News Pokemon XY & Z Discussion

[sc190191]

, and this will be the first time in the whole series that a main character will fully evolve all the pokemon they've caught in the region.

uhhh, pikachu isn't going to evolve...
Still really hope it is Ash's Sceptile. I would expect if Ash was going to mega anything though it would be Charizard, but Charizard already just came back in BW, and Sceptile was one of his best ever, so it would be a pretty cool story if it came back and joined the awesome team he has now.
Kinda think its silly that Noibat will already be evolved though since it was just hatched

 

[SammyW27]

Kinda think its silly that Noibat will already be evolved though since it was just hatched

Hey, a lot Pokémon have been evolving quickly as of late. Just look at what happened with Goomy/Sliggoo/Goodra!

For all we know, Serena could get an Eeveelution in record time...

 

[dman_dustin]

Kinda think its silly that Noibat will already be evolved though since it was just hatched

I think people aren't giving evolution enough credit.

As long as a Pokemon has battling moves, and participates in at least one battle, I think its enough for it to evolve.

I mean sure, I'd love a lot of battles before an evolution, but the Pokemon anime has never been ever truly battle heavy, most of time the "real" battles (NOT TEAM ROCKET skirmishes) are sprinkled here and there with a lot of space between them, so real battles are hard to come by. Ash mostly gets these type of battles in the form of gym matches and rival battles. Very uncommonly do we get random real battles, so of course Pokemon aren't going to be in a lot of battles.

But at the very least "ONE" battle should be a pre-requisite or having actual battle moves that it can use during battle scenarios (including this time, Team Rocket skirmishes).

But see Evolution in the anime, isn't just about reaching the "right" level. In terms of realism, and not game limitation. A Pokemon should be able to force evolution when it absolutely needs it, such as overcoming an obstacle its current body cannot overcome.

So I think right now, it's at least somewhat safe to assume that Noibat at least will evolve either having already been in a single (Real Battle) or perhaps even using attacking moves against Team Rocket's Pokemon.

So my point is, I'm fine with Noibat evolving, because when it comes to evolution in the anime, its the choice of the Pokemon to evolve when it want (when the writers want) and not necessarily forced to evolve like in the games.

 

[Necrozma]

As long as a Pokemon has battling moves, and participates in at least one battle, I think its enough for it to evolve.

Is this what we've come down to? At least one battle is okay to justify a rushed evolution?

I'm sorry but story-wise I just find it incredibly hard to believe that a hatched baby Pokémon would suddenly evolve into a mighty Noivern with so little experience. To me it just sounds like the writers want to give Ash a strong Pokemon and thus are willing to just rush through the whole thing completely disregarding the need for Noibat to develop.

So far Noibat's only development was that it learned how to fly. Pretty much it.

Unless they make a storyline out of 'Noibat evolving too early into Noivern without having grown much emotionally' this won't sit well with me.

 

[Silktree]

I'm sorry but story-wise I just find it incredibly hard to believe that a hatched baby Pokémon would suddenly evolve into a mighty Noivern with so little experience. To me it just sounds like the writers want to give Ash a strong Pokemon and thus are willing to just rush through the whole thing completely disregarding the need for Noibat to develop.

They've done it before with Goodra and it's getting old now, especially as it's likely to happen again with the sixth member (even if it remains unevolved, which it should). They should have just had Ash train either Noibat or Goomy the proper way, rather than handling both so clumsily.

So my point is, I'm fine with Noibat evolving, because when it comes to evolution in the anime, its the choice of the Pokemon to evolve when it want (when the writers want) and not necessarily forced to evolve like in the games.

You're fine with it because it's the end result that matters to you.

 

[Necrozma]

They've done it before with Goodra and it's getting old now, especially as it's likely to happen again with the sixth member (even if it remains unevolved, which it should). They should have just had Ash train either Noibat or Goomy the proper way, rather than handling both so clumsily.

Eh, at least Goomy had a development arc and actual battle experience. Not to mention that Goomy growing stronger and developing from its weaker and more frightful self into a more courageous Goodra made sense story-wise given the fact that Goomy's homeland was being terrorized by Florges and its minions and the evolution's final story purpose was to make Goomy strong enough to save its friends and then stay behind to protect them.

Noibat only had two proper episodes which only dealt with its flying skills. And the evolution seems like it will just occur randomly, probably in some dangerous situation, probably to save Ash.

A big downgrade from Goomy's story, if you ask me.

 

[Silktree]

Eh, at least Goomy had a development arc and actual battle experience.

Noibat only had two proper episodes which only deal with its flying skills.

Let's be fair here. By the time Noibat evolves it could be given the same minimal treatment as Goomy.

 

[Necrozma]

Let's be fair here. By the time Noibat evolves it could be given the same minimal treatment as Goomy.

I guess, but I'm not betting on it.

I hope the evolution doesn't occur as early as I think it may, that may give the writing staff more time to handle Noibat properly.

 

[Silktree]

I hope the evolution doesn't occur as early as I think it may, that may give the writing staff more time to handle Noibat properly.

The arc isn't going to last longer than Episode N did considering that the poster is all about Zygarde and Anistar. That doesn't suggest that Ash and co. will have time to travel and do other things, and they certainly aren't going to stay in the same area for more than 14 episodes.

 

[Necrozma]

The arc isn't going to last longer than Episode N did considering that the poster is all about Zygarde and Anistar. That doesn't suggest that Ash and co. will have time to travel and do other things, and they certainly aren't going to stay in the same area for more than 14 episodes.

I was actually thinking this could last longer than Episode N.

Episode N took place after League, so there were really no quests or anything. This time, Ash has one badge left to get and Serena still more keys (one or two, depending on the outcome of her following Showcase tournaments). If we count in the fillers as well non Team Flare-related episodes (which Episode N had as well), XY&Z might easily exceed 14 episodes.

 

[Silktree]

Episode N took place after League, so there were really no quests or anything. This time, Ash has one badge left to get and Serena still more keys (one or two, depending on the outcome of her following Showcase tournaments). If we count in the fillers as well non Team Flare-related episodes (which Episode N had as well), XY&Z might easily exceed 14 episodes.

Or Ash and Serena's quests will be put on hold (as they always do considering the long gaps between gyms/Showcases) and will be resumed in January-February after this arc is over. That's the most reasonable assumption based on the poster.

 

[Piplup]

I hope the evolution doesn't occur as early as I think it may, that may give the writing staff more time to handle Noibat properly.

The arc isn't going to last longer than Episode N did considering that the poster is all about Zygarde and Anistar. That doesn't suggest that Ash and co. will have time to travel and do other things, and they certainly aren't going to stay in the same area for more than 14 episodes.

It's probably not an "arc" though. Episode N was a short post-league arc that could focus exclusively on the evil team plot. Here we're in the middle of the journey... we're clearly still going to get Ash's Gyms, Serena's Showcases, TRio's schemes, random adventures and "fillers" and all the usual stuff... it's just that Team Flare and Alain will appear every now and then and become relevant to the plot's story.
The DP series once got a new poster (even though they didn't restart it as a "new show") featuring that key thing Team Galactic used and the three pixies... and while I loved Team Galactic's eps, we didn't really see them too often so... don't think the poster is an indication of what we'll see on a weekly basis now, they're just featuring the highlights to create hype.
We're probably going to have one big gap between badges 7 and 8 similarly to what they did in DP, and just like in DP I'm sure we'll get tons of great content between them, including all this Team Flare stuff, but it won't be exclusively Flare now.

As for Noibat, I hope that maybe the poster is spoiling too much and it won't really evolve SO soon. I totally love it in its current form and would love to see more before it evolves, but if it happens then oh well.

 

[Necrozma]

Or Ash and Serena's quest will be put on hold (as they always do considering the long gaps between gyms/Showcases) and will be resumed in January-February after this arc is over. That's the most reasonable assumption based on the poster.

Yeah, that's a reasonable assumption.

Though personally, the way the series is being renamed to XY&Z makes it seem like less of an arc (as opposed to the Plasma arc being titled Episode N). When Best Wishes became Best Wishes Season 2, the season two part never really left. The Episode N part, however, as an addition to the original title change could easily be removed after the arc was over.

In this case, while I suppose it's possible the Z part could be removed from the title after the conclusion of the Flare plot, it somehow seems unlikely (especially if this major Z addition is just major advertisement for an upcoming game).

 

[Piplup]

They're not going to remove the Z. As far as Japan is concerned the XY series is over. Ending for good. XY&Z is considered a new series.
"Episode N" and "Decolora Adventure" were like sub-title added to the main title which was Best Wishes Season 2. (Which is considered a new series, but Episode N and Decolore Adventure were never considered new series. Also during next episode previews or the sponsers credits eyecatches the characters always continued to say just "Best Wishes Season 2" never saying the "Episode N" or "Decolora Adventure" parts, also we never got the "Next Time A New Beginning" thing when Episode N ended, because it was not considered the final ep of a series)

XY&Z is not an "arc" and is not comparable to Episode N. It's officially a new series just like AG, DP, BW and BWS2. (Of course for us it seems more similar to the BWS2 case although officially each of these is a brand new series)
Most likely it'll stay "XY&Z" until next gen and at most they'll add a subtitle but definitely not revert back to XY because the XY series is officially ending.

 

[Elementar]

XY&Z will not be an arc. It will be around for all the legendary battles, Team Flare and Alain, and then we'll get a new series for the last badge and league. This is a large introduction to the next game, so people will get used to the whole new Zygarde thing.
Noibat, sorry, but at its current stage, it can't do much. It needs to evolve into Noivern to be competitive with Team Flare.

 

[Silktree]

XY&Z will not be an arc. It will be around for all the legendary battles, Team Flare and Alain, and then we'll get a new series for the last badge and league.

You don't call that an arc? Seriously.

 

[Piplup]

XY&Z will not be an arc. It will be around for all the legendary battles, Team Flare and Alain,

You basically just described an arc...

then we'll get a new series for the last badge and league.

Extremely unlikely. We never had such a short series. (as said Epsiode N and Decolora Adventure never counted as new series)
The most likely option is that the XY&Z series will continue until this generation's end.
The poster merely focus on the highlights to create hype, it's not going to be all Team Flare now... plus they can give us a new poster later on without restarting the show as a new series. The DP series had more than one promotional posters during its run, and one of them featuring the Team Galactic key and pixies even though we hardly saw these.

 

[Elementar]

Sorry. XY&Z will be a series of decent length. That was what I was trying to say. As for the series that I said about the last badge and the league, why can't it be like Sinnoh League Victors? Compared to other regions, Ash has gotten his badges quite quickly, so they will need to lengthen XY&Z or whatever happens at the league.

 

[Piplup]

Sorry. XY&Z will be a series of decent length. That was what I was trying to say. As for the series that I said about the last badge and the league, why can't it be like Sinnoh League Victors? Compared to other regions, Ash has gotten his badges quite quickly, so they will need to lengthen XY&Z or whatever happens at the league.

You're confusing the dub titles/arcs with the Japanese version.
For Japan they break the show into different series this way:

1. Pocket Monsters (Kanto+Orange+Johto)
2. Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation (Hoenn+Battle Frontier)
3. Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl (Sinnoh)
4. Pocket Monsters Best Wishes (Unova up to Ash winning the final badge)
5. Pocket Monsters Best Wishes Season 2 (Unova's later part starting with the Dawn and Meloetta arcs, going into the League arc, then including the specifically labeled arcs: "Episode N" and "Decolora Adventure")
6. Pocket Monsters XY (Kalos up to the upcoming Anistar ep)
7. Pocket Monsters XY&Z (continuing from where the above left... and just like all the previous examples we can bet it'll last a long while, probably until this gen's end)

Very different than how the dub handles it breaking it to (mostly) 52 episodes packages and sticking random arc titles on them that usually don't make much sense and in the older says didn't fit with the actual seasons...
So yeah, "Sinnoh League Victors" is very irrelevant to what the Japanese version is doing.

 

[Silktree]

Extremely unlikely. We never had such a short series. (as said Epsiode N and Decolora Adventure never counted as new series)
The most likely option is that the XY&Z series will continue until this generation's end.

You're getting too worked up about technical details. The official website lists all the BW subseries on the same page, and it actually separates Da! (which lasted 20 episodes) from the rest of Season 2. There is absolutely nothing preventing them from changing the series name in early 2016, which could definitely include dropping the Z.

Sorry. XY&Z will be a series of decent length.

14 episodes is decent length. Whatever flaws Episode N might have had, it wasn't rushed.