Controversial opinions

[Daren]

Lopunny, meanwhile, is blatantly a pun on being "hot",

!
I never realized that was what was going on there.
...GameFeak why did you go all in on Lopunny? You unleashed the fanart on us.

Although I guess that explains why they even implied human women like to oogle Machamp...

 

[R1ke]

You can base some teams on egg groups I reckon, there's common types but allows leeway for mons that still fit the theme

 

[Blob]

You can base some teams on egg groups I reckon, there's common types but allows leeway for mons that still fit the theme

It's why I wish Gym Leaders/E4 in one region didn't go off of types and instead off of Egg Groups or a common theme like blue Pokémon. It's also why we need Frontier Brains back or an eqivilent.

 

[Eitarou]

We've had equivalents in almost every game since Gen V.

 

[Daren]

So, JN is probably running out of time. At the time I dismissed this interview mentioning that Ash will become "more unbeatable" as marketing fluff, but I'm starting to think Ash might have a winning streak from here to his battle with Leon.

Now, the controversial part:
I am 100% fine with that.

After stuff like Trollbias and Alain he's long overdue to win something big again (the BF was over a decade ago!), and frankly these various champions and Elite Four exist soley to lose in the games and have dodged their rightful fates for too long.

 

[Alola]

I hope Ash doesn't defeat everyone until Leon. He's a good Trainer but so are the others in the remnants of the PWC - he's going up against the reportedly strongest Trainers in the world at this point. I also think making all his big battles be foregone conclusions/victories would dampen the enjoyment to some degree; whatever strategy or battle style Ash encounters will have its effectiveness rendered moot as we would know he'd win. This would also mean that he would defeat Cynthia, and I'd rather him beat Leon than her. With the remaining several months left, I think one loss that doesn't set him back too far in points (which it shouldn't should the challenger be close in rank), and that he come back from in time for Leon, would be good narratively.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

This is more for the games but E4 members should always have all members of there team be of their specialty type

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

@Enzo @Ghost Diplocaulus @Kurolegacy @Unireon @PkmnTrainerV

I have realized that All of the Main JN Pokemon are Great in their own ways:

Pikachu is Iconic

Lucario is Strong

Dragonite is Sweet

Gengar tries his Best

Dracovish is Hilarious

Sirfetch'd is Gallant

Cinderace is Awesome

Inteleon is Chill

Grookey

Eevee is Adorable

Yamper is Loyal

(Jk)

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

I have realized that All of the Main JN Pokemon are Great in their own ways:

Thing is, this is actually true. The Journeys mons are amazing in their own ways, and most have distinct and unique personalities. It's just that everyone's potential isn't being as well realized as it could (and should) be.

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

@Enzo @Ghost Diplocaulus @Kurolegacy @Unireon @PkmnTrainerV

I have realized that All of the Main JN Pokemon are Great in their own ways:

Pikachu is Iconic

Lucario is Strong

Dragonite is Sweet

Gengar tries his Best

Dracovish is Hilarious

Sirfetch'd is Gallant

Cinderace is Awesome

Inteleon is Chill

Grookey

Eevee is Adorable

Yamper is Loyal

(Jk)

Grookey. And that's it. Not deserving of adjectives whatsoever. (Not that I disagree.)

 

[R1ke]

Yeah they’re good mons, Ash’s pokemon actually suit him really well. Dragonite can be energetic and goofy outside of battle but serious within it (like Ash himself). Lucario is the fierce battler who wants to reach the highest level (like Greninja), also sharing a unique connection. Gengar, Sirfetchd and Dracovish were all pokemon that had either been hurt in the past or didn’t have anywhere to turn to in the wild (like most his fire starters). Joining Ash’s team gave them a newfound purpose

You can ofc criticise their treatment, or him not using reserves, but don’t diss the pokemon themselves

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

Does anybody actually even care about these two Urshifu Trainers?

Cause I sure as hell don't.

We (probably) lost Mustard for this? Smh

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

Does anybody actually even care about these two Urshifu Trainers?

Cause I sure as hell don't.

We (probably) lost Mustard for this? Smh View attachment 157174

No joke, what the hell is the point of these guys? They are supposed to be this big deal within Project Mew and have showed up like twice as Deus Ex Machinas

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

Ash’s Sceptile is stronger than Ash’s Charizard (abeit barely) and is Ash’s strongest Pokemon not named Pikachu.
Charizard:
Trained at Charicific Valley to become stronger
Defeated three of Gary’s Pokemon including his ace (when Gary was always one step ahead of Ash)
Brought Harrison’s Blaziken to a point where it couldn’t be used in the next round
Defeated Nolan’s Articuno in a 1v1
Lost to Brandon’s Dusclops, the strongest Frontier Brain (and lost because Ash was being a goof)
Sceptile:
Beat Norman’s Slaking, Winona’s Altaria, and Katie’s Walrein AS A GROVYLE (beating Winona’s Altaria despite having a type disadvantage is impressive)
Beat Spencer’s Shiftry and Claydol (two Frontier Brain level Pokemon)
Lost to Brandon’s Regirock (which I don’t count because Ash was possessed)
Beat Tobias’s Darkrai, a Pokemon which swept all of its other opponents

 

[Enzo]

I think Ash absolutely deserves to beat an E4 member, I do. My boy has fought tooth and nail to be where he is today and I do believe he's ready for that.

But the fucking JN team being the team to take an E4 down??????? Especially Sirfecth'd and Dracovish???????? I'm sorry, but no. Just hard no.

This feels like a slap on the face of every single Ash mon who deserves to be in this position. I hate it here.

 

[Turbo]

Ash’s Sceptile is stronger than Ash’s Charizard (abeit barely) and is Ash’s strongest Pokemon not named Pikachu.
Charizard:
Trained at Charicific Valley to become stronger
Defeated three of Gary’s Pokemon including his ace (when Gary was always one step ahead of Ash)
Brought Harrison’s Blaziken to a point where it couldn’t be used in the next round
Defeated Nolan’s Articuno in a 1v1
Lost to Brandon’s Dusclops, the strongest Frontier Brain (and lost because Ash was being a goof)
Sceptile:
Beat Norman’s Slaking, Winona’s Altaria, and Katie’s Walrein AS A GROVYLE (beating Winona’s Altaria despite having a type disadvantage is impressive)
Beat Spencer’s Shiftry and Claydol (two Frontier Brain level Pokemon)
Lost to Brandon’s Regirock (which I don’t count because Ash was possessed)
Beat Tobias’s Darkrai, a Pokemon which swept all of its other opponents

I think they’re relative to each other so I don’t think it’s a big controversial opinion imo if you’ve watched both

I think Ash absolutely deserves to beat an E4 member, I do. My boy has fought tooth and nail to be where he is today and I do believe he's ready for that.

But the fucking JN team being the team to take an E4 down??????? Especially Sirfecth'd and Dracovish???????? I'm sorry, but no. Just hard no.

This feels like a slap on the face of every single Ash mon who deserves to be in this position. I hate it here.

He’s beaten a champion and other E4 level characters (frontier brains) at this point it’s not that big a deal
JN is trying to show that this is his strongest team and/or his skill as a trainer makes him able to battle with them better

it’s not really disrespecting his past teams especially if you can argue almost every team of Ash’s is better than the previous

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

Does anybody actually even care about these two Urshifu Trainers?

Cause I sure as hell don't.

We (probably) lost Mustard for this? Smh View attachment 157174

They're......not important to me. I don't love them, nor do I hate them. They're just kinda.....meh.

 

[Alola]

Does anybody actually even care about these two Urshifu Trainers?

Cause I sure as hell don't.

We (probably) lost Mustard for this? Smh View attachment 157174

The only thing I can think of…is that maybe Go will end up traveling or researching with them when Journeys is over. Aside from that, no - they’re pretty forgettable; their possession of Urshifu falls flat for me too since the anime completely skipped over the Kubfu arc from the games. Makes you wonder why they didn’t just use Hop in their place; throw in Gary if two of these “rivals” were really needed.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

Ash would have been another perfect option for a character to give a Kubfu to and evolve it into either Urshifu form... at least if not for the fact that he already has a full team with two Fighting-types and that Kubfu would've likely gotten the same or at least a similar arc to Riolu anyway, and I don't think that having two anthropomorphic animal Fighting-types with a special super mode and a likely identical arc would've worked on the same team, so it was a choice between Riolu or Kubfu, and the writers simply went for Riolu. No doubt because Ash needed something that could Mega Evolve on his team whereas Gigantamax was already going to be covered by Gengar and to a lesser extent Pikachu.

 

[Daren]

Ash would have been another perfect option for a character to give a Kubfu to and evolve it all the way to Urshifu... at least if not for the fact that he already has a full team with two Fighting-types and that Kubfu would've likely gotten the same or at least a similar arc to Riolu anyway, and I don't think that having two anthropomorphic animal Fighting-types with a special super mode and a likely identical arc would've worked on the same team, so it was a choice between Riolu or Kubfu, and the writers simply went for Riolu. No doubt because Ash needed something that could Mega Evolve on his team whereas Gigantamax was already going to be covered by Gengar and to a lesser extent Pikachu.

Even with Riolu around, after Kubfu and it's split evo were announced I was sure we'd get an Isle of Armor arc where both Ash and Gou received their own Kubfu that would be used to show off both Urshifu forms.