Recap: Charizard's Burning Ambitions

Hello everyone, and welcome to my recap of my favorite episode of Pokémon Johto, "Charizard's Burning Ambitions." I have been waiting for ages to do this, so let's open it up.

We open on Ash, Brock and Misty on their way to Azalea Town, with Team Rocket looking overhead from the mountainside. While this is still my favorite episode of Johto, it does get a bit thick with the foreshadowing at first. I'm just going on record that I wasn't even aware of the transport feature in Gold and Silver when I first saw this episode; but that doesn't make what happens any less engaging to me.

As everyone's voices echo through the valley, they reach a young woman who hears their echo: Liza!

While Brock is enamored with Liza as per usual, it turns out that this is also a refuge known as the Charicific Valley as three flame attacks erupt in the distance!

It turns out that the area is a place where humans barely tread, and where Charizard train against each other to grow stronger. I rather like the idea behind this place, it has the same kind of mysticism that finding Shangri-La in the Himalayas does; or finding Wakanda in the heart of Africa.

As Brock continues trying to woo Liza, she whistles for her Charizard companion; Charla! Ash is also told to mount Charizard while Brock and Misty ride with Liza. Before I get into too much detail, I shall point out that I hadn't seen this episode at the time I saw the third movie; since sometimes Kids' WB went a bit cuckoo with the scheduling. Also, I guess they wouldn't let you ride Charizard for real until 2016 at the earliest. What's more, I guess Generation II was the first one where Charizard could learn Fly; hence Ash's slight difficulty in the matter.

Insert "Twitch Plays Pokémon" joke here.

Liza successfully guides her balloon and groceries to the valley; and I must once again compliment the design of the valley. A hidden area surrounded by cliffs and water, with big rock formations shaped like Charizard. Ever since I was 9, this visual always impressed me as one of my favorite locations unique to the anime. 

Ash and Charizard do eventually reach the valley, and the two demand to challenge the Charizard training there. Though Liza is reluctant, she does agree simply to give them a taste of what they're in for. Despite Charizard's achievements, he is hopelessly outgunned by everyone else in the valley. Even Charla is able to manhandle Charizard and throw him into the lake outside the entrance!

"Is this your king?!" (WUMPH!) "IS THIS YOUR KING?!"

Before he's allowed to re-enter the valley, Liza orders Charizard to cool off near the lake. He does not: instead, he spends the whole night letting the fire in his heart keeping the one on his tail alive. Ash, on the other hand; is at a crossroads at what to do. Before I go any further, I shall again point out that I wasn't even aware of the transfer mechanic when I was younger; but it doesn't make the story any less engaging for me even now. Even though it's about a quasi-dragon with a flaming tail and a 10-year-old kid; I'm still totally invested in what's going on.

Even Team Rocket knows this time they have much more to do than their usual "cartoon supervillainy" with their mecha this time; letting Charizard burn it up to protect the valley! For the bits earlier in the episode about how easy they are to beat; in many ways, these goofballs have helped with a lot his experiences over the years.

Liza, impressed that Charizard wants to fight for more than just himself; allows him to train in the valley. Now is the moment that really clinched this as my favorite episode of Johto: Charizard is admittedly a popular monster then and now, representing the "cool" side of the franchise like Pikachu does for the "cute" side of it. So, this decision is one that's actually quite practical if you think about it: rather than continuing to overexpose him too early, the decision was made to limit the appearances to build anticipation for it. It works from both a marketing and a story point of view: Ash, realizing this is what Charizard wants to get stronger; decides to leave him behind in the valley, telling him effectively to go before he changes his mind. It's one of the best moments of the original series, and I'm glad that it's been revisited in future episodes.

So, as Charizard gives a "thumbs-up" to Pikachu, he lets out a roar of fire as Ash runs towards the next phase in his journey. Still a great, if not bittersweet ending after all these years.

I have been wanting to cover this episode for years, and as one of the last Johto episodes I'm covering here; "Charizard's Burning Ambitions" is still worthy of being my favorite episode of the journey in Johto even after all this time. The animation makes very creative use of the setting, and for a series that's often dismissed as full of silly filler fluff; it's easily one of the most emotionally-powerful episodes of the entire series' run. I only have 11 more days left in this year, and I'm going to make them count. Next up is another episode I've been wanting to cover for ages: "Houndoom's Special Delivery!" Later.