Character Debuts: Tracey Sketchit – Our first main character replacement of many over the course of the series, Tracey was created for the purpose of having a more “anglo-looking” main character since the series was taking off globally. They thought Brock looked like too much of a Japanese stereotype with his eye design, so Tracey was brought in and Brock was booted. However, eventually, they did realize that no one gave a Sketchit about Brock’s design and missed him, so he was brought back when Johto started, and Tracey was sent to live with Professor Oak forever.
That actually is interesting that they more or less ‘kept’ Tracey after he left. Other companions only get like the once-in-a-blue-moon special episode or mini-arc to reappear, but Tracey semi-regularly pops back up whenever Oak is shown.
Anyhoo, since I already explained my opinions on Tracey in my Orange League Preamble, I’ll just copy/paste that here.
“I don’t have anything against Not-Brock. Honestly. I never did. I like that he draws a lot, I like that he’s into Pokémon research, I like his small assortment of Pokémon.
One could argue he’s blander than Brock, and…yeah, there’s a grain of truth in that, but it’s not that bad. He’s just, ya know….Not Brock. My opinion may change on the rewatch. We’ll have to see.
As a kid, I never liked major cast changes in regard to people leaving. I still don’t, to be honest, but I’ve gotten a little better about it…..Just a little. I’m a grump stuck in my ways. It’s hard to accept major changes in something you love.
Back when Tracey was introduced, we had no idea Brock would ever return. That’s one of the major reasons why Tracey got such shit when he was introduced. It wasn’t just that he was bland or replaced Brock, it was that we felt like we’d never see Brock again, and we blamed Tracey for it. Up until this point, no character, Pokémon or human, who has departed the show had ever returned.”
So, yeah, Tracey’s fine. I will probably call him Not-Brock a few times through Orange….*shrug*
That being said, I read through the Dogasu’s Backpack comparison of this episode again, and I agree with their viewpoint that, no matter if you like Tracey/Kenji or not, his creation was a sign of a disappointing trend in Pokémon that continues to this day. The staff behind Pokémon realized how big it was getting and decided to eliminate a good chunk of the Japanese from this Japanese show to be more appealing to a global audience. It wasn’t just that they were worried Brock was a stereotype – they genuinely did just want to do more to neutralize the world in which this show takes place.
…..Also, like with Pokémon Breeding, could they have not come up with a better name for his chosen specialty than “Pokémon Watching”? Just call it Pokémon research or something. I know bird watching exists, but that sounds weird for some reason.
Pokémon: Tracey currently has a Venonat and a Marill, both of which are used to help him in Pokémon Watching. Venonat has radar-vision to track hidden Pokémon, and Marill has fantastic hearing to listen for Pokémon Venonat can’t see. It can also help Tracey with Watching Pokémon underwater.
His Marill was rather novel when he was first shown as Marill was one of the few new Gen II Pokémon teased before Johto debuted. This technically isn’t its first appearance as one appears in Pikachu’s Summer Vacation, but this is the first time one’s been featured in the show proper.
He’ll later obtain an older Scyther who is typically only used for battling, on the rare occasions he does so, and doesn’t really have a special Watching ability.
Captures: LAPRAS!!!!!! Lapras is here! One of the best Pokémon ever has graced us with its presence!
Oh yeah, it’s Ash’s, but who cares? It’s LAPRAS!
….Am I meant to say more?
Okay.
Well, Lapras is basically Ash and co’s boat for a large majority of the Orange Island saga. Sure, Lapras gets used in battle, but its role is mostly just a mode of transportation.
This Lapras in particular is a baby, and it was separated from its family. It feared humans due to some of them abusing it after it got washed up on shore and, as we’ll see later in the season, a Pokémon poacher hunting its school before it got separated from them.
Ash catches it with the promise of reuniting it with its family some day. While he’s never shown making an effort to look, he does luck into finding them at the end of the season and Lapras departs from Ash and joins its family.
Plot: After seeing Brock off at Ivy’s lab, Misty and Ash have taken a different blimp to get back home only to find it’s piloted by Team Rocket (again) and it was (another) trap. Jigglypuff showed up, causing Team Rocket to panic and make a hasty exit, Jigglypuff following them after putting everyone to sleep.
Without pilots, the blimp coasts directionless and heads for certain doom, but Ash, Misty, and Pikachu are asleep and unable to do anything about their predicament.
The blimp eventually crash lands on a nearby island. As Ash and Misty wake up, they realize they’re smack dab in the middle of a forest.
They wander around for a while and start to panic when they realize they haven’t seen a single person the entire time they’ve been walking. Misty starts to wonder if they’re on a deserted island, because, if so, they’re doomed to living off the land here for the rest of their lives.
Suddenly, a group of elderly tourists rushes them to take pictures with Pikachu and Togepi, proving they’re not on a deserted island. In fact, they’re in a Pokémon theme park on Tangelo Island, a popular vacation spot.
Misty and Ash are relieved to be in civilization again, but the mood quickly sours when they spot a beached baby Lapras being abused by a trio of soulless monsters. Ash and Misty approach to tell them to lay off the Lapras. The thugs say to butt out and claim they’re getting their Pokémon ready to fight the Orange Crew. They call out a Spearow, Beedrill, and Hitmonchan to teach Ash and Misty a lesson.
Ash sends Pikachu out, but the battle is suddenly interrupted by a strange guy who barges in to do analysis on the Pokémon involved in the battle – Tracey Sketchit. He even starts insulting the abusers’ Pokémon, saying the Spearow they have isn’t getting enough vitamins and is overweight, the coloring on Beedrill is poor, and Hitmonchan isn’t getting enough exercise.
He turns around and compliments Ash’s Pikachu, however, stating that it’s perfectly cared for, as shown by its shiny coat. Everyone’s confused by Tracey as he even takes the time out to sketch Pikachu and attempt to get a reading on its voltage levels.
The jerks get impatient and start attacking, prompting Pikachu to give Tracey exactly what he was asking for – a Thundershock. Though he certainly didn’t expect to be shocked himself.
The jerks and their Pokémon run off. Ash, Pikachu, and Misty cheer, but Tracey tells them the Lapras needs medical attention right away. He hands Ash some medicine and tells him to administer it to Lapras while he fetches a Nurse Joy.
Ash tries to get Lapras to take the medicine, but it refuses, smacking the bottle out of his hand.
Eventually, the Lapras is brought to the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy happily reports that the Lapras’ injuries aren’t severe and it will be just fine. However, it is very distrustful of humans, which is no surprise given how the jerks on the beach were abusing it.
Tracey says that’s a shame because this is a baby Lapras that most likely got separated from its family. Large schools of Lapras pass by this island around this time every year, and the most recent storm must have swept it away from its group.
Ash points out that he certainly knows a lot about Lapras, and Tracey explains that he learns a lot by being a Pokémon Watcher. Ash and Misty are unfamiliar with the term, but Joy explains that a Pokémon Watcher is someone who travels the world to study Pokémon. Sometimes they even discover new Pokémon.
After properly introducing themselves to each other, Misty, Ash, and their new friend Tracey decide to work together to reunite this Lapras with its family.
Team Rocket watches from the doorway and schemes to capture the rare Lapras, but a trio of kids tramples over them as they rush the Pokémon Center’s desk. They all want treatment for their Pokémon. One of them mentions the Orange Crew – the same group the jerks from before mentioned. Tracey explains that the Orange Crew are the Gym Leaders of the Orange Archipelago. In order to compete in the Orange League, you need to earn badges from all four Gym Leaders, referred to as the Orange Crew.
Ash, predictably, wants to enter the Orange League, but Misty reminds him that they’re in these islands to get the GS Ball and bring it to Professor Oak. They don’t have time for him to be entering a league.
To get his permission, Ash calls Oak.
They bring him up to speed, and Ash asks if it’d be okay for him to enter the Orange League instead of returning to his lab right away. Oak is eager to get the GS Ball, but he understands how important getting in more training is for Ash. Plus, he figures he wouldn’t be able to convince him not to, so he tells Ash to go for it.
After the call ends, Tracey bursts out in excitement. He’s a huge fan of Oak. He proclaims that he’ll join them on their travels from now on to get the chance to meet Oak, though Misty points out that he can’t just invite himself along.
Joy says the Lapras is okay to be moved back to the ocean, but they can’t get Lapras to trust them enough to get it on the truck. Ash decides to calm it by singing a lullaby. Before he can get out a couple words, Jigglypuff shows up and does the work for him.
After they wake up from their Jigglypuff-induced slumber, they go back to work trying to get Lapras on the truck. Ash decides to jump into the pool to get Lapras himself, but Lapras just runs away.
Suddenly, a smoke bomb is shot off into the water. Team Rocket emerges with intent on stealing Lapras.
James calls on Weezing to use Smog. Under the veil of the smoke, the trio gets away with Lapras. They can’t follow them on foot, but Tracey has a plan. He call out his Venonat to use its radar eye to track the truck.
Eventually, they obtain bikes and catch up to Team Rocket. Ash hops off his bike and into the bed of the truck. He makes his way into the cab and struggles with Team Rocket to stop the truck. Getting frustrated with the chaos, Pikachu Thundershocks everyone.
In a daze, James accidentally disconnects the bed from the cab of the truck. Ash is able to climb back onto the bed with Lapras before the two parts separate too far. They careen out of control to a ramp off a cliff. The front half flies off while the back manages to avoid the same fate.
However, the truck bed rolls backwards down the hill and heads for another cliff. Ash manages to use his weight to steer the truck bed away from the cliff, but they just head for another one. Ash is unable to steer away from this one, and they fly off. Lapras is freed from its ropes and the truck bed as they fly through the air. Ash grabs Lapras’ neck and tells it they’ll be okay if they stick together as they fall into the water.
Seemingly hours later, Misty and Tracey comb the beach under the direction of Venonat’s radar eye looking for Ash and Lapras. Eventually, he rides up to the shore on Lapras’ back declaring that he’s caught Lapras.
Later…or…the next day? They bid farewell to Nurse Joy saying they’ll travel the Orange Islands to look for Lapras’ family. Tracey is officially joining them as a travel companion as they set off to the first Orange Island League Gym.
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– Ah, hey, we’re finally switching to the new theme for the bumpers.
– Ya know how I said in my preamble that it would be nice to get a change of scenery from Indigo’s constant forests with Orange’s islands?
One of the first things they do as we properly start the season is get the main characters LOST IN A GODDAMN FOREST.
– I want to point out the absolute insane irony that this aspiring WATER Pokémon MASTER is panicking that they’ll be trapped on an ISLAND forever.
– It’s once again really rude (and pretty dangerous) but I guess not unbelievable that random people will start grabbing at someone’s Pokémon and acting like they’re stuffed animals they can do whatever they want with.
– Tourists: “Pika-cheese!” Do I like that or hate that with a passion? It’s weird that I can’t decide.
– Props to Pikachu for not electrocuting these elderly people, though. I can’t believe I have to say that.
– Okay, I’m confused. I’m not confused that this is a tourist trap island but there is still forestland big enough to get lost in on it. I’m confused because….it looked like Misty and Ash were walking out of the entrance. Meaning they were IN the Pokémon Park, which…is….what? Just a forest area you can wander around in with no signs or trails to maybe see a Pokémon? Like a poor man’s Jurassic Park? Why is it not fenced off? Did they crash IN the park?
– These assholes who are abusing a baby Lapras can choke to death on hot coals.
– You gotta love when cocky assholes have extremely mid to bad Pokémon like Spearow and Beedrill. At least Hitmonchan’s alright.
– Although, I’ll never stop feeling bad for any Pokémon that has an abuser for a Trainer. It’s always good to get one of them away, but they always have others….
– Oh yeah, I guess another mark against Tracey is that his very first scene is kinda annoying. He just barges into the battle and starts making nosy (and rude) observations about the Pokémon while getting into their personal space and even measuring them. I have nothing against insulting the asshole Trainers, and their Pokémon are likely not being well cared for, see above, but it’s just kinda annoying.
And, even if he’s complimenting Pikachu, again, taking someone’s Pokémon off their head and doing whatever you want with it is rude. Imagine if you were walking your dog and someone just grabbed it without your permission.
I thought Pokémon Watchers silently watch Pokémon and analyze them from a distance. Why is he getting all nosy and pushy?
– Also, for a guy who’s a Pokémon Watcher, why does it take him so long to spot the beaten Lapras and realize it needs medical attention? Geez.
– Misty was very cute to put her hand on top of Ash and Tracey’s as a three-way handshake upon meeting.
– I like the little detail that Team Rocket also got leis like Ash and Misty did when they entered the park.
– I also love how Team Rocket are being as obvious as possible for no reason. They’re huddled down watching Ash and co. talk, and they’re watching them from the fully glass doors at the front of the Pokémon Center. What’s worse is Nurse Joy is at the desk and should be looking right at them but isn’t reacting at all.
– These kids are something else. One kid comes in because his Sandshrew got scratched. The girl brings in her Voltorb just because it’s tired and she wants it to stay over for a day. The only reasonable one is the last kid who wants his Starmie to get a checkup because he wants to challenge the Orange Crew.
– Misty: “Don’t you remember, Ash? Those three guys on the beach—”
Ash: “That’s right.”
Misty: “—said something about battling the Orange Crew too.”
Ash, don’t interrupt.
– Ash pulls out the GS Ball and grasps it when he proclaims he wants to enter the Orange League. I don’t really have a criticism, I just wonder why he did that.
– Ash’s idea isn’t terrible, but lullabies typically put things to sleep. And if Lapras falls asleep…how’s it’s gonna get on the truck?
Actually….how’d they get this Lapras TO the Pokémon Center?
– I love how Joy’s not helping them get Lapras into the truck.
– Aw, Jigglypuff drew whiskers on Togepi.
– Okay, Jigglypuff, not cool to scribble all over Tracey’s sketch. That’s marker, dude.
– Also, thank you, Jigglypuff for pointlessly derailing the show again.
– It’s funny how it sounds like James is choking on the smoke when they first start their motto.
– Wait, how did THEY get Lapras on THEIR truck?
– It is amazing how infrequently people point out that Meowth can talk. Then again, I guess it’d be annoying if it was brought up nearly every episode.
– Jessie: “The….twerp!” You okay there, Jessie?
– PIKACHU! Don’t Thundershock while in the truck! Lapras, the wounded baby Water Pokémon, is in the back!
– I’m not quite understanding this road. They spend an inordinate amount of time downhill while with Team Rocket, then there’s a ramp off a cliff, but then the bed of the truck rolls backwards….downhill again in the direction they came? Now the road is like circling around a big hill and there’s constant cliffs?
– Ash: “You put up quite the fight, Lapras…But I caught ya anyway!” I’m sorry……Ash takes the time out after saving this wounded and traumatized baby Lapras from certain doom….to battle and capture this wounded and traumatized baby Lapras that he said he was intent on bringing back to its family?….What?
I know Ash says later that the plan is to travel around the Orange Islands to look for its family, but he still seems to have battled and captured Lapras if this dialogue is any indication. Being fair, the original’s dialogue doesn’t imply that he fought Lapras, but he does proclaim that he got Lapras….*shrug*
– Tracey: “Did he say “Caught”?”
Misty: “He likes to dream.” I never understood this line. Why is it outside of the realm of possibility for him to capture Lapras?
Narrator: “But please, Ash. Don’t lose Professor Oak’s GS Ball!” Yes, we wouldn’t want to lose that super important GS Ball….
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This episode was a fine establishing episode. We meet our new travel companion, Ash gets a Lapras to help travel the Orange Islands while he competes in the Orange League, and Ash starts his Orange League journey officially.
Tracey’s debut, if we’re comparing all the companion debuts so far, is kinda not all that memorable. I say that because I honestly didn’t remember Tracey being a part of this episode at all, even though I did remember Ash catching a Lapras, of course.
Despite so much happening, not a lot of it was all that interesting, to be honest. We learn what Pokémon Watchers are, but they’re basically traveling researchers. (Does Tracey cease to be a Watcher after he decides to stay with Professor Oak if he’s no longer traveling?) Fun fact: There are only THREE Pokémon Watchers in entire franchise. Tracey, some dude we’ll meet this season, and, believe it or not, Oak. Yeah, they saw that Oak drew in Movie 04 as a kid (Spoiler alert: Oak is Sam.) and I guess just labeled him as a Watcher.
Team Rocket’s plan was lackluster. The thugs weren’t even memorable. But who cares? It’s LAPRAS!
That makes this episode great by default.
The End.
Next time, believe it or not, we’re already at our first Gym match! Yup, Orange gets right to the point.
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