PS Recap Eight: Come Surf With Me
Jul. 8th, 2010 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elementalheroLet's suuurrrrf, let's surf away... If you can't fight off a Dragonite, I'll pop in and save the day... Oh wait, this song parody might spoil the plot.
Chapter 24: Vs. Dragonite (American title: What a Dragonite)
Look, more song parodies in titles. I'm not the only one!
This chapter, Red is swimming in the bay off Route 19, attempting to locate the Hidden Machine that will enable him to teach his Pokemon "Surf," the move that will allow them to traverse the sea. Krabby and Poliwhirl are swimming along next to him as he follows the pings of his Itemfinder, hoping to zero in on it soon.
In a short flashback, Professor Oak explains that there are currently five Hidden Machines that teach vital moves: Flash (to light up caves - Pikachu has that already), Strength (to move large objects - given to Snorlax), Cut (to navigate dense woods and brush - Saur has that), and finally, Surf and Fly, which Red hasn't found yet. Red's next target is the Seafoam Islands, so he needs to find Surf. Oh, and he also needs to find it because that dang Green already found it.
He finally spots the HM within its protective Pokeball-shaped covering (this is just the manga attempting to incorporate how items are found in Pokeball-shaped containers in-game), and begins to swim towards it. Wow, this kid can really hold his breath. He should have been a pearl diver.
But there is the problem of a HUGE Pokemon swimming in the area:
How far down into the sea is Red, anyway? It can't be very shallow if that Dragonite's there, but if he goes too far down, how is he not getting the bends? Eh, whatever.
The Dragonite lazily swats them out of the water with its tail, and they are back to square one. They can't get to the HM without luring the Dragonite out of the water.
Red sends Pika down, attached to a fishing line so he can be fished back out, in order to get Dragonite's attention. Then they yank Pika out, pursued by a giant pissed-off dragon, and Snorlax takes the lead in punching it in the face. Red forgot to factor in how much these two enormous Pokemon weigh put together, however, and the force of their weight and struggle causes the rocky outcropping on which they were standing to collapse into the sea.
Red swims away furiously, but the Dragonite spots him, and tries to fry him with an underwater Hyper Beam. Thankfully, it misses! Unthankfully, it hits the HM! It also dislodges some of the rubble. Red's starting to lose air, and a rock is heading straight for him.
Realistic breath-holding ability in MY manga?
The boulder lands on Red's leg, pinning him down and preventing him from reaching air. (It is unclear whether it breaks his leg or just kind of pins him.) As Red's lungs fill up with water and he begins to lose consciousness, he thinks he sees a mermaid and her Gyarados fight off the Dragonite.
Wait, that's an oddly familiar side-ponytail.
Red surfaces and coughs for a bit (he was underwater WAY too long to not be choking more than that, but we'll give it to them, because this is a kid's manga and not The Perfect Storm). He is confused at first, because he seems to be sitting on the surface of the water, but he looks down farther and realizes he is being supported by a Starmie. Red puts together the Gyarados, Starmie, and the mermaid with the familiar hair, and realizes...
oh hey, Misty saved his ass. AWESOME. She also retrieved the HM, but it's completely trashed and unusable. Then she reminds Red that if he needed to cross the ocean, he should have just called her up, as she is the Water Pokemon Expert!
Thumbs-up save the day!
Chapter 25: Vs. Articuno (American title: You Know, Articuno!)
A legendary bird is flying over the Seafoam Islands, with Team Rocket in hot pursuit. We then see it nest in a grove covered in ice.
Meanwhile, Misty is teaching Red how to Surf, using her Gyarados. Red's finally getting the hang of it, but then crashes comically into the beach. Ho ho! Misty has to leave and attend to her Gym duties, so she trades her Gyarados, which already knows Surf, for Red's Krabby, and leaves. Before leaving, she adds that Gyarados is all better from that whole incident with the blood and the rampaging, so there should be no problem. Gyarados makes a cute face.
d'aww
Red is a little bit unsure about Gyarados, but he vows to make the best of it. As they move, the air gets colder and colder. Red realizes Articuno must be somewhere nearby, as everything is beginning to get iced over the farther into the island they get. He lets his Pokemon out of their balls to help him search, and also to introduce Gyarados to them.
They're still unsure, though.
Suddenly, a Muk attacks from behind! Pika moves to attack, but when Gyarados joins in, Pika flinches and backs away. Red is Displeased with this disunity, but before he can give a friendship speech, a shuriken strikes the ground right where his foot was going to go.
Yup, Team Rocket's here, and they intend to walk off with Articuno, who has frozen itself into a block of ice to protect itself. Red won't stand for that, and orders Gyarados to attack. However, Gyarados's Team-Rocket-related PTSD kicks in, and he can't attack because he is having a trauma flashback.
Articuno breaks its ice barrier and flies off, but Red orders his team to stay back. What's more important than catching Articuno or defeating Team Rocket right now is helping Gyarados, who is being nommed on by Muk and needs their help. Friendship speech time! After Eevee jumps in to help first, remembering his treatment at their hands, the rest follow suit quickly. Articuno is started to get Pissed Off, and flaps its wings in a huge ice attack. Red shields himself, but finds that only Muk has been frozen. Aww, <3
Articuno flies off with Team Rocket still in hot pursuit, but Red decides to leave it alone. Instead, teamwork and friendship was formed today! Yaaaay :D
Chapter 26: Vs. Moltres (American title: Holy Moltres!)
As Red approaches Cinnabar Island, Team Rocket searches a room for clues as to the apparent betrayal of one of their own. "We'll find you, Blaine!" the leader vows, crumpling a paper dramatically in his hand.
There appears to be a raging fire in one part of the island, so Red Surfs over there to check it out, of course, even if it means he has to climb up a sheer cliff. He peeks his head over the ledge to see Team Rocket fighting an Arcanine and Rapidash, two Fire Pokemon that belong to Blaine. However, Blaine is nowhere to be seen. Then Red manages to get caught like a moron, and Blaine jumps out from his hiding place to defend him.
Team Rocket threatens Red's life if Blaine doesn't come quietly. Red doesn't like this, and releases Gyarados's ball into the sea below him, in order to execute this dramatic shit:
Aww yeah BD
Blaine grabs Red and they make a break for it on Rapidash. As they run, Blaine introduces himself to Red and explains that he was once a scientist who worked for Team Rocket. This explanation is cut short, though, because they are being pursued by a fireball that turns out to be the legendary bird of Fire, Moltres. It's so hot, not even Poli's Water Gun can reach it, evaporating immediately. Apparently, Team Rocket captured Moltres way up on the Indigo Plateau, and now Blaine and Red are S.O.L.
After taking a beating for a couple pages, Blaine tells Red that if they had a Pokemon that could fly, they'd be able to turn the tables in their favor, as Moltres currently has the advantage of flight and they don't. Suddenly -
Remember this? The fossil that Giovanni gave Red? Did you think it wasn't going to show up again? If you did, you have obviously never read Pokemon Special.
Blaine identifies the fossil as Old Amber, and realizes something. He puts Red on Rapidash's back and tells him that Rapidash will take him to Blaine's SEKRIT LAB. Red is sent off, while Blaine helps Gyarados fend of Moltres for as long as he can. Rapidash lets them in and dumps Red on a couch, agitatedly attempting to communicate something to him. Red's like OH I KNOW, THIS IS A TRAP BECAUSE HE'S FORMER TEAM ROCKET, and Rapidash kicks Red into the corner of the room. Ouch!
Rapidash gives Red a book (held in her mouth - this is one badass firey horse, lemme tell you) on Blaine's research in fossil revival. Red takes the Old Amber and places it in a machine in the room. As the machine activates, Blaine says, "Hurry Red...that fossil contains a powerful ancient Pokemon..."
Cue "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
Red's like squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I have a dinosaur Pokemon this is every eleven-year-old boy's dream and they take off for the fight!
Blaine looks like he's done for... "I can't die here," he says to himself. "I must find the Pokemon that escaped...Otherwise, we'll all die at the hands of the thing I created...Mewtwo!" He passes out from the heat. Is this the end?
No way, man, it's BIG DAMN HEROES TIME!
Blaine then identifies the dinosaur as Aerodactyl
Aero wounds Moltres's wing, and Team Rocket recalls it in order to beat a hasty retreat. Blaine thanks Red, but says they must part ways, for he has to destroy the bio-weapon of his own creation... Red, meanwhile, will be returning to Pallet Town.
In the Silph Company headquarters in Saffron, meanwhile, Koga returns to see Sabrina, reporting his failure to kill Blaine, even with Moltres. Also, LIEUTENANT SURGE IS ALIVE OMG.
Giovanni reminds us who the real badass is in this series...and it's not the trainer that's not him.
Chapter 27: Vs. Kadabra (American title: Kalling Kadabra!)
Blue is attempting to use her feminine wiles to get into Saffron City by the west entrance. Surprisingly it doesn't work. Apparently, no one can get into Saffron right now.
Plotting~
Green is also prevented entry at the south gate. He grumbles to himself that four roads lead into this central city, and yet they're all blocked off! However, he finally evolved his Charmeleon into Charizard, so they're going to try Flying in. On the way up, he spots...a girl with a floating Jigglypuff?
Green sums up his attitude to this whole manga.
Blue tries to warn him not to try flying in, but too late. Green and Charizard thunk into a transparent barrier that is blocking the entire city off from the world. Blue takes off her special goggles and informs Green that this is a barrier created by a Psychic Pokemon, one impregnable except by another Psychic of equal power. Green tries killing it with fire, just in case. No luck. Blue asks if he wants to team up with her, but Green ignores her and decides to see his grandpa.
Red is also approaching the professor's lab, being back in Pallet after a long while of journeying. Town is oddly quiet for noontime, but Red just kind of shrugs. As he walks in and sees Oak with his back to him, Red jovially greets him, mentioning that he was a little worried about town's eerie quietness, but his Pokedex is doing great, and for some reason he can't get into Saffron...
However, the professor suddenly attacks! Red is like OMGWTFBBQ and defends with Saur, while Oak grabs a lead pipe and then blasts Ivysaur with EYE BEAMS. Red realizes it's a Psychic Pokemon in some sort of glamour, and after attacking for a bit, reveals it to be a Kadabra. Sabrina pops up to remark that the Hypnosis move works just as well on people as it does on Pokemon (there you go, kids, some Paranoia Fuel for your lives).
She delivers a message that Team Rocket expects him in Saffron City.
Red attempts to knock her out of the air, but her eyes flash and Red is crushed the the ground by some invisible force. He attempts to attack her, but Ivysaur's Razor Leaf phases right through her. She chuckles and vanishes.
Badass.
Green finally shows up and gives Red a photograph of Saffron taken from the air. Apparently, the city is now rife with members of Team Rocket! :O
Next Time: Severe injuries.
Chapter 24: Vs. Dragonite (American title: What a Dragonite)
Look, more song parodies in titles. I'm not the only one!
This chapter, Red is swimming in the bay off Route 19, attempting to locate the Hidden Machine that will enable him to teach his Pokemon "Surf," the move that will allow them to traverse the sea. Krabby and Poliwhirl are swimming along next to him as he follows the pings of his Itemfinder, hoping to zero in on it soon.
In a short flashback, Professor Oak explains that there are currently five Hidden Machines that teach vital moves: Flash (to light up caves - Pikachu has that already), Strength (to move large objects - given to Snorlax), Cut (to navigate dense woods and brush - Saur has that), and finally, Surf and Fly, which Red hasn't found yet. Red's next target is the Seafoam Islands, so he needs to find Surf. Oh, and he also needs to find it because that dang Green already found it.
He finally spots the HM within its protective Pokeball-shaped covering (this is just the manga attempting to incorporate how items are found in Pokeball-shaped containers in-game), and begins to swim towards it. Wow, this kid can really hold his breath. He should have been a pearl diver.
But there is the problem of a HUGE Pokemon swimming in the area:
How far down into the sea is Red, anyway? It can't be very shallow if that Dragonite's there, but if he goes too far down, how is he not getting the bends? Eh, whatever.
The Dragonite lazily swats them out of the water with its tail, and they are back to square one. They can't get to the HM without luring the Dragonite out of the water.
Red sends Pika down, attached to a fishing line so he can be fished back out, in order to get Dragonite's attention. Then they yank Pika out, pursued by a giant pissed-off dragon, and Snorlax takes the lead in punching it in the face. Red forgot to factor in how much these two enormous Pokemon weigh put together, however, and the force of their weight and struggle causes the rocky outcropping on which they were standing to collapse into the sea.
Red swims away furiously, but the Dragonite spots him, and tries to fry him with an underwater Hyper Beam. Thankfully, it misses! Unthankfully, it hits the HM! It also dislodges some of the rubble. Red's starting to lose air, and a rock is heading straight for him.
Realistic breath-holding ability in MY manga?
The boulder lands on Red's leg, pinning him down and preventing him from reaching air. (It is unclear whether it breaks his leg or just kind of pins him.) As Red's lungs fill up with water and he begins to lose consciousness, he thinks he sees a mermaid and her Gyarados fight off the Dragonite.
Wait, that's an oddly familiar side-ponytail.
Red surfaces and coughs for a bit (he was underwater WAY too long to not be choking more than that, but we'll give it to them, because this is a kid's manga and not The Perfect Storm). He is confused at first, because he seems to be sitting on the surface of the water, but he looks down farther and realizes he is being supported by a Starmie. Red puts together the Gyarados, Starmie, and the mermaid with the familiar hair, and realizes...
oh hey, Misty saved his ass. AWESOME. She also retrieved the HM, but it's completely trashed and unusable. Then she reminds Red that if he needed to cross the ocean, he should have just called her up, as she is the Water Pokemon Expert!
Thumbs-up save the day!
Chapter 25: Vs. Articuno (American title: You Know, Articuno!)
A legendary bird is flying over the Seafoam Islands, with Team Rocket in hot pursuit. We then see it nest in a grove covered in ice.
Meanwhile, Misty is teaching Red how to Surf, using her Gyarados. Red's finally getting the hang of it, but then crashes comically into the beach. Ho ho! Misty has to leave and attend to her Gym duties, so she trades her Gyarados, which already knows Surf, for Red's Krabby, and leaves. Before leaving, she adds that Gyarados is all better from that whole incident with the blood and the rampaging, so there should be no problem. Gyarados makes a cute face.
d'aww
Red is a little bit unsure about Gyarados, but he vows to make the best of it. As they move, the air gets colder and colder. Red realizes Articuno must be somewhere nearby, as everything is beginning to get iced over the farther into the island they get. He lets his Pokemon out of their balls to help him search, and also to introduce Gyarados to them.
They're still unsure, though.
Suddenly, a Muk attacks from behind! Pika moves to attack, but when Gyarados joins in, Pika flinches and backs away. Red is Displeased with this disunity, but before he can give a friendship speech, a shuriken strikes the ground right where his foot was going to go.
Yup, Team Rocket's here, and they intend to walk off with Articuno, who has frozen itself into a block of ice to protect itself. Red won't stand for that, and orders Gyarados to attack. However, Gyarados's Team-Rocket-related PTSD kicks in, and he can't attack because he is having a trauma flashback.
Articuno breaks its ice barrier and flies off, but Red orders his team to stay back. What's more important than catching Articuno or defeating Team Rocket right now is helping Gyarados, who is being nommed on by Muk and needs their help. Friendship speech time! After Eevee jumps in to help first, remembering his treatment at their hands, the rest follow suit quickly. Articuno is started to get Pissed Off, and flaps its wings in a huge ice attack. Red shields himself, but finds that only Muk has been frozen. Aww, <3
Articuno flies off with Team Rocket still in hot pursuit, but Red decides to leave it alone. Instead, teamwork and friendship was formed today! Yaaaay :D
Chapter 26: Vs. Moltres (American title: Holy Moltres!)
As Red approaches Cinnabar Island, Team Rocket searches a room for clues as to the apparent betrayal of one of their own. "We'll find you, Blaine!" the leader vows, crumpling a paper dramatically in his hand.
There appears to be a raging fire in one part of the island, so Red Surfs over there to check it out, of course, even if it means he has to climb up a sheer cliff. He peeks his head over the ledge to see Team Rocket fighting an Arcanine and Rapidash, two Fire Pokemon that belong to Blaine. However, Blaine is nowhere to be seen. Then Red manages to get caught like a moron, and Blaine jumps out from his hiding place to defend him.
Team Rocket threatens Red's life if Blaine doesn't come quietly. Red doesn't like this, and releases Gyarados's ball into the sea below him, in order to execute this dramatic shit:
Aww yeah BD
Blaine grabs Red and they make a break for it on Rapidash. As they run, Blaine introduces himself to Red and explains that he was once a scientist who worked for Team Rocket. This explanation is cut short, though, because they are being pursued by a fireball that turns out to be the legendary bird of Fire, Moltres. It's so hot, not even Poli's Water Gun can reach it, evaporating immediately. Apparently, Team Rocket captured Moltres way up on the Indigo Plateau, and now Blaine and Red are S.O.L.
After taking a beating for a couple pages, Blaine tells Red that if they had a Pokemon that could fly, they'd be able to turn the tables in their favor, as Moltres currently has the advantage of flight and they don't. Suddenly -
Remember this? The fossil that Giovanni gave Red? Did you think it wasn't going to show up again? If you did, you have obviously never read Pokemon Special.
Blaine identifies the fossil as Old Amber, and realizes something. He puts Red on Rapidash's back and tells him that Rapidash will take him to Blaine's SEKRIT LAB. Red is sent off, while Blaine helps Gyarados fend of Moltres for as long as he can. Rapidash lets them in and dumps Red on a couch, agitatedly attempting to communicate something to him. Red's like OH I KNOW, THIS IS A TRAP BECAUSE HE'S FORMER TEAM ROCKET, and Rapidash kicks Red into the corner of the room. Ouch!
Rapidash gives Red a book (held in her mouth - this is one badass firey horse, lemme tell you) on Blaine's research in fossil revival. Red takes the Old Amber and places it in a machine in the room. As the machine activates, Blaine says, "Hurry Red...that fossil contains a powerful ancient Pokemon..."
Cue "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
Red's like squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I have a dinosaur Pokemon this is every eleven-year-old boy's dream and they take off for the fight!
Blaine looks like he's done for... "I can't die here," he says to himself. "I must find the Pokemon that escaped...Otherwise, we'll all die at the hands of the thing I created...Mewtwo!" He passes out from the heat. Is this the end?
No way, man, it's BIG DAMN HEROES TIME!
Blaine then identifies the dinosaur as Aerodactyl
Aero wounds Moltres's wing, and Team Rocket recalls it in order to beat a hasty retreat. Blaine thanks Red, but says they must part ways, for he has to destroy the bio-weapon of his own creation... Red, meanwhile, will be returning to Pallet Town.
In the Silph Company headquarters in Saffron, meanwhile, Koga returns to see Sabrina, reporting his failure to kill Blaine, even with Moltres. Also, LIEUTENANT SURGE IS ALIVE OMG.
Giovanni reminds us who the real badass is in this series...and it's not the trainer that's not him.
Chapter 27: Vs. Kadabra (American title: Kalling Kadabra!)
Blue is attempting to use her feminine wiles to get into Saffron City by the west entrance. Surprisingly it doesn't work. Apparently, no one can get into Saffron right now.
Plotting~
Green is also prevented entry at the south gate. He grumbles to himself that four roads lead into this central city, and yet they're all blocked off! However, he finally evolved his Charmeleon into Charizard, so they're going to try Flying in. On the way up, he spots...a girl with a floating Jigglypuff?
Green sums up his attitude to this whole manga.
Blue tries to warn him not to try flying in, but too late. Green and Charizard thunk into a transparent barrier that is blocking the entire city off from the world. Blue takes off her special goggles and informs Green that this is a barrier created by a Psychic Pokemon, one impregnable except by another Psychic of equal power. Green tries killing it with fire, just in case. No luck. Blue asks if he wants to team up with her, but Green ignores her and decides to see his grandpa.
Red is also approaching the professor's lab, being back in Pallet after a long while of journeying. Town is oddly quiet for noontime, but Red just kind of shrugs. As he walks in and sees Oak with his back to him, Red jovially greets him, mentioning that he was a little worried about town's eerie quietness, but his Pokedex is doing great, and for some reason he can't get into Saffron...
However, the professor suddenly attacks! Red is like OMGWTFBBQ and defends with Saur, while Oak grabs a lead pipe and then blasts Ivysaur with EYE BEAMS. Red realizes it's a Psychic Pokemon in some sort of glamour, and after attacking for a bit, reveals it to be a Kadabra. Sabrina pops up to remark that the Hypnosis move works just as well on people as it does on Pokemon (there you go, kids, some Paranoia Fuel for your lives).
She delivers a message that Team Rocket expects him in Saffron City.
Red attempts to knock her out of the air, but her eyes flash and Red is crushed the the ground by some invisible force. He attempts to attack her, but Ivysaur's Razor Leaf phases right through her. She chuckles and vanishes.
Badass.
Green finally shows up and gives Red a photograph of Saffron taken from the air. Apparently, the city is now rife with members of Team Rocket! :O
Next Time: Severe injuries.
