CoolTrainerTerry said:
How can the main character's Pokemon learn a powerful attack without practicing it?
Apparently evolving gives a Pokemon the equivlalent of weeks of practice with an attack. Typically when a Pokemon evolves it learns and new powerful move and can use it perfectly from the get go. Grovyle and Leaf Blade, Kingler and Hyper Beam, Combusken and Sky Uppercut etc.
Also, ever since it was a Lotad, Ludicolo has been a random Pokemon. It randomly evolves to Lombre, randomly evolves to Ludicolo (or purposely if it sensed the Water Stone) and randomly learns Bullet Seed. ^_^
Andromache said:
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I didn't like that Lombre just obeyed Ash. I mean, what's the point of a Pokemon belonging to someone if anyone can order it around?
But Ash wasn't just "anyone." Lombre knew him and given the situation it had every reason to listen to him. Back in Kanto when Ash warned Misty his Pokemon wouldn't obey her unless he told them too they hadn't been together all that long and the Pokemon didn't spend as much time interacting with their master's friends as they did in subsequent seasons.
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It must be said that an episode this good only comes along once in a Mawile. Great animation, comedy, voice acting and battles all wrapped up in one terrific package. The only downsides it seems are the music changes and a brief, purposeless cut. If only all episodes could be this good!
Some favorite scenes and quotes:
Probably Torkoal's greatest battles ever, thanks to the animation. They all looked so strong, you could really feel the impact of those Body Slams. Compare it to its battle against Scizor in the Drake episode and there is a world of difference.
Gotta love Lombre's Matrix-moves.
I think this is the first episode where we see the animation change/upgrade for Corphish's Bubblebeam to rainbow bubbles, and they look sweet.
Mawile has the cutest voice, just perfect really.
Brock: "Work with me here!"
James critiques Meowth's fantasy plan more than ever, but as Jesse points out "who cares! We have nothing to lose!" But even Meowth's crazed mind can't come up with a use for Lombre...
Brock cries in sympathy for Corphish,
Corphish cries for his own cursed luck.
Torkoal cries.... BECAUSE!!!!
Ash: "No sense going out of your way to make someone like you."
Apparently this is Ash's view on romance in general, as he says it twice in the episode. But then again he is the one who constantly has some girl following him around while he does nothing to keep her around.
If only we could have seen Brock and Corphish's singing act... makes one wonder why it wasn't animated.
The moral of this episode?
Chicks dig guys who act like they don't care about them!
And Ludicolo is at once hilarious and frightening.