Preview JN039: Satoshi VS Saitou! Conquer the Octopus Hold!!

[Beatsy Ray]

The only hope for G.Farfetch’d is that it has an arc where it trains to prove itself to Ash, in response to being dropped, and Ash acknowledges this, helps it train and perfect its technique. Technique in the anime would mean landing more crits = evolution.

This would make Ash look really bad, and render PM030 completely irrelevant. Ash shouldn't be neglecting his Pokemon just because they're not strong enough, he should be working with them to get stronger, especially one like G. Farfetched who is really passionate about battling. It's not up to the Pokemon to "fix" themselves, it's up to the trainer to bring out their true potential.

As I've said, I do believe the Farfetch'd neglect is being done intentionally to lower our expectations of it, but at this point they are going to have to so something pretty amazing with it in order to make up for this. I wasn't expecting Ash to lose here, but at this point I hope he does. I mean, there is one more dojo in Sinnoh they could battle at if so.

 

[Rocket Messiah]

So Galarfetch'd is this series' Torkoal, it seems. Maybe he'll become good after evolving and turn out to be this series' Taillow instead.

I guess it's possible this is three on three but I would not count on it.

Also, is it me or should bear hugging an electric type with static be a really bad idea?

Grapploct can have limber as an ability.So he is inmune to paralysis.

 

[Daren]

Grapploct can have limber as an ability.So he is inmune to paralysis.

Thanks, I never used Grapploct so I didn't know that.

 

[BigDocFan]

Given how little training we've seen from Ash and Riolu, I get the feeling they'll lose her. Even if they do beat Grapploct, there's still Hitmontop to battle

 

[KrspaceT]

Training doesn't have to be constantly visible, and fairly certain that Riolu has shown a lot of training. Or did I hallucinate that part of the hunger episode and the Pikachu running away episode, let alone him battling

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

This would make Ash look really bad, and render PM030 completely irrelevant. Ash shouldn't be neglecting his Pokemon just because they're not strong enough, he should be working with them to get stronger, especially one like G. Farfetched who is really passionate about battling. It's not up to the Pokemon to "fix" themselves, it's up to the trainer to bring out their true potential.

As I've said, I do believe the Farfetch'd neglect is being done intentionally to lower our expectations of it, but at this point they are going to have to so something pretty amazing with it in order to make up for this. I wasn't expecting Ash to lose here, but at this point I hope he does. I mean, there is one more dojo in Sinnoh they could battle at if so.

He already has neglected it if he said that Riolu AND G.Farfetch’d would get revenge, only to end up not using him in the rematch.
What I meant is that G.Farfetch’d would became more eager to train, and Ash being Ash notices it’s fire and helps it. I never said that Ash completely is blind-sided to its desires.

 

[Max1996]

Given how little training we've seen from Ash and Riolu, I get the feeling they'll lose her. Even if they do beat Grapploct, there's still Hitmontop to battle

From the preview, it appears that we start out with Pikachu vs Hitmontop. Odds are the former wins that one, considering how we also see Grapploct use Octolock (?) on Pikachu.

 

[Kurolegacy]

Bro, I’m an optimistic person. I’ve had a lot of hopes and ideas deflated this season, but I know they can still create good episodes.

I dunno man. I had some hopes for this series but a lot of the decisions they’ve made thus far (creating a character that’s the embodiment of a mobile game, promoting them as co-protagonist and giving them more focus than the main character, throwing in a gacha element, going to an episodic format with little cohesion between episodes aside from bare bones continuity, jumping all over the place near instantly making the world feel small, the list goes on) really have made the series feel more corporate and cold compared to previous series. It’s kinda like a McPokemon series in which episodes are just rapidly churned out without the sense of soul and feeling that they used to have. Like looking at the series thus far and comparing it to say DP, the difference in quality feels pretty jarring.

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

Also, I like how Bea called Korrina “soft”, yet she’s smiling and enjoying her time eating sweets. We all have softness in us

 

[Beatsy Ray]

He already has neglected it if he said that Riolu AND G.Farfetch’d would get revenge, only to end up not using him in the rematch.
What I meant is that G.Farfetch’d would became more eager to train, and Ash being Ash notices it’s fire and helps it. I never said that Ash completely is blind-sided to its desires.

That makes more sense. The way you worded it last time gave me Scorbunny flashbacks.

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

I dunno man. I had some hopes for this series but a lot of the decisions they’ve made thus far (creating a character that’s the embodiment of a mobile game, promoting them as co-protagonist and giving them more focus than the main character, throwing in a gacha element, going to an episodic format with little cohesion between episodes aside from bare bones continuity, jumping all over the place near instantly making the world feel small, the list goes on) really have made the series feel more corporate and cold compared to previous series. It’s kinda like a McPokemon series in which episodes are just rapidly churned out without the sense of soul and feeling that they used to have. Like looking at the series thus far and comparing it to say DP, the difference in quality feels pretty jarring.

TBH, the only series that I can recall that had coherence between episodes this early on was D&P, because X&Y only really did this in the last year and a half of its run. This series has had the misfortune of missing three months out, so has only really had eight months so far.

With the opening showing The Darkest Day, I’d reckon that they’re building up the character of Go and Chloe first, then deliver.

 

[Schemer99]

I dunno man. I had some hopes for this series but a lot of the decisions they’ve made thus far (creating a character that’s the embodiment of a mobile game, promoting them as co-protagonist and giving them more focus than the main character, throwing in a gacha element, going to an episodic format with little cohesion between episodes aside from bare bones continuity, jumping all over the place near instantly making the world feel small, the list goes on) really have made the series feel more corporate and cold compared to previous series. It’s kinda like a McPokemon series in which episodes are just rapidly churned out without the sense of soul and feeling that they used to have. Like looking at the series thus far and comparing it to say DP, the difference in quality feels pretty jarring.

The sad part is that making this series good is literally one of the easiest things in the world. Even a mediocre writer could do it. I blame corporate for this. They've abstracted what a Pokemon season is soo much that it would make a programmer jealous.

 

[Panky..]

They've abstracted what a Pokemon season is soo much that it would make a programmer jealous.

As a programmer, I disagree. It doesn't make me jealous, it's just really disappointing.

Then again, that might just be the Pokemon fan in me speaking rather than the developer side.

 

[Kurolegacy]

TBH, the only series that I can recall that had coherence between episodes this early on was D&P, because X&Y only really did this in the last year and a half of its run. This series has had the misfortune of missing three months out, so has only really had eight months so far.

With the opening showing The Darkest Day, I’d reckon that they’re building up the character of Go and Chloe first, then deliver.

But even when it came to the series that weren’t really mastering story arcs, the episodes had a semblance of cohesion in that we saw the travels of the cast as they made their way to the next location building up to a gym battle/contest, saw them working with their Pokémon and even in fillers got to see their different Pokémon getting use. Here in Journeys events just happen suddenly with no buildup even when they should be something big and then have little bearing beyond. Most episodes just feel like they exist in their own little bubble for the most part.

As for the Darkest Day, while they may be trying to build up Go, he doesn’t really feel like a believable substitute for Hop in the narrative especially comparing how much Hop had been developed leading up to it compared to how Go is now.

 

[Eclipsical]

I’m not very pleased that Pikachu might be replacing Galarfetch’d’s spot in this battle, unless it’s a 3v3, though I highly doubt that. Putting Pikachu in to pick up after Galarfetch’d’s and Riolu’s slack instead of just training them to be stronger themselves is really lame. And if they had to put someone else in, why couldn’t they just choose Gengar?

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Hoping it goes

Pikachu vs. Hitmontop: Pikachu wins
Pikachu vs. Grapploct: Grapploct wins
Riolu vs. Grapploct: Riolu wins

Riolu seems to be doing much better from the previews, so hoping he can pull off this win.

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

Well, considering that I’ve literally only just seen that starting from October 23rd that the Darkest Day arc begins for four weeks, and Lucario and Cinderace and shown to be there, I think Riolu will evolve here now. Welp.

I hope it’s like Ash’s Incineroar, where it evolves after beating its rival/obstacle, cause I think it would be more epic to imagine Riolu taking down a tough opponent like Grapploct, and becoming a whole new level of strength after.

 

[ehh123]

I do like how Iwane is returning to animate the rematch.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I do like how Iwane is returning to animate the rematch.

It's the entire creative staff returning, in fact.

 

[Max1996]

It's the entire creative staff returning, in fact.

The dream team, I assume?