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Review of episode 416: "Wabba Palooza"
Summary for: Wabba-Palooza
By: Steven Reich
Episode title origin: Lollapalooza, some sort of concert thing.
Teaser:
Our heroes are eating a meal, when a Wobbuffet appears. After doing a quick
spot check to see if Team Rocket is around (they're getting smarter...well,
Misty and Brock are, anyway). Not seeing them, they decide to follow it.
Cue ultra-snazzy Season 4 theme.
Anyway, our heroes follow the Wobbuffet to a village where everyone has a
Wobbuffet, the Pokémon that looks, well, constipated (hey, I can use that
word-they used it on Jackie Chan Adventures). Anyway, on the other side of
town, Team Rocket is hiding in the bushes with their Wobbuffet, when they are
spotted by a local villager (can't these people put two and two together?
They're wearing big shirts with Rs on them), who gives them food and a
headband to Wobbuffet. Team Rocket, ever ungrateful, plots to steal the
entire supply of festival food. Meanwhile (as if the plot wasn't complicated
enough), a group of three guys (two are identified by the captioning as
Greaser and Pretty Boy-not exactly Jet* material, I must say) are plotting to
kick some Wobbuffet hide with their fighting Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Wobbuffet are dropping left and right, and our heroes run into
Team Rocket, who is promptly accused (and for once, innocent). In any event,
the real bullies are confronted, who were beaten away last year by a
trainer's strong Wobbuffet and vowed revenge. The townspeople sent for the
trainer and the local Officer Jenny (who also has a Wobbuffet who wears a
police hat). Back at the site, our heroes find out that Pokémon battles are
not allowed in town during the festival, out of respect for Wobbuffet's
Second-Strike** status. As such, the gang proceeds to destroy the giant
Wobbuffet statue in the middle of town. Since battles are not allowed, only
one group of people can stop this madness-Team Rocket (I could draw a
real-world comparison here, but I won't)! Yes, they beat back the vandals,
then go back to their balloon. They might have gotten away with stealing the
food, too, except their bag has a tear in it. They are promptly grounded, but
show little concern, as they believe they are still under the no-battle rule.
However, Officer Jenny states that that law no longer applies, as they have
left the city limits (you go, Jenny!). I think you know what ensues here.
Tag:
Our heroes wave good-bye, having saved the day.
Who's that Pokémon: Sneasel (Boo! Hiss! Die! Die! Die!)
Moral of the Episode: Hospitality is to be repaid, not betrayed.
Analysis: Another enjoyable episode, with more movie music. I'd still like to
see Officer Jenny take a more prominent role in crime-fighting. I mean, Jack
Webb practically did more in each episode of Dragnet than Officer Jenny does
in the entire run of Pokémon (well, maybe a season).
Steven Reich
Webmaster Pokéwatch
*West Side Story Reference
**Cold War Reference
