CotD(s): None, though I guess you could say that the pink Butterfree, Ash’s Butterfree’s mate, is kinda one.
Departures: Ash’s Butterfree.
Reappears?: No 😦 Though, to be fair, he does appear in some of the future Japanese OPs and EDs. He also appears in some flashbacks.
Final Farewell: I feel like Ash’s Butterfree had more room to grow, but definitely would’ve stagnated quickly. Plus, Butterfree’s main goal in life was to be a Butterfree. He already achieved that goal, so setting him free and letting him settle down with a mate instead of spending his whole life at Oak’s is the best option for him. We miss you, Butterfree.~
Plot: Ash, Misty and Brock are continuing their journey to Saffron City when they approach a large cliff overlooking a vast ocean. Nearby, they spot a massive swarm of Butterfree, and Brock explains that they have gathered for the season of love – a time when Butterfree mate and lay their eggs across the sea. Ash asks if his Butterfree should go too, and Brock explains that if he doesn’t do it now, Butterfree will never have babies.
The group rents a hot-air balloon, and Ash sets Butterfree off to find a mate. As many other Trainers join them in the air to release their Butterfree, Ash’s Butterfree is finds no luck in love in the swarm. He finds an attractive pink Butterfree and falls head over heels, but his courtship dance is met with a swift smack to the face.
Embarrassed and dejected, Ash’s Butterfree flies down to land. Ash and the others follow and find Butterfree sulking under a tree. Ash, Misty and Brock proclaim that the best way to win over the lady Butterfree is by showing his awesome moves and abilities. With a spiffy new yellow ribbon around his neck and a new approach, Butterfree is off again to find love.
As he makes his attempts, the pink Butterfree gives him the cold shoulder again.
Suddenly, a helicopter appears, revealing Team Rocket pursuing their latest target – the Butterfree. They dispatch a huge net and start capturing the Butterfree. Ash and the others find that they’re not of much help in taking them down in their slow hot air balloon. Ash’s Butterfree makes a valiant effort to take out the helicopter, but to no avail.
Team Rocket leaves the area with their catch, but Ash’s Butterfree, now exhausted and roughed up, is hot on their tail. Ash and the others try to keep up as best they can. They lose sight of Butterfree, but he returns to ask them for their help. Team Rocket has holed up in a warehouse in the middle of the mountains and are enjoying their sizable Butterfree catch.
Ash, Misty, Brock and Butterfree burst into the warehouse and start battling Team Rocket. While they’re all distracted, Butterfree sneaks away and busts open the cage holding the Butterfree. The Butterfree manage to escape out the door, but Team Rocket gets back into their helicopter to catch them again.
Ash and the others try to pursue them in their balloon, but they’re lagging way too far behind again. Pikachu and Butterfree team up to attack the helicopter and with a swift Thundershock, Team Rocket is sent blasting off.
The pink Butterfree, enamored by his heroics and dedication to protecting her, reciprocates Ash’s Butterfree’s courtship dance and they become mates.
Later, at sunset, Ash tearfully bids his Butterfree farewell, knowing he has to set him free in order for Butterfree to mate and start his new family. With the sparkles of the sunlight on the Butterfree’s wings seeing them off, Butterfree also says his goodbyes to his Trainer and friend and sets off to start a new life and a new family.
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– Bye Bye Butterfree For the love of God, put a spoiler tag up. Being fair to 4Kids, this is the exact same title as the Japanese version.
– Futurama made this episode distracting for me. I keep thinking back to Dr. Zoidberg dancing on a rock and battling Fry to the death for his potential mate, haha.
– Wow, Rachel Lillis, you’re not even trying to hide the fact that you’re putting on a bad southern accent to play that Butterfree Trainer that Brock liked, are you?
– Brock: *trying to prod Butterfree to mate with a pretty girl’s Butterfree* “Don’t you get it? If two Butterfree fall in love, their Trainers can meet and they can fall in love too!” Soooo….you want that girl to fall in love with Ash?
– I didn’t remember that the pink Butterfree straight up slapped Ash’s Butterfree. A simple ‘I’m not interested, thank you.’ would’ve sufficed, Bitch-erfree.
– Ash: “Do you think Dexter could tells us how to get that Pink Butterfree to be its mate?”
Misty: “Dexter’s never been in love.”
Yeah, but it might have valuable information on Butterfree mating habits.
– Misty: “You’ve got to be assertive! Love is all about attacking your opponent first. Get in a quick punch and surprise them, and when they’re still weak take the lead and you’ll beat them hands down! Trust me, I know!”
What the fuck?
Brock: “You mean it?”
Misty: “Sure do! That’s love!”
Brock: “ARGH I WISH I’D KNOWN THAT SOONER!”
??????
– Ash: “Now remember, this time just have confidence in yourself!” But he didn’t seem to have confidence issues the first time. In fact, wasn’t it Butterfree’s persistence that got him slapped?
– It bothered me for years that Team Rocket was flying such a long blank banner from their helicopter that the shot focuses on for so long. It wasn’t until I read Dogasu’s comparison on this episode that I finally realized the original shot had text on it. For those curious, the banner just has a transcription of their motto in the original version. Kinda pointless since they’re announcing their motto over the helicopter’s PA system, but at least it’s something to READ.
– Ya know, in a real situation with a helicopter flying around a swarm of Butterfree….let’s just say there’d be a lot of dead Butterfree.
– James: “It’s those little twerps again. No matter where we go, those kids are always in our way.”
You’re following them.
– James: “Ahahaha, nothing but net!” Oh, 90’s.
– Ash, even if the Stun Spore coated the helicopter…..what then? You can’t paralyze a helicopter.
– And a helicopter wouldn’t be able to fly that close to all of those balloons without a bunch of corpses peppering the landscape below.
– So, is there some reason none of the other Trainers in the other balloons are lifting a finger to help out their Pokemon/the Butterfree as a collective? Either none of them have Flying Pokemon that can help or they’re all jerks.
– Yes, Misty, Ash shouldn’t let out any other Pokemon to help Butterfree because he’s trying his best to take down the helicopter. Wouldn’t want to bruise Butterfree’s pride and, I dunno, save those Butterfree.
Granted, Pidgeotto probably wouldn’t be able to do much in the first place.
– Okay, now is there any particular reason none of the other Trainers are trying to follow the helicopter? I’m just going to assume the jerk thing.
– I will never not love Ash, Misty and Brock doing Team Rocket’s motto.
– HOLY CRAP! They left in, untouched, Starmie getting smacked by a sledgehammer? Ow. They even left in the sound effect. Owww.
– Is a spurt of water like a Hyper Potion to a Starmie? Also, where the hell did Misty randomly get a high-powered portable water hose?
– So it’s not okay to send Pidgeotto off to try and help because it would damage Butterfree’s pride, but Pikachu can save the day no problem? Is it because the pink Butterfree is attracted to him now?
– Though I’ll forgive that last note because that scene of Pikachu about to shock Team Rocket is hilarious.
– And the episode just cuts off after that. Nothing else happens. Well that was a good episode. I really enjoyed it. Next episode–
Dammit, NO. I don’t want this. You’re not gonna make me tear up again.
Don’t play the song. Please, God, why?
*sniff* I hate this show! Leave me alone!
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This really was a great episode. Outside of some wonky animation, it was a very fitting departure for little Butterfree. It mostly hit all of the right notes, had some pretty funny and touching writing, and the ending still gets to me. Maybe it’s just nostalgia gnawing on my heart, but I really can’t help but well up when Butterfree finally flies away.
And, as much as I rag on Ash, you do have to appreciate how brave he was to let Butterfree go. Caterpie was the very first Pokemon Ash ever caught. He has a status rivaling that of Pikachu at this point in the series. But he realized that Butterfree going off and having a family was more important than staying by his side. One of the harsher realities of life is knowing when it’s better to let go of someone you love if it’s for the betterment of their lives, no matter how much it hurts you in the process.
We may never see Butterfree again officially, and, oddly enough, I’m okay with that. He never does outright promise or say that he’ll see Butterfree again. He just says Butterfree may come back to visit them sometime maybe, which I think is a statement that he really doesn’t believe and moreso just hopes. Butterfree’s story ended and while it would be nice to see him again someday with little baby Caterpie (who would long since be Butterfree of their own by now), I’m fine with just leaving him on the horizon.
Bye bye, Butterfree.
Next episode, another of my favorites and definitely one of the weirder episodes of the series, the battle against Sabrina of Saffron City. Ash’s first failure to get a Gym Badge.
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The Anime Madhouse 