Recap: March of the Exeggutor Squad

Hello everyone. While I’m still working on repairs and trying to figure out how I might do the gym battle showcase, I thought I would try some experiments for my next few recaps. Plus, since I am working on screenwriting class and going out of town later this month; this will be a good way to detox before I do more Code Geass R2. I will start with some Kanto episodes of Pokémon, so let’s open up “March of the Exeggutor Squad!”

We open on a bustling carnival that has come to town! In a bit that always weirded me out when I was younger, Ash and Brock are apparently wearing some rather gaudy Mardi Gras outfits under their usual clothing.

Misty and Pikachu then decide to go off on their own on the tilt-a-whirl and the merry-go-round. A magician named Melvin is down on his luck, trying to come up with an act with his Exeggcute.
He then enlists Misty in his act, hoping to have his own show in Las Vegas. Side note: this was originally Broadway in the original, so it's understandable why they changed it.

I am very surprised they left in her showgirl outfit, as well as the cigarette in the mouth of one of the patrons.

Ash loves Misty's outfit, but Melvin's act is less than impressive. He's let go from a mishap due to his fire spell, and it turns out this isn't the first time this has happened. Ash tries to help with his own act, but that doesn't turn out well either! Melvin's Exeggute then hypnotizes Ash, and Melvin gets an idea.

Melvin has Ash lead him into the "Leaf Forest." Dude, Melvin, what are you doing? This is supervillain stuff, man!

Though, I can't say I'm surprised, given how he resembles the Penguin. His plan is to capture a horde of Exeggutor, then have them hypnotize everyone into seeing his show! Team Rocket decides to steal some themselves, but Melvin's Exeggcute then evolves, without a Leaf Stone I might add. Some have theorized there are some buried underground, but there's no evidence to suggest that beyond a badly-Photoshopped sign.

Pikachu then wakes up Ash, who realizes they need to stop Exeggutor from rampaging through town before a bomb goes off! OK, how did some carny gain access to a time bomb?! Even so, Melvin realizes how much he screwed up and needs to help stop this march.

While most of the other tactics don't fare well, Charmander and Melvin's fire manage to wake everyone up before the bomb goes off!

Melvin then vows to better himself as a magician and make it to Vegas, and Ash's Charmander evolves into Charmeleon! This was also one of many scenes revisited for "The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion."

With this, everyone continues along their way, with Team Rocket hiding among the Exeggutor.

"March of the Exeggutor Squad" is an underrated, yet chaotic episode that I watch all the time when given the chance to. While Melvin may not have been my favorite character of the day, the events of the episode are absolutely insane, and it definitely helped change my opinion of the Exeggutor line. The animation is quite good for the time, and Charmeleon's evolution is just the icing on the cake. It just manages to push all the right buttons every time.

The next episode will be the last Kanto recap for a while, and it's way behind the other regions in more ways than one. See you, space cowboy.