Pocket Monsters 01
ポケットモンスター Ep. 01

NOTE! This is a review of the original, unedited Pocket Monster series and NOT that thing known as Pokémon by 4Kids. As such, the original Japanese character names will be used.

SPOILER Summary:

Satoshi is a 10-year old boy from Masara Town. He’s going to be a Pokémon trainer (Pokémon being short for “Pocket Monster”) and tomorrow’s a big day when he starts that journey. However, he cannot sleep and so his mother has him watch a training video and promise to go to bed shortly afterward. He dreams of the three beginner Pokémon he can choose from and when morning comes, he accidentally destroys the clock when he throws it, still dreaming of Pokémon.

Because he’s late, he races in his pajamas to the place where he’d get his Pokémon. Outside, a crowd, complete with cheerleaders, are cheering for the rich Shigeru. When he sees Satoshi, sarcastically calls him “Satoshi-san,” then “Satoshi-kun” as he makes fun of him for being late. When Satoshi calls him “Shigeru,” Shigeru demands Satoshi call him “Satoshi-kun” to show some respect and decides that Satoshi will be his rival. He shows off his Monster Ball but won’t tell Satoshi which Pokémon he chose as his first. As he drives off, Professor Orchid shows up and Satoshi asks for his Pokémon. Orchid asks why the “boy” (yep, that was the word used in the Japanese) Satoshi is still in his PJ’s. Satoshi protests that he’s not a boy, but a shounen.

In the lab, Satoshi discovers the thee basic Pokémon have been taken and Orchid only has one more Pokémon left, howbeit a problem one. The Monster Ball emerges and a Pikachu emerges. Satoshi is pleased because it is cute and when he hugs it, it gives him a huge electric shock. Orchid explains that Pikachu Pokémon don’t like to be touched or hugged for the most part and hand Satoshi a Pokémon Guide and some Monster Balls. This results in both Satoshi and Orchid getting a jolt.

Outside, Satoshi’s mother and neighbors are there to cheer him on and wonder about his Pokémon not being in a Monster Ball. Satoshi tries to get him in the ball but fails and ultimately ends up electrocuting the entire group. So Satoshi wears some rubber gloves and with rope tied around Pikachu, he drags the unwilling Pokémon as they travel. Satoshi soon learns that while most Pokémon have no trouble with a Monster Ball, some do and apparently Pikachu is one of those kind. Satoshi sets Pikachu free and it soon scampers up a nearby tree after Satoshi spots a bird Pokémon.

The guide ID’s the Pokémon as Poppon and Satoshi decides to catch it on his own. He uses a Monster Ball and captures it, but it very quickly escapes. The guide explains that Pokémon normally have to be battled with to be captured. So he tries various means to catch Poppon, but fails. He tosses a rock at a bird Pokémon in the distance which turns out not to be a Poppon but a Onisuzume. Those battle not only other Pokémon, but their human trainers. So while Pikachu had found Satoshi’s actions funny, Pikachu finds itself under attack and so counters with an electric jolt. The wounded Onisuzume summons a flock of his fellow Onisuzume, forcing Satoshi and Pikachu to flee.

Pikachu gets injured in the fight and so Satoshi takes him and is forced to jump off a waterfall where they fall into the river and are swept downstream. A girl, fishing downstream, catches them and chastises Satoshi for not caring for his Pokémon. He borrows her bike to take Pikachu to a Pokémon hospital and to flee the Onisuzume. He tries to convince Pikachu to get into the Monster Ball so he can protect it, but instead, Pikachu manages to get off a powerful electric attack just as the Onisuzume arrive, defeating them. That out of the way, Satoshi carries Pikachu to the nearby town for treatment but not before spotting some unidentified Pokémon that flies overhead.

Thoughts:

The question one might ask is, “Why would an adult be interested in watching a kids show?” Well for starters, back before I was into anime, I was well aware of Pokémon on TV and even watched a few episodes because I immediately recognized the art style as Japanese. Even before I knew of that “evil” entity known as 4Kids, Pokémon annoyed me somewhat because it was so kiddie and Ash’s voice grated on me a bit.

After getting into anime, I became a fan of the seiyuu HAYASHIBARA Megumi. She plays a villain on the series (Jesse in the English) and so I caught an episode to hear her. Then I caught the banned episode that gave kids epilepsy. That would likely have been it, but an opportunity arose to see the first few episodes, so I decided, “What the heck.”

As to the episode, yeah, it is kiddie but it made me laugh a couple of times and that surprised me as I don’t remember laughing when I saw this in English.