Review AG167: Decisive Game! Haruka VS Takeshi!!

[Geodude]

Learn to spell.

 

[cold_katanagirl]

Ok. With the whole May bashing thing... Just shut up about it. From what I've read it's all the Misty/Brock lovers that hate May cause she gets more attention than they're favourite characters. There was no way Brock would have one anyways. He doesnt need to go to the Grande Festival. May DOES. So just shut up about the whole May thing. T___T

... For a couple of seconds, I thought Scott said that. WTF moment.

 

[Cybersai]

... For a couple of seconds, I thought Scott said that. WTF moment.

I know, it's hard to believe that there are *gasp* other May fans on this forum.

Apparently there's some unwritten rule around here that we can't like May, for some odd reason.

 

[Swifty]

Apparently there's some unwritten rule around here that we can't like May, for some odd reason.

Just like there's an unwritten rule at SPPf that you can't like Misty and will be pummeled in the crotch at an arithmetic, no, geometric rate for expressing an equal or greater propensity of liking her?

 

[Kasumi]

Just like there's an unwritten rule at SPPf that you can't like Misty and will be pummeled in the crotch at an arithmetic, no, geometric rate for expressing an equal or greater propensity of liking her?

Lollerskates!

And with that, may I ask you guys to cut it out with the anti-May bitching? I'm sick of every thread in BMG turning into a debate about it.

 

[Jo-Jo]

Might I dare to suggest that a large reason May gets criticised in the first place is because some of her fans put her up on a pedestal to the extent that a) their worship of her becomes so irritating that those less enamoured of her (e.g. most people) become even less fond of her as a result, and b) anytime somebody posts something about her that isn't outright adoration, their post is perceived by the fanboys as bashing even though they aren't actually saying anything all that bad? (OUCH, run-on sentence...)

Personally, I'd be fine with May and would be prepared to overlook her occasional less-than-fair victories, her hogging of the screentime and her mild Sue-ish tendencies, were it not for the fact that some of her fans will. not. shut. up. about how wonderful and perfect she is, how superior she is to all of the other characters (including the likes of Brock and Misty, who happen to be among my favourites), and how anyone who doesn't think she's the bees' knees must be a narrow-minded Kanto-loving freak. (Oh dear, the run-on sentences strike again.) It'd also be spiffy if fanon opinions such as May > Misty were not continually asserted as facts. Y hallo thar, SPPF.

Anyway. Even if he lost, I am still lovin' the major Brock-love going on in this episode. The writers basically made him look as good as was humanly possible without letting win the ribbon. Considering how afraid I was that they'd have May whup him in some humiliating fashion, the battle's outcome was about perfect. Marshtomp was also great. For the first time ever, I am slightly less grief-stricken over the fact that it is no longer a Mudkip. Very, very slightly less.

 

[cold_katanagirl]

I know, it's hard to believe that there are *gasp* other May fans on this forum.

Apparently there's some unwritten rule around here that we can't like May, for some odd reason.

... Wow. That's not what I meant at all. But that's irrelevant.

And Jo-Jo's post about May's fanbase? Win.

You have to give Brock props. The fact Brock even manages to keep the battle close when contests aren't his specialty and he's been inactive for so long is pretty impressive. To me at least.

Brock needs more episodes. D:

EDIT: What's with all the May/Misty bitching lately? It's everywhere these days.

 

[Unregistered]

Maybe because of the new special with Misty returning? That must be getting everyone on edge. Either that or the 3 Misty episodes are close to being dubbed.

 

[FabuVinny]

I could say the same about you and others about May y'know. Anyway of couse I was speaking hypothetically, as cast changes only happen at the very end or the very beginning of a saga, never in the middle. We'll have our current AG group as is until the D/P saga starts, whenever that is.

And we could say the same about you and her being too important to leave. Whatever.

You might be wrong on that last point. While I doubt there will be any cast changes before the end of Battle Frontier, what happens between the Battle Pyramid and D/P land may lead to May, Max and Brock joining Misty and Tracey in non-regular land, (if only for a few months.) For example, I could see that happening if Ash went to train in Fiore.

Maybe because of the new special with Misty returning? That must be getting everyone on edge. Either that or the 3 Misty episodes are close to being dubbed.

I don't know about anywhere else, but here it has nothing to do with Misty. (And I don't see how a couple of hours in the dub would have that much effect.) Here it is always purely about May, and the people propogating it aren't the anti ones...

I wouldn't mind this particular victory, since I knew from the beginning that May would get the ribbon. But I just wish the writers had made her win a little more believable. Well, I'm agreed on Ash > Brock > May > Max for ability. That almost mirrors the time of experience anyway and Ash has probably been travelling for long enough for that not to matter.

 

[Ghost_Master]

Wow. Way to contradict yourself big time. First you say the match was pretty close (which is not true since Marshtomp was kicking Eevee's arse most of the time) and then you said Brock got it pretty easy? Make up your mind.

How am I contradicting myself? I said it was a good and close battle but that Brock got off pretty easy compared to May. Yes she was a rookie trainer back then but Brock still shouldve ran into at least one problem. Marshtomp has had one battle(if you call it that) and none of his pokemon ever get trained or battle unless you count the rare times when he uses his pokemon against TR. Also May and some of her pokemon experienced stage fright during their first contests. Their were plenty of other problems May had but a bunch of them were due to her being a rookie trainer.

W/E I still liked this episode it makes me wish that Brock actually battled and did other things with his pokemon. That would actually get me interested when his pokemon learn new moves. The only thing I didnt like about this episode is the annoying fanbase to follow. BMGF thinks this proves Brock is superior and SPP believes this proves May is superior. I think it proves they are about equal skill. Brock is extremely talented and smart but needs strong pokemon. May has good pokemon but sometimes doesnt have good strategies.

 

[FabuVinny]

May was new at Pokémon while Brock is a breeder with plenty of experience. Plus, Brock often trains in battles against Ash.

 

[Ghost_Master]

May was new at Pokémon while Brock is a breeder with plenty of experience. Plus, Brock often trains in battles against Ash.

That hasnt happened in forever and Marshtomp only had one "battle" and that wasnt finished. Also all the battle experience in the world cant stop stage fright even highly experienced people get nervous. As I said again they should have something for Brock so he can battle.

 

[Cybersai]

He still did a heck of a lot better than May did, even in the appeals.

If Brock had any slip-ups, it should have been during the appeal. Where the heck did he get that baseball from anyway?

 

[FabuVinny]

Many battles happen offscreen so you can't say that. A recent dub example is Once in a Mawile.

The baseball he... stole from Casey. Well, I'm sure he got it from somewhere. My issue with his appeal wasn't that he had the baseball but the fact that Bonsly does so well.

 

[Pie]

The baseball he... stole from Casey. Well, I'm sure he got it from somewhere.

He has almost everything he could ever want or need in his backpack except a girlfriend. So why not a baseball? Or multiple baseballs, actually, given that he threw a bunch of them after he threw the first?

I loved the appeal. Who knew Bonsly could use those green ball things as a hand so effectively? Or that it knows how to do a limbo-juggle? It was really quite impressive.

 

[FabuVinny]

He's probably still going on the "Casey has an older sister" theory.

The appeal is impressive and a good use of his Pokémon, (which is why I liked the Raticate appeal and clearly so did the crowd and judges,) but it would have to take training that, as far as I can see, didn't happen.

 

[Pie]

True, but a LOT of training supposedly happens that we never see, since it's irrelevant to the episode plots.

In fact, I doubt that even requires as much training as you think. Brock is probably the type that would want to play with his Pokémon when he's not feeding or grooming them, right? And if you've ever had a pet, you know it doesn't take long to find out what games and toys they like more than others. Take the game, spice it up a bit, and there you go - an appeal.

 

[Kasumi]

none of his pokemon ever get trained or battle unless you count the rare times when he uses his pokemon against TR.

Huh? He usually trains his pokémon against Ash's.

 

[Habunake]

After watching this episode...is it me or did Ratticate's appeal suck... how the girl got to the second round is beyond me, the other coordinators must of sucked.

Squirtle's appeal, despite being only capable by god, was somehow amusing then the others. Maybe May can teach it Explosion next and have it self destruct!

 

[FabuVinny]

True, but a LOT of training supposedly happens that we never see, since it's irrelevant to the episode plots.

While I just made the same point above, Brock only decides to enter the contest on the day it happens.

You're probably right about it being a game. It would have been nice if the writers had shown us that, however. (Short flashback after the event is fine.)

After watching this episode...is it me or did Ratticate's appeal suck... how the girl got to the second round is beyond me, the other coordinators must of sucked.

As I said above, it takes a feature of Raticate and turns it into an appeal. That it chewed through the whole stick is what is so good about. Lilian and the crowd seemed to like it more than Brock's appeal.

Then again, since the bad one got to travel with breeder girl...