So while this is obviously meant as a joke (doubt the studio is fully standing in for Bidoof here and they got the date wrong TWICE), it probably was meant for bidoof day last year. And then probably the holidays to be timed around BDSP failing that. I'll just go with "pandemic blues"
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SPOILERS! General Pokémon Anime Discussion
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So while this is obviously meant as a joke (doubt the studio is fully standing in for Bidoof here and they got the date wrong TWICE), it probably was meant for bidoof day last year. And then probably the holidays to be timed around BDSP failing that. I'll just go with "pandemic blues"
I like how Bidoof wasn't used for battles but was still able to fight on par with endgame levels, survived and dodged fatal attacks, and ended it with what was probably a clean critical hit as the first hit Bidoof landed. The only thing unrealistic to BDSP is Bidoof still being a HM slave. Also it was less about affection towards the trainer and more Bidoof's own determination.
Well the poketch still calls for bidoofs and bibarels so it still fits.
...but now im imagining the trainer acting like someone on this forum
"stupid happiness bonuses....bidoof survived 3 fatals hits from a staraptor this is bullshit, gamefreak needs to input toggles"
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This would explain the RickRoll Bidoof parody they did post on Bidoof Day- they were originally going to post this short instead, but they were unable to finish it before Bidoof Day due to COVID or something, so they just whipped up something quickly using already existing animations.
Also this was a great short, loved the animation style used for it!
Or they intended for both. Like rick roll you at first, then do the "real" short later.
0:23: Um, the two Bidoof in the back, I don't think you're supposed to be breaking apart a rock. Like, good on you for being able to do that with your teeth, though.
0:29: This Bidoof is slightly a different color (not a Shiny though) so you know its the main character.
0:34: I'm getting a feeling we're being told Bidoof normally aren't that smart.
0:42: Oh, sure, THAT Bidoof is alive, but what they don't show is that the other three at the base of the tree are dead.
1:00: Protag Bidoof surely got at least one Level-up from knocking out that many Bidoof.
1:05: "Okay, time to become a cannibal!"
1:21: Oomph, remind me of most of my interactions with other people.
1:34: "Okay boys, I take the berry, you pluck out the eyes."
1:50: Goh: Hey, Ash, this is a pretty intense scene... are you having a panic attack?
2:00: "Too bad for you, I EAT MEAT!"
2:14: "Oh please, you're gonna need to be quicker to hit m- OH MULCH that's a big explosion... I'm letting you off easy!"
2:43: No, no Bidoof, if you want to learn the Kamehameha you're gonna need to seek out an old man wearing a turtle shell (we know he exists in the Pokemon World).
3:00: I like that the Trainer pulls out a Nest Ball, sure it's another rub that Bidoof is weak but with it being a more special Ball than just a normal Poke Ball makes the feeling more sincere, like it'll be a reminder where Bidoof started out when it becomes stronger.
3:22: Good work Bidoof, you killed the only person that showed you any affection... wait, how is he okay and Bidoof knocked out?
3:37: Eh, I don't know trainer, Bidoof is Normal-type so it at least won't be hurt by it's STAB. "Gengar is part Poison". And that would mean something if Gengar learned any Poison-type moves via level-up. "It learns Dark-type moves" Well you got me there, though not sure if Lucario is the best choice against it.
3:48: You know, even if Bidoof doesn't become a great battler, you would make a killing lending it to construction and sculpture work. Also I like the little detail he also have his trainer Bidoof teeth, lol.
3:51: "Really, just a Oran Berry? This is at least Sitrus Berry art here"
4:06: I'm guessing the trainer is trying to teach Bidoof either Crunch or Super Fang and Bidoof doesn't understand it? *Reads Bulbapedia's mention of it on Bidoof's page* OH, the trainer is only using Bidoof to clear roadblocks, aka its an HM
4:18: "What tree do you need me to cut dow- OH MULCH I'M IN AN ACTUAL BATTLE!". But hey, it's a Golem and we know Bidoof can eat through rocks so I think it has a good chance.
4:21: So the trainer's other Pokemon are Luxray, Infernape, Glaceon, Togekiss, and of course Lucario... he must REALLY believe in Bidoof for it to be his sixth Pokemon as he surely has to have another fully evolved. Also a bit odd him and the opposing trainer all have 4th Gen Pokemon... except for Golem. Yeah, Geodude is in the Sinnoh dex, still the odd mon out (heck, Rhyperior would probably have filled the same role just fine).
4:48: SWEET ARCEUS IT JUST ATE GOLE- Oh, nevermind, it just teleported a few feet back and smoking for some reason.
4:55: So is this where we learn Bidoof has Moody?
5:09: "Oh for Arceus sake... of all the places for us to meet again."
5:23: A beam attack? Why would you teach Staraptor a Special attack?
5:37: Luckily Bidoof's affection stat is maxed out so it kept surviving each hit with 1 HP.
6:04: What we don't see is by now Moody has increased Bidoof's Speed to max.
6:22: Well not exactly why you don't teach Staraptor a Special attack, but still a fitting punishment for doing so!
6:54: Peanut Butter would be proud.
7:31: Aww, they want back to show Bidoof's colony the trophy they won.
7:54: Showing a bit of favoritism there, trainer. There's plenty of room for your other Pokemon, I'm assuming they helped you win the earlier battles.
Overall this is a great and sweet short.
Sad wasn't released around 
Onto another topic...I watched yesterday's episode of Journeys, and today was another appearance of Erika, after a long time.
It seems Goh caught a Lilligant off screen, and his Heracross became madly infatuated with the Lilligant, which left his Pinsir (who has a crush on Heracross) deeply saddened. But as fate would have it...a flower arranging class is being held by Erika at Celadon Gym, which Chloe takes interest in since Erika has a Leafeon, giving Eevee another chance to meet one of its evolutions. Ash and Goh come along, with Goh bringing along his Pinsir and Heracross in hopes that Pinsir can win over Heracross once more. It's a fun little episode, Team Rocket tries to steal Pikachu yet again and Pinsir manages to protect Heracross from a Lurantis who nearly got it infatuated, but gets its flower outfit wrecked in the process, even so, Pinsir's courage wins over Heracross. Though it ends off with Pinsir hugging Heracross with its pincers.
A fun little episode overall, next week's episode will mark the return of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...oh wait, it's Cassidy and Biff...no wait, it's actually Cassidy and Bill! Actually, of course, it's Butch and Cassidy! It seems after a looong absence, Butch and Cassidy will return and the rivalry between them and Jessie and James being in full action in the upcoming episode...but supposedly some of them decide to quit Team Rocket or something and pursue a new life outside of the crime life...ahaha knowing them that won't last long though! It'll be fun to see those two again alongside the main iconic Team Rocket duo, can't wait to see how that episode pans out.
It seems Goh caught a Lilligant off screen, and his Heracross became madly infatuated with the Lilligant, which left his Pinsir (who has a crush on Heracross) deeply saddened. But as fate would have it...a flower arranging class is being held by Erika at Celadon Gym, which Chloe takes interest in since Erika has a Leafeon, giving Eevee another chance to meet one of its evolutions. Ash and Goh come along, with Goh bringing along his Pinsir and Heracross in hopes that Pinsir can win over Heracross once more. It's a fun little episode, Team Rocket tries to steal Pikachu yet again and Pinsir manages to protect Heracross from a Lurantis who nearly got it infatuated, but gets its flower outfit wrecked in the process, even so, Pinsir's courage wins over Heracross. Though it ends off with Pinsir hugging Heracross with its pincers.
A fun little episode overall, next week's episode will mark the return of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...oh wait, it's Cassidy and Biff...no wait, it's actually Cassidy and Bill! Actually, of course, it's Butch and Cassidy! It seems after a looong absence, Butch and Cassidy will return and the rivalry between them and Jessie and James being in full action in the upcoming episode...but supposedly some of them decide to quit Team Rocket or something and pursue a new life outside of the crime life...ahaha knowing them that won't last long though! It'll be fun to see those two again alongside the main iconic Team Rocket duo, can't wait to see how that episode pans out.
A lot of pokemon abilities were never directly shown in the show but a few. I know a lot of Z-moves during SM never appeared in the anime. Of older moves we've never seen "Struggle" since pokemon don't run out of PP for attacks in the anime. There's also probably a lot of obscure moves that only ever appeared in one episode or barely any, but obviously there's no way to remember everything.
Today's ep in japan have confirmed Butch/Cassidy have officially retired from TR, which is why we hadn't seen them since the DP era over 14 years ago. At least now we have an explanation for their long absence in the series rather than simply never appearing again.
Today's ep in japan have confirmed Butch/Cassidy have officially retired from TR, which is why we hadn't seen them since the DP era over 14 years ago. At least now we have an explanation for their long absence in the series rather than simply never appearing again.
So a few things:
FIRST:
SO, a while back they were planning on doing an odd art exhibition. Pokemon collabed with contemporary artist Daniel Arsham where he made Pokemon sculptures using his signature "futuristic archeology" style. For those who don't know what that it, the idea is pretty much this: You know how when you think of sculptures and statues from ancient times you also have them cracked and missing arts? Well now take the idea, have them be more modern sculptures/statues... and then have crystals growing inside the cracks. The original exhibition was called "Relics of Kanto Through Time" but was postponed because of the coronavirus. WELL, it's BACK...
Renamed "A Ripple In Time", looks like they're also getting the anime involved with this. Apparently sometime during the Johto arc (as not only are both Misty & Brock in their original clothes but Misty also has Togepi; in addition Ash recognizes Celebi so it'll have to be after the 4th movie), Ash participated in a tournament (and yes, Ash's opponent is an anime version of Daniel Arsham, guess Cubone is his favorite Pokemon?) where an attack combination ends up hitting a Celebi that was just watching the match from high above and causes a reaction that teleports Ash & Pikachu to some far future where he's in an abandoned city that's overgrown with plantlife and there's giant broken statues with crystals growing out cracks (and they're also on buildings cracks). The above teaser is a short being made for the exhibition that the full version will be shown at the various locations it'll be in. It's only in Tokyo and is happening sometime this month, so we'll likely be hearing more soon.
SECOND:
Another short series has been announced, this time a live action one (though using more game accurate CG models cause I'd imagine the ones from Detective Pikachu would be a bit costly to animate correctly). It'll be in 3 parts and is about a man who likes to cook alongside his Pokemon. More to come.
FIRST:
SO, a while back they were planning on doing an odd art exhibition. Pokemon collabed with contemporary artist Daniel Arsham where he made Pokemon sculptures using his signature "futuristic archeology" style. For those who don't know what that it, the idea is pretty much this: You know how when you think of sculptures and statues from ancient times you also have them cracked and missing arts? Well now take the idea, have them be more modern sculptures/statues... and then have crystals growing inside the cracks. The original exhibition was called "Relics of Kanto Through Time" but was postponed because of the coronavirus. WELL, it's BACK...
Renamed "A Ripple In Time", looks like they're also getting the anime involved with this. Apparently sometime during the Johto arc (as not only are both Misty & Brock in their original clothes but Misty also has Togepi; in addition Ash recognizes Celebi so it'll have to be after the 4th movie), Ash participated in a tournament (and yes, Ash's opponent is an anime version of Daniel Arsham, guess Cubone is his favorite Pokemon?) where an attack combination ends up hitting a Celebi that was just watching the match from high above and causes a reaction that teleports Ash & Pikachu to some far future where he's in an abandoned city that's overgrown with plantlife and there's giant broken statues with crystals growing out cracks (and they're also on buildings cracks). The above teaser is a short being made for the exhibition that the full version will be shown at the various locations it'll be in. It's only in Tokyo and is happening sometime this month, so we'll likely be hearing more soon.
SECOND:
Another short series has been announced, this time a live action one (though using more game accurate CG models cause I'd imagine the ones from Detective Pikachu would be a bit costly to animate correctly). It'll be in 3 parts and is about a man who likes to cook alongside his Pokemon. More to come.
Flicking through old posts to find something (else) in particular and came across this. 3/4’s pretty good Journeys!
In fact, at this point the only old companion among the girls who has "reappeared in the following series" who has not shown up ever since is May. Misty and Dawn have both made further reappearances in recent series with SM and Journeys respectively, with Dawn making three guest appearances, two in the main JN series and one in a special, in Journeys. That trend only happened with the three of them, with Iris breaking the trend by not showing up at all until last year, skipping over both XY and SM, and so far, Serena has yet to make any sort of reappearance, even though it's been two generations since Gen 6. In terms of other companions, the same goes for Clemont and Bonnie, who haven't made any appearances since XY, so the whole Kalos gang has still yet to make any reappearances. The Alola gang have shown up once in Journeys minus Lillie who hasn't reunited with Ash at all and was just mentioned and shown offhand still on the search for her father, and Sophocles showed up again in the latest episode. Of course, going back to the really old days, Brock has shown up numerous times since his final series as a main companion in DP, with both SM and the Journeys PLA special having him show up to portray what he's been up to lately, and he showed up in the BW special where he met Cilan. Cilan himself briefly showed up in a special in XY at the end of that series.
Either way it's pretty clear that the door is always open for most old major companions and old characters to show up at any time if they so wish, and old characters can show up as many times as they want to. May is the only one who has "disappeared forever" since her one reappearance in DP, but in that particular instance, I imagine the specific reason she hasn't ever shown up is because of complications regarding her seiyuu (JP VA), as Midori Kawana has had vocal dystonia problems for years and is currently inactive so they have likely been unable to get ahold of her as she was in no condition to return do VO for May (or as Japan knows her, Haruka), otherwise I do imagine she might have shown up again in XY because ORAS was in that generation and she would have been a prime character to market and showcase ORAS when that was the big thing for the Pokémon series.
So far, the only companions who have yet to reappear at all are the Kalos companions. By extension, Cilan and Lillie have yet to actually reunite with Ash, as one made an appearance in a one-off special that didn't involve Ash, and Lillie was only shown briefly but hasn't reunited with Ash, so neither of them have actually run into and interacted with Ash again since they parted ways. Of course, since this year seems to be all about bringing in the old companions and characters, and JN being a new direction for the anime means it can do whatever it wants, maybe the upcoming episodes this year will finally be their chance. I know Serena is very popular in both Japan and in the West, so I imagine her first reappearance is heavily anticipated, but Clemont and Bonnie reappearing is absolutely something that's in the cards too. Cilan may also be up for his first time running into Ash again this year. Lillie I'm unsure of since she's off doing her own thing, and no one knows where she is right now.
But yeah, as far as old companions/characters are concerned, the main ones who haven't shown up at all thus far are Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Cilan, and to an extent Lillie. Considering it's been years since they last appeared in their main series, I imagine their first reappearances (for the Kalos gang and to an extent Cilan) are heavily anticipated, especially the former (I don't how popular Cilan is but I imagine he's no where near the level of Brock so maybe his potential return isn't as anticipated as the Kalos gang's). With the new formula JN has taken (and presumably the new formula moving forward) the door is certainly open for them to show up in this series, and I imagine many anticipate the ones I mentioned making their first reappearances.
The first 'episode' (it say to be continued at the end so there should be more) of A Ripple in Time is out now, kind of an odd watch is mostly a quick showcase of this unique and weird art, still worth watching if you dont care about that is just a 6 minute video. They sure love to connect gen 2 with gen 4.
Well....not that there won't necessarily be more episodes, to showcase more art if nothing else, but the To Be Continued is just a reference to the anime itself. Every episode has the To Be Continued, and this like the rest of the aesthetic, specificalyl mimics the old style where it'd put the last frame in the corner.
Funny how they just threw in yet more DP advertising into a original series short with Cynthia's cameo and Dialga at the end.
Also in typical original series fashion, only Ash gets to go on an adventure through time while Misty/Brock are sidelined and left behind. At least it's loyal to how the original series was written at the time, lol.
Also in typical original series fashion, only Ash gets to go on an adventure through time while Misty/Brock are sidelined and left behind. At least it's loyal to how the original series was written at the time, lol.
0:24: Well, this is a cameo I wasn't expecting... the mother & daughter background characters that are often used in movies. Oh, and Cynthia and her Garchomp is there too for some reason.
0:45: Oh, okay, that's random, the Pichu was a Mew... AND aside from Misty's Togepi and a surprise time Pokemon at the end that's it for any Gen II+ Pokemon. Surprise surprise, this special lays on the Gen I Pokemon heavily, I'll give you a moment to recover from that shocking information.
1:08: Okay,
1:17: I don't know how I missed in the crowd shot that Casey, Ritchie, and oddly Gary are there watching the match (though all three drawn in lower quality compared to Misty, Brock, and Team Rocket).
1:59: Good work Ash, you blew up the time travelling Pokemon and created a black hole. THE END.
2:12: Huh, the inside of a black hole is weirder than I thought.
2:37: Are those the two slab doors with Pokemon glyphs covering them from the Bill's lighthouse episode? An odd pull.
3:17: Oh good, they're playing the same episode in-world. Ash & Pikachu just need to wait and watch what happens to know where they need to be to catch-up to Celebi.
4:58: So, now that we're past the statue part... that felt stretched and pointless. Yes, I know, the point was to show off Daniel Arsham's sculptures in his "futuristic archeology" style... but here's the thing I'm not getting about it (or at least how they portrayed it here). Okay, so the idea, from what I understand, is that the sculptures are meant to depict an art piece that was made in modern times/in the near-future but as they would if rediscovered in the far-future (don't know where the crystals growing inside them come in, guess to give them a future-y feel?). Because when you think of classical statues, notably from Greece and Rome, which are also broken and cracked, its easy to forget they were once complete "modern day" pieces of art. But, here's the thing about that: while Daniel Arsham's sculptures due replicate the broken & cracked appearance of those classical statues, the classical statues weren't placed randomly about. Statues were either used for decorative purposes, placed in locations where a lot of people gather, or for religious purposes and placed in worshipping locations (and they were also usually put on pedestals). But in this anime special the sculptures feel REALLY out-of-place, especially the ones which are right next to buildings or the batch that are just in a cave for some reason (yes, some cultures did place statues in caves, but once again this was usually for religious purposes). It doesn't feel like Ash was flung into the far-future or alternate dimension, it feels like he was flung into an abstract art piece.
5:11: Say, isn't this a connecting room for ORAS's version of the Elite Four rooms?
5:40: Suddenly Dialga! I guess this is why they included Cynthia & Garchomp at the beginning; so it's not a jarring reveal they put Dialga in? If so, personally, I think it would have been better to not have done that since I think Dialga being a jarring reveal is the feeling they're trying to get across here (not to mention the moon with a slope cut out of it... or is it a slope rising from it?). And even if they still wanted to hint there was going to be stuff outside of Gen II, I think a more better and subtle way of doing it would have been including the Gen IV cross evolutions & prevos of Gen I & II Pokemon dispersed among crowd scenes.
5:59: And like the player character in the first Mystery Dungeon, Dialga wipes out from existence. The End.
And now the big question: To Be Continued? While I get what R_N is saying, it also feels odd for them to tag that in on the end especially for something that ends with a cliffhanger that they don't plan on following-up on. But then again, what else is there to follow-up on after having shown case all the sculptures? As far as I can tell that's all there is to the exhibition, there's no other kind of art that a second part would showcase. I guess we could just assume Dialga uses it Roar of Time to "fix" everything and Ash & Pikachu were sent back to the stadium to continue their match as if nothing happened; but that would be a pretty disappointing conclusion for this mysterious setting they made.
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Bone Rush is a Gen 2 move. It's been one of Cubone and Marowak's signature moves since Gold and Silver. It's just a lot more memorable in Gen 4 because it also became associated with Lucario (who is well known to be the poster child of Gen 4) which is why the move became more well known then. But it's been a thing since GSC, so Cubone using it during Ash's time in Johto is perfectly reasonable.
Apologies for the double post, but I watched yesterday's episode and it's another Chloe-centric one.
This time Ash, Goh, and Chloe all go to a circus, with Ash and Goh being invited as special guest performers for the upcoming show that they're holding. Among them are two performers with Eevees, one who specializes in Electric-types, the other in Fire-types, and they plan to evolve their Eevees into Jolteon and Flareon, respectively, during the show.
Things go a bit wrong though when they argue and then lose their grip on their stones...which not only causes the Eevees to evolve before the show, but they end up evolving into the opposite one that each one wanted: Billy, lover of Electric-types, ended up with a Flareon instead of a Jolteon, while Hodoka, the lover of Fire-types, ended up with a Jolteon instead of a Flareon. This goes direly wrong, and they try things to make up for how things didn't end up as intended, including swapping partners, but that doesn't go well. Eventually, they swap back to the original trainers, but that still doesn't go well. Eventually the Flareon and Jolteon decide to perform together and practice together, and Chloe's Eevee jumps in and decides to create a new routine with them, and the two manage to work together. Their Trainers eventually see this and are surprised, but are moved by it and resolve to work together for their upcoming little performance.
All ends well, with Ash and Goh doing their own skits (and big thing of all for those who have been wondering: Grookey finally uses a move for the first time. Granted, it's a weak basic move like Branch Poke, but for those who have been waiting, it now has used a move), and the Jolteon and Flareon performers manage to pull off a successful skit with their Jolteon and Flareon, with Chloe and Eevee coordinating their teamed up skit. It ends up with the two of them giving Chloe a Thunder Stone and a Fire Stone for the day her Eevee decides to evolve, which may be long in the future.
In any case, though, with this episode Chloe's Eevee has met and interacted with most of its Eeveelutions thus far, with Vaporeon in Episode 63 (Kiley), Espeon and Umbreon in Episode 77 (Soleil/Haruhi), Glaceon in Episode 87 (Regina), Leafeon in Episode 94 (Erika), and now Jolteon and Flareon in Episode 98 (Konoha and Billy). All that's left is...Sylveon! Who will Chloe meet next for Eevee to interact with a Sylveon? And what kind of Trainer will Chloe run into that will have such a Sylveon in the future? The future awaits!
And as for next week...the next episode for Journeys will involve the debut of Marnie and Piers! Ash and Goh are going back to Galar, and it seems Ash will enter another World Coronation series match, and his opponent is Marnie from the Galar region. This is the first appearance of Marnie in the main anime, and she is thus far the only one of Sword and Shield's rivals to show up in the main anime. Will Ash be able to win against Marnie? Or will he lose, and thus Marnie shall become a formidable rival for him, as the two compete to the top. This will be exciting to see!
This time Ash, Goh, and Chloe all go to a circus, with Ash and Goh being invited as special guest performers for the upcoming show that they're holding. Among them are two performers with Eevees, one who specializes in Electric-types, the other in Fire-types, and they plan to evolve their Eevees into Jolteon and Flareon, respectively, during the show.
Things go a bit wrong though when they argue and then lose their grip on their stones...which not only causes the Eevees to evolve before the show, but they end up evolving into the opposite one that each one wanted: Billy, lover of Electric-types, ended up with a Flareon instead of a Jolteon, while Hodoka, the lover of Fire-types, ended up with a Jolteon instead of a Flareon. This goes direly wrong, and they try things to make up for how things didn't end up as intended, including swapping partners, but that doesn't go well. Eventually, they swap back to the original trainers, but that still doesn't go well. Eventually the Flareon and Jolteon decide to perform together and practice together, and Chloe's Eevee jumps in and decides to create a new routine with them, and the two manage to work together. Their Trainers eventually see this and are surprised, but are moved by it and resolve to work together for their upcoming little performance.
All ends well, with Ash and Goh doing their own skits (and big thing of all for those who have been wondering: Grookey finally uses a move for the first time. Granted, it's a weak basic move like Branch Poke, but for those who have been waiting, it now has used a move), and the Jolteon and Flareon performers manage to pull off a successful skit with their Jolteon and Flareon, with Chloe and Eevee coordinating their teamed up skit. It ends up with the two of them giving Chloe a Thunder Stone and a Fire Stone for the day her Eevee decides to evolve, which may be long in the future.
In any case, though, with this episode Chloe's Eevee has met and interacted with most of its Eeveelutions thus far, with Vaporeon in Episode 63 (Kiley), Espeon and Umbreon in Episode 77 (Soleil/Haruhi), Glaceon in Episode 87 (Regina), Leafeon in Episode 94 (Erika), and now Jolteon and Flareon in Episode 98 (Konoha and Billy). All that's left is...Sylveon! Who will Chloe meet next for Eevee to interact with a Sylveon? And what kind of Trainer will Chloe run into that will have such a Sylveon in the future? The future awaits!
And as for next week...the next episode for Journeys will involve the debut of Marnie and Piers! Ash and Goh are going back to Galar, and it seems Ash will enter another World Coronation series match, and his opponent is Marnie from the Galar region. This is the first appearance of Marnie in the main anime, and she is thus far the only one of Sword and Shield's rivals to show up in the main anime. Will Ash be able to win against Marnie? Or will he lose, and thus Marnie shall become a formidable rival for him, as the two compete to the top. This will be exciting to see!
Being Chloe's Eevee can't evolve (likely due to having a Gigantamax factor and I don't think they'll have her removing it), going to guess those Stones are going to be likely used to evolve some of Goh's Pokemon. Infact he does have one that could use one of them now: Pansear (nothing for the Thunder Stone yet).
Boy, if only we knew a character who had a Sylveon, possibly one that had travelled with Ash and is a very popular companion of his...
Though odd they didn't wait/plan to do a May cameo to have Chloe's Eevee meet a Glaceon, I guess they had that story idea they wanted to do plus, if my above hunch is right, they may not have wanted to do two instances of Chloe's meeting its Eeveelutions via a former companion of Ash's.
With has having pretty much gotten into the Ultra Rank with little problem, I think it should be about time he started facing some friction and losing battles. Having him lose to Marnie, Bede, and Hop and needing to defeat them in a rematch in order to jump from Ultra Rank into Master Rank I feel would be a good way to implement them but also not have them in the Master Rank which I'd imagine would be filled up with Champions, Elite Four members (including Galar Gym Leaders) and maybe a Frontier Brain or another notable strong trainer (maybe have Zinnia be at the bottom and the first one Ash has to defeat) if they want to have some surprising curveballs in there. Also would be cheap if they had some random anime-only characters (the only one I would accept is Tobias), the Top 10 should be all recognizable character. If there is any new character it better be revealed they're like the Champion of Gen IX and we're getting a quick sneak peak.
Well I spent tonight watching the latest episode of Journeys, and so here we are with Ash vs. Marnie!
It ends up a 1v1 battle with both sides using Gigantamax, though at first Ash ends up late because some of Team Yell's peeps decided to try to get Marnie to win by default by making Ash late so he would lose by not showing up, by claiming the match was relocated to Spikemuth (the match actually took place in Wyndon). Fortunately Piers is a good dude so once he realizes what happened he takes the courtesy of bringing Ash to Wyndon himself via his motorbike. A lot of Marnie's character is very much in line with her character in Sword and Shield, such as with Spikemuth being a run down town with little attraction because it isn't a Power Spot, and Marnie aiming to reach the top of the World Coronation series so that she can bring glory to Spikemuth by showcasing her strength as a Trainer to show how great Spikemuth's Trainers can be. Team Yell being Marnie's diehard fans and trying to obstruct Ash so Marnie wins more easily, despite that not being how Marnie wants it, ends up also being in line with Team Yell's characterization in Sword and Shield.
The match ends up being a match between Marnie's ace, Grimmsnarl, and Ash using his Gengar, allowing Gengar to unleash its Gigantamax for the first time! It's a pretty great match despite being 1v1, and both sides give each other a real challenge, and it's quite the battle both pre-GMax and when both are GMaxed. Ash ultimately prevails, though, and now is at Rank 15. Despite Marnie losing, people still found her Grimmsnarl to be amazing and many people gained a lot of admiration for her, so she managed to accomplish that. Even so, though, Ash and Marnie ensure to meet again as they keep climbing the World Coronation Series rankings, and Marnie even gives Ash the signature big smile she shows off in the SwSh post-game. Hopefully they do meet again in the future: Marnie's great and I'd really love to see her again in the main anime soon!
Next episode will be all about Leon, and Ash will join in on Leon's special training, while Goh ends up doing something with Sonia. Leon's Charizard and Dragapult will be prominently shown off as well.
And as spoilers...it's confirmed with the next OP that we will see returns of Clemont and Bonnie! It's about damn time they finally make their return since they haven't shown up since XY ended, and moreover, Wallace will return in the anime, and Lisia will make her anime debut! ORAS rep here we go!
Yep, Clemont and Bonnie return soon this year, and Lisia making her debut!
It ends up a 1v1 battle with both sides using Gigantamax, though at first Ash ends up late because some of Team Yell's peeps decided to try to get Marnie to win by default by making Ash late so he would lose by not showing up, by claiming the match was relocated to Spikemuth (the match actually took place in Wyndon). Fortunately Piers is a good dude so once he realizes what happened he takes the courtesy of bringing Ash to Wyndon himself via his motorbike. A lot of Marnie's character is very much in line with her character in Sword and Shield, such as with Spikemuth being a run down town with little attraction because it isn't a Power Spot, and Marnie aiming to reach the top of the World Coronation series so that she can bring glory to Spikemuth by showcasing her strength as a Trainer to show how great Spikemuth's Trainers can be. Team Yell being Marnie's diehard fans and trying to obstruct Ash so Marnie wins more easily, despite that not being how Marnie wants it, ends up also being in line with Team Yell's characterization in Sword and Shield.
The match ends up being a match between Marnie's ace, Grimmsnarl, and Ash using his Gengar, allowing Gengar to unleash its Gigantamax for the first time! It's a pretty great match despite being 1v1, and both sides give each other a real challenge, and it's quite the battle both pre-GMax and when both are GMaxed. Ash ultimately prevails, though, and now is at Rank 15. Despite Marnie losing, people still found her Grimmsnarl to be amazing and many people gained a lot of admiration for her, so she managed to accomplish that. Even so, though, Ash and Marnie ensure to meet again as they keep climbing the World Coronation Series rankings, and Marnie even gives Ash the signature big smile she shows off in the SwSh post-game. Hopefully they do meet again in the future: Marnie's great and I'd really love to see her again in the main anime soon!
Next episode will be all about Leon, and Ash will join in on Leon's special training, while Goh ends up doing something with Sonia. Leon's Charizard and Dragapult will be prominently shown off as well.
And as spoilers...it's confirmed with the next OP that we will see returns of Clemont and Bonnie! It's about damn time they finally make their return since they haven't shown up since XY ended, and moreover, Wallace will return in the anime, and Lisia will make her anime debut! ORAS rep here we go!
Yep, Clemont and Bonnie return soon this year, and Lisia making her debut!
Really nice to see Lisia finally appear.
Okie dokie, JN just got a new opening today, and two key things have been unveiled.
We already know about Clemont and Bonnie coming back, same with Wallace, but two key things are:
- Paul is making a return in Journeys! One of his most iconic rivals, he will appear in some form! Will Ash and Paul battle once more? This is exciting. Maybe he will have an Ursaluna and Mega Aggron? I'd be so down to see him with either one of those.
- Greninja is also making a comeback! The iconic ninja frog that Ash owned in XY is making its big return, and we'll get to see the awesome frog in action once again.
This is exciting, I'm looking forward to seeing them both return! Of course, they've also confirmed that the OP scenes will change later, meaning this is only the beginning: there's even more big returns and exciting events to look forward to as time goes on this year!
We already know about Clemont and Bonnie coming back, same with Wallace, but two key things are:
- Paul is making a return in Journeys! One of his most iconic rivals, he will appear in some form! Will Ash and Paul battle once more? This is exciting. Maybe he will have an Ursaluna and Mega Aggron? I'd be so down to see him with either one of those.
- Greninja is also making a comeback! The iconic ninja frog that Ash owned in XY is making its big return, and we'll get to see the awesome frog in action once again.
This is exciting, I'm looking forward to seeing them both return! Of course, they've also confirmed that the OP scenes will change later, meaning this is only the beginning: there's even more big returns and exciting events to look forward to as time goes on this year!
O the subject of Paul’s Ursaring it WAS a complete powerhouse in DP but I do like that it wasn’t included in the league 6v6. Chimchar had such a hold over it, KO’ing it while taking no hits while still unevolved (twice!) and Infernape was the one Pokémon (besides probably Pikachu) Paul was absolutely sure would be in Ash’s team.* If he did end up using Ursaring either Infernape would have destroyed it immediately. I hope that Ursaring is either benched or evolves because I think we’ve seen the full battling extent of Ursaring itself.
*He was pretty sure Ash would use his classic Sinnoh six but needed Gastrodon and Aggron to make sure.
*He was pretty sure Ash would use his classic Sinnoh six but needed Gastrodon and Aggron to make sure.