Preview BW103: "Opening of the Isshu League Higaki Conference!"

[Zistal]

Assuming the regular Eevee is even used.

I can't see Ash being defeated by something like a Leafeon or Umbreon in the last round. It just doesn't have that alpha pokemon lead status.

There's no single promoted poke like a Darkrai or Blaziken.

Eevee probably will be used. It + Kanto Trio + Johto or Sinnoh Duo works well aesthetically.

Of course they don't, but perhaps a certain something will...

Patience. The League's beginning, let alone the final battle, is still over a month away. The single promoted Pokemon shall come in due time.

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

So since this Looks like a one on one and there is a limit to how much they can stretch it this begs the question what's going on for the bulk of the episode. I guess they can recycle the Moltres flame plot AGAIN or it is possible we might get a couple Cotd v rival fights

 

[Silktree]

There's no single promoted poke like a Darkrai or Blaziken.

We can tell from this scan that Virgil is especially close to his Eevee, which has a unique battling style.

 

[Ampharos King]

I guess they can recycle the Moltres flame plot AGAIN or it is possible we might get a couple Cotd v rival fights

It's entirely possible that the opening ceremony will be glossed over like it had been the case during the Sinnoh League. The writers will most likely have Ash and co. "interact" with all of the recurring characters that will compete alongside Ash in the tournament, with at least five minutes devoted to league battles (and the start of Pikachu vs. Serperior).

 

[Cybersai]

The scans do not confirm a one on one battle, the comic could only be showing the final battle in the match.

Its still possible for a 3 on 3 at least.

 

[Hidden Mew]

The scans do not confirm a one on one battle, the comic could only be showing the final battle in the match.

Its still possible for a 3 on 3 at least.

Being a three on three match would be the only other option since having anything more than that right at the start of the League would be a bit much. A part of me hopes that this is just a one-on-one match since it ends the rivalry with Trip even sooner. I still hope that the whole League won't be like that, but having the first couple of preliminary rounds for the League taking up an episode or two would be okay.

 

[Winterdaze]

I won't mind if the first few fights are one on one as long as that doesn't include Ash vs Bianca, since there's little of interest in those match-ups anyway. I do hope that we get the usual full battles later though, since Best Wishes has yet to have any. It'd be neat if some of the later rounds were Triple Battles, similar to how the Hoenn league had Doubles rounds, since we haven't had any of those other than that crappy one with the Maractus.

 

[Karamazov]

I could see them use rotation battles somehow; you just need a rotating stage. And switching between your Pokemon would be like tagging in/switching in.

 

[Ampharos King]

It'd be neat if some of the later rounds were Triple Battles, similar to how the Hoenn league had Doubles rounds, since we haven't had any of those other than that crappy one with the Maractus.

Except there were far more double and tag battles in AG than there had been triple or rotational battles in BW, and the writers had hinted in AG that there were going to be double battle rounds in the Hoenn League. Nothing was mentioned about triple or rotational battles since the Maractus episode. Although it might be a pleasant surprise for the writers to include a triple and/or rotational battle round for the Unova League, I doubt that they will suddenly bring them back here.

It's still possible for a 3 on 3 at least.

True. Comics for some other important BW battles had only shown the final battle (Ash vs. Burgh, Ash vs. Clay, Ash vs. Shamus), so it might be possible for a 3-on-3 here. Of course, this is assuming that the Ash and Trip battle starts earlier in BW103 than expected and the writers spend less time with the opening ceremony.

 

[lalalei2001]

I bet the Eevee wins, not its evolutions.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

Was that comic translated?? Does it confirm Trip vs Ash is 1 on 1??

 

[p96822]

Some said it going to be six on six

 

[C-3]

The battle is probably going to be either 1 on 1 (I hope not), 2 on 2 or 3 on 3.

 

[p96822]

Why don't you guys don't want one on one battles, it pretty good somethimes

 

[garrison-san]

Why don't you guys don't want one on one battles, it pretty good somethimes

I can't speak for everyone else but, as I mentioned this in the BW104 preview thread, I personally have had my fill of 1 on 1 match-ups, thanks to the overabundance of smaller tournaments throughout Best Wishes! They've just been over-done this series and I was looking forward to seeing some more substantial battles with the Unova League. By "substantial", I don't just mean drawn-out in length, but also that it's usually more interesting to see how a trainer works with a combination of different pokemon, as opposed to just relying on the strength of a single pokemon to get them through. (As I recall, in the Sinnoh league Paul and Conway both used their initial pokemon to manipulate Ash and to gauge as much as possible about his overall battle strategy, rather than hitting him with brute strength from the go. Ultimately, it was a given that Ash would beat them in the end, but it made the details of the journey that bit more interesting.)

 

[Red Inferno]

Why don't you guys don't want one on one battles, it pretty good somethimes

If the League is composed solely of 1 on 1 battles what makes it so much different than any of the Don Battle Tournaments? Of course the stakes are slightly higher, but it doesn't properly gauge the progress of the trainers after their journey through the region. Strong trainers who developed a strategy using several Pokemon within their team can get defeated by the noob who spams only one Pokemon. It cheapens the journey from a storyline perspective. I hope Ash vs Trip is a preliminary or a 3 v 3 that's been truncated to fit the manga. If the Unova League is marginalized to a 1 v 1 Don Battle Tournament then it will clearly be the worst league in the anime's history and would be the capstone to the worst region we've had to date.

 

[Master Cyrus]

As long as Virgil pulls a Tobias and utterly humiliates ash in a full battle I will be satisfied with the league.

 

[3Dchu]

I'd like to think the Higaki League will use variations of battle styles, like single, one on one, double, rotation, triple, 6 on 6 etc.

 

[Pyrossword]

I hope he uses his Sinnoh pokemon. And I hope that his Gibble magically evolved into a Garchomp.

 

[GibleKidd]

Does anyone think (or know if) Ash will check in with Professor Oak like he normally does before a League?

Think it would be good to see him, Tracey, and Mrs. Ketchum here.