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Review SM140: Akuziking Invasion! The Great Z-Move Battle!!

Anonymous said:
I am once again unimpressed by the negativity that somehow both Serebii and Bulbagarden had in their review threads
FinnishPokéFan92 is my man all the way
FinnishPokéFan92 said:
Why, thank you! Why such praise?
Anonymous said:
because people act like this episode was a major interruption to their league
At least someone agrees with me about this episode...
 
Why show Acerola and Mina at the closing ceremonies if they weren’t going to join in here?

This episode was okay, compare it to the 5-part, post league, Team Flare finale and it’s bound to feel a bit disappointing.

For all those that say Melmetal doesn’t have an electric move, Ash finally has a second eclectic type move user in Naganadel- even if it only sticks around for 2-3 episodes.
 
This episode was very obviously a case of "oh shit, we have about 7 episodes left to go but only have the budget for 6." There were thirteen Z-Moves, the Rocket motto, flashbacks to previous episode (which is why Dia got that voice credit LOL)...I don't even think I'm exaggerating when I say a full half of this episode was recycled animation.

Hopefully all the animation budget not being used in these last few weeks is being funneled into the first few episodes of the Gen 8 series.
 
I wonder if we’ll get an explanation for so many Ultra Wormholes opening up?

Would it not have been a better idea to have two normal Guzzlord and one shiny?

We’ve no chance of seeing all the ‘regular’ Z-moves now...

I know reusing Z-Move animation is the done thing, but I’d have liked Mallow and Tsareena’s hug to have been unique to their first time at least. Would have made that more special.

All in all, after having no negatives about the tournament (while the rest of you were miserable throughout) I’m quite down on this.
 
Besides, the next episode's title revealed that the crisis would only last for one episode!
That doesn’t make things any less rushed.

As for my review, things were looking promising initially, where the sense of urgency was clearly visible. I seriously didn’t expect a third Guzzlord to pop up which was a surprise. I wis they’d have shown how much destruction the species can cause, as a single one of these ruined Dia's universe's Alola, and here’s three of them got dispatched in five minutes.

I feel the Bewear moment was totally in character for her, since all her strength moments are motivated by protecting Stufful or TR, so it isn’t surprising that she'd shield stufful instead of attacking.

The entire episode just felt like an excuse to milk the Z-Move animations for a last time, seeing as most of the episode was literally spent in Z-Move stock footage.

Now, Lucario being OHKOed makes sense. I wish the Wormhole closing up was treated as a matter of greater concern... instead of it reopening in half a second thanks to Naganadel.
I could spew an entire sludge wave on the horrendous way the entire Naganadel situation was handled... First of all, it’s arrival felt mostly random with no backstory I could discern behind it. It should've arrived earlier and evolved on screen imo (what wouldn't have I traded to replace Melmetal with Naganadel vs Silvally: I can’t believe they passed up UB Killer vs UB battle).

And then Naganadel returns already evolved as a plot device. It knowing Thunderbolt is very in character for it since it was always fascinated with Pikachu's light, and now it can generate the same light itself! Honestly the one good bit in the final segment of the episode.

But that was also overshadowed by the part of Kukui somehow randomly having an Electrium Z, and Naganadel being able to use a Z-Move abruptly without its trainer for the first time?

5/10

Tried to get people hyped up but failed miserably. I’m sorry, stock footage and random plot devices doesn’t get people hyped up. Some factors were good, sone were bad: mostly I’m meh on the execution of the episode. Would’ve benefited from being a two parter.

I wanted Poipole to return and evolve but NOT like this.
 
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I tjought was great Bewear being saved by mecha Bewear Of team rocket thought to be funny
I’m happy that team rocket saved her and her baby as they were about to leave them behind to fight off guzzlord to do their mission to steal Pokémon lol

Ash vs Kiwai is really 6 vs 6 battle???
 
Just watched it raw, but with all of the negative remarks regarding recycled animation, rushed plot, and the poor execution of Poipole's return as a Naganadel, I'm actually okay with the episode. I don't like it, but I don't hate it. Let's hope the next episode can deliver what they've promised.

At least someone agrees with me about this episode...

I agree with you. I'm a bit meh on it, but I loved some scenes especially the ending of it.

And it's not just in Serebii and Bulbagarden forums. Twitter is getting some negativity as well.

It kinda warms my heart that not only does Naganadel still act the same, but learned Thunderbolt out of inspiration from Pikachu. But as for Bewear, I think Team Rocket saving it for once will lead into what let's Bewear let them go.

Same here about Naganadel learning Thunderbolt. Poipole did look up to Pikachu and just learning that move just for Pikachu is a bit heartwarming in my opinion.
 
Same here about Naganadel learning Thunderbolt. Poipole did look up to Pikachu and just learning that move just for Pikachu is a bit heartwarming in my opinion.
That was honestly, in hindsight, one of the few things that makes the episode neutral rather than bad for me.

To clarify, I don’t really hate the episode, but it was meh and could be vastly better if two episodes were devoted to the conflict.
 
That doesn’t make things any less rushed.

As for my review, things were looking promising initially, where the sense of urgency was clearly visible. I seriously didn’t expect a third Guzzlord to pop up which was a surprise. I wis they’d have shown how much destruction the species can cause, as a single one of these ruined Dia's universe's Alola, and here’s three of them got dispatched in five minutes.

I feel the Bewear moment was totally in character for her, since all her strength moments are motivated by protecting Stufful or TR, so it isn’t surprising that she'd shield stufful instead of attacking.

The entire episode just felt like an excuse to milk the Z-Move animations for a last time, seeing as most of the episode was literally spent in Z-Move stock footage.

Now, Lucario being OHKOed makes sense. I wish the Wormhole closing up was treated as a matter of greater concern... instead of it reopening in half a second thanks to Naganadel.
I could spew an entire sludge wave on the horrendous way the entire Naganadel situation was handled... First of all, it’s arrival felt mostly random with no backstory I could discern behind it. It should've arrived earlier and evolved on screen imo (what wouldn't have I traded to replace Melmetal with Naganadel vs Silvally: I can’t believe they passed up UB Killer vs UB battle).

And then Naganadel returns already evolved as a plot device. It knowing Thunderbolt is very in character for it since it was always fascinated with Pikachu's light, and now it can generate the same light itself! Honestly the one good bit in the final segment of the episode.

But that was also overshadowed by the part of Kukui somehow randomly having an Electrium Z, and Naganadel being able to use a Z-Move abruptly without its trainer for the first time?

5/10

Tried to get people hyped up but failed miserably. I’m sorry, stock footage and random plot devices doesn’t get people hyped up.

I wanted Poipole to return and evolve but NOT like this.
I honestly didn't expect the episode to be dragged out for 2 epsiodes or anything, Ash handled a Guzzlord before with one other person and now there's multiple people. So it wasn't the biggest threat anymore. Sure maybe the episode was an excuse to show off every z-move, but it's still within the realms of how Ash beat him last time.
 
I honestly didn't expect the episode to be dragged out for 2 epsiodes or anything, Ash handled a Guzzlord before with one other person and now there's multiple people. So it wasn't the biggest threat anymore. Sure maybe the episode was an excuse to show off every z-move, but it's still within the realms of how Ash beat him last time.
It just didn’t rub me the right way how literally half the episode was Z-Move stock footage.

The last time Ash dealt with a Guzzlord it had destroyed an entire region, so I expected some difficulty in dealing with 3 of them. It was actually about to happen when the third wormhole closed but Naganadel was the plot armour that opened it up within one second of closure.

Kukui using a Z-Move with Naganadel was also a bad decision imo.
 
It just didn’t rub me the right way how literally half the episode was Z-Move stock footage.

The last time Ash dealt with a Guzzlord it had destroyed an entire region, so I expected some difficulty in dealing with 3 of them. It was actually about to happen when the third wormhole closed but Naganadel was the plot armour that opened it up within one second of closure.

Kukui using a Z-Move with Naganadel was also a bad decision imo.
Personally I don't see why. If Ash told Kukui how he handled Guzzlord last time with 2 Gigavolt Havocs, Kukui just made use with the fact it knows Thunderbolt. Plus even if Guzzlord Destroyed a whole region, it still took 2 trainers to beat it.
 
Personally I don't see why. If Ash told Kukui how he handled Guzzlord last time with 2 Gigavolt Havocs, Kukui just made use with the fact it knows Thunderbolt. Plus even if Guzzlord Destroyed a whole region, it still took 2 trainers to beat it.
Well, using specifically Gigavolt Havoc isn’t necessary as we know. Kukui just happened to have the Z-Crystal on hand, and in addition, I just didn’t think it was good plot wise that Kukui was the one using it with Naganadel, since Ash has a bond and the ownership of it, not Kukui.

It would’ve been better imo if Ash was commanding the first ever Z-Move of his Pokemon instead of another trainer. Or if Kukui used another Pokemon or move.

But I guess they needed both Pikachu and Naganadel to use the move at the same time...
 
Well, using specifically Gigavolt Havoc isn’t necessary as we know. Kukui just happened to have the Z-Crystal on hand, and in addition, I just didn’t think it was good plot wise that Kukui was the one using it with Naganadel, since Ash has a bond and the ownership of it, not Kukui.

It would’ve been better imo if Ash was commanding the first ever Z-Move of his Pokemon instead of another trainer. Or if Kukui used another Pokemon or move.

But I guess they needed both Pikachu and Naganadel to use the move at the same time...
Ownership is a strong word for Naganadel, but Kukui does technically have a bond with Poipole as well, I mean it did use to live with them
 
Ownership is a strong word for Naganadel, but Kukui does technically have a bond with Poipole as well, I mean it did use to live with them
Trainer if not ownership? Ash clearly has a stronger bond with it, just rewatch the Poipole release scene. It pulled at my heartstrings... only for Naganadel using a Z-Move with someone else when it finally returned.
 
Trainer if not ownership? Ash clearly has a stronger bond with it, just rewatch the Poipole release scene. It pulled at my heartstrings... only for Naganadel using a Z-Move with someone else when it finally returned.
Even so, structure wise I can see why, cause Inferno Overdrive was already used, and a dark type z-move was also used already, so Incineroar using those z-moves would feel like repetion of z-move types in one episode, but Electric wasn't shown off yet, so I think they just worked from there.
 
Even so, structure wise I can see why, cause Inferno Overdrive was already used, and a dark type z-move was also used already, so Incineroar using those z-moves would feel like repetion of z-move types in one episode, but Electric wasn't shown off yet, so I think they just worked from there.
Steel or giving Kukui’s blank slate of a team something that can use an electric move?
 
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