I really liked the episode and it got me to realize that Shinji is my favorite character after May
I can't see what's the problem with a Pokémon beating a Pokémon that has a type advantage on it... it isn't the first time that happened and the anime is just more realistic than the games so Geodude could block the attack
I also can't understand people that say that "Shinji is a beginner trainer" or that "Hikozaru is Shinji's first Pokémon"
If I recall correct in DP3 Shinji introduce himself to the Professor so we can be sure that he didn't got Hikozaru from it and just caught it in the wild like Ash could get a wild Naetoru... and also this prove that unlike how some people think hikozaru is NOT Shinji's first Pokémon... at least not for sure - Shinji's first Pokémon is probably one of Elekid/Hikozaru and in my opinion it's much more logical for it to be Elekid because Shinji's Pokémon and Ash's Pokémon are "rivals" (Pikachu and Elekid - both are 3 stages electric type / Naetoru and Hikozaru - "rivals" because of their battle / Mukubird and Murkrow - birds) so probably Elekid is also Shinji's first Pokémon like Ash's Pikachu
We have no reason to think Shinji is a beginner trainer - so what if Elekid and Hikozaru didn't evolve? alot of Pokémon the main characters own never evolved despite having them for a long time (Squirtle/Cyndaquil/Totodile/Cacnea/Geodude and more)
So what if he only have with him 2 Pokémon at the moment? Ash also came to Sinnoh with only 2 Pokémon with him and Shinji could do exactly the same... why? we can't know the reason - maybe it has something to do with the reason he started to treat Pokémon like tools and not friends: maybe something happened with some of his Pokémon that caused him to lose faith in them and release them all or leave them at his home or with someone except for Elekid that maybe he still had a little of sentimental feelings for it (and I really hope that there will be a good reason for why he started to treat Pokémon like that)
Also in this episode when Shinji hear that the gym is a rock type he frightened a little and said that he goes to the Pokémon center - maybe there he contacted his home/someone that take care of his old Pokémon and took back Azumarill for this battle?
In my opinion Shinji is an experienced trainer and it's more logical this way... but we don't have a proof wheter he is or not =X I hope we will find out soon
I can't see what's the problem with a Pokémon beating a Pokémon that has a type advantage on it... it isn't the first time that happened and the anime is just more realistic than the games so Geodude could block the attack
I also can't understand people that say that "Shinji is a beginner trainer" or that "Hikozaru is Shinji's first Pokémon"
If I recall correct in DP3 Shinji introduce himself to the Professor so we can be sure that he didn't got Hikozaru from it and just caught it in the wild like Ash could get a wild Naetoru... and also this prove that unlike how some people think hikozaru is NOT Shinji's first Pokémon... at least not for sure - Shinji's first Pokémon is probably one of Elekid/Hikozaru and in my opinion it's much more logical for it to be Elekid because Shinji's Pokémon and Ash's Pokémon are "rivals" (Pikachu and Elekid - both are 3 stages electric type / Naetoru and Hikozaru - "rivals" because of their battle / Mukubird and Murkrow - birds) so probably Elekid is also Shinji's first Pokémon like Ash's Pikachu
We have no reason to think Shinji is a beginner trainer - so what if Elekid and Hikozaru didn't evolve? alot of Pokémon the main characters own never evolved despite having them for a long time (Squirtle/Cyndaquil/Totodile/Cacnea/Geodude and more)
So what if he only have with him 2 Pokémon at the moment? Ash also came to Sinnoh with only 2 Pokémon with him and Shinji could do exactly the same... why? we can't know the reason - maybe it has something to do with the reason he started to treat Pokémon like tools and not friends: maybe something happened with some of his Pokémon that caused him to lose faith in them and release them all or leave them at his home or with someone except for Elekid that maybe he still had a little of sentimental feelings for it (and I really hope that there will be a good reason for why he started to treat Pokémon like that)
Also in this episode when Shinji hear that the gym is a rock type he frightened a little and said that he goes to the Pokémon center - maybe there he contacted his home/someone that take care of his old Pokémon and took back Azumarill for this battle?
In my opinion Shinji is an experienced trainer and it's more logical this way... but we don't have a proof wheter he is or not =X I hope we will find out soon
This also may add to the idea that Elekid was his first Pokémon... also remember that the first Pokémon we saw that he have is Elekid and that in his first battle with Ash and also in that gym battle he saved Elekid for the final of the battle (and yes I know he used Elekid before Hikozaru in the gym but he returned it and used it after Hikozaru lost)This is the second time it's been stated that Shinji's Elekid has exceptional power (the first being way back in episode 3). They're either trying to hint that Shinji and Elekid have been together for a long time or that this Elekid is a special pokemon, not unlike how Pikachu used to be.