Review XY129: Fierce Fighting at the Kalos League! Gather, All of My Passion!!

[Playerking]

XY129 - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

Discuss the episode here.

 

[WatcherMark]

Copied from the other thread I created, because this one beat me to it...

This is an episode that will benefit greatly from having subs, because there is a lot of talking... in particular, the stuff with Platene and Fleur-de-lis. Also, things are starting to spring into motion... Team Flare have set up shop at Prism Tower and Z2 is in the area (and Puni-chan knows it).

Had to laugh when Limone and the Citroid turned up with food for everyone, and the gang lets out all their Pokemon while Shota keeps all his (other than Jukain who was already out) in their balls... sorry losers, no snacks for you!

Also surprised that Limone and Citroid left after that. You'd have thought they'd stay for the battle. Literally everyone else is. Was also hoping for a shot of Okido, Kenji and Satoshi's mom tuning in... I mean, he's in the freakin' finals so some cameos would be nice.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Seemed to be a very plot heavy episode full of dialogue, so subs are 100% necessary here to watch this episode.

Seems like Team Flare is REALLY getting ready to start their attack here. Lysandre had a talk with Ash, though no idea what happened here. Fortunately this wasn't like the Axew episode in the Unova League, as it seems Chespin wasn't lost for too long until Marin showed up. We got to see a lot of her with the main cast and it seems Lysandre can cure Chespie now.

Still not certain what was really going on, but it does look like a decent episode. Now its time next week for the finals. Put an end to Alain, Ash! End that borderline Gary Stu once and for all! GO ASH!

Also, I'm not sure why he was crying, but it still made me feel bad when Sawyer was revewing league videos and just started crying.

 

[KrspaceT]

XY has an interesting habit of amping out the pain of the losers, doesn't it? The Performers, now Trevor and Sawyer.

Now, let's see how the Alain fight goes. Given the amount of build up the fight has been given via Alain appearing before the league, I feel that Ash can win this fight. Normally the fights that Ash wins in the league get built up before it if we know the guy beforehand: Gary, Morrison, Nando, Conway, Paul, Trip, Stephan, etc. Cameron is the one exception, and I am still of the opinion that the decision to have him win was a revision down the line somewhere. I have the same feeling with the idea that the Ash vs Paul fight was originally the Sinnoh Finals and the addition of Tobias and the placement of Barry and Nando was a later addition.

We will have to see at least. Can't wait for subs to come out.

 

[Kirby4ever]

A lot of build up for this episode, it would be nice to have subtitles since there's a lot of talking. Poor Chespin, he lost his cookie as soon as he's able to catch it. I think Chespin is cursed that every time he holds up his prized possession, some bird Pokemon swoops down and steals it. Manon looks like that she's going to cry when looking at Clemont's Chespin as she thinks about Chespie. Team Flare is getting ready to start their attack at Prism Tower, and surprise that no one even noticed them setting up or get suspicious of seeing some large black trucks driving through the city. Puni-chan knows that Z2 is there.

@Lion-Cub Shota is crying because he did all he can to get this far into the league for the first time, and he had been writing down and studying his notes about Pokemon battling and strategies, but he still lost in the semi-finals.

 

[Pokesan]

Great plot!
It all comes together. The villian and the final.
Although it seems GF is pushing the anime team, they still did a great job.
XY&Z almost has the best plot ever imo.

 

[Garren]

Also surprised that Limone and Citroid left after that.

I assume Blaziken Mask will probably be involved in the Team Flare stuff---or so I hope since the end of the Mega Garchomp episode way back made it seem like he was going to help Sycamore learn Mega Evolution for any future problems that could threaten Lumiose.

 

[swampertuska]

Shota really took hard that loss. He practically achieved the best four in his first league. He became too cocky.

 

[WatcherMark]

Shota really took hard that loss. He practically achieved the best four in his first league. He became too cocky.

Not really. Despite being happy for Satoshi, he couldn't help but be disappointed that he'd lost. Remember the end of the Kanto Grand Festival, how Haruka outright sobbed after she'd been knocked out.

 

[Gard81]

Not too hard to assume what Team Flare is doing at the Gym. It serves as a nice cover (I think they're posing as a maintenance crew/electricians) while at the same time using it as a power generator/amplifier for their device.

Good thing this episode spent very little time on Chespin, more interested in what Sycamore showed Ash and the gang, as well as the conversation between Ash and Lysandre.

And the preview has shown Alain's last 2 team members. Really surprised we'll get to see both trainers' full team in the next episode, that can only mean that they switch around a lot or 5 Pokemon from each side goes down and the next episode is a full on Ash-Greninja vs M-Charizard match.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Not too hard to assume what Team Flare is doing at the Gym. It serves as a nice cover (I think they're posing as a maintenance crew/electricians) while at the same time using it as a power generator/amplifier for their device.

Good thing this episode spent very little time on Chespin, more interested in what Sycamore showed Ash and the gang, as well as the conversation between Ash and Lysandre.

And the preview has shown Alain's last 2 team members. Really surprised we'll get to see both trainers' full team in the next episode, that can only mean that they switch around a lot or 5 Pokemon from each side goes down and the next episode is a full on Ash-Greninja vs M-Charizard match.

If I recall, people said Lysandre made Ash promise him he'd talk about the bond with Greninja after the league, though we all know he's going mad in XY 132.

AlsoI wouldn't say the full team. Ash hasn't thrown out Goodra or Greninja in the preview, so I imagine those two are going to be saved for XY 131.

 

[Handy Man]

I found it a bit odd that Marin didn't recognize Ash, since she told Alain in Mega Evolution Special I that she saw him jumping off Prisim Tower. Not really a big deal, though.

more interested in what Sycamore showed Ash and the gang

I could be wrong, but I heard Sycamore mention something about Greninja. He probably did more research into Ash-Greninja and showed them his results.

 

[Shadao]

I found it a bit odd that Marin didn't recognize Ash, since she told Alain in Mega Evolution Special I that she saw him jumping off Prisim Tower. Not really a big deal, though.



I could be wrong, but I heard Sycamore mention something about Greninja. He probably did more research into Ash-Greninja and showed them his results.

To Marin, Ash was just another trainer who made headline news on Lumiose and only at the end did the reporters focus on Ash's face (just enough for Serena to recognize him). It's been weeks if not months since she last heard about him, and Marin went on a crazy adventure that involved even greater crisis and more famous people. It's easy to forget the trainer who saved Lumiose from a Garchomp.

Plus, I sometimes have a hard time recognizing people on TV in real life.

Sycamore said the Ash Greninja phenomena is part of a larger phenomena known as "Bond Phenomenon" and not all Pokémon have it. He explains this is likely the reason why Froakie chose Ash as Ash is the only one who could bring out its full potential.

 

[Dapper Rowlett]

so alain has 2 unova pokemon and no kalos!? weird, I wanted him to have malamar from the maluminati

 

[GurahkWeavile]

I found it a bit odd that Marin didn't recognize Ash, since she told Alain in Mega Evolution Special I that she saw him jumping off Prisim Tower. Not really a big deal, though.

I could be wrong, but I heard Sycamore mention something about Greninja. He probably did more research into Ash-Greninja and showed them his results.

I believe she said that Sycamore talked to her about Ash, so she only knows his name but not his face.

 

[SammyW27]

For a while I was worried this would be a repeat of BW105. Never have I been so happy to be wrong!

As small and sparse as the cast has been this saga, a crowded ensemble episode like this is a real treat!

What's more, it there was a ton of setting up for future episodes. So this was a win-win for me!

 

[Karamazov]

so alain has 2 unova pokemon and no kalos!?

Alain knows what the best generation is, and I can respect that.

 

[Garren]

Badasses don't catch French Pokemon.

 

[Misty-Moo]

Regarding this scene -

Spoiler

does it mean that Team Flare is involved in some way with the organisation of the Lumiose Conference? Thinking about from a real world point of view, lots of criminal organisations have legitimate front operations. Also, that would explain away their big trucks full of weird scientific equipment to anyone who saw them and why they're setting it all up in the Lumiose Gym, they could claim it's League business/research and they're using that because it's the most suitable place in the same city

 

[Yuri3221]

About the Lumiose Gym, I did catch something about how it is the most central location in Lumiose, and currently is closed because of the league. No one is there to even bother them if Clembot and Limone are off doing other things. Makes sense that they don't LIVE at the gym.

This was a super good episode. Even I am excited for the subs cause when we get into really complicated explanations of evil plots the Japanese is hard to follow. The man talk to Fleur-de-lis at the stadium was hardest because he was using that super-polite fast business speak. He seemed to say thank you a lot, but i wasn't sure if he was thanking him for helping with the league in some way, or just thanking him for bothering to come to the league despite his high-mighty-ness. At the end he told FDL if he needed anything, he'd be happy to oblige. (Japanese speakers, does that interpretation sound about right?)

I thought the scene between Alan and Malva was interesting. When she asked him what he'll do once he's finished collecting Mega Energy and Chespie is better, him immediately remembering traveling with Manon gave me hope for their relationship continuing.