Preview JN112: A Triumphant Return! The Alola Champion!!

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Hope some mons return to Kanto with Ash. About time some of Ash's mons start living in the dome as well

Alola is their home, so I doubt any of them will.

 

[KrspaceT]

So some sleuths think the Ash depresses scene comes from here instead of Raihan so...YES

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

Hope some mons return to Kanto with Ash. About time some of Ash's mons start living in the dome as well

Uhhhhhh.......I sure hope not, considering Cerise Park/Lab/whatever is probably even worse than Oak's Lab and ranch, considering Goh's veritable Zoo is basically trapped in a domed building with no way to roam free range if they want to. (Also, I just dislike Professor Cerise, his assistants, and that park in general, so there's that.) Plus, you say you want to see more of Ash's Pokemon living in that, for all intents and purposes, prison, yet we barely saw any of his current team in Cerise Park in the first place, and likely won't at all anymore considering this series is most likely nearing its end. And once this series ends, Professor Cerise and his lab, and Goh's zoo within, will most likely never be seen again (good riddance.)

All I ask from this episode is to give us what the end of Sun and Moon denied us and let us see Satoshi actually battle with his Gaogaen.

Please, for the love of Arceus, just let Incineroar use one single move already. Do something besides eat and flex its newfound muscles. A battle'd be great, but at this point I'm willing to settle for just one move being shown.

 

[Beatsy Ray]

That's a relief. This episode not being Lillie focused hopefully means she's still away and that a finding Mohn episode or 2-parter is coming. Finding him offscreen would have been such a disappointment.

 

[Nicolas721]

Battles in Alola? With a chance of Battle Royal redemption? That sounds very nice. It's obvious the title is referring to either Incineroar or the fact that the Battle Royal involves alliances, most likely the latter. I sadly do not see Ash using another Pokemon as Pikachu has already been confirmed.

The Journeys trio is most certainly participating, which leaves a spot to a classmate, which I hope is Lillie or Mallow, through it could also be Gladion as he's very anti-heroic and owns popular Pokemon. It's possible there's more rounds with the other classmates but logically they'll get less focus.

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

That's a relief. This episode not being Lillie focused hopefully means she's still away and that a finding Mohn episode or 2-parter is coming. Finding him offscreen would have been such a disappointment.

I don't know, though. They're running out of time for this series and it's been 111 episodes since Lillie and the rest of her family first went out looking for him. I genuinely hope you're right, but we'll see. I wouldn't put it past the writers, even now that Journeys has improved so much over what it was, to pull a stunt like finding Mohn off-screen.

 

[Shadao]

So some sleuths think the Ash depresses scene comes from here instead of Raihan so...YES

The question is... does the depression come from Ash losing because his three opponents all team up to beat him in a free for all, or does it come from Ash winning the Battle Royal all too easy, even with the disadvantage?

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

The question is... does the depression come from Ash losing because his three opponents all team up to beat him in a free for all, or does it come from Ash winning the Battle Royal all too easy, even with the disadvantage?

I'm betting.......the latter.

 

[Daren]

My gut tells me that sad Ash isn't related to the outcome of the Battle Royal but something else, like maybe something happens to Kukui that stops him from participating.
We'll see, though. For now it's just an instinctual feeling.
Edit: To go a bit more in-depth; I don't think they'll have him lose right after entering the Master 8 (assuming he beats Raihan, which if that claim that it's the last promotion match of the season he pretty much has to) to some randoms.
Similarly I can't quite feel them having him get sad if he wins too easily, which I don't recall bothering him before.

Although maybe one of his friends gets taken out early and that bothers him?

 

[KrspaceT]

My gut tells me that sad Ash isn't related to the outcome of the Battle Royal but something else, like maybe something happens to Kukui that stops him from participating.
We'll see, though. For now it's just an instinctual feeling.
Edit: To go a bit more in-depth; I don't think they'll have him lose right after entering the Master 8 (assuming he beats Raihan, which if that claim that it's the last promotion match of the season he pretty much has to) to some randoms.
Similarly I can't quite feel them having him get sad if he wins too easily, which I don't recall bothering him before.

Although maybe one of his friends gets taken out early and that bothers him?

Maybe this is some sort of 'championness has burden': like IDK....people repeatably say things that because Ash won the league him beating them isn't fair. Perhaps 'he' is the heel....and he isn't tryin to be.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

“Betrayal”? Has news of Kukui killing the Masked Royal reached international waters?

Jokes aside, I only pray for two things… one, let the Alola team be there for more than two seconds, and for the love of all that is holy let them interact with these starved ragtags that is supposed to be the current squad.

 

[SammyW27]

That's a relief. This episode not being Lillie focused hopefully means she's still away and that a finding Mohn episode or 2-parter is coming. Finding him offscreen would have been such a disappointment.

And yet that's EXACTLY what this series would do... <_<

 

[Shadao]

My gut tells me that sad Ash isn't related to the outcome of the Battle Royal but something else, like maybe something happens to Kukui that stops him from participating.
We'll see, though. For now it's just an instinctual feeling.
Edit: To go a bit more in-depth; I don't think they'll have him lose right after entering the Master 8 (assuming he beats Raihan, which if that claim that it's the last promotion match of the season he pretty much has to) to some randoms.
Similarly I can't quite feel them having him get sad if he wins too easily, which I don't recall bothering him before.

Although maybe one of his friends gets taken out early and that bothers him?

I believe it's what Leon said to him in JN Episode 100 that opened him to something he never thought about before: Being at the top.

Ash has been always short-sighted with many things. Beating Leon and becoming the World Champion, that sounds like a great step to become a Pokémon Master. The natural step, the logical step.

But he never thought of the possibility that he may actually succeed. That he may actually reach the top. He's been so used to being the underdog, struggling to carve out niche amongst the hundreds of thousands of Pokémon trainers, that it took him a while to realize he actually won the Alola League... and it requires the fanboys in Alola to actually get Ash to admit to Goh that yes, he is the Alola Champion. And then he got a bit embarrassed that he's on public TV reported as the rising star from Kanto.

Which tells me that Ash really doesn't know just how good he actually is. He still thinks he's just a regular trainer striving to be the best. I bet the Battle Royal would be a wakeup call. It's like Aang being officially recognized as the Avatar. Before being revealed as the Avatar, he gets to play with his fellow Airbending friends in sports no problem. But once he's revealed to be the Avatar, nobody wants to play with him because they fear that he would give either team an unfair advantage even if Aang plays completely by the rules and holds back.

Ash? What would his world be if everyone used to battle for fun are either reluctant to battle him or simply forego the fun in favor of beating him by any means necessary? Where would be the fun if turns out he's so skilled and powerful that every trainer he faces is curb stomp battle? Does he have to be stuck with the 7 other top trainers to get any decent challenge? And is Ash ready to face the situation that Leon is in? To be at the top with no one above you to beat and forced to defend your title at your all-out best (since it's not fair for the challenger to become World Champion if Ash lets them win). And the cruel irony of this? Ash cannot back out, not now. He has to keep on going, climbing his way to Leon because his goal is "To be the very best like no one ever was." It is his nature to try and beat Leon as he represents the best of the best. And one day, he will succeed in beating Leon... and that scares him.

 

[Daren]

And then he got a bit embarrassed that he's on public TV reported as the rising star from Kanto.

Was this the Drasna episode? Journeys is region locked out where I live (XY and Sun/Moon were readily available while the latest so I guess it might be connected to the netflix deal) so while I've been using the internet to keep pretty close track of what's happening I miss certain things.

Still, an interesting idea here though I admit it reminds me of the theory I've seen once or twice that Ash will intentionally throw the match with Leon, which I would find a very questionable choice, especially in something so many children watch.

 

[Shadao]

Still, an interesting idea here though I admit it reminds me of the theory I've seen once or twice that Ash will intentionally throw the match with Leon, which I would find a very questionable choice, especially in something so many children watch.

I don't think Ash would throw his match... because he now knows what Leon is feeling. Leon is implied to secretly resent his status as the World Champion because it's manifesting his fear that he has reached his limit. That there is no challenge left to overcome. He was afraid during the Darkest Night but at the same time, he was thrilled because he found something that he couldn't overcome. It told him he still had room to improve.

Ash, being an empathetic person, would realize that defeating Leon is more just reaching the top. It's liberating Leon from the pressure of being the very best in the world. But it would require Ash to face his fears and embrace the pressure that comes with being the champion of the world. A sacrifice he must be willing to take if he really wants to be a true Pokémon Master.

 

[Audino1008]

Spoiler

View attachment 159000

Looks like Chloe is going to Alola

Sandy is SO gonna evolve with Chloe's Water Stone.

 

[Audino1008]

So I assume Masked Royal is gonna appear? Kind of a weird character to bring back.
I hope Ash at least meets Kukui and his Classmates, we haven't seen them in a while except for Sophocles for some reason.

 

[Kurolegacy]

Spoiler

View attachment 159000

Looks like Chloe is going to Alola

Would be an interesting Chekhov's Gun if Koharu’s Water Stone ended up being used to evolve Sandy into a Vaporeon.

Also, looks like Ash is wearing his Z-Ring.

 

[Silktree]

I don't know, though. They're running out of time for this series and it's been 111 episodes since Lillie and the rest of her family first went out looking for him. I genuinely hope you're right, but we'll see. I wouldn't put it past the writers, even now that Journeys has improved so much over what it was, to pull a stunt like finding Mohn off-screen.

What stunt? Lillie isn't a main character anymore and her letter didn't feel like foreshadowing at all. She is treated just like any of her classmates in the opening, rather than being singled out like Paul.

Also, reminder that Go is nowhere near the climax of his goal (he isn't even a Chaser yet) and this isn't a Galar-themed series. We don't know when it's going to end, and the last Pocket Monsters series involved three different badge quests for Ash. So they do have time, but Mohn isn't high on their list.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Jokes aside, I only pray for two things… one, let the Alola team be there for more than two seconds, and for the love of all that is holy let them interact with these starved ragtags that is supposed to be the current squad.

The special preview had a shot of Ash's current and Alola teams together, so I think your wish is likely going to be granted.