And so we begin the Unova Saga! And of course as soon as we get there we already have a Pikachu-related crisis: this time, apparently a Legendary Pokemon wants to kill Pikachu. If that isn't bad enough, said Legendary Pokemon seemed to have done something else to Pikachu. The episode is real good, a nice start to a new region, and already we're seeing pieces of a much larger plot beginning to enfold.
But now taking a quick side step here, let me explain that I'll no longer be doing the "time frame" reviews due to problems involving where I watch the episodes. Instead, I'll be trying a "plotline" review where as I'm watching the episode I'll just sum up my thoughts on the whole scene I watched in a paragraph of two, I may also throw in some quotes if I feel they're worth commenting on. Also I'll no longer do a segue into the comments, I'll just go right into them as soon as I'm done with the summary which itself I'm still figuring out what to do with (at the very least it'll only say if I liked the episode, at the most it'll sum up the entire plot, however I'm more leaning toward the former with hints of what plot points are happening within the story).
Starting Off... On Vacation:
And so we begin with the missing introduction to the Pokemon World from the Zoroark Movie, I wonder where it went. And immediately we're introduced to Ash's new design, the clothes are okay, very blue and white (shouldn't it be black and white though? just saying) and I notice the hat sort of looks like Ash's very first one except with a blue Pokeball logo on it. Also we see that Ash's eyes realized that there is a part around the pupil called an "iris" (no, that's not foreshadowing, it's coincidence) and so made it light brown (that or Ash got contacts, and how big and oddly those would have to be shaped). And so what is Ash's excuse to go to the Unova region? (yay, we're not even waiting this time... meaning no Misty cameo!) Professor Oak is going there to do some "work" (in a tacky Hawaiian shirt) and Delia and Ash are coming along for a vacation (wonder how fast Professor Oak will get to "vacationing" and Ash be sent "working" ).
Now to those who possibly been on the show just as long Ash has, Jessie and James goes to the Team Rocket HQ (which has a rather snazzy "R" design, though unfortunately the uniforms still have the original "R" design). Just like with Ash though new to them, Jessie and James get new uniforms! Well, sorta new, it's really just their white uniforms but black. Giovanni, also in a new snazzy "take over the world" uniform tells our main antagonizing trio they're being sent to Unova (COINCIDENCE!) to further extend Team Rocket's power. Well at least you can't say they're going to Unova just to stalk a 10 year old boy anymore, at least for their reason to go to Unova. But just as they set off we here that, just like in Hoenn and Sinnoh, there too is another "mysterious organization". Hm, well the Rocket Trio are more pre-occupied at the moment noticing they just so happen to be on the same plane Ash, Delia, and Professor Oak is one. I think Jessie says it best:
Jessie: Imagine running into the twerp at a time like this.
Comment: COINCIDENCE!
Wade Through The Opening, Stay For the Title Screen:
The opening is... meh. The song is rather uninteresting, but what really throws me off is the CGI. It's not bad, but it doesn't really tell me anything about the show or what to be expecting. Yes, it's a little lazy to use scenes from episodes, but it also gave us a taste of what we should be getting excited for.
The Title Screen is nice, but I have a problem with those 6 Pokeballs around the title though, don't know why.
New Pokemon, New Region, New Pokemon... Did I Say New Pokemon?
Professor Oak *seeing the coast and city they'll be landing*: That's the Unova Region.
Comment: Or at least one of its coasts plus port city, I mean if that was the entire Unova Region I'd be pretty dissapointed.
Upon landing Pikachu notices a strange storm but Ash gets distracted by an Alomomola. Just as Ash realizes it Team Rocket catches Pikachu and of course Ash still has to ask who they are (granted they're disguises are better then their usual disguises and this is a new region (then again Meowth's size should have still given it away and it's not like Team Rocket had followed him to the other regions...). But showing all that he learned about Team Rocket, he tries to have Pikachu shock them which they quickly disperse as they always do (surely Team Rocket are now wishing they haven't showed all their tricks throughout the years... I mean regions). But lucky for Ash (who doesn't seem to have any of his other Pokemon with him even though right now he thinks he's only on vacation) the strange storm shocks Team Rocket. Pikachu get the urge to shock the strange storm which makes a strange Pokemon appear in it. We cut to a girl popping out a tree with her Axew and upon seeing the storm her Axew... jumps into her hair and she swings on a vine like Tarzan... Coming back fron the strangeness, the Pokemon is the storm "thanks" Pikachu back the same way it "thanked" it for saving them. One bright flash later Professor Oak and Delia make sure Ash and Pikachu is okay, Pikachu beginning to spark for some reason as Oak's fellow professor meets up with them, Professor Juniper!
Professor Juniper takes us back to her lab and we find out that no previous generation Pokemon live in Unova, something which the other regions should have thought of doing (Johto had the excuse as it was on the same landmass at Kanto was, but Hoenn and Sinnoh were located in exclusive areas not connected to another regions (as far as we know Sinnoh isn't, Hoenn definitely isn't as it's an island). To further this point we see only the all new Pokemon (including a flock of Pidove which Ash might as well throw a Pokeball up into as Ash not catching a bird Pokemon is like him not starting out his journey with Pikachu).
Professor Oak: You'll also see a lot of Pokemon you've never seen before in Juniper's lab.
Comment: Okay, we get it, this region has new Pokemon, this is like the 3rd time you mentioned it!
What's That In Between Commerical Game:
Oh. My. Arceus... THEY BROUGHT BACK WHO'S THAT POKEMON! Hopefully this also means they brought back Trainer's Choice (and actually have questions which are good and make sense *coughArbokevovlesintoSeviperWHAT?!cough*. They don't have the Pokemon make it's cry after they reveal what it is but hey, they brought back Who's That Pokemon! Do you think it'll be asking too much if they brought back Pikachu's Jukebox? Then again if the quality of music is like that of the opening...
All Rivals Must Be Jerk-Types:
As we see kids with a Minccino (notice how it's all Pokemon who's name we already know about we're seeing ) we find the Black & White playable character's hometown is called Nuvema Town (at least we're being told something new). Pikachu gets scanned to find out why it's sparking when we found out that Ash seems to be an expert in Pikachu's:
Juniper: According to Ash, Pikachu is completely enveloped inside a powerful electric field.
Comment: ASH told you that? So Ash is an experts on Pikachus (is that the proper plural for Pikachu?) but still hasn't learned the three people that try to catch Pikachu each time it happens is Team Rocket and they're always electric-proof.
Pikachu quickly learns the downside of having the professors wanting to study you is that they want to study you (it should be glad they're no sharp objects, gloves, or thermometers involved *shudder*) we learn that a new trainer is here for his starter so it's time to be introduced to the Unova Starters, YAYZ! The new trainer is Trip and after Ash goes on about how nervous he must be as he was on his first day (Ash, you might want to at least introduce yourself first ), Trip calls Ash's hometown the "boonies". Now I would complain how we've already have a jerk rival, but then again if none of Ash's rivals were jerks we couldn't spot them on site. So we get introduced to the new starters with Ash pointing out what we should be thinking about each one (Tepig: Yay, it's a Fire-type; Oshawott: It's CUTE! Like Piplup! DON'T YOU THINK IT'S CUTE!; Smuglea... I mean Snivy: Too cool for you). Trip, first taking a picture, picks Snivy as it matches his attitude and hair as Tepig looks annoyed it wasn't picked and Oshawott is completely heartbroken (so hard trying to catch that Piplup essence). We're introduced to the new Pokedex which now shows us side and back shots of the Pokemon it scans and as Trip gathers his Pokeballs Ash chases out to him and this dialogue occurs which makes you wonder if these characters have ADD:
Ash: Going for Gym battles?
Trip: That's basic. Pokemon Trainers go around challenging different Gyms and try to win eight Badges, so they can enter the Unova League.
Comment: Um, why did you explain it to Ash? Being Ash brought it up and this is "basic" information I'm sure he already knows all about this.
Ash: Really? That's just like back in Kanto!
Comment: Or maybe not... okay immediately Ash might not have known in Unova you were also required to get eight badges (though that brings up how does he even know Unova had Gyms), but the way Ash said it made it sound liek he didn't know Unova had it's own league which would lead you asking why would Ash then ask if Trip was going to challenge Gyms?
Pikachu, now done being studied (that or it saw sharp objects, gloves, and/or a thermometers and decided to escape) run to Ash and upon seeing the non-Unova Pokemon Trip insults Ash and then tells him having a Pikachu in Unova is a big deal (mixed messages much? Actually why is he surprised to see Ash having a Pikachu, he knows Ash is from Kanto! He didn't think Ash would have brought his non-Unova Pokemon with him for some reason?). Of course now that both have a Pokemon and they're trainers, we get to what Pokemon's about: BATTLING!
A Battle With A Non-Shocking Surprise (Literally!):
We finally get an answer to why Trips takes a lot of photos: he wants to remember his journey (okay reason I guess, but why does it take multiple picture of the same thing? That's just wasteing room in the camera). Oshawott appears to watch the battle (hmm, speaking of Starters, being Ash is required to get at least one starter, what do you think his first starter will be in Unova...) which is between Ash's Pikachu and Trip's Snivy. Getting a hit with a Quick Attack and dodging Snivy's Tackles, Pikachu tries for a Thunderbolt. But instead of me pointing out how Electric-type moves aren't very effective on Grass-types, Pikachu is unable to do Thunderbolt and a few moves later the same goes for Volt Tackle! Ash quickly figures upon a successful Iron Tail (with a nice new animation of Pikachu's tail turning into a metallic color. Quick Attack also got a new animation though it's nothing special) only Pikachu's Electric-type attacks aren't working but it doesn't seem to matter as Snivy does a Leaf Tornado (a move it learns at level 16! New Starter my... my... oh darn, we don't have a donkey Pokemon yet) and sends Pikachu flying. I'll give Trip this, he's nicer to his Pokemon unlike Paul was. Anyway he gloats about his win but Ash understandably is more worried about the fact that Pikachu suddenly isn't able to use its own species types attacks.
An Episode In And Already A Vengeful Legendary:
Back in the lab we found that upon further scanning Pikachu is suffering from an overload which had prevented it from doing its Electric-type attacks (even though past overloads have shown that Pikachu becomes very sick which drives it crazy and has it shock everything in sight). But things begin going wacky as the strange storm comes back and it begins causing Pikachu to spark up even more. Professor Juniper reveals that the storm could be the Legendary Pokemon Zekrom and in addition to watching over Unova it also uses its lightning bolts to give judgment. Being Pikachu attacked it, I'm guessing it wants to give Pikachu some of it's "judgment". And we end here with the narrator asking if Pikachu will get its ability to use Electric-type attacks back though I'd personally be more worried about how they'll get the angry god-like Pokemon from frying them.
