Review JN091: The Ghost Train Departs...

[UxieLover1994]

I doubt the writers would care about how popular a Pokémon is from people above the age of six. They would create a Pokémon companion who ends up hated by just about every adult in both Japan and the West, but if the anime's target audience of mainly 3-7 year old kids like the character, they ignore all criticism and shill the scrappy Pokémon, leading them being a creator's pet (TV TROPES SUCKS).

This happens all the time, and even Pikachu has been called this whenever the writers overshilled him. I doubt Grookey would be the last to be labeled a creator's pet.

 

[Unireon]

Wow, this escalated rather quickly...

The green gremlin is a Creator's Pet's Creator's Pet.

Now I am trying to process this chain.

 

[CrystalRose21]

When Grookey jumped onto Ash's head while he's looking at the Odd Keystone...
Naughty Grookey! That mischievous Chimp Pokémon needs to learn a lot of lessons, doesn't it?

 

[Audino1008]

Naughty Grookey! That mischievous Chimp Pokémon needs to learn a lot of lessons, doesn't it?

For example, how to use a lathe. Let's let him learn that by himself.

 

[Vulcanos]

I doubt the writers would care about how popular a Pokémon is from people above the age of six. They would create a Pokémon companion who ends up hated by just about every adult in both Japan and the West, but if the anime's target audience of mainly 3-7 year old kids like the character, they ignore all criticism and shill the scrappy Pokémon, leading to the trope "Creator's Pet".

This happens all the time, and even Pikachu has been called this whenever the writers overshilled him. I doubt Grookey would be the last to be labeled a creator's pet.

I wrote the analysis for "Creator's Pet" on TV Tropes, so I have a bit of an understanding towards characters that are just crammed into the audience's collective face. It's... not exactly a badge of honor cause I ultimately view TV Tropes as a rather negative resource to go to, just something to mention.

I mean, the anime is made for young children, so obviously, teenagers and adults backseating and Monday Morning quarterbacking about how it turned out will be ignored. I just am more in favor of quality writing that features proper development of characters instead of "look at the silly monkey be silly, it's funny!"

The issue with Grookey stems from how Grookey often seems to cause conflict in episodes (i.e. is the reason bad things happen), doesn't get punished for misbehaving, and is a reflection of the lackadaisical nature of Goh's "catch anything that moves" philosophy. Sure, Ash has had numerous runs through the series, because of the writers, where he reflects the casual trainer who just runs with the starter Pokémon all the way to the high 90s, uses the legendary, and a few randos (I'm not saying he uses legendaries; it's for the sake of the analogy), but we've also seen him buckle down and prioritize strategy and determine what should the right team be. In XY & Z, he built arguably his best team, and although Sun & Moon wasn't on par to that in terms of strength, he was able to use strategy to finally break through the glass ceiling and win a league at last. This is what we call "character development".

Goh, on the other hand, because he reflects the Pokémon Go casual experience of catching whatever you can and using what's the strongest or what's the rarest in battle, doesn't translate well to TV as it makes him look like he doesn't give a crap. Because he doesn't discipline Grookey for doing bad things, it reflects his overall nature as a trainer. Ideally, you will probably want him to begin taking Pokemon more seriously if he wants to train, as an unruly or lazy Pokemon is not going to be much use in battle, since it reflects back on him. However, I've yet to see him step back and try. Ironically, Ash has a similar Pokemon who has behavioral problems, and the next episode is going to feature Gengar being forced to train in some capacity (yes, hunting for mushrooms doesn't sound difficult, but when you're a lazy bum who coasts on potential, anything sounds like death when you have to do it).

Sorry for the long rant; it's just something to comment on since they barely gave me anything good to talk about with Allister. I'll have to wait until next week for his proper proper debut in the series.

 

[Vulcanos]

Wow, this escalated rather quickly...

The green gremlin is a Creator's Pet's Creator's Pet.

Now I am trying to process this chain.

Be careful; otherwise you're going to Inception yourself.

 

[Eitarou]

A good way to have this ep tie into the next would be having Spiritomb Dynamax somehow. Ash would have to Dynamax to counter it, thus revealing Gengar doesn't have the G-Max Factor earlier. The episode probably wouldn't be able to be on a train, though. Maybe a cemetary?

 

[R1ke]

That was neat. I do love me some evil Ash every now and then. It was actually entertaining to see him in action lol. Allister was good here also, especially liked his soft, unsettling voice. Really fitting for the character, as well as him disappearing spontaneously too. Confused on how Gengar used psychic on Absol though. Overall a nice setup into next week, which has finally given something notable for Gengar to do.

 

[KrspaceT]

I will give the episode a watch with subs and give my thoughts. Hear the wisdom of he who writes!

• Has Allister always had that 'bunny' strap on his back?
• Hopefully those tickets are 'peak/non peak' tickets and not specific times. That the way trains work outside of N.E USA?
• Mysterious trains can lead to wizards, wizarding schools, and maybe a talking The Cat. Let's find out.
• Hopefully the episode explains the train or I'd have to question things
• I'd question Ash not knowing what the Odd Keystone is, but it has been a while and that stone seems...bigger than the one I remember from Sinnoh.
• Hello Grookey...I had to put you on the Americans Hate Tingle page.
• You know, I don't really care for Evil Ash. I know his possessed episodes and moments are liked by most fans...IDK I never liked those.
• I expect 35 dark fics about Spiritomb!Ash killing Goh, though I expect I'll only get dark Yaoi....
• Spiritomb seems to only be able to control Ash when the lights are out.
• I like how they used the two different dex entries for Drifloon
• Watch out Goh, you're on the Infinity Train with an evil clone of Ash! This....well this is not the worst thing that happens to you when the Infinity Train is around at least.
• I wonder if the Spiritomb is using Ash's memories to know about stuff....though I struggle to see Ash knowing what a Will o the Wisp is. This must be a younger Spiritomb...or just a well traveled one.
• I saw someone edited the Ash page to say he keeps the entire team on hand now to explain the Shedinja...still weird. Unless Ash mentions he was aiming to battle someone next episode as a reason....
• So this is Allister's personal train. Fancy boy he is, or maybe the papparazi are just that bad.
• You know, Allister can understand Ghost types. Iris can feel the hearts of dragons. Valerie wants to speak Pokemon languages. Ash is intuned with his Pokemon's intent. We need a good fic with them, their likes, and N I say.
• So Spiritomb!Ash is speaking Pokemon now but wasn't before. Was that an act, a sign of greater possessions hence the skin color change, some third reason?
• Grookey, unless you want to be possessed, don't help
• Curious to my point how the spirit getting forced out of Ash makes him start talking properly again
• 'That's a good choice'. I mean....not sure what any other of Ash's team would do here, except maybe Lucario. But Aura and ghosts is a giant can of worms.
• Gengar's routinely shown he can and will dominate and confuse anyone whose slower than it. Gengar, however, is bad against anyone who is faster or as fast as him. It's a consistent trait.
• I like a bit of a poke into the shadow world, though it could be more trippy.
• Kind of interesting....the Pokedex said that Spiritomb had some bad spirits in it. Maybe this one was made of less wicked ones than the one from Sinnoh, though that does make the whole 'sealing into a stone for all eternity' bit a bit more unsettling too

Kind of like the ghost train set up as it feels something more adventrous and less 'Real World but Pokemon'. Need more of that in Journeys. Though hardly a top tier episode IMO.

 

[Unireon]

Watch out Goh, you're on the Infinity Train with an evil clone of Ash! This....well this is not the worst thing that happens to you when the Infinity Train is around at least.

What? It doesn't give that impression.....

This doesn't have anything in common with the Kimetsu no Yaiba Arc/Movie

 

[Soniman]

Good lord I found this episode pretty inoffensive so I wasn't expecting damn near four pages worth of Goh bashing that's some hatred for ya I guess, makes me nostalgic for the Iris days.

I just don't relate at all to the anger Goh gets for most of his captures like he's given a Shedinja and I'm just like "oh ok" like I can't muster up any feelings besides that, like I know for a fact this has little significance on anything in the story why waste energy getting mad at this every week? Just let him catch Pokémon.

Grookey sucks but I've long since given up on that Pokémon I can't even be frustrated anymore when it causes conflict, just a complete wet fart of a capture and character I have no positive expectations for anymore.

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

I just don't relate at all to the anger Goh gets for most of his captures like he's given a Shedinja and I'm just like "oh ok" like I can't muster up any feelings besides that, like I know for a fact this has little significance on anything in the story why waste energy getting mad at this every week? Just let him catch Pokémon.

Grookey sucks but I've long since given up on that Pokémon I can't even be frustrated anymore when it causes conflict, just a complete wet fart of a capture and character I have no positive expectations for anymore.

I’ve pretty much given up all expectations with this series too, but isn’t that exactly the problem? That the show is at this point? People are getting angry that there’s practically no effort towards these areas - Goh was literally given a Pokemon, not as a joke to play it off as a laugh for the audience, it was literally was handed to him. Meanwhile, Grookey has been around for thirty episodes, yet it hasn’t made one step forward at all. As I said, I’ve almost tapped-out, so this is more like a roll-of-the-eyes for me. Seeing Goh catch Pokemon isn’t new, and they have to let him do it somewhere, but it’s not really an excuse for the show to complete make his dream a complete joke. Otherwise, what’s the point in watching the show they’ve loved for so many years?
I think people just want to see some areas being improved, no matter how little, and the fact the show continues with these decisions is quite infruiating, because they want to root for Goh and Grookey. This doesn’t help their cause.

 

[Soniman]

I’ve pretty much given up all expectations with this series too, but isn’t that exactly the problem? That the show is at this point? People are getting angry that there’s practically no effort towards these areas - Goh was literally given a Pokemon, not as a joke to play it off as a laugh for the audience, it was literally was handed to him. Meanwhile, Grookey has been around for thirty episodes, yet it hasn’t made one step forward at all. As I said, I’ve almost tapped-out, so this is more like a roll-of-the-eyes for me. Seeing Goh catch Pokemon isn’t new, and they have to let him do it somewhere, but it’s not really an excuse for the show to complete make his dream a complete joke. Otherwise, what’s the point in watching the show they’ve loved for so many years?
I think people just want to see some areas being improved, no matter how little, and the fact the show continues with these decisions is quite infruiating, because they want to root for Goh and Grookey. This doesn’t help their cause.

We are two years in. It long became obvious Goh's captures would be very quick and simple and not long drawn out affairs because his goal necessitates that pace. Him being "handed" Shedinja is literally how that Pokémon works, even if the method isn't 1:1 with the games, it at least makes some sense. I like Goh, his goal is kinda whatever but I figured that's why the writers threw in project mew to give a sense of tangible progress hence that's where my critical eye leans more towards and not these mostly inoffensive captures. If I didn't like the series and have given up like a lot of people here I wouldn't be discussing it because my free time is short and I don't consume media I know I dislike, I'm just trying to look at things half full here

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Him being "handed" Shedinja is literally how that Pokémon works, even if the method isn't 1:1 with the games, it at least makes some sense.

This is exactly how I feel too. Even in-game descriptions describe that Shedinja "mysteriously appears" in a Poké Ball when a Nincada evolves. I don't think it's that contrived.

Also, another thing that's been on my mind since the subtitles came out: AU Team Rocket actually mentions that they're planning to capture Dialga and Palkia once they've stolen all the Pokémon they want. As in, catch with Poké Balls. I find that idea fascinating. Journeys has indeed made the idea of catching Legendary Pokémon more believable than any previous series.

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

We are two years in. It long became obvious Goh's captures would be very quick and simple and not long drawn out affairs because his goal necessitates that pace. Him being "handed" Shedinja is literally how that Pokémon works, even if the method isn't 1:1 with the games, it at least makes some sense. I like Goh, his goal is kinda whatever but I figured that's why the writers threw in project mew to give a sense of tangible progress hence that's where my critical eye leans more towards and not these mostly inoffensive captures. If I didn't like the series and have given up like a lot of people here I wouldn't be discussing it because my free time is short and I don't consume media I know I dislike, I'm just trying to look at things half full here

Fair, and I agree with the aspect of Goh’s captures having to be spontaneous; I never really minded that aspect in the first place (at least there was effort), but he didn’t even catch that Nincada. It just popped into his party. Even in the aspect of the games labelling it as “mysterious”, it’s still a bit lazy. Had he caught it, in like one second, then the group evolved, showing Shedinja, that would have been fine for me. Overall, I still want to cheer for Goh, and I’m trying just to explain those who are annoyed by this aspect, Shedinja specifically (at least I think I am).

 

[Vulcanos]

@KrspaceT That "bunny" strap is a Galarian Corsola, and it's part of his in-game design.

 

[Jewel the Quaxly]

I actually really enjoyed this episode. Very few parts irritated me and the voice actors seemed to be giving it their all. Not to mention, I loved how this was Allister's introduction. It actually felt like a real "foreshadowing episode" to me. There probably won't be any more proper buildup given that Allister will serve his role in the very next episode, but them's the breaks, I guess...

I also enjoyed some of the smaller parts too, like how Goh actually scolded Grookey for once, the eerie nature of the train, Pikachu actually trying to be useful, Gengar existing and showing off hints of its personality in the battle, and the overall set-up. Also, I think that ending is probably high up on my list of "favorite pokemon episode endings". It was really fitting and quirky.

Maybe it's just me, but I often enjoy episodes that most people write off as "mediocre" or "average". This just happened to be one of them.

 

[Audino1008]

I don't mind Goh having spontanioud captures at all, I can't see any other way they could approach his goal. People will complain a lot more if Goh got an episode for every single one of his captures. And it's not really taking away screentime if it's literally 3 seconds.

I just wish they made it seem a bit less easy. They don't even have to make his captures longer, I'd just like it more if they had him use the berries from Pokemon GO, or at the very least use Great Balls.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I don’t really get the justification of "catching is Go's goal", because, catching even in Pokémon Go isn’t that simple. The anime has somehow stripped all nuance from catching (except when it conveniently favours Go) for this goal, making it problematic.
I can kind of sympathise with the people who call Go a "creators pet" because it’s hard not to think so when Go literally throws a Pokeball at nothingness and gets a capture. Does he have spider sense?
Also, literally dreaming about a Pokémon and capturing it. It almost sounds like a poorly written fanfic.

They could have Go use Apricorn Balls, using the best Pokeball for a particular capture, researching the master ball and how it works, using Poffins, honey, but no, the main character can literally "manifest" Pokémon from dreams.

 

[Soniman]

I don’t really get the justification of "catching is Go's goal", because, catching even in Pokémon Go isn’t that simple. The anime has somehow stripped all nuance from catching (except when it conveniently favours Go) for this goal, making it problematic.
I can kind of sympathise with the people who call Go a "creators pet" because it’s hard not to think so when Go literally throws a Pokeball at nothingness and gets a capture. Does he have spider sense?
Also, literally dreaming about a Pokémon and capturing it. It almost sounds like a poorly written fanfic.

They could have Go use Apricorn Balls, using the best Pokeball for a particular capture, researching the master ball and how it works, using Poffins, honey, but no, the main character can literally "manifest" Pokémon from dreams.

This seems like a super disengenuous explanation of what ACTUALLY happened between him and Grookey. The dream was just a silly comedic opener for when he wakes up and meets the real deal. And watching the episode they pretty clearly explain where it came from and how he got there, there was conflict, and a actual effort had to be made to actually obtain said Pokémon, it wasn't just a flick of the rist and bam Grookey was his

Like part of what makes these criticisms of Goh hard to sympathize with at times is when people take these innocuous moments and deliberately interpret them in the worst possible ways imaginable when it's really not that deep.