#AG033

[torchickentacos]

Drew’s Travel Route (Part 1. Sigh.)

Ok, SO! I said I’d try to figure out the travel routes of the anime rivals, and I’m starting with Drew. First things first, starting with Hoenn, here’s the map- I’ve marked down the probable locations of places that the anime made up where relevant. LONG POST, and I’ve edited the map for clarity’s sake. Also, I am vaguely/loosely taking encounter locations from RSE, you’ll get it later, don’t worry about it for now. 

The beginning of his journey is a logical place to start but also we really don't know. He’s from LaRousse City, which is allegedly off the coast of Lilycove, according to Bulbapedia with no citation. He has three ribbons before meeting May and co., but we have no way of knowing where he got them or when or anything. We’re going to ignore those ribbons for my own sanity and just say ‘somehow he got from LaRousse to Slateport’, because otherwise I’d be factoring Solidad in here and it’s just a whole thing that we’re not worrying about. Fanon tends to agree that this isn’t his first contest circuit, so for all we know he didn’t even start from LaRousse. We just don’t know and we’re not worrying about it, and we're calling Slateport our start point because that's where he debuts. (Personal opinion? He's probably at LEAST been around Eastern Hoenn before, maybe down around the islands (Sootopolis, Mossdeep) at some point and around 121-122-123. We'll just assume he made his way from LaRousse>Lilycove>122>123>128>Mauville>110>Slateport, bringing us to our start point and gathering 3 ribbons along the way, but I'm not mapping that out because I have no real evidence).

So, that out of the way, let’s look at his starting point.

Drew first shows up in AG033 at a beach in Slateport City, where he stays until AG035 Win, Lose, or Drew!. After that, we don’t see him until AG050 Pros and Con Artists, set in Fallarbor Town. Now, Slateport and Fallarbor are far away and have a few different routes. We’re saving the desert route for later (I have my reasons to believe he only went to 111 later on), so north is out. You could also go a bit south to Oldale>Petalburg>Rustboro, OR north and then west through Mauville>Verdanturf>Rustboro. We’re assuming the former, as the latter would mean he visited Verdanturf before and didn’t enter any contests and that just makes less sense to me. Also it doesn’t matter. MAYBE he caught Masquerain as a Surskit in this stretch of traveling but it's inconclusive and largely irrelevant.

So, AG050, Fallarbor. He stays here throughout 051-Come What May!. The next time we see him is in AG061, Disaster of Disguise, set in Verdanturf. He stays here throughout 062 as well. Minor backtracking through 114, 115, and Rustboro, but nothing major.

After this, we see him in AG077, A Fan With A Plan, which takes place in, uh, Rubello Town. 

This is where it gets funky. Rubello Town is somewhere between ‘Littleroot and Fortree’ according to Bulbapedia, which is like saying that New Jersey is somewhere between Maine and Florida. So I took it into my own hands and decided that it’s PROBABLY somewhere around the intersection of Routes 118 and 119, or early 119, headed into Fortree. It’s the only place that makes sense given where May and Co. are in the surrounding episodes. We're really triangulating some shit here. Eventually I should try to figure out where all the fake towns are but that's a project for later. Anyways, Rubello Town, AG077, A Fan With A Plan. That episode deserves its own 'wtf' post tbh. Anyways. We're here.

So, from 118-119ish, Rubello Town, AG077, we then see him again in AG113, Who, What, When, Where, Wynaut (WWWWW). So, there’s a lot going on in this little stretch. It’s a big timegap from AG077-113. First things first, I’m assuming he took a detour through route 120 to catch Absol at this point. Absol debuts all the way in the Kanto Grand Festival, but it makes sense for him to have caught it this early on. So, we’re calling route 120 his next stop, maybe offscreen around AG80ish?

And now, we’re detouring back to Route 111. I agonized over this decision but it feels right to put it here.

You see, at some point Drew needs to have caught a Trapinch. Some of you guys who also trawled the bulbapedia ship pages before they got deleted probably remember that Flygon was specifically caught and trained for the theoretical situation in which he faced against May in the Hoenn Grand Festival. Because, you know, raising a pokemon up to at least level 45 is a thing you do for people you feel normally about. That’s a completely normal investment of time and energy and forethought and care. Anyways, I actually hesitated on assuming that Drew would have seen May as important enough to go out of his way to catch it this early-on, but we are three roses in with blatant flirting in 077, and WWWWW is up next (which people seem to agree is when he's like oh shit, those are emotions that I'm feeling), so it feels like a safe enough bet, and also Drew’s just Kind Of Like That™. Also, there’s no other time later in which it makes sense for him to have time to make the detour while also evolving it before the Grand Festival (and honestly even then we’re pushing it a bit). Any earlier and I doubt he’d have considered her in high enough regard to train an entire pokemon to battle her with (again, very large investment of time and energy to get a Flygon). So, with all that, we’re assuming that he goes back to 111 and catches Trapinch here. 

He also gets a ribbon somewhere in this time gap (his fifth). In the anime, pretty much every town seems like it holds contests. I really don’t know. I’m ASSUMING that on his way to Route 131 (we’ll get there in a second), he picks up a ribbon from some made-up location that we aren't privy to.

Now. Gonna be real. I don’t know where in the actual hell they are in the beginning of WWWWW and his next appearance. Vaguely around Pacifidlog? Two episodes ago they were in Sootopolis, one episode ago they were on some random island, and they’re just in the ocean in the next one so I don’t know. Best I can figure is somewhere around Route 131. Why is Drew out in the middle of route 131? Don’t know. He has all 5 ribbons and isn’t going to Pacifidlog to watch May (something he goes out of his way for later but I digress). I really have no earthly clue why the fresh hell he’s out in 131, but HE IS I GUESS and who am I to question it? Did he just want some ocean time??? I don't know why he's here. Usually him being in out-of-the-way places is because May's there, but no, he's not here for her this time, he doesn't watch the Pacifidlog contest to the best of our knowledge, he's just. HERE. I GUESS.

So. Fine. Whatever. We’re on 131 FOR SOME REASON, he ‘travels’ to Mirage Island if you’d call that travelling, they head back to wherever they were on 131.

It’s more straightforward from here- he heads back to Slateport for the Hoenn Grand Festival, AG121-123. We’re assuming he takes a boat, I’m not sending this dude all the way back through mainland Hoenn. Tbh he has seasick vibes, which several unrelated fics from over the last 15 years seem to agree on for whatever reason, but that’s his problem and not mine. 

SO. FINALLY. END OF HOENN (but not end of AG, there’s that part 2 at some point). We’re all the way back at Slateport- his first and last Hoenn appearance is maybe/probably on the same stretch of beach, intentional or not. And with that, we have his PROBABLE travel route throughout his appearances in the Hoenn section of AG!

Kanto gets its own post because this is over 1k words long and took 2 hours to figure out last night :)))))))

(and @silverncats , here it is!!! I hope this is interesting, and I'm planning on doing more! This was super fun, albeit tedious and full of guesswork)

[zponds]

May has Beautifly start the practicing and training by controlling its Gust, and May catches frisbees, and she proved to be great at it. However, her happiness was cut short when Drew shows up and judges May’s performance and her Pokémon, making her furious, and making her friends furious too. Right off the bat, Drew is shown to be a jerk. May angrily says that she’ll definitely win the Slateport contest after enough training.

Episode: AG 033 - “Now That’s Flower Power!”

[pokemonmaxpics]

[pokemonislanderprincess]

Pokeani Re-Watch: AG

My favorite AG episodes are under the cut! This list I cut up between Hoenn and the Battle Frontier, since the latter actually takes place in Kanto.

Hoenn

AG001 - Get the Show on the Road!

AG003 - There’s No Place Like Hoenn

AG004 - You Never Can Taillow

AG006 - A Poached Ego!

AG007 - Tree’s a Crowd

AG009 - Taming of the Shroomish

AG013 - All Things Bright and Beautifly!

AG015 - Gonna Rule the School!

AG017 - Stairway to Devon

AG020 - Brave the Wave

AG023 - Gone Corphishin’

AG025 - A Mudkip Mission

AG033 - Now That’s Flower Power!

AG035 - Win, Lose, or Drew!

AG039 - A Poke-BLOCK Party!

AG042 - Love at First Flight

AG044 - The Princess and the Togepi

AG045 - A Togepi Mirage!

AG050 - Pros and Con Artists

AG051 - Come What May!

AG060 - Delcatty Got Your Tounge

AG061 - Disaster of Disguise

AG062 - Disguise Da Limit

AG068 - A Double Dilemma

AG069 - Love, Petalburg Style!

AG070 - Balance of Power

AG071 - A Six Pack Attack

AG072 - The Bicker the Better

AG077 - A Fan with a Plan

AG078 - Cruisin’ for a Losin’

AG086 - Lights, Camerupt, Action!

AG103 - A Cacturne for the Worse

AG108 - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snorunt!

AG109 - Do I Hear a Ralts?

AG113 - Who, What, When, Where, Wynaut?

AG121 - Hi Ho Silver Wind!

AG122 - Deceit and Assist

AG123 - Rhapsody in Drew

AG129 - A Judgement Brawl

AG130 - Choose It or Lose It!

Battle Frontier (Kanto)

AG132 - The Scheme Team

AG133 - The Right Place and the Right Mime

AG134 - A Real Cleffa-Hanger

AG139 - On Cloud Arcanine

AG143 - The Saffron Con

AG144 - A Hurdle for Squirtle

AG147 - Sweet Baby James

AG153 - Tactics Theatrics!!

AG156 - From Cradle to Save

AG157 - Time Warp Heals All Wounds

AG160 - Harley Rides Again

AG162 - Spontaneous Combusken!

AG163 - Cutting the Ties That Bind!

AG167 - What I Did for Love!

AG174 - New Plot, Odd Lot!

AG175 - Going for Choke!

AG177 - Grating Spaces!

AG178 - Battling the Enemy Within!

AG180 - May, We Harley Drew’d Ya!

AG181 - Thinning the Hoard!

AG182 - Channeling the Battle Zone!

AG187 - The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!

AG189 - Gathering the Gang of Four!

AG192 - Home is Where the Start Is!

[itstimetodrew]

If there's settei for AG033 and AG050 for Drew than do you think there's settei for AG146?

Drew doesn’t appear in AG146. Do you mean his brief cameo in AG141? :o

Either way, I doubt it. The same settei seem to be reused by animators unless there’s some sort of outfit change that would require a new drawing. There wasn’t any outfit or style change to Drew in his appearances, so I’m pretty sure only a base one exists for him. The only ‘new’ settei for episodes after AG033 would be height charts that include characters new to the episode, but even then a character’s image in the height chart is copy-pasted from an already existing reference. 

[musashi]

i keep tabbing over to photoshop and seeing this and tabbing out

[pokemopolis-archive-blog]

Now That’s Flower Power!

304: Now That's Flower Power!

307: Haruka ni Raibaru!  Tokkun Pokemon Kontesuto!!

Pokemopolis Title: The Green Haired Monster

Dodginess: 4/5

Animation: 3/5

Story: 4/5

Team Rocketness: Not much

Today finds the twerps in Slateport, having arrived for the Pokemon Contest and NOT the Gym Battle that Ash seemed to think he was heading for at the end of the last episode.  A bunch of other Pokemon Trainers are already preparing their Pokemon for the contest which Brock informs us is.... TWO WEEKS AWAY! Yes apparently they're going to spend two weeks in this town instead of getting Ash another Badge! As Ash tells May that two weeks isn't long (IT IS!) Max asks May if she is ready, since the other trainers look pretty good.  She says she'll be fine, and then adds that maybe a little training wouldn't hurt. Screw the training! Two weeks with no forward progress? What is this, Johto? No no! Get the hippies out of retirement, fire up the bongs and take to the streets for a good old fashioned street protest, Gentle Dodgers, we'll show them we're not going to stand for this! Now That's Flower Power! Brock looks at Slateport Beach and declares the city to be what he always thought it would be, a beautiful beach with beautiful girls! Max wants to swim, but for once May says she has more important things on her mind than the beach, she's going to get in some training! She throws out Beautifly which uses Gust as May spins about, creating a visually appealing entrance which the twerps are very appreciative off, telling May she has planted her pose perfectly, until she spins around on one foot with eyes twirling and declares she may have put a bit too much spin on it. The others twirl around in horror. May moves on, throwing Frisbees which Beautifly hits with Gust, sending up a massive sandstorm that blows away the twerps and the beach-goers, causing Max to point out that the beach isn't the best place for this type of thing.  They move to a cove and May tells her nervous Beautifly that the pressure is on and has it use Silver Wing, but it only manages a few seconds of firing out glowing white crescents before the move fails.  May drops down to her knees, moaning that this keeps on happening!   Max suggests that if the move doesn't work, she shouldn't try it at the contest, but May retorts that if she can pull the move off then it'll looks great and they'll wow the contest-goers.  Ash yells (he doesn't know about appropriate voice levels because he is a monkey) that she'll just have to keep on trying so she does, throwing three frisbees and telling Beautifly to use Gust.  It does, flinging the frisbees high and then back down to May who catches one, then two and gets applause from the twerps.  But the third whirls on and straight towards a young green haired kid standing on the stairwell leading down the cliff to the cove they are in.  May calls out a warning, but with eyes closed and head down, the kid just casually reaches out and grabs the frisbee out of the air, then lifts his head to smirk and reveal he is.... GARY JUNIOR! Well no, but his face, smirk and the overwhelming sense of arrogance emanating from him scream Gary (or at least Old School, I'm-a-jerk-with-a-caddy-and-cheerleaders Gary).  May runs up beneath him and apologises, but his response is that he hopes she isn't planning on entering the Pokemon contest with such a cheesy move.  Walking down in front of her, the young man (obviously about May's age) tells her she has no finesse or style, then raises a "talk to the hand" gesture when she starts shouting at him, demanding to know who he is. He introduces himself as Drew, Pokemon Coordinator.  Ash completely fails to read the mood and happily declares that that is just like May, with Drew retorting that there is no comparison between the two of, May and her Beautifly have no style. May shouts that he can say what he wants about her, but he has no right to talk about her Pokemon, but he shoves his hands in front of her face with the same smirk on his face. "Woah, just calm down little girl," he says. May sees red, pumping her legs and rushing forward into his hand as he continually pushes her back and the others tell her to calm down.  They demand that if Drew is so great, he should show them his Pokemon and their brilliant moves.  But Drew tells them with infuriating calmness that there is no point, telling the "children" to move on, and when asked why they should he tells them the beach is a private one for the guests of the resort on the cliff top he points to.  They begin to leave, May growling that she guesses he will be in the contest as well, which he sarcastically confirms as she stands growling at him. Watching from behind some rocks, James and Meowth seem to be quite taken with young Drew's style for a moment, until they point out that it is actually the beach they are really interested in, not the twerps.   Turning, they notice Jesse shouting orders to Dustox, and when they ask why she explains she is preparing for her contest.  James and Meowth are shocked, they thought she was joking around when she said that, but a fiery Jesse (her eyes literally on fire) declares Dustox's power and her beauty will make them an unbeatable duo.  She has Dustox use Poison Sting and declares it a beauty, but it gets a bit carried away and fires Poison sting in a wide radius, causing Team Rocket to run and Dustox to chase them as they are stung with poison stings, Wobbuffet included. Back on the "public" beach May and Ash hold a mock battle to help May prepare.  Ash sends out Taillow and May uses Beautifly, which starts off with a very pretty looking Tackle that Taillow dodges.  Taillow them attempts to use Peck but Beautifly dodges thanks to a frantic warning from May.  Beautifly then uses Stringshot in a pretty, glistening, looping Stringshot that surrounds Taillow, and Taillow begins trying to break out, and a confused May suggests Gust, which sends a tied up Taillow falling to the ground.  Ash asks Taillow if it is alright and it comes awake with drunken Scottish rage and tries to bite through the string as May panics and cries out for Beautifly to try Silver Wing which...   fails! Taillow bursts free from its Stringshot and tries Quick Attack.   May cries out for it to dodge but Beautifly seems confused, and Taillow's single successful offensive moves knocks Beautifly down and out for the count.  Ash congratulates Taillow as May asks Beautifly if it is all right, and then the twerps hear clapping and turn to see a man approaching them with a wide smile on his face, declaring the use of attack was excellent. May is shocked but pleased, and stammers it wasn't that great, but the clapping man walks right by her and lays a hand on Ash's shoulder, saying he must be entering the contest.  A surprised Ash insists he isn't and May walks up behind the man to explain that she is, this will be her first contest ever.  The man - dressed casually in loose pants, a loose black jacket and white sweatband - recovers from the faux pax of congratulating the wrong person and tells her he was nervous for his first contest but since then has participated in countless contests as a coordinator. "AWESOME!" cries May, lifting one leg and wiggling her hips to sidle up beside the man, "You're a Pioneer!" "The name's Mr Big.... WATER POKEMON RULE DAMMIT WHAT!?! ..." says the Coordinator. May says it is nice to meet him - though one would have thought he would have been blacker, riding a Gyrados with Misty riding on his shoulder - and she and the others introduce them, Max asking if he has won any contests before? Huh? Has he mister? Huh? Well he's got three ribbons does Mr Big, and an ecstatic May asks if he can teach her, the works! How not to lose; how to win, what to think, to say, what to feel, to be.... all the time pressing her crotch closer and closer to his thigh as he retreats backwards from a sexual predation charge.

He tells her to settle down and she sighs, "Yesss sir!" in her best "buy me something, daddy" voice, then Mr Big explains that the most important skill is staying calm, warning that a Pokemon can sense mood and reacts accordingly.  May remembers her panicked order of Silver Wing, and while all the Pokemon in the foreground sleep Mr Big offers more wisdom to the twerps.  Torchic is amongst the sleeping Pokemon, a snot bubble rising and falling from a nostril, and when it pops it wakes the small bird up with a start.  Turning its head, it notices a nice building in the distance and approaches it with curiosity.  It waddles up a storage barn, smells something nice and runs in. Meanwhile Mr Big is extolling the virtues of a Pokemon's diet, and pulls out a Pokeblock case which excites Max greatly, then gives the case to May as a present. "You know, I've got something else pretty great back at my shop," he says.... ALERT! ALERT! DANGER! ,..."Come on, I'll show you!" Sure says May, who apparently never had to sit through Constable Keith and Sniff the stuffed Police Dog warning about Stranger Danger. "What could he have that's so great?" Jesse asks about a man called Mr Big as they watch from the bushes. "I am a bit curious," admits James, which is only to be expected, and Meowth suggests they follow him. Mr Big leads them towards his storage barn, explaining to the twerps that he makes Fireworks, and now he is working on Pokemon-themed Fireworks that explode into shapes of Pokemon, though he is having trouble getting the colours right and has to show something to the Contest chairman tonight.  But as they approach his shop, Torchic pops backwards out of the storage barn wriggling its ass, then turns around with a face covered in black stuff! Inside, Mr Big is shocked to discover his supply of block berries has been eaten up.  Brock takes out the guide that Natalie gave him on berries back when he got Lotad, and explains that block berries stain your mouth black.  Torchic has been caught black-beaked it seems, it must have eaten them (or gone to a scat festival).

But Mr Big says it is okay, the berries are good for Pokemon and he was actually planning on giving them a bunch of berries anyway.  Regardless, he'd been planning on adding some of the berries to his fireworks to give them some added colour (black?) but now he'll have to go without. May shoves a squirming Torchic face first into the ground like a bad puppy and tells it to say sorry, those berries were NOT for it! Mr Big rapidly assures her it isn't Torchic's fault, it was his fault for leaving the storeroom door open. Ash asks what he'll do without berries for the fireworks, and Mr Big says he'll just have to do without. "MR BIG!" roars May. "Whoa wah!" squeals Mr Big, falling back on his ass before May declares that she will find him new block berries, she just needs to know the latest she can get them to him.  He tells her dusk at the latest, as Team Rocket stand outside the storeroom listening with sly grins. Jesse notes that Block Berries are good for your hair and Meowth immediately declares they're going to get those berries and then give them to the Boss! James makes the mistake of asking why they would do that, and Meowth immediately cracks into another patented crazy Meowth Giovanni fantasy. "Say da Boss is going into town, but he discovers dat he's having a bad hair day," says Meowth, while we see an angry looking Giovanni brushing his hair while frowning into the mirror, before looking down at a glass full of a vile, black concoction, "Dats when he notices a glass of block berry juice, it's down da hatch and before you know it his hair sets perfectly, and has a sheen like never before!" We see Giovanni from behind, swallowing the contents of the glass before his hair glows white with reflected light.  The camera cuts to a close-up of the back of his shining head.

"Den you know what he'll say?" asks Meowth, as Giovanni turns to camera and begins to talk using Meowth's voice, showing off a mouth full of sticky and black teeth! "For getting me dis gift, Meowth and friends are an example for all of Team Rocket!" "YAAAY!" yells Meowth. "It's the final rung on the ladder of SUCCESS!" cries James, then pauses, "Wait, won't that juice leave the Boss' mouth about as black as a moonless night in winter?" "Quit being a worry wart," growls Meowth, while Jesse declares her own ideas.  She is going to use those berries on her Dustox to give it an edge in the Pokemon Contest.  Wobbuffet pops out to agree, and everyone plays along, with Jesse, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet all saluting and crying out, "WOBBUFFET!" Well okay then! Out in the forest, Ash returns from a forage to tell May he has had no luck finding block berries, and none of the others have either.  But then Ash notes Torchic is missing and when they all start calling, Torchic's voice is heard and the camera cuts to show the little fire-bird has gone off and found a small block berry tree sticking out near the bottom.  But it is high enough and steep enough that Torchic's attempts to race up end every time on it falling backwards on its head, in a piece of physical comedy Pikachu would be proud of.  But it keeps trying and gets to the branch... with one problem, it's hanging by its beak on the branch and the tree is a lot higher than it remembers (or we saw).

The twerps arrive and see Torchic has found the berries, and then the branch snaps and Torchic and the berries fall towards the ground.  May has Beautifly use Stringshot which wraps around Torchic safely.... though the string is loose and yet somehow Torchic's downward momentum is halted in a defiant stance against the laws of physics. Yeah, FUCK physics! May hugs Torchic, but then notices to her surprise Drew standing on a small rock with the branch and berries slung over his shoulder.

He compliments May on not a bad attack with some art to it, and when May demands the berries back he gladly agrees, on the condition she has to battle with him first.  When she refuses he asks her if she is scared he'll embarrass her, so she angrily agrees. Team Rocket watch all this from the bushes, and are ecstatic. "This couldn't have worked out better if we'd planned it!" smiles Jesse. "If we'd planned it, it wouldn't have worked out at all!" adds James, with Meowth saying they'll bag the berries while the twerps battle their brains out. The berries are placed down and the twerps offer May encouragement as she calls out Beautifly and Drew calls out Roselia, a smarmy looking plant Pokemon with roses for hands, a crown of green thorns and a fat, spoilt arse! "Roselia, the Thorn Pokemon," explains Dextina, "Roselia's aroma can bring serenity, but the thorns on its head contain a vicious poison." Drew brags and May starts off, using Tackle while Roselia uses Petal Dance, a kind of gust with petals that has Beautifly straining to get close.  The Petal Dance ends and Beautifly looks stunned, and Roselia uses Stun Spore to knock Beautifly down.  Drew mutters that he expected more of a challenge, flicks a green forelock out of his eye and then with boredom tells Roselia to finish things off with Magical Leaf. Roselia spins about in the air as May begs Beautifly to get up, and Ash tells her to remember what Mr Big said about keeping her cool.  She strains to think and stay calm as Roselia fires white light and... May roars authoritatively for Beautifly to use Silver Wing.  Suddenly Beautifly is up and blasting white crescents of light that smash into Roselia's Magical Leaf, smash past it and send Roselia tumbling backwards through the air. "NO! ROSELIA!" screams Drew as his arrogant mask slips for a moment, the twerps congratulating May. Brock stands by the berries happily declaring this is the way to get serious points... then notices the branch and berries being tugged away.  He asks what is going on, and from behind the cliff top appears the top of a Happy Buddha Face Meowth Balloon with Jesse and James standing on it, holding a fishing rod with the branch and berries attached. "Prepare for trouble as we reel 'em in!" "Make it double... we win!" "You again!" yells Brock, but they ignore his rude interruption. "To protect the world from devastation." "To unite all peoples within our nation." "To denounce the evils of truth and love." "To extend our reach to the stars above." "Jesse." "James."

"Team Rocket blasts off with the speed of light," "Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!" "Meowth! Dat's right!" "WOBBUH-FFET!" May demands they give the berries back. "Oh sure! We'll give these block berries right back to you after everything we've been through to get them!" mocks Jesse.  Her, James and Meowth hunched over, sticking out their butts, "Ha! Sorry, tough luck!" Meowth says goodbye and the balloon begins to float away, the twerps chasing while May tells Drew this battle is over, she knows someone who needs those berries.  He growls to himself as she runs off. Team Rocket head away, apparently having decided to give the berries to Giovanni after all in hopes of a promotion.  Ash yells for Pikachu to use Thunderbolt and it does, but the blast does nothing.... because Team Rocket have put a satellite dish on their balloon to absorb the lightning! Ash isn't giving up though, and Pikachu tries Thunderbolt again but again, nothing happens. "NOTHING!" laughs Team Rocket, mockingly. "SOLAR BEAM!" cries a voice, and a blast shatters the dish. May turns to see Drew and Roselia, Drew telling her he hasn't got a clue what is going on but he is happy to help.  Pikachu tries Thunderbolt again and Roselia uses another Solar Beam, sending Team Rocket blasting off again while the branch and berries fall and fall, and Torchic jumps through the air and catches them... then realises it is over a cliff and about to die.  But once again Beautifly catches Torchic with its physics defying Stringshot and May hugs the little bird, while Drew congratulates Roselia and returns it to its Pokeball.  May thanks Drew and he tells her they'll battle again in the Pokemon Contest... if she can make it through the preliminary rounds.  He walks away and she stares after him, then grins and says he can count on it. May's got a rival! That night Mr Big shows his fireworks to the contest chairman, who is suitably impressed by what he sees.  First of fires a Pikachu firework, then a Pichu and then a Torchic and then a Mudkip, finishing off with a Treecko.  Drew and Roselia also watch the little private show, seen only by Mr Big, the Contest Chairman, Ash, Brock, Max and Drew's new rival - May - who is about to take part in her first ever Pokemon Contest.

Moral Learnt: Water pokémon rule dammit what!

[torchickentacos]

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh anon, so I see what you mean lmao. ag033 specifically is apparently IMPOSSIBLE to find subs of. I'm in the trenches searching right now but I will find SOMETHING

[torchickentacos]

Hey again! it's the same anon as before! sorry for the trouble but I can't seem to locate a few episodes, (which was the issue I was trying to communicate before, apologies if I worded it weird), namely, eps between 293-319 (overall) and 321-364 (overall), which correlate to eps 20:"Brave the Wave"-46:"Candid Camerupt!" and 48:"ZigZag Zangoose!"- 91: "Lessons in Lilycove" if I'm doing the math correctly. idk if it is more an issue on my end than anything cuz there are a few more episodes that seemed to be sprinkled in but yeahhh

I mainly want to see "Now that's Flower Power!" and "Come What May!" because I need to observe how weirdly the salad head talks even in japanese

Thanks again!

No worries at ALL! I hadn't noticed those episodes were missing, actually, sorry about that! So, I've spent an hour on this now, and turns out most of them are straight up just a lost cause [AG033 (Now That's Flower Power!) specifically just straight up is IMPOSSIBLE] . I looked everywhere. I ended up on a romanian film review website. I ended up crashing internet archive. I ended up on page 269 of bulbagarden's advanceshipping forum (??? thanks google. it wasn't helpful. by the way). I clicked about everything that wouldn't kill my computer and nowhere gave me anything helpful. If I ever DO find them, you'll be the first to know! Though I guess you're on anon so that's not possible, but like. in spirit i'll tell you first. in reality i'll jsut post about it and pray you see it.

I CAN say, though, from other episodes I've seen subbed/dubbed, AG (and the resulting beloved-slash-clowned-on salad head character within) is actually WAY WEIRDER in english. Like, by a lot. An incomprehensible amount. AG Eng dub is definitely the chaotic one of the two (though AG's chaos transcends the barriers of language). Tell you what- using whatever episodes I do have dubbed, later tonight or tomorrow I'll make a masterpost about how he's presented in each and the differences I notice!!! It's not the same but it's something. SO sorry I couldn't really help out here, but if I EVER find anything I'll post about it!!!

[torchickentacos]

update. I've ended up on a romanian film review website. we've started clicking the weird links. starting to think this is a wild goose chase. Option 2: I try to find some sort of episode transcription from the japanese dub and translate that to english???? Option 3: I learn japanese for you in one evening and sub it myself (/j, unfortunately).

In the meantime, if you want a really funny jacked-up sub of AG033 and some other early eps, here lmao. From the same source that gave us 'who the hell are you' bugsy and 'morocco is the key' meowth. Perfectly normal subs that have nothing wrong with them at all.

ANON UPDATE i've got like two other people working on it right now kjfhsdkjfhdkjgh WE ARE SEARCHING

[zponds]

Having arrived in Slateport City, May wants to practice and train for the upcoming Slateport Pokémon contest. She and the others head to the beach and May brings out Beautifly. Ash even gives May some advice and/or encourages her and she accepts.

Episode: AG 033 - “Now That’s Flower Power!”

[zponds]

May decides to do another stage of her training... by having Beautifly go against Taillow. Later, the battle ensues and despite Beautifly putting up a good fight, May unfortunately looses the match. Soon, a man: Mr. Big approaches, saying he’s a former Coordinator, and May is eager to know everything about being a successful coordinator.

Episode: AG 033 - “Now That’s Flower Power!”

[pokemonmaxpics]

[torchickentacos]

Okay, looks like it would be posted on November first, a wednedsay. BUT I can double up on an episode today and do the same for a couple others and we will be able to have ag033 on a solarbeam go sunday. That's the new plan.

wait guys I NEED to check if solarbeam go's ep review will be posted on a sunday. if it's close enough I WILL delay it or expedite it to a sunday