjoyed how the show again pointed out how Ash is neglecting his training to go on these wacky adventures, and the gang not making it into the final cut was a nice cherry on top to the whole movie sub-plot. Overall, it's easily among the best episodes of the series so far, both in terms of being really entertaining and for giving Meowth a ton of character development. I'd give it a 10/10.
 
I was sick with a head cold when I watched a portion of these episodes, so I couldn't think that well.

Episode 68

Ash quote: "I made up that Psybro thing."

And another episode where we get introduced to a character-of-the-day that's rather annoying and possibly not needed. Westwood's whole "Westwood the First! Westwood the Second! Westwood the Third! Westwood the Fourth! Westwood the Fifth! Oh wait that's me" grated on the nerves. His only purpose at the end was to explain the reason behind the evolution, which any of the Twerps could have explained if they were allowed to know something about the creatures they live with.

It might have been interesting to explore why Slowpoke didn't want to evolve at first. Like give it a reason why it didn't want Shellder attached, and then make Slowpoke have a problem that would be solved if it could use its front paws. And then have Shellder have a reason for why it wanted to be on land. Then, when Team Rocket attacked, the two Pokémon could have figured something out to make them want to work together, and then that would show the symbiotic relationship better.

Episode 69

I forgot about this episode.

This was a great episode. It was the first one in a while that didn't come off as a "introduce new Pokémon and have Team Rocket be the conflict" basic storyline. We've seen Pikachu before. We just never saw one surf.

And there was something about Victor that I liked. His voice helped. But I think because he wasn't some over-the-top comedic character, like the ones we had in the previous few episodes. He's just a guy who wants to be like his hero. His personality is calm and steady, knows what he's doing. He didn't become whiny about not reaching his goal before. He just practiced and waited with his Pikachu buddy, and they have the same goal.

This was a great episode. Very refreshing.

Don't have an Ash quote, but... Boy ran out in front of a car and caused a traffic jam. Can't top that.

Movie 1

Time to admit that I have seen this movie six times in the theater. Wanting something different, I decided to watch this in Japanese.

It was an interesting experience.

I can't say which one is better than the other. There were parts that I liked more in the original, and others that I preferred in the dub. What I liked in the original was the lack of pop music. It kept the scenes serious and dramatic. The ending song "Kaze to Issho ni" fits better than the pop music medley of the dub. But I far preferred the instrumental soundtrack of the dub, since it wasn't just music from the main anime. It was all new pieces.

Maybe it was just nostalgia talking, but I also preferred the lines from the dub. Nothing beats Mewtwo's "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant, it is what you do with the gift of life that determines what you are." It's famous for very good reasons .But the part that always chokes me up is the discussion between the two Meowth about the moon. In the original, they talk about the moon being full (which is a thing with Nyarth). But the dub has that whole bit about "looking at what's the same instead of what's different..." Beautiful.

Another benefit to the original is
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Another part of this movie that I liked is when Ash steps out of the smoke with the original Pokémon. It's such a badass moment.

Ash quote: "They mostly live in Minnesota!" (This is the only line I remembered him being ridiculous about.)

As for Pikachu's vacation, I watched that in English. Mostly what I remember about it were the bizarre scene transitions. Of course the first one that hit was the Bellsprout one, and I visibly recoiled in my chair from horror as the memories hit.

Episode 70

Ash quote: "Misty. Please. Only one of us can hallucinate at a time."

Runner-up: "Don't worry, Brock! You'll find plenty of other girls to reject you!"

Poor Brock.

This was just the standard "character-of-the-day has an issue, and Team Rocket comes along to help solve it while the twerps attempt to help." Florinda's issues seemed to come from nowhere as she told them all to Brock. It wasn't like there was any set-up for her having problems raising Gloom. It was a fine Pokémon with working nectar, and had no problems following commands.

Potter was completely useless. So was Oak's appearance. Less screen time could have been given to them so that Florinda's issues could be developed more. But then there wouldn't be an easy reason for Brock to be rejected. Especially since Florinda only believed in herself because Brock encouraged her, and Potter was completely ineffectual.

But she loved him. Though they didn't interact the entire episode.

Poor Brock.

I think this episode was really just to start setting up breeding groups for Gold and Silver.

Episode 71

Ash quote: "I'll do it for free!"

The movie wasn't that good.

The timing for this episode felt out-of-place. Like it should have happened earlier and not in the middle of Ash trying to get ready for the League, but the writers realized they needed to have filler before the end of the season. (I completely forgot just how much filler there was before getting to the League.) The way this episode started, it felt like the twerps were still on the road instead of going somewhere close to Pallet.

There was a lot of nothing in this episode. I thought that maybe, when Team Rocket showed up in the beginning of the episode, that the plot was getting them out of the way because there was a lot to the movie story line. But instead, Team Rocket actually was the best parts of this episode. I adore their little speech to Arbok and Weezing about never giving up and being the stars of tomorrow.

Or the day after.

I'm getting bored of the Psyduck plots. I like Psyduck. I don't like how the stories about it are always the same, where Psyduck is the only Pokémon for a humorous plot, but then it has to use its strong psychic abilities to save the day. It annoyed me when Misty said that Psyduck was the only Pokémon left to save the others. Ash had three Pokémon that weren't even out that could have been more helpful.

Nice of Team Rocket to just sit and wait for Psyduck to defeat them.

Episode 72

No Ash quote, but I did enjoy that arguing couple. "You never take me out anymore!" "Because you keep coming back!"

That movie really could not have been good if it was completed in less than a month. The whole filler "arc" before Ash finally gets to the League has some strange pacing issues. A lot going on in these two months!

Most of Meowth's story made me really hate how humans treat only Meowth in this world .No one could spare some help for a starving kitten? They had to string him up in a tree for knocking over a basket of baseballs? The chef dude couldn't toss his scraps into an alleyway for the gang? Or call some professionals about a whole gang of starving street Meowth? (People for the Ethical Treatment of Pokémon?) And Mewozy's owner was a real piece of work.

Also spent a lot of Meowth's story wondering about how his body worked to allow him to change that much. Like, did his bone structure change when he learned to walk on two legs? How could he move his tongue around to enunciate words? Could all Pokémon learn to walk and talk like a human then?
 
Season 2 Episode 15 - "To Master the Onixpected!"

I was a bit confused by the references to the Elite 4, I thought the League Conference determined the champion instead an E4? In any case, the plot feels pretty slapped together. Delia just happening to know that Bruno trains super close to Pallet is a big stretch in my book, and the giant angry Onix felt like an unnecessary addition to create conflict (how did Sandslash not get crushed?!). Props to Ash for sticking with the training even after walking for miles though, I was expecting him to start complaining when Bruno made him do all that manual labor, but he gave it his full effort. Aside from that, I liked the variation on TR's motto as well as the exceptionally good animation. Bruno was a pretty decent COTD, it was disappointing to not get to see him use any Pokemon, but he definitely comes off as a skilled trainer and it was cool to watch him catch Onix without having to lay a finger on it. Overall, I had a good time watching this episode, it's not anything groundbreaking, but it was still a fun 22 minutes with these characters. I'd give it an 8/10
 
Season 2 Episode 16 - "The Ancient Puzzle of Pokemopolis"

I don't think the premise of an ancient Pokemon civilization is inherently bad, but the way it's executed here feels aimless. None of the characters really do anything, everyone just kinda sits around being harassed by the giant Gengar / Alakazam until they're sealed away by the Deus Ex Machina, including the COTD who gets 0 focus aside from a few exposition dumps. I assume they were trying to go for a mysterious vibe, but the lack of any explanations about the "Dark Device", that spoon, the giant Pokemon or the titular Pokemopolis make the episode feel pointless, with no important lessons learned or valuable information gained by the end. Overall, this is the epitome of the filler EP that only exists to fill time, it's not bad to watch in the moment, but I doubt it'll stick in my mind for more than a week. I'd give it a 6/10.
 
Episode 73

Ash quote: "Guess I need to work on my equal-whatchamacallit!"

This is another episode that had something in it that could have been explored further. Like, the Elite Four have their purpose in the games, because it's impossible to have the sort of League tournament that we'll have in the show. So that means that the Elite Four don't just sit around challenging trainers all day. They have to be doing something.

I don't think it's sitting in the mountains all day forgetting forks.

For a few seconds, I legit thought that all of Bruno's training was just him getting Brock and Ash to do his chores.

Bruno's whole deal as an elite trainer went nowhere. He just "felt" Onix's problem, and spouted off the same platitude of people and Pokémon needing to work together. Somehow he saw that Ash and Pikachu were a good example of this, even though it was just the standard "Pikachu jumps in to save Ash because Ash is a klutz" deal.

Team Rocket felt like a waste in this episode. The giant Onix could have been the sole problem for the episode. Though it was nice to see Ash say that they should save Team Rocket, instead of him wanting to leave them trapped. And that old lady at the beginning of the episode was a waste of screen time. I think I remember her making more sense in the Japanese version.

Mostly, my main takeaway from this episode was that everyone was wearing slippers in the house. Last episode, they were all still in their shoes, which I thought was odd.

Episode 74

Ash quote: "Where's that jiggly giant?"

Everything about the giant Jigglypuff was great. The deep booming voice. The paintbrush. The fact that it acts the same as the tiny Jigglypuff. And the last scene of it, when it held up its paintbrush and went "PUFF!"

Kind of wish that it gets to roam the wilderness, enjoying life.

Pokémopolis is another concept that I wish was explored more. What was life like for people before the modern invention of Poké balls? Why were those Pokémon so huge, and had those strange markings? Apparently they were a thing on Pokémon in that city, since the Psyduck statute had them too. It would have been interesting to know why Jigglypuff of all Pokémon was the protector of the city.

But we will never talk of this again.

Also, Pidgeotto was great in this episode. Bird had a lot of expressions.
 
Season 2 Episode 17 - "Bad To The Bone"

Ash betting all his badges on some random battle has to be, by far, the most idioic decision he's made on this show to date, it felt super out of character, even for Ash, and I also couldn't believe how chill Misty / Brock were with him making such a reckless choice. It smacks of contrived writing to create drama, but the episode significantly improves after the real conflict is introduced. Yeah, it's firmly in the "gang helps out COTD that TR screwed over" genre, however, that formula is used so much for a reason, and the execution is stellar. Starting with the characters, Otoshi is an above-average COTD, his personality isn't actively grating and I enjoyed how he had a minor subplot with Marowak (who itself feels like an active participant in the story); meanwhile, TR were really funny in addition to having some internal conflict. In comparison, the gang is just kinda OK after the beginning, they don't crack too many good jokes, but they don't get in the way much either. In terms of the general plot, I feel like this recent string of filler episode is coming to an end at just the right time. Getting to see Pallet and Ash's endless parade of excuses for not training was enjoyable, but any more and it would've started losing its charm. Aside from that, the action was decent and I've noticed that the animation's been much better since the movie. I particularly enjoyed the transition from Oak's lab to Delia's house, and the battles have been less reliant on abstract backgrounds and stock animations. Overall, it's a solid filler episode, and a nice stepping stone to finally get the League arc started.
 
Season 2 Episode 18 - "All Fired Up!"

This is a really solid start for the League arc, changing the Indigo League from an honestly kinda-creepy gauntlet of 4 battles to an Olympic-style sporting competition was a great call, and the IRL Olympic torch ceremony is used effectively to give Ash a nice victory lap with some character development on the side. I enjoyed the song in the middle, but my favorite part by far was when Ash went to the empty stadium, the moment was tarnished somewhat by the largely-pointless COTD's inexplicable presence; but it was still a pretty powerful moment in my opinion. It seemed to struggle filling time though, the torch stuff only really covers about 15 minutes, so TR are forced in to create pointless conflict. Their reasons for wanting the flame are extremely contrived (how is some torch they can barely keep alight going to allow them to steal Pokemon?) and the Deus Ex Machina with Moltres at the end was corny. Overall, it's still a fantastic time though, and a nice final episode before the actual battles start. I'd give it a 9/10
 
I watched All Fired Up. Always thought of it as a cool episode. Having this ceremony similar to the olympic fame is a nice touch of world-building for the anime universe. I love that the flames come from Moltres, and would have liked for the old Kanto games to have incorporated some of that the sacred torch image on route to pokemon league, it would have been epic and also explained why Moltres hangs around Victory rd.

I think Ash, despite being known for being clueless in the early seasons, should have known about the fire, and not needed Misty and Brock to tell him about it since he was so passionate about the pokemon league, but that's okay, it's for the audience. And I do like that Misty and Brock took turns helping carry the torch, getting to do a little something on the show.

The plot of team rocket trying to steak some fire is indeed a silly one, but I've come to expect that from them. It might just be me, but something about the charred version of Jesse I find cute.
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Would not have objected to more of Gary in this episode the appearance of the flashy narcissist I always find entertaining, but they will be having a similar character soon with Mandy, so maybe they don't need him.

Episode has a lovely ambiance at times like the night before the opening ceremony with Ash standing in the moonlight having self doubt. Also I like that all the pidgeys got released the next day as a reference to the dove release date during the Olympics, good little details.

Gotta love this 10-year-old's reckless courage at the end, willing to be immolated rather than run away, and was duly rewarded with the protection and appearance of a special pokemon. I think the bravery he showed that summoned this pokemon makes him a winner, regardless of where he places in the indigo league.

Ash's journey started in the first episode he saw Ho-oh, and now as it comes full circle and he has reached his goal of competing in the pokemon league he beholds another legendary fire bird. That's a decent bit of storytelling for pokemon, if they intended to make that connection
 
Have to say: I'm really enjoying how different our opinions of these episodes are!

Episode 75

Oh great. Another "character-of-the-day with Pokémon-of-the-day has a problem that Team Rocket helps cause and solve" episode.

Not a whole lot to say about this one. It is just the standard fare of a new character with a problem that the Twerps run into. The Twerps agree to help, and Team Rocket gets involved in some way or another. I just didn't care about Otoshi. I didn't care about Marowak. Their separation felt really forced. Completely out of nowhere, Marowak decided to throw a tantrum and storm off because some drama needed to pad out the time.

Team Rocket was really the best of the episode. It's great when it's just two of the three interacting with each other, like here with James and Meowth. It's clear that those two aren't always as devious as Jessie is. She's the one who's greedy and also selfish enough to go through with a plan on her own. It was also great that James was able to recognize her through the disguise from all the times that they wore matching ones.

Also, in a bizarre twist of censorship, James was not carrying dirty pictures in the original Japanese. He had Pokémon cards. Actual TCG cards, and he claimed that he was studying Pokémon with them. There's apparently a whole law about advertising to children that required this change.

Also also, POGs! James has POGs! Alf's back, and he's in POG form!

Episode 76

Ash quote: "Is that Santa Claus?"

Not sure how to really sum up this episode. It felt like a collection of stories centered around the flame and the League, but not cohesive enough to be a complete story.

The whole thing was weird from the start, when the Twerps didn't notice a whole crowd of people standing on the side of the road before. Like, was it just that little section of road and no one waiting anywhere else? It's also surprising that the Twerps didn't see the entire procession of the runner, a Hitmonchan, Officer Jenny on a motorcycle, and a bus as they walked along.

The Glico runner guy was neat, if a little odd at first because it was weird that he just stood there as Ash argued about running. Jenny kept insisting that only competitors could run with the flame, but Goodshow said anyone could. And I guess that's why Brock and Misty ran too, even though they couldn't have been running for that much distance. (Unless Glico was running for a long time. And it's also kind of weird that Brock was the one to run the flame into the final-ish spot, because he's not competing at all and someone should have complained about that.)

When Team Rocket did try to take the flame the first time, that felt forced. Ash actually threw the flame after Meowth scratched him, when dropping it would have made a little more sense. Instead, he yeeted that flame. Everyone who fell in the hole decided to just hang around instead of trying to escape sooner to help Ash. Like Brock could have used Onix. But all the drama was for nothing because Goodshow had a replacement flame.

That scene really did feel like nothing, and it's a waste of time that could have been used for the League. Ash could have wandered around the village, showing how life is going to be for the next few days for him. Or some history of the League. Or it would have been a little neat to get hints of characters that will show up soon to give something to look forward to. Or it would have been neat to get inside Ash's head more about him finally reaching the League.

Or him being the chosen one of Moltres? Everyone else gets burned from the flames but Ash, and no one questions it.

Also, there was a whole stadium full of really strong trainers. None of them could have helped Ash fight off Team Rocket? They all stood there "
[PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon Anime Marathon Club
" as one lone ten-year-old fought off a giant metal bug. Even the police were useless. There was no security detail making sure that no one strange got near the giant flame dish?

Nice to see Victreebel make an appearance.
 
Season 2 Episode 19 - "Round One - Begin!"

The first proper battle of the League, and... it's not the best. My main issue with this episode is that Mandi gets literally 0 focus or build-up, I get that 11 mins isn't much time to expand on a COTD, but I would've preferred they cut out the Brock shenanigans to explain his deal since he may as well be a literal cardboard cutout as-is. We get to see more of Gary, which is nice, and I like how Ash withdraws a Krabby from Oak's lab instead of just relying on his usual team. The actual battle feels super unrealistic though, I refuse to believe that Krabby / Kingler, who's never battled, can beat an Exeggutor, Seadra and Golbat trained by someone qualified for the Pokemon League. I assume it was written this way to give Krabby time in the spotlight, but I wish they would've had another underutilized Pokemon like Pidgeotto at least knock out Exeggutor to make it a bit more plausible. The animation was also pretty bad, they must've blown most of their budget on the past few EPs. Overall, it's an underwhelming first battle against a glorified cardboard cutout, hopefully things pick up for the next one. I'd give it a 5/10.
 
Season 2 Episode 20 - "Fire and Ice"

Narrator: Things did not pick up. It's so disappointing how hard they've been dropping the ball considering how well this arc was built up. To start, I dislike how only snippets of the 2nd and 3rd rounds are shown; these wins are supposed to be a big deal for Ash, but it's hard to care much when we barely get to see the matches. I also wish Ash would've used some of his other Pokemon, he caught others (like Muk) throughout his journey, but Kingler remains the only one he's pulled out of Oak's lab. Aside from the matches, the middle ~60% is essentially pointless and needlessly draws budget away from the battles, TR's scheme is flimsy as paper and they're really generic this time around, while Ash going out to eat and healing his Pokemon seems like something that didn't need to be covered on-screen. Overall, it just felt underwhelming for such a high-stakes part of the story, I wish they would've taken out the Pokemopolis EP so rounds 2 / 3 could get more focus. I'd give it a 4/10.
 
Season 2 Episode 21 - "The Fourth Round Rumble"

Now this is how a League battle should play out! We get nearly an entire episode focusing on a single round, and it's allowed to play out in its entirety without any wacky hijinks getting in the way. I found it a bit ironic how Ash mocks Jeanette for sending out a Bellsprout when like 75% of his team is unevolved, but I enjoyed the dynamic of Ash nearly wiping out her team before getting humbled instead of just going back-and-forth. Muk also feels like an appropriate choice to finish her off considering it was depicted as exceptionally powerful when Ash caught it (its personality is also golden). Aside from the battle, I really like how Gary is knocked out before getting a chance to battle Ash, it shows how stiff the competition is getting as these rounds progress, and it's a nice subversion for Ash to not have a dramatic confrontation with his rival (we'll have to wait until the end of Johto for that). TR were also solid, I've always enjoyed when they run successful "legitimate" businesses, and they manage to be pretty funny while staying out of the way. Overall, it's by far the best round yet and a great episode in general. I'd give it a 9.5/10
 
Episode 77

Ash quote: "I hope you're taping this, Mom!"

I love the 90's.

The first part of this episode was decent, with Ash figuring out how to even get started in the League. Still wish more of the village was shown. But that also might just be me really really really wanting to get to the Johto League. Did like that Ash was reminded that he has Pokémon at Oak's, so he could bring back Krabby.

After that...the battle was the worst. It was so ridiculous that Ash not only helped Krabby win even one battle, but Krabby evolved and beat two more Pokémon and used Hyper Beam. That whole battle didn't help make it seem like Ash was going to have any struggles in the League. I know he will, but the first battle would have been more interesting if Ash struggled just a little bit to realize that he's battling the best of the region.

Instead, we waste time with Brock's knowledge of the various officers.

The random reference to the Fourth of July made me ???

Episode 78

Ash quote: "My face is little?"

Mostly for logistics, but it's rather bizarre that the League didn't set up large enough Centers for the sheer amount of Pokémon they'll be treating. It's so strange that the League happens once a year, all the Jennys and all the Joys get brought in, but yet they still have to turn away patients because they don't have the...room? Resources? Time? It's the League. They all know when it happens. They should expect a high amount of Pokémon to treat. Build accordingly.

(I know that a different reason was given in the Japanese version, but I only watch the English, so that's what I'm basing my notes on.)

Brock was the best part of the episode. It was great when he fluttered in as soon as he heard about there being a Joy. His Onix also got to save the day, which was a treat. It's not often that Brock gets to do something in an episode. This one showed why he's still a decent character.

I'm rather confused on why Ash is allowed to have coaches on the field with him. It doesn't seem fair. He won his third round because of what Brock told him to do, so it's not like Ash is showing his skills. He's just listening to what someone else is telling him to do.

Episode 79

Battle.

This was a pure battle episode, and at least it was an entertaining battle. Bellsprout was a nice surprise at the end of everything. It was humorous but also great to see a "weak" Pokémon be written in away to show that no one should really judge a Pokémon by appearances.

But what I did really like was that Jeanette brought Pokémon that had a type-advantage to the grass field. I was thinking before the battle began that a lot of trainers didn't seem to be taking that sort of strategy in the League. Like Ash keeps thinking that if he's on the water or the grass fields, that he has to bring Pokémon of those types. Other trainers seemed to do the same. But Jeanette brought Bug Pokémon, so that was refreshing to see.

It was also interesting to see Jessie and James do their best to earn an honest living. They seem to be doing great at it too! It's Meowth that wants to keep them on the troublesome path instead of the more successful one. Kind of wonder what would happen if Jessie and James did things honestly and sent the money to the Boss.
 
Season 2 Episode 22 - "A Friend In Deed"

Normally I'd complain about a TR-centric EP slamming the brakes on the plot at such a crucial time, but I actually enjoyed watching this one! Richie is a fantastic side-character that really complements Ash, he has depth, and I enjoyed how they're depicted as genuine friends instead of just rivals. TR's scheme is also pretty realistic and there's an added twist thrown in with Richie / Ash having to fend them off while they're driving. Richie's nicknames were all kinda lame, but it helps him set him apart from Ash. Overall, it's a great time that effectively builds up Richie's character for the next round. I'd give it a 9.5/10
 
Season 2 Episode 23 - "Friend and Foe Alike"

This episode manages to ruin a genuinely great idea with two of my least favorite aspects of this show: Charizard's spoiled attitude and shoehorning TR where they don't belong. Starting with TR, their scheme hardly makes any sense. Did they really think Ash would be OK handing over Pikachu just to get back to the match? They're also weirdly persistent with how they come back like 3 times, you can practically see the animators holding guns to their heads and forcing them to waste Ash's time for artificial drama. In addition, why didn't the League delay the match when it clearly wasn't Ash's fault that he was late? Especially since Richie actively wanted a fair fight.

The first 2 rounds of the fight itself are passable in my book, a bit short for my taste, but 50%+ of the runtime was already wasted by that point, so the showrunners weren't exactly playing with a full deck. However, they completely blow the ending by having Charizard throw the match for no discernible reason in one of the most infamous scenes in the series. What really frustrates me about this episode is that I'm completely on-board with the concept of Ash losing, a lot of his successes throughout the season were the result of him being a good person or just sheer luck rather than his skills, and it's been consistently shown that he isn't the most disciplined about training (most of his EXP is prob from blasting off TR); winning the whole League right off the bat would've been completely unrealistic, heck even getting through 4 rounds was pushing it. The problem is that the episode artificially forces Ash to lose through TR shenanigans instead of having him get humbled in a straight-up battle, the writers basically force him to lose when he could've easily just lost fair and square lol. I'll give it credit for having Ash be a good sport about losing instead of whining though, as it sends a good message to the audience. It's also admittedly a pretty bold move to have your protagonist outright fail to achieve their season-long goal. Overall, I like this episode a lot more in theory than execution, though even the version we got still has plenty of redeeming qualities. I'd give it a 6/10.
 
Episode 80

James quote: "I should get a license!"

Bless this man.

I used to like Richie, but these days... There's another one of Ash's rivals that I like a lot more, and that one gets far more development in his appearance. Poor Richie shows up way too late in the League to really make an impression as a character or as a rival. The writers really had to force the friendship between Ash and Richie by making Richie a copy of Ash.

Other than Richie, the episode was really kind of standard, with Team Rocket causing the main conflict. So just some quick notes.

Kind of weird that the house everyone was staying in didn't have a kitchen. Also kind of weird that Ash's mom was allowed to take over the kitchen of a very busy restaurant.

Richie's skills at electrical work should have been used again. Kid knows how to hotwire an elevator! Where did he learn that and why? Also, where the heck is he from? Also also, it was really convenient that he was theonly trainer in the League to carry around his giant backpack so him and Ash didn't have to go without sleeping bags. Also also also, how did Richie recognize Team Rocket? Maybe from the opening ceremonies?

Who in the heck brought a Magikarp to the League?

Episode81

This was a very disappointing end to the League.

It was Ash's final battle in the Indigo League, and the actual event lasted five minutes. The rest of the episode was Team Rocket shenanigans, and Ash doing all sorts of weird things to try and escape. How much water is in Squirtle that it could use Water Gun to fill up a truck and could still battle? Yet Pikachu was exhausted after a few small electric attacks?

Also wish that we could have seen some of Richie's other Pokémon. Or that at least the battle between him and Ash was longer to show how Richie could win so many battles with the same three Pokémon.

The rules for the battle were also strange. Squirtle was considered knocked out just because it fell asleep. Zippo was considered unable to battle just because Richie returned it to the Pokeball. Neither one of them was knocked out.

Really wish that the writer that wrote episode 79 wrote this one. Then maybe we could have gotten a decent battle for something this important.
 
Season 2 Episode 24 - "Friends to the End"

The capstone episode of Indigo League, and it ends on a solid note! To start, I love how Ash was handled, you can tell that he was forcing a smile at the end of last EP, and I felt like they struck a great balance between having him be a somewhat normal 10yo who'd be upset about losing (especially in the way he did) without milking it too much. Richie helps out a lot with this, I enjoyed how he lost right after Ash, which kinda cements that Ash wasn't cut out to be champion anyway, and their optimism sends a good message about perseverance to the audience. TR were annoying though, I groaned when they made their legally-mandated appearance, and they just waste time, luckily, they only stick around for a few mins. The last segment with the ceremony was amazing, it really brings the whole arc / season full circle, giving closure to Richie's character and provides a last taste of the iconic original opening (this is the last episode that opens with it sadly…). Overall, it's a great ending to this fantastic first season! It's sad to have finished re-watching such an institution of my childhood, but hopefully the Orange Islands arc maintains the charm! I'd give this episode a 10/10.
 
Season 2 Episode 25 - "Pallet Party Panic"

We've finally gotten to the Orange Islands! Though the plot hardly involves them outside of Oak handing the gang the GS Ball (which is a subplot I'm sure will be resolved in a very satisfying and conclusive manner). This episode mainly feels like an excuse to ditch Pidgeotto, who's easily been the most ignored team member since Butterfree left. It got like no screen time during the League, never went through an arc or noticeably changed at all, and pretty much just served as Ash's resident balloon popper once the starters joined the team. I honestly feel bad since it was probably Ash's most loyal Pokemon despite being absolutely shafted for no reason. It finally evolving into Pidgeot is nice, but the farewell is so underwhelming, it's basically treated like a COTD or temp Pokemon like Primeape leaving instead of a core team member that's been around since episode 3. Overall, the whole thing leaves a foul taste in my mouth and gets the Orange Islands off to a bad start. I'd give this episode a 3/10.
 
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