AG072

Revision as of 15:33, 8 July 2013 by Dennou Zenshi (talk | contribs) (→‎Trivia: unclear what it means, not notable, not in the Japanese version, and very bad English)
AG071 : A Six Pack Attack!
Advanced Generation series
AG073 : Grass Hysteria
The Bicker the Better
AG072.png
AG072   EP346
タッグバトル!サトシVSハルカ!?
Tag Battle! Satoshi VS Haruka!?
First broadcast
Japan April 15, 2004
United States April 2, 2005
English themes
Opening This Dream
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening チャレンジャー!!
Ending スマイル
Credits
Animation Team Ota
Screenplay 松井亜弥 Aya Matsui
Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director 渡辺正彦 Masahiko Watanabe
Animation director 志村泉 Izumi Shimura
Additional credits

The Bicker the Better (Japanese: タッグバトル!サトシVSハルカ!? Tag Battle! Satoshi VS Haruka!?) is the 72nd episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 346th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 15, 2004 and in the United States on April 2, 2005.

201
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
201

Synopsis

Ash, Brock, and Max step outside the Pokémon Center, ready to depart to Fortree City. However, Pikachu warns the group that May isn’t ready yet. Ash goes back inside, finding her just finishing up packing. He starts getting upset for an unknown reason. It gets taken out on May for being too slow, and pushes her out of the center. She stops in front of a mirror, further irritating Ash. May states that its normal to do so, but Ash doesn’t, shocking May. When Ash responds that he isn’t a girl, May condescends him, making Ash even more angry.

As the group walks, Ash and May rant about each other, setting off a direct argument, while the others watch. The group runs into the couple Oscar and Andi, challenging Ash and May to a tag battle, proclaiming the two a couple. Although both deny the couple connection, Ash and May accept the challenge.

Oscar summons Nidoking while Andi summons Nidoqueen. Ash summons Corphish. However, May’s pondering for her choice irritates Ash. After deciding, she chooses Skitty. Unfortunately, Corphish and Skitty are unable to work together, canceling each other's attacks. Oscar and Andi pull the win when Corphish and Skitty are both hit with DynamicPunch from both Nidoking and Nidoqueen. Ash and May are left bickering.

Jessie, James, and Meowth are sulking about their lack of progress when Oscar and Andi run into them, challenging Jessie and James to the same match as Ash and May. James uses Cacnea while Jessie uses Seviper. Seviper ends up attacking Cacnea, causing Jessie and James to argue, allowing Oscar and Andi to take the win with dual Hyper Beam attacks, sending Team Rocket flying.

Ash and May are still fighting about the loss, blaming each other, while Max and Brock watch. Jessie and James are also bickering. The two arguing groups cross paths, and another tag battle ensures. James teams up with Ash while Jessie takes May. Although Ash and May are hesitant to fight, they decide to accept. The teams use the same Pokémon used in the previous tag battles.

Corphish and Cacnea work better together than Seviper and Skitty, shifting the battle to James and Ash. Jessie starts to get angry at the thought of losing, so she summons Dustox. The guys protest at her breaking the rules, but she doesn’t care. The battle quickly grows out of control when attacks start to fly undirected. Brock declares the women disqualified, but it is meaningless.

While the battle rages on, Meowth and the others watch from behind cover. Meowth realizes that the chaos could allow them to snatch Pikachu, so he manages to stop Jessie and James from fighting long enough to realize it. They create diversionary attacks with Seviper’s Haze and Cacnea’s Sandstorm, allowing Meowth to snag Pikachu in a net.

Team Rocket tries to run, but May’s Skitty uses Assist-turned-String Shot to stop Team Rocket. Corphish protects Skitty from Seviper, rebuilding the trust between Ash and May, allowing them to work together to free Pikachu and send Team Rocket flying as usual. Ash and May apologize to each other, and the fight ends.

Major events

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series, please see the timeline page.

Debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

Pokémon Trainer's Choice: Onix

Trivia

  • This episode wasn't aired in some countries due to the fact that the episode was regarded as a "battle of the sexes".
  • The episode's dub title is a pun on the phrase "the bigger the better".
  • Blaziken is also legally correct on the Pokémon Trainer's Choice because Ariados is half Bug type and Fire moves are super effective.
    • However, Ariados is also Poison type, making Blaziken's Fighting type moves not very effective, whereas Onix's Ground type moves would be.
  • Stock animal sounds are used for the cries of Nidoqueen and Nidoking.

Errors

  • As May and Ash walk down the hallway in the Pokémon Center there is a poster with an upside down Poké Ball at the bottom of it. After May inspects herself in the mirror this poster is missing.
  • Onix is misspelled as Onyx in the Pokémon Trainer's Choice for this episode.
  • When May checks her Pokédex on Andi's Nidoqueen, she is wearing Ash's gloves.
  • Jessie commands Dustox to use Pin Missile instead of Poison Sting.
  • During Ash and May's argument, May's left hand disappears.
  • Brock says that, according to the rules of Pokémon battles, no Trainer is allowed to use more than one Pokémon in any battle. This is, of course, not true. He may have meant "in any Single Battle", which was the norm back in Generations I and II.
Shot that wasn't shown outside of Japan

Dub edits

  • There is a 2 second shot of Jessie performing an akanbe, which involves pulling her eyelid down and sticking out her tongue at the same time. Like in A Ruin with a View and Clefairy And The Moon Stone, this was cut from the dub. This is mainly because it was a common action in Japan, but not outside Japan (especially US). However, other episodes featuring akanbe before and after this and A Ruin with a View had no such edits.

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

  • Question: Trainers, which one of these Pokémon is the best choice to battle Ariados?
  • Choices: Raichu, Onix, Blaziken
  • Answer: Ok, Trainers! If you chose Onix, you were right!

In other languages



AG071 : A Six Pack Attack!
Advanced Generation series
AG073 : Grass Hysteria
Project Anime logo.png This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.