Ash tries to save Pikachu as we all get experienced to the travails of public healthcare.
Ash once again bumbles his way into somehow saving the day by simultaneously destroying part of the world in the second episode. Winding up in Viridian City, our budding Pokémon master runs into Officer Jenny, making her series debut. She’s awfully suspicious of Ash, mainly because Ash is an idiot who lost his ID. Fortunately, his Pokédex (named Dexter because why not) doubles as an ID and the cop drops the charges and helps Ash bring his ailing Pikachu to the Pokémon Center on her motorcycle with the ominous warning of “sit back, hold on, and don’t yell.”
Now let’s talk about the tragedy of public healthcare in Kanto region. The Pokémon Center is a posh, modern-for-the-time hospital for Pokémon. It’s also run by a single nurse and a bunch of Chanseys. Times are tough, causing the fledgling practitioners to engage in experimental surgey and procedures with Pokémon just to get by. Nurse Joy convinces Ash that the only way his Pikachu will survive is through whatever harebrained surgery she will do for the government kickback.
While Pikachu is in surgery, Ash makes a phone call home, catching his mom in the act of getting ready for a hot night on the town. After the first episode, I thought Mama Ketchum was a bad-ass single mom. Instead, Mama Ketchum is a bad-ass mom with a husband consumed by work (I think). Either, I think Mama Ketchum is the highlight of the series so far. I’d love to see the Flashpoint version where she sets out to become a Pokémon trainer and Ash stays home.
Ash then receives a call from Professor Oak, who by all accounts, appears to be an idiot. One, he spends most of his day trying to come up ways to throw shade at Ash in whatever way he possibly can. Even when Ash might have actually done something cool (seeing Ho-oh), Oak is just like “Very funny, idiot!” But last time I checked, Ash didn’t make a million dollar bet with his grandson that a 10-year-old child would catch a Pokémon. I hope Ash fills the Pokédex up and then tears it in half in front of that dumb scientist. Seriously: who the hell eats an anchovy, spinach, and pineapple pizza?
While briefly showing off her Herculean strength in the first episode, Misty makes her full debut here as she tries to get Ash to pay her back for the bike he stole from her and destroyed. Ash, being a scallywag and a fink, tries to get out of it any way he can, because he’s a 10-year-old boy who won’t take responsibility for his actions. Misty seems just as inept at Ash right now, because when push comes to shove, she just has a lame Goldeen in her arsenal. Ash might not be able to control Pikachu, but at least Pikachu is a functional Pokémon.
Goldeen is deployed to fight against Team Rocket, who make their grand debut in this episode. Boy oh boy, where to begin? First off, trying to “lay low” in a hot-air balloon shaped like the head of your idiot talking Pokémon is a terrible idea. It’s more proof of the ineptitude of public officials in Viridian City that it took the cops that long to find out where Team Rocket was. Second, while I totally thought Team Rocket’s slogan/song/mantra was dope back in the ‘90s, what in the high holy hell are they even saying? Ash and company are totally right when they’re baffled by what their goals even are. Let’s review:
“Prepare for trouble; make it double!” Alright, this is fine so far. Y’all are trouble and there are two of you. ”To protect the world from devastation!” Huh, you’re trying to do what now by stealing things? ”To unite all peoples within our nation!” What nation? Is Team Rocket some small European country I’ve never heard of? ”To denounce the evils of truth and love!” Is this supposed to be cute by saying that the previous two lines weren’t truth? ”To extend our reach to the stars above!” They going to space? ”Jessie! James!” Yes, those are your names. ”Surrender now, or prepare to fight!” *sigh* Always combative.
It’s all just nonsense. What isn’t nonsense is how Pikachu manages to BLOW UP A BUILDING. Two episodes in, and that mouse has taken down at least a dozen Spearow in a field and BLOWN UP A BUILDING. How is this okay? Is this why the healthcare system is such a joke? Is wanton destruction a regular occurrence in Viridian?
The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Ash tries to catch a Caterpie. Will he catch it? We’ll find out in the third episode, titled “Ash Catches A Pokémon.” Wait for real? That’s one way to spoil a cliffhanger...
