The Path to the Pokémon League! (008)

[mifune]

I would have loved to see AJ reappear in the pokemon league, I think he would have done extremely well.
Instead of some of the filler episodes they did, it would have been nice to expand the pokemon league battles, and seen more than just ash (and Richie at the end)

[(s.i.e)]

oh yeah, it's that episode with the sandscrew, i can remember a few things about that, it was a good episode.

[Tadashi]

Oh AJ. I was a little doubtful of his methods, but I've quite come to like them. All he's doing is trying to maximize their attacking potential, not trying to be friendly, and I think that's what truly bugged Ash in the end.

Also, Sandshrew was so cute, when it laughed at Pikachu when he rolled up into a ball XD;

Good episode overall.

[PenguinBeam]

This episode was pretty interesting. I couldn't help but feel bad for the Pokemon, what with the way AJ was treating them. But, apparently they all cared for him, despite his training methods. I guess there are different ways to form relationships with your Pokemon.

My favorite part was when Pikachu was rolled up in a ball. I love the old scenes with Pikachu doing cute things like that. I really miss them...

[Igottapoo]

I felt bad for all of those Pokemon. I really hated this AJ guy for that. It was a nice episode though.

[#1-Icelandic-Pokemon-Fan]

it's a shame we didn't see him again but an overall "okay" ep but not one for the history books

[DryBones]

It would have been cool for Ash to have had a rematch with him in the future, maybe with AJ having a Sandlash?

Shame they didnt bring him back.

[CyberCubed]

AJ was like Paul of the PAST!

[Blue Snover]

I never like AJ, i think his training method was really cruel, especially the way he pushed Sandshrew.

[Littlemyuu]

AJ is a good trainer, first i tought he was a meanie untill i realize his Pokemon also care about him like he do when Sandrew was stole by TR

[the1stpkmnfan]

I was laughing so hard when I saw Pikachu trying to copy Sandshrew. But I felt kind of bad he couldn't break free afterwards.

[Icefiyre]

This episode is really worth watching. Ash loses to a "experienced trainer" with 98 wins. Is that too much to get over? You just have to see what AJ's response is: "Stop whining kid. Nobody wants to compete against a crybaby." Ash bickering with AJ about his loss with him is just too much to laugh at. A loss is a loss, so let's move on to reality people!

[Zucht]

On the beginning I thought that AJ was a mean pokemon trainer but after I watch it further he like his pokemon a lot^^. It was funny when I saw pikachu copied Sandshrew XD.

[dagon22]

I thought this was a great eposide. I didn't like how he treated his pokemon at all. However, his pokemon like him, and were stronger. I thought it was funny when Team Rocket stole sandshrew instead of pikahcu.

[milenadrg]

Episode was really interesting and great. I didn't really liked how AJ was cruel to his Pokemon...

[glowing_light010]

Awwww, I had forgotten about this episode! D: I do remember it well, now that I think about it. I loved Sandshrew in this episode. Before I watched this, I used to dislike Sandshrew, but now -just seeing the bond between AJ & Sanshrew- I love it! <3 I was so glad that he got his 100th win, I felt happy for him. I didn't like when insulted Misty & Brock, thought, But I found it funny that they took it harshly. Haha.
I also remember that it was the first time that TR got mixed up between Pikachu & Sandshrew. Lol. Memories~

I give this episode a:
7.2/10

[Juputoru]

I was bored and decided to rewatch this since I have a copy of the JP ep on hand(hence all my comments about the JP voices and such) Don't expect me to review all of Kanto or anything, but I figured that while I was watching this...

-I'm not used to Misty's Japanese voice. At all. And Ash sounds higher-pitched than he does nowadays(subtle maturing?). Brock just sounds...off.
-Ash is SO impressed by his TWO badges. I suspect that most of Ash's Kanto behavior is even more hilarious in retrospect(wow! I got two badges out of the 340976456 I'll get in the future!!) than it was in the first runthrough.
-The term "pity badge" is Misty's fault! I KNEW IT!
-This is probably the only ep of the entire series where we see trainers randomly battling each other just because "we're trainers! BATTLING IS WHAT WE DO". I guess showing Ash randomly challenging people to battles would get old, but you think they'd acknowledge that (rather MAJOR) part of the games more often/at all.
-This is also the only ep where we see a battle take place in the middle of...farm fields. Oh Kanto and your "hey, this could conceivably be the real world other than the magical animals" moments.
-Unofficial gyms(and not just "TR pretending to run a gym for a scam") are a concept I wish the writers would revisit in the anime nowadays. Not that AJ's was anything special, but things like the Yaz/Kaz gyms from later in Kanto could provide entertaining filler material, at the least.
-I just realized that Akai/AJ is based on the Tamers from RBYFRLG. It's probably not coincidental that we stopped seeing that trainer class as the franchise started treating Pokemon less as animals and more as sentient beings.
-Old recycled Pokeball throwing animation! How I missed you! (not)
-It's really weird seeing Ash be so COCKY, compared to his Shinou self. I guess that's what they call "character development", even though it seems like Pokemon almost never has that with Ash/Brock/TR anymore.
-Hey, this is one of the three eps where Pidgeotto got to do something! Sure, it didn't get to do things for very long, but Ash sent it out with the intent of having it battle another Pokemon, and that's what counts.
-The writers are so close to caring about type advantage, and yet so far.
-Ahahaha Akai's little training camp is HILARIOUS. The secret to strength? CIRCUS TRICKS.
-Bahahahaha! Sure Akai, having three Rattata headbutt Sandshrew around like a soccer ball is TOTALLY intense training. *snicker*
-Meowth sounds REALLY weird. I guess everyone's bound to sound a bit weird since this IS only the eighth episode of the series, but...
-I have to say, I forgot how wacky Kanto could be. I still prefer Shinou's attempts at having coherent, high-quality(for a children's cartoon, at least) continuing plot lines, though.
-WHO'S THAT POKEMON DARE DA? ...It's Sandshrew, dingbat!
-Haha, Kanto Ash is a JERK.
-Oh yes, TR in the "wear pink rubber gloves to prevent Pikachu from shocking us" days.
-Kanto Ash is still a jerk. "Hey everybody~ Why don't you leave Akai and be MY POKEMON?!" All while Akai is RIGHT THERE.
-It's the original TR motto! ...which sounds super-weird to me, since I'm used to the dub Kanto-Johto motto(and the Houen & Shinou Japanese mottos).
-Fissure? Even now we basically NEVER see OHKO moves in action(even though it'd be easy enough for the writers to ignore the "OHKO" part of the move description). Even here, Fissure just makes a GIGANTIC EFFING CRACK IN THE GROUND. Dangerous for anything that falls in? Yes. Assumed one-hit knockout? No.
-Oh Akai. Beating TR hardly counts as a win(even if this is early enough in Kanto that JJ&M are still semi-serious villains)
-So Akai's just going to leave a giant tent & wooden wall in the middle of the woods? Yeah, there'll be a whole lot of that left to come back to after the eternity it takes to become a POKEMON MASTER.
-LALALA I'M NOT HEARING YOU MAKE EMPTY PROMISES ABOUT MEETING AT THE LEAGUE LALALA
-Worst. Ending. Animation. Ever. (bounce that Pokeball, Pikachu!)

A fun little visit to Nostalgia Valley, especially since I really did forget all the wacky random moments Kanto had. That said, I'm glad that the series grew out of this style of episode(even if it had major growing pains in the form of Johto). It's cute for a while, but I'm not sure I'd still be watching the show if it was still "haha, Pikachu's making funny faces! Haha, Ash is a braggart! Haha, slapstick is the height of comedy!" all the time. (that said, I wouldn't mind a few more comedic Shinou eps(aka "Barry showing up more often"). Comedic eps tend to be full-on hilarious when they happen nowadays.)

[Ciccone]

I disliked Ash's attitude aswell as AJ's attitude in this episode. The whole overconfident Ash thing in early Kanto just bugged me. Ash thought his training methods were better and AJ thought being rough was the way to go; well, neither were the best to be honest. I'm glad Ash grew out of his "jerk" stage though, and seeing him battle a tough Sandshrew and have trouble against it was a great way for him to learn. Interesting episode though, 5/10.

[kingofmaelstroms]

i didnt really like how AJ was training his pokemon, but the rest was ok i guess

[Ash-kid]

AJ was good trainer, i loved him, but he was too mean to his pokemon.

Ash's battle vs AJ was good, his Sandshrew was so powerfull.