Review- "Oaknapped" (Pokémon Chronicles)

Well folks, guess it's as good a time as any to pick this up again. With the recent cameos from Ritchie and the leads of the infamous Legend of Thunder in Pokémon Journeys (which, despite dividing some fans; is everything this spinoff should have been); it's time to continue my look at Pokémon Chronicles. No joke- outside the Christmas specials; this is the moment where I gave up on the spinoff being good and decided to experiment with other anime. Let's open up "Oaknapped" and talk about why.

The episode actually doesn’t open on the worst note, with Ritchie coming to visit Oak Labs while Tracey greets him. Still, we get signs of trouble when Ritchie wants to get advice on evolving his Eevee. Spoilers: he doesn't actually have one, which is akin to someone buying a game for a console they don't own. There's also a mistake referring to the plural Seafoam Islands as the singular Seafoam Island. As I have previously stated, there's no point in making a spinoff for fans if you're going to get so many details wrong like this.

Case in point- when Tracey tries to claim Ritchie is Oak's nephew (a bluff that was also in the JP version) to the TV station. I don't care if it's just a cover to get past security; that's a nonsensical plan. Why not just say he works at the lab as an intern?

Anyway, speaking with DJ Mary; they realize that Oak was kidnapped from the studio and smuggled out in a Nidoqueen costume; then in a Pidgeot truck. Officer Jenny, under Ritchie's suggestions, raises all the drawbridges on the island leading to Fuschia City. You know, they could try to smuggle the professor off the island on a ferry, might want to close the docks too.

Instead, we get a flashback to when Dr. Namba gave Butch and Cassidy their assignment- to kidnap Professor Oak for what he might know about Pokérus, a virus that can cause Pokémon to grow at an exceptional rate. This is actually an interesting idea, one that wouldn't even have to be relegated to just a spinoff; but this episode doesn't really do much with it at all. Namba himself also just comes off like a discount version of Wesker, minus the charisma.

Ritchie sends out his Taillow, who is named Rose to search from the sky as a sentry; and I also think it might be better if; once again, the "kidnapped Professor" story was separate from the one about Pokérus. After Tracey makes a drawing of Pidgeot, Rose is off.

Rose tracks the truck to a warehouse, where Butch and Cassidy torture Oak for information by scratching a nail on glass. On top of a chalkboard being more traditional; this tactic is repeated in the dub multiple times and I will spare you. Just know that had me scrambling for the mute button every time.

Moreover, the Pokérus should have been the main focus of the plot; but it's not till the last 8 minutes it makes its way in. It also just glosses over how lots of Namba's previous test subjects didn't survive; which would have been a way more interesting story than the one this episode is telling.

Thankfully, Rose breaks the pane of glass and steals the nail they were using as the warehouse is raided. After Ritchie misnames Butch as "Botch," a battle ensues. Though Sableye and Mightyena put up a good fight, they're ultimately overpowered by both Tracey's Scyther, Rose, Sparky (Ritchie's Pikachu) and Zippo (Ritchie's Charmeleon). Regrettably, the battle itself is full of still frames and impact cuts. 

Long story short- Oak is freed, Butch and Cassidy are sent blasting off; and Ritchie and Tracey are guests on the show. Also, Ritchie again claims he needs help for an Eevee he doesn't own. I guess he just buys the Digimon Vital Bracelet for fun too.

While "Oaknapped" may not be the worst episode of Chronicles I've covered (that dubious honor still goes to "Training Daze"), it's on the list.  Not counting the Christmas specials; this was the moment for me where Chronicles wrecked for good and never recovered. I want to keep this clear, that telling a story outside the main anime shouldn't mean leaving narrative cohesion behind with the usual cast. In my case, I wouldn't have used Pokérus in this fashion; I would have included it in the main story instead. The only silver lining to this dark storm cloud of an episode is that I've nearly reached the halfway point of this spinoff. The next review will come before long.

Post-Review Follow-up: Most annoying characters of the episode once again go to Butch and Cassidy for their plan, which is a twelve-car pileup of shenanigans unfit for a typical Scooby-Doo clone. Dishonorable mention goes to Dr. Namba for how he mishandles the element of Pokérus.

Next Chronicles review will be on "A Date with Delcatty," in which Misty gets wrapped up in a "romance" with so little chemistry not even Walter White could make it work. That will be all for now. Sweet mother of Arceus, I need a rest and a long session with my Switch.