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Finals I: Torrent (1218)

Shneak

this is a Nessa x Sonia stan account ✨
Xwrc.gif


This episode was an amazing start. Great battles all around but especially seeing how Inteleon fought biologically against Gengar.
 

Xuxuba

Well-Known Member
Enjoyed Goh and Dawn's scenes but other than that, i found it rather underwhelming in terms of animation, battle choreography and score. Overall, i think Ash vs Cynthia had a stronger start. It seems like they were going for a more a realistic portrayal of Leon's strenght this time around, but at this point is kind of too late.

Usually, i'd appreciate all of the cameos, but not the way it was done here. The constant stagnant images of characters kind of messed up the pacing, they'd be better off focusing on the most important ones for Leon and Ash, instead of characters like Piers/Marnie/Allister, and doing it prior to the battle's start and after it ended instead of midway through.

That said, i do enjoy the idea of them not limiting themselves to one gimmick. It could have been a bit of a clusterf*ck had this been a normal fight, but since they have 3 more episodes for this battle ahead they can evenly spread them through each one of them. At least things will not get as stale.
 

Ryker101

Well-Known Member
Man what a great start. The animation is noticeably better and the strats are on point from both ends. So cool seeing Ash use all 3 mechanics but Leon is also not a slouch either. After seeing Leon brute force his way through everyone this season it’s so refreshing seeing him battling strategically for a change. Even borrowing some of Ash’s strats! Ash wasn’t messing around either, making smart switches and catching Leon off guard himself. Gengar had a great performance this fight, he’s had a hell of a redemption arc this series

Great cameos as well, hoping they just get better later on
 

Akashin

Well-Known Member
Wow, Leon actually went ahead and gave Ash an extra advantage. Not gonna lie, this is…rather embarrassing.

Also, no in-person Serena is a big L, but I honestly expected it.
Ehh, personally I think it depends how you look at it.

Ash winning the title of Monarch is definitely devalued by this, but when it comes to the question of who is stronger between him and Leon, I think this method of allowing them to fight with absolutely everything they have is a better method of confirming that. We can’t have any discussion about whether or not Ash would have done better if he’d used x gimmick instead of y gimmick if he uses absolutely everything he has.

That said, this would feel better if Leon had more than one gimmick to throw at Ash, as well.
 

Sonic Boom

@JohanSSB4 Twitter
Ehh, personally I think it depends how you look at it.

Ash winning the title of Monarch is definitely devalued by this, but when it comes to the question of who is stronger between him and Leon, I think this method of allowing them to fight with absolutely everything they have is a better method of confirming that. We can’t have any discussion about whether or not Ash would have done better if he’d used x gimmick instead of y gimmick if he uses absolutely everything he has.

That said, this would feel better if Leon had more than one gimmick to throw at Ash, as well.

This is the reason why I wanted a battle between the two outside of the PWC regulations and away from the crowd. Get in the empty stadium, no holds barred, and have Ash come out on top with only his friends watching.

Leon remains official Monarch, but he can rest easy knowing that in a straight match, he's not alone on the summit. Ash gets to prove he's the best, but does it in a way that liberates him of the publicity and prestige that his nonchalance over being Alolan Champion implied he's not in it for, and allows him to go to other regions unimpeded with the outcome being his and his friends' little secret. There's genuinely no loser in this scenario. Winning like this in the PWC though, he gets both the attention and the caveat, which demands more questions than it answers.
 

Lord Godwin

The Lord of Darkness
On the totally different note:
Since Project Mew lunches from Hoenn can it indicate Faraway Island?
 

Almighty Zard

He has returned.
Ehh, personally I think it depends how you look at it.

Ash winning the title of Monarch is definitely devalued by this, but when it comes to the question of who is stronger between him and Leon, I think this method of allowing them to fight with absolutely everything they have is a better method of confirming that. We can’t have any discussion about whether or not Ash would have done better if he’d used x gimmick instead of y gimmick if he uses absolutely everything he has.

That said, this would feel better if Leon had more than one gimmick to throw at Ash, as well.

ah, the old double edged point of view, true stuff.

i do wish we know what exactly Leon said about that.
 

Red and Blue

Well-Known Member
Never thought I'd see Gengar activate Cursed Body. Imagine how useful it would have been if it happened much earlier
 

Sham

The Guardian of Ruin and Birth
They were never gonna keep paying Aoi Yuuki, they either can't afford to keep paying her outside of the assigned episodes, or are too miserly and capitalistic to do so.
You’re right… I guess just enjoy the crumbs they’ve given already
 

pardusco

"The oppression of Poké Balls."
Meh. The only interesting part for me was seeing Libero in action and proper usage of Expanding Force. Leon's team is boring considering he had the three starters. Mr. Rime is cool asf
 

Hu Tao

Serebii Lurker for at least half a decade
Fat Pikachu is likely deconfirmed because of the use of Gigantamax Gengar. This may lead to a finale where Pika Z-move is used against G-Max Charizard and I am not sure if I want that because that would probably way too similar to Pikachu vs. Tapu Koko finale from SM. And Journeys as of late tend to start battles decently, but then the battles end in unsatisfying ways (Volkner, Raihan, Steven, arguably Cynthia and Marnie). It's still early into the battle though so too soon to tell.

The battle is already great for not showing Ash as an underdog and instead showing that he has some good strategies as well, especially Gengar's Cursed Body, ghostly movement (both should have been used against Steven and Cynthia but whatever) and G-Max Terror trapping Inteleon I believe. Leon also had strategies of his own like the Counter Shield and Libero Cinderace. It looks like the writers want this to be similar to Ash vs. Kukui with 3 starters, 4 episodes, multiple gimmicks, and a Pikachu finale battle.

I'll give it a proper rewatch when subs come out. Stronger start than the Cynthia battle imo because Dragonite and Gengar didn't feel like they did much against Cynthia. The budget and animation was likely saved for this final battle, or maybe I'm just coping. It will likely be at least as good as Ash vs. Cynthia, so I'm mildly excited for the next episodes.
 

Sham

The Guardian of Ruin and Birth
I know Diantha and Alain are somewhere with the Aruther fist knowing that Ash actually lasted a full episode with Leon
Don't worry, queen Lillie will take her spot as the true monarch once Ash vs Leon ends :D
Yes!
 
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