Pokémon: Advanced Episode 21

No Scout Verdict Yet

Be the first Scout to rate this episode and share your thoughts.

Animation & Style

Character Writing & Lore

Emo Impact

Hype/Writing

Pacing

Soundtrack

Visual

World Building & Setting

👀 SPOILER-FREE SUMMARY

A breezy, comedy-driven episode that leans into classic Pokémon humor with a mistaken-identity premise. Expect a lighter tone here — the group takes a break from gym battles for some fishing, which quickly spirals into a mix-up involving two nearly identical Wurmple, one belonging to May and the other to Jessie. The episode plays up the comedic rivalry between the main cast and Team Rocket while exploring the question of how well Trainers truly know their own Pokémon. Pacing is relaxed and episodic, with bursts of slapstick action keeping things moving. It's a character-focused breather that reinforces the bonds within the traveling group — Ash, May, Brock, and Max all get moments to shine. If you enjoy the show's comedic side, this one delivers.

🔥 KEY MOMENTS

⚠️ Spoiler Alert!

James's Old Man Hustle

James disguises himself as an elderly stranger and lures Ash and the group into fishing at a suspiciously specific spot — a classic Team Rocket setup that the gang falls for without hesitation.

Hooked on a Submarine

Instead of reeling in a catch, the group snags Team Rocket's Magikarp submarine, blowing their cover and kicking off an all-out confrontation between the two sides.

The Wurmple Swap

In the chaos of battle, May's Wurmple and Jessie's Wurmple get mixed up without either trainer noticing. Both walk away completely confident they have the right Pokémon.

Something's Off

May picks up on her Wurmple acting strangely — unresponsive to familiar commands and showing a different personality. The group pieces together that a swap happened during the fight.

Operation: Get Wurmple Back

Ash and friends track down Team Rocket to reclaim May's real Wurmple, setting up a retrieval mission where both sides fight to get their own partner Pokémon back.

📍 ARC CONTEXT

Sitting at episode 21 of 192, this comes right after Ash's gym loss to Brawly in 'Brave the Wave', serving as a deliberate comedic cooldown before the journey picks back up. It deepens May's relationship with her Wurmple, a thread that will matter as her Pokémon evolves later. The next episode, 'A Hole Lotta Trouble', pushes the group back into more perilous territory, making this a natural palette cleanser in the early Hoenn stretch.

⚡ ALL REVIEWS

AnimeOshi.com refers to anime titles, character names, logos, and other trademarked or copyrighted materials to identify and describe the works being reviewed, discussed, ranked or otherwise referenced on this site. This usage is believed to be nominative fair use or non-infringing and is not intended to imply any affiliation with the respective rights holders.

All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their owners. If you are a rights holder and have concerns about any content on this site, please contact us at legal@animeoshi.com