Episode Stats:

Japanese Episode AG 005: "Jiguzaguma to Tanpan Kozou!  Haruka, Hajimete no Batoru!!"

(Zigzaguma and the Short-Pantsed Boy!  Haruka Battles for the First Time!!)

American Episode 277:  "In the Knicker of Time!"
Orchid-Hakase Pokémon Lecture:  Donphan
Pokémon Dare Da?  None (Japanese), Yanma (American)
Japanese Air Date:  December 19th, 2002
American Air Date:  November 22nd, 2003
Important Characters:  Kiyo (Nicholai)

After battling a trainer in the Forest of Touka, Satoshi-tachi are continuing their journey when they spot a Zigzaguma.  They are surprised to see how big it is, and are even more surprised when they see the Zigzaguma reveal itself to be a human!  The trainer, a shorts-obssessed boy named Kiyo, tries to capture the raccoon pokemon, but it gets away.  Kiyo blames Satoshi-tachi, and when he discovers that Haruka is the daughter of the Touka City Gym Leader, he practically demands that the two battle.  Unfortunately, Haruka's Achamo is pitted against Kiyo's Mizugorou, and the combination of a type disadvantage and rookie battle tactics costs Haruka the battle.  Kiyo teases Haruka and Masato, saying that if the daughter of the Touka City Gym Leader could be beaten so easily, the actual Gym Leader himself must be a pushover.  This teasing angers Masato, so he goes into forest in a plan to attract all the Zigzaguma away from the eccentric trainer.  However, Masato's plan backfires when he is threatened to be overtaken by a herd of the raccoon pokemon, so Kiyo has to come to Masato's rescue.  After explaining to Masato that he was able to ward off the pokemon because of his ability to speak to them with his heart, Kiyo earns the young navigator's respect.  Kiyo proceeds to successfully capture a Zigzaguma, but no sooner does he have the pokemon does the Rocket-Dan appear to snatch it from him!  However, the shorts-wearing trainer, working with the other Zigzaguma in the forest, quickly gets his pokemon back and defeat the Rocket-Dan.  With his new pokemon returned safely to him, Kiyo bids his new friends farewell as Satoshi-tachi continue through the Houen region.

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Thoughts
What's an Otachi and a Kairos doing in the Houen region?  Anyone else wonder what these pokemon that you can't catch in the video games this show is based on are doing here?

Anyway, this is argurably the first filler episode of the series.  Some people will say that it isn't since it's Satoshi's and Haruka's first trainer battle in the Houen region, but others will argue that that isn't really that big a deal.  I personally don't see it as a filler episode, but if I told you why then I'd be spoiling a future episode. In any case, even if you were to call this a filler episode, you'd have to admit that it's a pretty good one.  Not as good as "Address Unown," but still a hell of a lot better than 3/4 of Jouto, that's for sure.

The dub was pretty standard for an Advanced Generation episode.  For the dub, 4Kids translated Kiyo's title, Tanpan Kozou ("Short-Pantsed Boy" is the best I could come up with) as "knickerbocker," a rather obscure term that really isn't used much anymore.  Have any of you ever heard anyone use that word before?  I haven't, and I kinda doubt that the majority of the show's audience has either. 

Cut--1 second
The very first second of the episode is cut.  It's basically a shot of the forest background before Pikachu and Spear jump in front of it.

Cut--3 seconds
Right after the title screen, there's a three second cut of the group walking down the road.

Dialogue Edit
I'd just like to point out that 4Kids kept Kiyo's "Pokémon...Cheenji~!" (Pokémon...Change!) yell in the dub.  Though they added a little Tarzan-like yell at the end of these twice during the episode, I was otherwise pleasantly surprised.  I don't feel like I give 4Kids enough credit when they're due, so I just wanted to congratulate them on the job they did with Kiyo.

Cut--1 second
The first second after the main commercial break (after the "Who's That Pokémon?") is cut.

Cut--2 seconds
Two seconds from the "TO BE CONTINUED..." shot of Haruka is cut. 

Side Note
It sucks that 4Kids doesn't dub the next episode previews, because the one for this episode was very special.  It's narrated by the Rocket-Dan and uses one of their theme songs in place of the usual Advance Adventure instrumental version, and the effect is that it makes the next episode stand out more.  The next episode is one of the more important episodes of the entire franchise, and it's unfortunate that 4Kids couldn't make it stand out the way it deserves to.

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