Could the Battle Club be a Replacement for Contests?

[thunderblade12]

A lot of the Battle Club battles so far remind me more of contests battles than gym or league matches. Ash vs Burgundy/Langley, Cilan vs Trip, etc. We even get those quick wins for characters in less important battles such as Iris vs Watchog man. I'm thinking this four episode arc is more comparable to the Wallace Cup than the Tag Battle Tournament.

Now that we know Ash isn't the only one who participates in these Battle Clubs (basically the whole cast does), it could be an easy way to set up battles between the rivals. Do you think these Battle Club Tournaments will become a recurring thing like contests were? Of course not to the scale that this one is, only a few of the characters would be present for each of them. But it could give Iris and Cilan an outlet to battle since they don't collect badges/ribbons or anything of the sort.

 

[Platinum fan.]

It will only feel like a contest/Wallace Cup if secondary characters win. The Wallace Cup was designed for the secondary characters to do well in, despite the fact Ash entered, they used the "It's a contest and not Ash's specialty" excuse as to why he lost even though some were upset Ash lost to a character who would later lose to his "inferior" female companion. If Iris wins then it will feel like the Wallace Cup and that is both positive and negative. If Ash wins it will be like the Tag battle arc. Personally I hope we get more where Ash does not enter so Cilan and Iris can gain some wins and their Pokemon can have moments of fame. They don't have much so they I hope they get another tournament.

 

[Dax]

I doubt we'll see another Don Battle Tournament during BW but it'd be great if they were replacements for Contests. It could serve as a platform for Iris and Cilan to get stronger since they don't have one like Ash does.

I'm all for it only if Ash is not the winner.

 

[catzeye]

I'm not sure if we will be seeing Don Battle Tournaments again. We may have one more. I don't see the writers using these tournaments all the time because then they could get boring unless they add new rules to each one.

However I do feel that Battle Clubs will be a staple of the Best Wishes Saga. It gives Ash, Cilan and Iris to not only a good place to train and also a chance to battle their rivals occasionally.

 

[lolipiece]

Contests? No way. They're completely different...

 

[FlyAsADunsparce]

Maybe there will be different things that could replace contests, but only in a way of rivals interacting. For example the Battle Club tournament, Battle Subway, Pokemon Musical, Wonder Launcher tournament.

Instead of having contests they could just throw in ''random'' tournaments for interaction between rivals.

 

[Blackjack the Titan]

The two are completely different, but as they are taking up a part of the Unova series, they could be.
The Musical hasn't been shown, and it really isn't that important so that is out of possible contest replacements.

 

[FlyAsADunsparce]

The two are completely different, but as they are taking up a part of the Unova series, they could be.
The Musical hasn't been shown, and it really isn't that important so that is out of possible contest replacements.

It was just an example. And I didn't mean Musicals alone as a replacement. But all those ''tournaments'' together as a replacement for all those contests. Contests where there for Ash to take some time off and not focus on Gym Battles and for Dawn/May and her rivals to interact and connect. I feel like all those tournaments, including a musical, could do the same thing. A break for Ash and some interesting interaction between rivals. Because fillers and just gym battles won't do that sorta things.

 

[LexSuicune]

I don't think there'll be such a thing as replacement for contests, I happened to like them a lot, they brought something unique and interesting to the Pokemon world and it required a lot of work and passion.

 

[CyberCubed]

If we see more of them possibly.

They could prove more interesting too, since all DP did was recycle Zoey and Kenny in almost every contest. They tried to spice things up
with Ursula later on but it was too late.

And now we won't have a Piplup shoved down our throats in every other one.

 

[Aegon]

Nah. The Battle Club doesn't appear very often, and none of the main cast is aiming to become the best battler in the clubs. They're just convenient places for Ash to train or for battle arcs to take place.

 

[JennaJayfeather]

Nah. I don't think so. (this is just my opinion) I always thought the Battle Clubs were like..a place for training XD

 

[kaiser soze]

It doesn't match up in terms of being a solid B polt. But it does provide decent filler episodes, which is their main point.

Contests were the main thing that turned me off from the last two anime generations back in the day. While I'm fine with them as a mini-game, I don't like them as a major part of the plot.

 

[Oshakpop]

Well I think the Battle Tournament was more about introducing new characters to the series.. which we will see appear at the Battle Clubs as BW progresses. As a replacement for Contests? No.. I don't think so..

 

[Locormus]

I don't think there'll be such a thing as replacement for contests, I happened to like them a lot, they brought something unique and interesting to the Pokemon world and it required a lot of work and passion.

Yeah, it probably required a lot of work and passion, but Battle Clubs could still replace them just as easily, as only the core needs to be replaced.. Specifics can be swept aside very easily when it comes to replacing. See how many people are still on how Iris replaced Dawn, the core is still the same: She's a girl. But the specifics have been swept aside: no more participating in contest, not very girly, etc. Same goes for contests being replaced by Battle Club fights, here are both rendered down to their core of how they can be seen, deleting all the specifics:

- Contests: Hoenn's and Sinnoh's extra way of getting the other characters, and sometimes Ash, to have some 'important' battle screentime.
- Battle Club Fights in general: Unova's extra way of getting Ash, and the other characters to have some 'important' battle screentime.

Replacing doesn't mean being exactly the same with a different name. It means taking something's slot, and doing something different with it. That's exactly what we've seen from Battle Clubs in this arc. In this case, it is the replacement of contests.

Now that I've rewatched Cilan's battle with Dwebble, I can see that the Musical thing is not going to become his staple, he's just way too good at battling.

 

[Eternal Darkness]

Possibly. Depends on whether or not they include the Battle Clubs more. Other than a convient place to train, and to battle rivals occasionally, I don't see Battle Clubs doing that much. They could be a replacement for contests, but not very close to the level that contests were in AG and DP.

 

[WaterShuriken]

I just hope we see other types of don battle tournaments in the future.

Perhaps a water type tournament, or a double battle, one, etc.

 

[XxEpicsxX]

I just hope we see other types of don battle tournaments in the future.

Perhaps a water type tournament, or a double battle, one, etc.

If they have a type specific tournement, it'd probably end up either a Ground or Electric type, as all three of the main characters have one (Palpitoad, Excadrill, Stunfisk and Pikachu, Emolga, and Stunfisk, respectively)

 

[Aria-Forme]

I personally think this tournament will only be a one-time thing. I guess they could have more in the future but I doubt they'd be an actual replacement for contests.

 

[BurningSociety12345543210]

The battle club is just a place to train. It's nothing like contests.......