"The Battle of the Badge" Episode Discussion

[Charaxes]

Here is where you can discuss the infernal secrets of the Viridian Gym in "The Battle of the Badge."

My review to come forthwith.

 

[Jorah]

Ooh, in this episode Team Rocket bring Togepi to Giovanni, but he rejects it XD It's pretty annoying that he does, but it *is* pretty useless, even if it is rare.

Can't remember exactly what happened, but it's another one of those times where Team Rocket cheat, and so making themselves lose when they may have been able to if they didn't >_>

 

[luf100]

I thought Giovanni was pretty stupid in this episode. He gets finished calling Jessie, James, and Meowth incompetent fools, and then gives them his Pokemon and leaves them in charge of the gym. O_o Smart man.

I was surprised when Mewtwo was in this episode! I'm glad I just previously watched Mewtwo Strikes Back though, because I can sort of see how Mewtwo being in these episodes, with the armour, is leading up to revealing him in the movie.

I just love Team Rocket, so overall I liked this episode. xD

 

[weedle_mchairybug]

Pretty good episode.

You know, for the longest time, I felt that the in-universe reason why Mewtwo wasn't scannable by the Pokedex was because of the leech armor it was wearing (I'm calling it "leech armor" because the japanese version of Mewtwo Strike's Back apparantly said that Mewtwo's armor was designed to supress most of Mewtwo's powers.). I mean, I know the games aren't exactly correlative to the anime, but I find it strange that Mewtwo would not be identifiable despite it being compatable with the Pokedex in Generation I. With Ho-Oh, it was acceptable and understandable, since it technically didn't exist yet. Plus, if one looks closely at the scene where the Pokedex was scanning Mewtwo and it says that it isn't identifiable, the pokedex screen was showing static, which none of the so-called "unknown" pokemon or "pokemon without data" had, both beforehand and afterwards.

Also, didn't Giovanni mention something about an attack at the Gym, or something? I also would like to know how the heck JJM got the Earth Badge, seeing how they didn't receive it from Giovanni.

 

[XxDawnfanxX]

The Earth Badge was probably somewhere located in the gym, or then again it's a cartoon so they just appear with it I guesss lol.

Charaxes I love how your bringing up the older episodes, my favorite ones which are the Kanto/Johto regions. This episode was a personal favorite. When I was younger, Ash was really motivating to me because of his determination when he took the electricity and kept pushing forward to earn that badge. It was also one of the first times Gary shows although him and Ash are rivals he wants Ash to succeed when he stops Meowth from blowing Ash's stand up. At the time, I was so excited for the Indigo League episodes to come out and I was thrilled when they did haha.

 

[Blue_Drifblim]

I think I remember seeing this episode on Cartoon Network not too long ago. Seeing Jessie as the gym leader was definitely cool.

 

[Charaxes]

Pretty good episode.

You know, for the longest time, I felt that the in-universe reason why Mewtwo wasn't scannable by the Pokedex was because of the leech armor it was wearing (I'm calling it "leech armor" because the japanese version of Mewtwo Strike's Back apparantly said that Mewtwo's armor was designed to supress most of Mewtwo's powers.). I mean, I know the games aren't exactly correlative to the anime, but I find it strange that Mewtwo would not be identifiable despite it being compatable with the Pokedex in Generation I. With Ho-Oh, it was acceptable and understandable, since it technically didn't exist yet. Plus, if one looks closely at the scene where the Pokedex was scanning Mewtwo and it says that it isn't identifiable, the pokedex screen was showing static, which none of the so-called "unknown" pokemon or "pokemon without data" had, both beforehand and afterwards.

Also, didn't Giovanni mention something about an attack at the Gym, or something? I also would like to know how the heck JJM got the Earth Badge, seeing how they didn't receive it from Giovanni.

I was going to use "dampen armor," myself. It's all good.

I always thought the non-scanning Pokedex was to play up the dramatic irony of Mewtwo's eventual debut. Yes, the audience knew it was Mewtwo, but in-series characters didn't. Part of that was the revamping of Mewtwo as a Team Rocket bio-weapon. At the time, we didn't know the Japanese anime producers would give the Mewtwo concept that origin and that image (look at the Mewtwo sign on Bill's Lighthouse door, for example). The rest is mystery on "how Team Rocket got Mewtwo, in the first place," and build on it.

I think the "emergency" was to get Giovanni away from the Gym and never battle Ash. Talk about anti-climax. And then, Agatha would later take over as GL, since Giovanni never bothered to resume, I suppose.

More commentary later, as it's one of my all-time favorite episodes.

 

[False Flag]

The episode was alright, since Ash at least fights for the badge. Some of Ash's badges in Kanto were just given to him.

I kinda think Team Rocket went down too easily in this episode though.

 

[Charaxes]

The episode was alright, since Ash at least fights for the badge. Some of Ash's badges in Kanto were just given to him.

I kinda think Team Rocket went down too easily in this episode though.

Yeah, a tad. I always thought the scene flow was so jarring, particularly when he summons Pidgeotto to smack the Rhydon. But, we didn't see her call it out, so what gives? Then again, it probably is the same continuity black hole that explains how the trio got their hands on the Earth Badge in the first place.

Then again, we couldn't have Ash lose, or Lord forbid a two-parter where Giovanni returns and actually deal with the brat, right?

 

[weedle_mchairybug]

Yeah, a tad. I always thought the scene flow was so jarring, particularly when he summons Pidgeotto to smack the Rhydon. But, we didn't see her call it out, so what gives? Then again, it probably is the same continuity black hole that explains how the trio got their hands on the Earth Badge in the first place.

Then again, we couldn't have Ash lose, or Lord forbid a two-parter where Giovanni returns and actually deal with the brat, right?

Well, this isn't quite canon, but the Tracey West Novels did at least try to explain how they somehow ended up underneath the Gym as well as how they built those electroshock platforms rigged with explosives.

 

[Charaxes]

Well, this isn't quite canon, but the Tracey West Novels did at least try to explain how they somehow ended up underneath the Gym as well as how they built those electroshock platforms rigged with explosives.

I actually have that novel in question, it was "Team Rocket Blasts Off!" It actually wasn't bad, and, canon or not, I'd take it. At least, then, we would have some logic to fall back on.

 

[False Flag]

Yeah, a tad. I always thought the scene flow was so jarring, particularly when he summons Pidgeotto to smack the Rhydon. But, we didn't see her call it out, so what gives? Then again, it probably is the same continuity black hole that explains how the trio got their hands on the Earth Badge in the first place.

Then again, we couldn't have Ash lose, or Lord forbid a two-parter where Giovanni returns and actually deal with the brat, right?

Yeah, it's too bad Ash never fought Giovanni in the anime. It would have been epic.