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Review JN053: Catch the Legend!? Find the Guardian of Water - Suicune!!

Wasn't there 1 episode in Jotho about a Ninetales who was owned by a man who looked like Brock. But this man passed away ages ago, but the Ninetales couldn't realy leave (it was free form its pokéball) because there was some connection. It was only after Brock destroyed said Pokéball the Ninetales could finaly move on.

Although, other episodes had implied even if a Pokémon isn't official released or its pokéball isn't broken, it can go where ever it wants... Maybe it also has something to do with the circumstances. If the trainer allows it, it's fine. If the trainer passes away without allowing it (or even ordering it to stay like Damian with Charmander or even more recent Gengar who also never realy left the lab after it's trainer said to stay), the Pokémon remains loyal (although Gengar did realise something wasn't right). Although, Pikachu and Mimey (2 Pokémon with known pokéball) could go pretty far on their roadtrip... The Ninetales episode was weird. But maybe it was because it was because the owner said it would return but he died on his trip, never being able to forfill the promise. And it was only after Ninetales heard the story, Brock destroyed the old Pokéball and told Ninetales could leave it finally could leave. Morale: look out what you say to your Pokémon, they are loyal. If you ask them to wait or say you'll return... They will wait around this spot. (So Ash... If you ever want to visit Pidgeot again... It will still be on the location you left it to protect the Pidgey and Pidgeotto if my theory is correct. And Charmander, Gengar and Ninetales seems to confirm my theory. ;) )

In case of Suicune... I think it will obey Goh if the meet up again. Maybe he sometimes will come to visit the lab/dome (he knows the location). And since it's a legendary Pokémon, perhaps it will feel when Goh is realy in so much trouble he needs him. Pokémon 2000 did show Pokémon can scence when their is something very wrong.

We'll see. But like I said before, a pokéball is not 100% a prison.

Tbh, the reason why Pikachu and Mimey could go far away from Ash can be explained the way they could leave so far, is that they went to a place that was also connected to them (Pallet Town).
 
Wasn't there 1 episode in Jotho about a Ninetales who was owned by a man who looked like Brock. But this man passed away ages ago, but the Ninetales couldn't realy leave (it was free form its pokéball) because there was some connection. It was only after Brock destroyed said Pokéball the Ninetales could finaly move on.
I think that was more symbolic than anything, since that Ninetales couldn't let go of its past.
 
Actually, it came to realize that its owner could no longer be alive, but it was unable to leave the mansion it lived in until its Poké Ball was (accidentally) broken.
How was the ball preventing it from leaving? Team rocket has managed to take ash’s Pokémon from him and travel a far distance. It’s not like there was a barrier preventing them from taking pikachu.
 
How was the ball preventing it from leaving? Team rocket has managed to take ash’s Pokémon from him and travel a far distance. It’s not like there was a barrier preventing them from taking pikachu.
It was an antique Poké Ball that worked through magic rather than technology. It apparently had some kind of spell that prevented Ninetales from leaving. Ninetales itself said it wanted to leave, but was unable to, as the Poké Ball bound it to its home until it was broken.
 
It was an antique Poké Ball that worked through magic rather than technology. It apparently had some kind of spell that prevented Ninetales from leaving. Ninetales itself said it wanted to leave, but was unable to, as the Poké Ball bound it to its home until it was broken.
I see. Do you have a picture of said ball?
 
I see. Do you have a picture of said ball?
Lokoko_Pok%C3%A9_Ball_anime.png

Composite_Lokoko_Ball.png
 
I really liked this episode. Unpopular opinion, but tough Poffins. :bulbaWave:

  • I'm not a fan of capturing legendary Pokémon, especially for a main anime character. However, the events of this episode felt deserved to me. Go was the primary person to rescue and care for Suicune. I thought the idea of encapsulating it within the safety of a Poke Ball to be a smart move, especially as one can always release the Pokémon later (which Go did indeed attempt). Secondly, Go using his Pokémon's strengths (Cinderace's battling prowess, Sobble's emotional support, Raichu's medicinal berries, Exeggutor's radar and sentry functions, and Drowsee's type-effectiveness) to both protect and nurture Suicune was a wonderful set of events to watch and also very in-character; a deus-ex machina sure, but I also like how the Rotom phone didn't have signal, forcing Go to rely on his instincts and knowledge as a Pokémon Trainer to care for a Pokémon. In doing so, my mind hearkened back to Trials and Adulations! where Dawn had to do something similar. He quipped a personal thank you to Koharu, for being instrumental in his first aid process; I loved it.
  • Also, can we take a moment and appreciate how Go's first thought regarding the entire situation was to contact Officer Jenny? I appreciated that uncommon appearance of common sense. Back to Suicune though, it observed and processed all of those feats and decided on its own to stay with Go - this wasn't a repeat with Zapdos of a messy, attempt of capture. Furthermore, Go's intention to release it when all was said and done was a sign of maturity on his part - he very well could have simply chosen to keep Suicune, as its capture technically furthers his own goal. But he chose not to, and I feel that that decision is underrated.
  • I thought the hunters had a step above the usual plan with their constant contamination of the lake and wearing down Suicune's stamina; what an effective way to utilize Poison-type Pokémon (especially with all the ones featured being representations of air, water, and land pollution). But then stupidity shot back up when they failed to just catch it with a Poke Ball; Go's capture completely invalidates every hunter's (barring the one that appeared in the Suicune movie no less, and maybe J...) method of netting wild Pokémon. When they had multiple Pokémon owned in Poke Balls between them (as is near always the case).
  • That scene where that idiot kept kicking Suicune was visceral and admittedly enraged me - painful to see, but a great writing choice given the emotions it evoked in me; I was right there with Go wanting to save it. I don't think an Ice Beam was enough in regards to their final comeuppance; but I loved how Go was still thinking ahead at only incapacitating them so they could face justice behind bars, etc.
  • Sobble (!) and Cinderace being protective over Go when Suicune threatened to hurt him was endearing to see.
  • Really, Dr. Cerise? Maybe accompany the boys or send one of your adult aides to journey with them once in a while? Especially for something as notable as repeated legendary Pokémon sightings?
Overall, again, I really liked this episode and I thoroughly enjoyed the positive caring traits Go displayed here. I think he's quite some way from his being-a-jerk-to-Scorbunny phase and I hope he continues to grow and develop further as a character. As for Suicune, I think its current predicament works - it belongs to Go, but is free to continue doing what it was prior; no worries of it staying cooped up in the lab. That being said, I hope this a trope that the writers don't make a habit of regarding legendary Pokémon and Go, especially key ones such as Suicune.
 
It was an antique Poké Ball that worked through magic rather than technology. It apparently had some kind of spell that prevented Ninetales from leaving. Ninetales itself said it wanted to leave, but was unable to, as the Poké Ball bound it to its home until it was broken.

Indeed an old pokéball... In context with episodes before and after this episode, it was a strange concept. But also a cool one. So possible this is the reason even after all this years I still recall the events of this episode.

It was at least unique.

(Even in the likes of for example the ghost ship one at the Orange Islands, although... it had it's moments and 300 year old modern pokéballs. Too bad the animators weren't creative with those. And the time Ash and Pikachu's souls were removed from their boddies... Pokémon can have creative and weird episodes. In a good way. Or the mirror world episode.)
 
Suicune has a reason to travel the world. Eternatus does not. It will bring the Darkest Day wherever it goes.

Unless it, you know, just goes back home to space. (Then again, considering it was out and about back in Episode 12, it could've done that at any point and the whole arc wouldn't have happened, so...)
 
You know, I already had a problem with Goh somehow being able to hold his own Zapdos to where he almost caught it. Remember that time Charizard battled Articuno? That victory was well earned for 2 reasons.

1: By that point Ash has gone through Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, and Hoenn. He had 4 adventures before the Battle Fronteir, so it’s logical that he can defeat a legendary. As for the 2nd reason?

2: Ever since (probably) halfway through Johto Charizard has been training with the strongest Charizards out there, and it helps that even beforehand he was one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon.

You see? That victory was warranted. With Go however? 40 episodes in (and don’t forget it took him 6 episodes to get Scorbunny) and somehow he can hold his own against a legendary? He shouldn’t be able to look them straight in the eye.

Anyways, yeah at this point Go is nothing more than the writers’ pet at this point. It doesn’t help that in the Ash focus episodes he is still at the center very often while in the Goh episodes Ash is a side character at best. The sooner Journeys finishes the better. And if there are movies for Journeys than I hope they take place in the alternate timeline I Choose You and The Power of Us are in.
 
You know, I already had a problem with Goh somehow being able to hold his own Zapdos to where he almost caught it. Remember that time Charizard battled Articuno? That victory was well earned for 2 reasons.

1: By that point Ash has gone through Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, and Hoenn. He had 4 adventures before the Battle Fronteir, so it’s logical that he can defeat a legendary. As for the 2nd reason?

2: Ever since (probably) halfway through Johto Charizard has been training with the strongest Charizards out there, and it helps that even beforehand he was one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon.

You see? That victory was warranted. With Go however? 40 episodes in (and don’t forget it took him 6 episodes to get Scorbunny) and somehow he can hold his own against a legendary? He shouldn’t be able to look them straight in the eye.
Furthermore, Charizard had super effective moves, was fully evolved and could fly like Articuno. Raboot... yeah.
 
You know, I already had a problem with Goh somehow being able to hold his own Zapdos to where he almost caught it. Remember that time Charizard battled Articuno? That victory was well earned for 2 reasons.

1: By that point Ash has gone through Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, and Hoenn. He had 4 adventures before the Battle Fronteir, so it’s logical that he can defeat a legendary. As for the 2nd reason?

2: Ever since (probably) halfway through Johto Charizard has been training with the strongest Charizards out there, and it helps that even beforehand he was one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon.

You see? That victory was warranted. With Go however? 40 episodes in (and don’t forget it took him 6 episodes to get Scorbunny) and somehow he can hold his own against a legendary? He shouldn’t be able to look them straight in the eye.

Anyways, yeah at this point Go is nothing more than the writers’ pet at this point. It doesn’t help that in the Ash focus episodes he is still at the center very often while in the Goh episodes Ash is a side character at best. The sooner Journeys finishes the better. And if there are movies for Journeys than I hope they take place in the alternate timeline I Choose You and The Power of Us are in.

Um...you're kind of complaining about the wrong episode there, buddy.
 
You know, I already had a problem with Goh somehow being able to hold his own Zapdos to where he almost caught it. Remember that time Charizard battled Articuno? That victory was well earned for 2 reasons.

1: By that point Ash has gone through Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, and Hoenn. He had 4 adventures before the Battle Fronteir, so it’s logical that he can defeat a legendary. As for the 2nd reason?

2: Ever since (probably) halfway through Johto Charizard has been training with the strongest Charizards out there, and it helps that even beforehand he was one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon.

You see? That victory was warranted. With Go however? 40 episodes in (and don’t forget it took him 6 episodes to get Scorbunny) and somehow he can hold his own against a legendary? He shouldn’t be able to look them straight in the eye.

Anyways, yeah at this point Go is nothing more than the writers’ pet at this point. It doesn’t help that in the Ash focus episodes he is still at the center very often while in the Goh episodes Ash is a side character at best. The sooner Journeys finishes the better. And if there are movies for Journeys than I hope they take place in the alternate timeline I Choose You and The Power of Us are in.
Especially considering that Raboot got I shot by an Aerodactyl.
 
So I decided to give the episode a second watch to try to give it and Journeys a second chance... My opinion is still the same. A terrible episode for a terrible season.
 
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