Combusken = Dues ex?

[Gravy]

Combusken = Deus ex?

Now, I've been reading into this for quite a while now, and it's mostly been inspired by people having a certain amount of distain towards a good majority of Haruka's team and their overall performance. Most of the complaints are, of course, down to her pokémon obtaining moves from seemingly nowhere, or certain factors such as the effects of attacks and contest rules being tweaked in their favour.
Though one of the only pokémon she has that people have never seemed to have much of a problem with, bar Beautifly, is Combusken.

And personally, I'm actually a little surprised at this. In actuallity, Combusken has had just as many random moves thrown onto it since it evolved as both Eevee and Squirtle and has achieved a lot more than many of Haruka's other recruits, despite limited training.

Lets start from the begining, shall we. Take into consideration that we have never actually seen Haruka give the pokémon any sort of formal training as a Torchic. It was left to stagnate in favour of other pokémon, and the most we saw from it was a short scene which involved practising for a frisbee-catching appeal. Torchic never seemed to improve in any way since it was obtained in AG01 and was more often than not, never portrayed as anything but helpless and feeble, even directly before it evolved.
And then it evolves. All of a sudden, it's become a complete powerhouse. Combusken masters a whopping 3 attacks upon it's evolution (as well as the ability to use fighting techniques that are not classified as actual pokémon moves) and dish them out with perfect precision.
We then see her participate in three contests after it's evolution, with still no hint that Haruka has been giving Combusken any sort of off-screen training. It successfully wins each contest, against pokémon it has a natural disadvantage to and one which has been in training for years.
Near the climax of it's most recent contest, it uses a move it learns during the battle and manages to not only dispose of the attack that would have surely guaranteed it's defeat, but also manages to use the move to deliver a knockout blow to the opponent.

Now, taking into account that Combusken has had no battle experience or training outside of three contest battles and the fact that it was able to learn 4 attacks, would these factors indicate that Combusken is indeed as much of a dues ex machina as any other pokémon Haruka has owned over the course of the series?

 

[Kabuto]

Combusken is too cool to hate even though it didn't work as hard as Treecko. Luckily Grovyle evolved now and left it in the dust.

 

[The Flat World]

Well, about a pokemon suddenly becoming a powerhouse from a weakling, that's not that rare is it?

Taillow was arguably the weakest pokemon Ash had ever had (did it ever win a battle btw?), but it evolved and turned into one of the most powerful pokemon he possesses. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to rank Swellow the 3rd/4th most powerful pokemon Ash has, behind Charizard, Sceptile and possibly Snorlax (although that's highly debatable).

And then there's Glalie with its sudden mastering of ice beam that turned it into a monster in the Hoenn League.

I actually do agree about how Torchic/Combusken never really got decent on-screen training though.

 

[Kabuto]

Taillow wasn't weak ?! It stood up to like a million thunderbolts from Pikachu. Phanpy and Snorunt at least fought sometimes. Torchic did nothing but a few embers and crashing into walls. Now that its Combusken I don't hate it anymore even though its evolution was cheap.

 

[The Flat World]

The electric resistance thing was the only good thing it had.

It lost the rare battles it had, against foes like Machop and Roselia. I won't count in the battle against Torchic. I don't recall it winning any battles at all.

 

[Kabuto]

Machop and Roselia were well trained. Taillow had guts (game joke). Taillow did own May badly in Ash's first fight with May.

 

[Flamez]

First of all gravy you made some very good points, that i never really looked at until now.

Torchic had to evolve, that thing was pathetic. The way it evolved was actually very good IMO. And as far as Combusken training off-screen it has to be training off screen, cuz i remember in a contest combusken just came out for appeals and may threw her bandana up and combusken folded it up for her or something like that and may put it back on. I dont remember what contest that was, but definetly some training must've been done since to pull something like that off training would be necessary. And when may beat that girl wakana in the contest she was training munchlax and combusken in the beginning of the episode. Probably even before that in some off-screen training.
Squirtle is a cheap pokemon that she has probably the biggest one. I mean common that thing was a cry baby and so scared of stuff and it manages to learn ice beam out of nowhere and beats harley's ariados. I hate that thing so much its not even funny. But you know something i would have to agree with what Seizureman said that combusken is just to cool to hate.

 

[Ralts Master]

Pretty much all of Ash's and May's Pokemon are walking deus ex machina. ESPECIALLY Pikachu...

 

[Magus]

Combusken's evolution works because the anime established long ago that sometimes Pokémon will evolve simply out of sheer determination, even when they seem to be too weak to evolve by game standards. There's also the fact that anime-wise Torchic could never do anything other than look cute. It had to evolve to be worthwhile, and the episode where it did was as good a time as any.

 

[Thriller]

I think it the hatred towards Squirtle and Munchlax has nothing to do with them learning random moves. I think people just got upset at them altogether. Everyone was so hyped about Ash's Squirtle returning just to see May aquire one. I think Squirtle had learned Ice Beam in between episodes. I haven't seen the Saffron episode but I'm sure Squirtle didn't just use Ice Beam against Ariados. If May commanded Squirtle to use it, then she must have known it had it. Therefore, she trained it behind the scenes just like Eevee with Shadow Ball only she didn't tell anyone about it probably to keep it a suprise.

And also the fact that Squirtle used Ice Beam to beat everyones precious Harley. If it was some random coordinator, there wouldn't be so much pissyness.

 

[.Bambi.]

Though this is true, Combusken's sudden uber-ism could be compared to the likes of Snorunt and Taillow.

I think the main reason why people aren't annoyed by Combusken's transition from feeble chick to phat fowl is because it was subtle. After Combusken evolved, it got screen time, but not much battle screen time. Then it got to prove itself in the Lilycove Contest, in which showed it was capable of. Yes, it learned 3 new moves and evolved in one episode, but wasn't it really needed?

The point I'm trying to make is, it didn't go from cry baby to flexing on Ariados' stomach in a few episodes. It didn't pull TM and Move Tutor moves out of its butt. It's mild natured and not cocky in the least. Sure it can whoop you from here to god knows where, but it's a likeable kind of uber.

 

[RaikousThunder]

I didnt really like Torchic in the beginning cause it would run into walls and act fairly dumb but it was a young pokemon and its trainer was brand new too. I liked the way they had Torchic evolve. For once it could be to protector and not the protected. I love when pokemon evolve to save someone. When pokemon evolve they have to have some knowledge of their attacks and know how to do them well. Fire Spin had to be done quick cause it couldnt rely on Ember forever and it needed a stronger fire move. Sky Uppercut was a good move for it too. They also had to make a decent fighter if they wanted it to stand up to a Breloom. People may like Combusken more since it evolved before it got to be way powerful, unlike her other pokemon, besides Beautifly, who became way powerful as young ones. You never know what happens off screen. Sometimes weeks and months pass off screen and i bet lots of training is done during that time, especially before the Grand Festival and Hoenn League. Combusken is my favorite of May's pokemon along with Bulbasaur. I would like to see more of it. I want to see it appeal for a change instead of always battling but May seems to like Squirtle more for that part.

 

[The Benmeister]

The way I see it, Combusken is merely a Pokemon that gained power upon evolution because it HAD to. Similar to Taillow and Snorunt (broken recor-recor-recor-record), only this time it was probably necessary, since it's May's starting Pokemon, and it wouldn't make much sense if someone's starter was useless, they wouldn't have got it in the first place.]

There's also the insignificant theory of starters growing with their trainers.

 

[Ralts Master]

And also the fact that Squirtle used Ice Beam to beat everyones precious Harley. If it was some random coordinator, there wouldn't be so much pissyness.

Quoted for truth.

 

[V Faction]

Is this a test, Gravy? Do you really need to ask?

Combusken rocks. It's evolution from Torchic was an almost necessity. I can't find that necessity in May's Squirtle (and truthfully, in her Eevee). EDIT: And I mean in a 'Having this Pokemon' sense, not an evolution one. Don't get the wrong idea--I WANT Eevee to evolve.

And up until its evolution, we had only seen one Combusken (a pretty typical pattern by Early AG). Ash already had a Squirtle and May gets one? It's not even her getting the same Pokemon, since most people are okay with Bulbasaur. It's the writers using the same idea again. "We gave May a Bulbasaur and it was such a hit. Lez do eet again!" Combusken was fresh at the time.

Oh and the moves it can learn. Sky Uppercut, Fire Spin (NOT Flamethrower), Mega Kick (okay that one was a floggy).... Good stuff. Not... Ice Beam-Water Gun-Ice Beam-Water Gun.

 

[Komedic Konservationist]

It's mild natured and not cocky in the least. .

Combuskken is the cockiest Pokemon ever, because it and it's evolutionary line are the only cockerel-based Pokemon currently existing.

 

[Geki]

Combusken is fine as it is, that's why no one complains about it. Squirtle and Eevee are new, and the reason people complain about Squirtle is because of the fact that Ash had both a Bulbasaur and a Squirtle, and May has both too. Eevee is perfect in my opinion, I have no idea why people complain about it.

 

[Robotboy]

The way things work in the anime, evolution is mostly used as a plot device to make a weak Pokémon gain a much-needed upgrade in terms of power. I'm going to be a broken record and compare Torchic's evolution into Combusken to evolutions of other weak Pokémon Ash has had in his arsenal:

--Chikorita ( who was consistently losing matches until it evolved into Bayleef )
--Tailow ( honestly, did Tailow even WIN any matches prior to its evolution? )
--Snorunt ( who upon evolution mastered techniques it struggled with in its prior stage and gained considerable amounts of power )
--Phanpy ( had some victories of its own, but none to make it standout; and compared to the likes of Grovyle, Swellow, Corphish, and Pikachu, it was definitely the weakest link )

But the Pokémon I want to bring up here as a critical example is neither of those four. No, the Ash Pokémon I will be using is none other than Krabby.

Krabby, who was NEVER used in a battle ever, but it wins one match and evolves into Kingler, transforms into one of Ash's strongest Pokémon during the Kanto days, pulls a Hyper Beam seemingly out of nowhere ( a la Donphan ), and earns all the glory of its debut episode for defeating three fully-evolved ( at the time, anyway, since Kingdra hadn't debuted ) Pokémon without breaking a sweat.

So really, the point I'm trying to make here is, this kind of stuff is just natural in the Pokémon anime. Whether Combusken is deus ex or not, it's still an amiable monster, unlike a certain turtle Haruka's been carrying around lately.

 

[Gravy]

Combusken is the cockiest Pokemon ever, because it and it's evolutionary line are the only cockerel-based Pokemon currently existing.

I had to smile.

Is this a test, Gravy? Do you really need to ask?

Of course it's a test
Truthfully, the intention was to see if this would get any replies along the lines of "Oh, wait...now that you mention it, Combusken is just as bad as the rest of her team! Dammit, what little faith I had in May's training skills has been crushed!". Y'know, just so I could mess with people's minds. But I guess it's not the case.
But either way, it's funny to see how some dues ex pokémon are welcomed with open arms whilst others are seen to be the bane of the animé's existance. It just goes to prove that, as long as a character functions well and makes themself different enough from the rest, people couldn't care less about plot holes. I can definately agree with the logic behind it, but it's all humourously contradictory in the long run.

 

[jolteonjak]

First off..what is deus ex machina?

Second of all, Combusken's appeal with May's handkerchief was in the Saffron contest. From what I gather watching it in Japanese, May originally wanted to use Squirtle, but it was a bit nervous. Seems May made the change right at her turn. I think a lot of Squirtle's hatred also comes from the fact that the 8th movie came out right at the beginning of BF. So in all the promo shots was Squirtle, and everyone (myself included) assumed Ash's was coming back.

As I've said before I have no problems with Squirtle. I don't even care anymore that her Eevee learned Dig the same exact way Squirtle learned Ice Beam.

Like a lot of others, I do enjoy Combusken. What was the third attack it learned upon evolution? I remember it getting Fire Spin and Sky Uppercut. I had no problems with it learning those attacks either upon evolution. In fact, it would have kinda made the evolution pointless if it didn't. The only problem I had with Mega Kick is that I kinda preferred it learning Blaze Kick, but oh well.