day 1145 brock's mudkip evolves into marshstomp {ag148} day 1150 ash gets 2nd symbol (ash is by now, 14) {ag149} day 1152 pikachu learns volt tackle... somehow... and may gets a poke egg {ag150}
Marshstomp acts just like Brock... talk about learned behavior. Snorlax also comes back to sumo his way in a dojo battle, if you felt Ash wasn't being as hotblooded this series due to his more learned and traveled perspective when compared to May and Max just watch this episode. So did Pikachu eat a light ball off screen? Volt Tackle's an egg move, it's something you're born with either some screwy stuff is going on or Pikachu just hasn't felt like using it since ep1. (I mean sure out of story context, the move didn't exist yet, but I still prefer to think of it as him just being lazy, because otherwise... I just don't know.)
day 1158 may gets 2nd ribbon {ag151} day 1163 ash gets 3rd symbol {ag153}
Ash can't handle the paparazzi very well, also this is what that double battle gym fight should have been like back in Hoenn damnit, a smart versatile not universe breaking use of his team. Good stuff all around, you know all this PLOT is happening, not much for me to comment on really.
(2013) This is to my knowledge circa bw109 (need to catch up again... anyway) the only time in the entire length of the show that any of Ash's past achievments are ever noted by the general public... Hooray? I guess. The tiniest wisps and nods to the greater continuity are always welcome, but that's just it, they are only ever the briefest mentions of past events, just enough to tease and console the fans but not near enough to actually to make it one great story. Sometimes I wish I hadn't rekindled my love for this show, it's mostly harmless fun of course but that new-old rabid fan in me is countinuosly dissapointed because I still hope for something more weighted and storied from Ash's never-ending climb to the top.
day 1170 ash's phanpy evolves into donphan {ag154} day 1173 brock gets a bonsly {ag156}
What is it with all the elekid,-buzz,-vire that show up on screen either being really angry or mean spirited. Anyway, Phanphy grows up, Papa Ash must be proud, and Brock becomes a daddy to a Bonsly, though his tantrums are probably all fake tears anyway <That pun was totally worth it.>. At least Brock finally has a rock type again. 155 is Ash's 1st encounter with the Pokémon rangers, and another celebi shows up, which means it's time for...
day 1176 may's egg hatches into a eevee {ag157} day 1180 ash gets 4th symbol {ag158}
Time-travel that's right, except this time May and Meowth are the ones who screw around with the fabric of history, and actually Celebi has nothing to do with it, just wanted to mention it because that's its shtick. Honestly, this is another of those almost filler episodes only eevee hatching makes it important, unlike the three zubat episodes though it's not boring, it's actually kinda sweet, dealing with a tragic romance, happy ending deal, if you're into that thing of course.
Hey what's that? The 4th frontier brain Lucy, has a crush on Brock? Bitch hurry up and tell him so he can settle down and leave the plot- oh too late they left already, Ash can't sit still for a minute, sorry about that. 159 is a fun episode all around, and sets up the next contest. 160 of course has more Harley which leaves me with nothing to complain about. :)
day 1183 ash's grovyle evolves into sceptile {ag161} day 1185 may gets 3rd ribbon {ag162} day 1190 ash gets 5th symbol {ag163+164}
When Grovyle evolved he couldn't use any of his moves due to a broken heart. That's funny in a sad way. Don't feel bad about that meganium sceptile, if you're really hung up on green herbivores, Ash has this Bayleef he could introduce you to.
Yeah heracross is back! Woo! 165 has a couple 4th wall jokes, and mime jr. actually does stuff for once, good stuff. 166 is bad filler notable for one thing. I think that mansion the girl with the scizor is living in is the same one the Hypno club was using way back in ep27, weird.
(2013) Nothing to add about any of this, the battles themselves (both Ash and May's) are really cool throughout this season, but the plot itself for the arc and the individual episodes aren't that interesting till the end.
Next time... Shocking Developments! Brock in a Contest! A New Girl with a Hopeless Crush on Ash! Max Kidnapped by Deoxys! Harley Joins Forces with Team Rocket! Ash Turning to the Dark Side! All This and More! Eps 167-185
