"Feel-Good" Episodes | Bulbagarden

As a battle aficionado, most of my "feel-good" episodes are battle-related ones. Whenever I'm disappointed about how a battle has been scripted or if I have lost some "battle" in real life, I fondly look back at these episodes to cheer me up and give me some more confidence. Here are some of the most relevant to me.

• "Familiarity Breeds Strategy!" | "A Real Rival Rouser!" | "Battling a Thaw in Relations!"

The absolutely best battle in the whole anime, imo. Packed with great action and good strategies, it really showed the skills and different battling styles of Ash and Paul. This alone has raised my standards for future battles, and I never grow tired of watching it. Sure, there were some things that could have been handled better, but overall I find it top notch.

• "Volcanic Panic"

This match is what gave me a passion for battles as a child. A classic battle between two fiery creatures, and one of the few times in which Charizard listened to Ash during his puberty "disobedient phase". The part where Charizard was plunged in lava gave me chills as a child, since I was fearing that Charizard was dead (since I thought that Magmar could survive in magma, but Charizard couldn't), but I was rejoiced when Charizard emerged and threw Magmar in the lava. That was a golden moment for me, and when I want to see a sun ray in a region filled with "pity Badges" (which I despised even as a child), I always look back at this episode.

• "The Symbol Life"

Look at that, another Charizard episode! This one I appreciated because Ash had actually managed to beat a Legendary Pokémon for the first time, one of those Pokémon who are deemed almost unbeatable in the anime. This made me start cheering for Ash even more, and it's still a good match to look at even after all this time. Whenever I felt like wanting to see Charizard at his best during Episode N in the past, I always looked at this episode.

• "The Ties That Bind" | "Can't Beat the Heat!"

This surely couldn't have been left out. A classic rivalry finally solved after Ash spent months trying to reach and surpass Gary. Even he was stunned when he managed to beat his original nemesis. This, in a sense, is a metaphor of real life challenges: it doesn't matter how difficult an obstacle may be, you can surpass it if you put effort and willpower.

And now, for some non-battle episodes…

"Snow Way Out!"

This certainly couldn't have been left out! Seeing how Ash was willing to keep his Pokémon safe and sound and how his Pokémon huddled together with him to keep warm and survive the blizzard was a truly touching moment. Very few episodes have managed to reach this level of feels and heartwarming power.

• "Giving Chase at the Rhyhorn Race!"

I know that many people hate or are at least annoyed by AmourShipping, but you have no idea how many times I have rewatched this episode. When it first aired, I watched it like twenty times in a single afternoon, due to how much I loved it! :3 Nevertheless, the sheer amount of warm and kawaii feelings in this episode always manage to bring a smile to my face, as it can bring out the romantic person in me.

• "The Chikorita Rescue" | "Current Events"

Chikorita/Bayleef is one of my most favorite Pokémon, and these episodes truly touched my heart. How Ash ended up first saving Chikorita, and how Chikorita later saved her beloved Trainer by evolving truly shows the strength of their bond. It is really sweet to see how affectionate Chikorita is toward her Trainer, and these are among the episodes where she showed it best, alongside the reunion episodes. Speaking of reunions...

• "The Right Place and the Right Mime" | "An Old Family Blend!"

Reunion episodes are among the best, in my humble opinion. Seeing past and present blending together and seeing the interactions between every character is truly a treat. I rejoice every time I see a reunion done well, so I can only hope that the incoming reunion will be handled properly.

• "Houndoom's Special Delivery"

A quite odd choice, but this is one of the most interesting Togepi-related episodes. The care that Houndoom showed toward the Baby Pokémon was truly heartwarming, and I especially like how the focus wasn't too much on the main characters (aside of Togepi, of course). It showed well another point of view of the world of Pokémon, and it showed that beautifully, I daresay.

These episodes are the ones that stand out the most to me, but if I can recall some other episode I'll make sure to add it.