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Review XY067: Miare Gym Battle! Satoshi VS Citron!!

Mareepy

Psycho Tsutarja fans
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
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Episode page here

This sooo hyped up battle DO live up to its name.. although I will prefer it to be a two-parter... but oh well.

Pikachu is basically using Earthquake with Iron Tail... double damage of to a Digging Pokemon.. bad for you Bunnelby.

That Thunder Wave crippling actually works better than I thought, Kudos to Clemont for that. But Dragon Tail don't phase makes me raise an eyebrow.

Predicting Heliolisk's location? Is that all you have? Its.... actually incredible fast thinking! Who am I to joke? Kudos to Ash for that. That KO from Hawlucha was well deserved.

Goodra using Rain Dance to activate Hydration to get rid of Paralysis and taking hits like a total boss. I love how this battle is a close call in the end, but why not Dragon Pulse? It has to be bide? It fits Goodra's role as a tank though, I can't really complain.

The ending scene with all of them together is actually sweet. I found myself smiling at that scene.

The only thing I do not understand is why Shota isn't watching the battle. It could have been a good build up for the character.

11/10 An outstanding episode. But not super outstanding.
 
Glad to see Hawlucha got a win in. Glad to see he (I think Hawlucha is male) won't become a Torterra. And hopefully the Pikachu haters will lay off now that Pikachu lost in a gym battle.
 
Am I the only one who's a bit disappointed? It wasn't bad but it didn't live up to the hype. I suppose it was because there was so much more going on, but the battles pace was broken up painfully, setting it aside from the battles with Grant and Ramos.
 
Am I the only one who's a bit disappointed? It wasn't bad but it didn't live up to the hype. I suppose it was because there was so much more going on, but the battles pace was broken up painfully, setting it aside from the battles with Grant and Ramos.

Yeah its because too much is going on, the pace was relatively fast but awkward. Especially Goodra, it is pretty much the one Pokemon that dragged the pace to a VERY slow one all of a sudden when battling Luxray. I find the pace fast up util that point.

Bunnelby got knocked out too fast, its like he is there just to act out the battle they met again. Although if that Iron Tail acted as Earthquake Bunnelby will really get KO'ed.

Heliolisk got one shotted, I don't remember it getting hit at all and even if he was the Parabolic Charge should have done its job. But its a Super Effective High Jump Kick in the face... so I can't complain either.

Luxray basically just spammed Wild Charge... if there is really one thing I can complain of. And Bide instead of everything else, but it seems to be like its theme ever since Goomy, I can't complain again.

But the positive of this battle is Ash's quick thinking and ofcourse the surprise reveal of Hydration. The second Paralysis is healed I am like 'WOW WOW WOW WHAT HAPPENED?" (it's not like I don't know Goodra can have that ability, its just I never thought the writers are using it) and then that determination of both Ash and Goodra. And ofcourse the way Clemont accept the defeat.

Ah and one more thing I forgot to say is how I would like Shota to be in this episode. He could have showed up for a rematch or just a talk with Clemont, and then the screen at the Gym Door says a battle is going on and showed it to him Live. And he could be all impressed by it. Or the screen could simply show him the way to the audience seat.

In other word, the battle is actually filled with a heck lot of flaws that I wish can be better but then I cannot complain. But Ash and Clemont are the one that made this episode for me.
 
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The Gym Battles in this series have been really entertaining so far, and this one was especially fun to watch...If not for the production quality, then for those really nice plays on Ash's part.
 
I absolutely loved the animation in this episode. One of the best looking episodes in recent memory.
 
I absolutely loved the animation in this episode. One of the best looking episodes in recent memory.

Agreed! If anything, this battle was incredibly stunning to watch.

Seriously, that scene where Hawlucha used Flying Press and Helioisk countered with Flash just before collision and then ran off??? They did such a fantastic job with depicting Heliolisk's swift movements, I was so impressed! Therefore, I'd say Heliolisk's battles were my favorite ones here.

As for the episode itself, it really was great!! I've been looking forward to this battle for what feels like forever, and while I honestly can't say that it fully lived up to my expectations, it was still pretty neat (the animation again.. omg). My main disappointment was probably the last battle between Goodra and Luxray, which wasn't super impressive... Once again, the animation was really cool, but I was disappointed in the execution. After Goodra used Rain Dance, the opening music started, and then we all knew that the climax scene was about to start. The last battle should be the most thrilling one, similiar to the Frogadier Vs. Gogoat battle, where Frogadier was under a constant disadvantage as it struggled against Gogoat's attacks, but then in the end managed to cut through. The same excitement just wasn't present here when Luxray and Goodra battled, at least not for me.

All in all, it was still pretty good. One badge closer to FINALLY seeing Olympia!
 
That Thunder Wave crippling actually works better than I thought, Kudos to Clemont for that. But Dragon Tail don't phase makes me raise an eyebrow.
.

You're kidding, right? it looked like it did the most damage to Goodra than any other attack, unless of course you are talking about the secondary effect of dragon tail, in which case * meh * Goodra was still recalled.
 
You're kidding, right? it looked like it did the most damage to Goodra than any other attack, unless of course you are talking about the secondary effect of dragon tail, in which case * meh * Goodra was still recalled.

Yes, I am surprised that Ash have to do the recall. And the secondary effect switch out is commonly called phase out in competitive battling (I can see you don't do competitive battling just by this). And ofcourse its a Super Effective move, and I do believe it does a lot of damage. (Goodra looks completely hurt at that hit, I can see how much damage it does)

Maybe I should have typed 'phase Goodra out' to be more accurate, but I guess its not too hard to figure out.
 
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That was indeed an awesome battle. Oohashi Aito really stole the show with his cuts, giving weight and gravity to the high-speed and high-intensity battle. The script from Tomioka Atsuhiro was also strong, incorporating previous story elements and the characters' environment to make the battle more interesting.

Pocket Monster XY Episode 70 - Album on Imgur

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But Dragon Tail don't phase makes me raise an eyebrow.

Dragon Tail has never phased anyone out in the anime, so I don't understand your surprise.

Anyway, the episode was very good. As people have mentioned, the animation was lovely (but then again, isn't it usually the case for Gym Battles?). I have to say my favorite part of all was every scene involving Heliolisk. As Chiplet mentioned, the scene where it used Flash before Hawlucha's Flying Press was just gold, as well as using Dragon Tail on Goodra. I like how Clemont tried to alleviate its' Glass Cannon frailness by having it become difficult to hit through accuracy reduction, sheer speed and paralysis (and the new animation for Thunder Wave was amazing)! I also liked how Serena allowed her Pokemon to watch and that group shot at the end was adorable (#selfies).

However, I feel as if the episode didn't necessarily live up to the hype that it was given. If anything, this just felt like a friendly match between two friends who haven't battled each other in a long time. Ash didn't express any explicit concern or worry unlike his previous Kalos Gym Battles; it was as if Ash just knew no matter how hard Clemont tried, Ash would still win.

Also:
~Really wanted Bunnelby to get electrocuted by Thunderbolt or Electro Ball, rather than being knocked out by an Iron Tail.
~The fact that Goodra won the battle with Bide was boring, but practical. I wish Ash would have thrown some Dragon Pulses at Luxray or another attacking move Goodra can learn.
~Why Clemont didn't restart the Electric Terrain, I'll never know. Heck, maybe the boosted electric moves would have knocked out Goodra before Bide was completed.

Additionally the pacing of the battles felt a bit awkward: battle, conversation, action sequence, conversation, battle, next Pokemon. The previous Gym Battles all just seemed a bit more streamlined, both in the battles and music. And yet again, whomever is in charge failed to utilize the Kalos Gym Leader Battle Music. I figured they would use Mad Paced Getter in the finale, although I feel Volt would have been more appropriate. All in all though it was a good battle, and a much better Electric Gym battle than the last three we've been given.
 
Well, I think this is the match a lot of people have been waiting for. How well does it hold up for me? Well...

I was disappointed by the first match. This battle just felt way too rushed and I feel Bunnelby went down far to quickly. It also doesn't help that the beginning of the match was literally a repeat of the battle in XY1. Bunnelby's new addition of Wild Charge also felt totally pointless being only used once and not having much of a major effect on the battle. I also didn't like how Clemont seemed to spam Dig over and over.

I was surprised to see Ash use Goodra as his second choice. I thought he'd be saved for last. Anyway, I was very impressed by Heliolisk's speed. And Bonnie and Dedenne getting dizzy from it was adorable. As soon as Goodra got hit by Dragon Tail and they went to the break, I was sure we'd see Dragon Tail's swap effect. Nope. However, I was happy to see Dedenne noticing Goodra being okay from the attack and looking happy. So Helolisk really does use Thunder Wave from its tail. Well, I guess now I won't think it's as weird whenever I see it in the games.

Moving on to Heliolisk and Hawlucha, this battle looked awesome and is probably my favorite from this entire match. I loved seeing both of these speedy mons battle. Heliolisk's Flash and dodge particularly looked amazing. I like how Ash noticed Heliolisk opening its frills before it used each attack and using that to win. I'm thrilled that Hawlucha got a win here since he didn't get one in his last gym battle.

Now for Luxray. Okay, my biggest problem with Luxray's battles is how Clemont kept spamming Wild Charge over and over. I did think that him biting on Pikachu's Thunderbolt was cool. It was nice that they'd revealed Goodra's Hydration ability. Though the Bide victory was pretty disappointing seeing as that's how he's won almost all of his previous battles. I think it would have been better had he won with his new Dragon Pulse. I'm glad that he won though. That's the main thing I wanted considering his future.

As for something else I really did like, it was how Bonnie was sad for Bunnelby when he lost and cheering for Luxray when beat Hawlucha. I was glad to see that she supported both her brother and friend. I also like how they re-did the "hands in the middle" from XY 3 with Serena and Dedenne.

Overall my biggest issue with this battle was the pace. It seemed really rushed and I think this would have been much better as a 2 part battle. I also wasn't too thrilled that Luxray was the only one of Clemont's Pokemon to get a win. I wish Bunnelby would have at least tied with Pikachu so it wouldn't seem so much like Ash dominated Clemont for most of the match with Luxray just taking out his already weakened mons. In comparison to the last gym battle, I'd say I prefer the former. This one wasn't bad per say, but I just didn't enjoy it as much. I'll say 7.5/10.
 
But Dragon Tail don't phase makes me raise an eyebrow.

Dragon Tail has never phased anyone out in the anime, so I don't understand your surprise.


In XY, the case had been always that the trainer only had one Pokemon with them when the move is used.

They almost redefines every move once a generation. I don't see why I cannot be surprised.

I was sure we'd see Dragon Tail's swap effect. Nope. However, I was happy to see Dedenne noticing Goodra being okay from the attack and looking happy. So Helolisk really does use Thunder Wave from its tail. Well, I guess now I won't think it's as weird whenever I see it in the games.


See? I am not the only one surprised.

@Sakuraa: Your thoughts are almost identical as mine, but I gave a higher rating because I really liked the hands in the middle scene. That scene alone nailed it for me. It was good to see the writers remember things from previous episodes. This time with Serena and Dedenne nonetheless.
 
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But Dragon Tail don't phase makes me raise an eyebrow.

Dragon Tail has never phased anyone out in the anime, so I don't understand your surprise.


In XY, the case had been always that the trainer only had one Pokemon with them when the move is used.

They almost redefines every move once a generation. I don't see why I cannot be surprised.

I was sure we'd see Dragon Tail's swap effect. Nope. However, I was happy to see Dedenne noticing Goodra being okay from the attack and looking happy. So Helolisk really does use Thunder Wave from its tail. Well, I guess now I won't think it's as weird whenever I see it in the games.


See? I am not the only one surprised.

@Sakuraa: Your thoughts are almost identical as mine, but I gave a higher rating because I really liked the hands in the middle scene. That scene alone nailed it for me. It was good to see the writers remember things from previous episodes. This time with Serena and Dedenne nonetheless.

They don't always redefine every move every generation, and there are plenty of moves used in the anime that don't share the game version's mechanics (such as Swift, Aura Sphere, Shock Wave etc being able to miss and other moves not lowering stats as often as they should, etc etc). Thus I can't really see why you'd be surprised or upset that the move didn't phase out. It should, but it didn't and most likely won't ever will. I do like it's green reptilian animation though.
 
Pretty happy with how the battle turned out. The animation was so top notch. I love the way how all the 'mons were darting around the battlefield - especially Elezard. Was very fun to watch. I'm also glad everyone on Satoshi's side got a victory, but a tad bit disappointed that the wins were distributed exactly is I predicted i.e. there weren't any surprises with the outcomes. Last gym I was so shocked that Utsodon of all things took out both Luchabull & Hinoyakoma.

I enjoyed the reveal of Numelgon's Hydration ability & also how Rain Dance cancelled Electric Terrain. Reminds me of how Flare Blitz got rid of Toxic Spikes back in the Sinnoh League.

All in all, I can sort of understand why people would say it didn't live up to the "hype," but it was still really great and I'd say X/Y is 5 for 5 when it comes to gym battles :D.
 
Too bad the writers didn't reveal Luxray's ability. Although he didn't activate Intimidate after being sent out of his Pokéball, so his ability is either Rivalry or Guts(I hope it is the former).
 
Finally long awaited showdown between Ash and Clemont arrived. Ever since Ash met young prominent genius who was characterized by insecurity, lack of athletic shape, big ingenuity in coming up with various useful gadgets and fun charming traits.

Build up of battle between two traveling friends with one being Lumiose gym leader recognized in his town, while other young aspiring trainer dreaming to become pokemon master leaving mark on world.

Started its long turney and outcome was something which while entertaining left that bitter taste in my mouth of leaving more to be desired.

Characterization during battle was pretty consistent being possible to feel electrified atmosphere and strong friendship prevailing between Ash and Clemont based on respect, care and encouragement. With Clemont actions and composure showing how travels with Ash helped him to gain more faith in his abilities and search for more innovative techniques to counter opponent strategies. Like Bunnelby wild charge coming to mind.

Serena as usual was overconcerned for Ash losing possibly battle being on edge of anxiety during whole match. However it would be ensuring and nice if she revealed signs of concern toward Clemont as well cheering for both. Instead of being leaded only by her feelings being biased. Not even Misty was so biased and it was fairly obvious she harbored feelings for Ash as well.

Speaking if battle itself i appreciated that Goodra was the one to take glory in the end and combination of hydration and rain dance helping to counter electric terrain was all that more satisfying.

Serving as stepping stone in dragon pokemon buying enough time until bide could reach critical level of strength bringing it upperhand in match.

Ill miss that pokemon. Ash for first time receives pseudo legendary specie filled with pleasant personality(that moment of Goodra remembering its time as Goomy and home when rain started to drop on it or sign of relief when battle was over feeling proud of itself was especially endearing). And writers are already from looks of it planning to get rid of it? Sad.

But thats not to say Clemont didnt had its moments either. Personally Heliolisk impressed me the most with its incredible speed and repeated use of flash(its unfortunate that even double use of flash wasnt enough to give him win, but someone had to pull out short end of stick in batte i guess to make room for other pokemon to acclaim win).
Than again its not like Luxray needed 2 victories, so electric lizard stll deserved some glory there.

In technical sense, strategy, choice of attacks, animation and atmosphere battle was alright.

But one have to ask himself. Wouldnt it be better of this was at least two parter with bigger format like 4 vs 4 maybe?

Or even dedicate mini arc centered around Clemont preparing to face Ash. Dive into both of friends minds and how much pressure, guilts or excitement they feel about having to be on opposite sides affect them. With two by that point good friends facing each other.

Or give us more time to see Clemont intensively train not wanting to disappoint Ash givng him memorable challenge.

Everything felt rushed and jam packed in rather limited amount of time. Which in return took away from suspense and drama you would want from such clearly important battle for both of them.

Its not that battle or episde as whole was bad persay. It was pretty good, but i feel whole confrontation and what seemed to be climax of Clemont journey so far(hopefully its not with more being left in store for him) deserved more focus and screentime rather than everything getting covered in just one episode.
 
Finally got around to watching it, some things I found myself enjoying about this episode while others disappointed me.

The first thing I'll say is that I was pretty disappointed with the first match-up. Bunnelby and Pikachu were made to be one of the big scenes in this battle as the previews and the intro gave a special note to it, but it was pretty poorly paced and it fell too quickly. Plus, Wild Charge didn't seem to amount to anything in the battle, so it was a rather pointless addition.

Heliolisk had a better showing, it was doing well against Goodra and had a really good showing against Hawlucha, and I'm happy that the latter got a win here after it didn't in the previous gym battle. However, a small complaint I have with it is that I really wish its performance was rewarded in some way as it was doing so well and it still wasn't able to pull the win out against either of the Pokémon it faced against. It really should've got one of Luxray's wins as it would've balanced things out between Clemont's team, but I'll get more into that later.

Luxray I really like the animations they used for it, but I agree with Sakuraa in that I didn't like how the battle basically amounted to him almost constantly using Wild Charge, a bit more variety would've helped. Also, the battles he had with both Hawlucha and Pikachu went by way too quickly and it just seemed like they were just there to build him up as this really strong Pokémon for the final face-off. Another problem I have with that point is that it only makes Luxray look good between the three in terms of victories and it shortchanges the other two, especially Heliolisk. Of course, they could be doing it to build up to a great final battle between him and Goodra, but I felt that fell short too. I did like Ash thinking that he should use Rain Dance as it was a smart move to cure Goodra of its paralysis, but the battle after that killed the pacing as it was basically Goodra tanking whatever Luxray thrown at it and using Bide to finish it him off, which was pretty anti-climatic. I would've preferred something more involved then just enduring and ending the battle in one big shot, particularly if we are building up to Luxray being this strong Pokémon to overcome.

Overall, it was a decent battle, but I feel that it suffered quite a bit from pacing issues and improper balance between Clemont's team. The battle should've been spread out over a couple episodes and one of Luxray's wins should've gone to Clemont's other Pokémon so it didn't seem like Ash was mostly in control for the entire battle. It really could've been better then we got, but it's not a bad episode, just one that has a few notable flaws that hold it back.
 
People keep complaining that Wild Charge was spammed or constantly used...but Clemont's Luxray move usage is so:

Wild Charge 4 times
Swift 3 times
Thunder Fang 2 times
Electric Terrain 1 time

As you can see, Swift's usage is right behind Wild Charge. And the first three times Luxray used Wild Charge, it was powered by Electric Terrain. You guys seem to forget Clemont is trying to win this Gym Battle, if not just test Ash, thus him using his strongest move available shouldn't be grating. And if you want to get technical, Luxray is one of many Pokemon that suffer from a poor move-set anyway.

I'll tell you what's spam: spam is when Ash's Fletchling evolved and only used Flame Charge. That's spam.
 
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