There's unconfirmed rumors flying around that the series may not continue in Japan. Personally, I'm shocked that it's lasted this long. A good barometer is the li'l kids at the grocery store I was working in. Most of 'em are chatting about Yu-Gi-Oh! and "Shaman King", and the new "Ninja Turtles". You know if it ends in Japan, it ends here, I don't think KidsWb!/4Kids would decide to start doing their own stuff.

Uh that's odd, from what I gather, Pokemon is still mightily popular in Japan, what with the release of new Pokemon Games for the GBA and GC.

But I'll give you all some spoilers of what's to come, MAJOR Spoilers, so if you don't want to know. Don't read on. Also there were special Hoso episodes in Japan that filled in what happened to Misty and Brock and Team Rocket so if you want I could tell you what happens. But here's just Advance spoilers, very brief, if you need more info, I can supply.


- Ash loses to Brawly.
- Jessie and May both catch a Wurmple.
- Ash and co meet Steven (Ending trainer in the game.)
- Ash catches Corphish
- Brock catches a Mudkip
- May's Wurmple becomes a Silcoon, whilst Jessie's becomes a Cascoon but she doesn't believe it.
- Ash rematches Brawly and wins.
-May gets a Beautifly.
-Jessie gets a Dustox and is thrilled.
- May enters a pokemon contest with Beautifly and loses.
- We see Jigglypuff again in the Trick House Episode.
- Ash thrashes Wattson 3/0 in his next battle with just Pikachu.
- Treeko learns Bullet Seed.
- Misty returns in new clothes with Togepi.
- There's a Togepi saga. Long story short, Togepi evolves and Misty leaves back for Cerulean.
- May catches a Skitty.
- May enters another contest and wins her first ribbon.
- Ash battles Flannery and Corphish essentially wins it for him.
- Ash catches a Toarkoal.

Ok and their teams:
Ash: Pikachu, Treeko, Tailow, Corphish and Toarkoal.
May: Torchic, Skitty, Beautifly.
Brock: Lotad, Mudkip, Forretress. (Speculation Brock may catch a new Pokemon.)
Jessie: Dustox, Wobbuffet, Seviper.
James: Cacnea (Its rumored he may catch a Mawille)

Enjoy.

So, Arbok and Wheezing are gone forever? I loved them and Team Rocket. They were the only reason I was watching the show in the first place. I'm guessing that there's no reason to start watching the show again.

I'd do an American Pokemon...maybe put Ash in a damn school. It sucks when you're a world-champion Pokemon trainer and you have the reading level of a second grader.

Watched two episodes on Saturday. Dunno where Pikachu came up with Iron Tail attack. And what the fuck is Nosepass? That Poke makes the Top Ten Most Bizarre Pokemon Ever list. Shuckle's at the top spot, possibly forever.

Really this show has run its course. Team Rocket is a joke and get their asses handed to them exactly the same way everytime. Its not even funny anymore.
*Ash a silly kid who rather sleep with Pickachu than acknowledge that Misty was a girl.

*The parents are rather slimey letting their kids travel around the countr meeting up with hunters, poachers, and pedophiles. Who in their right mind would let their 10 yr old daughter travel with a group of boys?

*The cops should lock up the parents for neglecting their kids than chasing pokemon hunters.

*And Jessie and James need to get jobs or an education and let it go.

*Plus the toys aren't popular over here anymore and the kids don't care about the movies anymore, either. So I think it should end, imo.

Pelipper sounds delicious on toast. Maybe I'd have some Pelipper with some Caribbean Jerk Chicken.
Misty's returning in new clothes? Do you have a link to what they look like?
I was half watching lately and another trainer told Ash that Pikachu could learn Irontail, so Ash set about having Pikachu do tail exercises and training bouts. Finally, his tail glowed. I recommend Gold Bond powder for that, Ash.

Misty should start wearing those thigh high nylons. Maybe some Charlie perfume.

Not much this past Saturday...Max gets soda on May's Poke-Navi device, and he runs into the president of a big-ass corporation. Basically, this ep introduces up to the concept of Team Aqua...who are like Team Magma, but with water-based Pokemon. Wanna know why the one guy from there is cool? Because he didn't announce himself as a member of Team Aqua. Seriously...why does Team Rocket hire two attention-grubbing losers? Why?

That's it...was kinda bored with the episode. Can't wait for Misty to come back and bitch-slap May. She so needs it, you know?

Actually Team Rocket doesn't just have James and Jesse saying their motto all the time. Remember Butch and Cassidy and their Raticad? The cool thing about Team Magma and Team Aqua is that they were once the same team, but they had different opinions on what pokemon were better, hence they split. Magma uses more fire, rock and ground pokemon. While Team Aqua uses more water, dragon and air type pokemon. I'm looking forward to seeing Misty's new look too, but we have to wait until the end of the summer, bummer.

I'm really fascinated with May's outfit. Is it some kind of Spandex/Lycra thing? I mean, we're talking major sweating issues here. Do they have Gold Bond powder in the Hoen region? And Ash isn't interested in girls yet. I think Professor Oak should take him to the pediatrician, y'know. (Heehee) He's not even growing taller.
Okay, it's just a cartoon. Something to think about, though.

Misty is going to come back? Thats cool. Remember when we got the lameass Brock replacement, Tracey? Tracey sucked. I think the rule on this show is that only one older guy character and only one annoying girl character can travel with Ash at a time, so if Misty is going to come back it can only mean one thing, cage deathmatch. Or you know, something less deadly, but we're all really hoping for a deathmatch, right?

Actually SPOILERS May and Misty get along just plain and dandy.

Misty also now wields a mighty Gyarados in the unseen Hoenn
http://www.serebii.net/anime/characters/misty.shtml There you can see new Misty.

And an episode guide for the two episodes, *Gives link*

http://www.serebii.net/anime/epiguide/houen/320.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/anime/epiguide/houen/321.shtml

Also, you'll never see the special episodes aired in Japan, but they're too cheap to Air. They show Brock going back to the gym, giving up Geodude, Crobat and Onix. Misty taking the gym back, and some Team Rocket stuff.
http://www.serebii.net/anime/epiguide/specials/

So yea

Not a good day for Ash. He meets his next gym leader, surfer boy Brawley. Along the way, Ash loses whatever battle sense he has, ordering Tallow and Treecko to directly attack. The ribsy Machop outlasts Tallow, and Makuhita beats the shit outta Treecko. Ash's leafy Poke hangs in there...but Makuhita evolves into the even beefier Hariyama, and crushes Treecko. Ash comes to realize what an asshole he is, and vows to train harder in the area.

In other news, the writers bring out every 80s surfer dude word they can, Team Rocket gets smacked around, and Brock lusts for Gidgets. In other words, nothing out of the ordinary.

Brocks' Lotad mysterious evolves into a Lombre right before they meet a Solrock

We here in Australia are watching re-runs. I can't stop watching this show I used to watch when I was 11.

New Pokemon episode tomorrow morning. WB is also talking sneak peeks of future fights. I swear, I saw two guys in Pokemon outfits fighting.

WB did a "Best Fights" week. My personal fave was Ash vs. Drake in the Orange League. I consider Dragonite the greatest Pokemon never to have a movie based on it. Flame-thrower, water gun, electroshock, hyper beam...and it looked so durn cute. Took out three of Ash's Pokes before Pikachu beat it.

One more thing..."Pokemon 4Ever" on WAM! tomorrow morning and evening. It's a free weekend on DirecTV.

I re-watched the first episode of "Pokemon:Advanced".
Dear writers, I know you're sanitizing things for America, but it's icky to say that May is 10 years old and then have her in a bikini/boy pants in half the episodes this season. She's at least sixteen. Check some I.D. on that girl.

I'm more concerned about Brock collecting water Pokemon. Onix and Geodude are gonna be SO thrilled.

Also caught Pokemon 4Ever last night. See, the dude in the iron mask makes for a better villain than James and Jesse ever have. Dark balls? Turning a Pokemon evil and increasing its power? Brrrrrrrr.

Onix and Geodude are gone :\ As is Crobat. But Brock's Stepmother trains exclusively water Pokemon. In the never to be released Hoso special, she returns, has taken over flint's gym and decorated it with crepe paper for her Water Pokemon.

I rented Pokemon 4 eva out recently on 1 dollar day (ok, the bad movies I rent when they're cheap) and well, it sucked.

And Dragonite, well.. Squirtle was weakened after fighting Onix, Tauros was also pretty tired after its constant summoning to battle, beating Venusaur amongst other appearances, Pikachu had already battled a Ditto clone of itself. Charizard however *Shrugs* I dunno.

Also, may is seriously not 10. Unless she's just using her top as a place to store her tissues.

Didn't find Poekmon4eva all that special! But there has been some with interesting moment, though.

*I remember hearing about the Brock special that'll never here. Too bad, I hear you get to see his family and less-than credible dad, too!

*Not only is the writers stupid for claiming May age with that body, but having a 10yr old travel w/ 2 guys(Max doesn't count) isn't a bright idea also. In fact, kids traveling by themselves is a terrible idea.

lboogy: this is a world which mixes agrirarism with technology. Where kids can capture giant monsters in little balls. And where two people can get hit so hard, they fly into earth orbit. Believe me...kids travelling on their own is NOTHING to think about.

Did you see Sam's old-school Pokeball? With a cork? That's cool. Was half-expecting the time-lost Pokemon trainer to be the Rocket guy, but Pokewriters don't think above third-grade. Sam as the future Professor Oak works like gangbusters.

Brock special? I dunno...all those squinty-eyed children kinda creeped me out the first time.

Lantern7 I like Brock siblings b/c they show a side of him that most have forgotten, other than him being hot for the opposite sex.
Yep, I don't take any toon seriously at all. But if they can try to be realistic than thats ok, too.

Pokemon's been one of my guiltiest pleasures. Sure it may be repetitive in many ways, but like, say, Adam Sandler and his movies (which I'm not really much of a fan of), you're either into what you typically get from there or you're not. Me, I'm into Pokemon for my dosage of cute critters and in many cases, human characters, hapless failed villains, and other things that go into a light-hearted anime series. I mean, it'll always do more for me than, Kirby: Right Back At Ya!, where the otherwise great video game protagonist is left without any real trace of brain or personality. I'm all for mindless entertainment, but not in a literal sense.

One of the things I really dig about the show is how varied and full of personality the Pokemon are, from the typically hardy Bulbasaur (who softened up oh so memorably to that one Gloom in the greenhouse) to the endlessly giddy Togepi, who people love or hate. My favorite Pokemon include Jigglypuff, who gets pissed off whenever people fall asleep when it's singing and then proceeds to graffiti their faces with its mic/marker, the clueless and easily frightened Psyduck (its encounter with Slowpoke was classic), and Togepi, because it's so random.

Some of my favorite characters include Duplica, the Ditto trainer, because there's something about a girl of the theatre, plus, she's too cute, Officer Jenny, who for her role as a public official, has a fun personality, and Brock, and how his flirtatious hijinks end up with him getting yanked by Misty when she's present, yet on the other hand, he's a great breeder and cook. Basically, Pokemon's full of fun, cute and happy happy joy hoy characters, and it helps fill my quota for such, so there. And more importantly, it's more surreal than people give it credit for, particularly, for instance, during that one Bulbasaur evolution festival, and the slapfight between Jigglypuff and those pesky Clefairy thieves.

Ah.... it's always nice to know I'm not alone. I don't watch Pokemon on my own, but my little sister is obsessed with it and makes me watch it with her (don't ask me why). I was startled to find that I actually kind of liked it. Except for the new season. From what I've seen so far, it kind of sucks. And May=evil. She must die. And it would be nice if Ash did too, but we can't have everything, now can we?
At least Misty's Togepi is not on the show anymore. That thing is creepy. How come it always gets Metronome to do exactly what it wants it to? Okay, I suppose I'm just paranoid. But it did, have kind of an annoying voice, so there is that. And if Misty's not there, there can't be any Ash/Misty romance. Which is incredibly freaky, because they're TEN, for goodness's sake. TEN. What ten-year-old (especially, what male ten-year-old) thinks that the opposite sex is anything other than stupid? And I was kind of hoping that Brock wouldn't come back either. His one joke gets old fast.
Come to that, I hate all the "twerps". Why don't we get rid of them, and just have a show about Team Rocket? (Not Jessie & James, ALL of TR.) That would be cool.
Now I will stop my ranting, because it's probably getting quite boring... oh, but one last thing. James IS gay. Or at least transgender. In my opinion, anyhow... but really... how can you think he's straight when there's so much evidence to the contrary?

Misty is older than Ash, by at least a year. I saw a comic which put her at 2 years older. And, these days, 8-year-old kids have boyfriends and girlfriends. It's a different world we live in.

Right now, May is the most obnoxious cast member...so natch, her mortal nemesis is equally as annoying.

I hate Drew. Seriously...what a hair-flipping douchebag. And we all know he's just a low-rent version of Gary Oak, right? Watching his Pokemon get its lunch forece-fed to it by some dude who kinda resembles Pegasus was fun, though.

Anybody still watching? I forgot to comment about the nasty Torchic from last week. Just pecked, clawed and burned the hell out of everything before it evolved into a Combusken.

That Torchic was hilarious. Adorable on the outside, yet quite insouciant on the inside.

I dunno. May's quite amusing, or at least it's kind of funny to gawk at her. If nothing else, she and Torchic make a cute pair.

While there haven't been as many standout moments as in past seasons, that Pokemon evolution machine, with Meowth coming out disguised as a different Pokemon each time, was priceless, especially when he got to Marill.

Still 5 more eps. or so until Jigglypuff returns, if I'm correct...

I have it on, while I read the papers after work, but it no longer holds my attention as strongly as it did.

Ah well, at least they aren't ten any more. Ash is like..(does a few mental calculations) about 13, or maybe 14. Technically he should be older, but hey.

I actually liked Ash/Misty. They pretended they hated each other it was funny. May is all right, but blander than a piece of soggy brown cardboard. And a bit thick to boot.

Anyway, the Hoenn region sends me into paroxysms of rage and hopelessness.

And James has a LOVE INTEREST in Hoenn! A FEMALE ONE! That is so stupid. He acts incredibly camp the whole way though, and now this? Really.

That's all I have to say on that.

Pixel Challenge fun. And yeah...never type in "Pokemon, Jesse" on Googlie's image search. First pic? Jesse and Cassidy. Naked. Kissing. That'll give me nightmares.

Basically, it's not very good anymore. First season was good. This stuff?

and TR? Please, it drives me insane. The few times I do watch it, all I can think is that it just keeps happening over and over, the same exact way. Ypou dont even have to watch. A tiny battle, thundershock, and somehow they fly.

It's a shame, they could have just made a few more pokemon, and changed the series a bit and it wouldnt be this bad. They also could have gotten rid of that worthless egg togepi. :D

I just go for the bizarre eps...like the one where Team Rocket abduct a Shuckle and drink its insides...or the one where Snorlax's Pokeball gets broke, and the kids have to roll him to the nearest Pokecenter. Does it get any better than Ash, decked out in an apple costume, running for his life as Snorlax tries to devour him?

It is funny watching them piss off Ash and gang and call them "twerps". I also like watching Wobbuffet bungle things up, and Meowth making impressions of Giovanni when in the middle of envisioning Giovanni pleased with a successful scheme and thinking of promoting the trio.



Awww. You make baby Togepi cry. :D To each their own I guess. Besides, he's practically already gone from the show, so what's to complain about?



That was hilarious. I'm also up for just about any episode featuring (the currently absent) Jigglypuff, or Psyduck and his clueless self (particularly the one where he meets the Slowpoke). The Cleffa ep. with that Pokemon Mystery Club of two was quite funny as well.

Seeing how Pokemon will be covered in the last ep. of I Love the 90s, I wonder how they'll snark on it?

The old Pokemon was the best. Why did Misty leave? And what's up with that new beginning? The new Pokemon sucks.

Misty left when she heard from her sisters. They had won a cruise or something, and left Cerulean Gym in her care. Misty didn't really have a choice in the matter. If you look around online you can find info on specials that aired (but I don't believe they were brought over here) that have an insight or two on Misty back at the gym.

I don't think the new Pokemon are that bad, although I do kinda dislike it when they are either a little too human looking, for example Blaziken, Kirlia, and Gardevoir (although oddly enough I am huge fans of Mr Mime and Jynx, and they are pretty anthropomorphic), or when they're too unnatural, like Baltoy and Claydol.

I'd want a Cacnea.

Blaziken looks something like a woman wearing a 1970s era orange and yellow disco jumpsuit.

Team Rocket grates on my last nerve, but they have 2 really funny flashbacks:
1. Jessie was so poor as a child, she used to eat snow as some kind of Christmas treat.
2. The story of how Meowth started speaking English just to impress a girl cat. And after all that effort he put in, she dumped him for a Persian!

A really bizarre episode for me was the one with the oasis and the Miltank guardian. My mind's a little foggy, but I could have sworn Meowth or Cyndaquil were drinking straight from the Miltank's teat to replenish their energy. It just raises the question, would they eat Pokemon? Of course, I know that's out of the question for a kids show such as this, but I'm sure there are some children out there wondering if they have Miltank steaks or Swinub pork chops in Johto/Hoenn. (Yes, I'm a sick person.)

Edited because typos suck.

That thing has flaming pubis.

About eating Pokemon, I read in a Pokebook that Farfetch'd are rare because they are very tasty with the leek they always carry around.

That was in the episode featuring Farfetch'd, too, I believe. It's the only confirmed report of Pokemon-as-meat we know of, but given that there seem to be no other animals around...

Man what I'd give to see those Misty specials. A few of the old recurring characters, like the crazy team Electabuzz fan Casey, make cameos. And in one episode she once again rather unsuccessfully tries to teach poor Psyduck to swim. I miss Psyduck.

Misty will make a return appearance soon enough though for a couple of episodes.

Team Rocket did have a really good episode this season when they helped save the poached packs of Koffing and Ekans, and released Arbok and Weezing to take care of them.

I liked that silly snowcone induced brain freeze from this past Saturday's episode. They seemed to be relishing in it, at least until Team Rocket captured Pikachu.



Agree with Mr. Mime (love his cute "Mr. Mime!"), but Jynx scare the pants off of me.

Heads up: I think new episodes air Saturday morning at 10 am. I could be wrong. I'll have the VCR fired up either way. Watch Ash win badges and ruin the dreams of the people he meets.

Ash actually did some good this time. (I wasn't paying too much attention to the first episode because it bored me. A Shiftry and Nuzleaf tribe in the forest abducted Nurse Joy because one of them was sick. It was a little disturbing to watch her rub that Nuzleaf's leaf, like watching those old Vicks Vapor Rub commercials.) In the second episode of the hour, Ash was teaching this little kid with a Minun and Plusle to fight, rather than help out from the sidelines with the helping hand attack. At least the village wasn't really into that "hero" story. Probably just some bedtime story they tell the kiddies. (I would have puked if they were fawning over Ash like he was the Hero of Time. BTW, the sister sounded a little like Misty.) I was sort of wishing Pikachu would evolve in to Raichu (that being why the stone was glowing, rather than having just charged it up) but TPTB would never let that happen. I'm sure next week Ash will be up to his dream-crushing, win-at-all-costs routine.

I saw that the episode title was "Another Kind of Misty," I jumped to conclusions.

Minun and Plusie...altered Pikachu clones with team-up dancing. Very nice. Sometimes, all the crack that the show creators smoke comes in handy.

New season coming up...maybe this will be the year Team Rocket dies violent, gory deaths, and we can get some quality villains. I'm just tired at this point.

You weren't the only one tricked by the title. That was cruel and the ep was stupid.

You know, I was thinking the same thing. Rachael Lillis, who voices Misty as well as Jessie, may have voiced her as well.

Next week, Jigglypuff finally returns, this time apparently getting caught up in some funhouse hijinks.

Theory:

James: Jesse, I've been wondering...why are we chasing the twerps? It's like every third day, we go airbourne. Team Rocket insurance can only be so comphrensive.

Jesse: I dunno. Didn't the Boss want a Pikachu or something?

Meowth: Of course he does!

James: Is this one of your stories where imagine capturing a Pokemon and the Boss gets us everything we dreamed about?

Meowth: Yuh-huh! Okay, imagine this: it's 3 a.m., and the Boss is bringing a hottie back to his mansion...

James: But isn't the boss married?

Meowth: Power is the ultimate turn-on, Jimmy-Boy. Anyhoo, she's half-drunk and eager to please. But he can't get it up for her.

Jesse: Guys like that made me a lesbian.

Meowth: So the Boss downs his pills...the special ones...made from the shredded testicles of a Pikachu!

James: Wait...Pokemon have genitalia?

Jesse: Where's yours, Meowth? Not that I'm interested, but it's one of those things that I think about from time to time.

Meowth: As any dimwit knows, a Pikachu's blueberries can bring life to even the most withered of branches. Two hours later, the boss is in bed, having satisfied his date and her two friends who just happened by.

James: And...?

Meowth: And the Boss will say [switch to Giovanni voice], "I plowed through these bitches so good, thanks to Pikachu's balls! First thing in the morning, I'm gonna throw these ho's out on their firm asses! Then I'm gonna give James and Jesse promotions..."

James & Jesse: Yes?

Meowth: "...raises..."

J&J: Yes yes?

Meowth: "...expense accounts..."

J&J: Annnnnnnndd?

Meowth: "...and just for the hell of it...an underaged boy for James!"

James: Sqqqqueealll! It's been too long! With Pegasus out of the picture, I'll be the biggest pedophile on the Kids WB!

It's just a theory...

You know, Lantern7 I have always wondered if they play James as gay in Japan as they do here. I can understand the willingness to get into dresses (well actually I can't, since I don't have the figure for it...anyway), but there are other things he does that make you go WTH? Either way, I laugh whenever he starts going off about something.

On a side note, just why is Team Rocket so obsessed with Pikachu? And if it's that important why don't they catch one themselves?

Because Ash's Pikachu is special. No, really. And TR has tried catching other Pikachus instead, and failed at that too. Part of it is that Ash and his electric rodent have defeated the gang so often that actually, finally capturing Pikachu permanently would be the ultimate vindication.

As to the episodes themselves, Ash and company go to the Trick House, and Jigglypuff returns at last. Once was hilarious, twice was mildly amusing, but by the end of the episode, I was sure happy to see Jigglypuff leave again.

And an episode where Ash smashes someone's hopes and dreams, however temporarily. Wow, fastest gym battle ever!

That was not Ash's fault. If some dumbass set up a mechincal beast that turns Pikachu into Jason Giambi (alledgedly) during a battle, then guess what? It's the dumbass's fault his Pokemon got beat down. At least Ash had the deceny to offer his badge back in the end.

King of Tricks...yeah, he's lonely. And insane. Cute how one Pokemon could within Jigglypuff's slumber song. That reminds me...maybe it's the microphone that amplifies the song, causing everybody to nap. But then again, how many mics are just a marker? So many questions to ask about the show...

Ash's Pikachu is the Tweety to TR's collective Sylvester the Cat, or the Jerry to TR's collective Tom, or whatever cartoon chase duo you can think up. Straight down to the "Someday we'll finally catch that Pikachu!"

Agreed about the slight overkill on the Jigglypuff song. There oughta be a cap of 2 on the number of times in any given episode where the pink balloon sings and puts people/Pokemon to sleep and proceeds to do the facial graffiti thing.

A smart idea would be to have Ash and company walk out on Team Rocket mid-motto, and maybe just proceed to blow them out of sight. Even Trey Parker and Matt Stone put a moratorium on killing Kenny on South Park.

So it's now "Pokemon Advanced Challenge"? I'm sure they stayed up all night thinking about that one. The new theme is okay. I thought they were going to sing "Pokemon will never die!" for a second there. Ash lost! Yes, he needs some humility every now and then.

No. Seto Kaiba really needs said humility. :P

Really though, it wasn't like Ash was being especially arrogant or reckless during his battle. Though it is an underestimated testament to the show that the protagonist goes through his share of losses throughout the series, and Ash comes back either better trained or with a better strategy. He's human like that.

And yet another interesting sounding special we'll never get to see recently aired in Japan... Gary, Prof. Oak, and Tracey pursue an Aerodactyl.

Ash lost? Whatever. I'm wondering if that girl painted her Electrode to look like a watermelon, or if thats just a mutation.

Getting tired of Meowth's dreams. Just once, I'd like James to blurt out, "Then the boss will wonder how it took that fucking long to catch one fucking Pokemon and fucking hold on to it!"