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Review S16 EP08: Lost at the League!

Terrible. Just terrible. Whatever made the writters think it was okay to had a ridiculous filler in the middle of the Pokemon League is beyond me.

Axew gets lost for the umpteenth time; why, he's chasing a balloon! And then it's never even explained why. Then he gets caught up with some people in costumes who are cheering for some kid to win the league. Then some random Garbodor comes from nowhere and gets a box a apples to share with his Trubbish friends. Everything else from there is just totally weird.

-Ash calling out Scraggy to search for Axew instead of Unfezant.
-Oshawott volunteering to help search for Axew, but once again gets distracted by food and causes an even bigger problem for the group.
-Bianca and Cameron being random.
-Stephan dissapears into the sauna for most of the episode which emcompasses almost a full day.
-Virgil hogging the spotlight being a rescue ranger or whatever.

And why were none of the Pokemon disciplined in this episode. Ash basically appologized for Oshawott and only made him give the Trubbish more food. Where was the scolding? Oshawott didn't seem at all upset for what he did and only feared being hurt by the Garbodor. And then Iris told Axew to not go wandering off again. As if she hasn't told him this already each time he gets lost, only for him to run off again. Here's the question...why doesn't she put Axew in a Pokeball already?! All of these problems with Axew getting lost could have been avoided if Iris would just put him in a Pokeball! The fact that Axew is a weak little ababy should be reason enough for him to be in a Pokeball, for safety reasons.

Anyway, this episode gets a 0 from me. I saw nothing good from it whatsoever. Not even the debut of Liepard since it only lasted 3 seconds at the end of the episode.
 
Ash's match with Stephan was Round Three? That doesn't add up. There were 128 competitors to start, which means that there should be 64 in Round Two and 32 in Round 3, yet there are only 16 remaining trainers and this is supposed to be the third round. It would appear that to say that one round of the league was skipped entirely couldn't be further from the truth, and to say that half the winners of the second round dropping out early may not be such a Farfetch'd (forgive the pun, I couldn't resist) thought after all.

Overall, I felt that this episode, while entertaining at times, was just wasted time that could have been used to showcase the *real* Round Three. I have said this before, but while I usually don't mind "breather" episodes, we've had enough "helpless Axew" episodes to warrant another, especially during a league. If they're going to include an Axew subplot during an important event, they should at least make it worthwhile by showing Axew actually grow in some fashion, rather than showing us how childish the little guy can be yet again.
 
Filler one episode after Trips 1v1 battle 1/2 episode pathetic battle.

Seriously SERIOUSLY SERIOUSSSLLLYYYYY....Axew could of at least evolved or something.

Why do they need a filler, could they not of extended the trip battle into more than a 1v1 or shown a 2nd round match for longer. Paul got 3 full shows nearly.

I'd give this a -2 out of 10 due to it not only scoring a 0 out of 10 for itself it also wasted the space for an extended rival episode losing it 2 additional points.
 
You all know I usually have one of more lengthy posts on my thoughts about the episode but this time you all have so far said it all. This episode was a complete waste. Screw Axew, I mean we just had what 2 or 3 Iris episodes in her "hometown" Axew should have had some story/development or whatnot there not in the league meant for Ash to finally shine (haha who am I kidding...).

The Trip battle could have been extended or Bianca vs. Cameron could have been a 3 on 3 rather than 2 on 2.
 
What a pointless, pointless episode. Why in the world would they make an episode about Axew getting lost during a league? I don't get it at all. What is this...I don't even. This just...this is the worst part of BW. I didn't like BW2 much, and this is one reason why. Pointless episodes here and there that just don't fit in with the context of what's most important/what's happening.

Kayzie Rogers is so par for the course as Axew. Her voice is alright, but it's so standard. I sort of like it though: considering it's TPCi, it could be much worse tbh. I like "KIBA-KIBA" much more though, myself, mainly because it comes off as more natural.

Everyone else is fine. No complaints, but no praise either. Just a standard dub episode.

Sub: 60/100
Dub: 55/100
 
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Ash's match with Stephan was Round Three? That doesn't add up. There were 128 competitors to start, which means that there should be 64 in Round Two and 32 in Round 3, yet there are only 16 remaining trainers and this is supposed to be the third round. It would appear that to say that one round of the league was skipped entirely couldn't be further from the truth, and to say that half the winners of the second round dropping out early may not be such a Farfetch'd (forgive the pun, I couldn't resist) thought after all.

Actually, the round with 128 competitors were considered the preliminaries, 64 in Round 1, 32 in Round 2, 16 in Round 3.

Seriously though, this was a horrible episode. Usually fillers have a bit of a humor factor or something, but this wasn't even funny. And like Sakuraa said, why would they put a filler in the middle of the Unova League? Episode gets a 0/10 rating from me.
 
What idiot came up with this episode?

Did we really need ANOTHER "Axew getting lost" episode? It was so pointless and drab, that even if it didn't take place in the middle of the league, I would still hate it, that's how bad it is.
 
What idiot came up with this episode?

Did we really need ANOTHER "Axew getting lost" episode? It was so pointless and drab, that even if it didn't take place in the middle of the league, I would still hate it, that's how bad it is.

I don't know my friend, I don't know. Gotta be one of the worst episodes in BW, hands-down...pointless, annoying, and gives off a nasty vibe of a filler.
 
What idiot came up with this episode?

Did we really need ANOTHER "Axew getting lost" episode? It was so pointless and drab, that even if it didn't take place in the middle of the league, I would still hate it, that's how bad it is.

I don't know my friend, I don't know. Gotta be one of the worst episodes in Pokemon history, hands-down...pointless, annoying, and gives off a nasty vibe of a filler.

Fixed that for ya.

I agree, I don't even care that it's filler, but it's just so lame...it made Iris look bad, too.
 
What idiot came up with this episode?

Did we really need ANOTHER "Axew getting lost" episode? It was so pointless and drab, that even if it didn't take place in the middle of the league, I would still hate it, that's how bad it is.

I don't know my friend, I don't know. Gotta be one of the worst episodes in Pokemon history, hands-down...pointless, annoying, and gives off a nasty vibe of a filler.

Fixed that for ya.

I agree, I don't even care that it's filler, but it's just so lame...it made Iris look bad, too.

rofl. It did make Iris look bad, though, it really did. It was such a boring episode. I found the same idea somewhat charming back with Scolipede, Axew's "Dragon Sneeze," in "The Bloom is on Axew!" but this time, it was simply a bad episode in my book.
 
Then he gets caught up with some people in costumes who are cheering for some kid to win the league.

-Ash calling out Scraggy to search for Axew instead of Unfezant.

First, I didn't watch the episode (kinda waiting somewhat though, but I did skip through it), but I found that fanclub to be annoying. Second, Scraggy is close to Axew, but Unfezant may have still been a nice chose to help find him.
 
I was initially reluctant to watch this episode, because
the 2 Episode N episodes I saw before it were quite better, and I would prefer not to lose the flow by watching BW105 for the fifth time…
.
What I have to say, of course, is that we are talking about a filler right inside the League. And such things tend to bug people out. Except that it is NOT a filler (We got to see a League round, plus the Ash v Stephan matchup). Not only that, it kept the League vibe up and running, which brings me to another point.
When it comes to the Anime Leagues, I think it’s better if you don’t know from before the episode structure. The reason: As soon as we found out that a filler was going to air right between the League, we were all about: “Come on! LOL! ROFL! How can they? It makes Unova League awful!”. Yep, that episode is one of the main reasons the Unova League gets to be considered as the worst League ever by the majority of the BMGf fandom. Still, if you didn’t know it was a filler, it is quite probable you wouldn’t even figure it out during the first five minutes of the episode because of the pretty good character interactions! AKA, you don’t receive all the negative prejudice for the episode! It took me 5 times to figure out that, yet I currently think that this is one of the best fillers BW has brought us so far.
Nice to also see that Imotaro’s dub name is Russet. Combine it with annoying Oshawott and some anime physics (Virgil’s Espeon used Psychic on Scraggy. It worked.)
NOT nice to see that Ash could have taken one of his Sinnoh Soothe Bell prizes with him. Come on, he’s travelling around, it may prove itself useful, especially if your Pokemon tend to bicker with each other EVERY time they have lunch together! Plus, Virgil always appears at the right moment.
What would you expect by the future Unova champion?
VIRGIL X BIANCA SHIPPERS! Your time has come!

EDIT: The way Liepard's pronounced gives me the creeps...
 
Anyone else think it was weird seeing a Darumaka and Scraggy battle in a Pokemon LEAGUE not one of the mini-tournaments like earlier in the BW saga but the Pokemon LEAGUE!

That just threw off the league feel I should be getting. Not a good way to start off the episode but then again this entire episode was a throw off from what really should be the focus.

Good point guys, not straying away from the theme of the thread but hey this episode has to do with Axew and Iris' "development?"

Those few episodes in the Village of Dragons and then facing Drayden to learn that her "destiny" in a sense will be to one day run the gym (and if the show follows the game mechanics she'll be Unova Champion...). I was thinking well you know, her and Dragonite did a good job working together but still lost in the gym match but oh well it showed that she has somewhat improved since the World Cup Tournament.

I was excited for 2 reasons after she was told that Drayden was hoping for her to run the gym one day;

1. Potentially means that she will be gone from Ash's group after the Unova traveling to stay behind and train to be a Dragon Master before becoming a gym leader. I mean think about it both of Ash's first buddies were Gym Leaders. Brock (like Cilan his gym to train to become something besides a gym leader) and then after traveling Misty became one too.

2. Ok, she knows that someone in a lead position thinks that she has potential and that will help her to hopefully mature, train harder and get closer to her Pokemon and not be such "A Little Kid" herself.

Well #2 got shot all to hell with this episode to me. I mean seriously as someone mentioned this was similar to the "Bloom is on Axew" in terms of the way Axew acts. It doesn't reflect well on Iris that at this point in the series she losses her Pokemon so easily. Not to mention that Axew didn't evolve or anything.

This is the POKEMON LEAGUE after a shitty run through Unova so far getting his butt handed to him in tournaments and Pokemon battles, we finally have time to show Ash's skill with (underpowered Pokemon mind you) the intent of making him somewhat redeem himself for pitiful losses this saga. This is far from the truth in most respects. The league is even worse than some of the tournaments with this nonsense in between.

You would think the writers would try to give the fans a good league after crappy gym battles and whatnot but nope...this is what we get a crappy filler.

Virgil reminds me of Tyson with the whole polished and experienced type of personality, hmmm wonder if that foreshadows results of battles to come....

Heck even the Hoenn League skipped one of the Double Battle Rounds (there were 3 Ash had to win in order to go to the full battle rounds and they only showed 2 of them) but it was better than this crappy league.
 
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The one thing that stood out in this entire episode was Emolga being completely out of character. You would think that this pokemon, who only decided to join Iris's team because she was promised apples, would also gorge down on the apples that the COTD handed to the Garbodor and Trubbish. But no, Emolga just looks deadpan (alongside Pikachu) when the Trubbish announced that Oshawott ate their apples.

Otherwise, it was just a boring filler episode in the middle of a league tournament that, in all honesty, had very little to do with Axew at all.
 
This episode just made me realize just how much i want Iris and Axew to have their plot finished and have them leave. Neither are really all that interesting. Im almost getting the feeling that the writting of the Unova league eps were kind of rushed . With most of the other Pokemon series the League was the roundup and ending of the series. But we already know theres atleast another 2 full(ish) seasons after this. I dont watch the japanese version of the anime so im hoping that Episode N and Dekoroa really ups the quality of story again.

*shrug* Maybe i just miss Diamond and Pearl and Advanced Gen.
 
This was just so bad I could not even complain because I was doing errands with my Family and I am kind of glad I am not one of the first ones to complain. Although the only thing Iiked was Lipard, Carter Cathart voicing in this And Tom Wayland's kid was the one Trubbish which I thought was great.
 
The one thing that stood out in this entire episode was Emolga being completely out of character. You would think that this pokemon, who only decided to join Iris's team because she was promised apples, would also gorge down on the apples that the COTD handed to the Garbodor and Trubbish.

Why? She didn't see these apples after all.

But no, Emolga just looks deadpan (alongside Pikachu) when the Trubbish announced that Oshawott ate their apples.

It's her "We're in danger because of you" look.
 
Ok, let me be straight: This episode was a complete waste of time.
They could have used this episode to give us some full battle action, but no, they're wasting it on a pathetic, badly-written and boring "Find Axew for the 1.000th time"-plot. I mean, when is that Pokemon going to be less childish? After a long, adventurous journey, it still seems to be helpless when getting separated from Iris. Oh dear, what a poor character development! And by the way, Axew, how about just going back to our heroes' room and waiting for them there? Another example of how badly-written the whole thing was!

But if you thought this was it, you were proven wrong! The most blatant mistake was this: When the league started, we had 128 competitors, so after Round 1 there should be 64 left, of course. This again means that after Round 2 (at the time when today's episode started) there should still be 32 trainers left and not just 16 as the episode obviously wanted to make us believe.
Some user here said that the qualifying round doesn't count as "normal" round. But if that was the case, it would mean that the writers deliberately shipped a complete round, which would be ridiculous! Skipping a round of potentially interesting battles just to give us this awfully boring episode would just be outrageous. But on the other hand, well, that's the Unova League we're talking about, so what else can we expect?

And by the way, where is that wannabe-champion Alder? During the wonderful Sinnoh League, Cynthia was present from the first till the last second because she knew exactly what she had to do as the Champion and she had a genuine interest in those battles. This is just another sad aspect that, together with all the other mistakes and poorly-written battles, makes the Unova League the worst league ever.

I've got nothing more to say.
 
I've said it before & I'll say it again:

A filler during the League. Best Wishes has officially hit rock bottom, Ladies & Gentlemen :dead:
 
Please note: The thread is from 10 years ago.
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