Review SM004: It's Mokuroh! Catching Pokémon in Alola!!

[Shoutmon]

While it's true that you don't need a collect-a-ton goal to have development and progress, it the best case for an anime like Pokemon. Unlike other shows, there is no sense or urgency because there is no villain to challenge the protagonist. It's okay that in shows like Avatar the characters don't have career focused goal because their actual goal is to defeat the bad guy but this is not the case for Pokemon.

The only stakes the show has until the "evil teams" are introduced are "Is Ash going to win this battle?","How May is going to win this", etc. Even the evil team arc are meaningless because it doesn't mean anything to Ash. Do you know why people were angry at the Kalos League? Because it was rushed for the Flare arc but the it was a bad move. We watched the show for three years to see Ash compete in the league, not defeat a villain that is nothing to him. Ash put his blood, sweat and tears to get the badges, that is what he worked for. Lysandre is just a bad guy to Ash, there is not some Hamlet/Claudious,Luke/Vader,Cloud/Sephiroth type of personal conflict here.

So yeah, this is why stuff like badge quest are good for the anime. Character like Paul woudn't exist if it wasn't for them. These type of quest give the characters a chance to prove themselves and give them more independence because characters like Drew exists for May and May only, nothing to do with Ash or Brock.

Nobody is saying Misty is a bad character but you can't deny she barely progressed and at the end she was forced to get out of the show. A bad ending for her character because she didn't even had the chance to choose. And please, she and Brock barely did anything in Johto, she got like one Pokemon there and so did Brock. Not to mention how Iris and Cilan also barely progressed and had no reason to travel with Ash.

Until the anime show us that it can handle characters with vague goals then people have reason to be concerned. Not to mention SM has SIX main characters and it could turn into a disaster because even if they get episodes, I don't see them getting too many captures since Alola has few Pokemon and the writers wouldn't want many captures in a group of six.

Okay but my original post was more about their interactions and personality and I firmly believe the characters should have introduced in a different way. Look at Harry Potter, Harry didn't become friends with the whole class but instead meet Ron and Hermione in different ways and that established their relationship and personalities better. Maybe it can change but it has been 4 episodes and for some people that's enough and Mallow makes me feel nothing.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

People forget that the show bases personalities off the culture they're basing the region off of. Hawaiian people, like many Middle Eastern people, are known for their hospitality. The party for Ash was a welcoming party. In Lebanon, the welcoming party would've been even more extensive and lasted all day, with dinner and dancing.

In Hawaii, the culture and the people want you to feel connected and like you're family.

Yes, gym badges were important. Very true, but there are no gyms in the game nor anime. This season is going to be different. We can't expect the same for a series that is no longer the same series you'd known for twenty years.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

We still got the pokemon league in the games so we might see one this region. It is gyms that are not available. Ash now have four remain spaces in his team to fill now that Rowlet is added. Rowlet was a pokemon that I saw Ash getting before this episode.

 

[Syrinaris]

I keep feeling like I'm seeing shades of how Serena was introduced into the group in the way that they're handling Litten. I mean time-wise. It took like 6 or 7 episodes, I think, for Serena to finally meet up with Ash & Co. They keep showing Litten in its various wanderings around the island. We get to learn just a little bit about it here and there. I wonder how long it will take before it runs into Ash again and gets integrated into the group. I just have a feeling that it's going to end up with Ash somehow, some way.

Anyway, that Rowlet is just adorable. And not quite the brightest bulb in the pack. It was supposed to be picking up berries from the stands and instead it sees a berry shaped wind chime and makes off with it.

I thought Ash was going to catch that Grubbin seeing as how Pika managed to paralyze it. When it dove under the ground I was waiting for him to tell Pika to use Iron Tail on the ground and bust the ground up along with Grubbin. Instead, he tells Pika to wait and use Quick Attack when he sees it? C'mon writers, Ash having Pika use Iron Tail on the ground is an established strategy you've had him use in situations like this for a while now, so what gives? I think the writers want to turn Ash trying to catch Grubbin into a running gag. Also, I'm glad to see that Togedamaru is actually on Sophocles' head this eppy instead of being hauled around attached to his belt. That seriously irks me that he hauls Togeda around like that.

So Bewear is outside of the cave keeping guard over TR. Is kidnapping humans its hobby or something? And what is up with James collecting Pokeballs? I thought he collected bottle caps. I guess that's over and done with.

So Nurse Joy in Alola has two assistants this time around? A Blissey and a Comfey? I was wondering what Comfey looked like when it wasn't holding that ring of flowers. It sure is a tiny thing. Cute reaction from Ash when Comfey gave him the ring of flowers. I guess "breaking the fourth wall" is going to be a thing with RotomDex this series. It's done it twice now. Talking to us when Ash was battling Grubbin, and now here in the PokeCenter.

I feel bad for poor Rowlet getting yelled at over the berry wind chime. I would have gladly accepted that wind chime, sweetie. *pats Rowlet* So I did notice there was a time shift here. It was sunset when Rowlet was kicked out of the nest to go back and find a proper berry or fruit and then we segue into Ash & Mallow on the porch eating breakfast the next morning. When Rowlet shows up it's so tired it's almost falling asleep in flight. I wonder if that might be part of the reason why it thought Bounsweet was fruit. Cue Ash making the obligatory diving leap to save Rowlet from certain injury. Ash's interactions with it after it woke up was just really sweet. And it seems as though some time might have passed from after it ate the bowl of fruit to when Mallow set the watermelon down in the bowl. I think Rowlet was really enjoying being treated with such kindness after being cussed out the previous day by its adopted family.

That flashback scene of when Rowlet hatched was interesting. Even though everyone was happy with Rowlet for saving them, I still find myself wondering if maybe the Pikipek family was tolerating Rowlet's presence and the reason the adults basically prodded it to go with Ash was because a human trainer came along and was willing to take it off their hands. I hope this story thread will be revisited at some point and we learn how Rowlet came to be placed in the Pikipek family's nest.

RotomDex flipping out over Ash catching a Pokémon in this manner was hilarious. Yes, RotomDex, Ash has caught a whole lot of Pokémon in this way over the years.

I really liked this episode a lot. For me it had a more interesting story than the previous episode. Am looking forward to seeing Rowlet & Ash bonding with each other more.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

I keep feeling like I'm seeing shades of how Serena was introduced into the group in the way that they're handling Litten. I mean time-wise. It took like 6 or 7 episodes, I think, for Serena to finally meet up with Ash & Co. They keep showing Litten in its various wanderings around the island. We get to learn just a little bit about it here and there. I wonder how long it will take before it runs into Ash again and gets integrated into the group. I just have a feeling that it's going to end up with Ash somehow, some way.

Even though everyone was happy with Rowlet for saving them, I still find myself wondering if maybe the Pikipek family was tolerating Rowlet's presence and the reason the adults basically prodded it to go with Ash was because a human trainer came along and was willing to take it off their hands. I hope this story thread will be revisited at some point and we learn how Rowlet came to be placed in the Pikipek family's nest.

RotomDex flipping out over Ash catching a Pokémon in this manner was hilarious. Yes, RotomDex, Ash has caught a whole lot of Pokémon in this way over the years.

I really liked this episode a lot. For me it had a more interesting story than the previous episode. Am looking forward to seeing Rowlet & Ash bonding with each other more.

OMGosh!! I was wondering the same thing about Rowlet and it's adoptive family. Much of me kept thinking that they were tolerating him and were happy that someone was able to take him away and care for him. It seemed that they were pleased that someone would love him and he able to care for him in ways they couldn't.

I would love for them to revisit this story.

I'm feeling the same way about Litten. I can't wait to see how it becomes part of the main cast. Every season, one Pokemon goes full evolved, and I'm wondering which one it'll be. I am hoping that it'll be Litten.

 

[Syrinaris]

OMGosh!! I was wondering the same thing about Rowlet and it's adoptive family. Much of me kept thinking that they were tolerating him and were happy that someone was able to take him away and care for him. It seemed that they were pleased that someone would love him and he able to care for him in ways they couldn't.

I would love for them to revisit this story.

I'm feeling the same way about Litten. I can't wait to see how it becomes part of the main cast. Every season, one Pokemon goes full evolved, and I'm wondering which one it'll be. I am hoping that it'll be Litten.

Yeah, my honest reaction to that hatching scene, and subsequent scenes where it appeared as though Toucannon was 'thinking' about Rowlet being a part of his/her family unit, was that it was still feeling rather perplexed about how Rowlet's egg got into its nest in the first place. And also perhaps feeling like even though it's positive that Rowlet shouldn't be there in the Pikipek family, it's not sure what it ought to do about it. Even though I believe it wouldn't actually be so heartless as to just kick Rowlet out. But then Ash showed up and, Hey! convenient way to solve the problem without it appearing that it overtly wants to stop dealing with Rowlet being there in the middle of its Pikipek family.

I really hope there is an actual back history to this and the writers will delve into that as we go along and Rowlet grows up and evolves.

 

[vncredleader]

I'm not sure how I feel about Jessie getting Mimikyu... It does work when considering their personalities but, I feel like Wobbuffet is already enough of a "mascot" of sorts for her to have two hugely-recognized Pokémon on her team. She and James looked a lot better in this episode, by the way. I wished they had used this style to make their motto from the previous episode, because we'll be watching that animation a lot, and honestly, it looks pretty ugly.

Also, I think Mallow may be becoming one of my favorite companions. I love the chemistry between her and Ash, it feels so cute and... genuine.
I also love how often we're seeing the characters doing mundane stuff like just chillin' and having some drinks. Very slice of life-y. I mean, it's not like it hasn't been done before, but we don't get much of that since there's usually so much traveling involved.

Yeah Mallow and Ash are really fun together. I did not dislike Serena but I like having the female companion be more of an equal to Ash and able to more frequently just be part of a plot with him as opposed to always been meek and awkward. I am not one who often gets into shipping but I could honestly start leaning that way in this case. What has this episode done to me!?!

 

[TRNatalie]

Is anyone else wondering if the Blissey from Ignorance of Blissey could possibly return considering Blissey are in the Pokemon Center now? I hope so because I don't think Team Rocket have received backstory since Sinnoh.