Thinking they've come to the Safari Zone at last, Ash goes to catch an... Officer Jenny? Oops. They're actually in a Pokemon reserve, and Jenny is prowling around to safeguard against poachers and theives. After her suspicions of Ash-tachi are waived, she finds Team Rocket trying to steal Kangashkan, but they have difficulty fighting them off. However, a wild young boy appears and beats Team Rocket.
Jenny tells them this boy is Tomo, a young child who lives with the Kangashkan. The boy's parents choose this moment to arrive, saying that they accidentally dropped him out of a plane or helicopter or something when he was even younger, and have been looking for him since. Ash-tachi decide to reunite Tomo (whose real name is Tommy) with his parents, and they go looking for him. However, Tomo does not remember his real parents, and anyway, his home is with the Kangashkan now.
Team Rocket attacks again, in a giant tank-like metal Kangashkan. Nobody can stop it, although Tomo tries to defend his Pokemon friends. Before Tomo can get seriously hurt, his real parents ram the Kangashkan with their helicopter, beating Team Rocket but destroying their chopper in the process. Tomo is worried about the humans but they come out of the wreckage. He accepts them as his parents now, but does not want to leave the Kangashkan. So, with a true display of a parent's love, the two stay with their son in the jungle.
Heheh, this episode is quite unpopular. I do not like Kangashkan; they are hard to find and catch, sound like males even though they carry babies in their pouches, and, well... kangaroos are so CUTE, why aren't the kangaroo Pokemon? This episode has shades of Tarzan, almost. I do not see why Tomo's parents would drop him and then neglect to look for him in the place they dropped him! And I forget whether it was a plane or a helicopter but I think a chopper.
34. The Bridge Bike Gang 7/10
Ash-tachi want to cross a terrific, huge bridge, but find it's not open to pedestrians, only to cyclists. They get their chance when Joy asks them to deliver Pokemon medicine for a sick Shellder on the other side. With borrowed bikes, they ride and have fun until they are stopped by bikies (except they're on pedal bikes, not motorbikes, heheh) who taunt them and then challenge them to Pokemon battles. Ash's Charmander beats Chopper (the lead male)'s Golem, and Misty's Psyduck embarasses itself in front of Tyra (the lead female)'s Cloyster.
Then Team Rocket appear... this was their old territory. They used to belong to the Bridge Bike Gang, when they were known as Big Jess and Little Jim. They employ the gang's help to beat Ash and his friends, but they are scared off by an Officer Jenny. A rainstorm starts up, but Ash is getting worried about the Shellder and rides strongly through the rain. Meanwhile, the gang encourages Jessie and James to go and challenge them, showing them how to really ride.
It ends up being Ash-tachi who triumph, and when the gang learns that Ash was just trying to help a sick Pokemon, they escort the group to the Pokemon Center. Now, Team Ash has their respect instead of Team Rocket.
Psyduck vs Cloyster was hilarious. And we learned a little more of the Rockets' past. This episode was kind of boring but there was lots of amusing scenes, and Tyra, Jessie's fan, was cool. ^_^.
35. Ditto's Mysterious Mansion 7/10
Ash and his friends find themselves in the House of Imité, run by Duplica and her Pokemon, a Ditto. Ditto can transform into a replica of any other Pokemon, and Ash thinks this is stupid as it can't learn real attacks. So Duplica challenges him, and two Bulbasaurs fight each other, Duplica's winning. Ash realises that Ditto can duplicate attacks too, and is impressed, if a little sore at losing to a 'fake' Bulbasaur. Ditto's transformation is imperfect, however, as its face stays the same. Duplica, who likes to imitate Pokemon and perform with Ditto, couldn't impress the crowds because Ditto couldn't transform perfectly.
Team Rocket appear and steal Ditto. James wants to make Ditto transform into a Dratini to fool the boss and impress him. Ditto does some transformations for them, but its transformations would not fool anybody, it's obviously still a Ditto. Team Rocket gets angry and threatens it, so terrified, it manages to successfully transform perfectly. Duplica and Team Ash, imitating Team Rocket, show up to take Ditto back, and Duplica is happy that Ditto can transform. She has Ditto turn into a cannon which destroys Team Rocket's hot air balloon and sends them off...
I quite like Duplica. She has charm. ^_^. But I think that only someone who loves imitating would ever raise a Ditto. Let me tell you, those things are awful to raise. ^_^;
36. Pikachu's Goodbye 7/10
Ash's Pikachu finds a forest full of wild Pikachu, and after an initial distrust, gets along with them well. Brock and Misty insensitively comment on how happy they all are, and how this place is like a paradise for Pikachu. Ash sadly thinks that they could be right, and that Pikachu would be better off here than with him.
Team Rocket make their obligatory appearance, stealing the forest full of Pikachu in a big net. However, at an order from Ash, Pikachu starts biting through the net, and all the other Pikachu follow suit. They soon escape and send the villains off. Pikachu is now even more accepted in the group of Pikachu, so Ash tells him to stay in the forest and be happy, then runs off. However, Pikachu follows him and will not be left behind. He wants to go with Ash.
If I were going purely from opinion and not from episode quality, I would give this a 4. This is sooo boring. -_-; I mean, who honestly thought Pikachu would leave? There was little humour value, just Ash agonising - which I thought was interesting, I like character depth - and lots of boring Pikachu scenes. (I like Pikachu a lot but not in such large doses.)
37. The Battling Eevee Brothers 8/10
Our heroes find an Eevee tied to a tree, and seeing the collar around its neck, return it to its owner. At the house of the owner is an 'evolution party' being held, where lots of Pokemon have been evolved with stones. The Eevee of Mikey - the trainer of the Pokemon they found - was to be the star of the party. Now, Mikey's three older brothers, who have a Jolteon, Vaporeon and Flareon, are glad to see Eevee back so it can evolve. They say it has to so it can be useful for when Mikey is old enough to be a trainer. But Mikey isn't sure he WANTS it to evolve. Misty encourages him to tell his brothers that, as a responsible trainer.
But Team Rocket crashes the party - stealing, in the span of about ten seconds - ALL the food, ALL the evolution stones and ALL the Pokemon! Pidgeotto follows an ink trail left by Misty's stolen Horsea, and leads everyone to Team Rocket, who fight them with Arbok and Weezing. Everyone manages to take back their Pokemon, evolution stones, etc, but the Rockets keep a hold of Eevee. Mikey's brothers fight with their evolution Pokemon, but Arbok and Weezing defeat them. So, Mikey and Eevee fight, winning their first battle. Mikey's brothers realise that Eevee can be strong without evolving, and agree not to force him.
Along with Pokemon Shipwreck, I have seen this episode SO much. But Team Rocket puts up a great fight, eh? I think the eons are most cute, although the older brothers are a bit... odd. ^_^; Rainer, Pyro and Sparky, if those are their REAL names, I think their parents should be punished.
38. Wake up, Snorlax! 7/10
After passing a weird flute-playing old man, Ash-tachi come to a town that is going through a drought of no food or water because the river has tried up. When investigating, they find a huge Snorlax asleep in the river bed, blocking it. They try to wake it up and then move it, without success, Team Rocket even helping because they want to steal it. Jessie gets the idea that, ala Sleeping Beauty, a kiss from a Pokemon might wake it up. However, Meowth kissing Snorlax just traumatises it, although it does move enough so that they find a note. It says that to move Snorlax, a Pokeflute is needed to wake it up.
Team Ash and Team Rocket run to find the flute player, who comes and plays for Snorlax, who wakes up. This old man manages many such Snorlax, waking them up so they can eat every now and then. Snorlax gets up, but they find that Snorlax sitting down wasn't the main problem blocking the river - a HUGE mass of thorny vines are! Fortunately, thorns are Snorlax's food of choice, and it wolfs them all down before settling to sleep again. The town is saved, the water running again.
Hilarious scenes between Team Ash and Team Rocket, I think. ^_^; Like the news broadcast scene, the Pokemon kissing... and the old dude was funny. Mostly though, not a thrilling episode.
39. Showdown at Dark City 6/10
Ash and his friends come to Dark City, a place where innocent citizens are afraid of Pokemon trainers, because of the gang wars going on. Two rival groups, Yas and Kas, are both competing for the right to become Dark City's gym, and are causing damage to their city in their fierce rivalries. Team Rocket get caught up in it, fighting for Kas gym.
Ash decides to put a stop to this, and with some of the city's children's help, plays on the fact that the Kas and Yas leaders use Scyther and Electabuzz, both of whom go mad when seeing the colour red. Dumping vats of red ketchup on the leaders, their own Pokemon turn on them. Then Nurse Joy, who is the Pokemon League representative, tells the two gyms that NEITHER will be the town's official gym because they cannot use their Pokemon right or respect each other. She has them ask Ash for help, as he understands Pokemon, but he is not a good teacher. ^_^;
I always sleep through the first few minutes of this episode. Umm, I find it quite dull in honesty. But isn't Scyther cool looking? It's got that look and attitude like Charmeleon!
40. March of the Exeggutor Squad 4/10
At a fair, Ash and his friends meet a magician, Melvin, who uses Misty as an assistant. However, his tricks are failing, and he gets fired. Dismal, he is surprised when his Exeggcute hypnotise Ash, who then does whatever Melvin orders him to. So Melvin has Ash, as a Pokemon trainer, weaken and catch him a lot of Exeggutor, so that he can hypnotise everyone and make them enjoy his show.
Team Rocket appears but are also hypnotised by the Exeggutor. Ash snaps out of it and the Exeggutor all start to rampage towards the nearby town. The mayor or someone of the town plants a bomb so that the Exeggutor can be stopped, and everyone is evacuated, but Ash doesn't want to see it come to that. His Charmander fights hard, weakening the Exeggutor sufficiently, along with Melvin's 'raging fire' magic trick. After saving the town, Melvin decides to get his act together, and Charmander evolves into Charmeleon.
Think of all the Exeggutor Ash could have had! I mean, can't you see, he is capable of catching SO many Pokemon, but I guess... Ash, being Ash, gets attached to all his Pokemon - even Krabby and Muk, sort of, who he enquires after when talking to Oak - so if he caught hundreds, he couldn't keep track of them all. I only saw this episode once so my memory of it sucks, but Melvin's magic show cracked me up. He has good stage presence, huh! And Ash NEVER USES PIDGEOTTO! WHY?!
The story so far: Ash has six Pokemon badges and is heading to Cinnabar, having recently acquired a Muk but not much else...
33. The Kangashkan Kid 3/10
