MimeyTheKeeper
Member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2022
- Messages
- 58
- Reaction score
- 212
The Best:- Cynthia Battling Like THE CHAMPION - really, the only thing that could have been done better (I spotted), is that she did not adjust to Ash sending Gengar and continued with sending out Roserade - but even that could be explained by these Pokémon being called at the same time, just Anime potraying it closely one after other (1) Gengar (2) Roserade. Roserade as we have seen has only grass and presumably one poison move, so nothing effective against Gengar despite hitting him. Even then Will-O-Wisp gave Cynthia heads up to switch. Otherwise - EVERYTHING was there, switching, using abilities and special moves,knowing and baiting opponent (I was specifically addressing baiting Pikachu with Togekiss in my blueprint, however here Ash takes the bait). It was pleasure to watch. Only one hiccup - and that will be adressed how it affects Leon and Ash in the ugly part.
Good:- Ash's Unpredictable Moves - we were expecting him pulling something like that off, revisiting Counter Shield was perfect. I even personally liked the Stone Edge-slicing counter Gastrodon combo - although suspension of disbelief was hit hard with the slicing part - it was one good example where Anime was again visual and portrayed battle in way that is nonsensical in games, but visually speaks for itself explaining HOW Gastrodon went down.
- Pikachu's Demise with Destiny Bond - Easter Egg for the fans, shock for the uninitiated, done very well in a creepy way and good cliffhanger
- Reserves Emotionally Invested - liked it!
- Animation and Flow of the Battle - given recent Journeys' standards it went pretty well
- Possibility of Multiple Gimmicks in Final? - hard to tell, but if subtitles are accurate, saying "single-use" of Mega/Z/G-Max implies that it could be multiple-use in finals. (In that case most certainly 3x). I maybe reading too much into it, but frankly that is one of the few ways how to make finals more interesting - Ash would use all 3 he has and Leon I presume would G-Max both Rillaboom and Charizard, then I suspect surprise with also Mega evolving his Charizard to Mega Y - that would also explained why that toy was so promoted lastly and add the edge to finals. But as Pokeraf says, that is pure speculation.
- Diantha Supporting Cynthia - that was cute
- Champions against Leon - I am listing it in good part, although it is hard to say. Even from the beginning of Masters 8 the other Champions seem to be in a mood "When is somebody against Leon, we automatically cheer for him." The writers probably do not intend it to be anyway malicious and snarky, but it may come that way. It does not seem to be portrayed that other Champions have anything personal against Leon. But they are probably fed up with his undefeated record and wish anyone would break it and make Leon human. The problem starts with rather unfortunate battles Leon had recently, where he was too OP and that sentiment may resonate with fans in not pleasant way - that everyone wishes to see Leon lose just for the sake of it.
Bad:- Dragonite Jobbing Again - oh boy, where to start with this one.
- First of all - the debate is ablaze wether Ash should risk recalling her. I am on the side that it was good to leave her there. The problem is she did not wake up. That is reason why you go to these battles with battle-hardened strong-willed Pokémon - remembering Sceptile against Darkrai or Gang Four against Brandon?
- Speaking of previous note - in case you want portray Cynthia and Spiritomb like absolute force, even withou Garchomp in picture yet - that is good, but Brandon (last fight) is precisely way how to do it. Ash's Dragonite simply (1) does not have the accolades of his Charizard and most importantly (2) was on losing streak, not mentioning (3) it did not even put up fight. Everything together is catastrophe. When Charizard failed against Brandon to rise the stakes, he was probably the most powerful Ash's Pokémon, started on wrong foot but snapped out of confusion (different that sleep, but relatable), started to gain upper hand and then Ash blundered in the heat of battle. Despite atrocious animation in that episode - that is doing it right. And with Pokémon who last time defeated Articuno! This way it does not seem like powerhouse Dragonite surprisingly fails, because Cynthia and Spiritomb are something else. She seems like Goodra and now probably the most underused part of Ash's team.
- To add insult to injury, it happens after she is finally officialy adressed by her gender and in a match where everybody was expecting her to square off against Garchomp, although probably bravely narrowly losing (meaning the +/- year of time after it was more or less obvious Ash will face Cynthia, episode previews then obviously showed us this will not be happening)
- Gengar's HP is still troublesome - yep, Sucker Punch is super-effective, but still, even this time it seems that Gengar regressed and should have been able to take one more hit at least. It is the same problem as in fight vs Raihan, where his Flygon and Goodra took to disproportional amount of hits to my liking, should be more balanced.
- Pikachu Not Hitting Targets - him not hitting Togekiss with Thunderbolt once after failing the same with Metagross - like what is wrong buddy?
- No additional cameos - maybe the next episode, not expected many, but some would be good
Ugly:- Ash fights like Leon - and not in a good way- this maybe complicated, but let me explain
- First of all - meaning - they seem to be now similar with "brute force of their OP Pokémon crowning it with surprising moves" - the difference that Leon simply has super-effective moves ready almost for everybody, Ash improvises creative ways. But everything seems the same - they do not switch much, do not seem to adjust their Pokémon line-up (where are the Sinnoh times). They simply steamroll it. Against Steven Ash at least seemed to have prepared something specifically against Metagross with Dracovish.
- We know that Ash does not strategize or dare to say - study - his opponent much beforehand. At least for quite some time. In Sinnoh he even confused opponents by training one team and bringing another to fight. But here he promenades his full team against Cynthia and does not seem to know her full team well. That is everything probably OK and in-character. Although should normally be almost suicidal against such capable, strategising and observing champion.
- But here comes the catch - he will most likely defeat her nonetheless! And even in the edge case he will not, it will come down to Garchomp vs Lucario. And as I stated in the best part - we see Cynthia is fighting what maybe her last match at the peak of her abilities. Using her trusted experienced Pokémon, their abilities, switching them. And even all that probably will not be enough! It is the most egregious when they say how skilfully she get rid out of Pikachu, who is Ash's Ace. When Diantha said it, I was like, yep, but he brought another - Lucario. And Cynthia is lucky he did not bring 3-4 additional ones, because Ash's matches must be close for the sake of it. Imagine that after Pikachu goes down Ash whips out Greninja after that. From what we have seen and how Pikachu was on par with other Champion-level Ace Pokémons, we know that aside from Lucario, at least Charizard, Infernape and Greninja are very close, if not same level. In times of more deliberate power-scaling it would not have mattered, because Pikachu would not be able to take down 2 Cynthia's Pokémon with everybody just saying "oh good for Cynthia she stopped it in its tracks, who knows how much more damage could Ash's closes partner inflict". I think fight against Orange Islands' Drake is still best example of how to convicingly for Ash to beat established more-experienced Champion with OP Ace. Brandon comes close second. Here we would probably get Lucario going toe-to-toe with Garchomp, presumably at least I hope for one Chadfetch's successful Meteor Assault, just for the sake that Lucario did not defeat Garchomp "mono-a-mono" in battles of eggs. Because that would mean that somehow where Champions have 1 carefully crafted OP ace whole-life close partner Pokémon, Ash has 5-6. Still being ten years old.
- It was at least little bit more believable in Kalos, where again - Ash was having upperhand against Alain, despite not switching enough, because Pikachu edged out Tyranitar and Metagross and even inflicted good damage on Charizard. Therefore Ash could win despite wasting both his dragons against Pokémon with their precise typing-weakness. And probably should have won nevertheless, because it is still disgraceful for Greninja to lose, despite Charizard entering battle with already suffering one super-effective Thunderbolt from Pikachu, that even in itself should be dealbreaker. But producers disagreed. However, the point remains, Ash was sporting two aces there and that gave him good chance to win league despite not strategising/switching much and wasting other powerful Pokémon tactically. The match against Sawyer was similar, OK, he is super-strategist. BUT that were similarly aged rivals in the league, Cynthia is Champion.
- You could argue that counter shield and Gastrodon moves are counter-argument to non-preparing beforehand. Well, the problem is that since Ash usually does not do that, it should be more obviously telegraphed by Anime, which is not - and could be argued that he first saw what Spiritomb is capable off and then pull counter shield out of his memory. And in case Gastrodon move was prepared, that would be problem in two ways - we did not see Gastrodon using Stone Edge before if I remember and even then - deliberately going after Champion's Pokémon who renders 2/4 moves of my Pikachu neutral borders on hubris.
- To sum it up - showing how well Cynthia battles and Ash not pulling some, for him, unusual (almost Paul-like or Sawyer-like) moves in tactical/strategy field (yet) - just relying on strength of his Pokémon and unorthodox creative moves as usual and still probably winning is the last nail into coffin of power scaling. Leon and Ash are in the league of their own, feeding their Pokémon who knows what (even such expert as Cynthia obviously does not know), the only difference being that Leon brings his best outright and destroys opponents (poor Diantha), with Ash being kind and brings just as many his OP Pokémon as is needed for close victory.
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