That Episode was a Gem!

[Palamon]

So, I'm sure everyone has that one episode within their heart that they find unforgettable or stands above the rest. What are the episodes (or movies) you felt stood above the rest in the Pokemon Anime? Why did it stick out to you/what makes it better than the rest for you?

This differs from favorites. The question is which episode you feel was of the highest quality in comparison to the rest, not which one you liked best.

 

[Sheep]

Definitely DP051. It wasn't a favorite but I found the animation stunning and it really added a lot to the overall plot and Chimchar's character. Even now I sometimes get goosebumps thinking about it and it's been years since I saw the darn episode... hahaha.

This screenshot will forever be one of the best. I'd show more moments but you would need to watch and listen to understand, preferably the Japanese version since I heard the dub replaced a lot of tracks (which worked really well in the original). Please give it a shot! From Chimchar's fear of Zangoose to the last moment in the episode where Ash offers Chimchar the chance to join him, it's all so well put-together.

 

[Midnight shadow]

I don't think anyone can forget the first time we saw Lucario mega-evolve and then go on a rampage, almost killing Ash and Pikachu. Such an emotional roller coaster of an episode that left me breathless.

The only other one that really stands out to me right now is AG007, where Jessie and James released Arbok and Weezing so that they could stop the poacher. That was honestly the first moment I actually cared about what happened to Team Rocket and the show used them as more than just comic relief.

 

[Sirenita55]

I don't think anyone can forget the first time we saw Lucario mega-evolve and then go on a rampage, almost killing Ash and Pikachu. Such an emotional roller coaster of an episode that left me breathless.

That episode actually disturbed me, it reminded me of Agumon turning into Skullgreymon. :o

I'm personally a big fan of 'A Showcase Debut'. Not only do we see Serena finally start to pursue a dream, IMO this episode serves as the marking point of Serena's transition from undecided, go happy companion to a determined Pokemon trainer in her own right (this might also be the case with the Skiddo race vs her mother, but I felt this episode emphasised it better). This episode represented an evolution of maturity, represented both visually and emotionally.

I also loved seeing Shauna and Bulbasaur again and it was awesome to see them win. Thankfully Team Rocket didn't interfere with the plot too much.

 

[Sheep]

I don't think anyone can forget the first time we saw Lucario mega-evolve and then go on a rampage, almost killing Ash and Pikachu. Such an emotional roller coaster of an episode that left me breathless.

Oooh yes! I knew I forgot one. Anyone remember this face? :O Pretty crazy and certainly shivers-inducing. Suuuuch a memorable episode.

 

[Midnight shadow]

That episode actually disturbed me, it reminded me of Agumon turning into Skullgreymon. :o

I'm personally a big fan of 'A Showcase Debut'. Not only do we see Serena finally start to pursue a dream, IMO this episode serves as the marking point of Serena's transition from undecided, go happy companion to a determined Pokemon trainer in her own right (this might also be the case with the Skiddo race vs her mother, but I felt this episode emphasised it better). This episode represented an evolution of maturity, represented both visually and emotionally.

I also loved seeing Shauna and Bulbasaur again and it was awesome to see them win. Thankfully Team Rocket didn't interfere with the plot too much.

Agumon turning into Skullgreymon was very similar, although personally I felt that Pokemon pulled it off better. When it happened in Digimon it seemed very rushed, with no build-up at all, plus it happened so early into the series that we didn't have a good connection with the characters yet. By contrast, with Lucario we had more of a connection, seeing what they had gone through to get the mega stone and finally use it. Add to this the fact that they showed us the power of mega blaziken and mage gardevoir earlier, hyping it up even more. This made it into a much bigger shock when lucario went berserk.