Pokémon Journeys: The Series – Episode 4 Recap & Review

The Scorbunny Heist

Another day dawns and another adventure beckons for Ash and Goh. Episode 4 of Pokemon Journeys begins with the duo greeting Professor Cerice and Goh excitedly waving an article about giant-sized Pokemon in his face. It turns out this phenomenon takes place in the Gallo region, prompting Ash and Goh to jump on a plane and head there. Unfortunately with the train hours away from arriving at the station, Ash and Goh decide to head off and have something to eat.

When they get there, they’re distracted by a Scorbunny who throws stones their way while a pack of Nickits steal their backpack and run away. Ash chases after them though as they lead Ash astray down an alleyway. Goh has more luck though and finds the rogue Scorbunny with the bag. A fight inevitably breaks out between Pikachu and the black Scorbunny when everyone reconvenes, with Pikachu inevitably winning the skirmish.

It turns out Scorbunny isn’t actually black but the group of Nickits are confronted by the store-owner nonetheless who corners them and Scorbunny in an alleyway. Goh decides to speak up and reveals that Scorbunny is his Pokemon.

Back at the store, Goh learns more about this Pokemon and shows genuine care toward the mischievous fiend, telling it not to give up. Despite their fun, it turns out the train has arrived prompting Ash and Goh to hurry onboard. However, the group of Nickits grab Scorbunny and throw it on the train too, watching as it departs while throwing a can in the trash.

Feeding the news about the mud-covered Scorbunny back to Cerice, the trio prepare to leave while Scorbunny rubs mud off itself and prepares to meet the others, which is where the episode ends.

With a nice singular adventure, seeing Goh finally have his own Pokemon in the form of Scorbunny is a nice introduction and this dynamic works well against Ash and Pikachu too. The subtle nod toward recycling is a welcome inclusion and there’s a good use of Pokemon outside the usual Gen 1’s here. So far the first four episodes have got off to a decent start and it certainly whets the appetite for more to come when the full season releases on the 12th June. While this certainly isn’t as endearing as the original that released all those years ago, for a new generation of upcoming Pokemon fans, Pokemon Journeys has enough in the bag to deliver a fun adventure worth taking.

Published: 03 June 2020 at 2:15 pm on TheReviewGeek.com 

This review is based on the live showing on POP TV which exclusively aired the first four episodes. Expect the rest to arrive on the 12th June!