[#10] Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village (1/2)

"Our young hero Ash, leads his friends deep into the forest. Since he doesn't have a compass, Ash must rely purely on his instincts, and that means trouble!"

After a head splitting, headache inducing and thoroughly annoying excerpt from the world famous "We're Lost" opera, we're finally presented with the episode title card. Now could we please stop making jokes about not knowing where you are?

Oh goody, they've already run out of ideas. This is the start of the short three episode arc that explains how Ash, the fraud Pokémon trainer steals legitimately obtains the three starter Pokémon.

The gang decide to take a break, and spot a wild Oddish. Both Ash and Misty attempt to battle and capture it, but are stopped by a seemingly wild Bulbasaur.

Ash refocuses his aim so that he can capture Bulbasaur, but his attempts result in failure.  Iconic shot: Bulbasaur blows away Ash's attempt to use Sleep Powder.

The Bulbasaur and Oddish get away, Misty and Ash both fail to capture either Pokémon.

The gang decide to follow in the direction of the Bulbasaur, and come across a rope bridge that looks far too dangerous. As they attempt to cross, Brock falls into the river.

Misty tells Ash to try as hard as he can to climb back up. In the original Japanese, Ash commented on how Misty is heavy to pull up, to which she yells at him for calling her fat. I cannot think of any particular reason why this would be changed, but it's not a weird change, and it isn't like it really changes anything.

Once they successfully cross the bridge, Misty and Ash go searching for Brock. In this short sequence I can hear that horrible Pikachu voice again... Couldn't they just get the original recorded takes instead of doing new voice work? It's hideous. Along the following path, Misty falls into a hole in the ground. A trap, huh. I wonder who set that trap? Haha, did I make you think Team Rocket? Because, no, it wasn't them this time.

Once rescued, Misty and Ash continue to look for Brock. Misty triggers another trap, this time pulling Ash and Misty up into a tree. Another trap, huh. Someone really doesn't want them to come here.

Another change from the Japanese here, and unsurprisingly it is related to the Ash and Misty being very close together inside the net. In the original script, Ash is managing to touch Misty in some very inappropriate places while trying to escape the net, while in the English he needs to just "stop wiggling about so much". I think the two are basically still the same thing.

While they are having this exchange, the Bulbasaur from earlier laughs and walks away. At least Ash knows he's on the right path. While Ash and Misty are otherwise "tied up", our favorite incompetent antagonists are on the lookout for rare and unusual Pokémon for their boss. It cuts back to Ash and Misty, who are still trapped. Ash tells a story about what could have happened to Brock, that he could have washed down all the way to the sea and been kidnapped by pirates. A likely story, but in the Japanese, the story told is about how Brock is washed downstream and was rescued by a hag washing her clothes in the river. The 4Kids Ash has a much cooler imagination.

"...and one of the pirates had a wooden leg."
"You have a crazy imagination."
"... and then came the storm."

Much to our relief, Brock has come to the rescue! He releases Ash and Misty from their captivity by using an actual Hunting Knife (so these are a thing in the Pokémon universe, and probably used for hunting Pokémon, grim, right) and tells them of the woman who rescued him as he was slipping downstream, and how she is the most beautiful woman he has ever met.

Ok, Brock, well seeing as you haven't met Professor Ivy yet... I'll give you this one, for now.

Brock leads Ash and Misty to the beautiful woman, who is assisting sick and injured Pokémon nearby a small lake and a log cabin. She introduces herself as Melanie, and she runs a Pokémon R & R for the wild, sick and abandoned Pokémon that find their way into the forest. Misty makes some comments on how Brock must really like Melanie, and he reacts as you'd expect.

Afterwards, the screen cuts to--WHO'S THAT POKéMON!?

Oh I dunno, hmm, it's not like it's in the episode name or anything... Pikachu?