Favorite/Not-so-favorite moments of Season 12

[J J M]

Since Season 12 "Galactic Battles" ended a week ago and Season 13 isn't going to start for a few weeks, a thread for S12 wouldn't be so bad.

So anyway, this season could probably be looked at as the turning point for DP, maybe even moreso than the first two seasons. Not only do we get the Team Galactic finale but we also get other important events like the Ash vs Paul full battle, J's "death" and controversial events like Dawn leaving Ambipom and Ash leaving Gliscor and getting Gible.

We also get other "minor" events like the Lyra/Khoury/HGSS advertising arc which had temporary traveling characters with the main group probably for the first time after Snap (Todd?) in Johto! Not to mention things like the Riley two-parter way at the beginning of the season, the introduction of Ursula, Paul/Reggie/Brandon backstory, Ash vs Palmer, the return of Jessiebelle after more than a decade etc.

From the dub side of things, there were the two openings before and after the HD switch, CN cropping most of the HD episodes, changing the timeslot and also, thanks to TPCi, a few episodes which even got to keep the entire Japanese BGM.

So as the thread title indicates, what is your favorite/not-so-favorite moments of the season? Movie 12 included.

 

[Cybersai]

The worst part was by far Gliscor's release. What the hell were the writers thinking?

Gliscor had the most personality of Ash's DP team as well as could have been used at Sunyshore, yet it gets released? What exactly was the point?

I honestly couldn't believe Ash had actually released a Pokemon again. I honestly thought I was watching the Johto saga again I was so appalled.

The only way the writers can redeem themselves is if Gliscor returns for the league. Otherwise it pretty much proves that the writers have never improved from their old mistakes.

 

[V Faction]

The whole crop business was annoying, yeah.

 

[Rex Kamex]

I liked when episodes kept all the original BGM. The Galactic episodes were nice. I wasn't as excited about them as other people, but I still thought they were nice.

 

[Shinneth]

Favorite part is easily the Paul/Reggie/Brandon backstory arc. Actually, the Snowpoint City arc as a whole was pretty damn good. Candice was a fun character, Zoey finally got some much-needed backstory, Pokemon Hunter J came back and we got an awesomely-animated episode of Regigigas going batshit over that, and that segued straight into Looker's debut and the epic Ash/Paul full battle. All of that is easily the best of Galactic Battles, but the Canalave City arc with the Byron vs Roark thing, Barry's involvement plus the Iron Island episodes and that great filler involving Rotom... that was pretty good, too. As was Ursula's debut. Not to mention James crossdressing as Jessie and winning a Contest. And the evil Togepi episode. Jessiebelle returning; 'nuff said. Oh yeah, and of course, the Galactic Finale. Way to make up for the lame crap that went on for Team Aqua/Magma in AG.

Low points? Pokemon Ping-Pong. Kenny coming back and pretending to be interesting by riding off of Barry's coattails. Pointless episode of Piplup not wanting to evolve even though I thought that point was established way way way early on in the series anwyay. Mamoswine being a lame ripoff of Charizard. Some lame fillers here and there...

... But overall, Galactic Battles was pretty damn good. I too hated the cropping, but at this point it looks like CN's finally gotten its shit together since all of those cropped episodes are being aired in their proper aspect ratio on their reruns now.

 

[Cybersai]

Low points? Pokemon Ping-Pong.

That was this season too? I thought Ambipom left in Battle Dimension. These dub titles throw you off.

Pointless episode of Piplup not wanting to evolve even though I thought that point was established way way way early on in the series anwyay. Mamoswine being a lame ripoff of Charizard. Some lame fillers here and there...

I actually liked the Piplup refusing to evolve ep. And Mamoswine still had a great character arc and was one of Dawn's best Pokemon, regardless of the slight repeat of Charizard's story. Mamoswine was the best thing to happen to Dawn's team.

I agree that some of the Piplup fillers were the low-point, as well as some awful one-off eps here and there.

 

[Shinneth]

That was this season too? I thought Ambipom left in Battle Dimension. These dub titles throw you off.

Ambipom left in the episode right after the Sandalstraw Contest, which occurred around the time Barry+Kenny showed up and Piplup refused to evolve, all of which occurred just a few episodes before the gang reached Snowpoint City. So yeah, this was Galactic Battles.

As for the rest; agree to disagree. I just couldn't bring myself to give a crap about Mamoswine. I remember watching the Japanese version of Promoting Healthy Tangrowth! which I think was some kind of character development for Mamoswine as well, but I was too bored to care.

 

[#Daisuke#]

I loved everything about season 12 and DP. Just...not Ambipom going off with some Ping-pong person.

 

[Insanish Danish]

Favorite parts were HGSS arc (Johto <3 and Lyra <333), Galactic finale, Paul/Reggie/Brandon backstory, Ash vs Paul battle, Ursula and Jessiebelle (can't believe they actually remembered her!).

Least favorite was Ambipom and Gliscor leaving. Not that I particularly LOVED them (well actually, I did love Aipom before it evolved, I do NOT like Ambipom D but it was really very stupid for the writers to get rid of them.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Favorite moments:
-The Ash vs. Paul battle (6-on-6)
-The evil Togepi
-Some of Meowth's boss fantasies
-Whenever Brock gets Poison Jabbed by Croagunk (and it'll keep going in the next season)
-Galactic finale (even though I have yet to see the last part)

Least favorite moments:
-Some of Meowth's boss fantasies (again, because some of them are good, but others are off the wall)
-When Ash lost to Roark for the first time
-Whenever Paul releases a Pokemon (Chimchar being the notable one)
-Ambipom and Gliscor leaving the group
-Paul acting like a jerk to Ash

 

[MisterUrban]

I liked when TR made fun of Ash after he lost to Paul. It's like the writers being real for once and saying, "you've been in the training game all these years, and you still get your ass handed so badly."

 

[Hestia]

My favourite points were the Team Galactic finale, Mamoswine, James winning a ribbon, the Paul vs Ash battle, and of course Ursula.

Least favorite was Ambipom and Gliscor leaving. Not that I particularly LOVED them (well actually, I did love Aipom before it evolved, I do NOT like Ambipom D but it was really very stupid for the writers to get rid of them.

I agree entirely with this. I would also add that I could have done without th whole Pingpong stuff, especially that contest episode.

 

[Necrozma]

Gah, there are so many great and epic moments in season 12.

Favorite
1. Snowpoint arc (Loved everything about it)
2. Ash VS Paul (even though he wiped floor with Ash)
3. Ash capturing his first dragon type. (gotta love Gible)
4. Evil Togepi (banana, 'nuff said)
5. Galactic finale (a huge improvement from last finale)
6. Rotom freaking hell out of people.
7. Gliscor learning Giga Impact.
8. When Dawn takes care of injured Mamoswine
9. Introduction of Ursula

Not so favorite
1. Gliscor leaving for training at the air master.
2. Ambipom leaving for stupid ping-pong.

 

[Iteru]

Well, my favourite moment was probably the introduction of Ursula with her Gabite (haha, shocked everyone right?). A new character to the contest arc, one that most would say is superior to Zoey, Kenny and Nando entertainment wise (or in some cases, all aspects).

 

[Cascada]

Ooh! This thread is such a great idea!!!

Well my fav moments would definitely have to be!:
Ursula's Introduction
The Snowpoint Arc
Ash vs Paul, I saw that match, right before I took a state exam, it gave me strength! lol
Lyra <333, and Khory
Buneary vs Phione

I would say Gliscor and Ambipom's releases, but at the end of the day, even though it was sad, it was great writing, cause I really didn't expect it.