Ash and the gang learn about a local contest between Sunflora trainers, and try to cheer up a sad Sunflora...
Yawn!
Man, after the heavy hitter of the previous episode, I'm sure anything would feel like a step down in quality and stakes. Sure enough, we have this boring episode as a chaser. Sunflora is a pretty meh Gen 2 Pokemon, and doesn't offer much that we haven't seen with other, cooler Pokemon, like Vileplume.
Very little happens in this episode. Ash and the crew meet Sonrisa, a Sunflora trainer who is having trouble getting one of her Sunflora to smile. Eventually they discover that her Sunflora is missing a friend that was traded to Nurse Joy. They reconcile and it becomes happy again. Meanwhile, Team Rocket try to steal a Sunflora so they can enter into the contest. During the contest, Team Rocket activates mirrors that intensify the sunlight and immobilize the other Sunflora. Pikachu, Chikorita, and Sonrisa's Sunflora defeat Team Rocket, and Sonrisa wins the trophy.
The premise to this episode is pretty lame. Contest episodes are not usually very strong, as they usually involve helping some character-of-the-day win, and Ash, Misty, and Brock are not growing or learning much as trainers. A Sunflora missing its friend is not exactly grabbing my attention as far as conflicts go...
On the positive side, Meowth dressed as a Sunflora was funny, as was Jessie and James fantasizing about instant noodles. Snubbull returning to bite Meowth's tail was a cute callback, although it does feel like a Gen 2 port of Jigglypuff, who I think we all prefer. Finally, after hints of it in previous episodes, Chikorita's jealousy of Pikachu rears its head in the middle of the battle. That will surely be explored shortly.
Yawn!
Man, after the heavy hitter of the previous episode, I'm sure anything would feel like a step down in quality and stakes. Sure enough, we have this boring episode as a chaser. Sunflora is a pretty meh Gen 2 Pokemon, and doesn't offer much that we haven't seen with other, cooler Pokemon, like Vileplume.
Very little happens in this episode. Ash and the crew meet Sonrisa, a Sunflora trainer who is having trouble getting one of her Sunflora to smile. Eventually they discover that her Sunflora is missing a friend that was traded to Nurse Joy. They reconcile and it becomes happy again. Meanwhile, Team Rocket try to steal a Sunflora so they can enter into the contest. During the contest, Team Rocket activates mirrors that intensify the sunlight and immobilize the other Sunflora. Pikachu, Chikorita, and Sonrisa's Sunflora defeat Team Rocket, and Sonrisa wins the trophy.
The premise to this episode is pretty lame. Contest episodes are not usually very strong, as they usually involve helping some character-of-the-day win, and Ash, Misty, and Brock are not growing or learning much as trainers. A Sunflora missing its friend is not exactly grabbing my attention as far as conflicts go...
On the positive side, Meowth dressed as a Sunflora was funny, as was Jessie and James fantasizing about instant noodles. Snubbull returning to bite Meowth's tail was a cute callback, although it does feel like a Gen 2 port of Jigglypuff, who I think we all prefer. Finally, after hints of it in previous episodes, Chikorita's jealousy of Pikachu rears its head in the middle of the battle. That will surely be explored shortly.
