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Review XY042: Team Battle! Competing for the Hall of Fame!!

This was a great episode. I'm definitely pleased with this one.

Well, it appears Bunnelby actually gets to do something today. Glad he gets to make up for his lack of activity in the last competition. And I really liked how Serena combined her attack with Ash's to make a more powerful combination attack. It was nice to see the teamwork in the battles. Okay, I don't get what's up with Tierno's crew's Pokemon, or basically any Pokemon that TR steal. If they were under they impression that they were being brought to a Pokemon Center, shouldn't they have thought something was up when they ended up in the woods? Not that I expect much realism in this show when the plot calls for certain situations... My man, Bunnelby! Not only does he battle, but he helps to locate the missing Pokemon with his amazing hearing. And so does Fennekin, using her sense of smell! I just love how these 2 took over during this issue with Pikachu actually taking a back seat.

The actual battle was good. Squirtle and Tierno's dance moves were my favorite part of the battle. I'm glad Serena got to contribute. Sucks that Fennekin had to get hammered by Squirtle twice, but I figured as much anyway. At least she wasn't completely helpless and was able to take a few hits before fainting. I really liked Trevor using Charmander's Flame Burst to get extra damage on Pikachu in the battle. And it was great that Trevor and Tierno worked together to protect Shauna's Bulbasaur when it was charging its Solar Beam. Ash and Clemont did great at the end. It was nice to see the combinations they used to help each other out, specifically when Chespin grabbed Pikachu with Vine Whip. I am a bit disappointed that Pikachu was the only one to knock out the opponents, but at the same time I liked seeing Chespin in a more supportive role due to the fact that his species is so big on defense. I'm glad Ash's team won, but I would have been happy regardless as I like all of these characters.

I loved how Ash asked Tierno to teach him his dance battling tactics. I can only hope he ends up using them in the upcoming gym battle, and maybe even others in the future. I can without a doubt say that I loved this arc much more than the preceding one. I'll give this episode alone a 9.7/10.
 
It's interesting to note that Serena was shown visibly upset even though her team won. Both her and Fennekin were upset by losing first, so I'm hoping she is motivated to do some training with Fennekin.
 
I really liked this episode:

~A Team Triple Battle is a neat way to end the camp stay. I must say, I've been very impressed with this camp's schedule.

~Team Rocket. Sigh. You guys took something great and essentially destroyed it. I felt that their plan to kidnap Pikachu and the other Pokemon really undermined all that hard work they did in the previous episodes. Seriously! I would have preferred if they went the League route and actually refrained from trying to catch Ash & Co's Pokemon. Instead, they could have used this time to save the large amount of raises that the head madame was giving them, in addition to a little character development. I think that would have been a better route.
~And just how did Madame Catherine find them so easily and quickly in the woods?

~Yay for Fennekin and Bunnelby for taking some initiative. Especially Bunnelby! In fact, that whole rescue scene was gold.

~The Triple Battle! I really enjoyed it. Clearly the name of the game was to have the lancer, Pikachu, take out the opposing opposition. Spotlight stealing much? Yes, but it got the job done. Fennekin and Chespin did a great job supporting that. It was also good to see Squirtle make use of its shell to repel attacks and Flame Burst's side effect. And Razor Leaf now is made of energy rather than actual leaves (looked alot like Magical Leaf to me...)? Also, kudos to Serena for that combination move earlier.

~Alas poor Fennekin. Though I was happy to see both her and her trainer visibly disappointed in their loss. At least it shows that they actually care about losing. Hopefully, this will spark Serena do some training to become stronger. And given the Fennekin vs Squirtle match we saw today (and all the development its displayed at the camp in general), Fennekin shouldn't show any more fickleness when it comes to battling trainers or wild Pokemon.

~Fireworks, naturally, and a memory montage ring everything to a close. And it seems to be officially established that these three are the groups' rivals. Yet Ash still has no rival to compete in Kalos League with. Oh well.

A very nice episode indeed, with plenty of Pokemon on-screen action.
 
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Just adding here that Shauna's Bulbasaur's leaf attack was Razor Leaf, not Petal Dance.

It's interesting to note that Serena was shown visibly upset even though her team won. Both her and Fennekin were upset by losing first, so I'm hoping she is motivated to do some training with Fennekin.

She wasn't upset for long. Ash and the others cheered her up by saying that she still did a good job.

Serena may still keep Fennekin on the sidelines.
 
She wasn't upset for long. Ash and the others cheered her up by saying that she still did a good job.

Serena may still keep Fennekin on the sidelines.
True, but the very fact she was disappointed gives me hope. Tomioka did wonders with Serena (contrasted to what she got before this arc) and given this was another work of him, I am hoping something comes out of it.
 
There was no point of cheering Serena and Fennekin up. They deserved that kinda lose and that cheering up will keep them from showing real progress for a while. It was just a heads-up. That slap about them being complete waste deserves a real, critical moment which should be especially written for them. An embarrassing team fight performance just won't cut it.
 
So it wasn't just me that understood that Ash asked for Tierno's help to learn how to dance while battling for his Gym Battle against Korrina. Great! I really like this type of continuity and it could make the Gym Battle extra fun.

I really like the vibe of the episode. It wasn't the most creative, but it was made with such care and attention to details that I'm in love with it. That whole scene with ER was so dynamic and fast paced. And the battle was great! So so fun to watch. And Serena being disappointed was something she had to learn to deal with and that Ash did too at the beginning. This was a very good scene as well.
 
There was no point of cheering Serena and Fennekin up. They deserved that kinda lose and that cheering up will keep them from showing real progress for a while. It was just a heads-up. That slap about them being complete waste deserves a real, critical moment which should be especially written for them. An embarrassing team fight performance just won't cut it.

Oh? And what they should have done? Scold them for never caring much about battling and training until now? Not all people have to be battlers from the get-go, you know. It would be like somebody coming here to scold me for never becoming a doctor even if I'm mildly interested in medicine and for "wasting" my time by drawing "stupid" and "useless" comics as a job.

Besides, they don't even suck that much, since the battle against Furfrou, Manectric and Fletchling went rather smoothly and Fennekin successfully combined her Hidden Power with Pikachu's Electro Ball. They need to hone their skills and power, that's for sure, but being too critical on people who have had only their third battle (if we consider the match vs. Shauna and the mostly skipped Triple Battle) isn't exactly the way to go.

Also, another point: both Serena and Fennekin were visibly upset about their loss. I think that shows that they care about losing and that served as a good wake-up call, after which they will try to improve from this time onwards. That's definitely a different approach from the usual, overused "battler from the beginning". I hope that they will finally grow up as characters, since I don't want to see this whole setup go to waste.
 
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I don't consider the opening scene as a battle. Their opponent just stood there to take the hit. It was one of the weakest scenes of entire series if you ask me. If you have a opinion based on the scene, I wouldn't take it seriously, to be honest.
Also, Serena is the main protagonist alongside Ash. That means she should get a scene just for her. It was like hearing tick-tocks of a clock before the alarm. The alarm will come later.

Lastly, if you're a main protagonist in the anime, you should battle. That's that. There is no contrary. Like it or not.

Edit: Whole setup? Really? WHOLE setup?! Like there is something serious before? It took 40 episodes to think about her goal and it took 42 episodes that she gets worried about her and her Pokemon's performance on something. *
*: I know, I know. You don't have to battle to be a good trainer, in your opinion. But if you want to just pet and walk around, get a dog or car already, not a Pokemon.
 
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Lastly, if you're a main protagonist in the anime, you should battle. That's that. There is no contrary. Like it or not.
Max. Bonnie. Serena.
Should I have say co-star rather than protagonist?

Although, let's go with protagonist;
Yeah. Two of them aren't eligible for being a trainer.:lol: And one of them got to keep a Pokemon despite the age.:lol:

The last edit: We're not talking about a CotD. A Pokemon can not be treated as just a pet.
You can criticize me for my opinions. But Serena and Fennekin showed some cockiness and pettiness earlier in the series based on absolute nothing, like they're already good at something(or at least had an intention). If they tried to be like in Summer Camp from the beginning, then showed that cocky traits, I wouldn't be so negative towards them.

PS: We're going off topic right now and I don't want to get a warning. If one of you pals still wants to discuss, you can sen a PM.
 
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I thought Serena did a great job in this episode.

First of all, being a trainer was never her intention. And she has made this very clear. And that's okay! Not everyone has to be a trainer who collects badges, or a coordinator who vies for ribbons, or a breeder who breeds powerful Pokemon, or etc etc etc. You know, some people just want to play with the cute monsters; as said by the famous Professor Oak: "For some people, Pokémon are pets." Heck, if I had a Fennekin I would probably be fawning and cuddling over it 24/7 as well.

Thus given her disposition, I thought it was great that Serena even battled at all these past few episodes. And she was eager too. I mean, she went from standard sidelines girl to action chick combining moves with Ash's Pikachu to knock out opponents in a span of a couple episodes. That's character development.

As for battle against Shauna, Tierno and Trevor, her Fennekin kept being targeted by Squirtle's Water moves (the same moves the Fox Pokemon wanted nothing to do with a while back mind you). Thus given basic Pokemon knowledge, it shouldn't be that hard to swallow that it lost after being pounded by a super effective Water Gun and Aqua Tail (with a little Razor Leaf to boot). And it isn't like Serena just stood there; she valiantly tried to negate the Aqua Tail with Hidden Power, but Squirtle was just too strong.

Finally, she was actually upset about losing, indicating that she actually cared about her loss, the battle, her strengths, her team, her training, her identity, everything. People shouldn't be that hard on someone who is visibly trying, and battling isn't exactly easy. She's just going her own pace in life, and there's nothing wrong with that.
 
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