pokemonpartnerupwithpikachu

Pokémon – Partner Up With Pikachu! Review

Format: DVD

Number of Discs: 1

Classification: U

Audio: English

Run Time: 85 mins (1hr 25mins)

Episode Count: 4

Licensed By: Manga Entertainment

Release Date: Out Now
 
The Pokémon animated series follows the journey of 10 year old Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, as he trains to become a Pokémon Master. Alongside Ash is his trusty pal Pikachu, however it wasn’t always that way. These four episodes take us back to their beginning, of when Ash & Pikachu first met. Followed by their first Gym Battle in Pewter City against Brock, then their battle against Lt. Surge in Vermillion City, and finally in Pikachu’s Goodbye!

These are four hand selected episodes from the first season of Pokémon, dating back to 1997. A franchise that is still going strong to this day, including the show which has now racked up 1,066 episodes as of writing this, as well as nearly 22 films with the latest coming out this July in Japan (Mewtwo Strikes Back: EVOLUTION).

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The first episode on this single disc release is the very first one in the animated series. Season 1 was known as the ‘Indigo League. Episode One was entitled – “Pokemon, I Choose You!” In this debut episode we meet the young Ash Ketchum, the night before he sets out on his Pokémon adventure. After a late start, Ash is only left with one Pokémon to choose from at Professor Oak’s lab. A Pikachu, and a very cranky one at that. Throughout this episode we see how Ash knows very little about the Pokémon World, by heavily relying on the PokeDex Dexter for guidance.

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Our Second episode is “Showdown in Pewter City” which was the fifth episode in the series. Here we meet Brock for the first time, who later travels with Ash on his journey and acts like a Big Brother to him. Before they became best pals, Brock was the eldest of nine siblings and the leader of the Pewter City Gym. Here they battled in Ash’s first step to enter the Indigo League by getting the Boulder Badge. An exciting episode with gym battles, new Pokémon and Brock getting the chance to leave home and begin his own journey.

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Our third episode is “Electric Shock Showdown” , the 14th episode in the series. Here Ash goes up against the fierce Lt. Surge and his undefeated Raichu, in order to get the Thunder Badge. This was Pikachu’s toughest fight yet as he goes head to head against his evolution. Here Pikachu and Ash face a choice, either use a Thunderstone to evolve and gain the power they need to win the battle or come up with another strategy. Just like the episode title says, this was certainly a shocking battle.

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Lastly we have “Pikachu’s Goodbye” which was Episode 40 in the English dub. Whilst travelling through a forest, the group discovers a group of wild Pikachu. It takes some time for the wild Pikachu to accept Ash’s as one of them, but after a swimming accident our own Pikachu becomes their hero. Here Ash makes the tough decision as to what is best for his Pika-pal, to force him to keep travelling around the World with him, or let Pikachu live amongst his own kind. Well for Veteran Pokemon fans, we all know the answer to this question and we all most certainly still well up at the except same moment. It’s all still too fresh from the tears we shed in “Bye Bye Butterfree”.

Now there are no special features in this release and it is only available on DVD. However you do get the famous PokéRap at the end of each episode. Personally I don’t really see the point in picking this release up, as it’s only 4 episodes. Especially when you can buy all of Season 1 on DVD & BluRay. Perhaps if you know a child that you want to get into Pokémon, then perhaps this would be a great introduction.

You can buy it now in nearly all of the larger Supermarkets in England, such as ASDA, Morrisons and Tesco. In Ireland you can find it in Penneys, HMV, Golden Discs and online.

Overall: 6/10
 

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