Zoey vs Nando is jaw-droppingly good. Holy **** that’s honestly the best rival v rival match in the anime. Barry v Paul, Kiawe v Gladion, pack your bags….
Absolutely gorgeous; full of sakuga and amazing combinations. Truly the pinnacle of what a Contest battle can be, even the atmosphere and OST reflected that. Both Nando and Zoey had some stunning ideas executed so well, that it really felt like it was a battle between equals. Lopunny dancing to Kricketune? The synchronized Double Team? Silver Wind and Blizzard creating snowflakes? The incredible wings on Leafeon?? All top-tier. You can tell they’re both on another level, even Dawn says it.
It’s a pity that Dawn’s battle against Jessie was barely shown, but eh. A necessary sacrifice if I’m being honest. Jessie encouraging Dawn to win in her own way was a nice way to end it.
All the dramatic, epic shots of Dawn and Zoey made me even more excited to watch the next ep. Zoey vs Dawn has been hyped up so long and has been such a consistent piece of the narrative from the beginning, you know it’s about to make all other final rival battles prior to this look like child’s play.