Trade, Borrow, and Steal! (Pokémon Journeys)

"Trade, Borrow, and Steal! (Pokémon Journeys)"
So writers, you're seriously telling us that although Goh barely uses Pinsir, he does not want to trade her for a Heracross?
Series: Pokémon Part of Season: 23 Episode Number: 33 Air Date: August 16, 2020 (Japan) December 4, 2020 (USA) Writer: Yuka Miyata Director: Hidehiko Kadota Previous episode: Time After Time Next episode: Solitary and Menacing!

Trade, Borrow, and Steal! is an episode from Pokémon Journeys, it is the ninth episode of the third arc and is overall the thirty-third episode of the show.

Summery

The local Pokémon Center is hosting a Pokémon trading event. When Ash and Goh head over to check it out, they meet a trainer named Kylie who's a Bug-type enthusiast.

Why It Should Be Traded and Borrowed

1. Much like in "Kicking It from Here to Tomorrow!", Goh acts very selfish and unlikable because while he wants to trade in a Pokémon, he does not want to trade his Pinsir for Kylie's Heracross, a Pokémon that he barely interacted and even uses.
   1. To be fair, Goh's main goal is to catch every kind of Pokémon, so it makes some sense that he does not want to trade in Pinsir.
2. While an ok character, Kylie is a very out-of-place character as her design feels more like something out of another anime show rather than Pokémon, and also for some strange reason, Kylie has a sharp bump on the upper/middle left side of her lip, giving off an impression that she has a fang.
3. Misleading Title: Despite this episode being a trading episode, it's mostly just Ash, Goh, and Kylie trying to hunt for a Pinsir.
4. Many bland fillers, such as the Team Rocket segment that drags way too long.
5. Speaking of Team Rocket, this episode is also a very cruel Team Rocket torturer episode, as Marpeko eats up their whole food, leading them to starvation.
6. There's a World Coordination Battle with Ash and Kylie, but it ends way too soon.
7. Plot-Holes:
   1. Why did Goh act like he didn't know that he had to trade in Pokémon when the whole point is that he wants to trade in a Pokémon???
   2. Goh does not want to trade in Pinsir for a Heracross cause he does not want to get rid of her, but does he realize that he can always catch another Pinsir?
8. Disturbing moments, one example is the "Team Rocket Starvation" scene as well as them with Kuromi's honey.
9. Many anticlimactic moments, such as in the climax, Team Rocket brings out a Scolipede and Drapion, and....they get distracted by Kylie's sector, leading Meowth to do the fighting.
10. The very out-of-nowhere twist near the end of the episode where it reviled that Kylie has a whole team of five Heracross', which makes Kylie's idea to trade in Heracross pointless.

Redeeming Qualities

1. The part where it's reviled that Pinsir is not only a girl but also has a crush on Heracross is well written, not to mention very cute.
2. There are a few funny moments, such as the way Meowth gets beaten by Heracross' Fury Attack.
3. Overall, except for Goh's behavior, this episode is not nearly the train wreck as the previous two episodes of Pokémon Journeys that were talked about on this wiki.

Trivia

• This episode reveals that Goh's Pinsir is a girl.

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