The Final Two Episodes of Hoenn

[Shuppet Master]

I just watched the last two episodes of the Hoenn League today(I missed the last two from oversleep, and I wanted to see the Harry Potter rip-off, gosh darn it) and here are my thoughts:

Good

• Ash coming up with decent strategies and exploiting weaknesses
• Tyson and his Meowth giving a decent challenge
• Tyson actually WINNING the League, unlike Harrison(although we don't see any of his battles)
• Team Rocket actually staying out of the action for a long period of time, and Meowth rooting for Tyson's Meowth.
• Gligar! I love Gligar! :biggrin:

Bad

• Too many double-KOs! C'mon, writers, let's be a little more original in show how equal two Pokemon are instead of this!
• Morrison freezing up at the beginning in a "I can't! I can't fight him!" behavior that is ridiculous. If he didn't want to fight his pals, he should have never become a trainer.
• Ash losing and only getting to the top eight, AGAIN. I understanding that he might have done better with his old Pokemon in the mix and refused because he wanted to go far, but come on.

Any comments on these episodes?

[The_Missing_Link]

I wasn't surprised Ash lost. In fact, I was more surprised when he won the Orange Island trophy

Battles were ok, nothing spectacular. The other Meowth's voice was a nice change of pace rather than listening to a bad New York accent half an episode. Double KO's sucked, good seeing Pokemon like Gligar and Meowth in important battles. Overall, a normal championship arc

[Mega Horny]

What I hate is how Ash always seems to almost make it and is defeated by one superstrong pokemon. I wish he would meet up with some trainer and just get his ass handed to him period. Like this for example,

Hsa V.S. Ash

Gengar -- Bulbasaur
Gengar -- Squirtle
Gengar -- Snorlax
Claydol -- Snorlax
Claydol -- Kingler
Hypno -- Kingler
Hypno -- Pikachu
Hypno -- Charizard


Also, how come like, every other trainer Ash battles uses Metagross(or occasionally Metang)??? I'm seriously not kidding, WTF?

[Zak]

Also, how come like, every other trainer Ash battles uses Metagross(or occasionally Metang)??? I'm seriously not kidding, WTF?

I don't know if you saw the previous 10something episodes, but up until this point Morrison and Tyson (who aren't random people, we meet them a bunch of episodes before) are the only trainers who have Metang and Metagross, and when we met them that was their first and only appearance. So... I have no idea what you're talking about by "every other trainer". This was their debut.



~Zak

[Mega Horny]

Sorry, got myself confused. i looked ahead at a lot of the japanese epis on Serebeii, including the battle frontier and everyone has a Metagross.

or maybe I'm on crack....

Hopefully both.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

• Ash losing and only getting to the top eight, AGAIN. I understanding that he might have done better with his old Pokemon in the mix and refused because he wanted to go far, but come on.

We know and have always known that Ash has just a few Pokémon after all. Other than Tauroses he caught in the banned ep. Not as if his Pokémon weren't good, but he just does not have choices.

[mr_pikachu]

I was a little underwhelmed by the battle. It was a decent match, sure, and I liked the tactics and all. But at the end it just felt like Charizard vs. Blaziken all over again. I was hoping for a bit more creativity this time than just two Pokemon slamming equally powered attacks into each other.

Still, it wasn't bad, I guess. I was just expecting a bit more.


By the way, if I recall correctly, the computer whiz girl in Destiny Deoxys used a Metagross. Just thought I'd mention that.

[Chris 2.1]

I havent seen many of the latter Hoenn episodes (Damn UK...when are the new episodes? Every time I tune in its "Clamperl of Wisdom" ...)

But I would have liked a bit more emphasis on Hoenn Pokemon. That was the reason Ash came to Hoenn, right? The new species of Pokemon? Yet many league competetors (the majority, IIRC) had Johto and Kanto Pokemon which irked me slightly. Although seeing some like Machamp and Marowak in battle was nice...

Anyway let's hope the next league yields better results.

[Shuppet Master]

Some Johto and Kanto Pokemon exist in Hoenn(Girafarig is catchable in the Safari Zone). Morrison may be from Johto or something, and Tyson uses a lot of Hoenn Pokemon(Sceptile, Hariyama, Shiftry, and Metagross). The only Pokemon he has which aren't Hoenn-exclusive were that Meowth and...gosh darn it! I forgot his sixth guy!

I agree with mr. pikachu. That last battle was Harrison all over again, but instead of two mighty Pokemon bashing it out, it was too tiny guys. I feel that Ash should have used tactics to get the advantage(like zapping the rocks with Thunder to destroy Meowth's footing or something). Meh.

Here's to hoping the Battle Frontier season has some nice twists and hoping for Ash to win the Diamond/Pearl League or at least get into the top 2.

[Mega Horny]

Couldn't have said it better myself. And his sixth guy was Donphan, who gave a poor show if I say so myself.

Battle Frontier is pretty awesome. I've looked ahead on Serebii. Many twists, including a very cool one when Ash challenges my personal favorite, Factory Head Nolan's Articuno. Ash also gets back (a few) of his old pogeys, which is good. AND BROCK MEETS A GIRL WHO LIKES HIM! ^^ Yea its cool.

[Zak]

Sorry, got myself confused. i looked ahead at a lot of the japanese epis on Serebeii, including the battle frontier and everyone has a Metagross.

or maybe I'm on crack....

Hopefully both.

Actually, only one person has had a Metagross since the Hoenn league, and the one you're seeing in the preview pic on Serebii is the one with it. No one else has had one. Nor a Beldum or a Metang. And that's like... 40ish episodes later.


~Zak

[Hatake Kakashi]

Plus it's not unlikely that a Metagross would show up. He IS a very powerful pokemon, so Battle Frontier trainers would probably make it a point to pack one on their team.

[Mega Horny]

Fine, we've setteled it! I'm on crack! And rather than stop while I'm ahead, I've also seen quite a few Shiftrys of late!

[Elec Man EXE]

As far as double-KO's go...

Yes, its annoying. But I think its a time saving technique, personally. I mean, if every pair of pokemon had a 5+ minute fight like say Grovyle and Gligar, it would take too long for them to get through the episodes.

I mean, personally I'd like to see some longer battles instead of the "OMG, use your uber attack and it'll make an explosion and kill you both!" but a lot of people get annoyed when the drag things out too long.

For example, my sister is a pretty avid Yu-Gi-Oh fan. And even she complains when the matches take 5 episodes to get through.

[mr_pikachu]

Well, don't forget the final battle of the Orange League, which was two episodes long. Frankly, those two episodes are two of my all-time favorites. The strategies of the first episode led nicely into the skill and power in the second. (And who wouldn't love a name like "Enter the Dragonite"?)

Still, things can't get too long, you're right. After all, YGO has to have an episode every once in a while entirely dedicated to flashback, because it takes so freaking long. (Of course, there was the entire pointless season... Enter the Shadow Realm? You should've seen my face when Kaiba finished the arc by saying, "Let's just pretend that all never happened.")

Anyway, I'm getting off track. The point is, long battles can be good, as long as they're not too long. I don't want to spend an entire episode on the first matchup. "Oh no, _________ got hit with _________! Is it knocked out? Find out next time, on Yu-Gi-Okemon!"