Review S15 EP04: Ash Versus the Champion!

[matt0044]

Another oddity was Ash being aware of Alder in the first place - he wasn't aware of Cynthia or Lance, and if I remember right he heard about both Steven and Wallace on screen before actually meeting them. I'd have restructured the order of this episode to let that occur, it's one of those times I'd have actually liked an Iris 'you're such a kid' explanation of someone. Start the episode with everyone looking around at the stalls and then straight to the scene of Alder hitting on Jenny, have them meet up there, then have Ash realise the significance of Alder, walk around and run into Trip as a group and have Trip freak out that Ash was with Alder like it was nothing. Would have also been good for Ash and Alder to start competitive eating with each other, that's another of Ash's traits that seems to have been forgotten in this episode.

He heard of Alder in "Ash and Trip's Third Battle" during his third battle with Trip.

 

[투 애니원]

We didn't even see Alder battle seriously yet he could very well be stronger than Cynthia for all we know he is the champion and all so settle down killer.

No, no, wait! He's "Champion" simply because the writers gave him that title and not because he showed us that he really deserves it like Cynthia did in her many battles against the E4 members.
Sure, I can't prove it but common sense and analytical thinking tells me that his ridiculous, unworthy behavior on the one hand and him being champion on the other don't fit together at all. You're saying that we haven't seen him battle seriously but I tell you that there's no need for that because the way somebody behaves always reflects his attitude towards something, too. So if a so-called "champion" gets bossed around by Officer Jenny, if he dates women like a little kid, if apparently not even his own Pokemon have respect for him and if, above all, he dozes off during a battle although battling should be a Champion's most important duty, then tell me, do you really think this guy can battle seriously or be stronger than Cynthia, the epitome of perfection?
And finally, the following line by him made it all too clear. "What will you do after you've reached your goal?" This indicates that Alder has become complacent and lazy. Would you like to know what the real Champion Cynthia would say to him? "A true Master knows that they will never reach their goal completely. All your life is a constant journey and even a Champion always strives to grow, both physically and mentally."

Again, just because Alder is labelled Champion doesn't mean that he really is one. Granted that the writers hadn't given him that title for free so to speak but that he had to fight for it fair and square, I guarantee you that he wouldn't even have made it into the Unova League with that kind of childish behavior and carefree attitude towards battling. So, what I want to say is that the whole conception of Alder's character is fundamentally flawed and inconsistent.

Aren't Champions just strong trainers? If Ash became a champion, he would very well be just like Alder. You don't have to have a certain personality just to be a champion, if it were like that then most of the COTD from Johto would be champions.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

Aren't Champions just strong trainers?

Gym leaders are strong trainers, too. No, being ultra strong is only one feature that makes a champion (although it's probably the most important one). A champion has to be a role model in every respect, which means that among many other things he or she has to have wisdom, maturity, grace and superiority.

You don't have to have a certain personality just to be a champion,

You don't have to, that's right, but there's a certain number of traits and features that we simply expect every worthy champion to have.
And just as you won't become, say, a successful researcher in real life if you don't have perseverance and diligence, there are certain qualities that are definitely more helpful than others on your way to the championship. All those quirks of Alder that I mentioned above surely don't belong to to said qualities though.

If Ash became a champion, he would very well be just like Alder.

Tell me why all of a sudden I don't like the idea of Ash becoming a champion anymore.

 

[Torterra Trainer]

I don't know about anyone else, but I personally found the part Alder fell asleep hilarious. We always get confronted with that trainer that just sits there because they have a trick up their sleeve, but no, the Unova Champion didn't move because he fell asleep standing up.

What more could be said about this series..... ^.^

Gigalith's appearance was beautiful, although I wish pokemon like Gigalith wouldn't have voices that sound so much like a person. I expect a Rock Monster to sound like something rising from the earth's crust.

Alder is just Brock in disguise. The way he was creeping Nurse Joy out was great, I guess being the Champion doesn't get you that much of an edge with the ladies then? hahaha

And also, what happened to Trip after he met Alder. He seemed to be a nice spunky kid, but now he's just a sourpus...

Anyways, pretty good episode IMO.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

And also, what happened to Trip after he met Alder. He seemed to be a nice spunky kid, but now he's just a sourpus...

I can totally identify myself with Trip in this episode. How would you feel if your idol, the hero you've always dreamed about and the ultimate goal in your life, eventually turned out to be a forgetful, ridiculous clown? This must surely have been the most terrible and distressing experience in Trip's life.

 

[Serperiority]

This was a fairly entertaining episode.

Alder is a fairly awesome guy. He is really clumsy and reckless. He has an awesome Bouffalant for sure. I also like how he's similar to Brock.

Alder calling Ash and Trip Ashton and Tristan was very funny. I have a IRL friend named Tristan.

Gigalith was AWESOME. As well as the rest of the guys.

 

[Shinneth]

This must surely have been the most terrible and distressing experience in Trip's life.

And yet... I really wasn't feeling the drama of the supposedly terrible and distressing situation. Paul and Brandon this was not. Much as I hate to compare Paul to Trip in any scenario, this was nothing compared to Paul finding out that Ash won the Battle Frontier AND losing his shit in the middle of his battle with Brandon. That was some really tense and dramatic stuff. Trip's thing with Alder is unfortunate, sure, but given that Trip himself only lasted half the episode before abruptly leaving, I feel they could've done a lot more.

This would've been a great time to bring up that Trip is in fact a newbie, because you'd have to be a greenhorn to invest so much of your drive into a famous guy you hardly knew and actually take it personally when he out of the thousands of people Alder's probably met in his life doesn't stand out. Plus, little kids always have delusions of grandeur that ultimately lead to dissapointment when you're older and wiser, leading them down the path of a depressing jaded youth.

So yeah, I felt more inclined to do a Nelson laugh at Trip rather than actually feel bad for him. Not because I hate him with a vengeance or anything, but because this was only mildly dramatic because Trip, out of nowhere, didn't seem to have much common sense that would otherwise have made this a pretty foregone conclusion. It's just a glorified "Santa Claus/the Easter Bunny/the Tooth Fairy isn't real" scenario.

 

[ArceusAlpha493]

I'm not too surprised the anime changed Alder, but it is a bit sad at the same time. I do like him but still in the games Alder's first Pokemon passed away from being sick and the reasons he travels is due to depression or something of that nature. I would have loved to see something like that covered in the anime, and his Pokemon's death really really affected him a lot and changed him and his life, one of the reasons I find him to be such an interesting champion. I guess beggars can't be chosers, but I got more of an emotional feel for Alder in game then him in the anime.

Maybe he's trying to move on and be more upbeat. Like he was goofy before his starter died but after it kicked the bucket, he traveled and decided to try be like he use to as though his old friend never left him.

True I can agree with that since in a way, his former pokemon is there with him in spirit and would want him to share that happiness with others like so back when it was living.

 

[BladeLight52]

I have noticed that Gigalith doesn't keep its japanese voice, despite having pretty much the same name as its japanese counterpart (Gigaiath). TPCi keeps even less JPN voices than 4Kids. I can't tell if this is either budget issues or their arrogant pride in showing off their "talent".

 

[matt0044]

I have noticed that Gigalith don't keep its japanese voice, despite having pretty much the same name as its japanese counterpart (Gigaiath). TPCi keeps even less JPN voices than 4Kids. I can't tell if this is either budget issues or their arrogant pride in showing off their "talent".

Probably an error in the audio or something. Who knows?

 

[G50]

Alder was definitely showing a different side than we normally expect from a Pokemon Champion. I was laughing very hard when it showed that Alder was asleep while the battle with Ash was going on. Although Alder's personality is very different than what many expect; he certainly got to show his knowledge and understanding of Pokemon and trainers, giving advice to Ash, Iris, and Cilan.

 

[DracoMan]

I missed this ep when it first aired stateside, but I caught it this morning. Truth is, I didn't miss much. Mostly because I'd already seen it in Season 1. As some of you may have noticed, I've taken to pointing out when new eps recycle plots from earlier ones, and this is no different. This ep ripped off "To Master the Onixpected" with a touch of "The March of the Exeggutor Squad" and, as Paulisthebest pointed out, "Primeape goes Bananas." As usual, the ripoff didn't match the original, as I found Alder harder to take seriously than Bruno. Act your age, Alder, not your...okay, I'd say "shoe size" if he were wearing shoes.

On the plus side, Trip finally showed something approaching emotion, and didn't make any "boonies" comments about Pallet, though he's managed to make the word "basic" really annoying to hear.