Pokemon Company
Airdate: February 25, 2003
Summary: Horsea is chilling in the gym while Misty feeds it some food, now Seel is getting some food, but Psyduck trips. Tracy appears in the gym and asks if Misty needs help, she commissions Tracy to help Psyduck swim. Tracy puts Psyduck through a ton of exercises but is very afraid of the water until you give it a floatie. Sakura appears in front of the gym, but is quickly put on her butt by Psyduck running out of the gym. Misty shows Sakura the gym and she challenges her, but Misty doesn’t have any Cascade badges. Misty calls her sisters but they tell Misty to go to Reforay village where an artisan makes the badges. Sakura, Tracy, and Misty walk to the village but Espeon senses someone in trouble and finds them after twisting their ankle during their morning tree-hopping. Kenzo introduces himself as the badgemaker, HOW CONVENIENT! Kenzo won’t give the badges so easily, telling all three they need to work for it. Our heroes split wood, run to the top of a hill, operate a kiln, forge the metal, and finally make the badges after some welding and painting. Kenzo sends his Feraligatr out and says Misty needs to battle him to get the badges. The gator comes out and flips Psyduck down the hill, it falls into the lake and Kenzo tells them that Misty doesn’t deserve the badges because Psyduck is a Water-Pokemon that can’t swim. Kenzo’s badges are stolen, Sakura sends Beautifly out to find the badge thieves. Two 1980s-style ruffians show the badges, Espeon stops them and their Zigzagoon and Poochyena. Poochyena bites Psyduck’s head to cause it to get confused and takes care of both Pokemon. Kenzo gives Misty a whole bunch of badges, Misty faces Sakura with her Corsola, Corsola uses Spike Cannon but Espeon swims and uses Swift out of the water. Corsola uses Recover, Tackle, and Spike Cannon but an Espeon Tackle+Psybeam defeats Misty. Sakura gets her badge, Misty is happy to give her a badge and they said their goodbyes as Tracy takes Sakura to Prof. Oak’s laboratory.
Best Trainer/Pokémon: Kenzo, I love how he got everyone to make the badges themselves to show some real ownership over the process.
Worst Trainer/Pokémon: The Ruffians, they stole Kenzo’s badge and whined like little babies.
One thing I learned: You most likely have to get gym badges made special order.
Best Quote: “If you prove yourself worthy you will get the badges.” – Kenzo, 100% using them to circumvent his own work.
Best Scene: Psyduck using Disable, as usual a bit of a head bite is all it takes.
