DP 189: Semifinals

[Silver_Seoul]

Okay, to most of you that are saying this is a random Semi-Final battle...

There's like three episodes after this. We'd have a horribly rushed final if this is just some spectator round. Would you want that, really? For the first time ever, Ash is making it into the Top4. Can't you people be happy with that by itself? Really. This is what most of you expect?

DP189: Random Semi-Final battles to "hype" Ash and Takuto; Finals begin towards the end of the episode.

DP190: Horribly rushed battle, ending of League.

DP191: Brock's new Dream/Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash returns to Pallet, heads to Isshu.

Instead of having-

DP189: Decently placed battle between Ash and Takuto in the Semis.

DP190: Conclusion to the battle, ending of the League, rival send-off.

DP191: Brock and Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash's depart.

Which would you rather have?

 

[Eternal Darkness]

Okay, to most of you that are saying this is a random Semi-Final battle...

There's like three episodes after this. We'd have a horribly rushed final if this is just some spectator round. Would you want that, really? For the first time ever, Ash is making it into the Top4. Can't you people be happy with that by itself? Really. This is what most of you expect?

DP189: Random Semi-Final battles to "hype" Ash and Takuto; Finals begin towards the end of the episode.

DP190: Horribly rushed battle, ending of League.

DP191: Brock's new Dream/Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash returns to Pallet, heads to Isshu.

Instead of having-

DP189: Decently placed battle between Ash and Takuto in the Semis.

DP190: Conclusion to the battle, ending of the League, rival send-off.

DP191: Brock and Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash's depart.

Which would you rather have?

I like option B a lot better.

 

[ijea4444]

I like option B a lot better.

It was a rhetorical question >.>

 

[ESPNfanatic35]

Okay, to most of you that are saying this is a random Semi-Final battle...

There's like three episodes after this. We'd have a horribly rushed final if this is just some spectator round. Would you want that, really? For the first time ever, Ash is making it into the Top4. Can't you people be happy with that by itself? Really. This is what most of you expect?

DP189: Random Semi-Final battles to "hype" Ash and Takuto; Finals begin towards the end of the episode.

DP190: Horribly rushed battle, ending of League.

DP191: Brock's new Dream/Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash returns to Pallet, heads to Isshu.

Instead of having-

DP189: Decently placed battle between Ash and Takuto in the Semis.

DP190: Conclusion to the battle, ending of the League, rival send-off.

DP191: Brock and Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash's depart.

Which would you rather have?

Def option B but I really hope the writers don't go with option A. I am pleasantly surprised that they have Ash and his female companion getting really far in their respective competitions.

 

[TheNewGuy]

It might go on longer than DP192 and who knows, we might even get a one-hour special with all the breaks we've had so far. I think it's fair to say we might get an extra episode attached to what you just posted.

And a more low-key ep following the flurried 3-part Ash vs. Paul battle might not go amiss.

 

[Silver_Seoul]

It was a rhetorical question >.>

What he(/she?) said.


Seriously though... this is like... 75% confirmed to be Ash VS Takuto. It's the most logical thing. All the league matches don't have to be titled "TRAINER "A" VS TRAINER "B" SHOWDOWN - TEH 7331 DARKRAI SHOWDOWN."

 

[Hyuuga Neji]

There's like three episodes after this. We'd have a horribly rushed final if this is just some spectator round. Would you want that, really? For the first time ever, Ash is making it into the Top4. Can't you people be happy with that by itself? Really. This is what most of you expect?

I would be happy if this was in the finals, and not have Ash cheated out of getting to the finals, unlike Dawn was was handed a Finals ticket because she battle Jessie in the semi-finals. It just seems like a big screw you to Ash's character. They were portrayed as equal in terms of achievements this saga I don't see how exactly that is fair.

 

[Silver_Seoul]

I would be happy if this was in the finals, and not have Ash cheated out of getting to the finals, unlike Dawn was was handed a Finals ticket because she battle Jessie in the semi-finals. It just seems like a big screw you to Ash's character. They were portrayed as equal in terms of achievements this saga I don't see how exactly that is fair.

Because leagues aren't, you know, plenty tougher than the GF or anything.

 

[Klade]

We'll likely know if Ash loses by the next episode title release. Every region league final episode has been named something that makes it slightly obvious that its the end.

 

[Eternal Darkness]

We'll likely know if Ash loses by the next episode title release. Every region league final episode has been named something that makes it slightly obvious that its the end.

Yeah I'm hoping the Darkrai battle begins at the end of the Ash vs Paul Part 3 and ends in the next episode.

 

[RickHoenn]

Instead of having-

DP189: Decently placed battle between Ash and Takuto in the Semis.

DP190: Conclusion to the battle, ending of the League, rival send-off.

DP191: Brock and Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash's depart.

Which would you rather have?

OMG! someone with common sense in this thread... -_-

Yeah! it will be Option B for sure.

and how are they going to screw/rush a TOP 4 semifinal freaking battle being the first time Ash gets to this point, like really? -_-

 

[cazatron]

What kind of underhanded trick do you have in mind? ;D

i don't know, i was thinking perhaps if this theory rings true that darkrai is actually zoroark in disguise, maybe they could find that out and be all "hey you registered it as darkrai but it's not a darkrai raraararararararar REJECTED!!!

 

[Locormus]

Secondly: what happened to the heatran, does the LT own it.

On-topic: I think the semi will NOT be skipped as if this was the finals, the title would be something like: sinnoh league finals, darkrai appears. ash will most likely lose, this is my prediction.

Kanto: top 16
Johto: top 8
Hoenn: top 8
Sinnoh: top 4
Isshu: wins the league but loses to the elite 4 / Isshu champion

First: Conway said it.
Second: Heatran Man didn't make it into the Top 64.

Heatran Man made it into the Top 64, you could clearly see Heatran on the field during the opening ceremony.

http://www.serebii.net/anime/pictures/shinou/650ps11.shtml

If you see the picture with the pokemon and trainers from the back (fourth from the top, on the right), from left to right you'll see these pokemon: Heracross, Bulbasaur, Azumarill, Noctowl, Heatran, Squirtle, Bayleef, Donphan, Floatzel, Muk, Something Green, Probopass, and Snorlax.

They're not talking about skipping the semifinal. Just Ash witnessing Darkrai in battle for the first time, during Takuto's semifinal perhaps. Ash hasn't seen any of this guys skills, only heard about them. So far with every person that knocked Ash out of a league, Ash had the oppurtunity to see him in a battlesituation of some sorts or was already introduced.

Ritchie: Fought against Team Rocket
Harrison: Fought against that Sneasle with his top dog Blaziken
Tyson: Ash saw the end of his battle against random dude, with Blastoise and Aggron, during which Tyson used Sceptile and Donphan.
Takuto: Nothing... just some rumors.

So they, are predicting, and speculating on the possibility of Ash and Takuto both fighting a COTD in the semifinal, and that Ash would see this Darkrai after his own battle when he goes to check upon the other battle to see it's winner in action.

They see the oppurtunity of Ash beating Takuto as high, since he comes across as evil/unpleasant/unfriendlier then Paul. That's why they want to see that be the final, rather then the semi final, as there would otherwise be some random COTD in the final against Ash. And then they weigh what they want in the final:

Ash vs. COTD? In which Ash could possibly lose to a nobody (from our standpoint).

Or:

Ash vs Takuto? In which Ash would have, in their opinion, a very high chance of beating him and becoming the Sinnohchampion. Or else he'd have lost to at least a person who we were at least made aware of and were to believe that he was strong.

Of course, this is all in the scheme of great denial over the fact that Ash might just as well lose to a guy that's portrayed as unpleasant (Barry sort of soiled himself when he walked by), and end up at the top four. One notch under where Dawn ended.

Sorry I don't think directors using LT vs Ash
without us seeing LTs full power. It had to be the finals
I doubt they let a Random trainer vs LT in the final for a easy win

Agreed. It just feels weird that we're not seeing a battle excluding a knocked out Machamp from this guy, while all other major battles had a battle that set them up before. Maybe that Tangrowth was his as well :|

Nando vs. Zoey -> Zoey became a real threat. (And effectivily made Nando lose his shine so that he could be battled by Ash in the league)
Barry vs. Paul -> Not that Barry ever was a threat to Paul, but it did set him up for the battle with Ash.

 

[Eternal Darkness]

What he(/she?) said.


Seriously though... this is like... 75% confirmed to be Ash VS Takuto. It's the most logical thing. All the league matches don't have to be titled "TRAINER "A" VS TRAINER "B" SHOWDOWN - TEH 7331 DARKRAI SHOWDOWN."

What you agree with s/he says?

 

[PrinceDaemon]

Well lets not forget that it is possible to have an hour long league ending battle or send-off. Furthermore if ash were to win or at least be in the finals would it not make sense to have a special episode? The title of this episode only says that a darkrai will be fighting in this episode nothing more, nothing less. It could be against Ash or a CoTD. Each of the two possibilities make sense. Ash could battle a noob and win in the beginning and then watch the LT against a noob or he could start the fight. Lets not bash other people for their ideas simply because we don't believe they will happen. We can only go off of what is confirmed. And all that is confirmed is that at some point heracross will battle against darkrai and that in this episode a darkrai will be in a battle.

 

[drl]

You guys remenber that news posted a while back , where it was said the story of the league was the Paul vs Ash and If Ash will be the champion or not?


I beleive this episode will just feauture Ash vs COTD , Takuto vs COTD , where Ash could finally see him battle and the start of the battle with Takuto.

 

[Hyuuga Neji]

Because leagues aren't, you know, plenty tougher than the GF or anything.

How do you figure that? If anything they are the toughest challenges each trainer faces in their respective fields. Having Dawn do better in her's after 4 years, and Ash come move up only one notch in his after 13 years is really lame. Really makes you wonder what the writers are doing?

 

[Locormus]

I would be happy if this was in the finals, and not have Ash cheated out of getting to the finals, unlike Dawn was was handed a Finals ticket because she battle Jessie in the semi-finals. It just seems like a big screw you to Ash's character. They were portrayed as equal in terms of achievements this saga I don't see how exactly that is fair.

Screw equal! Dawn lost half of what she entered... Ash lost two battles throughout Sinnoh if you discount rivals and unofficial battles.

Ash vs. Roark
Ash vs. Kyle (Wallace Cup...)

One wasn't even in his own comfortzone! Can't see how Ash and Dawn were equals throughout Sinnoh except for perhaps screentime. If anything it's reason to be upset about since Dawn got more then what she deserved when compared to Ash, since Ash had a better record, he should've gotten a better score in the end shouldn't he? But he'll probably be cheaped out of his reapings, while Dawn got them eventhough her trackrecord was below par..

What you agree with s/he says?

Dude you're seriously killing me tonight! What's with the oneliners ! xD

You guys remenber that news posted a while back , where it was said the story of the league was the Paul vs Ash and If Ash will be the champion or not?

I believe this episode will just feature Ash vs COTD, Takuto vs COTD , where Ash could finally see him battle and the start of the battle with Takuto.

You most likely misinterpreted that post. That post wasn't structured as 'this' and 'that'. But as 'that' pertains to 'this'. With 'this' being 'the story of the league being Ash vs. Paul', and 'that' pertaining to whether Ash becomes champion or not, 'this' battle will be the highlight.

And you can't say they were lying, three episodes to one battle is insanely dropping the spotlight on it, when we can confirm that the previous episodes, not counting Ash vs. Conway, which was better, were not much to write home about.

So it basically said that we shouldn't have such high expectation for this league except for the Ash vs. Paul battle, and thus in reality had little to do with the actual championship being referenced.

 

[wiitard119]

Okay, to most of you that are saying this is a random Semi-Final battle...

There's like three episodes after this. We'd have a horribly rushed final if this is just some spectator round. Would you want that, really? For the first time ever, Ash is making it into the Top4. Can't you people be happy with that by itself? Really. This is what most of you expect?

DP189: Random Semi-Final battles to "hype" Ash and Takuto; Finals begin towards the end of the episode.

DP190: Horribly rushed battle, ending of League.

DP191: Brock's new Dream/Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash returns to Pallet, heads to Isshu.

Instead of having-

DP189: Decently placed battle between Ash and Takuto in the Semis.

DP190: Conclusion to the battle, ending of the League, rival send-off.

DP191: Brock and Dawn send-off.

DP192: Ash's depart.

Which would you rather have?

Option B.
But I wish the LT let's ash win if he defeats the darkrai...
Atleast Ash won Paul. That's the only thing that mattered for this league.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

Ok none of us know exactly when best wishes will start so there is a good chance that Ash verses Takuto will be the finals cuz this episode title does not indicate a battle or not just says darkrai will appear so it could just be ash and takuto battling the two remaining people in the league plus its ash's first time seeing darkrai they would make him battle without ash at least seeing him in action.