Preview JN070: Please! Catch Morpeko!!

[Reborn Talonflame]

The “Pika-clones” have been partnered to every group of the anime asides from the Advanced Gang, with Plusle & Minun being ignored (probably cause it’s too much to have two Pokemon of the same kind on their teams), whilst Pachirisu went to Dawn, Emolga to Iris, Dedenne to Bonnie/Clemont, Togedemaru to Sophocles, and Morpeko to TR.
All of the Pokemon listed were casted to provide a bit of comic-relief, at least from what I’ve seen from every member, and haven’t served towards any massive development arcs. In this line of pattern, I think it’s best to believe that Morpeko’s “humour” attempt is genuinely the writers thinking it’s funny, and what is served as the comic-relief, whilst not linking towards anything massive for the development of the characters...somehow. Well, at least for now. Who knows what this episode is about.

 

[nickdt]

The “Pika-clones” have been partnered to every group of the anime asides from the Advanced Gang, with Plusle & Minun being ignored (probably cause it’s too much to have two Pokemon of the same kind on their teams), whilst Pachirisu went to Dawn, Emolga to Iris, Dedenne to Bonnie/Clemont, Togedemaru to Sophocles, and Morpeko to TR.
All of the Pokemon listed were casted to provide a bit of comic-relief, at least from what I’ve seen from every member, and haven’t served towards any massive development arcs. In this line of pattern, I think it’s best to believe that Morpeko’s “humour” attempt is genuinely the writers thinking it’s funny, and what is served as the comic-relief, whilst not linking towards anything massive for the development of the characters...somehow. Well, at least for now. Who knows what this episode is about.

And if we count Marill/Pikablue, Tracey as well.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Also, while this is admittedly quite petty, I don't like that Morpeko was made a TRio Pokemon in the first place because it reduces Marnie's chances of appearing. Like, sure, they could just make her main Pokemon something else (Grimmsnarl being the prime candidate), but still...

Personally, I'd rather want to see Hop in the anime over Marnie, so it's not that big of a deal for me personally, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Enzo]

Honestly, I just don't see any real point in Morpeko. It has no real bond with Team Rocket, the gag that accompanies it is far from funny, it doesn't have any purpose in the show so far, and it quite literally has done nothing to help Team Rocket with their goal. So other than marketing, it has absolutely no relevance or importance of any kind. I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, but so far...I'm leaning towards getting rid of it.

Also, I would argue that the only moment Morpeko actually served for anything up until this point was to trigger Goh's Skwoovet's evolution into Greedent in order to win the Eating Contest. And even then, considering that Greedent disappeared after evolving and wasn't seen ever since, and that it's only purpose was to win a ticket to Unova, which was only for one episode that turned out to be a pointless filler that didn't amounted to anything... yeah. It's useless.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

Personally, I'd rather want to see Hop in the anime over Marnie, so it's not that big of a deal for me personally, but maybe that's just me.

I see literally no reason why we can't have both, though.

 

[TRNatalie]

... This is late now but, you know I’ve mostly been keeping my thoughts to myself about Journeys and I’ve tried to acknowledge and respect opinions and I’m probably going to get in trouble for this but f it

I already disagreed but I really can’t comprehend the idea how Morpeko is somehow better than Kiteruguma. It should not be up for debate at this point. Let’s just compare;
Kiteruguma:
- A bear is wandering the woods alone, grieving after the recent loss of her cub, getting Berries thrown at her by Island Guardians (or from her perspective, stupid human kids) when she comes across these two loud boisterous humans that clearly need to be nurtured and so she decides to take them in as if they were her own.

Morpeko:
- Just pops up foraging for food then later reappears at the end of the episode to blast TR off

Kiteruguma:
- Took them at the end of one episode and the following episode set up who her character would be to the audience; a kind creature who decided to take the TRio into her home and feed them and will come to get them at the end of their shenanigans (even if they weren’t always ready much to their annoyance)

Morpeko:
- Several episodes later, we find out for unexplained reasons that Morpeko secretly tagged along with TRio back to Kanto and has been eating all their food to the point where TRio are physically starving. Like they look like they’re being life drained by Morelull, it’s a far more graphic representation of starving than we’ve seen before in this show and TRio have been depicted starving for a lot of it. I also get the impression we’re supposed to like Morpeko since its the gag mon (in which case, it’s really not working because of how negatively the gag clearly affects the TRio as stated for the reasons above)

Kiteruguma:
- Took care of them willingly. She chose to bring them in, feed them, collect fruits and Berries and make honey for them, figure out ways to rescue them or bring them back to the safety of home, even brought in various companions they had with them (Hidoide, even Matori). On the other end, quaTRet were well aware that they were essentially her guests. While they could expect food from her or for her to come get them, they really didn’t try to take advantage of her kindness. If anything, they often tried to do things to repay her (whether getting her back her food stash or bringing her gifts or making her a hot spring). They also took great care not to mess up her home. When they made their base, they made it up in the trunk up above the main hollow, much out of Kiteruguma’s way. The worst things they did to her were certain tricks to keep her from coming to get them and (at least perhaps from her perspective) trying to catch her but even in the case of the latter, Musashi tried to reason that Kiteruguma might be okay with it considering how long they’d been together (in a way reminiscent of her saying goodbye to Kojiro in DP 117 and Sonansu in XY 63 where Musashi’s trying to convince herself she’s doing a right thing even if it’s difficult) and they made up for it by saving Nuikoguma from Matori, with Nyasu nearly paying the price!

Morpeko:
- Just invited itself in and started eating their food. I feel like Morpeko *maybe* could’ve worked if Kojiro had initially found it near their base and fed it (as he’s well known to do) only for the TRio to realize they’d made a big mistake when the Hangry form activates (that way there’s some sort of a bond) but nope! Morpeko just barges in, eats anything it can get ahold of, gets into everything, is destructive, and is actively harming them, whether by starvation or even physically attacking them.

Kiteruguma:
- Again, would do literally anything to rescue them whether it’s running across the ocean to catch them or fighting an Ultra Beast that hurt them, messed up her home, took her kids’ things, and took and broke Nyasu.

Morpeko:
- TR could get hit by a car and Morpeko would not care. It would not give a damn until it’s out of things to eat (although this is assuming it’s at the base, if it’s out with them... some things are better left unsaid and not thought about ). Heck it’s Hangry mode has gotten them in trouble multiple times now (and I’m not talking starvation wise, I mean nearly arrested)

Kiteruguma:
- Even after being reunited with Nuikoguma, she still treats the quaTRet, Mimikkyu, and Hidoide as part of the family and in no way lesser than her actual cub. Also I got some strong implications that Kiteruguma may have lost her cub/cubs in an incident involving an Ultra Beast from the way she reacts towards them when they’re around, a loss which is a reason why she’s so protective of the Rockets.

Morpeko:
- ??? I don’t think we’ve seen any signs that Morpeko cares about anyone or anything other than itself/stuffing its own face. It won’t even help TRio in an eating contest (and I don’t buy for one minute TRio starved it for the contest if they can’t even keep it from getting into their food. Also OoC but hey, this is Journeys where their characterization is all over the place)

Kiteruguma:
- More than just a gag mon or a place for the TRio to stay at. Not only did she have a strong bond with them, as seen with several moments from her cuddling with them to comforting them when they were upset, if she’s not the best parent they’ve had, she’s the only one they’ve ever had. Nyasu’s first memories are of being alone in a basket in the countryside, Musashi’s mother disappeared in the mountains when she was a toddler so she was left in foster care with little money or food available and it’s heavily implied she was moved around a lot, and then you’ve got Kojiro’s parents who, among certain things, have faked their deaths to get him to come home and marry him off to an abuser despite his clear wishes against it and the fiancee in question chasing him around with a whip. SM unfortunately didn’t do anything with their backstories but there were little nods here and there that made it feel like there was some awareness and knowing their histories adds many extra layers to Kiteruguma’s dynamic with them.

Morpeko:
- A mean spirited gag mon that feels like it’s there so TRio have a Pokémon but don’t actually have one. If it’s not in Hangry mode, it’s either sleeping or attacking them. There’s almost nothing positive for TRio in this relationship. And I don’t even think of their pasts, I just think of how f*ed up the Morpeko situation is in general and it’s probably better I don’t try to involve their backstories. The staff definitely weren’t thinking about them.

Definitely right about something and that’s Morpeko truly is Kiteruguma’s opposite in every conceivable way. I can’t figure out how the staff did it but somehow they did it. They even exude the exact opposite energy. I’ve been doing a Sun and Moon rewatch and working on a SM related project and just watching SM or writing and thinking about Kiteruguma for a couple minutes gives comfort and feel good vibes. Morpeko on the other hand is the cause of stress and bad feelings. But I guess it’s fine because Morpeko doesn’t fly or fight Ultra Beasts

Spoiler: Personal Vent

I usually don’t hate characters in this show, at most I find aspects annoying and there’s ones I like least but I’m usually able to find some good qualities about them, even a couple I dislike, but hatred? The only character in this show I’ve hated up til now is Hala with SM 133 so when I say I’ve never hated a character with the intensity as I do Morpeko, I mean it with every fiber of my being. Like I want this thing punted into the nearest Cutiefly field, I hate it that much and it sickens me.

I feel this will be a big make-it-or-break-it-point for the Rockets in this series and, at least for me, if they f*ck this episode up... it might be petty but I’m done with Journeys. I haven’t been watching for a while now anyway but I’m going to have to stop even keeping up with it. The more I think about certain things, mainly how the TRio have been treated as of recent, I get more and more upset and it’s not good for me. I can’t believe Chewtle got Gacha’d/Marnie lost her childhood friend for this.

The entire character is a play on the troupe of a mama bear, it’s the tendency of mothers in literature (and real life; bless them), to do borderline superhuman things for the welfare of their children (or adopted ones).

I was going to add that the mama bear’s also a real thing in which mother bears are well known to be some of, if not the most protective parents in nature to the point where it’s rule #1. that you do not even get close to a bear’s cubs but you pretty much said that. Also I’ve been increasingly realizing how OP bears are in general so it’s not a surprise Kiteruguma is able to pull off the feats she does.

Bewear is basically Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter as a Pokémon.

Molly is at least a hundred times better than that blasted bear.

Funny you should say that, I wasn’t involved in the fandom at the time (not involved much at all really) but I can remember seeing a lot of people upset about Molly being the one to kill Bellatrix.

Most of the time. But it really wasn't worth it for me in the end.

Wasn’t worth it?! You weren’t the ones living with it?! Listen I get Kiteruguma could get annoying when used as a way to keep TR out of stuff but... As someone who’s spent a lot of time analyzing these characters and thinking up fanfic, whether it’s before SM, during, or after (even in a Journeys-less timeline), you can feel the positive impact Kiteruguma had on their lives. It’s one thing to say you personally don’t like the character, it’s factually wrong to say she had no impact or wasn’t worth it, especially for them. Think about the character beyond her wild rescues and occasional annoyances and you realize, she’s the best thing in their lives that is not each other.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

The only character in this show I’ve hated up til now is Hala with SM 133

I mostly blame Rowlet, but I can also understand why you'd hate Hala in that particular episode.

Funny you should say that, I wasn’t involved in the fandom at the time (not involved much at all really) but I can remember seeing a lot of people upset about Molly being the one to kill Bellatrix.

Really? I didn't mind it. I thought it was awesome.

Wasn’t worth it?! You weren’t the ones living with it?! Listen I get Kiteruguma could get annoying when used as a way to keep TR out of stuff but... As someone who’s spent a lot of time analyzing these characters and thinking up fanfic, whether it’s before SM, during, or after (even in a Journeys-less timeline), you can feel the positive impact Kiteruguma had on their lives. It’s one thing to say you personally don’t like the character, it’s factually wrong to say she had no impact or wasn’t worth it, especially for them. Think about the character beyond her wild rescues and occasional annoyances and you realize, she’s the best thing in their lives that is not each other.

I'm sorry. I see your point, and I respect your opinion. I'll try to be more understanding of Bewear fans from now on.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

You know, this thread has given me hope that, if TRio ever reunites with Bewear in Alola, Morpeko will be there and Bewear will see just how much it has tormented them.

We all remember what she did to Pheromosa and she had a type disadvantage there.

 

[swiftgallade46]

Bewear and Morpeko are both annoying to me but it was clear that Bewear cared about TR while Morpeko does not. It’s not secret that I absolutely adore TRio, but the show successfully reduces how much I care when they face annoyance from other factors such as Bewear or Morpeko due to the fact that they are still villains at the end of the day. And cartoon villains at that, so the starvation thing doesn’t really phase me; they’re going to be fine by the next episode.

As long as they still get to have those wholesome moments, I wouldn’t really mind whatever Pokémon is thrown in there as a plot device to keep them from being successful with their schemes that are obviously never going to come to complete fruition.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

I think the reason Morpeko doesn't work as the "gag Pokemon that interferes with the TRio's schemes" mon like Bewear did is, like many have pointed out, because Morpeko is clearly malicious while Bewear was the exact opposite. See, the thing about humor of the "character goes through some misery" type is that it needs a certain balance to work; it's really only funny when the character is either a complete jerk who deserves it, or the hilarious misery comes as a direct result of the character's own actions. Morpeko is intended to be of the former category, obviously, but the problem is that it goes way overboard for Team Rocket because, while they are criminals and can be quite nasty when pushed, rarely do their actions warrant something as extreme as constantly being on the brink of starvation. The only time that Morpeko's antics ever truly worked was in the eating contest episode, and that's because it was an episode revolving entirely around Morpeko's schtick (that, and Team Rocket cheated).

 

[SammyW27]

You know, this thread has given me hope that, if TRio ever reunites with Bewear in Alola, Morpeko will be there and Bewear will see just how much it has tormented them.

B: You dare take food from my children?!
M: WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT, BITCH!
*zaps Bewear. Bewear is completely unharmed*
B: Oh, I'll SHOW you what I'll do.
M: Ummm...I can explain...

 

[VetProf]

I never liked Bewear. It was unrealistically OP and appeared at the most inopportune of times for the trio.

I know it's the joke. I just didn't find it funny, especially when it kept interfering with the trio any time when they were about to be successful.

You're saying as if removing Bewear would've magically allowed the trio's schemes to be successful, when in reality, Bewear's presence was the reason that the writers could've allowed the trio to get so close to success in many of their Alola schemes to begin with.

Think of it like this. The trio having their schemes ruined and getting blasted off is a staple in the series. Most of the time, it's because Ash and his friends step in to save the day. In other words, whenever the trio gets blasted off, it's almost always because they lost to the good guys. That's just how it works.

However, that's not necessarily the case in Alola. Here, the writers actually have plenty of opportunities to let the Rocket trio be a bit more successful than they can usually get away with. Because at the end of the day, regardless of how well the Rocket trio did in their schemes, Bewear will always be there to "save the day". Thanks to Bewear, the writers can actually let the trio win against Ash and his friends more often than usual, because Bewear will swoop in and restore the status quo regardless. Take a look at Mareanie's debut episode, for example. Do you think the writers would've let the Rocket trio actually win against Ash if Bewear wasn't there to yoink them away after their victory?

I understand that this is an out-of-universe explanation that wouldn't really work from an in-universe perspective, and while I personally find Bewear's OP-ness to be quite funny, I do understand that it pushes the suspension of disbelief a bit too much for some viewers. However, we as viewers know that whenever the Rocket trio tries to execute their "evil schemes", 99% of the time it ends up with them getting blasted off by something, usually Pikachu. Sun and Moon simply tries to change the formula by replacing the standard "blasting off" gag with Bewear comically popping out of nowhere to bail the trio out of whatever situation they're in. If Bewear didn't exist, the trio would just be blasting off as usual.

Morpeko fulfills a similar role that Bewear did in that it's supposed to be one of the main factors for the trio failing in their plans. However, for reasons that have been mentioned by many people here, Bewear is generally more likeable than Morpeko. If the Rocket trio are eternally doomed to fail, then I'd rather them be stuck with a Pokemon that actually cares about them rather than a Pokemon that's borderline making them die from starvation.

 

[CyberKitten05]

I like Bewear better than Morpeko simply because it's wholesome, but that's just my preference. I know that a lot of people don't care about that stuff, but there's the actual main reason why Morpeko is so much worse than Bewear: because it simply has no reason to be there. It doesn't have any motives for doing what it's doing, QuarTRet didn't do anything to provoke it, it just randomly decided to start following them. Could it have followed a random family that went on a vacation to Galar in an alternate universe? Do the majority of families who visit Galar get followed and terrorized by a Morpeko? Is it a regular thing for Galar's citizens to be terrorized by Morpekos and have to sacrifice large stockpiles of food to keep them away?
Pokemon has always been a Story-centered show, and there's absolutely no context for Morpeko other than comedic relief. Even Rowlet at least had a reason to stay with Ash. The closest comedic relief to being as context-less as Morpeko is Clemont's Chespin, but even it at least had an episode to bond with Clemont.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I've already explained the reasons why I personally don't like Bewear, but I can understand people liking Bewear and not liking Morpeko. I'm interested to see what this episode will bring.

 

[Eitarou]

Morpeko is clearly meant to teach children the important lesson on why we shouldn't feed wild animals.

 

[CyberKitten05]

Do we have a description yet?

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Do we have a description yet?

No.

 

[SammyW27]

Summary courtesy of Dephendor

The Morpeko that has settled down in the Rocket Gang's hideout is a masssive glutton that's even eaten Musashi's cakes and the food Kojiro hid. The Rocket Gang attempt to release it back into the wild, but...

That's pretty much what we expected. -_-

 

[Jewel the Quaxly]

The Morpeko that has settled down in the Rocket Gang's hideout is a masssive glutton that's even eaten Musashi's cakes and the food Kojiro hid. The Rocket Gang attempt to release it back into the wild, but...

That's...an unusually short summary coming from Pokeani.

Also, "release"? They never really caught it in the first place, though. In any case, I feel as if I can already predict the ending with that "but..." on the end, lol. Guess I'll just skip this one when it airs. On to Project Mew!

 

[Keith]

I’ve skipped a chunk of episodes this series and can only recall Morpeko’s debut episode being the only episode I’ve seen with Morpeko making an appearance. With that being said, I’m different to it; however, if someone were eating up my food, I’d want them gone too.