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Review XY085: A Broken Twig and a Broken Heart! Tairenar's Strong Feelings!!

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XY085 - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

Discuss the episode here.

Here is my summary of the episode.

The episode starts with Ash and co. inside a Pokemon Center.

Ash, Clemont and Bonnie are sitting at a booth, talking to eachother.

Serena is nearby, sitting next to her Braixen and Pancham, while she is looking at her only Pokemon Showcase Key.

She is now remembering when she competed in and won the Dendemille Pokemon Showcase.

Serena and her Pokemon go outside to do some training for their next Pokemon Showcase.

Team Rocket are nearby Serena, spying on her from behind some bushes surrounding the Pokemon Center.

Serena does some practice training for her next Pokemon Showcase with her Pokemon.

Pancham uses Stone Edge and the attack hits Braixen.

Braixen falls over due to being hit by Stone Edge.

She gets up and then realises that her stick is now broken into two pieces.

Braixen screams out.

Ash, Clemont and Bonnie arrive to where Serena and her Pokemon are.

They are all shocked that Braixen's stick is now broken.

Pancham feels bad about accidentally breaking Braixen's stick, so it runs off to the nearby forest to find another stick for Braixen.

Pancham brings back another stick to Braixen, but Braixen doesn't like the new stick.

Ash, Clemont and Bonnie also go out into the nearby forest to find another stick for Braixen.

Braixen now has a lot of new stick to choose for her new stick to use from now on lying down on the ground in front of her.

Braixen doesn't like any of the new sticks that Ash, Clemont and Bonnie found for her.

Braixen runs off into the forest.

Serena follows her Braixen into the forest.

Team Rocket are now spying on Ash and co.

James gets sad and now remembers when he lost some of his bottle caps from his bottle cap collection as a kid.

Serena is in the forest with her Pancham and then runs into her Braixen.

Braixen is standing still in front of Serena and she is sad about having her stick broken.

James disguised as someone else and calls himself Mr. Choice.

James talks to Serena about her Braixen and its now broken stick.

They decide to go to the same Pokemon Center from before.

At the Pokemon Center, Serena and James talk to Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy tells Serena that there is a man, called Jingoro, who lives nearby who can fix broken sticks.

The man once fixed a Sawsbucks's broken antlers.

Serena and James decide to go and see Jingoro, to see if he can fix Braixen's broken stick.

They go to see Jingoro at his house.

They are inside Jingoro's house and Jingoro is inspecting Braixen's broken stick, while his Gallade stands next to him.

Serena, her Braixen and James watch as Jingoro inspects the broken stick.

Jingoro talks Serena into having a battle with him, using her Braixen and his Gallade.

Serena agrees and she heads outside along with Jingoro and James.

Pokemon Quiz: Gallade.

Ash and co. arrive to where Serena is battling.

Clemont declared that he will referee Serena's battle against Jingoro.

Serena and Jingoro begin there battle and Serena's Braixen runs toward Jingoro's Gallade, while preparing to use Scratch.

Braixen tries to attack Gallade with Scratch, but Gallade dodges the move.

Gallade then attacks Braixen with Scratch or some other move.

Braixen continued trying to attack Gallade with Scratch.

Gallade attacks Braixen with Psycho Cut.

Jessie and Meowth then try to take one or some of the groups Pokemon with an electric net.

Jessie and Meowth reveal themselves to Ash and co. and then James runs towards Jessie and Meowth.

He jumps in the air and removes his disguise.

James joins back up with Jessie and Meowth.

Team Rocket say there motto.

Ash and co. battle against Team Rocket.

Braixen is battling Team Rocket and it surprisingly uses a new when it attacks them, Fire Blast.

Ash wonders what move Braixen just used and Clemont tells him that it was Fire Blast.

Team Rocket blast off.

While Team Rocket are flying through the air, James says something about Jingoro.

Serena gets an idea, so she opens her accessory bag and pulls out a red ribbon.

Serena grabs her Braixen's new stick.

Serena ties the red ribbon around Braixen's new stick.

Now that Team Rocket are gone and Braixen's has a new stick, Serena and Jingoro go back to their battle.

Gallade attacks Braixen with Psycho Cut again.

Braixen attack Gallade with its newly learn Fire Blast.

Braixen defeats Gallade and that means Serena has won her first official battle.

After the battle, Jingoro talks to Ash and co. for a bit.

Jingoro shows some leafless small trees around near the outside of his house.

There are some bandages around some of the branches on the trees.

Gallade is watering the trees with a watering can.

Ash and co. are still talking with Jingoro.

Ash and co. later say goodbye to Jingoro and walk off towards Anistar City.

To be continued.
 
The good news is : I knew it there will be a new move for Braixen!

The okay newz : Fire Blast you say? Ugh, too much fire. Wish they could brought the Psychic type outta it.

The bad news : So little time with our James as he uncovers his moments. I'm so disappointed.

Aw man. More action, but less plot building. But hey, at least we've got ourselves Serena's first official win.
 
Alas, I missed most of what I wanted to see (what did Kojiro's Maman say?!?!?!!) but from what I did see, I have just one question:
How in God's name did the gang miss Kojiro jumping into the motto?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?
 
They actually used the design of James's old home from Holy Matrimony. It's just something minor, but it's nice to see in my opinion.

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At the start, I thought "Oh, no - Braixen's stick has broken and she's run off because she's being a Princess again" (like in 021, where she wouldn't run through the muddy puddle). But no, she was sad because it represented her bond with Serena
James tries to be nice again - hooray for the reappearance of the bottle cap collection - and I'm sure he was still being supportive to Braixen/Serena when they were blasting off
Loved that little pose Serena struck at the beginning of her battle with the gardener guy and how she stood forward to battle Team Rocket
How did Pancham fit that new stick in it's pocket/belly fur/whatever? It was nearly as long as Pancham

@ArvAl I'd say that Braixen had to learn a Fire type move, because a Psychic type wouldn't have been effective against Gallade and the whole "Braixen learns a new move because of her bond with Serena and uses it to win an important battle" part of the story couldn't have happened
 
They actually used the design of James's old home from Holy Matrimony. It's just something minor, but it's nice to see in my opinion.

045.jpg
182.jpg

Always nice to see that someone in charge actually remember the past (instead of pulling stuff out of their rectums because it's easier)

But hey, at least we've got ourselves Serena's first official win.

*turns to screenwriters*

You guys really have NO idea what do with her part of the time, do you? :mad:

*screenwriters nod sadly*

(Though to be fair they had the same problem with Misty after Kanto, Brock after the OS, and Tracey from Day 1)
 
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I thought this was a pretty good episode.

I never would have expected Pancham to be the cause of Braxien's stick breaking. I was glad to see that he felt bad about his mistake and went to find Braxien a new stick. I lol'd during the stick searching scene when Bonnie and Dedenne brought back puny little sticks. I thought it was sweet how Braxien was so upset about her stick because it symbolized her bond with Serena. I was wondering was she was so picky about it.

So Braxien can still use attacks with the broken stick? Well that's surprising. I like how Braxien and Pancham attacked TR with their Showcase performance combo. Ok, am I the only one who thought Braxien learning Fire Blast on the spot like that was odd? No one even seemed that surprised by it.

OMG, how the hell did that big ass stick fit in Pancham's fur pouch (or whatever it is)? Lol. Anyway, I am glad that Braxien accepted that stick and that it's based on her bond with both Serena and Pancham. I also love Serena's added bow.

Overall a really good episode for Serena and her Pokemon. 8/10.
 
Serena's Braixen never defeated Jingoro's Gallade, so I wouldn't count it as a victory. If thr Pokemon's eyes aren't swirling, or if the referee doesn't announce a Pokemon's defeat, the battle hasn't concluded.

And Serena technically won a battle with Ash and Clemont during the Summer Camp arc. Pikachu, Fennekin, and Bunnelby defeated a tag team's Pokemon prior to the match with Tierno, Shauna, and Trevor.
 
And Serena technically won a battle with Ash and Clemont during the Summer Camp arc. Pikachu, Fennekin, and Bunnelby defeated a tag team's Pokemon prior to the match with Tierno, Shauna, and Trevor.

Uh, wasn't Clemont using Chespin during that battle? If memory serves, I don't think Bunnelby was present in that battle. I think that's the case as I remember some people here complaining about how it wasn't Froakie in the battle to make it a Kalos Starters VS Kanto Starters battle.

Anyway, moving on. Victory or not, Serena is certainly getting better at battles. It took some time but she's getting better, which is good development for her and Braixen. And I'm glad to see James' softer side again, even willing to help Serena and Braixen on his own will. It feels like a while since we've seen that, I believe the Inkay/Malamar episode was the last time. And his bottle caps make their return (albeit in a flashback). And I'm glad to see that Pancham is showing off more emotions. He really felt sorry for what happened and wanted to make it up to Braixen. That was a nice touch, showing that he isn't just a tough guy or prankster.
 
Having seen the whole episode now:
OMG. My dream I thought would never be fulfilled - the return of Kojiro's bottle caps - has been fulfilled! I can die happy now.
Also, only Takegami can pull off writing Kojiro still being a nice guy and not ditching his team!

Always nice to see that someone in charge actually remember the past (instead of pulling stuff out of their rectums because it's easier)
Given that this episode shared both the writer and AD of that one, it would have been heartbreaking if they had broken the previous continuity!

In other news, Tairenar learnt a new move and got a new stick, whoop whoop. It was great to see Pancham being so sorry and trying so hard to correct its mistake.
When did Satoshi become so grown up? He was so calm and collected in this episode <3

Also did anyone else notice Pikachu's epic battle to climb onto Satoshi's shoulder at one point? :p Dat rat needs to shape up!
 
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And Serena technically won a battle with Ash and Clemont during the Summer Camp arc. Pikachu, Fennekin, and Bunnelby defeated a tag team's Pokemon prior to the match with Tierno, Shauna, and Trevor.

Uh, wasn't Clemont using Chespin during that battle? If memory serves, I don't think Bunnelby was present in that battle. I think that's the case as I remember some people here complaining about how it wasn't Froakie in the battle to make it a Kalos Starters VS Kanto Starters battle.

Anyway, moving on. Victory or not, Serena is certainly getting better at battles. It took some time but she's getting better, which is good development for her and Braixen. And I'm glad to see James' softer side again, even willing to help Serena and Braixen on his own will. It feels like a while since we've seen that, I believe the Inkay/Malamar episode was the last time. And his bottle caps make their return (albeit in a flashback). And I'm glad to see that Pancham is showing off more emotions. He really felt sorry for what happened and wanted to make it up to Braixen. That was a nice touch, showing that he isn't just a tough guy or prankster.

No it was not. In the beginning of that same episode, Ash, Serena and Clemont had another triple battle (which they won) before their triple battle with Shauna, Tierno and Trevor. Check the wiki/watch the episode for confirmation.

And how exactly is she better at battling? Commanding Braixen to use Scratch twice and then its new move isn't noteworthy. The writers screwed her over again by not giving her a substantial personal victory. Braixen didn't even defeat Gallade, something that I was looking forward to. Every personal "battle" she's been in either results in : a) an interruption, b) her Pokemon fainting or more recently c) her opponent forfeiting. It's ridiculous. Can she for once have an actual battle where she personally KOes another Trainers Pokemon sans Team Rocket?
 
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Sheesh, @Hilbert; no need to bite my head off. I forgot about that battle, since the Pikachu/Fennekin/Chespin VS Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squritle Triple Battle was the bigger deal at the time. No need to be so venomous and attack me.

And speaking of attacking, the fact that Serena is actually battling IS a form of improvement on it's own. It doesn't matter what the outcome is, as something is gained from it. Sure, granted, most of her battles haven't been glorious victories or whatnot, but if attacking a rock or a tree is considered " good training" and results in gaining experience, then even if a battle has no result, something is gained from it. This isn't a game like Golden Sun, Breath of Fire, or, dare I say it, Pokemon, where the opponent running away or the battle is inconclusive nets you zilch. In this world, EVERYTHING counts, no matter how small it may seem. So she is improving, as in the past she wasn't willing to duke it out much with anyone unless forced, save for TRio. So even if her battles haven't always been great or end up inconclusive, she and her Pokemon gain something from it. A battle is a battle, regardless of the outcome, so the fact she's actually willing to battle more is a form of improvement, even if she still has yet to outright win. So there is no need to lash out like a cobra at me for stating what I felt about how she's doing. Sheesh.
 
I think this is a sweet episode. It shows the strong bond Braixen has with Serena. I totally understand how Braixen feels with her attachment towards her stick. I get attached to my stuff a lot all the time because the things around me are all precious. I'm glad that this episode shows more of James' kind personality since he's not a bad person at heart. I love how James' love for his bottle caps return.

I also like how Pancham tries so hard to find a new stick to make up for the one it broke. Pancham and Braixen are always seen fighting (during the times where Braixen was still a Fennekin), so seeing Pancham being nice was also a sweet factor to this episode. Though, I do wonder how that stick fit inside Pancham's pouch since it's as long as he is.

Braixen learning Fire Blast was a nice factor as well. Though, I do wonder when it'll learn a Psychic-type move. I also like how her first twig completely crumbled when using Fire Blast. I also do like how Serena, Pancham and Braixen all decide on Pancham's stick and how she put a ribbon on it and thus solving the mystery of the red ribbon that has been appearing in teasers and in the ending.

I'll give this episode a 6.5/10
 
Sheesh, @Hilbert; no need to bite my head off. I forgot about that battle, since the Pikachu/Fennekin/Chespin VS Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squritle Triple Battle was the bigger deal at the time. No need to be so venomous and attack me.

And speaking of attacking, the fact that Serena is actually battling IS a form of improvement on it's own. It doesn't matter what the outcome is, as something is gained from it. Sure, granted, most of her battles haven't been glorious victories or whatnot, but if attacking a rock or a tree is considered " good training" and results in gaining experience, then even if a battle has no result, something is gained from it. This isn't a game like Golden Sun, Breath of Fire, or, dare I say it, Pokemon, where the opponent running away or the battle is inconclusive nets you zilch. In this world, EVERYTHING counts, no matter how small it may seem. So she is improving, as in the past she wasn't willing to duke it out much with anyone unless forced, save for TRio. So even if her battles haven't always been great or end up inconclusive, she and her Pokemon gain something from it. A battle is a battle, regardless of the outcome, so the fact she's actually willing to battle more is a form of improvement, even if she still has yet to outright win. So there is no need to lash out like a cobra at me for stating what I felt about how she's doing. Sheesh.

I think you took what I said very personally. I wasn't trying to attack you in any way, shape or form. I was just reiterating what A King had already said about Ash & Co having had an earlier triple battle. :)

And I see your point about her actually battling, but I still remain unimpressed with how she is being handled battle-wise. Now, if she had Braixen utilize some combination moves or showed even the slightest tenacity she's seen and admired countless times in Ash, then I'd be singing a different tune.
 
@Hilbert; Even so, try not to state it so strongly, like in bold lettering. A simple "There was an earlier battle you may be forgetting" on along those lines would've been enough. You have to be very careful about what you say to me, as my mentality has been altered badly due to frequent beatings and bullying growing up, so the slightest sense of aggression translates heavily as a threat to me.

But even so, Serena is growing. Sure, her battles aren't the greatest battles in the Pokemon universe, but she and her Pokemon are learning bit by bit. Yes, I admit, the writers need to do more to flesh her and her battles out, but every bit counts. It could be done much better, yes, but it's a form of progress regardless. May was very much the same way and look how she turned out. Granted, it's taking Serena longer, and by now the writers are far more experienced than they were back then, but I see anything she does as a form of improvement over her earlier days.
 
lol Sometimes this show makes sure to remind us it's a kodomo one.

Everyone missing Kodawari going missing and Kojirou appearing out of nowhere was VERY dumb... Think it surpass Satoshi-tachi always getting fooled by the Rocket-dan's disguisings.
 
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@Hilbert; Even so, try not to state it so strongly, like in bold lettering. A simple "There was an earlier battle you may be forgetting" on along those lines would've been enough. You have to be very careful about what you say to me, as my mentality has been altered badly due to frequent beatings and bullying growing up, so the slightest sense of aggression translates heavily as a threat to me.

But even so, Serena is growing. Sure, her battles aren't the greatest battles in the Pokemon universe, but she and her Pokemon are learning bit by bit. Yes, I admit, the writers need to do more to flesh her and her battles out, but every bit counts. It could be done much better, yes, but it's a form of progress regardless. May was very much the same way and look how she turned out. Granted, it's taking Serena longer, and by now the writers are far more experienced than they were back then, but I see anything she does as a form of improvement over her earlier days.

On this forum, we use bold lettering (^like so) to indicate what part of the quote we are responding to/addressing when we quote others. It isn't an attack or a condemning.
 
James is probably the only member of TRio that I can stand to listen to for more than five seconds without wanting to punch a hole in a wall. It was nice that he decided to give Braixen some assistance on his own accord without any intent of trying to steal her or any other Pokemon (he actually looked a little pissed that Jessie and Meowth showed up). The flashback to his childhood was a nice touch too.

I thought the Braixen situation was done fairly well, the resolution was nice where they used her new stick as a pledge to each other to go on and work together towards the Kalos Queen title. It was funny watching everyone picking sticks out for Braixen and you see Bonnie and Dedenne picking up twigs that would only work if she was actually Dedenne. It was interesting seeing how much Braixen adored, for lack of a better word, that stick because of how she connected that to her and Serena's partnership, she got really upset that thing broke. I honestly thought she'd learn Psychic during the battle against Jingoro's Gallade to block a Psycho Cut as she couldn't use the stick, but I don't mind Fire Blast, although that kind of made the stick completely irrepairable (I think Jingoro said he couldn't fix it anyway). Seems to me like her learning that is meant to signify the progression of her and Serena. Speaking of Serena, I was quite pleased that she took the lead in battling Team Rocket, she's a lot more confident and stronger in my opinion, especially since she picked up the Princess Key in Dendemille Town.

I think Pancham's mellowed a bit since Serena caught him, he was at Fennekin's throat back in XY064 when it was clearly his fault for messing up but here he actually felt remorse for hitting Braixen. Not to mention his more recent interactions with Chespin have been generally less aggressive than before.

On the whole I thought this was a respectable episode, my only complaint was that the battle didn't really go anywhere but I guess from the explanation they gave it's alright? Maybe?

PS: About the bolding of relevant parts of a quote, I find it easier to just delete the other parts of the quote you don't want, so if you bold a sentence in a whole essay post and you get into a quote train it doesn't turn into a complete mess several quotes later. It also makes single posts easier to read.
 
This episode was okay, but I'm curious. If Braixen learns Fire Blast at Lv 55, why doesn't it evolve already, as Braixen evolves into Delphox at Lv 36?
 
Please note: The thread is from 9 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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