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Original content (this page; 2004)
(+ related ep. updates, notes)
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Additional content (2004-10) |
Pokémon: The Best (Animal) Show You're Not Watching...
Page 1 - Human-Pokémon Bond
Or rather, they're not watching, meaning any of those groups who fancy themselves as activists, advocates, or any kind of supporter of animal issues. But in a society where fans have always had to defend Pokémon from being labeled as just the opposite (as mentioned previously regarding battles, catching, etc.), for Pokémon to be regarded as a pro-animal series is probably asking too much of some people. However, as seasons pass and the stories change, one theme has been prominent throughout the Pokémon television series, and that is the bond between humans and Pokémon whether it be trainers/coordinators and their Pokémon like our hero Ash and his beloved Pikachu, rescuing wild injured Pokémon, or preserving and protecting the various species and habitats. And while PETA latches on to every big budget, over-hyped, celeb-saturated CGI flick with even the most remote reference to an animal-related issue, and hands out Genesis Awards¹ to random TV episodes whose series otherwise have little to do with the subject, the leaders in humane education have overlooked some of the most heartfelt, eye-opening, and consistent stories that have inspired animal lovers like me for years.
 Related episode(s):
 "Ash Catches a Pokémon" (Japanese ['I Got a Pokémon'!] preferred; Pokémon [first season])
-Ash experiences the joy of catching and bonding with his first Pokémon, but Caterpie is hurt because Misty is so terrified of it
"Bye Bye, Butterfree" (Pokémon [first season])
-Ash must release his beloved Butterfree - the first Pokémon he caught - during its mating season
"Pikachu's Goodbye" (Pokémon [first season])
-Ash believes his Pikachu may be better off with its own kind, but Pikachu chooses to stay with Ash
"Snow Way Out!" (Pokémon [first season])
-Trapped in an avalanche, Ash's Pokémon refuse to return to their Pokéballs so they can keep him warm
"The Pi-Kahuna!" (Pokémon [early second season])
-Tale of a 20-year friendship between a discouraged surfer and the Pikachu that helped him rediscover his love of surfing
"Tracey Gets Bugged" (Pokémon [Orange Islands; second season])
-Tracey helps an aging Scyther forced out if its swarm to regain its pride
"Charizard Chills" (Pokémon [Orange Islands; second season])
-Ash's disobedient Charizard develops respect for its trainer after Ash stays up all night nursing it back to health
"Turning Over a New Bayleef" (Pokémon Johto League Champions [fourth season])
-After Ash uncharacteristically yells at his Bayleef, it runs away and Ash must work hard to regain its trust
"Fly Me to the Moon" (Pokémon Master Quest [fifth season])
-With encouragement, a determined Pidgey flies higher than any Pidgey in history
"A Tyrogue Full of Trouble" (Pokémon Master Quest [fifth season])
-An out-of-control Tyrogue is tempered by a tough but caring new trainer
"As Cold as Pryce" (Mahogany Gym, part one) (Pokémon Master Quest [fifth season])
"Nice Pryce, Baby!" (I hate the 90s) (Mahogany Gym, part two) (Pokémon Master Quest [fifth season])
-A cynical gym leader regains his love for his Pokémon when his lost Piloswine is finally found
"A Corphish Out of Water" (Pokémon Advanced [sixth season])
-Ash must carry his Corphish across a Carvahna-infested river to the Pokémon Center when it swallows a piece of rope
"Grass Hysteria!" (Pokémon Advanced Challenge [seventh season])
-After befriending May, a protected Bulbasaur learns to trust the world outside its preserve
"Where's Armaldo?" (Pokémon Advanced Battle [eighth season])
-A frightened Armaldo returns home because of its trust in the scientist who revived it
"Showdown at Linoone" (Pokémon Advanced Battle [eighth season])
-A boy realizes that despite his Zigzagoon's evolution, Token, now a Linoone, is still his same beloved pet
"Journey to the Starting Line" (Pokémon Chronicles)
-A new trainer only interested in strong Pokémon learns the value of training a timid starter
"Sweet Baby James" (Pokémon Battle Frontier [ninth season])
-James must leave his beloved Chimecho with relatives when it becomes too ill to travel
"All the Glitters is Not Golden!" (Pokémon Battle Frontier [ninth season])
-When a Sudowoodo runs away following an unintentionally cruel experiment, its trainer tries desperately to rescue it
"Twice Smitten, Once Shy" (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season])
-When Dawn gives up too quickly on her newly-caught Pachirisu, her friends remind her that good relationships take time
"Once There Were Greenfields" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-James gives up his beloved Cancea to gym leader Gardenia, knowing she can provide the necessary training that he cannot
"Tanks For the Memories" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-Brock teaches an inexperienced Miltank trainer how to understand and bond with her Pokémon
"Crossing Paths" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season]) Highly recommended!
-During its mating ritual, Jessie releases her Dustox, insisting that it finds the kind of love she once gave up
"Pika and Goliath" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-Long after Ash decided not to evolve his Pikachu, a defeat from a powerful Raichu causes them both to reconsider
"Fighting Fear with Fear!" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-Ash helps his Gligar overcome its fears while battling, to gain the confidence it needs before evolving
"Doc Brock!" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-When Brock is out, Dawn and Ash find themselves unprepared when Pachirisu comes down with a fever
"A Trainer and Child Reunion" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-After admitting his childhood mistake of driving his Wurple away, Aaron of the Elite Four gets a second change when his beloved Pokémon, now a Beautifly, returns
"Aiding the Enemy" (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season])
-Following his Turtwig's evolution, Ash is unsure how to compensate for the changes; criticised by Paul, Grotle receives some unexpected help from Paul's Torterra
"Trials and Adulations" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-When her Mamoswine is injured, Dawn applies her newfound maturity and first-aid skills; in return, Mamoswine begins to respect and obey Dawn
"Stopped in the Name of Love" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-Dawn's Piplup continuously tries to prevent its own evolution in order to preserve the memories of the time they met
"To Thine Own Pokémon Be True" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-Dawn's Ambipom's talent for Pokémon ping-pong forces them both to make a difficult decision when Ambipom is offered a chance to train with a champion
"Battling a Cute Drama" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-Brock shows a trainer who only bases a Pokémon's value on its appearance that the bond between trainer and Pokémon is what matters most
"Historical Mystery Tour" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-Xatu and Natu transport Barry, Ash, and Dawn into a bizarre world where they relive larger-than-life versions of their earliest Pokémon memories
"Mastering Current Events" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-Ash says good-bye to Gliscor when his beloved Pokémon decides that training with an air master will help it become stronger
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Related game(s):
Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum (Nintendo DS)
-Explore Sinnoh, a region created by legendary Pokémon and nurtured through the cooperation between people and Pokémon
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In fact, the kinder, gentler existence in which Pokémon live is an ideal view of the ways which we humans should live in peace with the animals we otherwise take for granted, with Pokémon working beside humans rather than beneath them.
The Pokémon world has not only given us humane interpretations of their use in medicine (i.e. Parasect, Shuckle; a move secretes the used Stun Spore or Berry Juice²); fishing (Pokéballs are used with lures and caught Pokémon are new friends); wool (Mareep shed their wool and in a week it grows back³!), but also assist humans in unique ways as well including nursing (Chansey/Blissey), electrical aid (Pikachu, Ampharos, etc), fighting fires (Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise, etc), locating and digging hot springs (Swinub), stone cutting and construction (Bibarel, Machoke/Machamp), etc....
Even a dairy farm is a pleasant place for Pokémon and humans alike. Got Miltank? Too bad the Goldenrod Gym episodes didn't air before Pikachu's 'Got Milk?' print ad4...it would have made a lot more sense.
Mirror Move? Though perhaps not as obvious as the similarities between Sailor Moon and Tokyo Mew Mew, resemblances to Pokémon can be seen on 'more obvious' animal shows if you look beyond the cards, including the first two classic Lassie TV series (the bond between Ash and Pikachu are much like Timmy [or Jeff] and Lassie, and with many animal-based stories), and even moreso, Nickelodeon's Diego and his beloved Baby Jaguar; Go, Diego, Go! is
an animal rescue series set in a wildlife rescue center (much like a Pokémon Center or Pokémon Ranger base) and Diego carries a very Pokédex-like electronic field journal!
Related episode(s): (Helping wild Pokémon)
"The Joy of Pokémon" (Pokémon [Orange Islands; second season])
-A very dedicated Nurse Joy travels to small islands to treat Pokémon including a Magikarp she's known since childhood
"The Little Big Horn" (Pokémon: The Johto Journeys [third season])
-Brock sees through an injured baby Stantler's fears to heal it and brings it home to its mother
"A Bite to Remember" (Pokémon Advanced [sixth season])
-At a Pokémon preserve, Max encourages a feisty Poochyena to learn the skills needed to evolve
"A Mudkip Mission" (Pokémon Advanced [sixth season])
-Brock befriends a wild Mudkip and together they help rescue a group of hand-raised baby Mudkip from a dangerous waterfall
"True Blue Swablu" (Pokémon Advanced Challenge [seventh season])
-May bonds with an injured Swablu before returning it to the wild
"Do I Hear a Ralts?" (Pokémon Advanced Battle [eighth season]) Highly recommended!
-Max takes full responsibility for an ailing Ralts; his first experience caring for a Pokémon on his own
"Mass Hip-po-sis" (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season])
-Ash and friends rescue a lost Hippopotas and bring it home to its herd
"Leading a Stray!" (Pokémon DP Galactic Battles [twelfth season])
-Ash helps a lost Wailmer find its way out of the sewer and back to its Wailord friends
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"All Pokémon adore a kind trainer."
-Pokémon Breeder Pamala (Pokémon Emerald)
¹An annual awards program spotlighting animal awareness in major media, including both children's and animated programming
²From the episodes "The Problem with Paras" (Pokémon [first season]) and A Better Pill to Swallow (Pokémon Johto League Champions [fourth season])
³Pokédex (Silver) entry: "Its fleece grows continually. In the summer, the fleece is fully shed, but it grows back in a week."
4The "Got Milk?" magazine ad featuring Pikachu (2000) was published in the U.S. significantly before the introduction of the bovine Pokémon Miltank (notibly raised in open pastures and milked using gentle machinery) in Pokémon G/S games and later in Pokémon Johto League Champions [fourth season] episodes (September 2001). Before then, the source of milk produced for human (and Pokémon) consumption was not yet defined in the Pokémon world.
Text and artwork copyright © 2000-2010 by Kimberly (RageOfInnocence)
Pokémon © Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo/Creatures, Inc./Game Freak, The Pokémon Company International
The beautiful screenshots of Ash and Pikachu are from the premiere episode "Pokémon! I Choose You!"
and the Diamond & Pearl ending "Kaze no Message" |
kimsites.net
Dream Valley | Oak Branch Woods | We All Live in a Pokémon World | Rainforest | Kimberly's Attic
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