>>27148202>Rewatch the episodeBuddy, you think I haven't? It's one of my favorites. And I think you're forgetting something. It's an episode that was special while you were following the anime, not as an isolated episode. It stands out because we all wanted to see Muk in action. It stands out because no one knew when Muk was going to battle (or Krabby in another episode). It stands out because after all that travelling to get badges and getting to the league, Ash was going to lose to a Bellsprout. Just taking the episode out of context is useless, and it's exactly what you're doing from the looks of things.
It may not be memorable to you, but people actually watching the series when it aired can still remember the time when a Bellsprout gave Ash a run for his money.