I suppose I should actually watch the episode and do a commentary now that something imporant is happening.
-Grand Festibaru Festival time, complete with a werukommu paatii welcome party. Whoo!
-Among the normal people in the party...there's a witch! BURN THEM AT THE STAKE!
-Oh hey, it's Mr. "nyeh nyeh nyeh I do gyms AND contests but you'll never actually see me competing against the main characters who do either one of those things nyeh nyeh nyeh"
-I'll admit it. I giggled a little at Dawn busting out a mirror to make sure she looked good enough to be on camera.
-Johanna wasn't bothered to actually go see Dawn in persona for the GF despite the fact that, as far as I can tell, she doesn't really do anything all day.
-I like how 99% of the people attending this party appear to be statues. It's especially breathtaking when you look at people who are completely immobile, yet appear to be talking and holding drinks.
-Nando didn't grab the Sunyshore gym badge while it was "buy a solar panel, get 5 badges free" day. Sucks to be him.
-And it's Kenny, aka "oh, right, he's one of Dawn's rivals isn't he?"
-It looks like Dawn's not overreacting to being called Pikari anymore...
-And then Ursula's Plusle and Minun jump out of nowhere and shock her hair into sparkly marvelosity. Dawn does her best to be unfazed by it anyway.
-Kenny asks who Ursula was. Silly boy, she's clearly the best contest rival in all of DP! How can he not know who she is?
-And it's Zoey. Looks like the gang's all here!
-That one guy with the weird green headband's been standing perfectly still for at least two minutes. You go guy! Beat that guiness world record for standing perfectly still at a party!
-Oh wait, the gang wasn't quite all there. I forgot about Musalina! Now there's a woman who appreciates getting some quality time in front of a TV camera.
-Only Dawn could pull off pajamas that double as a track suit.
-Next morning, Ash is having Gible practice Draco Meteor. With no Piplup around, he's sure to succed this time!
-The meteor goes after Kenny instead. Coincidence?
-Good lord, Dawn's room is pink(and red).
-I love how, despite all the luxuries the Grand Festival building seems to have, the TVs in the contestant's bedrooms are tiny.
-Blah blah judges blah just get to the effing appeals already blah
-Then suddenly, unexpectedly, out of nowhere...FANTINA?! Oh hell yes.
-Ursula's appeal is first. She has two Eevees, undoubtedly hoping to tap into the lucrative "mindless fan who can't get enough of that goddamned evo line" market.
-Luckily for Ursula, at least one shot of the crowd is full of Eeveelution fans.
-Damn, I'm liking Zoey's outfit. Kenny, meanwhile, is wearing basically the same damn thing he wears every contest, bless his overshadowed soul.
-Nando's appeal is musical. Yawn.
-Musalina's appeal. HELL YES.
-She has Yanmega use razor wind to cut her clothes off(not THAT way, you pervs) and reveal her new GF outfit. And...the new outfit kinda sucks. It's too much like something Dawn would wear. Despite Musalina's fashion disaster, Fantina is quite impressed by the appeal.
-And now it's time for an appeal montage to make it look like more than 5 people are taking part in the contest. FEATURING: Team Houen starters, Blaziken and Sceptile! Team "they look vaguely similar if you squint a lot", Rapidash and Girafarig! Team POKEMON STRAIGHT FROM TEAM GALACTIC I SWEAR, Skuntank and Toxicroak! Team Hilarious Mismatch, Cleffa and Steelix! Team I'm Getting Tired of Naming These Things, Lickylikkilickylickilickiyiyiyiy and Rattata! And finally, we get to a real character with a real appeal - Zoey!
-Water appeal. Yawn.
-Kenny's up next. Yawn.
-More goddamn water appeals? I guess it's better than sitting through ice appeals, but...
-Aw sheeeeeet, Kenny done screwed up. Congrats, you're the only person in the history of the Grand Festival to make a mistake in his appeal. Go home, loser.
-Dawn has no time to worry about her friend failing miserably at his life's dream, since it's her time to shine now!
-This ice appeal feels almost refreshing after sitting through two water appeals in a row.
-Holy ****, Cyndaquil can split its back flame into two? Where was Dawn when Ash needed help just to get his Cyndaquil's flame to start on command?
-Now it's time to see who made the cut for the battle round. And the results are...everyone made it! Except the failure loser who made a big mistake in his appeal for the major event standing between him and his life's goal.
-Goddamn, Kenny's outfit reminds me of something other than "his normal outfit", but I can't quite place what. A pallette swap of Juan's outfit, maybe?
-Wait, Kenny's not even sticking around to cheer Dawn on? Some friend he is. No wonder he lost, he doesn't have enough ~friendship power~ to succeed.