Episode Stats:

Japanese Episode AG 002: "Kodai Pokémon to Nazo no Gundan!"

(Ancient Pokémon and the Mysterious Army!)

American Episode 274:  "A Ruin with a View"
Orchid-Hakase Pokémon Lecture:  Teppouo
Pokémon Dare Da?  None (Japanese), Vigoroth, Taillow, Zigzagoon, Shroomish, Kecleon, Wailmer, Serviper, Cacnea, Volbeat, Skitty, Latios, and Latias (American--sneak peek), Crobat (American--regular version)
Japanese Air Date:  November 28th, 2002
American Air Date:  March 15th, 2003 (sneak peek), November 8th, 2003 (Regular)
Important Characters:  Umezu (Professor Alden), Aqua-Dan (Team Aqua), Magma-Dan (Team Magma), Sakaki (Giovanni), Ookido-Hakase (Professor Oak), Joi (Nurse Joy)
Important Places:  Kotoki Town (Oldale Town), Touka Gym (Petalburg Gym)

Joined by the beginning trainer Haruka, the two pokemon trainers are on the way to Kotoki Town when Haruka sees a Ruriri.  While trying to catch the cute pokemon, she finds out that her fire-type Achamo is weak against the water-type and her pokemon is quickly knocked out.  Rushing to the nearest Pokémon Center, Satoshi and Haruka pass a young man named Umezu who's researching at the Kotoki Ruins.  Satoshi and Haruka continue until they reach the Pokémon Center, where Achamo is given to Joi for the night.  As Satoshi gives Haruka a tour of the center, they meet up with Umezu again and are shown to his lab.  He reveals to the young trainers that he's trying to uncover the secrets of the ruins and the pokemon that are rumored to be inside.  Suddenly, the power goes out and Umezu is abducted by the Magma-Dan.  As Musashi-tachi work to set up a branch of the Rocket-Dan in the Houen Region (as doing so would earn them a promotion), Umezu is forced to open the Ruins for the Magma-Dan.  The mysterious group reports that the information they're looking for isn't to be found there, so they leave the scene in their helicopter.  Satoshi and Haruka manage to catch up with Umezu and go with him into the ruins to witness the home of the ancient pokemon Jiransu!  After a well-deserved rest, Satoshi decides to go to the Touka City Gym to try to earn his first badge.  But Haruka doesn't seem as enthusiastic...

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Thoughts
While the second episode of Advanced Generation isn't anything to write home about, it's decent enough at advancing the plot.  Haruka tries to get her first pokemon, she visits her first Pokémon Center, a new town is visited, the Magma-Dan show up, and a decision is made to go to the next city.  It's a lot better than Jouto, that's for sure.

What I found funny about the dub was Professor Alden.  I dunno, but for some reason he just reminded me of Brad from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I swear I cracked up when Professor Alden said "Great Scott!" in that cheesy over-the-top way.  Yes, I'm easily amused... 

Music Edit
The same thing happened with this episode that happened in the last one--only one piece of music was kept.  This time, it was the music played during the battle between the Rocket-Dan and Satoshi.  I hope Pokémon Advanced doesn't turn into one big game of "let's find the one piece of music that was kept!", because that's what it looks like right now.

Dialogue Edit
While I was less than convinced that May's lines had been redubbed in the last episode (save for the opening scene), I'm certain that her lines were redubbed for this one.  I noticed that the pitch seemed to be different, and the way she pronounced the word "pokemon" would vary from version to version, scene to scene. 

Aside from the pitch, the big tip-off that her lines were redubbed were the lines that were different from the sneak peek version.  The first rewrite occurs right after she orders her Torchic to use its Peck attack against the wild Azurill.

Sneak Peek:  "Over there, Torchic!  Oh~!  Wait for me!"
Regular Version:  "Over there, Torchic!  No~!  Wait for me!"

The other line that's different takes place at the end of the episode, when May is getting her Torchic back from Nurse Joy.  Her reaction to Torchic's clean bill of health is slightly different:

Sneak Peek:  "Oh good.  Thank you.  OK, come out!"
Regular Version:  "Oh great.  Thank you.  OK, come out!"

Like the first episode, it's nothing major.  I think it's great that they let Veronica Taylor go back and redub her first two episodes as May after letting her get used to the character--such a thing is seldomly done.  In any case, I'm glad that after this episode, I won't have to compare any more episodes to their sneak peek versions, so that's less work for me. 

Cut--3 sec
For some reason at the end of the episode there's a small cut.  Right before Musashi calls her Arbok to fight Satoshi (after Professor Alden says "Hey!  You guys give back those treasures!"), there's a scene of Musashi, Kojirou, and Nyasu doing the bii-da thing.  That's when an anime character pulls one eyelid down and sticks out his tongue, and it's basically equivalent to sticking out your tongue in America.  4Kids apparently found that offensive, so they cut it. 

Maybe they cut it out because they thought it looked too much like the Rocket-Dan flipping the bird?

Side Note
For the sneak peek airing of this episode, 4Kids erased the "TO BE CONTINUED" text from the end of the episode.  The text was restored for the regular version.

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