Review JN018: Satoshi Participates! The Pokémon World Championships!!

[dman_dustin]

Apparently Pisces is a girl!?

.....Am I the only one who is shocked by that?

I'm not since the VA list came out before the preview which showed Pisces with a female voice actor, the preview just sort of made sense given that it was a woman older than Ash. Not sure why a female voice actor would voice a male character in whatever age Pisces is.

In other words, the only way I was expecting Pisces to be a male character is if it was a kid around Ash's age.

 

[P_S_B]

Apparently Pisces is a girl!?

.....Am I the only one who is shocked by that?

I was shocked when Gou's Grandmother was referred to as his grandmother because she looked so masculine. Long story short I get the distinct impression that one of the new character designers is about as good at drawing females as the girl who wrote last week's episode is at writing Ash.

 

[90'sPokéfan]

There were/are still people who insist this series is a (soft) reboot. I guess todays episode is yet another sign this is not the case since Ash's gym battle with Lt. Surge from his original Kanto journey is mentioned. (And hooray, for the first time in forever we saw Pokéballs hanging on a belt in this flashback. )

I did like the battle. And at least Pikachu didn't defeat yet another Raichu, the honor was Gengar's this time around.

Funny how Pisces adobted the speed strategy with Electrode, just like how Ash used speed to defeat Lt. Surge the first time around.

 

[Silktree]

Women can be bodybuilders. It's a thing even if the anime hasn't showcased them before (maybe it has). Pisces' face is feminine enough.

It's pretty clear that Lt. Surge wasn't used for this episode because they didn't want to retread Pikachu vs. Raichu (just remind us of it), and it would have been weird to see Pikachu retreat like that with Lt. Surge involved. I'll wait for the subtitles, but I would think that Pisces' Raichu would be a new one.

The badge montage was probably a reference to Ash's past, but I wouldn't be surprised if Giovanni ended up returning to the gym after Agatha temporarily replaced him. I don't believe that he's ever been exposed; even Ash only knows him as Team Rocket's boss, but not as a gym leader. As for Koga, given that Lance isn't a champion anymore, it might be weird for Koga to be an Elite Four member (even in Johto). There is still a chance that Janine will pull a Pisces, as it were.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Did anyone else notice that Blaine's silhouette was that of his game self, not the one we saw back in season 1?

 

[BigDocFan]

The animation this episode was just outstanding, the quality I expect from the dream animation team

Really hope they work on all future PWC battle episodes

 

[Silktree]

Did anyone else notice that Blaine's silhouette was that of his game self, not the one we saw back in season 1?

Sure, but I'd say that Lt. Surge's design change is more significant. Blaine could have feasibly cut his hair and grown a mustache.

 

[P_S_B]

Did anyone else notice that Blaine's silhouette was that of his game self, not the one we saw back in season 1?

Erika looked like she had her game/M17 kimono on instead of the dress she wore in the original episode. She did wear a kimono in the perfume shop, but that one didn't match this one/her game one either.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I went to watch this episode for my baby Raichu (as much as I criticise the anime, I am morally obliged to watch every Raichu episode there is).

They basically did something equivalently good to the hypothetical synopsis I provided in the preview thread! The opening scene with Farfetch'd and Psyduck was actually comedic, far better than a slot of slapstick comedy from Sun/Moon.

Raichu defeating challengers with that powerful Volt Tackle is the type of formidable the species is.

Surge references! Really glad to see Ash and Pikachu didn’t forget their battle since it’s a really important part of Pikachu's character.
Raichu lifting weights with its tail is something that must be cherished and protected at all costs. The tail power is visible battle, too!
Them cleaning the battlefield after the battle is a realistic touch.
I'll need subs for the Pisces-Ash conversation, and Giovanni is the "canon" gym leader?I hope he's featured and not replaced by someone else. The glimpses from Surge's battle were lovely.

ARE MY EYES DECEIVING ME? THEY ACTUALLY ENDED A PIKACHU VS RAICHU WITHOUT A CONCLUSION?
They're actually capable of writing a battle where the Raichu doesn’t suffer a humiliating defeat and is a egotistical jerk? Where was this battle all these years? I guess they realised the ridiculousness of the practice after 23 years.

That was some nice action from Gengar. What's the punch-like move it has? It looked like Bullet Punch but not sure if Gengar can learn it.
Electrode was excellent in battle, much better than I expect a ball to battle, it was nice that it put back the pieces of the battlefield back since I wondered "How would the poor workers clean that?"

Secondary notes:

• Is the Rotom drone English/Galarian? The English words seemed like they had accents to them, and they sounded oddly English instead of Japanese.
• Go hasn’t even noticed Raboot's indifference yet? It was pretty strange. And I need subs for the part where he goes to capture a Spearow to know what he says to Raboot. It wouldn’t have gone if it were truly disobedient, but not sure.
• Speaking of Raboot, it’s pretty clear they’re hinting about it battling. Since Go isn’t eager for that, and it would be redundant to have both Ash and Go in the world championships, I can see it being lent to Ash for a battle.
  In any other series I'd have smelt a trade, since it reminds me of Dawn's Buizel's situation, but since it’s Go's main Pokemon on the poster, I'm not sure. I'd really love if Ash got it, but I’m not sure if that's where are they going with it.

9/10, probably my second favourite episode after Leon vs Lance.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Turns out that her name isn't Pisces. It's Visquez.

 

[dman_dustin]

That was some nice action from Gengar. What's the punch-like move it has? It looked like Bullet Punch but not sure if Gengar can learn it.

It was ice punch.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I went to watch this episode for my baby Raichu (as much as I criticise the anime, I am morally obliged to watch every Raichu episode there is).

They basically did something equivalently good to the hypothetical synopsis I provided in the preview thread! The opening scene with Farfetch'd and Psyduck was actually comedic, far better than a slot of slapstick comedy from Sun/Moon.

Raichu defeating challengers with that powerful Volt Tackle is the type of formidable the species is.

Surge references! Really glad to see Ash and Pikachu didn’t forget their battle since it’s a really important part of Pikachu's character.
Raichu lifting weights with its tail is something that must be cherished and protected at all costs. The tail power is visible battle, too!
Them cleaning the battlefield after the battle is a realistic touch.
I'll need subs for the Pisces-Ash conversation, and Giovanni is the "canon" gym leader?I hope he's featured and not replaced by someone else. The glimpses from Surge's battle were lovely.

ARE MY EYES DECEIVING ME? THEY ACTUALLY ENDED A PIKACHU VS RAICHU WITHOUT A CONCLUSION?
They're actually capable of writing a battle where the Raichu doesn’t suffer a humiliating defeat and is a egotistical jerk? Where was this battle all these years? I guess they realised the ridiculousness of the practice after 23 years.

That was some nice action from Gengar. What's the punch-like move it has? It looked like Bullet Punch but not sure if Gengar can learn it.
Electrode was excellent in battle, much better than I expect a ball to battle, it was nice that it put back the pieces of the battlefield back since I wondered "How would the poor workers clean that?"

Secondary notes:

• Is the Rotom drone English/Galarian? The English words seemed like they had accents to them, and they sounded oddly English instead of Japanese.
• Go hasn’t even noticed Raboot's indifference yet? It was pretty strange. And I need subs for the part where he goes to capture a Spearow to know what he says to Raboot. It wouldn’t have gone if it were truly disobedient, but not sure.
• Speaking of Raboot, it’s pretty clear they’re hinting about it battling. Since Go isn’t eager for that, and it would be redundant to have both Ash and Go in the world championships, I can see it being lent to Ash for a battle.
  In any other series I'd have smelt a trade, since it reminds me of Dawn's Buizel's situation, but since it’s Go's main Pokemon on the poster, I'm not sure. I'd really love if Ash got it, but I’m not sure if that's where are they going with it.

9/10, probably my second favourite episode after Leon vs Lance.

Glad to see a fellow Raichu fan being happy for this episode too!

 

[RahmaFatima]

What was the OP animation like? Did Raboot replace Scorbunny? ( I haven't watched the episode yet as I am still waiting for subs.)

 

[legendz1985]

What was the OP animation like? Did Raboot replace Scorbunny? ( I haven't watched the episode yet as I am still waiting for subs.)

Still the same.

 

[Egakor]

This episode was great.
Ash still remembers Surge and his Gym Challenge.
It seems Ash has become famous with Vermilion's Gym Trainer because of his battle with Lt. Surge.
Ash wants to battle Lt. Surge again.
Lt. Surge is training to get stronger. Pisces said she will tell Lt. Surge about Ash and Lt. Surge might be itching to have a rematch with Ash.

 

[dman_dustin]

Turns out that her name isn't Pisces. It's Visquez.

Sounded like Pisces to me but with an honorific similar to something like "satoshi kun" for example. But unless its said clearly it'll have that mumble I am not sure quality like how quite a few years ago during best wishes when for some reason I could not hear Rica/Satoshi telling "Pokabu/Tepig" to use "hinoko/ember" in that one episode (the capture episode? I think)

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Lt. Surge is training to get stronger. Pisces said she will tell Lt. Surge about Ash and Lt. Surge might be itching to have a rematch with Ash.

It's Visquez.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Glad to see a fellow Raichu fan being happy for this episode too!

Raichu is one of the first Pokemon I've ever seen, and my trusty partner in my first Pokemon battling experience; an online game where you could actually choose a starter Pikachu and evolve it where I raised it all the way to level 100. It will always have a special place in my heart.
The Summer Academy Raichu back from DP was really appreciated by me too for not being a jerk.

 

[radek.tadajewski.7]

This battle was great, but did the opening theme get updated to include Go's Raboot in place of Scorhbunny?

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

This battle was great, but did the opening theme get updated to include Go's Raboot in place of Scorhbunny?

Nope. The opening introduction was updated, though.