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

[FinnishPokéFan92]

So, you think Naganadel is going to stick around? Or is it going to pull a Goodra and leave once its business is finished?

I unfortunately think the latter option is likely, but we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I hope it pulls a goodra. Poor thing doesn’t deserve to stay Oaked away from its own folk. I also hope Kukui offers to keep Torracat with himself for training.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

Well, after all those great league battle I must admit I was a bit disappointed for the first time again and I hereby join the club of critics:

When Ash and Dia first faced off against Akujiking, it was presented as a massive threat, if not even as the main threat in Alola.
But in this week's episode, all of a sudden, the voracious Pokemon was presented WAY too harmless, just like an "ordinary" Ultra Beast so to speak. Something that could just be pushed back into its world with a few Z-moves... Sure, Z-moves are damn strong but still, this felt too easy.
Also, the three battles got more and more uncreative. In the first battle (Island Kings and the four Tapus), they first of all had to render Akujiking unable to move before the could even start attacking. In the second battle, Ash's friends from the Pokemon School were just using seven Z-moves and that was enough. And in the third battle, Ash and Kukui "only" needed two Z-moves to lift that massive beast into its ultra worm hole. Seriously?

I'll tell you what was wrong with that episode: It was simply way too rushed! For a crisis as massive as this one, you would at least expect a two or a three-parter.
I guess the writers' good intention was to show us all the nice Z-moves once again before Alola is over, but it resulted in an episode that felt too rushed. What a pity! Those 20 minutes could have been used better!

 

[El Squibbonator]

I hope it pulls a goodra. Poor thing doesn’t deserve to stay Oaked away from its own folk. I also hope Kukui offers to keep Torracat with himself for training.

Ash should at least keep Torracat. This is a Pokemon that joined him after its original mentor figure, Stoutland, died, and went thorough a significant character development arc compared to the rest of Ash's Pokemon. For him to just dump it with Kukui would be a ripoff.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Ash should at least keep Torracat. This is a Pokemon that joined him after its original mentor figure, Stoutland, died, and went thorough a significant character development arc compared to the rest of Ash's Pokemon. For him to just dump it with Kukui would be a ripoff.

No, it wouldn’t be a ripoff since Kukui did more to train Torracat than Ash ever did. Torracat joined Ash entirely because Ash would help it to train, but that rarely happens.
It’s be better than rotting at Oak's.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

So...

We just gonna ignore Ash sending Guzzlord to Naganadel's dimension or...

Both plot-wise and animation-wise, it was a terrible episode:

Animation was bad. More than half of the episode is recycled material like Z-move stock animation and the flashback, not to mention all those still images. Even Precure fillers are better than that at not using stock animation.
Plot was bad. Four different Ultra Holes appeared at the same time and at the same place, without any reason given. Agoyon too randomly returned without any reason.
I can't believe they didn't do anything with Mohn. It was the perfect timing!

The best part of the episode is that Lana's background is still borked from when she used it against Guzma - you can see the edges of the background image

 

[Nicolas721]

The episode was another "Z-moves are awesome unless you are battling Ash then they become slower than a Shuckle" party like the Necrozma Arc, but it was kinda fun. In spite of the recycled animation and the plot points coming from nowhere I had a fun time with the interactions, seeing things like Gladion and Hau cooperating with the other partners and Ash and Kukui battling together were great. I also liked how everyone used Ash's strategy about aiming for the second head.

It has obvious flaws and contrivances, like not using Team Skull, Kukui having a second Electrium Z for the sake of referencing SM101, the battles being rushed as hell and Ash being the champion receiving almost no mentions. And If they don't explain the Ultra holes with something like "It's because Mohn is trying to come back" or a simple "They were attracted to the lots of Z-moves used during the league" I'll be disappointed and I'll take some points of it. But as for what it is I had a fun 20 minutes watching it. 6.5/10

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

I think the real highlight of this episode was the Guzzlords just screaming.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

For me, it's less the fact that Guzzlord were taken care of so easily and more that I really don't like the continuing inconsistent feel of "are Z-Moves OP or not?", since there are a bunch of other situations where they get dodged/withstood/countered left and right...

But then when it comes to certain battles, and now what are lore-wise supposed to be the strongest and most dangerous UBs, Z-Moves just magically solve the problem.

It wouldn't be so bad if they could just make up their minds, rather than subjecting Z-Moves to the constant back and forth of being as strong or weak as they need to be.

But what bothers me most is...

If Naganadel was coming back anyway, then it didn't even need to leave in the first place. Like, really.

Sure, it missed home, but looking at the big picture... If they just waited until the end of Alola for it to go home, it would've only actually had to be away from home for a few months longer, tops. It wouldn't be that huge of a sacrifice on its part.

And everything involving it training, evolving, and learning Thunderbolt could've potentially had much more weight to it that way (but then again, Alola is generally Not Great with battles, and kind of hit or miss with training... still, it'd be better than this.)

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Plot twist: Ash and Kukui accidentally sent Guzzlord to ruin Poipole and Naganadel's world...

So...

We just gonna ignore Ash sending Guzzlord to Naganadel's dimension or...

I did point that out, but I guess people don’t think that detail matters...

 

[Max1996]

Plot twist: Ash and Kukui accidentally sent Guzzlord to ruin Poipole and Naganadel's world...

So...

We just gonna ignore Ash sending Guzzlord to Naganadel's dimension or...

In order for Naganadel to get through using the same Ultra Wormhole (I think?), that one Guzzlord (at the very least) actually came from that world/dimension.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

In order for Naganadel to get through using the same Ultra Wormhole (I think?), that one Guzzlord (at the very least) actually came from that world/dimension.

Not necessarily...
Guzzlord arrived through a different wormhole, and it closed up while Ash and Kukui battled it.
Naganadel arrived from its own wormhole, and Guzzlord was thrown into it, and UBs are not bound to specific wormholes so it’s pretty likely Guzzlord was thrown into Nagnadel's world.

Does this also confirm Naganadel as the second(third?) species that can open wormholes after the Cosmos line?

 

[Max1996]

Not necessarily...
Guzzlord arrived through a different wormhole, and it closed up while Ash and Kukui battled it.
Naganadel arrived from its own wormhole, and Guzzlord was thrown into it, and UBs are not bound to specific wormholes so it’s pretty likely Guzzlord was thrown into Nagnadel's world.

Does this also confirm Naganadel as the second(third?) species that can open wormholes after the Cosmos line?

I thought Naganadel kept the wormhole from fully closing?

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I thought Naganadel kept the wormhole from fully closing?

I remember it being a new wormhole. The one with Guzzlord fully closed up.

 

[Max1996]

I remember it being a new wormhole. The one with Guzzlord fully closed up.

Never mind, then.

 

[SwadloonBoy]

SwadloonBoy’s thoughts on this week’s ep~

• if Kukui doesn’t come clean about his alter ego before this series is over, I’m RIOTING
• TRio planning their scheme for several episodes on end only to be taken down by Guzzlord in 5 seconds <333
• using Baby-Doll eyes to avoid getting eaten is a very brilliant strategy indeed...ugh James was so robbed on his deserved league victory
• Bewear being able to go head-to-head with a Guzzlord makes her a little OP if you ask me
• ok so Bewear has been an annoying character to me for like over 100 episodes, but even I was moved by her intense drive to save her child ;-(
• “when you say “AAAAAAAAAAAAA”, let us tell you our names” LOL
• I’m issuing the writers a challenge to not have a Pokémon with stone edge on the main cast for the Gen 8 anime
• that 11 Z-move montage sure was something, all-right
• I know Lucario is a very overused Pokémon in general who gets to shine way more than a lot of other deserving pokes, but I can’t deny that I was #slayed when Kukui revealed he had one
• Naganadel is back...and now I realize the whole point of this episode was to give Ash a 6th Pokemon for his upcoming full battle with Kukui
• I didn’t even remember that Poipole hadn’t evolved when it left the show LOL...goes to show what a fake fan I am
• HIS MASK FLEW OFF OMG

- all I need next week is for Burnet to slap the shiz out of Kukui for LYING to her about his alter ego for all this time

 

[Twilight-Kun]

“I am he who shares the will of Melemele Island and the Guardian Deity Tapu Koko, the Island King! The time has come to unit our strengths as one! Full-Power Peerless Fists of Fury!”

“Roar, heartbeats of life! O echoes of the bedrock, piercing through the heavens and earth, go, World’s End Fall!”

“May the full power of darkness consume you! Black Hole Eclipse.”

“Vast roots spreading through Poni Island’s soil, bestow upon us your power! Rising Land Over!”

“Dazzling lights, dance! Engrave into the battlefield the name of the ultimate fighter! Ultimate Dragon Burn!”

“My full body, soul, and power, the zenith of all that I am, become a blazing flame that burns like the mountain of Akala! Dynamic Full Flame!”

“Silent ruler of the forest, Decidueye! Here we go! Shadow Arrow Strike!”

“Snow, silently fluttering down from the heavens, countless glimmering crystals of ice. O freezing Z that covers the land, along with my heated soul, return now once more to the heavens. Raging Geo-Freeze!”

“Feel the sprouting grass and trees, and the breath of the forest! Bloom Shine Extra!”

“Embraced by our mother the sea, echo beyond the horizon! Sea God’s Symphonia!”

“Our systems match up perfectly! Full-power program, run! Absolute Predatory Spin-Out!”

"This is our full power! Sparking Gigavolt!"

-
I think they needed more Z-Moves
The episode felt like it was lacking a few

 

[HiroHunter]

This was Z-Move spam the episode and it was boring as hell. The ending was neat but thats it.
1.5 out of 5 stars

 

[Panky..]

Just for fun.

 

[BigDocFan]

Decided not to watch the screaming as I couldn't stand it, at least Marc Swint does a great job in the dub