Orange League, Episode 34 - Great Electrode Detonation!?
Now that Ash and Lapras have bid farewell, there's nothing left to do but go home. Ash makes his way via ambiguous transportation to Dekopon/Hamlin Island, which offers ferry trips to Kanto.
Unfortunately, the island's been abandoned due to an invasive species moving in. A long time ago, a local inventor was studying Voltorb biology. Many of his Voltorbs escaped into the city. Over the years, they reproduced and evolved into the even more volatile Electrode, until eventually the city was overrun by these mobile land mines.
Now the only person left in the city is Django/Poncho, a mercenary wildlife conservationist that the townsfolk hired. Using an army of Diglett, he's hard at work rounding up and relocating the Voltorbs and Electrodes to a more suitable habitat.
Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates wildlife conservationism. The town gets impatient waiting for Poncho to complete his work. They fire him and hire Jessie and James to forcibly detonate and remove the Voltorbs and Electrodes. They don't care where.
But Poncho cares more about the wellbeing of Pokemon than about the money. The Rockets' methodology deeply offends him, so his Dugtrio gives them the boot and he completes the job anyway. This guy is my favorite Character of the Week so far.
Once that's settled, the kids take a moment to nerd out over how cool Poncho is, and then finally board their ferry. Farewell, Orange Archipelago. It's time to return home to Kanto.
For like five minutes. And then off to Johto! Gen 2 is nearly upon us!
