Review S14 EP20: Dancing With the Ducklett Trio!

[Trainer Gabriel]

Hah, Scald. I was quite fond of that move in the games for its unique trait as a Water-type move that can inflict a burn.

An episode that's designed to be silly is generally welcome, and this episode was good enough for me. I hope we see Krokorok again...and perhaps the Ducklett trio as well.

 

[Necrozma]

Man, the animation in this episode was extraordinary. I mean, everyone looked so ... well animated.

 

[Ashfangirl22]

This is one of my favorite episodes, sure some of the Pokemon voices weren't my favorites but I can deal with them. Animation was really good, agreeing with Tsutarja on that. I laughed a lot at some of the jokes too.

 

[garrison-san]

I actually quite liked the Duckletts' dub voices, if only because they reminded me of the Witch from Tales from the Cryptkeeper.^^

 

[chimera]

I'm starting to get the feeling that Unova Pokemon were never taught manners.
But I did like their dub voices. Pretty good for a duck Pokemon, I guess.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

Admittedly, it's really hard to write an appropriate review of this so-so episode.
Apart from Pikachu learning a new move which, however, was totally unnecessary at this point of time given that Pikachu's movepool is really acceptable already, there was hardly anything relevant, interesting or exciting in this ep. Those 20 minutes could have been used much much better, writers. I dare say this ep was a big disappointment especially for the older audience

My main point of criticism is those goofy mischievous Ducklett which were childish like hell! Seeing them felt like watching one of those countless silly Saturday morning cartoons for little kids that don't make sense at all. Given that there have already been so many mature Pokemon eps with great and profound plots, especially in DP, it really hurts to see that THIS kind of ridiculous and childish "episode" is called Pokemon as well, a name that is normally associated with such great entertainment. If Pokemon was a soccer team, this ep would definitely be the C-class team...
I want my epic and mature Pokemon from the goold old Sinnoh times back!

So what else happened?
No Team Rocket, which is really sad because they are the only ones who could have saved the ep at least to some extent.
No complete battles, only short fragments that were interrupted again and again.
And last but not least (and that's my second main point of criticism) Ash's dumbing down continues. First this ep showed once again that the capacity of his memory must obviosuly be extremely low because he keeps forgetting that Ground-type Pokemon are immune to Electric-type attacks (it's getting sooo OLD, Ash...) and second, his battles today, if you can rightly call them battles in the first place, didn't knock my socks off at all.

All in all, a rather disappointing unnecessary episode at the end of which you ask yourself "Well...and now??"
Let's quickly move on and hope that the next one wil b e better again.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

Seeing them felt like watching one of those countless silly Saturday morning cartoons for little kids that don't make sense at all.

Well isn't that what Pokémon really is? Saturday morning cartoon for little kids

 

[Queen Cynthia]

Well isn't that what Pokémon really is? Saturday morning cartoon for little kids

I was actually talking about silly cartoons like Ben 10, Kim Possible, Hey Arnold or Tom and Jerry (to mention one of the classics). These are the cartoons you watch when you want to switch out your brain and look for shallow, trivial entertainment. Yes, I know this statement might cause controvery, but still l'm convinced that in contrast to those cartoons, Pokemon can and should be taken seriously.

 

[Necrozma]

Pokémon needs to have those episodes once in a while too, you can expect all episodes to be important for the plot.

 

[Hellion]

To be honest, I kinda like it when Pokémon doesn't take itself too seriously, and I reject the idea that comedy and "serious plot" are mutually exclusive, last week's for example or the Scraggy hatching episode. It shouldn't be exclusively one or the other in my opinion but both.

This episode was very light on the plot, but still, the comedy moments just made up for it. Cilan hugging his cloche = daaaaawwwwwwww moment for me.

 

[Sweet Veil]

I was actually talking about silly cartoons like Ben 10, Kim Possible, Hey Arnold or Tom and Jerry (to mention one of the classics). These are the cartoons you watch when you want to switch out your brain and look for shallow, trivial entertainment. Yes, I know this statement might cause controvery, but still l'm convinced that in contrast to those cartoons, Pokemon can and should be taken seriously.

In Ben 10, people die and go through a lot of problems but, it's still a kids show. In Tom and Jerry there is a lot of violence. Both Tom and Jerry and Ben 10 have a PG rating, compared to Pokemon's TV-7 ratings there all still for children. Silly antics like these will be in the show, because it's fun and is being marketed at males from childhood to adolscents primarily. So in other words children. Pokemon is not anymore mature then Ben 10, or any other show on Cartoonnetwork. It's just that, a childish silly little cartoon. Even if you don't want to admit it.

 

[Iteru]

This thread is not about whether Pokémon is a children's show or not. Please stick to the topic of BW20.

Edit: I've made a thread in which you may continue debate on whether it is a children's show or not:

http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/f505/pokémon-anime-childrens-show-there-more-than-112430/#post3291828

 

[TPrower]

I loved Krokorok's voice in this episode. Sounded just like you'd expect from a tough-guy crocodile. XD

 

[Miar]

Okay, I demand another episode of the trolling Duckletts. This episode was... I couldn't stop laughing.

And cool, they kept the Best Wishes theme in the episode. Albeit, it was a tad quiet. All of the music this episode was.
Lastly, the evolution sequence looks so un-Pokémon in the games, but here they went with both and it looks really good. And so was Electro Ball.

 

[AshPikastar]

At least the laughter wasn't so annoying as it was in the Jap version. This episode was made of full of laughs although the Jap episode made it even more funny for me. Sandile is so adorable in this episode and I loved how everyone was chasing after the Ducklett. I guess they didn't have their lunch for that episode. I did enjoy the music and the pranks that the Duckletts had made were hilarious. Poor Sandile, all scared without his sunglasses. I do enjoy the new evolution change in that episode. We need another Pikachu vs Krokorok episode and another one with the Ducklett trio.

 

[The Knights of Wario Land]

Ah, the Ducklett trio greatly reminds me of the Squirtle Squad from the older Pokemon episodes. And Krokorok reminds me of the Kremlings from Donkey Kong Country.

Great episode, the first time I've laughed at a Pokemon episode in awhile.

 

[turtlekid]

I like this episode, I though ash was going to catch the sandile though, I thought that would of been cool! I thought it was funny when the ducklet got blasted off and said there name is a rising scale fashion. Also electro ball I thought looked wicked awesome.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Ah, the Ducklett trio greatly reminds me of the Squirtle Squad from the older Pokemon episodes. And Krokorok reminds me of the Kremlings from Donkey Kong Country.

They both reminds me Team Rocket.

 

[/Zer0]

Spoiler

This episode was very comical from the get-go. It starts off with Ash and the others minding their own business until Ash and Pikachu fell down a hole again, and ended up being separated from the others. It turns out that the Sandile from the sand bath wanted to challenge Pikachu to a battle yet again. Well, it is all good until the trio encounters a Ducklett who manages to steal Sandile's glasses on accident. Sandile lost all of its bravado and esteem after losing something that was important to it, and was willing to work alongside Ash and co. to retrieve its sunglasses back. After a second encounter, Ash's hat also becomes stolen. Iris and Cilan, as well as the pokemon that were kept outside their balls in the episode, were not left in the dark, either. A third Ducklett comes by to steal Cilan's tableware, and burns both Iris and Oshawott.

This entire episode has many parallels to Ash's twisted relationship with TRio in the past. Ash's confrontations against the Ducklett Trio can be likened to Ash's repeated struggles against TRio to retrieve their stolen possession back, and in some of these cases, it took a few encounters for Ash to succeed in these endeavors. While the Ducklett trio has a comical routine all on its own, they still embody many of the comical traits of AG and DP TRio. The Ducklett were seen celebrating after they reunited with one another and collected what they have stolen. This can be a reference to how TRio usually celebrates their spoils after they work together to steal something from the main group, often leaving themselves exposed to a counterattack (as was the case in this episode with the Ducklett). The Ducklett are also very persistent, and even after they were blasted off by Pikachu's electric attacks, immediately returned to the scene of the incident brimming with confidence. The Ducklett's rhythmic singing at the end of this encounter is a reference to the odd and quirky conversations that TRio usually have with each other when they blast off (most of these encounters are episode-specific).

The Sunglasses Sandile represents the other side of this spectrum, in which TRio has been up and beaten by a more sinister or clever antagonist, and requires Ash (or other members of the group) to assist them for revenge. TRio usually plays the sympathy card in order for Ash and co. to grudgingly work together with them. Although its intentions were not as selfish or manipulative, the Sunglasses Sandile still managed to get Ash to help it out despite their rough encounter at the start of the episode. After the Ducklett trio was stopped permanently, and the Sandile retrieves its sunglasses back, Sandile goes back to its usual routine and attempts to battle Pikachu yet again. Sandile's type immunity to electric-type attacks can be a reference to how TRio formulates their mechas with rubber to prevent Pikachu from breaking out, requiring Pikachu to use another tactic to stop this otherwise invincible enemy. Sandile evolves into a Krokorok, but even so, the pokemon was blasted off by a relatively weak attack colliding with its own. This is a reference to how TRio's pokemon may appear to be on the level of the group's pokemon they are attempting to steal, but due to plot reasons, are very vulnerable to counterattacks and can be easily defeated.

To some, this episode simply reintroduces a recurring wild pokemon and has it evolve at the end of the episode just to prove that its presence was rewarded at the end of the episode. Pikachu also learned a new attack, thereby rewarding him and Ash for all of the time and energy spent into retrieving Sandile's glasses back. To me, I felt that this episode was intended to be a parody of TRio's usual pre-BW interactions with Ash, Pikachu, and members of the main group.

The Ducklett trio represents TRio at their highest; brimming with confidence, enjoying the spoils of their victory, and pretending to form a compromise with the main group, only to fool them at the end. The Duckletts were also very persistent and would keep returning until Pikachu permanently put an end to their tirade. On the other, the Sunglasses Sandile represents TRio at their lowest. Feeling defeated from battle but still seeking revenge, TRio has worked together with Ash and co. in the past. Together, they managed to defeat the stronger antagonist, but TRio still wanted to win at the end of the day. They go back to their usual business near the end of such an episode, only to fail quickly and completely when they battle against Ash and Pikachu again.

You know, I felt like the Ducklett Trio was a certain metaphor for Team Rocket when they blasted off near the end of the episode, but if it weren't for your 5-paragraph argument, I wouldn't have noticed all those extra symbolisms (whether they were intended or not); that's pretty awesome.

I think that if the Duckletts ever return (and I don't doubt it), that they'll be just as the TRio was, but at their best, and never uncertain like the TRio may have been at some points in the past. After all, since the Ducklett Trio are Pokemon, they don't know the meaning of 'giving up'.

On the episode itself, I thought it was great. Seems like we're getting a lot of new rivals this series. A Connoiseuse, a Pokemon TRio, and a Pokemon Rival for Pikachu? The only unoriginal one this time around is Trip.