Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to be returning to Pokemon Sun and Moon, and also pleased to report that I have no real clue what we’ll actually be doing this episode. Given Ash just recently completed his first Grand Trial, followed by Kaki’s somewhat delayed focus episode, my assumption is that we’ll be getting the gang back together this time, and enjoying another ensemble episode with the whole class. Beyond that, it’s also been quite some time since Team Rocket made anything but a cursory appearance, so I’m guessing we’re about due for another of their dubious schemes. But however things play out, I’m sure the sun will shine brightly, waves will lap gently, and pokemon will battle fiercely through another Alolan day. Let’s get to it!

Episode 12

Hell fucking yes, James himself is performing the episode intro. We’re in rocket country now, folks

“They asked me about whatever, so this Pokemon Problem will be presented by me…” I really appreciate the concept of someone delivering an invitation to present the episode to Team Rocket at their address, A Cave Where A Bear Lives

And we open the episode proper on Team Rocket as well, simply lounging and enjoying the bear cave life. As usual, it feels like this animation team are heavily biased towards the rocket gang; the exaggerated frames of Jessie eating a massive fruit are delightful

It seems Team Rocket are normally just stressed and angry because they’ve got a difficult, unfulfilling job and no vacation time. Please just let them relax, Giovanni

More great, charmingly dazed expressions as the gang idly wonder where a phone’s ringing is coming from. The pastel, full color way of depicting their eyes here does an excellent job of conveying the sense that they’re half asleep and only partially paying attention

Jessie attempting to make up more accomplishments while the boss dutifully examines their results on his pad is way too stressful. Pokemon fights are one thing, status reports with the boss are a whole other realm of terrifying

Bewear is just idly tossing massive boulders around outside, as you do

Go get a new pokemon, Team Rocket! I believe in you!

In a show like this, where the protagonists are all resolutely nice people who work hard and generally find success, I suppose it was inevitable that I’d gravitate towards the villains, who are underdogs with frequently more selfish or desperate (and therefore relatable) motives

“The Extracurricular Lesson is on Hidoide!?!” So it looks like I’m getting both things I wanted – an ensemble class episode, and also a big Team Rocket episode. Heck yeah

Sophocles’ old-fashioned swimsuit is adorable. He looks like a beach ball

Pikachu splashing water with its tail has healed my fractured heart

And eventually the whole gang gets dragged into a splashing fight. The essence of slice of life right here – an extended scene that builds not through external narrative momentum, but through the natural interplay of characters who like each other. The reward is not some larger narrative result, but a reaffirmation of the bonds between these characters, as well as the inherently joyful nature of their time together. Sun and Moon was absolutely right to integrate such a pronounced slice of life component into its drama

Oh my god, Team Rocket has fishing lures that match their signature pokemon. This team really understands the importance of good branding

I feel like Jessie in particular gets so many of the best faces, like her performance here as her donut is stolen by a seagull

Ahahaha. Jessie just throws a pokeball at a Cloister without even battling it, and it promptly eats her ball. While Ash basically embodies “proper trainer behavior,” Team Rocket are less overtly evil than massively incompetent, and their adventures pretty accurately evoke the experience of three drunken pokemon novices all fighting over the same controller, each telling the others that they’re doing it wrong

Ash and Kaki are attacked by a wave of Mareanie, which are apparently called “Hidoide” in Japanese, which is a pretty mean name

They’re kind of adorable, though

It seems no one informed Team Rocket you actually have to battle pokemon to catch them. Instead, they just keep using new tools from the Acme Catalog, like this net cannon that a fish pokemon promptly chews through

Oh jesus, Mimikyu’s rag is just sitting there in the water

Meowth sees its true form, and promptly fucking dies again. Meowth is having a rough time this series

The rest of the gang gives up, and James is forced to soldier on alone in his stupid coral pokemon costume

Time for James to almost die, as a Mareanie breaks the seal on his diving suit and nearly drowns him. You guys should have stayed in the bear cave, I’m telling you

James’ strategy for catching this pokemon is to get poisoned until the point where he actually looks like a Mareanie, and then have this one fall in love with him. An unorthodox tactic, to be sure, but it seems effective

I appreciate that James is still half-dead from poison as he introduces the Pokemon Puzzle

The class split up for pokemon observation, creating a clean opportunity for Ash to run into Team Rocket alone

“It says you’re one handsome hunk of a man.” See, this is why we needed Team Rocket back. Who else could provide the entertainment of watching James flee in circles from an enamored pokemon, all while his teammates just sort of disinterestedly comment on the situation from the sidelines

Welp, here’s Ash. The battle begins!

Excellent cut of Jessie literally putting her foot down here, followed by the camera drawing back as Meowth and Wobbufet enter the frame. I like how the camera shifts keep the energy high, and also present the illusion of perspective shift without actually having to redraw the frame. Jessie’s voice carries the energy backward and leftward from the initial shot of her foot, and then the camera lurches backwards and to the right, as her voice summons the two pokemon into the frame like she’s sending an attack forward

I like that in spite of their efforts to actually catch pokemon, both of Team Rocket’s acquisitions this season have come about because Mimikyu and Mareanie were lonely and wanted friends

Team Rocket… actually… win? Even they can’t believe it

I love how even the aural cues of this episode are on Team Rocket’s side. Even though Ash is ostensibly the protagonist, Team Rocket’s potential victory is met with glorious, triumphant horn fanfare

Aaaand then Bewear grabs them and takes them home. Goddamnit

The gang immediately get back to the important business, like beach volleyball. Poor Team Rocket – even with all their efforts, they were only able to disrupt Ash’s slice of life funtimes for like a minute and a half

More terrific Jessie faces as she hoards all the sweet Bewear juice

And so victory is achieved, sort of, as Team Rocket both establish their secret base and acquire a new pokemon. Progress!

And Done

That episode was fantastic! Not only did it provide all the sunny relaxation material I was hoping for, it was also the most focused and hilarious episode yet for Team Rocket, who once again proved they are unparalleled villains within anime. Team Rocket never really seem like bad people; they seem like lazy and incompetent people with loose morals and a crappy job. Their ideas are bad and teamwork a mess, and watching them stumble over themselves in their efforts to succeed is always a lovely time. This episode celebrated their charm in all sorts of ways, from its procession of misguided plans, to its copious playful expressions, to the obviously inspired choice to have a pokemon fall in love with James. Great comedy, relaxing adventures, and inspired animation from start to finish; this was absolutely a top shelf Sun and Moon episode.

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