Review XY139: Farewell, Satoshi Gekkouga! Xerosicy's Counterattack!!

[345ash-greninja]

I think it was the best conclusion to greninja's arc, because now I won't be hoping it to return someday. If it was indeed at Oak's, I would be mad to see it again, which will most likely never going to happen. If Greninja would have stayed, I would have at least one reason to watch SM and that is to wait for it to return.

Your comment exactly sounded like 'Grapes are sour'

 

[Pokefan19]

You never know, we might see Greninja again, hopefully

Only if Zygarde is accompanying him... in Alola for some unknown reason

 

[Max1996]

Only if Zygarde is accompanying him... in Alola for some unknown reason

Who knows? Maybe they let him go later for whatever reason and he decides to go back to Ash, finding out he's in Alola somehow...though I think I'm grasping at straws here.

 

[StaraptorZ]

Really am disappointed how they are ending the XY series. Not one tear will be shed when everyone leaves... (especially Serena, who should be crying waterfalls for leaving Ash.. but no..).

 

[Mikuri]

Although I don't mind Greninja's departure, I can understand why people are sad to see it go.

For one thing, the reason for its release is completely ridiculous. I mean, two fucking Zygarde are unable to protect the Kalos region on their own and need help from a mutant ninja frog? We're talking about two very powerful Legendary Pokémon here folks. Why I get the feeling that if it were two Xerneas the people of Kalos would not need Greninja? It's just because Zygarde has this bullshit baby cell form.

Now I get that Greninja is fond of helping others in need, and I wouldn't have a problem if Greninja had stayed at a home for Pokémon that were abandoned by their Trainers, or maybe in a lake surrounded by a forest where several defenseless Froakie have to deal with threats such as a mean Greninja that torments them or a Pokémon hunter who, duh, hunts them. But no, Greninja is leaving because it wants to help two Zygarde who can become gigantic Megazords.

And yes, we are well aware that Greninja would be left at Professor Oak's Laboratory to rot anyway. Tell us something we don't know. But the frog would return sooner or later, it is an iconic Pokémon after all (and has found its way into the next pair of games!!!). I hate Charizard and I had to endure its return in both the Battle Frontier and the Team Plasma arcs. Greninja could earn a special guest role in a later season just as well (and I probably would be annoyed to see it stealing the spotlight from one of Ash's resident Pokémon, but Greninja's fans would be delighted).

One more thing, I find it incredibly funny how Ash is going back to Pallet Town with just three new Pokémon to show: Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern. Not that I think that the amount of Pokémon one catches is the best demonstration of a Trainer's skill, because Ash caught a lot of useless Pokémon in the Best Wishes series and his performance at the Unova League's Vertress Conference was as shitty as it gets, but getting to Oak's happy farm with only three Pokémon really makes you think about Ash's Kalos journey.

 

[Pokefan19]

Greninja started off as a Froakie who would either get released by it's trainer or leave because he deemed his trainer unfit for him... and now we have Greninja leaving his trainer once again, but not because he doesn't see Ash fit to use him, but because he's needed to be the hero of Kalos for his amazing "Senses"...

That you guys is what I call coming full circle

 

[Simpsons138]

Wise words my friend, wise words

 

[IncineROAR]

I think the only reason I'm bitter about Greninja being released has nothing to do with the story. I'm pissed that we had to endure how "special" Greninja is, and that the battle bond between Ash and Greninja is probably one of the thousand reasons why Ash got nerfed when it comes to mega evolution. I'm kind of pissed that two stupid Zygarde cannot even protect Kalos, so Greninja has to save the day. I do like how it's story was wrapped up, but I could have done without the whole Ash-Greninja thing. It didn't need to happen.

 

[Pokefan19]

And because I like making fun of what I just posted...

 

[kickachu]

Who knows? Maybe they let him go later for whatever reason and he decides to go back to Ash, finding out he's in Alola somehow...though I think I'm grasping at straws here.

look at Goodra we thought it wouldn't return but it did at least ash can call on it for future battles so good chance greninja will come back someday

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Greninja isn't with someone Ash can easily call though, like Goodra is. Its not like he decided to stay behind to help the Pokemon at Professor Sycamore's lab, where Ash can easily make a call to. He left to help two Legendary Pokemon that apparently need help for a job they apparently can't do alone now, despite the Team Flare arc showing that Squishy and Z2 are perfectly capable of saving the world on their own.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

This episode is just awful. Seriously, it was bad enough they chose to leave Goodra at the swamp but to call it back and then dump it back at the swamp? Not to mention the release of Ash's only fully evolved water starter. Kalos doesn't need protecting anymore. That is a poor excuse.

Let me break down the downsides to the Kalos saga:

• Serena's crush - made the character unlikable. Rather she didn't join the group at all.
• Giving Ash his first fully evolved pseudo-legendary but then release it into swamp. Called it back for the league but then send it back to swamp. At least it is listed as a pokemon it can be called upon.
• Overhyping the idea of Ash winning the league but only to give Alain the win. I am okay with Alain but not okay with the overhype on Ash's part.
• Releasing the only fully evolved water starter Ash has ever own. This is just poor writing.

There are good things I like of Kalos but the points I made are so sour that it overwhelm the good things. 1/10 for this episode.

 

[Elementar]

Serena's crush - made the character unlikable. Rather she didn't join the group at all.

Gave her a reason to be important even after all of her showcases.

Giving Ash his first fully evolved pseudo-legendary but then release it into swamp. Called it back for the league but then send it back to swamp. At least it is listed as a pokemon it can be called upon.[/QUOTE

He still has one. It's his Pokemon. He can use it. Whether it's at Oak's or in the swamp, it's still useful.

Overhyping the idea of Ash winning the league but only to give Alain the win. I am okay with Alain but not okay with the overhype on Ash's part.

Ash was still the closest he has ever been to winning the league. It's his PB. I didn't expect him to go from Top 8 to Winner. And his loss was handled well. We have seen his maturity and we could feel with Ash. It's not very often we get emotional from the anime.

Releasing the only fully evolved water starter Ash has ever own. This is just poor writing.

Goodra was released but came back. So to everyone thinking about Greninja's permanent departure, there are still possibilities of its return.

Zygarde is present in Alola in the games. We know that. Ash-Greninja is too. We presume Ash left it for us in the demo, but it still has the connection to Ash.

Or, it could just be a Goodra situation. It can probably be called upon. I actually commend the series for putting out some emotion and mature circumstances.

 

[Srebak]

Personally, i think that it's things like this that make fans feel sour about how XY is ending and what makes them fret over Sun and Moon. Because, when it comes down to it, how can the writers bounce back from any of this? How can they top it?

For the first time in the franchise, Ash had an entire crew of companions who admired him and rarely had any negative things to say about him.

For the first time in the franchise, Ash was travelling with a female companion who had an undeniable crush on him. Even Misty wasn't that close in that regard in my opinion

For the first time in the franchise, Ash had a team of Fully-Evolved Pokemon sans only Pikachu

For the first time in the franchise, Ash had a fully-evolved Water-type starter pokemon, and on top of that; it had the ability to transform into stage that rivaled Mega-Evolution

For the first time in the franchise, Ash was within reaching distance of winning the regional league

And to top it all off, he helped save the world from certain destruction in a final battle that warranted the presence of every Gym Leader he encountered in Kalos.


Personally, i don't see how one could come back from all of that and the writers' methods for tying up some of those loose ends don't seem satisfying.

They make Ash release both Goodra (his first fully evolved Dragon-type) and Greninja (his first fully-evolved Water-Type Starter and the closest he'll likely come to a mega-evolution)

and

They make Ash lose to a recurring trainer that he had no real victory over, which doesn't seem right to me. Ash should have had at least one victory over Alain.

What's more, Ash trained a Pokemon that will now serve as a guardian of Kalos, add that to the fact that he nearly won the Kalos League with only one battle stopping him, and any "downgrade" to his character, shall we say, would just feel wrong.

With no gyms in the next Region, how will Ash top being named the Runner-up for a regional league by being in a school (seriously, i don't see how that will work)

When will Ash ever have catch a Pokemon that will top Greninja in both power and personality?

When will Ash ever travel with another female companion that will have the same type of canon feelings for him as Serena?

I ask again, how will they come back from this, let alone top it? Greninja's departure just feels like one of the aspects about the XY series that makes it feel like it's downhill from here, at least to me.

 

[Silktree]

For the first time in the franchise, Ash had an entire crew of companions who admired him and rarely had any negative things to say about him.

This is a good thing? Give me funny banter or realistic dynamics over that any day of the week.

 

[dragonite24]

Well.

I guess this is a better end then being mailed to some random kid.

On a more serious note, Greninja didn't revert from Ash-Greninja, and this episode featured some serious feats of using the mental link effortlessly as a distance. I may be wrong, but seems their bond has matured to the point Greninja can control this form forever as a testament to how far it has come, no matter the distance. So they always will be a team guarding Kalos in some way.

 

[Max1996]

Well.

I guess this is a better end then being mailed to some random kid.

On a more serious note, Greninja didn't revert from Ash-Greninja, and this episode featured some serious feats of using the mental link effortlessly at a distance. I may be wrong, but seems their bond has matured to the point Greninja can control this form forever as a testament to how far it has come, no matter the distance. So they always will be a team guarding Kalos in some way.

That does seem to be the case, which makes me wonder why Ash-Greninja even left.

 

[Master Cyrus]

Lmfao is Ash allergic to having good pokemon? First you release Goodra and now Greninja.

 

[Cresselia92]

This is a good thing? Give me funny banter or realistic dynamics over that any of the week.

After three years of conflicts in the monochromatic saga, I was actually glad that we got a "calmer" group for XY. However, I wouldn't mind a bit of tension for SM.

 

[Lanstar]

Welcome back to the regressive story arch: Go so far and so close to a milestone. Then, the writers decide they can't commit to the progressive storyline, so they force the character to go backwards and climb upwards once again...

It's the biggest thing I loathe in the series. -_-