The School Of Hard Knocks – EP009

Last time: Slavery is okay?

How big is Brock’s backpack? He pulls a whole table, chairs and tea set out of it at the start of the episode. Plus a whisk and bowl. Is his bag a TARDIS? Is Brock a timelord? How cool would a Brock Doctor Who series be? I’d watch the heck out of that show.

This episode revolves around an elite prep school called Pokémon Tech. Does every one of these schools have mean, cruel hazing rituals? Or is that just how they’re portrayed in literally every single piece of culture? Is attending one of these schools as miserable as it seems? And is everybody that attends as big a jerk as they seem? I have a lot of questions today.

Also hazing a kid in the haze is a little on the nose.

Though Team Rocket flopped at the school so it can’t be that bad. They rule!

They meet Giselle and she’s a bitch. Like just a condescending mean vapid horrible bitch. You’re not supposed to like Giselle but my goodness do they go all in on her being the worst. THE. WORST.

Giselle learns a very important lesson though. No matter how good you are, no matter how much you’ve studied or how hard you’ve trained – there is one constant in the Pokémon universe. Ash can fluke his way to any victory. Never underestimate Ash Ketchum’s ability to fails upwards. The boy is remarkable. 

Ash epitomises it being better to be lucky than good.

Stray Observations 

– Who’s that Pokémon? It’s Cubone. Hope that one didn’t bone you.

– There is a pretty long background gag in this episode with Pikachu and a treadmill. Pikachu goes full slapstick as he runs increasingly faster on the treadmill before falling. Pikachu then kicks the treadmill in frustration and hurts his foot. It was the best thing on this show to date. Pikachu rules.

– One of the students at Pokémon Tech was like 60 and was too ashamed to crash out of school. Just give up dude!