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Pokémon Anime Daily: Sun & Moon Episode 42 Summary/Review

Ash and friends head to Kanto and meet some very familiar faces!

In this week’s episode, the gang will be heading to Professor Oak’s lab in Kanto, and meeting up with some old friends: Brock and Misty!

It’s the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon School, so to celebrate the students, Kukui and Principal Oak will be going to the Kanto region for a special series of lessons. There, they’ll be visiting Professor Oak’s lab, interacting with Pokémon native to Kanto. Ash is disappointed about having to spend time going back home and meeting Pokémon he’s grown up with; however his excitement returns when Principal Oak mentions they’ll be meeting special guests who Ash might remember.

Ash isn’t as excited to be heading back to Kanto.

On the plane, the students talk excitedly about all the different Pokémon they want to meet, and Ash says he’ll show them everything and introduce them all to his Pokémon. Kiawe meanwhile is confused at how the plane is flying, having never have flown on anything apart from his Charizard. As they disembark the plane, we see that Team Rocket have also flown to Kanto as they need to report to Team Rocket Headquarters.

Walking through the airport, Lillie’s Vulpix is feeling sick and struggles to walk. A man walks up to Lillie, introducing himself as a Pokémon Doctor, and says he’ll have a look at Vulpix for her: it’s none other than Brock! Brock checks out Vulpix and says that it’s just dizzy from the flight. At that moment, Ash, standing further away with the rest of his friends, realises that Brock is here and runs to hug him. At the same time, someone has caught Brock’s eye – a beautiful flight attendant, who he runs off to profess his love to. Misty then appears, pulling Brock by the ear and berating him for making a scene in the airport. Ash is beyond himself at seeing both Brock and Misty again, behaving just as they used to.

Just like old times.

Ash brings Misty and Brock to meet the rest of the students. Misty introduces herself as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, and Brock as a Pokémon Doctor and Gym Leader of Pewter City. The students are amazed at having finally met a Gym Leader. Professor Oak had asked Misty and Brock to meet the students at the airport, and at that moment Ash realises that his two old travelling companions are the special guests for the lessons. As they head off to Professor Oak’s lab, Team Rocket have been watching this unfold. They decide that they’ll make a stop at Professor Oak’s lab before going to the headquarters, to catch some rare Pokémon.

The lab is full of exciting Pokémon!

The friends arrive in Professor Oak’s lab, where RotomDex is astounded that both Oaks look so similar. Professor Oak recites a poem, as he used to in older series of the anime. The friends all explore the huge Lab and look at all the Pokémon. Ash sees his 30 Tauros, who stampede towards him, ending as well as you might expect. The rest of the students explore, trying to find Pokémon that interest them.

Kiawe races a Rapidash.

Kiawe sees a Rapidash, majestic and ready to run. He climbs onto his Charizard and races the Rapidash, which then invites him to jump on and ride with it. Kiawe is overcome with emotion, beign able to meet a new and beautiful Fire-type Pokémon. Mallow meanwhile has headed to a garden and met Gloom and Vileplume. She is struck by their beauty and their magnificent scent, but has to flee when a Vileplume uses PoisonPowder! Sophocles encounters a Kantonian Raichu, overly exciting Togedemaru. Lillie meets a Kantonian Ninetales, and Lana’s Popplio plays with its bubbles with a Dewgong. RotomDex is just excited at seeing so many new Pokémon in the one place, and takes heaps of photos to try and complete its data on Kanto Pokémon, showing everyone pictures of Pokémon including Ash’s Squirtle in its Squirtle Squad gear.

Ash’s Muk is just as affectionate as it used to be!

More formal education begins, with Brock and Misty showing the students the differences between Kantonian and Alolan Pokémon. The students see a Kantonian Exeggutor for the first time, before Brock sends out his Kantonian Geodude and compares it to an Alolan Geodude. Ash’s Kantonian Muk appears and hugs him, as an Alolan Muk sits next to it, watching. Kiawe gets upset seeing a Kantonian Dugtrio, thinking it dropped its hair. He gives the Dugtrio a wig, as Ash explains that Kantonian Dugtrio don’t have hair at all.

Kiawe can’t bear to see Dugtrio without hair.

Brock shows everyone a Kantonian Marowak, and Kiawe sends out his Alolan Marowak so the students can observe the differences between them, both in appearance and type. Their behaviour is no different though, as they both butt heads and start to fight. Pikachu attempts to break them up, but the two Marowak turn on Pikachu and attack him. Togedemaru leaps up to Pikachu’s defence and starts chasing after the Marowak, but Pikachu decides to put a stop to the fighting by using Thunderbolt, shocking all people and Pokémon around, with the exception of the Kantonian Marowak.

The friends then realise that Lana’s Popplio and Kiawe’s Marowak are missing, so they split up to look for it. Ash, Brock and Misty head off together, looking for the Pokémon in the forest. A Caterpie appears, and Misty freaks out – Ash comments that some things really don’t change. As they walk through the forest, they reflect on the great adventures they had, and how walking together feels like those adventures. Ash then sees his Bulbasaur, which immediately grins and leaps onto him in excitement. Brock mentions that this is the first time he’s seen Bulbasaur happy in a long time.

It’s easy to feel nostalgic when you’re walking with your friends.

Misty joins the girls in looking around the lake for Popplio. A Gyarados attempts to scare them off, but Lana and Misty dive into the lake, and see Popplio playing underwater with a group of Horsea and Totodile. The boys have grouped together to look for Kiawe’s Marowak when an Onix appears out of the ground! Brock advises everyone to stay still and be quiet until the Onix moves on, but a few moments later Kiawe’s Marowak appears and uses Bone Club, angering the Onix and chasing them all away.

Everyone comes back together, glad they have found the missing Pokémon, when Team Rocket appear in a giant robotic Meowth, and steal all the Pokémon. Misty is amazed that Team Rocket still hasn’t moved on. Ash’s Lycanroc, Brock’s Crobat and Misty’s Staryu all attack the Robotic Meowth, which explodes. Jessie sends out Mimikyu, ready to attack, when something drops out of the sky – it’s Bewear, and it runs off with Team Rocket yet again.

Angery reacts only.

The friends are all left confused about what just happened, when out of the wreckage of the robot Meowth pops a Jigglypuff! The girls are excited about seeing their first Jigglypuff, but Ash, Misty and Brock recognise that Jigglypuff as the one that used to follow them around, trying to sing but always getting mad when they fall asleep. Jigglypuff sings for them all but once again they all fall asleep. Upset, Jigglypuff uses its microphone-marker to draw on their faces, just as it used to do.

Mew sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake.

As the sun begins to set, the friends all wake up and laugh at each other’s funny faces. Delia Ketchum calls everyone for dinner, and they all eat outside the lab. Delia introduces herself to Ash’s friends, as we see Mew watching them all from behind a tree before it flies off.

Kiawe announces that tomorrow the friends will be heading to Cerulean Gym to battle Misty and Brock. Check out our next article to find out how that battle goes!

Images from Olivia1. Edited by Rabinov, SirBoglor & Z25.