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cod@compusmart.ab.ca
| English Series Commentary |
Commentary on the English Episodes of Pokemon: Episodes Twenty-Six Through Thirty
Brad: Welcome back, everyone! I get to do most of the rant this weekend, it seems, since Kathy's hard at work, studying for her midterms...
Kathy: [throws her Accounting book out of the nearest window with a muttered curse...]
Brad: ... uh, anyways, on with the show, I suppose.
The first episode of the week, "Pokemon Scent-sation!" featured another battle with a gym leader, the plant-loving Erika. This episode strikes me as one of the first episodes where Team Rocket is after money more than Pokemon. The plans they come up with in later episodes are much more than the standard "catch Pikachu" type of plan.
In spite of the fact that this episode featured a major battle, though, I didn't find a lot about this episode to like. James dressing up in drag as part of a plan is one thing, but Ash looking like a little girl is, as Brock would say, "really disturbing".
The next show, "Hypno's Naptime", had some cute moments, like all the children who believe they were Pokemon... Misty pretending to be Seel, now that's priceless... ^_^; I didn't realize that Pokemon could have such powerful effects on humans before now, in spite of what I've seen that Purin is capable of... it's a good thing Pokemon are our friends, and not our enemies...
Kathy: The irony in this episode is that they actually show a clip from Episode 18 in this one... Yes, that scene with Ash's mom holding that trophy is from Episode 18... [sigh]
Brad: If only people learned as quickly in real life as they did in "Pokemon Fashion Flash" that appearance doesn't mean much... still, who can deny that Vulpix is ultra-kawaii?! ^_^ It's also in this episode that you learn that Misty has absolutely NO taste... well, in my opinion, anyways...
Kathy: Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh...
Brad: Yeah... ^_^; Actually, I have one other comment about this episode... am I the only one who thinks Misty's being very unfair to Psyduck? He's kinda cool, I think... and Misty just keeps ragging on the poor fellow...
"The Punchy Pokemon" from the episode of the same name may be brutal, but the episode wasn't bad. Ash finally gets Primeape to listen to him, and even though they part ways in the end, they part as friends, not foes. It might seem counter-productive for Ash to keep leaving his Pokemon behind, but you don't need ten, twenty, fifty, or even a hundred pokemon to be the best... just a few of your favorites. Sometimes, having too many Pokemon can be as bad as not having enough... and I'll allude to that again in my tips this week.
All the same, consider this: the competition this week only featured fighting-type Pokemon. Imagine the grand melee involved with every possible element of Pokemon... [evil grin] Mwa-ha-ha-ha! ... ahem, I digress. [innocent]
Kathy: You? Innocent? [bursts out laughing] No way... especially when you're dressing up like a member of Team Rocket for Halloween...
Brad: [gently covers her mouth] That's a secret, shh! A-heh-heh... nothing to see here, folks... ^_^;;; [stuffs Kathy in a closet...]
Kathy: Pika!!! Hmm, forgot I had those... [leafs through some forgotten papers]
Brad:The last episode of the week was a bit depressing, really... not so much by its content, but the episode itself was so dark, with cloud cover, no lights, and ugly, smelly Pokemon... not exactly the best way to end the week. Still, to Ash, a Pokemon's a Pokemon, and catching the Muk was probably the best, if not the brightest, thing to do.
Poor Pikachu, though... I can't imagine what it would feel like to be too powered-up like that... ^_^;
Brad: And now, once again, it's time for Tips for Expert Trainers! Only two tips this week; I'm trying to cut it down to only one a week, but I just couldn't pass up either tip this week.
Retrace your steps. A lot. There's two situations in the game where you may want or need to backtrack; the first is when you want to move on to the next area to get something, and don't want to fight the whole way there. Maybe you're low on potions and Pokemon strength, or you just caught a new Pokemon you want to try out, but the nearest town is ahead of you, not behind you...
Whatever the reason, you don't have to fight every single trainer or grab every treasure lying around right away. Often, you can avoid fights by staying out of your opponent's line of sight. Once you've recovered, bought extra items, or whatever you needed, you can return to fight who you missed and gather what you forgot. Be certain, however, that you can still go back and fight those others later; some trainers, like the gym trainers, won't fight you once you've beaten the leader.
The second situation? Areas you can't reach yet because you don't have the skill or the powers. The Viridian City Gym, the cave near Cerulean City, and the strange building just south of the Rock Tunnel's northern entrance are all good examples of areas you need to wait to explore. In time, though, you'll be able to return and explore those areas...
Focus on your favorites. I made a mistake early in the game; I tried to give all the Pokemon I captured experience, even when I didn't need to. I wanted to make them all strong, and see which were the best... But with TMs, HMs, evolved forms, and hidden talents you might never have guessed existed, you don't need to worry that your favorite Pokemon won't turn out to be as strong or cool as you'd like. Believe me...
Pick your favorite Pokemon, and concentrate on them. A balanced team is best, but if you lack a few elements, try giving some normal-type Pokemon a couple of elemental attacks... they can learn almost any attack you can teach. Stick with them, and just collect the other Pokemon to complete your collection... As always, though, there are other schools of thought on this subject, so let us know what works for you!
Brad: Incidentally, if you'd like to send me suggestions for Tips for Expert Trainers, just write to cod@compusmart.ab.ca with your ideas! Use the title "Tips for Expert Trainers" so I can spot it in amongst the many piles of letters we get each day!
And now it's time for the results of last week's quiz! Over a hundred people posted answers to the quiz this week... way to go, everyone!
Q1: What colours were there in the balloon that Brock rented?
Red, green, and blue; sorry, the basket doesn't count as part of the balloon.
Q2: How many Butterfrees did Team Rocket catch?
100, or 70 in the Japanese version.
Q3: Who saves Ash from falling off the cliff?
Bulbasaur.
Q4: What does Team Rocket push Ash and his friends onto after capturing Pikachu?
A warp tile.
Q5: Which Pokemon licks Charmander?
Haunter.
Q6: What is Sabrina's relationship with her doll?
Sabrina's doll represents herself before her training began, the gentle child.
Q7: What prank does Haunter do that actually makes Sabrina laugh?
He lights a "toy" bomb and smokes her with it. ^_^
Q8: How many postcards did Misty send in for the contest to win an official Pokemon League cap?
Just one; no wonder she didn't win.
Q9: Why don't you want to look Primeape in the eyes?
If you do, he'll chase you forever.
Q10: What two Pokemon are in the Pokemon League "commercial"?
Charizard and Blastoise.
Brad: Unfortunately, we're really running out of time for the update tonight, so we'll have to give the names of the winners tomorrow.
Well, that's all for this week, I suppose. Next week, we should both be back on the rant, so get ready for it! This coming week promises to have some critical shows, so keep a close watch on your TV screen. Until then, remember... you gotta catch 'em all!
Kathy: [pokes head out of closet] Chotto matte, one more thing I gotta gripe about before we go... actually two... First thing, did anyone notice the "We'll be right back!" messages between commercials and opening/endings? I dunno, I always found that they kept the "anime feeling" in the whole series... but that just throws it out the window. I wish they didn't put it in... Second thing, well... did you know Accounting sucks? Really? Who wants a nice Accounting book full of Pokemon scribbles in it? ^_^
Brad: [stuffs her back into the closet...] G'night, everybody!
Kathy: [muffled] Bye-bye!
Kathy and Brad Vaughan
Edmonton City Gym Leaders
(If you live in the Edmonton city area and
wish to challenge us, write to us at
cod@compusmart.ab.ca!)
| English Series Commentary |
