Review SM097: Fukuthrow the Artisan!!! Sleeping Mokuroh zzz

[marshiyanmisuta]

Defeated its evolved form
Swallowed an Everstone.
Still treated like a joke.

Yep, no evolution for Mokuroh.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Nice episode with a focus on Rowlett for a change (who’s significance has really been getting reduced thanks to Lycanroc and Torracat), but I can’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like if Hau had visited the school and the others got to meet him as well as watch the Rowlet vs Dartrix battles. Did it feel kind of contrived to anybody else the way two just happened to meet each other in the forest?

And I think it’s now officially established that this series is heavily oriented towards NFE Pokémon (much like the original series & Best Wishes)

 

[BigDocFan]

Was nice to see the reunion between Rowlet and its former foster family, hope we see more of them as Rowlet develops

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I like how they used the real-life reason of why some birds eat small rocks as a plot point.

 

[JFrombaugh]

If it’s kept it kind-of solidifies my prediction that Rowlet's staying as it is, and Litten and Popplio are the ones doing the evolving.

TBH I think Popplio will stay unevolved as well, and Primarina will get it’s (non-cameo) debut either if and when Ida & Kanoa return during the Poni Island arc, or it will be owned by a random CotD.

I think Hau will probably reappear at the Pokemon League, by which point Dartrix will have evolved into Decidueye.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

TBH I think Popplio will stay unevolved as well, and Primarina will get it’s main non-cameo debut either if and when Ida & Kanoa return during the Poni Island arc, or it will be owned by a random CotD.

Popplio has shown ambition for evolving/hints for evolution when it dressed up as Brionne and admired a painted Primarina.

I think it’s going to atleast Brionne stage. If it doesn’t Lana will be left with literally zero team changes since the series beginning and I don’t think it’ll happen.

 

[BigDocFan]

I like how they used the real-life reason of why some birds eat small rocks as a plot point.

I didn't really understand it but a nice touch definitely

 

[Kurolegacy]

Popplio has shown ambition for evolving/hints for evolution when it dressed up as Brionne and admired a painted Primarina.

I think it’s going to atleast Brionne stage. If it doesn’t Lana will be left with literally zero team changes since the series beginning and I don’t think it’ll happen.

Honestly a Pokémon showing ambition for evolving doesn’t mean that the writers will evolve it. After all, back in Best Wishes Axew dreamed of evolving and it stayed Axew the entire time. On top of that, starter Pokémon that go to side characters tend to not evolve, especially when it’s a cast member whose goal they can’t form a plot around.

Still, kinda annoyed at the writer’s decision to leave Rowlett as is forever considering not only haven’t we had an evolved grass starter in the cast since Diamond and Pearl and it leaves Ash’s team at some of its most underdeveloped in years, but that basically just means Rowlette is just gonna remain a joke. It really is a shame considering Decidueye really seems like a Pokémon that fits Ash’s battle style and could have been Ash’s first ghost type.

 

[Shadowlarvitar]

Episode went pretty much as expected. At least we're given a reason Rowlet won't evolve unlike Chespin and Oshawott....

Loved that the classmates weren't around, hope to see Hau again soon and hopefully with Raichu.

Popplio has shown ambition for evolving/hints for evolution when it dressed up as Brionne and admired a painted Primarina.

I think it’s going to atleast Brionne stage. If it doesn’t Lana will be left with literally zero team changes since the series beginning and I don’t think it’ll happen.

It's definitely going to be Brionne

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Honestly a Pokémon showing ambition for evolving doesn’t mean that the writers will evolve it. After all, back in Best Wishes Axew dreamed of evolving and it stayed Axew the entire time.

It also literally dressed up as Brionne, trainee with one like Ash's Froakie training with Frogadier, and the point about Lana getting atleast one team change in this series. There are no Alolan water types left to debut now.

Axew also stayed in its base stage because of the cute mascot role like Piplup, and later Chespin. Popplio doesn’t have this limitation when Rowlet has the cute starter role.

 

[Kurolegacy]

It also literally dressed up as Brionne, trainee with one like Ash's Froakie training with Frogadier, and the point about Lana getting atleast one team change in this series. There are no Alolan water types left to debut now.

Axew also stayed in its base stage because of the cute mascot role like Piplup, and later Chespin. Popplio doesn’t have this limitation when Rowlet has the cute starter role.

That may be but that just comes across as another symptom of the overall problem with overbloating the cast in Sun and Moon. As a result, we’re over 90 episodes in and Lana has received no real development beyond getting a Z-move and the writers don’t seem too interested in that changing. As a result, I just don’t see Popplio evolving, especially when it barely does anything other than existing and making bubbles as is.

A bit of a controversial thought but it will always be a mistake to give a starter to one of the side characters as that’s just a recipe for it getting little to no development in the saga. Just as was the case with Chespin in X and Y and Mudkip in Advanced.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

After going out of his way to teach Treecko Bullet Seed and making it one of its signature moves, you'd think Ash wouldn't be shocked by seeing that move in action.

You'd be wrong.

 

[Kurolegacy]

After going out of his way to teach Treecko Bullet Seed and making it one of its signature moves, you'd think Ash wouldn't be shocked by seeing that move in action.

You'd be wrong.

Well this is the same guy who still feels the need pull out his Pokédex to scan the same Pokémon he’s seen 50 million times before.

 

[BigDocFan]

Think Ash is suffering from long term amnesia lol

 

[ii kanji]

Firstly, what a beautifully animated episode. Omg, utter feast for the eyes. (I never thought I'd feel that way about another forest-based, that too battle-heavy, Pokeani episode but there you go...)

Much as I am staunchly against the inexcusable rate of Rocket absence, the SM anime allowing ALL extraneous characters to be excluded once again worked in favour of this episode. I felt that we got really good quality coverage for Mokuroh, Fukuthrow, Hau, Satoshi and even Pikachu (how could you not LOL at his getting told off for attempting to eat a rock lmao!)

I had really wanted Mokuroh to evolve, but if it gets to do something other than sleep in its unevolved form, with Hau's Fukuthrow around, then I like that they're making it official with the everstone rather than keeping us on tenterhooks forever. Plus, Mokuroh Hayashibara vs Fukuthrow Miki is the kind of quality voice casting that I live for...

 

[Alola]

• This episode is officially my favorite as of now for Sun & Moon. My favorite starter line flew in all their Grass & Flying glory.
• That animation though! My goodness! For a moment, I thought we were back in Kalos and enjoying an intense rival battle. I thought both Rowlet and Dartrix were fluid and there wasn't a ton of stock footage (ahem). Dartrix's facial expressions (as well as Dartrix in general), the moves both birds used, as well as the Toucannon scenes were all neatly done. A big improvement over the last couple episodes, I'd say.
• The music choices were lovely. I loved every single tracked played, especially the Kalos ones. Dartrix battling to the XY Gym Battle theme was amazing. A shame that Hau's own battle theme didn't play, but knowing Sun & Moon they may be saving it for a later episode.
• Hau! He seems fun and lively. From what I gathered, he's yet to defeat Hala in a Grand Trial. It also seems that he was away to train for such an endeavor and to finally acquire his own Z-Ring. He and Ash becoming main rivals is something I can definitely get behind. Also, like I and several others I'm sure predicted, Rowlet ended up winning a battle. However, I'm okay with it-largely because Ash only won because he had to resort to using a Z-Move (which...should have been quad-resisted, but this is the anime); in terms of sheer skill and strength, Dartix was superior in both fights. I think portraying fights in that light is good writing-that just because Rowlet spent an afternoon and evening training did not equate into an easy win the next day is fine with me (as long as we don't do it too often aha). I can't wait for him to meet the others. They'll probably dedicate an episode to him defeating Hala, I'm sure.
• I have mixed feelings about Rowlet's Seed Bomb. On the one hand, learning a new move is always nice. Especially since many main characters' Pokemon remain stagnant in that area. Also, the way it was done was very unorthodox and I appreciate the creative way they decided to handle it. That being said, it's such a different method of using a rather unimpressive move and there are no actual seeds involved. Also if Rowlet loses its rock, then that's it (at least Oshawott can regrow any lost Scalchops, etc.). I thought Seed Bomb would be flashier, with several seeds dropped causing an array of explosions. Also, it's yet another Grass Type move-which sucks since Rowlet has several other moves it could use instead. But I digress.
• Showing the Pikipek line use gizzard stones to emulate birds in real-life was such an amazing touch. I really appreciated that as well as explaining the mechanic of Bullet Seed for that particular line. Also continuity is always appreciated and I'm glad Rowlet's family hasn't been forsaken.
• Ash dropping his Grassium Z (in green grass no less) seems like a common shortcoming for Z-Move users-I like it.
• An Everstone for Rowlet huh? Well, it would seem they're providing a plausible reason not to evolve it. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

 

[UxieLover1994]

Well this is the same guy who still feels the need pull out his Pokédex to scan the same Pokémon he’s seen 50 million times before.

Ash only does that because this is technically aimed at the 3 - 6 demographic. Same as why he reacted to a female Pikachu's tail the other week despite the drag episode in Best Wishes.

Popplio has shown ambition for evolving/hints for evolution when it dressed up as Brionne and admired a painted Primarina.

I think it’s going to atleast Brionne stage. If it doesn’t Lana will be left with literally zero team changes since the series beginning and I don’t think it’ll happen.

As I said in the earlier post, if a starter Pokémon does not evolve within the first two years of its introduction, it never will. Whatever the writers had in mind for Popplio appears to be scrapped. It makes one question having five temporary main characters instead of two or three, as they can't all gain the same development, and in the end became walking props. I have a feeling Sun and Moon will end up going down the same path as Best Wishes.

Apparently, someone has translated the episode and edited the page for anime Pokémon by evolution. Rowlet does not want to evolve, officially making it an expy of Piplup.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

After six episodes of sub-par mediocrity, it was nice to have something with effort put into it

Disappointed about the Everstone, but Rowlet's gonna Rowlet

Rowlet does not want to evolve, officially making it an expy of Piplup.

Who was an expy of Pikachu, what with being a proud pokémon with a bit of arrogance who doesn't want to evolve

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

As a result, I just don’t see Popplio evolving, especially when it barely does anything other than existing and making bubbles as is.

Bounsweet too didn’t do anything much, and it’s now a Tsareena.

if a starter Pokémon does not evolve within the first two years of its introduction, it never will.

Ash's Quilava?

 

[UxieLover1994]

Ash's Quilava?

I already pointed this out in the first post for this topic. Quilava was indeed the exception, but mainly for one last promotion of HGSS, and to differentiate it from Dawn's Cyndaquil (until the writers changed their mind and evolved it, too).

Who was an expy of Pikachu, what with being a proud pokémon with a bit of arrogance who doesn't want to evolve

Pretty much all walkers are Pikachu expies these days, with their shared pride and arrogance. But yeah, I see your point. Especially when you realize that this holds a similar plot to "Electric Shock Showdown" and "Pika and Goliath", only with Rowlet and Dartrix in the roles of Pikachu and Raichu, respectively.