Review JN077: Super Electromagnetic Hyper Class Battle!

[PkmnTrainerV]

I guess I can see why people are fine with the Z-Move overpowering Electivire. But my issue is due to the history of the Z-Move in particular. I was borderline spammed and called biased and what not for pointing out the obvious on the previous thread, but this episode solidified it. This Z-Move is a piece of plot armor worse than Ash-Greninja. At least Ash-Greninja needed mastering and tactics after transformation.

This just proves what I've been saying: this Z Move is nothing more than a Heaven-sent, cataclysmic-level, ''get-out-of-jail-free-card" plot device. In every single use of it, it's always to assure Ash the victory. Nothing can resist it, apparently: A powerful, ultra beast/human fusion can't, an Electric-type Legendary using a Legendary-level Z Move can't, and now even an ability that was supossed to negate it's damage was unable to do so. Honestly? I won't be surprised if Ash just uses it on a Ground type without Soaking it first and being able to brute-force his way past type immunity.

This perfectly explains my opinion on the topic as well. I’m so, so sure that I will be spammed by people telling me it’s not a Deux Ex Machina because it doesn’t fit in with one word of the googled definition, but it is very clearly the very definition of plot armor.

Ash using his Z-Crystal here seemed more like a thematic choice given how the battle focused on electricity

Well, Ash vs Cynthia's theme could be "The strongest Pokémon" that ends up being a Pikachu vs Garchomp with the Z-Move. Realistically though, I want Garchomp's defeat to be a team effort like Drake's Dragonite.

 

[Enzo]

I agree with @PkmnTrainerV on this one. At least to me personally, my issue with this Z Move is less about it's technicalities (okay, I'l bite the bullet here: it does makes sense for Motor Drive to be overpowered in the anime. Admitelly it's more believable than Tapu Koko being powered up by the essence of Alola itself and not being able to tank it) and more about it's impact in the narrative.

10 Million Volts Thunderbolt is a cheap plot device to ensure Ash's victory. In every single time it was used, it always manages to defeat the opponent. And as I said before, it was used 3 times against:

• Ultra Beast/Human fusion that was shown to be extremely powerful;
• Electric-type Legendary that was being powered up by a Z Move that contained the energy of Alola itself;
• Electric-type that was trained by one of, if not, the strongest Electric specialist we've known up to this point, that literally had an ability designed to nullify Electric moves;

And what happened in every single one of those instances?

Every single one of them fell. Because the Z Move is so powerful nothing up to this moment was shown to be able to resist it. It's a cataclysmic nuke that one-shots whoever is unlucky enough to be it's target. Honestly? And this is me praying to be proven wrong: there's an actual chance that a Ground-type's immunity to electricity could simply be overpowered by the sheer power of that hydrogen bomb of a move without even the use of Soak.

And like, tbh, the fact that Ash now has access to the Z Crystal whenever he wants to probably made it worse: while it not showing up out of the blue might seen like a good thing, the fact that Ash can literally pull a portable atomic bomb out of his pocket whenever he wants to is very bad narratively.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

The worst thing: it didn’t get an ounce of development if you ignored a split second worth of line in the last battle of Sun/Moon: which most people probably did anyways. It had no struggles, and no explanation at all if you forgot that one split second line existed.

It shows up and solves all of Ash’s problems for him no matter not and we still don’t know why the thing exists completely.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

A small detail that I didn't notice until I literally just now saw being pointed out in a video: during the brief shot of Bea at the end, she had a Dynamax Band around her wrist.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

A small detail that I didn't notice until I literally just now saw being pointed out in a video: during the brief shot of Bea at the end, she had a Dynamax Band around her wrist.

Huh, true. I guess that means that next time Ash and Bea have a battle their final Pokemon won't be Lucario and Grapploct after all, but Gigantamax Pikachu/Gengar (preferably the latter because good god, Pikachu has been an awful spotlight hog lately...) and Gigantamax Machamp. Either that or Lucario and Grapploct will still be the final ones in their respective sides with the Gigantamax clash taking place earlier in the match, kinda like how the League battle between Ash and Gladion had both boys use their Z-Moves with Pikachu and Zorark before their Lycanrocs' battle.

 

[Alola]

(preferably the latter because good god, Pikachu has been an awful spotlight hog lately...)

Flashbacks to Unova I guess since there is no Infernape/Greninja equivalent for Journeys, Pikachu is once again assuming the role. I still remember when people thought Riolu would be that Pokemon, haha.

Interesting. I can see Lucario and Grapploct happening first, with Lucario winning, and then Ash defeating Bea with a Gigantimax Pokémon. Gengar would make the most sense given Bea's specialty. There would also be the duality of Gigantimax Gengar and Machamp as they are the aces of the fourth Galarian Gyms, but given how Journeys has been going so far and this episode's climax in particular

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

Flashbacks to Unova I guess since there is no Infernape/Greninja equivalent for Journeys, Pikachu is once again assuming the role. I still remember when people thought Riolu would be that Pokemon, haha.

Honestly, I think we'd all be much better off if Riolu actually had been the Infernape/Greninja of Journeys over Pikachu. I mean, Pikachu is guaranteed an eternal spot on Ash's team, so he's literally the last Pokemon in the world who needs this kind of shilling. Lucario on the other hand would only last through Journeys and worst case scenario one more generation after that, but I don't see it being a perpetual mainstay unless the execs decide that Ash should not catch any new Pokemon from now on, which is very unlikely to happen.

 

[Craiden]

Regarding the Z-Move, while I was more than happy with it overpowering an Ability, yeah, in general, while I don't know SM too well, Z-Moves remove tension, and that can work, but doesn't often with them. Regarding Pokemon screentime, yeah, I will never get (I would guess the pandemic plays a part, as well as some of the VAs) why Ash's team (and again, this is mostly post-Farfetch'd getting captured) is largely limited to battle episodes. Early on, and then later, they did a decent job showing Gou's Pokemon...just doing stuff at the lab, and they did that with Dragonite too (and later Riolu) but while they continue to show a decent bit of Gou's Pokemon...just doing stuff, 2/3rds of the time, we don't see Ash's Pokemon at all in those shots, and I'd expect to see at least either Dragonite or Sirfetch'd (maybe Dracovish over Sirfetch'd) with the crowd.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Given Z-Moves' windup time, it's still a bit of a shame that opponents just stand there and let it happen instead of telling their pokemon to take two steps right and let it zoom past them, then beat the snot out of the now-tired pokemon

Granted, there's only so much you can shove into 20 minutes, so...

 

[Enzo]

Huh, true. I guess that means that next time Ash and Bea have a battle their final Pokemon won't be Lucario and Grapploct after all, but Gigantamax Pikachu/Gengar (preferably the latter because good god, Pikachu has been an awful spotlight hog lately...) and Gigantamax Machamp. Either that or Lucario and Grapploct will still be the final ones in their respective sides with the Gigantamax clash taking place earlier in the match, kinda like how the League battle between Ash and Gladion had both boys use their Z-Moves with Pikachu and Zorark before their Lycanrocs' battle.

You know, and this is coming from me, someone who loves Gengar as an species and that loves Gigantamax Gengar and wishes for it to be shown at one point:

I don't really think Dyna battles can only end with Pokémon who can use Gigantamax. It's not like Pokémon who don't have access to these special forms cannot be used. Ofc, would be the most optimal in the sense of showcasing new forms that hadn't any spotlight in the anime (I mean, look at Gengar who didn't even debuted it's special form yet), but it's not like neither Lucario or Grapploct can't battle using the mechanic.

Idk, I just don't agree with the notion that it's ''Giga form or bust''. Lucario X Grapploct can happen just fine with Dynamax.

 

[Unireon]

I actually prefer Satoshi using Mega-Gengar instead of Kyo-/Daimax.

That would be more unique.

And yes. Pikachu should get benched.

 

[Craiden]

Given Z-Moves' windup time, it's still a bit of a shame that opponents just stand there and let it happen instead of telling their pokemon to take two steps right and let it zoom past them, then beat the snot out of the now-tired pokemon

Granted, there's only so much you can shove into 20 minutes, so...

Which is why Ash telling Pikachu to dodge Hariyama's Fighting Z-Move in the the Hala battle will remain my favorite showing of a Z-Move.

 

[Pokemonfan5]

Which is why Ash telling Pikachu to dodge Hariyama's Fighting Z-Move in the the Hala battle will remain my favorite showing of a Z-Move.

Also Ash telling Pikachu to attack Hariyama leg so he won't be able to dodge z move.

 

[Pokemonfan5]

Given Z-Moves' windup time, it's still a bit of a shame that opponents just stand there and let it happen instead of telling their pokemon to take two steps right and let it zoom past them, then beat the snot out of the now-tired pokemon

Granted, there's only so much you can shove into 20 minutes, so...

Most of the times opponent Pokemons either try to dodge it or wasn't in condition to dodge while some of the z moves miss, like Pikachu try to avoid Hariyama z move but Hariyama can't dodge because Ash make Pikachu attack his leg so Pikachu won't miss.
Ash use Olivia z move for his own advantage while Olivia try to stop them from using z move but didn't work,
Nanu dark type and Zoroark ghost type z move are impossible to dodge,
Hapu's z move and Breakneck blitz make user run towards their opponent with great speed that opponent can't dodge it,

Ash make Mudsdale trap in Electroweb so Mudsdale can't avoid z move (it was cheap way to make Ash won the grand trial but strategy was good)

I can give many other examples.

 

[vivian20]

People always complained about pikachu losing even after so many regions he travelled . Now , they complain that pikachu wins everything.
I liked the battle, but I think that Gengar should have won against Luxray.

I would like to see Electvire being unable to control its own speed and hitting walls until it faints , but im ok with how it was . It seens theres just a limit to how much motor drive can absorb in the anime, and it makes sense. I love to see achievments of past journeys being used. Ash is the alola champion after all.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

People always complained about pikachu losing even after so many regions he travelled . Now , they complain that pikachu wins everything.

People aren't complaining about Pikachu winning every battle so much as him just getting way too much attention over the rest of Ash's Journeys mons.