Axess: BubbleMan's Plan

Plot Synopsis
BubbleMan has been trying to figure out how to exact his revenge on MegaMan, and he's determined he'll need to counter DoubleSoul with his own DoubleSoul to beat him. He determines the source behind DoubleSoul's power is friendship, and if he can only trick someone into being his friend, maybe he'll be able to use it.

At first, things don't go so well. BubbleMan tries handing out free water in NetCity, but most navis avoid him. Just as he's about to give up, SpoutMan just so happens to be interested in BubbleMan. BubbleMan convinces SpoutMan to hang out with him, causing Shuko to lose track of him for a while. Shuko asks Lan, Tory, Mayl, and Higsby to help find SpoutMan, and the four of them jack in to begin their search.

IceMan runs across BubbleMan and SpoutMan, and ends up getting wrapped up in this whole friendship business, and ends up getting lost from Tory as well. Lan tells MegaMan, Roll, and NumberMan to stick together so they don't get lost, and BubbleMan runs off with IceMan and SpoutMan to build an ice fort.

They build a bunch of slides and play and have fun, and BubbleMan figures they buy his friendship enough to get DoubleSoul working... except he can't figure out what to do exactly. Just then, MegaMan and the others show up, so BubbleMan convinces SpoutMan and IceMan to attack them, by saying they'll have a friendly NetBattle. MegaMan, Roll, and NumberMan are hesitant to fight back, figuring SpoutMan and IceMan have been tricked, and they actually manage to get in some serious trouble really fast. Just then, Tory and Shuko finally establish contact with SpoutMan and IceMan, and make them come home immediately.

IceMan and SpoutMan thank BubbleMan for the real fun day and leave, with BubbleMan cursing for not figuring out DoubleSoul. MegaMan and the others decide to jack out as well, seeing as BubbleMan has given up. Shuko and Tory chastise IceMan and SpoutMan for being tricked by a Darkloid, but the two of them seem optimistic that BubbleMan is actually a good guy, which disheartens Shuko and Tory that their Navis are such idiots.

BubbleMan is afraid of going back to ShadeMan to be ridiculed, but to his surprise, ShadeMan actually thinks it was clever of BubbleMan to use MegaMan's friends against him. BubbleMan is renewed with a new zeal, and vows to take care of MegaMan once and for all!

Critique
I've always liked the pathetic villains of the entire Mega Man universe, and BubbleMan is just great this episode, as are IceMan and SpoutMan. I laughed really hard when SpoutMan starts crying, "Oh it's not fair! Having to pick between two things I really really want! WAAAAAAAH!" Oh these navis are pathetic, and pretty funny.

BubbleMan completely misunderstanding friendship, and ShadeMan getting pretty weirded out by him at the end, make this a great episode. Sorry BubbleMan, but you're only half right about friendship with DoubleSoul. In the show, DoubleSoul was caused from some data changes after Cross-Fusion took effect, probably rewriting the style change data within MegaMan. In the game, it has something to do with MegaMan's resurrection and full synchro after Battle Network 3. It might be possible for another Navi to DoubleSoul, but you've got a lot more work to do besides making friends BubbleMan. Although, knowing this show, a contradiction could happen at any time, so take all that with a grain of salt. Good episode though.

Rating: Thumbs up!