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Overall Rating: 8/10
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Okay, so it seems a little odd to be blogging Pokemon, but seeing as I’ve loved the whole franchise since I was little and still watch the current series in Japanese, I thought I may as well write about it here. The language isn’t too complicated, so watching it in raw format is pretty easy. This time it’s episodes 71 and 72, which aired as a special in Japan – so without further ado, let’s go!
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Just a quick run down of the main three trainers in the series and their current Pokemon teams:
Satoshi (Ash)
Current Team - Pikachu, Naetle (Turtwig), Mukubird (Staravia), Hikozaru (Chimchar), Buoysel (Buizel) and Gliger (Gligar).
Hikari (Dawn)
Current Team – Pochama (Piplup), Mimirol (Buneary), Pachirisu, Eipam (Aipom) (which recently evolved into Eteboth [Ambipom]).
Takeshi (Brock)
Current Team – Usokki (Sudowoodo), Greggle (Croagunk) and Pinpuku (Happiny).
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Episode 71
We start the episode with a Riolu escaping from the back of a truck. It’s damaged it’s arm in the efforts, but nonetheless makes its escape. We then encounter Satoshi and company on their travels. It’s at this point that they spot Riolu and notice that it’s injured. Satoshi tries to help out, but gets attacked by the Riolu, who uses aura. That’s something a Riolu shouldn’t be able to do until it evolves into a Rukario. Satoshi tries again, and once again the Riolu starts to attack, but a boy appears and knocks the attack away. Pretty cool ^^. The Riolu runs away and the lad follows – Satoshi, not one to not get involved also joins the chase, causing Hikari and Takeshi to follow.
We get an appearance from Roketto Dan at this point – which is great ’cause they’re one part of the series you just can’t help – Musashi, Kojiro and Nyarth are up to their old tricks and already have some ideas about the current situation – you go guys!
The gang catch up to the kid who saved Satoshi, and ask if the Riolu belongs to him; he says it doesn’t. And now the tank like things show up – Pokemon hunters – they’re after Riolu! The hunter sends out a Crobat, which Satoshi and Pikachu attack after it knocks Riolu down. Riolu starts to attack everything, but the hunters are unaffected, and send out more crobats. The kid, Hajime, pulls off his coat to reveal that he’s a Pokemon ranger – ah, I always thought Pokemon Rangers were cool – he captures an Ariados and Tekkanin (Ninjask) with his styler and defeats the hunters with some cool moves – yay!
After the fight ends, he releases the Pokemon and takes out a little red bag with a wooden carving of a Riolu inside. He gives the carving to Riolu in the little bag, picks him up and the gang go off. Introductions are now done – well we can’t have them calling each other “oi!” now can we?
Roketto Dan have witnessed the scene, and Musashi talks about Pokemon Hunter J being her one rival – rivalry’s good =]. Seems as though Musashi has a plan.
Back with the gang, they’re by a river, and healing Riolu’s arm – that Pokemon spray stuff is incredible – they should invent something like that for us humans. While Riolu analyses the little red bag with the carving in, Satoshi has flashbacks from Riolu’s past, including an old man giving the carving to the little blue Pokemon. Satoshi promises to protect Riolu and help it out. At this point Hajime gets a call on his styler from Hinata, another Pokemon Ranger that you should know, both from the games and the anime.
Of course Satoshi and Takeshi already know her and greet her enthusiastically and Hikari comments that it’s cool to see a female Pokemon Ranger. Takeshi starts to get all happy, as he does around girls, but Greggle puts a stop to that – I love that Pokemon! He’s so spunky and his laugh rocks – “tch!” The main aim for the Pokemon Rangers at this point is to stop Pokemon Hunter J catching more Pokemon. The gang hears the approach of one of J’s machines and get ready to protect Riolu.
Hunter J notices that the kids helping the Pokemon Ranger Hajime are the ones she encountered before. Back with Satoshi and company, they’ve taken a boat, powered by Pochama and Buyosel and are heading down the river. The quiet scene is interrupted by the attack of some Samehader, who break the small boat. The hunters have come. The trainers rely on their pokemon to stay afloat, Hajime capturing a Flowsel. They start to swim away, but the hunter orders the Samehader to use aquajet, slowing down their escape. Pikachu uses thunderbolt on the Samehader, allowing the team to move further up stream – but their escape route is blocked by the hyper beam attack of Hunter J’s Bohmander.
Pochama and Pikachu attack, but their attacks are stopped with another hyper beam. Flowsel’s attack succeeds in making the Bohmander lose its balance in the air, but J shoots at them. They dodge the attack, but Riolu loses its carving and jumps off Flowsel to pursue it. The hunters follow on land, and the gang try to follow by swimming, but J commands Bohmander to use hyper beam on the cliff and the falling rocks mean that only Satoshi, Pikachu and Bouysel succeed in following Riolu.
Riolu soon gets tired and falls beneath the water, but Satoshi and Buoysel save it and return its carving. In the time that it has lay passed out, Riolu recalls the man who gave him the carving and the people who caused him to lose his friend. The group spot the hunters and run past. The hunters want to pursue, but J tells them to wait – what has she got in mind?
We find ourselves with Roketto Dan once more, this time digging another of their pitfall traps – all of a sudden they’re surrounded my flames. Unsure of what to do, they jump to the safest place available – the hole they just dug.
The cause of the fire is Bohmander, using what looks like flamethrower. A whole lot of the forest is now alight, causing hundreds of Pokemon to flee. Satoshi’s group gets stopped by the flames too – J and Bohmander have found them. J asks for the Riolu once more, but Satoshi says that he’ll protect it. Looking totally peeved, J tells Bohmander to use flamethrower.
The final scene of this episode is Satoshi, Pikachu, Riolu and Buoysel jumping out of the way of the attack, while the narrator asks what the fates of Satoshi and Riolu will be.
End of episode 71
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Episode 72
We pick up where we last left off – Hunter J attacks Satoshi’s group with Bohmander and with relative ease, manages to hit Riolu with a beam turning him into a statue. She then successfully manages to chase Satoshi and Pikachu off by using another flamethrower attack. Poor Riolu’s been caught…
The Pokemon that have been affected by the fire throughout the forest have fled to a lake, and it’s here that we find our other heroes, looking after the pokemon. Hajime uses his styler to catch three Kamex and uses their abilities to cause a few rainclouds to form to put out the blaze – that’s why I said Pokemon Rangers are cool XD. Hajime’s worried about Satoshi and Riolu, so he tells Hikari and Takeshi that they should go look for them.
We now see Riolu being loaded onto one of J’s machines. Once again – poor Riolu…
Ahh Roketto Dan’s okay! Yay! I knew they would be – their hole filled with water and we see them emerge looking completely fine. Musashi’s angry and wants to know who or what did that; Kojiro on the other hand, doesn’t care much, “I don’t know, but at least for now, we’re saved.” Sonans jumps out of the hole behind with a cry of “sonansu!” Doesn’t anyone else think that hole’s gonna be a hazard in the future? You know how people jump into puddles and then the next one’s actually a deep whole and they find themselves in water up to their shoulders? I guess we can blame Roketto Dan for that in the Pokemon world, lol.
I bet you were worried about Satoshi and Pikachu – well fear not, with Hikozaru’s help they dug underground. We find them emerging at the top of a hill. So what’re they gonna do next? Sneak onto Hunter J’s plane/ ship/ thing of course. They do so without much hassle.
Meanwhile Hajime, Hiakri and Takeshi are in pursuit of Hunter J. On board Hunter J talks to who seems to be her employer. He sees the statue and wants proof that it’s the right Riolu. J allows Riolu’s head and shoulders to re-animate and it growls at the man on screen – “ah, that’s definitely the right one.”
It’s at this point that Satoshi and Pikachu run in – “Return Riolu, now!” Hunter j doesn’t seem to like the plan, so she releases her Drapion, which grabs Satoshi and starts to squeeze him. With Pikachu’s help he manages to get free and they jump back from the giant scorpion Pokemon. J smirks and opens a whole in the floor, causing the two to drop out.
Is this the end? No, of course not – this is Pokemon! Hajime arrives on a Mukuhawk and catches the two, bringing them to where Hikari and Takeshi are waiting. Hajime releases the Mukuhawk and then gets a call on his styler. It’s Hinata-chan. The two exchange bad news, such as Riolu being captured. Satoshi’s resolve strengthens and he shouts up to the sky for Riolu.
Hunter J seems to have heard or sensed something (now that is incredible) and gives the statue Riolu a pensive look. Back on the ground Satoshi’s getting emotional and kneels on the ground, apologising to Riolu and saying “But maybe, if you can hear my voice, then answer, Riolu…”
Satoshi now gets a flash and starts to see images, showing him where Riolu is – he tells the rest which direction to go and they set off. Roketto Dan has another few seconds on screen – ahh I want another Roketto Dan centred episode – they’re always great ^^. We find our heroes riding some Dodorio, which I’m guessing Hajime caught. Satoshi – “Wait a bit Riolu, We’re coming now!”
Hunter J’s vehicle lands on the cliffs and they start to disembark. The gang discuss Satoshi’s connection to Riolu and describe it as a feeling in his heart – aww. At this point Hunter J meets up with her employer – they hand him Riolu and he looks downright chuffed. But… Satoshi and company have arrived!
Sadly things don’t go according to plan, with Hunter J fleeing in her vehicle and the man who wanted Riolu on a Onidrill. The man’s subordinates release a bunch of Pokemon to fight with, but Hinata arrives with Officer Jenny. Hajime and Satoshi get back on the Dodorio and take off, leaving everyone else to battle. Hikari sends out all her Pokemon, Officer Jenny a Gardie and Takeshi sends out Greggle.
We find Hajime and Satoshi in hot pursuit of the man – Hajime skillfully steers Dodorio up the side of the cliff and gets it to leap onto Onidrill, using fury attack and causing it to fall to the ground. The man still refuses to give back Riolu and runs into a cave, where he’s confronted by a number of different tunnels – oh, oh, which to choose? Rather than make up his mind right then and there, he releases his Bossgodora and uses it to get some rocks to cave in and block Satoshi and Hajime’s pursuit. Hajime overcomes this by catching a Donfan and using its rollout to clear a path. The only problem is the man’s nowhere to be found and he’s blocked all the other tunnels.
Back with the others, a fierce Pokemon battle is taking place, with Pochama and Eteboth combining swift and bubblebeam attacks, Gardie facing off against Sihorn with flamethrower, Greggle knocking some sense into everyone and Pachirisu and Mimirol using a combination of icebeam and electric attacks. Hinata catches a Nuckrar and uses it to surround the enemy Pokemon with rocks – gooo team!
Back with Satoshi and Hajime, they wonder which path to take. Satoshi closes his eyes and asks Riolu where it went and then says “This one!” and points to one of the blocked tunnels. Donfan clears it and they catch up with the man and Riolu. He asks how they knew and Satoshi says that Riolu told him.
A pokemon battle now starts – Donfan quickly manages to knock Bossgodora over and the case containing Riolu drops to the ground. Satoshi frees him and the two share a hug (aww I feel the love!). The man attacks again, this time Riolu jumps up and uses its powers to fight back. Satoshi commands Pikachu to use volt tackle. Bossgodora falls onto the man, defeated. Hajime tells him to give it up – wooo! They won! Back with the others, they also have the minions tied up – all the pokemon are congratulated by their trainers.
Hunter J, meanwhile, is confronted in the air by Roketto Dan in their Nyarth balloon. They’re completely ignored though as the plane thing just plows on through sending them flying once again.
Aww a happy ending as the bad guys are locked up and carted away, and Riolu is reunited with his trainer/ friend, the old man from the memories. Everyone says their farewells and get praise from the Pokemon Rangers – Hinata: “As expected from Satoshi.”
We leave them under a warm sunset.
End of episode 72
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Well, overall as Pokemon episodes go, that wasn’t too bad – the animation stayed fairly consistent throughout and it was a major plus to have another episode focused on Pokemon Rangers, if only a little. Hajime turned out to be really cool and I can’t wait to try out the new Pokemon Ranger game once it’s translated for English speaking countries – I bet it’s gonna be great – or I could be being biased since I loved the first so much.
What’s gonna happen next? Well the next episode’s focused on Musashi and her Dokucale, and she’s crying – maybe she’s going to release it? And the second of the special is about Pikachu and we see a thunderstone – is Pikachu going to evolve? Somehow I doubt it, he’d lose his mascot position as a Raichu. And it seems to be forbidden in the franchise for Pikachu to evolve anyways – I never let my Pikachu evolve in the games for that reason – strange, huh?
Anyways, join me for the next special! Ahh these take so much more effort to write, I was hoping it was going to be a normal episode…
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nice review of the episodes.i wish they’d broadcast pokemon diamond in the philippines
cool
what is bohmander? salamence in japienese?
I understand why all the pokemons names are diffrent and the names of the people.
But please if you are bloging in English please make sure the names of the pokemon and people are in English because I understnad that better.
THANKS FROM Grumpydrawer
OH I LOVE THIS PAGE BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS ON TV.