Run, Tiger, Run! is the twenty-second episode of Season 1 of the Monster Rancher anime series. It aired in Japan on September 18, 1999. The episode marks the start of Gray Wolf Arc, and the confirmation that Gray Wolf is Tiger's younger brother that was captured by Moo.
Synopsis[]
Following their victory over Gali, the Searchers are attacked by the Black Worms, who are under Gray Wolf's command. Tiger must save the group and come over the realization that he must be the one to defeat his brother.
Full Recap[]
The episode starts with scenes of purple Tigers attacking a peaceful village. After the attack, the Tigers and Gray Wolf watch from a nearby cliff as the village burns. Gray Wolf complains that destroying the village was too easy. As Gray Wolf starts walking away, another purple Tiger runs up to him, and tells him something terrible has happened to Gali, and the anti-Moo rebels responsible are in the Forest of the Black Worms. Gray Wolf is overjoyed that he finally has prey worth hunting. He shouts towards the forest, telling the Black Worms to destroy the rebels, then he and the other Tigers start howling.
Far into the forest, Tiger of the Wind hears the distant howling. When Genki asks him what he hears, Tiger says it's nothing. Holly's stone indicates they should go ahead into the forest. Hare complains that it's a creepy forest, and Suezo scares him more by turning his eyelid inside out and jumping in front of him. Hare tells the others that they're on schedule for another attack, and that there's still two of the Big Bad Four left.
The others start walking into the forest, when Tiger stops, and tells them they have company. They look above and see glowing red eyes. The Black Worms drop from the trees and attack. Soon, they surround our heroes and prepare their poison dart attack. Golem pulls up a piece of ground, and swings it around, knocking back the Black Worms. Captain Black Worm tells them to regroup. They start rolling away, but Tiger catches up to one of them. Tiger tackles him and prepares to finish him off when Holly stops him. Tiger tells her, "Don't feel sorry for them (the Black Worms), they wouldn't feel sorry for you" but Holly tells Tiger, "If you act like them, you become them." So, they tie the Black Worm up to a tree, instead. Hare says they should interrogate the Black Worm, and Hare asks the Black Worm who the two remaining Big Bad Four are. The Worm acts dumb and tells them he doesn't know. Holly asks the Worm who told the Black Worms to attack them. Tiger comments that whoever it was can't be very important. The Black Worm tells Tiger they're the nobodies, and that their leader is Gray Wolf. This shocks everyone. Genki asks Tiger if it's his brother Gray Wolf, and Suezo adds that Moo did turn him into a baddie. Tiger shouts that it's impossible.
Tiger then starts walking off saying he needs to find it out for himself. Genki asks him what'll he do if it's true. Tiger says this has nothing to do with the others. While they're talking, the Black Worm aims his poison dart at Tiger, but Holly sees it in time and shove Tiger out of the way. The Worm then breathes out a smoke screen and escapes. Suezo takes Holly's temperature with his tongue, and says she's burning up. Hare says it's the poison from the dart, and that it causes high fever and delirium. Tiger tackles Hare and asks what he can do to save Holly. A frightened Hare tells Tiger Notsumi Berries are the antidote, but he doesn't know where they'd grow around here. Tiger rushes off saying he'll get the berries for Holly. Genki tells the others to stay there and take care of Holly. Genki gets his skates on and chases after Tiger.
When Genki catches up to Tiger, He asks how Tiger knows where the berries are. Tiger says he doesn't know, but he trusts his senses. After Genki and Tiger leave the forest, we see that the Black Worms are behind them. When they get out to the open plain, Tiger notices the Black Worms coming from behind. They both stop to face the worms, but Genki tells Tiger to keep going, he'll take care of the worms. Tiger keeps going, and finds the Matsumi berries on a cliff face. He goes up to get some, but gets stabbed by the poison dart of the hidden Captain Black Worm. Tiger and Captain Black Worm face each other to battle, but Captain Black Worm easily tosses around the poison-weakened Tiger. Captain Black Worm then tells Tiger that his troops should be attacking Tiger's friends right about now.
The Black Worms are in the forest preparing to attack. They see Golem sitting by a campfire, and attack, but find that "Golem" is just a pile of rocks held up with some sticks. The Black Worms rush off, thinking they can't be far away. When they're gone, the real Golem, along with Mocchi, Suezo, Hare and Holly come out from the bushes they were hiding in.
Captain Black Worm is telling Tiger how Gray Wolf insists that they never let prey escape. Tiger remembers back to when he told Gray Wolf the same thing. Tiger gathers enough strength to attack Captain Black Worm, and blast him with a torpedo, leaving only a Lost Disk behind. He then walks to the berries, eats some, and collapses. While he's asleep, he dreams about growing up with his brother, and come to the realization that his brother, Gray Wolf, is now is enemy. When Tiger comes through, he says the Notsumi berries are working, but then rushes back to the forest, realizing Holly's time is running out. While running back, he makes a promise that he will be the one to defeat Gray Wolf.
On Tiger's way back he finds a number of injured Black Worms, after looking around, he also finds Genki. Genki's leg is injured, so Tiger has him climb on and ride. Back in the forest, the Black Worms have almost found Holly and the others, when Holly's coughing gives away the hiding spot. The Black Worms prepare to attack, but are knocked down by a lightning attack. Tiger and Genki have made it back just in time. Genki tells Golem to protect Holly, while he and the others prepare to fight the remaining Black Worms. The battle goes fast and furious, but soon the Black Worms are defeated. After the attack, Hare and Genki are using the berries to revive Holly. Far away, Gray Wolf seems to notice a distant sound, when one of the purple tigers asks what it is, he says, "It's nothing, just the wind."
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Trivia[]
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