Holly's Rescue is the fourteenth episode of Season 1 of the Monster Rancher anime series. It aired in Japan on July 17, 1999.
Synopsis[]
Moo tells Holly that her father unlocked his Mystery Disc, and Moo possessed him. Genki and the others reach Moo's castle with the help of Vulcan and the Pirate Dragons, and fight Moo. Pixie attacks Moo during the battle, and they escape Moo's castle with Holly. However, Moo has been pointed in the direction of his original body by the Magic Stone.
Full Recap[]
Inside Moo's castle, Holly is telling Moo that she won't accept that he's her father. Moo tells Holly what he did after he left Holly's village. He set off to find the Phoenix, without the help of the Magic Stone. As Moo explains, returning to his village of birth mattered more than miraculous capabilities of the Phoenix (the dub highlighted his inner resentments by stating that he sought revenge for the humiliation of being driven away from it instead. We are shown the flashback of his host, Holly's father, stumbling upon ruins of pendant civilization before falling through the floor in front of its temple. After lighting a torch, Holly's father starts exploring and finds what looks like the top of Moo's castle. He enters the castle; the walls are lined with Mystery Discs. He enters a center room, where we see what seems to be Moo's mind from "Monol's Story". After approaching Moo's mind, it reacts wildly and transforms into a red Mystery Disc, and Holly's father grabs it. While exanimating it, the disc transforms again into a red face. It transforms Holly's father into Moo (viewers don't see this, just a shadow along a wall as it happens) as his backpack is thrown into a wall. As the Moo in the flashback puts his hand over a control panel, activating the castle, present-time Moo's narration re-begins. He explains that he and Moo's soul became one in body and spirit. The flashback scene now shows Moo's castle bursting from the ground, destroying the temple above in the process, and then shows Moo using his power to release the monsters in the mystery disk lining the walls. Moo is soon surrounded by an array of Jells, Clays, Evil Hares, etc. The flashback ends, Moo concludes his tale with chuckles (the dub has him saying, "and the rest as they say, is history"). Holly says she still believes her father was a good man who wouldn't give in to Moo's evil that easily, and pointed out her grandfather's decision to banish him out of fear of his powers was indeed a mistake the former realzed too late. But Moo states that it no longer matter thanks to the evil soul magnified his heart's dark desire and intended to see whether Holly can become a baddie like those he corrupted (In dub instead has Holly demanding Moo to give her father back, prompting Moo stating that he and the lattee are one in tne same, and Holly should be glad because he has everything he wants. Moo goes on to say that why he was banished from the village was not because he lost the election, but because the others feared his power.)
The dragons are getting closer to the castle. Suezo zooms in and sees it straight ahead. The dragons use the cloud cover to hide their approach to the castle. Falcon explains to Genki that they'll have to get in and out without being seen to avoid a losing all-out fight, and that they'll be waiting above the cloud cover. The dragons then dive toward the castle. Our heroes leap down to the castle; Genki, Tiger, and Hare land smoothly while Suezo face-first and had to be Mocchi and Golem's cushion. Golem forces open the door, letting them inside what appears to be a "Iron Bird" hangar. Since it is empty, they guess that the baddies aren't expecting them. Realizing they have no way of knowing where Holly is, Suezo comes up with an idea. He pulls out what appears to be Holly's handkerchief from his tongue and presents it to Tiger only to realize it's someone boxer shorts much to everyone's chargin. Realizing his mistake, Suezo brings out the real thing from the sack around his neck for Tiger to sniff it and quickly get her scent (in dub version, this blunder was cut). After evading a Weed, they make their way through the castle until two weeds spot them and question the group only to be knocked aside by Tiger, prompting them to alarm the castle (in dub version, the two weeds ask for a secret password and shouting "aliens" upon being knocked instead. A number of Moo's forces come after them, but our heroes barge through them with ease. Tiger finds the room Holly is in and torpedoes through the door.
In the room's wall, there's a small round window to the chamber where Holly and Moo are. Inside the room, Moo states to the defiant Holly that she had two choices, defeating him or kill herself. Molly realizes Moo was the one who ordered their village's destruction (in dub, he re-interates his offer of sharing rule with Holly). Holly asks why her father would attack his own village. Moo explains that he wanted to feast on everyone's grudge and hatred which will increase his power, even amusinh himself with the idea of killing his own daughter (in dub, he wanted to commit more horrible acts for the same reason). On the other side, Genki and Hare s frustrated by his inability to hear their conversation (the dub establishes that they have no such issue because the former yells out Holly to not listen to Moo). Tiger tries to torpedo through the wall, but this fails to break through. Moo causes Holly to flashback to when she was young. Her father is carving a doll while knitting. He finishes it, and gives it to young Holly, who starts playing with it. Her parents smiles at her happiness The flashback changes to an idle rocking chair and a bundle of thread, then Holly being comforted by her father after her mother's funeral (the dub version cuts this part due to too dark), and finally young Holly and her father playing in a field.
Holly says she still refuses to believe Moo is her father, so Moo produces a dagger in a bejeweled holder. He tells Holly to pick it up, which she does. Outside the room, Golem uses his tornado attack to break through the wall, this time successful. Genki and the others rush in and reunites with Holly who changes her mind of fighting before facing Moo together. The frustrated Moo remarks that he let them go once only to see them intending to have a losing rematch (the dub has says he let them go once, but not again). Genki sees Moo has the Magic Stone. Moo says they don't even know the Magic Stone's true power, that its power goes beyond Mystery Discs. Genki asks how Moo knows so much about the Magic Stone. Tiger suggests that it's because Moo can use the Stone, too. Moo than tells the Stone to tell him where his old body is. Instead of pointing a direction, the Stone makes the floor change to a view of a distant mountain. Moo says soon he'll be his old, familiar self. After this, a large number of Moo's forces charge into the room. Unable to fight him head on, our heroes decide it's time to escape. They spot a large window to the outside. However, Tiger's torpedo and Golem's Tornado have no effect on the extremely durable window, nor the others' attacks. Moo laughs at their pointless efforts (the dub has him bragging the window "built to last"). Left with no pther choices, our heroes prepare to face Moo. Our heroes attack, but are blown back by Moo. Moo then grabs Genki. Tiger and Suezo try to attack, only to be knocked back again. Holly now begs Moo to stop, and says she'll give up to Moo. Moo now explains that all he has to do to win is have people hate him. Moo feeds on hate, it makes him stronger, and the hate will turn the people into Baddies, without Moo having to do a thing.
Then, a stream of fire hits Moo from behind (the dub has a familiar voice screaming, "Moo!"). Moo is quickly engulfed in flame and drops Genki. We see it's Pixie who's attacking Moo, now revealed to be a proper Baddie turncoat. She flies up to the flame-engulfed Moo, and grabs the magic stone from him. She then flies to the window and shatters it with repeated "lightning" attacks despite its indestructability. A wind gusts out the shattered window, extinguishing the flames on Moo. The gust and flames get Falcon's attention above the castle. Our heroes leap out of the window while Moo, outraged by Pixie's betrayal, fires a blast at her. Pixie tries to defend herself with her "wall of fire", but Moo is too strong and blasts her out of the castle. The dragons fly beneath catch our falling heroes. Genki's complementing Falcon on his timing when he notices the falling Pixie. He tells Falcon she saved them, and Falcon goes after her. On Moo's castle, a Weed gives order is given to open fire to prevent their escape. A bunch of blasters starts firing. Falcon easily sweeps around them and catches Pixie. Pixie comes through and tells Genki she's "returned the favor" and shows him the Magic Stone. Genki thanks her.
Falcon and the other dragons fly into the clouds. A Weed on Moo's castle orders a launch of the Iron Birds to pursue the Searchers, but Moo tells him to let the "trash" go. He doesn't need the Magic Stone anymore nor does he have anymore business with the Searchers. He then orders the castle to change course and go north to where his body lies. It's dawn, and the dragons are flying from the castle. Pixie is unconscious again, but it's the least of their worries now. Falcon sees Big Blue ahead and becomes cautious, but Genki stops him, saying he's a "friend". Falcon lands in front of Big Blue. Big Blue assures that Pixie is fine with Genki credits her assistance which allows their escape from Moo's grasp. Genki tells Big Blue to tell Pixie thank you for them. Big Blue agrees, and carries off Pixie's still sleeping body. Falcon says the dragons have to get back to their base, since ons never know when the baddies will attack. The dragons and our heroes say their good-byes and the dragons fly off.
Featured Characters[]
- The Searchers
- Master Moo
- Holly's Father
- Captain Weed
- Falcon
- Pirate Dragons
- Pixie (Anime)
- Big Blue (Anime)
Featured Monsters[]
Trivia[]
- This episode (as well as the previous episode) confirmed Monol's suspicion that Moo has possessed someone due to his original body has been missing.
- This marked Pixie and Big Blue's reformation into anti-heroes and eventually allies for the Searchers.