A Boy and His X: Some of the Time Shifters become friends with young boys: In the first place Flint and Getalong. Other examples are a young Auguste Rodin and Artie, a young Babe Ruth and Batterball, the young Wright brothers and Wing, a young Jean Henri Fabre and Bugsy, and a young Marco Polo and Dipper.
Appease The Volcano God: Subverted in the episode with Moah. Virgins aren't used, but the citizens of Easter Island prayed that Moah reverts back to his normal self.
Broken Aesop: The Time Police work under very specific guidelines — recover all the Time Shifters, no exceptions, and never disrupt the fabric of time. But reanimating two cavemen in the modern era? Allowing Bindi and Get-a-Long to roam free? No problems there.
Dub Induced Plot Hole: Early on, it's clearly shown that the cast lives in Japan. In the Columbus episode, though, Sara tells us they're from the US.
Eenie Meenie Miny Moai: Moah, the largest of the Time Shifters. When possessed by Petra, he turns into a floating Moai head that can shoot magma and cause volcanic eruptions. As the golem-like Moah-master, he can call the giant stone Moai to summon a seawall to prevent a tidal wave from washing up the island.
Enemy Mine: Used in the penultimate episode where Petra and her minions ally with Flint in fighting the Dark Lord. Only works once.
One of his minions, Uglinator, is a skull-like imp with pale yellowish teeth, dark blue horns, and bloody red eyes, complete with Sinister Scythe. His appearance is extremely menacing to the point of Nightmare Fuel (especially his evolved form), and can also possess people just like what he did to Merlock.
The Cardians' Con form also looks like one.
Irony: Merlock's only heroic moment that goes right is him defeating the evil Sara, but on pure accident. He's extremely overjoyed that he finally did something right.
Monumental Damage: When Petra Fina goes back to Ancient Egypt, she takes over the local mon, and uses its influence to change the Sphinx's face to her own.
Non-Lethal K.O.: Flint doesn't attack the Con forms of the Time Shifters with brute force. He just convinces them to return to becoming good mons.
Pokémon Speak: Played straight in the original Japanese version, where the Time Shifters speak this way.
Subverted in the English dub, for they are capable of speaking like a normal human.
Coconaut was one exception, however, as all it could say was its own name and a buzzer-like sound (in case Christopher Columbus was about to make a bad nautical decision).
Running Gag: Merlock constantly screws up his heroic moments.
Run the Gauntlet: The last two episodes. Flint and company fight against the Con forms of all the Time Shifters (except for Getalong and Bindi), all possessed by the Dark Lord.
Super Mode: Most of the Time Shifters' Master forms which they access on their own, usually with the help of Flint and company.
Even Nascal, Ominito, and Uglinator also have their own evolved forms. Nascal's has three heads a la Cerberus, Ominito turns into a giant parasitic mushroom, and Uglinator into a demon skull.
Superpowered Evil Side: When possessed by the Dark Lord (through Petra Fina or Uglinator), the Time Shifters can turn into hideous monsters called Con forms.
Super Sentai: one set of Time Shifters are basically a parody of the genre. Their combined Master Form resembles a Humongous Mecha, even!
Not to mention Sara's pink, Merlock's lavender, Dark Lord's blue, quite a few.
Younger than They Look: Based on the series art style, one would imagine that it was from the late '80s, or at least a contemporary of Dragon Ball Z. It was actually made in 1998.
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