WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Pokémon Twilight Wings, "Buddy," available to watch on The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel now.
Pokémon Twilight Wings continues its all-out assault of cuteness with the release of the web series' third episode. The second episode, which came out in February, featured Sword and Shield Gym Leader Bea pushing herself to her absolute limits in the wild, training alongside a Machop, Machoke and Machamp until she reached her breaking point. "Buddy" pumps the breaks a little by comparison, but still packs an emotional punch as powerful as any the Fighting-type expert could deliver.
Interestingly, the storyline of the 6-minute short plays on the same theme of feeling inadequate -- but this time, it's a Pokémon and not a human that finds itself riddled with anxiety over not being able to be the very best, like no one ever was. The Pokémon in question is Wooloo, the companion to Sword and Shield's Hop, who is the player's frenemy rival. As Hop pores over footage of his older brother Leon, the League Champion, he excitedly jabbers about how great his prize-winning Charizard is to his fluffy friend. This prompts Wooloo -- a sheep-based Pokémon -- to start mimicking the Fire-type's draconic scowl. It doesn't have the desired, intimidating effect because, well, Wooloo looks like a cloud with legs rather than a bat-winged lizard.
Unable to draw his trainer's attention away from the fiery battle, the Wooloo wanders off outside on its own, continuing to try and take on the -- in its eyes -- superior attributes of every other Pokémon type it meets. Eventually, in a desperate attempt to copy Charizard's flying, Wooloo launches itself from the top of a hill. It falls, unceremoniously, into a herd of its own kind on Gym Leader Milo's farm, who then graciously puts the lost creature into the Corviknight taxi that's become the thread that ties these vignettes on the Galar region together.
As any seasoned Pokémon player will tell you, the Wooloo's insecurity stems from its type's real-world perception. While there have always been particular Normal-type Pokémon -- Eevee, Snorlax and Miltank, to name just a few -- that are crowd-pleasers, these Pokémon are loved solely for their designs and individual quirks. They just happen to also be Normal-type. In-game, the name really speaks for itself: an unremarkable type that's a good all-rounder but lacks any of the effortless cool of Fire, Electric and Dragon or even any of the peculiarities of Ghost, Dark and Fairy. Even the more maligned Bug-type has an evocative ring to it, at least. Very few Pokémon fans will tell you that Normal is their die-hard, favorite type.
This Wooloo needn't worry, though. While its type might not make it particularly special alone, the nurturing care of its trainer will. And it's in safe hands with Hop, who rushes around his hometown, door-to-door, in a desperate bid to find his missing partner. When he does spot Wooloo aboard the Corvinknight taxi, he's quick to reassure it that, even though it can't breathe fire, there's no other Pokémon he'd rather take on the League with.