[8] The Road to the Pokemon League
Feb. 5th, 2024 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marchionessofmustacheOn today's episode, Satoshi discovers a trainer who does very strict/rigorous training with his Pokemon. Their styles clash and basically they fight a lot until Satoshi realizes that he's not being cruel to the Pokemon and comes around to him.
That's the whole story. Entry over :)
The episode starts with Satoshi flaunting his badges a bunch, even showing his nose grow (which is a sign of pride, the bad kind). What did they do with this in English? In western culture, nose growing is associated with the Pinocchio story and telling lies. Maybe they just cut that part out? IDK lol. I'm way too lazy to look up the English versions of all of these and watch each episode twice just to compare stuff like this XD
Pigeon lost again, and quickly. Oh that reminds me! I had a screenshot of Satoshi holding a Monster Ball with the white side up (I have no idea WHY that reminded me of that though) from the previous episode. Monster Balls are almost always shown with the red side up, so I thought that was quite strange. (Then when he threw the ball it was oriented the other way lmao)
There's a not a ton to this episode -- during all the arguing, Rocket Co. comes in and kidnaps Sand (mistaking it for Pikachu) then they have a battle with Akira who wins the 2-on-1 (why does everyone insist on battling them with just one Pokemon when they're using two...?)
Sand even creates a giant fissure in the final battle with them. Really crazy that a tiny Pokemon like Sand has such intense power.
Akira made a point that he would run his unsanctioned gym until he got 100 wins in a row (Satoshi celebrated his 10th win at the beginning of the episode) and THEN start his journey to collect the gym badges. How is he going to get a badge from Nibi City with Takeshi gone? Is the dad taking care of the gym now? I don't think that was ever discussed (they seemed focused on him taking care of the younger siblings).
I never really finished the Kanto arc when I was a kid (I grew out of the Pokemon anime REALLY fast and moved on to other animes) so I don't know if we ever meet Akira again. Satoshi actually invites Akira to join them on their journey, but instead he wants to earn his own way around in his own style, and goes off on his own, making another rival for Satoshi. But this time on good terms unlike Shigeru :)
That'd be cool if when they got to the league (I know that in the anime they do it like a big tournament instead of the game's version of challenging the Heavenly Kings) they met up again. I know that "Richie" character (no idea his name in JP) appears and is kind of a big deal for a bit...? I don't think I ever watched those episodes in full but know of him from Pokemon Puzzle League XD And I know he nicknamed his Pikachu (I think it was 'Sparky' lmao). Now I'm curious what the JP naming is for him and his Pikachu XD
Anyway, I like this episode quite a bit. In a way, it develops Satoshi's character a little bit, at least in his ability to accept other people and come to understand them, and not just be a screaming maniac who only understands his own way. It's cool to see stuff like unofficial gyms and different ways of training Pokemon (like Akira had his sand where a bracing outfit thing and jump into water and stuff XD) that you don't get to see in the games. I guess we did get Super Training eventually but it's mostly just battle->levelup so it's cool to see the world expanded more like this.
I used to actually dislike the anime because it deviated too much from the games, but I'm starting to see how it's actually a great little universe on its own.
Next Episode
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That's the whole story. Entry over :)
The episode starts with Satoshi flaunting his badges a bunch, even showing his nose grow (which is a sign of pride, the bad kind). What did they do with this in English? In western culture, nose growing is associated with the Pinocchio story and telling lies. Maybe they just cut that part out? IDK lol. I'm way too lazy to look up the English versions of all of these and watch each episode twice just to compare stuff like this XD
Pigeon lost again, and quickly. Oh that reminds me! I had a screenshot of Satoshi holding a Monster Ball with the white side up (I have no idea WHY that reminded me of that though) from the previous episode. Monster Balls are almost always shown with the red side up, so I thought that was quite strange. (Then when he threw the ball it was oriented the other way lmao)
There's a not a ton to this episode -- during all the arguing, Rocket Co. comes in and kidnaps Sand (mistaking it for Pikachu) then they have a battle with Akira who wins the 2-on-1 (why does everyone insist on battling them with just one Pokemon when they're using two...?)
Sand even creates a giant fissure in the final battle with them. Really crazy that a tiny Pokemon like Sand has such intense power.
Akira made a point that he would run his unsanctioned gym until he got 100 wins in a row (Satoshi celebrated his 10th win at the beginning of the episode) and THEN start his journey to collect the gym badges. How is he going to get a badge from Nibi City with Takeshi gone? Is the dad taking care of the gym now? I don't think that was ever discussed (they seemed focused on him taking care of the younger siblings).
I never really finished the Kanto arc when I was a kid (I grew out of the Pokemon anime REALLY fast and moved on to other animes) so I don't know if we ever meet Akira again. Satoshi actually invites Akira to join them on their journey, but instead he wants to earn his own way around in his own style, and goes off on his own, making another rival for Satoshi. But this time on good terms unlike Shigeru :)
That'd be cool if when they got to the league (I know that in the anime they do it like a big tournament instead of the game's version of challenging the Heavenly Kings) they met up again. I know that "Richie" character (no idea his name in JP) appears and is kind of a big deal for a bit...? I don't think I ever watched those episodes in full but know of him from Pokemon Puzzle League XD And I know he nicknamed his Pikachu (I think it was 'Sparky' lmao). Now I'm curious what the JP naming is for him and his Pikachu XD
Anyway, I like this episode quite a bit. In a way, it develops Satoshi's character a little bit, at least in his ability to accept other people and come to understand them, and not just be a screaming maniac who only understands his own way. It's cool to see stuff like unofficial gyms and different ways of training Pokemon (like Akira had his sand where a bracing outfit thing and jump into water and stuff XD) that you don't get to see in the games. I guess we did get Super Training eventually but it's mostly just battle->levelup so it's cool to see the world expanded more like this.
I used to actually dislike the anime because it deviated too much from the games, but I'm starting to see how it's actually a great little universe on its own.
Next Episode
All Episodes List
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 05:44 pm (UTC)I loved Pidgeotto as a kid. I'm not sure why. He's worfed so hard. Poor baby
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 06:26 pm (UTC)At least at the VERY end they reconciled.
Yeah, poor Pigeon XD
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 06:44 pm (UTC)I think the show kinda sets you up to side with Ash/Satoshi, though, making him "seem" cruel at first. But a little more critically I view it now, he doesn't seem so bad.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 06:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 06:52 pm (UTC)How far have you watched btw? I only really watched the Kanto/Indigo League arc as a kid. Then random episodes there on out.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 08:45 pm (UTC)