Just forget the words and sing along

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Hee hee! I'm so happy! Yesterday, I finally got to watch the premiere of Pokemon Chronicles. This is the first official spin-off from Pokemon. See, it's like this. Over in Japan, there have been many Pokemon TV specials in which we catch up with a recurring character that we haven't seen in a while. You know, we may see what Tracy (one of the stars of season 2) is up to now, or see some of Misty's solo adventures, seeing as to how she left the show at the start of season 6 to be the Cerulean City gym leader. Anyway, they've finally done enough of these specials to make up one season's worth of television, so they've finally been imported as a spin-off series, Pokemon Chronicles. Yesterday was the premiere episode Raikou: Legend of Thunder - Part 1.

We open on a brand new pokemon trainer we've never met before - Jimmy. Now, he's a little older than Ash, at least Brock's age, but he's on his pokemon journey just as well; catch em all, be the best, all that stuff.

From here, we go to the secret labs of Team Rocket. We meet two of Team Rocket's more competent and deadly serious agents: Attila and Han. (Attila the Hun, get it? Guess they ran out of cowboy names.) Deep in Team Rocket's labs, a Team Rocket scientiest demonstrates his newest invention: a crystal that can control electricity. It attracts, absorbs, and discharges electricity. Attila and Han are to use it for a very special mission.

We catch up with Jimmy, who's now resting up in a Pokemon Center before heading to the next town. And here, he bumps into Marina. Turns out Marina is the girl next door from his hometown, and she's also on her pokemon journey. Yeah, they've always been kinda sweet on each other but have never been old enough to attempt anything about it. Anyway, they talk a bit, they flirt a bit, Marina starts talking about this one pokemon trainer she idolizes, thus making Jimmy a little jealous. And, before you know it, they're having a pokemon battle.

The friendly battle continues until a mysterious thunderstorm starts brewing. When a bolt of lightening strikes dangerously close, Jimmy and Marina decide to stop their battle and head back to the safety of the Pokemon Centre. Marina, however, is unable to recall her Misdreavous. Misdreavous, scared from the lightening took off into the woods for safety. Jimmy and Marina give chase.

They follow Misdreavous through the woods until they come to a valley, where Attila and Han are working. Atilla is manning a mecha, while Han runs the electricity-controlling device. Because the device attracts electricity, all kinds of electric-type pokemon are being drawn to it. Of course, the electric-type pokemon have no defence, because the device absorbs all their electric attacks. Attila and Han figure that it's time to draw out their true prey, and they discharge the device, thus taking out all the electric-pokemon. Since they are pokemon poachers, they begin freely scooping up all the unconscious pokemon and loading them in the mecha.

Then, their true quarry appears...the legendary,near-mythical pokemon Raikou. Raikou is like a 10-foot tall wolf, and, of course, an electric-type pokemon. Raikou goes nuts trying to save all the pokemon but, of course, the device simply absorbs Raikou's electric attacks. Once they capture enough electricity, Attila and Han discharge it in an electric blast big enough to severly weaken Raikou. Attila, in his mecha, moves in for the capture....

Now, Jimmy and Marina have been watching this from the bushes the whole time, and they figure that they've seen enough. Jimmy charges forward, unleashes his pokemon, and starts posturing to attack Team Rocket. Team Rocket, being easily distracted, turn their attention away from Raikou, and prepare to do battle with Jimmy. And then we see those words, "To Be Continued."

Wow. I can't believe I"m finally watching it in English. I got to watch this 3 years ago, when AEON closed up because of a typhoon and I got to go home early. I remember it completely blew my mind. "Where's Ash? Where's Jessie and James? Is this some dramatic re-invention?" It was originally a one-hour TV movie, but for its North American debut, and by putting in a lot of commercials, it's now a 3-part episode of Pokemon Chronicles!

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