Review New series: Initial thoughts

[PkmnTrainerV]

Well, I guess that's you. For me, his design change is already drastic enough.

Shows like Ben 10 have had more drastic design changes for the same characters though...

 

[Almonds]

Shows like Ben 10 have had more drastic design changes for the same characters though...

I've never seen Ben 10.
And it is what I personally feel.

 

[Pulsaro23]

I literally can't think of anything more impactful than someone almost giving their life to help me. So, if even something like that can't change his "stubborn mind", I can't think of anything more impactful to change his mind.

How about something more impactful or personal to justify Go's change of heart? Scorbunny being willing to help Go to the point of getting eaten shows its loyalty and is dedication to helping Go and it being able to kick a gigantic berry could be considered pretty impressive, but it already showed these traits in the previous episode and even right before it was rejected by Go this episode. Go already commented on how incredible Scorbunny is in a battle in the Wyndon episode, he already showed some sympathy for it in that same episode, and Scorbunny following Go from Wyndon all the way to the Wild Area showed its determination and desire to be with Go (which even Go says that he's honored that Scorbunny travelled all the way to be with him). Yet, despite all that, Go still rejected it in favor of Mew. At best, the fact that it nearly got ingested because of Go would make him feel concerned for it (which he is shown to be during the episode), but it doing something slightly impressive shouldn't be reason enough to change Go's mind. Not to mention that this entire argument runs on the assumption that it getting eaten by Snorlax is the reason why Go changed his mind, which, having just rewatched the episode, isn't even implied to be the case.

Again, how about having Go actually learn more about Scorbunny's history and, after finding out that it has a similar past to his, he becomes more empathetic towards it and decides to catch it? Or, instead of catching it, how about having Go let Scorbunny tag along with him until he catches Mew (after all, it wanting to be with Go doesn't have to mean that Go catches it)? Then, in a later episode, Go somehow gets separated from Ash and Scorbunny and he gets attacked by a Pokémon/group of Pokémon, but, since he hasn't caught a Pokémon yet, he can't defend himself. Scorbunny then comes in and saves him just in time, making Go realize just how stupidly stubborn and dumb of a decision it is to refuse to catch any Pokémon until he finds Mew (as that would leave him pretty vulnerable and defenseless for quite some time, since Mew is a rare Mythical Pokémon and all), leading to him finally accepting Scorbunny as his first Pokémon. Or maybe some other scenario in which Go realizes that he could use a Pokémon and that Scorbunny would make for a great partner and first catch. Point being, there are a lot of better ways to make Go giving up on the idea of having Mew as his starter Pokémon that would be better written and more believable than what we got in the end.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

but it already showed these traits in the previous episode

No? I don't remember it sacrificing its life for anything in the previous episode.

Again, how about having Go actually learn more about Scorbunny's history and, after finding out that it has a similar past to his, he becomes more empathetic towards it

It's exactly what happened in the previous episode.

Then, in a later episode, Go somehow gets separated from Ash and Scorbunny and he gets attacked by a Pokémon/group of Pokémon, but, since he hasn't caught a Pokémon yet, he can't defend himself. Scorbunny then comes in and saves him just in time, making Go realize just how stupidly stubborn and dumb of a decision it is to refuse to catch any Pokémon until he finds Mew, leading to him finally accepting Scorbunny as his first Pokémon.

So, instead of the current scenario, you want him to accept Hibunny because 1- he's forced into it, 2- for strictly selfish reasons. How about no?

Not to mention that this entire argument runs on the assumption that it getting eaten by Snorlax is the reason why Go changed his mind, which, having just rewatched the episode, isn't even implied to be the case.

I guess you need to watch it again then?

 

[Pulsaro23]

No? I don't remember it sacrificing its life for anything in the previous episode.

Okay, I guess you missed the parts where is said that:

Scorbunny being willing to help Go to the point of getting eaten shows its loyalty and its dedication to helping Go and it being able to kick a gigantic berry could be considered pretty impressive, but it already showed these traits in the previous episode and even right before it was rejected by Go this episode.

and

Go already commented on how incredible Scorbunny is in a battle in the Wyndon episode, he already showed some sympathy for it in that same episode, and Scorbunny following Go from Wyndon all the way to the Wild Area showed its determination and desire to be with Go

Unless your argument is that Go should catch Scorbunny because it nearly got eaten because of him (not because of what that action tells him about Scorbunny and its character, but just because of the action itself). In which case, that's a very shallow reason.

It's exactly what happened in the previous episode.

Not really? All he learned is that Scorbunny was leading a pack of Nickit and that it covered its fur in mud in order to blend in with them. We (and, by extension, Go and Ash) don't know why it decided that it should cover itself in mud, what he did prior to joining the Nickit, whether it tried to befriend other Pokémon but it didn't work because they rejected it and that's why it chose to disguise itself or something like that. There still were some unexplained parts about its past that could've been explored and taht could've made Go bond with it and want to catch it.

So, instead of the current scenario, you want him to accept Hibunny because 1- he's forced into it, 2- for strictly selfish reasons. How about no?

A) Right, because wanting to catch every Pokémon and send them all to a lab in the hopes that that will lead him to Mew is not selfish at all;
B) As if Ash hasn't caught Pokémon for selfish reasons (like a Krabby that he caught because Misty teased him by saying that he didn't actually catch his Pokémon or a Chikorita caught because one of his rivals had one or a Starly so he could have a flyer to help him look for Pikachu or an abandoned Snivy because it stole some of his food and it snickered at him);
C) Compared to the current scenario, where, at best, Go decides to catch Scorbunny because of things that he's already seen and experienced and, at worst, does it for no actual reason, yeah, I'd say it would be better for him to actually have a proper reason to change his mind and give up on the whole "I want Mew as my first Pokémon" idea. And, hey, on the bright side, him being selfish would give him a flaw that he would have to grow out of and attempt to overcome.

I guess you need to watch it again then?

Okay, here's a summary of what happened. Snorlax pits Scorbunny out. Go catches it and is relieved that it's alright. It compliments it, tells it that it saved the day and thanks it. Scorbunny gets excited, it then shakes its head, makes an awkward smile and slowly goes on its way being all sad. Go looks slightly disappointed and then he stops Scorbunny and tells it that he's decided that it will be his first Pokémon. He doesn't look at the rails or the Snorlax or show any kind of sign that the current crisis is what changed his mind. He just looks at Scorbunny being sad that it doesn't get to stay with him (something that didn't bother him a few minutes earlier) and suddenly gives up on his desire to have Mew as his starter because the plot demanded it.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Okay, I guess you missed the parts where is said that:

Neither of those two cases (stealing food and riding a train) were comparable to giving life, so no. And still, none of your "better" scenarios seem anything more impactful to change someone's mind.

In which case, that's a very shallow reason.

What is so shallow about rewarding someone's sacrifice?

Not really? All he learned is that Scorbunny was leading a pack of Nickit and that it covered its fur in mud in order to blend in with them. We don't know why it decided that it should cover itself in mud, what he did prior to joining the Nickit, whether it tried to befriend other Pokémon but it didn't work because they rejected it and that's why it chose to disguise itself or something like that.

Hibunny's backstory and reasons are not important, important point is that they're both "odd ones/different ones" tried to fit with others (and failed?). It's obvious from the narrative that Gou seen himself in Hibunny, hence the advice he gave to it.

He doesn't look at the rails or the Snorlax or show any kind of sign that the current crisis is what changed his mind.

Whole set up is obvious enough, no need to make it more "into face."

A) Right, because wanting to catch every Pokémon and send them all to a lab in the hopes that that will lead him to Mew is not selfish at all;
B) As if Ash hasn't caught Pokémon for selfish reasons (like a Krabby that he caught because Misty teased him by saying that he didn't actually catch his Pokémon or a Chikorita caught because one of his rivals had one or a Starly so he could have a flyer to help him look for Pikachu or an abandoned Snivy because it stole some of his food and it snickered at him);

Capturing pokémon is "selfish" in the same way that doing your job is "selfish," it's part of being a pokémon trainer. Denying somebody, only to change your mind later because you noticed that they might be useful is exactly what would be shallow.

 

[Pulsaro23]

Neither of those two cases (stealing food and riding a train) were comparable to giving life, so no.

What is so shallow about rewarding someone's sacrifice?

Didn't know Scorbunny had a kid. I wonder who the missus (or mister) is? Unless... you're not talking about breeding... in which case... Oh my Arceus, Scorbunny can create life! Forget about Mew, Go, you just caught yourself a literal god!

Joking aside, the act of someone sacrificing themselves, by itself and striped of all context, all reasoning behind it and the rationale, motivation and character of the person doing it is meaningless. What makes a sacrifice important is why that sacrifice was made, by whom and for what reason or cause. Otherwise, by your logic, a badman sacrificing himself in order to save something wicked and evil or someone sacrificing themselves In order to stop the good guys from saving the day would be just as commendable and worthy of praise as someone making the ultimate sacrifice so as to stop the forces of evil once and for all.

In the context of this episode, Scorbunny getting eaten doesn't say something about its character that its previous actions haven't already told us or hinted at (as I already pointed out). And, heck, I'm not even sure if this can even count as a "sacrifice". By its definition, the act of sacrificing is "giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important". Scorbunny doesn't give up anything, and he doesn't lose anything in order to obtain or even save someone important. And you wanna know the reason why this "sacrifice" even happens? It's because Scorbunny is too busy to happily wave at Go after kicking that berry, which somehow makes it forget that it should jump off it before it enter Snorlax's mouth.

Hibunny's backstory and reasons are not important, important point is that they're both "odd ones/different ones" tried to fit with others (and failed?). It's obvious from the narrative that Gou seen himself in Hibunny, hence the advice he gave to it.

Of course backstory and reasoning are important! They are the things that help flesh out the characters (and get the audience invested in them)! They're the devices that can help keep the story going or maybe even alter the plot, that explain why a character is the way they are and what led to them being this way, that can be used to help the characters connect with each other, to make the actions of the characters be believable and makes sense! Without any of them, you end up with chaotic messes in which characters can do anything for whatever reason or no reason at all and nothing makes sense because anything could happen with no rhyme or reason!

Tangent about the importance of backstory and reasoning behind characters' actions aside, while yes, Go sees some similarities with himself in Scorbunny, having a backstory that is similar to Go would've made him more compassionate towards Scorbunny and made his 180 turn more believable.

Whole set up is obvious enough, no need to make it more "into face."

And still, none of your "better" scenarios seem anything more impactful to change someone's mind.

Bulbapedia saying that the reason Go caught Scorbunny because he was "impressed by Scorbunny's abilities" kind of proves the contrary, doesn't it? Go changing his mind because of Scorbunny getting swallowed is a fair assumption and its certainly possible that that would be the case (not that it would be any less shallow). But it still is just an assumption, as there's nothing in that scene that proves (concretely or not) that that was the reason Go chose Scorbunny over Mew. He doesn't take a look at what Scorbunny accomplished, he's not shown to be having flashbacks to what Scorbunny did for him, he doesn't do anything other than just stare at it as it's leaving and then, bam, he's like "I've decided, you're gonna be my first Pokémon!". Which is kind of out of character for someone who's been shown to be stubborn to suddenly do a 180 and change his mind with no clear reason as to why.

As for why having Go learn at least a bit more about Scorbunny's past would be more impactful, how about the fact that it would give Go a more believable reason to abandon a dream that he's had for four years? Him learning that the rabbit had a similar childhood to his would allow for him to understand its desire to have a friend more than anyone, as its backstory would resonate with Go (since it's implied that he has went through similar stuff), leading to him empathizing more with Scorbunny and him changing his mind because he gets what its like to not be accepted by others and to have friends abandon you, thus being a reason that's more impactful to Go than Scorbunny being eaten because it forgot that it can and should jump off the berry. And I can tell you, form personal experience, that when you learn that someone has gone through similar stuff as you, you start to understand and emphasize with them more, which helps strengthen the bond between you. So, actually, yes, it's more impactful and can make someone change their mind, especially if said someone tends to be stubborn.

Capturing pokémon is "selfish" in the same way that doing your job is "selfish," it's part of being a pokémon trainer. Denying somebody, only to change your mind later because you noticed that they might be useful is exactly what would be shallow.

Except that he wants to capture every single Pokémon that has ever been and will be (and he may not stop at one per species, if the manga is any indication), not because he like that kind of Pokémon or because he needs them or because he cares about them or because he bonded with them or because he made a promise to himself to catch that kind of Pokémon, but because he thinks that catching them all will lead him to Mew (or, if we go by the summary, it's because, to him, it feels great to catch them (God, haven't even realized how that makes him sounds like a psychopathic serial killer)). He doesn't care about them or their well being and he's just gonna put them in a ball and probably leave most of them at Sakuragi's lab to gather dust, while he's busy using the more popular ones the ones that he's actually bonded with.

 

[Daren]

I don't think Gou will look bad if he acts like Gary, who caught a bunch of Pokémon but we're told he rotated them around so he was spending time with them and not just leaving them with his grandpa.
Time will tell what happens.

(God, haven't even realized how that makes him sounds like a psychopathic serial killer)

Scorbunny needs exp candy to catch up to Pikachu.

 

[Panky..]

I don't think Gou will look bad if he acts like Gary, who caught a bunch of Pokémon but we're told he rotated them around so he was spending time with them and not just leaving them with his grandpa.
Time will tell what happens.


Scorbunny needs exp candy to catch up to Pikachu.

Difference between Gary and Gou was that Gary loved Pokemon just as much as Ash does whereas to Gou, they're just something to analyze, observe and study (till now). The only Pokemon he's been remotely interested on a personal level before Scorbunny has been Mew. And if that manga still is anything to go by, it seems he'll capture more than Ash and Gary's captures combined.

That's why I've been making jokes about Gou being a monstrous psychopath recently (there's also the Pokemon GO and the mass capturing / candy crushing angle as well, where Pokemon are treated as tools and all).

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

In the context of this episode, Scorbunny getting eaten doesn't say something about its character that its previous actions haven't already told us or hinted a

"She already showed her conviction to helping others by catching that kid's balloon, saving that kid's life doesn't say anything new about her."

Of course backstory and reasoning are important! They are the things that help flesh out the characters (and get the audience invested in them)!

Not sure how that's relevant to the point we discussed? Similarity between Gou and Hibunny is already established, more of their backstories will be revealed in the future, probably.

Bulbapedia saying that the reason Go caught Scorbunny because he was "impressed by Scorbunny's abilities" kind of proves the contrary, doesn't it

No.

not that it would be any less shallow

You still didn't give an answer about what is so shallow about that.

it would give Go a more believable reason to abandon a dream that he's had for four years

He didn't complately give up on his dream, he still wants to get Mew, only not as his first pokémon, which is never established as that important to him. He simply wasn't interested in training and other pokémon before.

But it still is just an assumption, as there's nothing in that scene that proves (concretely or not) that that was the reason Go chose Scorbunny over Mew. He doesn't take a look at what Scorbunny accomplished, he's not shown to be having flashbacks to what Scorbunny did for him

Or maybe they should explain everything that happens on the screen? Like Dora the Explorer?

And I can tell you, form personal experience, that when you learn that someone has gone through similar stuff as you, you start to understand and emphasize with them more, which helps strengthen the bond between you.

He already emphasized with it, in the previous episode. And I highly doubt that they're that similar to each other, other than "not fitting with others" problem.

Difference between Gary and Gou was that Gary loved Pokemon just as much as Ash

Since when?

Except that he wants to capture every single Pokémon that has ever been and will be (and he may not stop at one per species, if the manga is any indication), not because he like that kind of Pokémon or because he needs them or because he cares about them or because he bonded with them or because he made a promise to himself to catch that kind of Pokémon, but because he thinks that catching them all will lead him to Mew (or, if we go by the summary, it's because, to him, it feels great to catch them (God, haven't even realized how that makes him sounds like a psychopathic serial killer)). He doesn't care about them or their well being and he's just gonna put them in a ball and probably leave most of them at Sakuragi's lab to gather dust, while he's busy using the more popular ones the ones that he's actually bonded with.

Funny thing about all this talk: None of those are really confirmed yet. He also just helped a pokémon he barely knew by lying that it's his pokémon, which complately contradicts how you just described him.

 

[Pulsaro23]

"She already showed her conviction to helping others by catching that kid's balloon, saving that kid's life doesn't say anything new about her."

A) You just added context to that sacrifice, by saying that she did it in order to save someone and that she did it because she has a desire to help others. Not that she just sacrificed herself, while ignoring the why and what behind it, like you did with Scorbunny (where you said that it should be rewarded for the sacrifice alone, not for why it made said "sacrifice").
B) I didn't say that the sacrifice tells us nothing about Scorbunny. Just that said something isn't something new that would warrant Go's reversal, as it being loyal and willing to do anything for those it cares about was already established in episode 4.
C) Last I checked, Scorbunny didn't sacrifice his life to save Go's. Nor was it even trying to sacrifice itself in order to help them, it just happened that it apparently forgot how to jump and/or didn't realize that the fruit it was standing on was heading for Snorlax's mouth.

Not sure how that's relevant to the point we discussed? Similarity between Gou and Hibunny is already established

And what I proposed would show that said similarity is even bigger than Go (and the audience) thought it was.

No.

What a compelling and detailed answer that explains why that's the case.

You still didn't give an answer about what is so shallow about that.

Because, as I've already said before, the "sacrifice" doesn't showcase a personality trait of Scorbunny's that Go hasn't seen prior to him rejecting Scorbunny as his first caught Pokémon. So him suddenly changing his mind because of Scorbunny getting eaten (something that happens because of its ignorance, unawareness and inability to realize that it should book it, rather than it being a conscious decision that it did because there was no other way), despite already knowing about its willingness and determination to help those it's close to and its impressive battling abilities and having already empathized with it in the previous episode (all of which were things that he already knew prior to rejecting it in favor of Mew) make the whole thing shallow.

He didn't complately give up on his dream, he still wants to get Mew, only not as his first pokémon, which is never established as that important to him. He simply wasn't interested in training and other pokémon before.

It was well established in the second episode, as well as the recent one, that he wanted Mew as his first Pokémon and no one else, to the point that he outright rejected any other Pokémon as his starter. Also, it was never stated by anyone that he doesn't want to train any other Pokémon, only that he wanted Mew to be his starter.

Or maybe they should explain everything that happens on the screen? Like Dora the Explorer?

You know, you sound just like that guy who was defending Snoke not having a backstory in the Disney Star Wars trilogy because "he has scars, lots of bad guys have scars (which is totally not true, btw), so it should be very clear how he ended up being the ultimate Sith and how he managed to resurrect the empire". I'm not saying that the characters should say out loud every reason that they have for doing something and every thought they have and every feeling they have (in fact, all of the alternatives I gave were short subtle scenes in which they could've shown us that the whole Snorlax crisis was what changed Go's mind, so congrats on strawmaning I guess?). But, when it comes to a character suddenly makes an important action that leads to them going back on what they previously stated, they should, at the very least, hint at the reason for why that happens. Leaving a plot point and the reasoning behind why said plot point happens ambiguous isn't a great choice, especially when said plot point is integral to the story of a character.

He already emphasized with it, in the previous episode.

Not enough to want to catch it and be friends with it, though. Which is why learning more about it and realizing that they both had similar pasts would make him empathize with it more, to the point of changing his mind.

And I highly doubt that they're that similar to each other, other than "not fitting with others" problem.

I never said that they're completely similar to each other? So how about you stop with those strawmen already, 'cause this is really starting to get annoying?

Funny thing about all this talk: None of those are really confirmed yet.

Right... except for all the pre-release material that stated the Go's goal is to catch all Pokémon and that his end goal is Mew. Or the summary of episode 6 which states that "Hibanny, the first Pokémon Go got, made him realize how fun it is to get Pokémon, so he now aims to get a ton of Pokémon in the forest!" and the summary from episode 7, which tells us the Go will be using just Scyther and possibly Scorbunny in the tournament and none of the other 12+ Pokémon that he caught in the prior episode are anywhere to be seen. Or the manga adaptation of the episode which, while not 100% faithful to the episode, still gives us an idea of what to expect from it and the general idea of the events in the episode. But, sure, keep saying that there's no real confirmation that he wants to catch all 900+ Pokémon that there are (plus all of the ones that are gonna be introduced in future generations), that he's on a catching spree because he has a boner for capturing Pokémon and that he doesn't care about most of the Pokémon that he's catching.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

What a compelling and detailed answer that explains why that's the case.

You unironically used this site's fanwiki as a source, a second time, what else should I say?

(where you said that it should be rewarded for the sacrifice alone, not for why it made said "sacrifice")

I said no such thing.

Just that said something isn't something new that would warrant Go's reversal, as it being loyal and

"She already showed her conviction to helping others by catching that kid's balloon, saving that kid's life doesn't say anything new about her."

Last I checked, Scorbunny didn't sacrifice his life to save Go's. Nor was it even trying to sacrifice itself in order to help them, it just happened that it apparently forgot how to jump and/or didn't realize that the fruit

It's a good thing then that our discussion isn't founded on the definition of "sacrifice," as point is, Hibunny just put its life in a dangerous situation to help Gou.

And what I proposed would show that said similarity is even bigger than Go (and the audience) thought it was.

This is a non sequitur.

Because, as I've already said before, the "sacrifice" doesn't showcase a personality trait of Scorbunny's that Go hasn't seen prior to him rejecting Scorbunny as his first caught Pokémon.

This is the third time I'm using this:
"She already showed her conviction to helping others by catching that kid's balloon, saving that kid's life doesn't say anything new about her."
This is the argument you repeated.

Because, as I've already said before, the "sacrifice" doesn't showcase a personality trait of Scorbunny's that Go hasn't seen...make the whole thing shallow.

Yeah, I still don't see how that makes Hibunny's "sacrifice" shallow.

It was well established in the second episode, as well as the recent one, that he wanted Mew as his first Pokémon and no one else, to the point that he outright rejected any other Pokémon as his starter. Also, it was never stated by anyone that he doesn't want

His main goal was always getting Mew, it doesn't matter whether he get it as his first pokémon or not, as point is it was the only pokémon he planned to get.

I never said that they're completely similar to each other?

I never said that you say that? Who's doing the strawmanning here?

Not enough to want to catch it and be friends with it, though. Which is why learning more about it and realizing that they both had similar pasts would make him empathize with it more, to the point of changing his mind.

So, Hibunny's "sacrifice" is shallow because Gou already knew its character, but apparently giving them a more similar backstory is enough reason for Gou to change his mind about? Seems hypocritical to me.

Right... except for all...

None of those matters? You're literally complaining about things that didn't even happen yet.

But, when it comes to a character suddenly makes an important action that leads to them going back on what they previously stated, they should, at the very least, hint at the reason for why that happens. Leaving a plot point and the reasoning behind why said plot point happens ambiguous isn't a great choice, especially when said plot point is integral to the story of a character.

There is nothing ambiguous about it.

 

[nickdt]

Can you both stop please. Its obvious you cannot change eachothers minds. Its clogging up the thread and isn't that on-topic either.

 

[Jaye]

Okay, six episodes in and I'm really worried. Something isn't clicking with me.

Before the series started, I was interested in the premise because it opened up the possibility for older characters to return and opportunities to revisit old places and ideas that weren't explored the first time around. Even with Pokemon's dubious handling of its history, I had some hope they would do something, because why else would you go with this premise? Surely, they had to be aware that the moment you announce the show is going to take place in every region, there will be an expectation for cameos and references.

Six episodes in, and it's apparent they're not interested in this at all. Episode one was Pikachu's backstory but they neglected to answer any of the questions they asked way back in the very first episode of the show. Episode two had Ash go to Oak's lab, but not a single one of his old Pokemon was shown. Episode three had Bulbasaur and Ivysaur, but no mention of Ash's own Bulabsaur. Now we have the recent episode where Gou is catching stuff, and the fact that Ash is a seasoned pro doesn't even come up at all. They gave us this shot of Ash's trophies and trinkets but that feels like they were just throwing us a bone rather than it being relevant to anything.

Episode seven is going to be crucial for me, because it's the Battle Frontier - you know, that thing Ash beat and could be working for if he wanted to. My expectation now is that not a single mention of this will be made.

So okay, they're not going to be do any references or cameos or anything that acknowledges the vast history of the series. That's par the course for Pokemon so I can deal with it. But where is all the new stuff to take its place?

Other seasons had a new region, new Pokemon and new characters to keep you interested. You could forgive the lack of references and whatnot because the show was instead focusing on something else. Pokemon 2019 had a two episode trip to Galar, showed us very little, and then warped its characters straight back to Kanto. We have two new characters - Gou and Scorbunny. Koharu, Sakuragi, and his two assistants barely even count at this point.

In the end, the show is in this bad place of not doing anything interesting with older material while at the same time not exploring much new material, so what is there to look forward to?

Episode nine is going to be crucial for me because it's specifically about Ash and Ho-oh, and if they can't do anything interesting with that, then there's no hope for this season.

 

[Silktree]

Without the Ho-Oh episode, I'd be worried. But there's that, the possibility of using a reserve next week (the only alternative is Mimey, which would be forced as hell) and a Charizard on the poster (the same art is in the opening) playing with an adorable Charmander.

But that's Ash. At least half the series is about Go, a new character experiencing all these regions for the first time. I don't think that his story would be me more interesting if confined to Galar, and I'm more interested in him than I was in the post-OS characters.

 

[Islander Princess]

In the end, the show is in this bad place of not doing anything interesting with older material while at the same time not exploring much new material, so what is there to look forward to?

This is the perfect way to summarize the series for me so far.

Hearing that the series would be aimed at new and old fans alike, I did have some hopes that there would be more former characters and Pokemon, or even just older references, but I tried to keep my expectations tempered because this show has a track record of not following through on that, so on that front, I am disappointed but not really surprised.

But...there's also nothing new to get excited about.

I may be an older fan who loves the older references, but I also like to be introduced to new characters, new Pokemon, etc. And so far...there's none of that either. Yes, there's Go, and I do like him. But almost every episode so far has just been him and...kind of Ash? They haven't let Ash do very much so far, and the fact he hasn't caught a single new Pokemon is pretty disappointing. I never thought I'd see the day where I missed COTDs but...here we are. Ash and Go's dynamic is enjoyable, but I think it's going to start to start getting stale if they don't incorporate any other characters.

 

[Silktree]

There's a COTD next week. He's the punk rival that will make Ash finally use another Pokemon.

 

[Grass Type Gardenia]

I just had a thought...

The original Pokemon Series lasted from Gen 1 - 7, which are all in the Heisei Era in Japan (1989-2019). But now that Japan has started the Reiwa Era, the anime series must give way to the new era in a new direction, hence why Ash became Champion in Alola and with nothing coinciding to anything Gen 8 when leading up to Sword and Shield. This is due to Gen 8 marking the start of Pokemon in the Reiwa Era. The new series will be about Ash and Gou travelling the world, catching up on unfinished plot-points and tieing up loose ends from the past Heisei series from Kanto to Alola, as well as exploring the new Reiwa Region of Galar. Ash and Gou represents the two Eras of Japan, with Ash being Heisei, and Gou Reiwa, where in the end of the new series, Ash would finally become the Pokemon Master, passing the torch of main character to Gou, even going as far as to give Gou his Pikachu, which together, when Gen 9 comes out, will be embarking on a fresh new adventure with their own new companions. This current new series is the transition from the old to the new. (This would also explain why GF is trying to sue the hackers because they have violated, in their eyes, their Japanese custom of a new era, despite how rushed the game actually is.)

I'm saying this because Godzilla as a series went a similar pattern when a Japanese Era changes.

 

[ehh123]

I think there is one huge thing this anime has going it: Ash and Go's relationship. In fact, the characterization is good all around. The problem is not much has happened so far.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Something interesting I noticed: Mr. Mime is an older pokemon from OS who rarely appear in the show since then (twice in each series). Yet no one deemed it nostalgic that they suddenly turned it into a recurring character.