Review S13 EP08: Flint Sparks the Fire!

[Hellwarden]

it surprised me a little when the bar guy was the pokemon hunter

That was a pretty nice little twist on the writers part.

 

[CrimsonBlazer]

Only nitpicking here, but flint's chimchar took forever to evolve. Flint became an adult and it was still a little chimchar.

 

[Rafia]

Only nitpicking here, but flint's chimchar took forever to evolve. Flint became an adult and it was still a little chimchar.

It might be mistake because there is another episode where we see kid flint with a moneferno.

 

[Somari]

Off topic, but can anyone tell me what's wrong with Volkner's hair?

They've had coloring differences between the adaptations, that's expected, but his hair turned from bright blond to sandy blond. It's obviously bright in the sprites and while it's dark in his official art it is nowhere near sandy.

 

[Rafia]

Off topic, but can anyone tell me what's wrong with Volkner's hair?

They've had coloring differences between the adaptations, that's expected, but his hair turned from bright blond to sandy blond. It's obviously bright in the sprites and while it's dark in his official art it is nowhere sandy.

The only reason i can think of is he looked very similar to the 4th hokage with blond hair.
Remember the animators had to change the COTD in "the cream of the crogunk corp" because he looked very similar to a character belonging to another anime.

 

[Ishida]

This Episode was pretty good for a Dub the only thing that bugged me is how Pikachu kept Spamming Volt Tackle and it didn't take any recoil damage and it took those Close Combats. Learning about Flint and Volkners backstory was pretty cool as well oh and one more thing. Did anyone kinda laugh at Volkners "If you want to punch me do it line?

 

[Froakie]

Did anyone kinda laugh at Volkners "If you want to punch me do it line?

Me. :x

This was a really awesome episode. I love Volkner/Flint and the interections! The battle was really good too.

 

[V Faction]

This Episode was pretty good for a Dub the only thing that bugged me is how Pikachu kept Spamming Volt Tackle and it didn't take any recoil damage and it took those Close Combats. Learning about Flint and Volkners backstory was pretty cool as well oh and one more thing. Did anyone kinda laugh at Volkners "If you want to punch me do it line?

You must have some high standards to say it was only 'pretty good'.

All I can tell you about the Close Combats and Volt Tackles is to suspend your belief. When those who write the episodes want to make an emotional, impactful, dramatic fight scene, they tend to forgo the strict boundaries of the Pokemon world. In order to have a good, enjoyable fight somtimes it is necessary to quit worrying about all these small factors.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

OK, after watching the episode a second time, I've finally come to terms with it, or, to be precise, with the last battle.

I mean, the episode itself was brilliant as I've already mentioned. It was just the fact that Pikachu endured way to many attacks and therefore seemed unreasonably overpowered.
But well, maybe I better suspend belief for a change. Be it just for the sake of the plot....
Again, if I were the writer in charge, I would have written it better and come up with a more convincing course of the battle (Oh, how I'd love to be responsible for Pokemon! You'd see the best, most exciting and most overwhelming Pokemon ever, Pokemon 2.0 so to speak) But well, I've somehow managed now to force myself to accept how the battle went.
If all the battle was meant to focus on was actually Volkner's background story, or rather to make him remember his former life, then, well, it "is not legit" (to use a great quote by Paul) and I'll still stick to my opinion that I would have done it better, but I can accept it now nevertheless.


Some minor points which I observed while watching:

- The final form of Chimchar is pronounced InFERnape, but the robo-referee in Volkner's gym clearly said INfernape. Did you realize that?

- It was said that Flint left Sunnyshore after he had turned 20. From my point of view this leaves no doubt that the famous rule according to which trainers can leave their home at the age of ten is clearly nonsense and not comprehensible.
Sure, the writers want to make us believe that Ash was (or still is) 10 years old, but COME ON, use some common sense.
A 10-year-old would neither be able to survive all those extreme and life-threatening adventures nor to endure them psychologically. After a few weeks at the latest they would be running home, crying for their mummy.
Let alone the fact that no kid at the age of 10 would be capable of training a being with supernatural powers (= a Pokemon) successfully. No, that's neither possible nor thinkable!

This very fact has been bothering me since day 1 of Pokemon. Sure, I can understand why Ash is said to be 10... Simply because they want to appeal to as many young kids as possible.
Just as they ruined an otherwise great fight in this week's episode, they also turned logic on its head concerning Ash's real age for the sake of commerce...:banghead:

All I want the writers to do is to be honest. They should say that they just chose a totally arbitrary age and that in fact age doesn't matter at all in Pokemon. Then everybody could make out for themselves how old the characters in Pokemon REALLY are.

 

[dman_dustin]

- It was said that Flint left Sunnyshore after he had turned 20. From my point of view this leaves no doubt that the famous rule according to which trainers can leave their home at the age of ten is clearly nonsense and not comprehensible.
Sure, the writers want to make us believe that Ash was (or still is) 10 years old, but COME ON, use some common sense.
A 10-year-old would neither be able to survive all those extreme and life-threatening adventures nor to endure them psychologically. After a few weeks at the latest they would be running home, crying for their mummy.
Let alone the fact that no kid at the age of 10 would be capable of training a being with supernatural powers (= a Pokemon) successfully. No, that's neither possible nor thinkable!

This very fact has been bothering me since day 1 of Pokemon. Sure, I can understand why Ash is said to be 10... Simply because they want to appeal to as many young kids as possible.
Just as they ruined an otherwise great fight in this week's episode, they also turned logic on its head concerning Ash's real age for the sake of commerce...:banghead:

First off Flint does not equal Ash. If Flint wanted to stay in Sunyshore until he was twenty than that's up to him. There was nothing forcing Flint to stay, in fact the only reason he left was I guess Sunyshore was getting too boring for him, and he wanted to go explore and see what else is out there.

Secondly you are underestimating the maturity of the people in the Pokemon world (and by maturity I mean the capability of going on a journey). Just because real humans are "apparently" incapable of doing things at the age of ten, doesn't mean someone in the Pokemon world is also incapable. They even explain that in order to have a Pokemon and go on a journey one has to have a trainer license, which Ash did, which means he likely passed some test that would allow to travel alone. Which probably means despite some of his bonehead mistakes, Ash is probably on average a lot smarter (or more mature) than real ten year old humans. In fact if I'm not mistaken, aren't there real life examples of someone at a very young age capable of hacking computers? In fact given the technology of Pokemon which seems to surpass our own technology, chances are in the Pokemon world young human children are incredibly smart kids, especially if they grow up knowing how to make a Poke ball or some transporter device, and etc. The better technology a civilization has, usually the smarter the people.

Thirdly Ash wasn't alone for very long, first was Misty and then there was Brock. So in that case "strength in numbers."

I also think you have to consider that maybe despite the powerful monsters (Pokemon) in the world that maybe it's a lot safer. I mean we never hear about murders and stuff, and while that might be obvious given the shows demographic, maybe the Pokemon world is more at peace than our own world. I mean in this world of course you wouldn't send a ten year old on a journey, I mean you'd have to be beyond stupid given what sick things are out there. However we can't apply our world "evil" to the Pokemon world. I mean sure there's the few nutjobs that want to create a brand new universe, but that happens too little to be a common thing. I mean yes there are villains in the Pokemon world, and bad guys but I don't think it would be very comparable to our world.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

yes, of course , if you want to apply the very unique logic of the Pokemon world, then it makes sense that 10 year old kids go out on a journey alone.
But even although Pokemon follows its own logic most of the time, there are some parallels to our world which nobody can deny I guess.
Among said parallels I would count the fact that the humans in the Pokemon world are exactly the "same" humans as in our world, meaning that they basically have all the feature we have and also behave like "real" humans.
So it's just natural to assume I guess that if you don't let your 10 year old child travel across the world all on his or her own, you don't do that in the Pokemon world either.
And you also have to consider that the question is not solely about whether a child is smart enough to do it, it's also about whether the child is mature enough from a PSYCHOLOGICAL standpoint, meaning that he or she can endure all those difficulties such a dangerous journey brings with it.

Or how would you explain the fact that most of those teenage girls who are trying (or tried) to sail around the world at the moment are giving up because of all the difficulties and because they can't stand it any more? And don't forget: They are even older than Ash, namely 13 or 16 if I'm not mistaken

I just want to say that the explanation given in this week's episode is the only reasonable solution to a question which has been bothering me for years now:
Going on your journey to become a Pokemon trainer is just too dangerous and doesn't make sense until you've turned 18 or 20.

 

[TeddiUrsa]

yes, of course , if you want to apply the very unique logic of the Pokemon world, then it makes sense that 10 year old kids go out on a journey alone.
But even although Pokemon follows its own logic most of the time, there are some parallels to our world which nobody can deny I guess.
Among said parallels I would count the fact that the humans in the Pokemon world are exactly the "same" humans as in our world, meaning that they basically have all the feature we have and also behave like "real" humans.
So it's just natural to assume I guess that if you don't let your 10 year old child travel across the world all on his or her own, you don't do that in the Pokemon world either.
And you also have to consider that the question is not solely about whether a child is smart enough to do it, it's also about whether the child is mature enough from a PSYCHOLOGICAL standpoint, meaning that he or she can endure all those difficulties such a dangerous journey brings with it.

Or how would you explain the fact that most of those teenage girls who are trying (or tried) to sail around the world at the moment are giving up because of all the difficulties and because they can't stand it any more? And don't forget: They are even older than Ash, namely 13 or 16 if I'm not mistaken

I just want to say that the explanation given in this week's episode is the only reasonable solution to a question which has been bothering me for years now:
Going on your journey to become a Pokemon trainer is just too dangerous and doesn't make sense until you've turned 18 or 20.

The anime has a society different from ours. The legal age is 10 in Pokémon as seen here ( At least that's what the old leas writers of the very first series said) . So it shouldn't really be a problem to have a traveling 10 year old in a world full of dangerous monsters. I know it sounds stupid and it probably is...but that's how Pokémon is sometimes.

 

[dman_dustin]

And you also have to consider that the question is not solely about whether a child is smart enough to do it, it's also about whether the child is mature enough from a PSYCHOLOGICAL standpoint, meaning that he or she can endure all those difficulties such a dangerous journey brings with it.

The problem is most kids around 10 would cry if they were attacked by Pokemon, however no one on Pokemon does that not even Tory who was deathly afraid of Pokemon (well Tory may have cried from frustration of having Pokemon around him, but instead of crying he usually just flinched up and ran off).

Just look at our world, most little kids such as my 2 year old cousin, isn't afraid of dogs or cats. Why? It's because she's grown up around them a lot (My aunt and uncle own cats and a dog). Just like everyone in the Pokemon world, they are exposed to Pokemon very early, they cannot go 18 or so years without seeing a single Pokemon unless they are trapped in a bank vault by their parents. So they are likely developed psychology to not be afraid of the Pokemon world because they grew up for Pokemon. Oh no I agree someone should run if a powerful Pokemon or group of Pokemon start attacking. But that's because not every Pokemon is docile. Just like it can be applied that not all cats or dogs or nice. It would likely take a traumatic moment to scar a Pokmeon Human child's views on Pokemon. So far I haven't exactly seen that considering it's what they usually do it. And being chased by one vicious dog isn't going to change your views on dogs (except maybe that specific breed), because I doubt you'd run away from a little tiny dog just because a giant dog was chasing you earlier in your life.

Or how would you explain the fact that most of those teenage girls who are trying (or tried) to sail around the world at the moment are giving up because of all the difficulties and because they can't stand it any more? And don't forget: They are even older than Ash, namely 13 or 16 if I'm not mistaken

Being a Pokemon trainer is more rewarding than sailing around the world in real life. For starters not only does the Pokemon Centers provide shelter for travelling Pokemon trainers, but also Pokemon trainers get free food. Not to mention they likely earn money just by battling and winning certain competitions. Honestly how is it remotely the same thing, when in the real world there isn't exactly a "traveller" type hobby you can do that provides free stuff like that?

Going on your journey to become a Pokemon trainer is just too dangerous and doesn't make sense until you've turned 18 or 20.

Honestly in my opinion that's way too late. I mean I don't think 10 is really that much better but you'd likely have to start early because the earlier you start on something the likely you excel in it. It's like trying to have a 90 year old man who's never seen technology teaching him how to program a computer program it would be very difficult. Honestly I think the best time to allow being a Pokemon trainer is likely right when one enters High School so 14 is likely a better age. Since High School is already demanding (maybe even moreso than when I went 4 years ago). I don't think being a Pokemon trainer would be any more difficult.

I mean think about it. Little kids are exposed to sports really early. How is Pokemon really any that different. I mean sure it's "magical" living breathing monsters but Pokemon would be likely considered a sport in real life. So yes perhaps certain tournaments only allow people of a certain age. Similar to all the high profession sports. Like the NFL for example. But I'm assuming that wouldn't mean there couldn't be lesser quality leagues for younger trainers. Just like in school, you have your school vs school competitions. I honestly doubt Pokemon would be any worse. And who knows if Pokemon were real there likely might be free stuff that trainers get.

 

[NyaChan]

So I remember a user claiming a few months ago that her father got cast as the bartender guy. Anyone find out if it was really him?

*late to see this* Same link I provided on the discussion page for the article:

derp di derp derp

... oh wait, I don't take after my dad in appearance at all. and I have no recent pictures of me with him. errrr... dammit. eh whatever, believe me or don't, I don't care. I don't even really come here that often anymore. >_> (if that, uh, wasn't obvious) Though, I do suppose unless you were looking for it, you wouldn't have ended up on that site.

 

[Falconwing]

I remember when you talked about it in the convo thread.

 

[Geodude]

Discussion over when people should start their Pokemon journeys is ranging off-topic and has little to do with this episode. Flint isn't even the first adult in the series we've seen start a journey (think Nando), so I don't understand why this is only coming up now. Back to episode discussion please.