Review S15 EP01: Enter Elesa, Electrifying Gym Leader!

[Spindae2]

i just must say BIANCA is AWESOME! Love the way they show Bianca's character, but her trainer skills and the strenght of her Pokes are really poor!
The story of Bianca's stolen Pokemon should be looked more into. and did U notice Bianca give I think 4 pokeballs to Nurse Joy!
and why was she heading to DESERT RESORT!?

 

[Dogasu]

You can't just stop a long journey like Ash's by losing one battle.

That's kind of what happens in the Pokemon League, right? All those years of hard work can end after just one battle?

I remember liking this episode because it made Bianca bearable again after the horrible way she was portrayed in the Club Battles arc.

 

[Rex Kamex]

First ep of Best Wishes! I've seen in some while. I thought it was good, especially with Ash losing at the end (but of course he'd continue his journey). The roller coaster part I liked as well.

Meh... I don't remember Elesa's personality in the games, but she wasn't interesting to me in the anime. Her game design made me think she'd be a more rebellious type, or apathetic/annoyed about things (but not to the point where it'd make no sense for her to be allowed to be a gym leader).

 

[Sweet Veil]

Ash called Razor Shell, "Shell Blade". Again.

-Yeah! For awesome voice acting! Specifically from Bianca, you really "feel" how tense the situation is from her when she battles. Same for Elesa, I really really liked Elesa's voice the perfect voice for a young twenty-year-old girl. Especially when she fangirls over Pikachu and says, "Use Wild Charge!". Sarah Natochenny has gotten very much better, she sounds more like a young boy which is nice and sounds much better. I first noticed this improvement in the Subway Masters Two-Parter. Bianca's Pappy on the other hand has that typical generic "man" voice TPCi gives out regularly.

-Bianca was great this episode, no Zorua crap makes me happy. Seeing her command Pignite in battle was great like was truly taking names like a champ. She also commanded Pignite to dodge instead of leaving it wide open, her Pignite also seems to have gotten less annoying since the Emolga and Minccino episodes thankfully. Actually telling it to dodge and utilizing it's Flame Charge, Heat Crash, Flamethrower and Take Down really does show Bianca is using Pignite's bulk.

-What was up with Bianca's dad. Really?! Fire Punch, Flame Charge, Flare Blitz, and Flamethrower? 4 fire moves? I guess like father like daughter, Bianca's Pignite used nothing but Fire as well. Still not as bad as Ash's Oshawott and Snivy's three moves of the same type deal. What kind of Pappy is that much of a sadist jerk to his daughter? I can understand if Bianca was his son or a male like Ash, but it's so weird he could act like that toward his baby girl since your typically suppose to be very nice and gentle with young ladies like your daughters.

-Ash heroic Ash is heroic XD With a little nudge from Iris it was cool of him to try to stand up to Bianca's dad like that. And getting his shit wrecked in the process as a result, I'm getting a bit tired of Oshawott shoehorning himself into whatever battles he wants Palpitoad would have been a much better choice of Pokemon for a Darmanitan regardless I still am glad Oshaowtt battled.

-Elesa easily my favorite part of the whole episode, nice voice, design, cute attitude, killer Pokemon. I liked how she referenced Zebstrika's speed and taught it a varied amount of moves ya know to cover it's weaknesses, Wild Charge, Double Kick, Flame Charge. I really liked the animation, and how she jumped to fangirl over Pikachu. She's living proof a character can be adapted from the game with no changes and be interesting. I love the way she peppers here sentences with words like, "Dazzling", "Shining", and "Bright" she is an Electric Gym Leader. And it was nice of her to compliment Bianca, and seeing her battle her and rightfully win rather easily was suspected given Shelmet is a newly caught. And Zebstrika is probably her strongest. Hands down best gym leader of Unova thus far.

I think it's really really funny Bianca was gonna trade away Pignite for Zorua but, it was the only one that could stand up to Elesa's ace Pokemon. That only makes me think she doesn't really have a huge appreciation or respect for her Pokemon. But, regardless at least Pignite somewhat proved himself still wondering how Pignite beat two gym leaders alone though and evolved before Bianca even left home.

 

[Adil]

Perfectly suitable episode for a season premiere. No complains.
To be honest, even though Elesa used her Zebstrika only, her battle against Bianca looked more interesting than her battle against Ash and his wall-clinging Pokemon.

 

[matt0044]

Honestly, I wish Ash and Bianca's dad tied in their battle with Oshawott and Darmanitan being knocked out. This would've made Bianca's dad think and reconsider his proposal. Or maybe Bianca could've won her battle with Elesa by a hair or lost but coming so close to winning, making her father see the error of his ways and that his little girl has truly grown up.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Bianca sounds older than Elesa...

Eww... >_<

 

[garrison-san]

I'll say this: Pignite's dub voice has still yet to grow on me. Honestly, I don't know whose idea it was to have this pig-like pokemon sound like a bloody SEAGULL, but it's incongruous and annoying. A shame, because I think that Chaoboo has one of the cutest pokemon voices in the Japanese original.

Shelmet's dub voice was okay.

 

[Adil]

I'll say this: Pignite's dub voice has still yet to grow on me. Honestly, I don't know whose idea it was to have this pig-like pokemon sound like a bloody SEAGULL, but it's incongruous and annoying. A shame, because I think that Chaoboo has one of the cutest pokemon voices in the Japanese original.

Shelmet's dub voice was okay.

Couldn't agree more, Chaoboo has the cutest voice in the original version. At first, I didn't really like the whole Pokabu evolutionary line but it was Chaoboo, who caught my attention.

 

[Keldeo94]

What does Bianca's father have to gain by stopping Ash from going on his journey? If I was Ash I'd have just said F*** you if I lost, how would Bianca's Dad enforce it, call Officer Jenny to deport Ash back to Kanto? Rip up Ash's visa?

Also anyone notice the error, when the Dad sent our Darmanitan it was in Zen Mode, then next shot its regular mode.

P.s I like Bianca but seeing her battle against Elesa made me think she should go home, how the hell did she win any gym badges battling like that?

 

[Queen Cynthia]

So here we go for a new season of Pokemon! Although I have to admit that I'm not very optimistic when it comes to the quality and the development of BW (to put it mildly), I'm still open for some surprises here and there. Let's see what the season will have to offer.

As for the episode itself, I have to say that it was once again (and here comes my favorite word when writing reviews) a two-edged sword. On the one hand, I liked the twist and turns and an all in all surprising plot that you would hardly have expected before.
Admittedly, having Bianca lose to add additional drama to the "You lose-you leave" theme was quite clever but having Ash make a fool of himself and lose ONCE AGAIN due to a pathetic performance was too much, if you ask me!
One of the main reasons why so many of us don't like BW is that since his character reset at the beginning, Ash hasn't changed, let alone improved, one single bit. On the contrary, it seems to me that he's constantly getting worse and worse. Sure, Bianca losing was a necessary plot element but we needed Ash's defeat like we need a hole in the head. It was humiliating and embarrassing and if that's meant to be a foreshadowing of his future battles, oh dear, that's just great! Good night, all those awesome battles of the past.:drowsy:

I also wonder whether the writers couldn't have come up with a better and more aesthetic design for Iris' father. I mean, not only was that guy just fat, he also looked ugly and repulsive. Putting a model (Elesa) and an ugly, fat man in the same episode just doesn't work in my eyes.

And last but not least, Iris and Cilan, what exactly were they here for today?

All in all, it was an episode that actually would have had potential if the writers had done it right.

 

[AshK]

That was a great episode. I enjoyed it a lot more as the English dub (since I understoon it better). Bianca's dad is quite an interesting character and I do see why he would be so worried about Bianca (considering how 'derpy' she can be). Good to see him let her stay on her journey though and maybe will see him again in the future. Very touching little scene when Ash talked about how Bianca is their friend and the things they have done together.

Oh and one more thing: when the dad said that Bianca's pokemon were stolen, when did that happen?? Did they reference the game when team plasma stole her munna?

 

[Karamazov]

I'm wondering if Bianca chose a Fire type starter because she wanted to emulate her father's choice of using Darmanitan?

What does Bianca's father have to gain by stopping Ash from going on his journey? If I was Ash I'd have just said F*** you if I lost, how would Bianca's Dad enforce it, call Officer Jenny to deport Ash back to Kanto? Rip up Ash's visa?

Bianca's father clearly represents the people who want Ash to quit and end the show. Him wanting Ash to return to his hometown is because he only enjoyed the original series.

 

[Ookalf]

Oh and one more thing: when the dad said that Bianca's pokemon were stolen, when did that happen?? Did they reference the game when team plasma stole her munna?

I think he was talking about that thing with Team Rocket and the subway.

 

[Keldeo94]

Oh and one more thing: when the dad said that Bianca's pokemon were stolen, when did that happen?? Did they reference the game when team plasma stole her munna?

This was probably in the 2 parter that never got shown. That took place in Castelia city, the same place where Bianca's Munna is stolen in game. No doubt this is similar to the missing Tauros episode that meant fans outside of Japan were left wondering where on Earth these 30 Tauros appeared.

 

[Aestivate]

Where in the world did you get that from? Bel wasn't even slated to appear in those episodes.

 

[투 애니원]

Where in the world did you get that from? Bel wasn't even slated to appear in those episodes.

Though this could be the place where her Pokemon got stolen.

 

[Feenie]

ELesa didn't bother me as much as I thought she would. Oh, and I found it funny that Bianca's dad would have no problem beating Ash... It must make him feel good to beat a kid.

 

[AshK]

ELesa didn't bother me as much as I thought she would. Oh, and I found it funny that Bianca's dad would have no problem beating Ash... It must make him feel good to beat a kid.

Bianca's dad is such a boss. he has no problem betting a kid that if he beats him he has to go home.... then trolls him and tells Ash, NAH never mind. He smirked a little too when bianca was losing against elesa... not to mention his battling get up. I REALLY hope he shows up again.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

I'm wondering why Cilan never seems to know his gym leader colleagues and is always surprised when standing in front of a new gym. Isn't he supposed to be informed a little bit better considering that he used to be a gym leader himself? Makes me wonder if the gym leaders know each other at all.