Best Wishes! Episode 2- Iris and Kibago

Sped along because, guess what? Episode 3 aired yesterday, so, true to form, I’m way behind. Anyway!

Spoilers Abound! Avoid if you don’t want Best Wishes Spoiled for you!

Okay, so this episode picks up where the last one left off. Pikachu is without electric attacks, and is being electrocuted by a lightning bolt from a suspicious, ominous storm cloud. Araragi and Oak talk about how it’s probably Zekrom, a legendary Pokemon, who is at the center of the storm cloud.

Ash suddenly eats a whole bottle of stupid pills, and decides to grab Pikachu. Okay, I get that he’s your buddy and all, but he’s being electrocuted. Any idiot knows that the electric charge will pass into anyone touching the source, and anyone touching the idiot who touched the source in the first place.

Anyway, the electric current stops, and Ash is blasted backwards. Delia and Stalkermaru (His temporary name- Episode 3 for details) are concerned about Ash, but Ash is more concerned with Pikachu. Pikachu feels fine, and can finally generate an electric current again.

Ash is thrilled by this, and proceeds to start about the funniest moment in the series so far. First, he orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt on him. It works, so he orders a Volt Tackle. Now, he was somehow unfazed by the Thunderbolt, but Volt Tackle actually seems to do some damage. Ash is dazed.

Outside, Araragi and Oak ask themselves if it really was Zekrom in the clouds. Ash and Pikachu run outside, and wonder what adventures await them in the Isshu region.

Now, here’s where the theme song plays, and- wow! If a Pokemon appeared in Episode 1, it’ll be in color in Episode 2! This is probably going to be a theme throughout the span of this opening.

So, Ash announces at dinner that he wants to poke around the Isshu region (like we all knew he would). Araragi gives him a new Pokedex and five Pokeballs. She mentions that he might run into Shooti, which serves to solidify Ash’s desire to travel. He leaves the next morning, and Stalkermaru follows him.

Ash is traveling down the road, wondering what kind of Pokemon he’ll encounter first, when he notices something strange behind a bush. He pops out his Dex, and it reads Kibago. He thinks that his Dex is broken, because whatever it is, it looks nothing like Kibago.

He tosses a Pokeball at whatever it is, and is shocked to discover that it isn’t a Pokemon- It’s Iris’s ridiculously huge hair! Iris chews him out for confusing her with a Pokemon, but warms up to him after he apologizes. She remarks that he’s such a n00b, and Kibago pops out of her hair, thus explaining why the Dex thought she was a Kibago.

Then, she sees his Pikachu.

Poor, poor Iris. She gets beaned on the head with a Pokeball, and then she finds out exactly why you don’t hug Pikachu too hard. Needless to say, it was… (puts on sunglasses) A bit of a shock.

Yeah, I’m done.

Anyway, Iris is fascinated to find that Ash has seen Zekrom- or, in his case, been on the receiving end of a Zekrom Cross Thunder (I assume). She stays with him until the end of the day.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is receiving their orders. Apparently, they’re to conquer the Isshu region rather than just set up a base. Me, I think that they’re cannon fodder to gauge Team Plasma’s strengths. Giovanni seems to buy their strength, however, and gives them tools to complete their mission, including new Pokemon.

The next morning, Iris is nowhere to be found. Ash decides to go on without her, and runs into a flock of Mamepato, the Isshu region’s native flying Cannon Fodder. Ash tries to capture one, and is about to, when the group swarms him and Pikachu. The group flies off, but Ash sees a straggler which he battles with, and catches. I would have preferred a Caterpie moment, but hey, I can’t control what Pokemon Japan does with their storyboards.

Iris shows up again, just in time to have Kibago grabbed along with Pikachu by another Mecha-in-a-box. Team Rocket shows up, and… Crap, they still recite the motto. Okay, are we just going to be repeating the running gag of the incompetent trio ad infinitum? Can we please find new materi- Wait, what?

Ash sends out Mamepato to fight, and Jessie’s new bat Pokemon, Koromori, beats the snot out of it. Team Rocket launches a new balloon with Kibago and Pikachu and Kibago in tow.

So, Team Rocket wins? No! It’s dues ex machina time, as guess who shows up to save the day?

Stalkermaru.

It uses Shell Blade to destroy the balloon, and then proceeds to mop the floor with Koromori. Team Rocket elects to retreat mere moments before Pikachu works up a Volt Tackle and begins to charge at them. Oh, boy, more “blasting off” jokes- wait, what?

I love you, Pokemon.

James whips out a smoke bomb, and uses it to cover their escape. Pikachu collapses from exhaustion, and Ash and Iris run to the nearest Pokemon center, barely remembering to thank Stalkermaru.

At the Pokemon Center- HELLO, JOY! When did you change your hair, clothes, and face? You actually look different! Holy crap.

Anyway, everyone is okay, and Ash and Iris wonder why Mijumaru helped them. Stalkermaru watches from a nearby window.

My thoughts on this episode? The series has remained fresh since 1997, and I finally sense a true reboot. We’ve got Ash acting like a rookie again, we have a kick-butt female traveling companion who is a Gym Leader in the games, and will probably become one in the anime, we have evil villains, and it looks like Brock is absolutely gone. Everything is different, and I think that Pokemon is about to enter a second Gold & Silver Age. This episode? Very good, and I hope that the series stays this good.

Everyone, Pokemon GETTO da ze!