This is an episode that would feel like a total waste of time if it weren't for a few wonderful character moments. I'm speaking of the human characters, as while Electrike is a cool little Pokemon that didn't get enough love in Hoenn, I don't care for its role here too much. For starters, the fact that Takeshi lifts a finger is noteworthy. For as little actual breeding as we see him do, it's nice to see him take up a mentor position in the field for once. However, Kojiro and Nyasu are the episode's highlights, and while it's not the first time we've seen them rebel against Musashi, it always marks a great TR character turn of events.
Granted, the episode is very thin and run-of-the-mill in terms of plot. When you strip away the great character moments, you are essentially left with a Johto filler. COTD with problem, Pokemon has issues, gang helps out, TR steals Pokemon, Pokemon gathers strength and defeats TR, problem solved. Basically the standard formula complaint that people continue to use based on the occasional episode like this (in spite of the fact that this type of formula is rarer than it had been in prior sagas, you fandom brain surgeons...). And considering how the last Electrike we saw also evolved, I could have done without Manectric here. This is not a bad episode by any means, but you're better off following the character interaction rather than the story.
C