Preview Arceus, the One Called God

[Sai]

With seemingly no Koharu or AU characters here I wonder if they'll give more focus to Ash and Dawn interacting or her other pokemon in this one. That's the only thing lacking from her cameos so far, and if this really is 4 episodes long that's a long enough time to do something.

 

[PaperSplash]

If this does get dubbed I wonder how they'll handle the title. Outside of the Detective Pikachu movie TPCi still seems very allergic to the G word.

 

[Emmy]

If this does get dubbed I wonder how they'll handle the title. Outside of the Detective Pikachu movie TPCi still seems very allergic to the G word.

Possibly something like what they're doing in the Legends games with "Almighty Sinnoh".

 

[Poke Trey]

One thing I'm wondering is if this gets dubbed can TPCI bring this to Netflix just like Journeys or will they go to Amazon just like the JP are?

 

[Nicolas721]

I think it will be dubbed. Even if the next game promotion starts early. it's still clearly a promotion special that doesn't do any harm if it's dubbed.

The second question it's hard to answer, but since it's Journeys-related I assume they have to ask Netflix about any decision.

 

[Ricbolog]

The second question it's hard to answer, but since it's Journeys-related I assume they have to ask Netflix about any decision.

It greatly depends on if they will be included in a dub season (S24 or S25). If so, they would be treated just like regular episodes.

 

[Poke Trey]

It greatly depends on if they will be included in a dub season (S24 or S25). If so, they would be treated just like regular episodes.

I don't think so. I think it might go 2 ways: turn it into a movie by reformatting the episodes to being a singular thing or turn them into monthly specials to keep subscribers on Netflix busy for the year.

 

[Alola]

Well, I am sincerely hoping that these episodes will finally give Dawn the time and spotlight she deserves as she's been shafted a bit in past two appearances. And four episodes no less! It all seems very exciting and full of possibilities; with how many episodes she had in Unova and now in Journeys, I'm guessing Dawn may be liked by the writers more than I previously thought.

I'm wondering what the plot will be though. Will they be sent to the past during the time of Hisui? Or will this be akin to a Johto Festa but Hisui style? Dawn still having her very contemporary Poketch is notable to me as well.

 

[Sai]

This is also mostly another legendary arc too since its about Arceus and the lake trio of Azelf/Mesprit/Uxie, so it feels like Dawn can only come back for legendary Pokemon arcs. I kind of figured they would never make a Contest ep in Journey's so I'm not really disappointed, but since she can't be in the PWC like Iris there is not much else to use her for. It's also one of the other reasons I don't expect to see May because if they won't promote contests with Dawn they won't do it with any other character. But I do think Dawn will get some focus with seemingly no Koharu or AU characters.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

but since she can't be in the PWC like Iris there is not much else to use her for.

The Alola gang had none of that and they still got focus that wasn’t them getting sidelined in their own appearances due to Legendaries.

 

[Sai]

The Alola gang had none of that and they still got focus that wasn’t them getting sidelined in their own appearances due to Legendaries.

That's due to them all being in Alola, so it's a different case.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

That's due to them all being in Alola, so it's a different case.

So? It proves that it’s possible to manufacture a situation where Dawn can be promoted as a companion and not the backdrop of a legendary conflict. I don’t get why exactly it’s a "different case". The episode utilised Alola's family themes, the hypothetical Dawn return could utilise her aims, aspirations and reunion with Ash. Or just have her bounce off Go and Koharu without it centring around a legendary crisis.

 

[Sai]

So? It proves that it’s possible to manufacture a situation where Dawn can be promoted as a companion and not the backdrop of a legendary conflict.

They can, but it seems that's all they want to utilize her for. Dawn has always been more involved in legendary pokemon arcs even dating back to DP with the Galactic finale and the DP movies. Since for whatever reason the writers don't seem to want to make a Contest ep in this series, they use her for legendary arcs instead. Otherwise she's just get a cameo similar to BW where she'd just be around for a few fillers and a random tournament.

 

[SammyW27]

. And four episodes no less!

That depends on how long they are...

Are they half an hour, or a quartet of shorts?

I mean, I'm leaning more towards the former, but there's always the issue of just how much work they'll able or willing put into something outside the TV Show.

 

[ii kanji]

I honestly don’t get why they haven’t done a contest episode. It was a super popular side quest (featuring in the remakes no less!), readily translatable into the anime’s visual medium and with 4 potential current/former main characters who could take part. It’s like the ultimate missed opportunity

 

[Hidden Mew]

They can, but it seems that's all they want to utilize her for. Dawn has always been more involved in legendary pokemon arcs even dating back to DP with the Galactic finale and the DP movies. Since for whatever reason the writers don't seem to want to make a Contest ep in this series, they use her for legendary arcs instead. Otherwise she's just get a cameo similar to BW where she'd just be around for a few fillers and a random tournament.

That feels like a bit of a stretch to me. Sure, she was involved in the Galactic finale and the DP movies, but I don't think most fans would associate Dawn with Legendary Pokemon arcs. She would be more associated with Contests, her struggles during her Contest arc, her dynamic with Ash and Piplup before anything about Legendary Pokemon. Her role in the Galactic finale was built up from the first DP episode and brought up throughout the series, but I don't think it would be considered one of her defining traits. It certainly doesn't make a difference for Brock when people still say he was pointless in DP despite also being involved in the Galactic finale. Besides that, nearly every movie prior to the DP ones were about Legendary Pokemon, so Dawn wouldn't really stick out that much in that regard either.

I honestly don’t get why they haven’t done a contest episode. It was a super popular side quest (featuring in the remakes no less!), readily translatable into the anime’s visual medium and with 4 potential current/former main characters who could take part. It’s like the ultimate missed opportunity

It's especially sad when there's such an easy excuse for them to make a Contest episode. Chloe could be interested in what Contests are like and want to go see one of Dawn's Contests. They could have Dawn invite Ash, Goh and Chloe to watch one of her Contests. They already made Dawn and Chloe friends in her first two parter and Chloe is still figuring out what goal she wants to do. I wouldn't expect Chloe to become a Coordinator, but looking into different goals would still make sense and it would be an easy way to show off Dawn's Contest skills.

I'd be really sad if we never get a Contest episode, but it wouldn't surprise me either unfortunately. I still think that the anime lost something important when they had to remove Contests and they still haven't found a way to make up for that loss after all these years. That isn't to say that there haven't been any good female leads since Dawn. I really like Serena, Lillie was probably my favorite of the SM female leads and Chloe is honestly a highlight of Journeys despite her minimal screentime. I just think Contests were such a great way of giving the female lead a good battle active goal that required them to get consistent focus. I also miss female characters having a prominent role in the anime and battle more frequently. Contests aren't the only way for female characters to be written or handled well, but I would say that it was the best method compared to what came before and after Contests.

 

[Adelon]

Are we permanently stuck in 2016? Not every short-haired blonde girl looks like Serena

If anything the character looks more like May

 

[Sai]

Dawn tends to get more action oriented roles in legendary arcs or villain arcs whereas most of the other girls tend to take a backseat in them. Even in DP between the Galactic eps and finale and the DP movies we always saw Dawn more involved. By comparison May and Serena didn't do much during the Magma/Aqua or Flare arcs at all, and same for Misty in the OS (I'm surprised they never tried to connect Misty with Suicune since she loves water pokemon but she didn't do anything anytime it appeared back then), not counting the SM companions with Ultra beasts.

That's why it feels more natural to me that Dawn comes back for legendary pokemon arcs, since she was always more proactive in them.

 

[Silktree]

I honestly don’t get why they haven’t done a contest episode. It was a super popular side quest (featuring in the remakes no less!), readily translatable into the anime’s visual medium and with 4 potential current/former main characters who could take part. It’s like the ultimate missed opportunity

Because it's a shallow feature in the games that is obviously not popular enough to be brought back outside of remakes, so the anime pretending that it's a "quest" would be a little too forced at this point. Even a single episode would be a waste of time.

Since this is a Legends thread (no contests there), I find it odd that Chloe isn't included in this special. The clan leaders are associated with Leafeon and Glaceon.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Dawn tends to get more action oriented roles in legendary arcs or villain arcs whereas most of the other girls tend to take a backseat in them. Even in DP between the Galactic eps and finale and the DP movies we always saw Dawn more involved. By comparison May and Serena didn't do much during the Magma/Aqua or Flare arcs at all, and same for Misty in the OS (I'm surprised they never tried to connect Misty with Suicune since she loves water pokemon but she didn't do anything anytime it appeared back then), not counting the SM companions with Ultra beasts.

That's why it feels more natural to me that Dawn comes back for legendary pokemon arcs, since she was always more proactive in them.

That still feels like a bit of a stretch to me, especially with the movies. Sure, Dawn was more involved in the DP movies, but those movies weren't about her and I don't think most fans would think of the DP movies when they think of Dawn. The Galatic finale was part of DP proper, but I don't think that fans would think of that when they think of Dawn either. I don't have a problem with Dawn coming back for Legendary Pokemon arcs, but I just don't think her roles in the Galactic finale or the DP movies make it more natural.

Because it's a shallow feature in the games that is obviously not popular enough to be brought back outside of remakes, so the anime pretending that it's a "quest" would be a little too forced at this point. Even a single episode would be a waste of time.

I don't really see how it would be forced when they seemingly already said that Dawn took part in two other Grand Festivals and going through Sinnoh again. It is a quest in the anime. Considering how long it's been since they've shown a Contest and how many people, including myelf, want to see them again, a single episode would not be a waste of time. It could potentially showcase Dawn's skills to show that she has made progress after all this time and give Chloe more insight into another goal. She wouldn't become a Coordinator, but it would still make sense for her to want to learn more about another goal like Contests. There have been worse premises in Journeys, so I don't think a Contest episode would make that list.