Preview XY132: Flare-dan Attacks! The Zygarde at Prism Tower!!

[Shadao]

Chespie was a predictable hostage... Alain cares so much about Mairin, her happiness, and her well-being he's willing to do something so questionable to make sure she's safe. I know people who are angry will always use this against Alain, but would you honestly risk the idea that Lysandre is bluffing?

Commendable as his motives may be, the actions he takes are not so easily forgiving. To me, it's most beautiful and ultimate poetic irony of a defeat for Alain. He wanted to become the strongest trainer in order to protect those he cares about and vows to never lose. And yet, all it takes for Alain to cave in was Team Flare holding a coma-strickened Chespie hostage and there is nothing he can do about it. He can't rescue Chespie from Team Flare nor can he risk Chespie being harmed.

And thus, in a moment of weakness, Alain betrays Ash in order to fulfill his promise of protecting Chespie for Mairin. Sacrifices a fellow strong trainer has done nothing wrong to him, who has always been friendly to him, to the organization that is causing all the damage. And now that trainer will suffer immense pain because of Alain's choice. It's the most gut-wrenching punch he has ever done, and it compromises everything he has fought for in the most brutal way possible.

At least, that's how I think it will play out.

 

[Pokefan19]

You must like me a ton Shado : ) I'm honored (Also, don't think I'm shying away from our other debate, I haven't gotten around to reading your short novel in full yet)

Commendable as his motives may be, the actions he takes are not so easily forgiving. To me, it's most beautiful and ultimate poetic irony of a defeat for Alain. He wanted to become the strongest trainer in order to protect those he cares about and vows to never lose. And yet, all it takes for Alain to cave in was Team Flare holding a coma-strickened Chespie hostage and there is nothing he can do about it. He can't rescue Chespie from Team Flare nor can he risk Chespie being harmed.

He worked for Team Flare to save Chespie and to see Mairin smile once again after realizing how much him turning her away had ultimately hurt her far more then when he thought her being with him put her in danger. If that is not character development, then I have honestly no clue what is. Why exactly would he risk all that again, but if you put it in the perspective you're talking about...

And thus, in a moment of weakness, Alain betrays Ash in order to fulfill his promise of protecting Chespie for Mairin. Sacrifices a fellow strong trainer has done nothing wrong to him, who has always been friendly to him, to the organization that is causing all the damage. And now that trainer will suffer immense pain because of Alain's choice. It's the most gut-wrenching punch he has ever done, and it compromises everything he has fought for in the most brutal way possible.
At least, that's how I think it will play out.

Then Alain is basically in a lose-l0se situation in that if he helps Ash in fighting and Lysandre does pull the plug on Chespie, Mairin will end up hurt, but if he helps Lysandre capture Ash to keep Chespie safe, Mairin will hate Alain for not helping Ash take down the Organization that is trying to destroy the world... No wonder the guy looks like he's going through his options, that's gotta suck to turn on a guy he doesn't know all that well for the girl who risked her life to save him from the Legendary Weather Trio.

 

[Shadao]

You must like me a ton Shado : ) I'm honored (Also, don't think I'm shying away from our other debate, I haven't gotten around to reading your short novel in full yet)

He worked for Team Flare to save Chespie and to see Mairin smile once again after realizing how much him turning her away had ultimately hurt her far more then when he thought her being with him put her in danger. If that is not character development, then I have honestly no clue what is. Why exactly would he risk all that again, but if you're put it in the perspective you talking about...

So Alain is basically in a lose-l0se situation in that if he helps Ash and Lysandre does pull the plug on Chespie, Mairin will end up hurt, but if he helps Lysandre capture Ash to keep Chespie safe, Mairin will hate Alain for not helping Ash take down the Organization that is trying to destroy the world... No wonder the guy looks like he's going through his options, that's gotta suck to turn on a guy he doesn't know all that well for the girl who risked her life to save him from the Legendary Weather Trio.

And that is why I call it Alain's Ultimate Defeat. Should have really not follow that mentality of "I must never lose for Mairin." It would come to bite him in the end.

 

[Gengarzilla]

You must like me a ton Shado : ) I'm honored (Also, don't think I'm shying away from our other debate, I haven't gotten around to reading your short novel in full yet)

He worked for Team Flare to save Chespie and to see Mairin smile once again after realizing how much him turning her away had ultimately hurt her far more then when he thought her being with him put her in danger. If that is not character development, then I have honestly no clue what is. Why exactly would he risk all that again, but if you're put it in the perspective you talking about...

So Alain is basically in a lose-l0se situation in that if he helps Ash and Lysandre does pull the plug on Chespie, Mairin will end up hurt, but if he helps Lysandre capture Ash to keep Chespie safe, Mairin will hate Alain for not helping Ash take down the Organization that is trying to destroy the world... No wonder the guy looks like he's going through his options, that's gotta suck to turn on a guy he doesn't know all that well for the girl who risked her life to save him from the Legendary Weather Trio.

Ouch. If anything, it sounds like his Kalos League win is going to be the very last good thing Alain gets. Once you've reached the top, there's only one way to go from there...

 

[Pokefan19]

And that is why I call it Alain's Ultimate Defeat. Should have really not follow that mentality of "I must never lose for Mairin." It would come to bite him in the end.

If by defeat you mean literally having your world fall apart... funny seeing as this still would have been a problem if A. He Lost the League B. Didn't enter the League at all.

Ouch. If anything, it sounds like his Kalos League win is going to be the very last good thing Alain gets. Once you've reached the top, there's only one way to go from there...

If this truly is the case... I'm beginning to see why Alain won the league in the first place

 

[Shadao]

If by defeat you mean literally having your world fall apart... funny seeing as this still would have been a problem if A. He Lost the League B. Didn't enter the League at all.

It's a problem for Alain because of that "never lose" mentality. But what League did was essentially confirm to him that he is "strongest" trainer of the Kalos Region. Essentially putting him on the highest possible pedestal... only to fall from a great height. That's why I have come to believe that the Champion's title and trophy is only a curse for Alain that will weigh him down. A reminder of his failure to stop Team Flare when he was needed the most at the right time.

 

[Pokefan19]

It's a problem for Alain because of that "never lose" mentality. But what League did was essentially confirm to him that he is "strongest" trainer of the Kalos Region. Essentially putting him on the highest possible pedestal... only to fall from a great height. That's why I have come to believe that the Champion's title and trophy is only a curse for Alain that will weigh him down. A reminder of his failure to stop Team Flare when he was needed the most at the right time.

Even if Alain lost, it's not like Chespie wouldn't have been used against him... he still put all his effort into correcting his mistakes with Mairin. She was devistated when Chespie was unconcious... how do you think she'd react if Chespie never recovered?

 

[Shadao]

Even if Alain lost, it's not like Chespie wouldn't have been used against him... he still put all his effort into correcting his mistakes with Mairin. She was devistated when Chespie was unconcious... how do you think she'd react if Chespie never recovered?

The thing is that pride comes before the fall. And nothing could be more worse than having a continuous win streak with a mentality of never losing... then come to a situation you cannot win. At least if he had lost the League, he would have tasted defeat for the first time and would have started a path of redemption a lot sooner. But he did not. The championship convinces him that he is the strongest trainer, his end goal. And it is immediately tested on a no-win situation.

Alain has noble intentions, make no mistakes. But intentions with bad approach cannot be condoned. I have seen characters going to extreme lengths of saving those they care about, and their passions become their own undoing. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

And while Mairin would be devastated if Chespie never recovered, imagine her reaction when she learns what lengths Alain did to bring Chespie back? Does that sound familiar to you?



AZ sacrificed the lives of many Pokémon in order to bring back his Floette. Floette became horrified by what he has done and left him.

And now Alain sacrifices seven lives to Team Flare in order to save one life, Chespie. What would Mairin say to all of this?

 

[Gengarzilla]

The thing is that pride comes before the fall. And nothing could be more worse than having a continuous win streak with a mentality of never losing... then come to a situation you cannot win. At least if he had lost the League, he would have tasted defeat for the first time and would have started a path of redemption a lot sooner. But he did not. The championship convinces him that he is the strongest trainer, his end goal. And it is immediately tested on a no-win situation.

Alain has noble intentions, make no mistakes. But intentions with bad approach cannot be condoned. I have seen characters going to extreme lengths of saving those they care about, and their passions become their own undoing. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

And while Mairin would be devastated if Chespie never recovered, imagine her reaction when she learns what lengths Alain did to bring Chespie back? Does that sound familiar to you?



AZ sacrificed the lives of many Pokémon in order to bring back his Floette. Floette became horrified by what he has done and left him.

And now Alain sacrifices seven lives to Team Flare in order to save one life, Chespie. What would Mairin say to all of this?

Oh my goodness, is this why AZ isn't in the anime?! It would explain so much.

 

[Keshav]

In the climax special preview, Ash is seen captured while Alain is still free and doing nothing. if Alain would really betray Ash for sake of Chespie then I think Serena and Mairin won't be able to save chespie. if they saved chespie in time, Alain won't be standing there doing nothing.

 

[Kirby4ever]

I think that when Alain sees that Manon is smiling and Chespie is okay, he'll have motivation to go stop Team Flare and save Ash.

 

[Gengarzilla]

In the climax special preview, Ash is seen captured while Alain is still free and doing nothing. if Alain would really betray Ash for sake of Chespie then I think Serena and Mairin won't be able to save chespie. if they saved chespie in time, Alain won't be standing there doing nothing.

Or Lysandre's pulling a Grings Kodai on us and doesn't actually have Chespie at this point. I wouldn't put it past him to ensure Alain's continued obedience like this.

 

[StaraptorZ]

Does all this mean that AZ might make an appearance?

 

[ii kanji]

As a third party observer, the bromance between Shadao and Pokefan19 is becoming almost overpowering... I suspect Alan's actions will determine whether it ends in joy or sorrow.

 

[Playerking]

I still don't see understand why so many people are under the belief that Alain is betraying Ash? I mean, what evidence is there? "He's just standing there after Ash and Pikachu fall unconscious", yeah, because Alain running to Ash while it's focused on Pikachu would just be too cluttered and weird. "He's just standing there as Ash is being held hostage" and how does that prove that he isn't there to yell at Lysandre and/or try to free Ash and his Pokemon. Even though Chespie is at Lysandre Labs, I find it pretty weird that Lysandre would use Chespie as a bargaining tool in order for Alain to be apart of Team Flare, because then that kind of seems like Lysandre planned on using Chespie for that purpose. And if that's the case, then what was Lysandre big plan for when Alain realised that Team Flare were evil? Just trust that Alain would see things their way?

And I'm not sure if I've said this here or not, but if Alain plans on betraying Ash, then why is he running with in instead of just capturing him himself, because Ash will probably find out that Alain betrayed him anyway, so why delay the inevitable? Also, why hasn't there been any mention of this betrayal in any of the summaries, or at the very least, a vague hint at that like they usually like to give us.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

I think the reason why people think Alain will betray Ash is the fact that not only Alain is doing nothing while Ash is being capacitated by Team Flare, but the previews apparently have Ash saying "Alain, why..." Or something.

 

[GurahkWeavile]

I think the reason why people think Alain will betray Ash is the fact that not only Alain is doing nothing while Ash is being capacitated by Team Flare, but the previews apparently have Ash saying "Alain, why..." Or something.

Yes, but that only means that Ash THINKS he's betrayed him. It's the classic setup where assumptions are made on the outside without letting the other party speak or look at all angles.

 

[Shadao]

I still don't see understand why so many people are under the belief that Alain is betraying Ash? I mean, what evidence is there? "He's just standing there after Ash and Pikachu fall unconscious", yeah, because Alain running to Ash while it's focused on Pikachu would just be too cluttered and weird. "He's just standing there as Ash is being held hostage" and how does that prove that he isn't there to yell at Lysandre and/or try to free Ash and his Pokemon.

The evidences you say? Well, it all started with two previews and one summary. We all know that Ash was going to get captured by Team Flare based on the summary, but how did that happen no one can say for sure. The first preview showcased Ash and Alain running together to deal with this mess, and there was no one else with them. We can safely assume that the only person who saw get captured was Alain himself. The next preview showcased Ash being strapped onto a Team Flare device and suffering greatly. The words he said in the narration was "Alain, why...?" while we see Alain sulking with no response in the next scene. Based on the background, Ash was located at the Prism Tower during sunset. Alain was seen on the Prism Tower outdoor top floor in the sunset. Though no one could say why Alain is on the Prism Tower, the preview implies that Alain had something to do with Ash's situation.

The next preview showcases exactly how Ash got captured. He and Alain were fighting against Celosia with Pikachu and Charizard. Then we see Celosia saying something and Ash gets hit by the confuse ray or something similar. As he falls down, Alain is seen still standing. Very odd considering that a more pragmatic situation is to knock out the Champion first as he would theoretically have the stronger Pokémon. But at the same time, it's not exactly odd as Alain has affiliations with Team Flare for them to exploit. And that leads to the most crucial detail, Chespie. Chespie needs to be rescued from Lysandre Labs based on the new summaries.

Even though Chespie is at Lysandre Labs, I find it pretty weird that Lysandre would use Chespie as a bargaining tool in order for Alain to be apart of Team Flare, because then that kind of seems like Lysandre planned on using Chespie for that purpose. And if that's the case, then what was Lysandre big plan for when Alain realised that Team Flare were evil? Just trust that Alain would see things their way?

Chespie is the leverage that Team Flare would use should Alain refuse to cooperate. It was the reason why Alain went to full time collect Mega Evolution energy (and Zygarde) for Team Flare. If Lysandre's goals won't sway him, the life of Chespie will. And really, Team Flare needs something to keep the "strongest" trainer under their thumb. Lysandre wouldn't be that stupid to discard a powerful asset and have him be a thorn on his side.

And I'm not sure if I've said this here or not, but if Alain plans on betraying Ash, then why is he running with in instead of just capturing him himself, because Ash will probably find out that Alain betrayed him anyway, so why delay the inevitable? Also, why hasn't there been any mention of this betrayal in any of the summaries, or at the very least, a vague hint at that like they usually like to give us.

I think you miss the point. I did not said that Alain was planning to betray Ash from the very beginning. What likely happened was that Ash and Alain were initially on the same side, but Team Flare wanted Ash and they knew Alain was part of their organization. In order to prevent Alain from rebelling and aiding, they would likely use Chespie's life as leverage to make Alain think twice. And thus in a moment of weakness, Alain gives in and allowed (or helped) Ash to be captured, betraying him when Ash needed him the most.

And besides, there weren't any mentions of Alain winning the Kalos League in the summaries as well. If they can keep that a secret, Alain betraying Ash is no different. And really, the vague hint to Alain's betrayal has always been Chespie. Stuck in a coma and being the motive for Alain to become stronger and never lose to anyone, Chespie was really what many people speculated to be the thing for Team Flare to use against Alain.

Really, no one could really say the betrayal theory is all but true. But given the evidences presented, it most certainly points to that direction. After all, I recall there were doubts of Goodra leaving Ash for the swamps for the majority of the saga despite episode previews, promotions and summaries subtly point to that direction. And it turns out to be the case.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

I think Alain would turn around in the end. What he is doing is probably for Chespie and Marin. I don't see a malicious side of him so he is not a villain really. Just got caught up with the wrong crowd and manipulated by Lysandre.

 

[Pokefan19]

Hey if Alain isn't fooled by TF all the more power to him, I mean he very well could be wondering why they're targeting Ash as well. If it's his fault, then he'll definitely be the one who saves Ash when it matters most (This story had to have a set up)