Review SM098: Splitting Up the Combination!? Satoshi and Rotom

[ii kanji]

Can't believe y'all found it boring - heartless wretches!! Satoshi demonstrated such a lot of beautiful emotion, we never get to see him upset and indulging himself in it. It took him >24hrs to get over it and make it up with Rotom! We also had a lovely and unexpected scene between Satoshi & Lillie.

Also, Big Ben repping it. (Not in 2018 though...)

Spoiler

So, what nudged Rotom into staying? I'm interested in that one detail. This might be a redeeming factor to me. I'll be disappointed if it's just because Laki suddenly didn't want it around.

Laki explained that he had always wanted to be an actor and worked towards that, then asked Rotom what his dream is. Turns out Rotom's dream is to be the world's best zukan (lol), for which "travelling" with Satoshi is more conducive than being a star in his favourite tv show.

 

[Gabo2oo]

Interesting episode. I'm down for any episode where Ash shows these kind of emotions, and the Lillie talk is a huge plus too. Last time someone approached Ash claiming to understand how he feels didn't go very well, to say the least.

The big problem is that this was an opportunity to leave the window open for Rotom to leave by the end of the series, and of course they go and do the direct opposite. Rotom deciding to stay with Ash was fine, but the whole thing about his planned role being filled by someone else and the overseas shooting being cancelled? They're writing themselves into a corner here.

By the way, this Charampino guy is the producer, right? Then why is the director just sitting on his butt while Charampino does all his work during filming? lol

 

[OniCornwalis]

Yeah, I’m going to have to agree with ii kanji that some of you guys are heartless bastards; this is was a very emotional episode that managed to draw me in more than I thought it would.

Say what you will about this episode and how it’s boring because you already know the outcome of the episode, but it’s is handled 10 times better then the “Pikachu leaving” episode from the Original Series due to a couple of key points:
1) The leaving scene occurs in the middle of the episode instead of near the end
2) We get to see both sides of the story instead of just one
3) The grief lasts for more then like 2 hours in in-show time
4) The issue isn’t solved almost immediately
And lastly, what I consider to be the biggest improvement:
5) There isn’t a 3 minute flashback sequence set to a cliche 90s R&B track that contributes nothing to the plot

Then add in the surprising but heartwarming conversation between Lillie and Ash, the amazing voice acting from Ash’s VA, and what I consider to be one of the best moments of anger from Ash in the series when he just straight up says “who cares” when everyone asks about Rotom, and you have an episode that, while not groundbreaking or revolutionary, is much better then you guys are giving it credit for.

Also, watching this episode with subs is a must in order to get the full experience.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Except none of that is true because the last thirty seconds of the episode trolls the audience by saying Rotom only would've been gone for a few days because they were only filming one episode

Ash was also WILDLY out of line by not respecting Rotom’s wishes even though he did the same for older pokémon, like Charizard, Ambipom, Goodra, and Greninja

 

[OniCornwalis]

Except none of that is true because the last thirty seconds of the episode trolls the audience by saying Rotom only would've been gone for a few days because they were only filming one episode

Ash was also WILDLY out of line by not respecting Rotom’s wishes even though he did the same for older pokémon, like Charizard, Ambipom, Goodra, and Greninja

I feel that part of the issue was that, in the past, both Ash and the Pokémon cared when they left, while Rotom just straight up didn’t care at first when the producer said they were going to leave Alola. I mean, if a really good friend of yours didn’t care about someone’s feelings whatsoever when considering leaving for somewhere, then I would be more than a little bit angry. If Rotom had been a bit more considerate of Ash’s feelings, I feel like there wouldn’t have been as big of a fight.

Also, I mentioned nothing about the ending of the episode. I will say that it was a cliche, and that it was pretty bad, but it doesn’t detract from what I’m saying except for my 4th point.

 

[BigDocFan]

Watching the ending where Laki meets Chatot, the background looks a bit like London

 

[yoshib]

You know Ash's reputation is in shambles when the TV Tropes Pantheon implies he and Pikachu are the Status Quo's "toys" who are mentally frozen in time. Even Peter Pan and Bart Simpson have medium awareness, and they, too, don't age.



The whole series has been mostly filler, and I have a feeling that this would be a redoing of Johto and Unova in having several planned subplots scrapped. I can't foresee Guzma appearing, it is too late for Lana and Popplio's arc to be concluded, both the Motherbeast and Necrozma arcs are done, the Ultra Guardians apparently replaced Looker and Anabel's post-game mission, and it is very unlikely Team Rainbow Rocket will be adapted with this series having a 3-7 demographic.

Too much filler leads to the series becoming boring, and while this series has had some good fillers, they seem to be running out of ideas when they just repeat certain clichés. Today's episode reminds me too much of Deep Jungle in Kingdom Hearts and Umbris in Ratchet & Clank, both involving a friendship-breaking fight between the main characters.

youre right. tmaybe they could have done a lot of filler chaper but they did not even use things from the game, like the breeding ranch, the trials, more of mantine surf, battle tree,

Watching the ending where Laki meets Chatot, the background looks a bit like London

youre right, it sounds a bit ilogical

 

[BigDocFan]

youre right, it sounds a bit ilogical

Well subtitles indicate it was shot outside of Alola in a London looking place, similar to how Kalos is based off France, wonder if this means England will form the basis of the next region

 

[yoshib]

Well subtitles indicate it was shot outside of Alola in a London looking place, similar to how Kalos is based off France, wonder if this means England will form the basis of the next region

wow, didnt think about that. i heard gen 8 will be based on india. but, bwe have to wait.
it was really crazy how they introduce eevee. from the new game.

 

[BigDocFan]

wow, didnt think about that. i heard gen 8 will be based on india. but, bwe have to wait.
it was really crazy how they introduce eevee. from the new game.

Just noticed you're a newbie, welcome to the forums

We don't know exactly where region 8 will be based on, I merely said England as a joke

 

[yoshib]

thanks! game freak is good keeping secrets. i think we must wait til next e3 next year to know something. talking about the series, they left a lot of materials and locations without touch. maybe i am wrong. even the school seems to be diferent from the game

 

[yoshib]

yes

Except none of that is true because the last thirty seconds of the episode trolls the audience by saying Rotom only would've been gone for a few days because they were only filming one episode

Ash was also WILDLY out of line by not respecting Rotom’s wishes even though he did the same for older pokémon, like Charizard, Ambipom, Goodra, and Greninja

yes, despite the fact that rotom also have a zmove, hope they dont forget about that

Interesting episode. I'm down for any episode where Ash shows these kind of emotions, and the Lillie talk is a huge plus too. Last time someone approached Ash claiming to understand how he feels didn't go very well, to say the least.

The big problem is that this was an opportunity to leave the window open for Rotom to leave by the end of the series, and of course they go and do the direct opposite. Rotom deciding to stay with Ash was fine, but the whole thing about his planned role being filled by someone else and the overseas shooting being cancelled? They're writing themselves into a corner here.

By the way, this Charampino guy is the producer, right? Then why is the director just sitting on his butt while Charampino does all his work during filming? lol

i will cry a lot when Ash will have to leave Alola.

besides, i was really convinced that Ash was going to kiss Lillie during the beach talk.

 

[JC Daly]

I like emotional episodes (the one that resolves the Mooland/Nyabby situation way earlier in the series might be my fav episode ever), but I was definitely hoping against hope that it'd be an emotional goodbye at the end, rather than a reunion

 

[Twilight-Kun]

I will rejoice when Ash finally gets rid of Rotom and goes back to a regular pokédex

Conversely, I will be screaming in incoherent rage if they find some contrivance to keep it as a member of the cast going forward

 

[yoshib]

I will rejoice when Ash finally gets rid of Rotom and goes back to a regular pokédex

Conversely, I will be screaming in incoherent rage if they find some contrivance to keep it as a member of the cast going forward

i will miss rotom, and all the characters, i wonder how he will be back to kanto, after what. considering the elite four, zeraora, rainbow rocket, and battle tree, and also that Lets Go is already here, maybe they have done a lot of unnecesary fill chapters.

 

[Silktree]

I mean, if a really good friend of yours didn’t care about someone’s feelings whatsoever when considering leaving for somewhere, then I would be more than a little bit angry. If Rotom had been a bit more considerate of Ash’s feelings, I feel like there wouldn’t have been as big of a fight.

I can't judge this episode without having watched it (which I won't), but I would have hated it if Pikachu had actually considered leaving Ash back in the day. It was far more effective for Ash to imagine that Pikachu would be better off without him, and yes, that meant that the drama was concluded quickly.

 

[Rath]

I will rejoice when Ash finally gets rid of Rotom and goes back to a regular pokédex

Conversely, I will be screaming in incoherent rage if they find some contrivance to keep it as a member of the cast going forward

The Rotom Dex is a breakthrough in Pokedex technology, so it'd be really contrived to downgrade back to a regular Pokedex.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

The Rotom Dex is a breakthrough in Pokedex technology, so it'd be really contrived to downgrade back to a regular Pokedex.

Ah yes, because having a pokédex that wanders off and does its own thing instead of telling you what you want is an "upgrade"

And that's not getting into the (game) pokédex entries, which often come across as petty and trying to make other pokémon look bad

 

[yoshib]

I can't judge this episode without having watched it (which I won't), but I would have hated it if Pikachu had actually considered leaving Ash back in the day. It was far more effective for Ash to imagine that Pikachu would be better off without him, and yes, that meant that the drama was concluded quickly.

considering the fact that rotom is a pokemon that has not been catched, i mean, rotom choose to stay with ash, it is not a captured one, is a gift from Kukui. Besides, it will be a great character that we will lose...

Ah yes, because having a pokédex that wanders off and does its own thing instead of telling you what you want is an "upgrade"

And that's not getting into the (game) pokédex entries, which often come across as petty and trying to make other pokémon look bad

bad design that rotom has its camera on the back, making imposible to aim for taking a photograph ...

 

[Rockapheller]

game freak is good keeping secrets.

Off topic but we get 90% information through leaks every time a new region comes.