Pokémon S1E6: “Clefairy and the Moon Stone” Review

“Clefairy and the Moon Stone” is an interesting episode that takes Ash, Misty, and Brock through Mt. Moon on their way to Cerulean City. It doesn’t have quite the character development of “Showdown in Pewter City,” but it does a good job expanding the Pokémon world and giving the newly formed group an adventure together.

The group meets a scientist named Seymour, who is investigating the mysterious Moon Stone and the Pokémon living around Mt. Moon. I’ll admit that I found Seymour rather annoying. Fortunately, the mystery he’s investigating is considerably more interesting than he is.

Seymour believes that the Moon Stone may have come from outer space and even theorizes that the Pokémon associated with it may have extraterrestrial origins. The episode never really proves his theory, but I like that. It gives the Pokémon world another layer of mystery and mythology rather than explaining everything neatly.

The Clefairy themselves are the centerpiece of the episode. Eventually, Ash and his friends discover a group of them gathered around the giant Moon Stone, dancing and effectively worshipping or praying to it. I thought the whole sequence was cute, and it gives the Clefairy a little culture of their own rather than treating them simply as wild Pokémon waiting for Trainers to catch them.

The Moon Stone also isn’t merely decorative. After Team Rocket’s interference causes fragments of it to fall among the Clefairy, some of them evolve into Clefable. It connects the story nicely with the Moon Stone’s function as an evolutionary stone.

This episode also gives us a better look at Misty and Brock as Trainers.

Up to this point, Misty has mostly been following Ash around, arguing with him and trying to give him advice that he usually ignores. Here we finally get to see that she actually knows what she’s doing. Misty reveals her Staryu and uses it to battle Meowth, demonstrating that she is a genuinely competent Trainer rather than simply someone who claims to know more than Ash.

Brock similarly demonstrates his abilities, and we discover that he has caught a Zubat. Interestingly, the actual capture happens offscreen. With Misty and Brock both demonstrating their abilities, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that Ash is traveling with two people who have considerably more experience than he does.

Maybe he should start listening to Misty occasionally.

Then there’s Team Rocket.

After barely participating in the previous episode because they spent most of it trapped in their own hole, Jessie, James, and Meowth actually seem to have their act together for a moment. They are unquestionably the bad guys here, disturbing the Pokémon of Mt. Moon and attempting to steal the Moon Stone, but they’re surprisingly effective at carrying out their plan. At one point they actually manage to escape with the giant Moon Stone before everything inevitably falls apart.

It’s nice seeing Team Rocket pose a legitimate threat while still retaining the ridiculous qualities that make them so entertaining.

The episode ends with Seymour deciding to remain with the Clefairy and Clefable while Ash, Misty, and Brock continue toward Cerulean City.

That’s where we get a small moment that I particularly liked.

When it becomes clear that Cerulean City is their next destination, Misty doesn’t look particularly happy about it. The episode doesn’t explain why, leaving it as a little piece of foreshadowing for what’s coming next.

Anyone who had already played the Pokémon games when this episode originally aired might have had a pretty good idea why Misty wasn’t thrilled about returning to Cerulean City. For Ash, however, there’s still a surprise waiting there.

Final Thoughts
“Clefairy and the Moon Stone” was an interesting and enjoyable episode.

Seymour got on my nerves, but the actual mystery surrounding the Moon Stone was much more appealing. I particularly liked the suggestion that it might have originated in outer space and the cute sequence of the Clefairy gathering around it.

More importantly for the ongoing series, we’re beginning to see how Ash, Misty, and Brock function as a group. Misty finally gets a chance to demonstrate that she really is a capable Trainer, Brock proves equally competent, and Ash is now traveling with two people he could probably learn quite a bit from.

Team Rocket also gets considerably more to do this time and, remarkably, almost looks competent for a while.

It’s a good world-building episode, but that final reaction from Misty is perhaps the most interesting little hook.

Next stop: Cerulean City.