day 43 ash temp. trades butterfree, james temp. gets a magikarp, the ship St. Anne sinks {ep15}
day 44-46 both teams twerp+rocket survive and make it back to civilization {ep16+17}
Man, wouldn't it have been awesome if TR had kept that gyrados? Also, LOL ONIX inside an already sunken ship. Seriously, why did Ash want to trade Butterfree, for some dumb rat he never saw before? It's fixed a little by Ash instantly regretting the decision but still. First appearance of Giovanni was pretty cool. And much like, when Pikachu+Caterpie had a talk in episode 3, I like the scene in 17 when both team's Pokémon are off by themselves it builds character well, this is also the only Pokémon-only scene in the entire show that has subtitles. Convenient. This little 3 parter is honestly really nifty; forcing all our protagonists to work together, introducing the rarely seen antagonist, and nudging Ash's journey just a tad bit more off the rails.
The skipped ep 18 was mostly beach fanservice, so filler but it was technically the first time Brock and Misty met Gary but no plot holes emerge as he gives himself an intro in the diglett ep later on.
(2013) This might be my jaded exposed to rule 34 self talking, but what was so objectional that ep18 was partially banned? James continues to cross-dress later on and Misty (May and Dawn) all get fanservicey occasionally. Not that this makes it a good ep to watch, but it's not horrendous.
day 47 misty catches horsea {ep19}
As of now, the 1st opening contains no spoilers. ep 20 has a trolling ghastly, and a few Ash/Misty and Jessie/James shipping moments if you're into that, if not though it is filler so perfectly skippable. {Shipping Goggles On: Ash sees Misty in short-shorts all the time, and a bikini last ep... no reaction. Sees her in a fancy kimono "Wut! Misty is teh gurl!} Just something I noticed. Moving on. (2013) Yes even horsea is still more useful than zubat if only because of this very episode where he helped save everyone from giant angry tentacruel, and that eventually this means Misty gets a kingdra off screen.
day 50 bye butterfree (right before ash's 11th birthday on day 52 that's even more depressing) {ep21}
It's still so sad <tear> but honestly I'm surprised that it happens so early, even if you only count Kanto that's only a 1/4 of the show Butterfree's actually in. Just want to make note, 6 eps ago Ash was distraught over never seeing him again, and now he lets him leave to go after the girl he loves... you've grown Ash, and the way Pikachu shouted goodbye too... Bros for life those two Pokémon are. <tear>
(2013) I only heard about Shudo's novelisation after I was going through Battle Frontier, so ep 21's timeline placement is just a tragic coincidence that I'm totally forcing into my headcanon and hopefully all of yours.
day 58 ash loses to sabrina, sets off for lavender town to get a ghost Pokémon {ep22}
Damn Sabrina YOU SCARY! No, that's not a joke, bitch is just creepy, also Ash Ketchum is a pretty cool guy, gives no fucks about personal safety or psychic powers and keeps trying, until Sabrina's dad finally talks about ghost types, and doesn't afraid of anything.
day 61 ash dies briefly, catches a haunter, sets out to defeat sabrina {ep23}
Not exaggerating, Ash gets smashed by a chandelier and his soul is bodily ripped out, until he gets bored of playing with the ghosts and comes back. Misty bitch, you such a tsundere, just tell Ash you want him already, it's not like he'll ever figure it out.
day 65 ash defeats sabrina getting 4th badge and haunter decides to stay with sabrina {ep24}
Some might say that Ash never threw a pokeball, but he uses it in a gym battle so it counts as his Pokémon dammit. Also since Ash trades Haunter away to Sabrina, does that mean it evolves into Gengar after he leaves... now that I've said it, it must be canon.
Also I consider this kind of a legitimate win for Ash, not enough to count it as a fair win, but it's a hell of a sight better than the next gym battle that's coming up. At least here he does defeat Sabrina, her psychoses if not her Pokémon. Hey Ash fixed someone by fighting them... he was using Therapy Jutsu before it was cool too, suck on that Naruto, Ash was a Warrior Therapist first.
(2013) Although less eggregious than Bill to Vermillion, it still baffles me how Ash and crew make it back on the trail so quickly after they were shipwrecked! Regardless, another good 3-parter here and if badge order had been the same as it was in game and the Sabrina arc had been pushed up this would have been the season finale... assuming again of course that this was your standard 26-ep series)
Next Time... "Celadon: Free Pokémon, Free Badges" or "Primeape and Muk, We Hardly Knew Ye" eps 25-30
Comments
