Midnight Ramblings

Bored.

Bored bored bored.

Hmmm....

KA-BOOM!!

Sorry, just quoting a favourite Twisted ToyFare Theatre.

I managed to accomplish absolutly nothing today. Well, that's not true. I kept a fire going in the fireplace. But other than that, nothing.

Although, I did manage to catch Pokemon Chronicles. I love it, if only because it manages to successfully buck the pokemon formula. Today's episode, Training Daze, takes us back in time to how villains Jessie, James, and Meowth first met and became the top Team Rocket agents they are today.

It goes like this. We flash back several years to Team Rocket's boot camp. There, we meet Jessie. She seems to be doing OK in her training, but she just has one nasty problem: she tends to leave her partners behind to die. She's also developing a bit of a rivalry with fellow Team Rocket candidate Cassiday. Anyway, Jessie's about to wash out, but, because she does have some exceptional skills, she wins "one last chance."

Around this time, Meowth manages to sneak into the office of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, and begins begging to be made an agent.

Jessie is introduced to her new partner, James. They don't hit it off too well at the beginning. Jessie still tends to leave people behind, but James puts up with it with a quiet dignity.

Around this time, we see that Meowth has forced himself upon Giovanni, and is trying to act as Giovanni's personal assistant. Fed up with Meowth once and for all, Giovanni re-assigns Meowth to the Viper - the Team Rocket drill instructor - and Viper asssigns Meowth to Jessie and James.

And thus begins the next test: a long, grueling hike through the wilderness. Each one is given only a loaf of bread and a bottle of water for rations. Meowth, naturally, consumes his right away.

The hike is long and hard. Jessie is charging on ahead, again leaving James and Meowth behind. Meowth is whining a lot, and James, in his quite, noble way, carries Meowth. When Meowth gets hungry again, James even offers up his rations without a thought.

That night, at their camp, Jessie's having trouble sleeping because of James and Meowth's grumbling stomachs. She takes her loaf of bread, splits it three ways, and they all eat. There, they have a bit of heart-to-heart, in which they realize they can win this thing and become Team Rocket field agents and just band together.

The next day, the next part of the hike involves crossing a rickety bridge. Just as Jessie makes it to the other side, the bridge collapses. Jessie grabs a hold of Meowth, and James has a death grip on Meowth's tale. As James and Meowth dangle precariously over the raging river, James knows that Jessie isn't strong enough to haul them both up. Taking one for the team, James lets go and plummets into the river below.

We jump forward. James is recovering in the Team Rocket infirmary. Cassiday is gloating. And Jessie just feels sad for her new friend James. And that's when Viper gives them their final exam: break into a high-security installation and steal a rare red Snorlax. Cassiday goes on with her partner Butch, and Jessie will have to do it alone.

That night, our Team Rocket trainees begin their assault. Butch and Cassiday charge into the building, but Jessie holds back. She's realized that she can't do this alone. She needs her team. That's when Meowth and James - still bandaged - appear. James once again vows that he won't let the team down, and they charge forward.

Both teams evade all manner of traps until they make it to the top of the tower where the red Snorlax is being held. Butch and Cassiday are on one side of the room, Jessie, James and Meowth are on the other. Butch and Cassiday run forward towards the Snorlax, but a trap door opens and they go plummeting to their doom. James and Meowth run forwards, but Jessie holds back and yells a warning. "There may be more traps!" she says. James and Meowth stop and go, "Huh?" and a trap door opens up beneath their feet. Meowth is barely hanging onto the ledge. James has a death grip on Meowth's tale. Jessie is trying her best to pull the both of them up. Gee, does this sound familiar? James, once again trying to take one for the team, lets go of Meowth's tale. But this time, Meowth manages to scramble up onto the ledge, both he and Jessie grab a hold of James, and, by working together, Jessie and Meowth pull up James. Once they catch their breaths, they run forward to catch the Snorlax, but an alarm goes off. Time's up! They're just a few seconds too late. The Snorlax reveals itself to be Viper in disguise, and he says that their performance is now going to the review board.

the next day, Viper announces the findings of the review board. True, no one was able to achieve the goal of capturing the Snorlax. But, because of their exceptional teamwork, Jessie, James and Meowth are made Team Rocket field agents. Butch and Cassiday are givin the lesser title of "villains in training."

And thus, their happy career in villainy began!

So, I guess the day wasn't a total waste.