May 3rd: SM73 - The Rocket Gang's Island Pilgrimage! Get a Z-Ring!!

[DatsRight]

My suspicion against it happening is that if they boosted TR then they'd have to have a palpable amount of occasions they were at least a halfway threat against the twerps, and they've really struggled with that this series, Mimikyu never really got a proper full battle against Pikachu despite being shilled as a trump card, and as of their last face-off he's pretty much a standard TR punching bag.

The Alolan Meowth episode was about the one time this season I've seen TR actually force some semi amount of effort from the twerps to stop them, otherwise it's been curb stomps, or Bewear or something else stopping them. If they gave them a Z Move they'd either have to boost these amount of plot armour climaxes (thus returning to the monotonous formula of DP and XY), or have more genuine even handed fights with TR. If they couldn't be bothered to write a climatic battle for Ultra Beast Lusamine, I don't see TR getting MULTIPLE ones.

 

[ShadowForce720]

My suspicion against it happening is that if they boosted TR then they'd have to have a palpable amount of occasions they were at least a halfway threat against the twerps, and they've really struggled with that this series, Mimikyu never really got a proper full battle against Pikachu despite being shilled as a trump card, and as of their last face-off he's pretty much a standard TR punching bag.

The Alolan Meowth episode was about the one time this season I've seen TR actually force some semi amount of effort from the twerps to stop them, otherwise it's been curbstomps or Bewear indirectly saving them. If they gave them a Z Move they'd either have to boost these amount of plot armour climaxes (thus returning to the monotonous formula of DP and XY), or have more genuine even handed fights with TR. If they couldn't be bothered to write a climatic battle for Ultra Beast Lusamine, I don't see TR getting MULTIPLE ones.

I think it's important to point out that no matter how much you try to say that oh well the boost should result in them having climatic battles, that it doesn't matter if they do or not that it's likely that they are going to get a Z-ring regardless or whether or not they have climatic battles. I mean back during Sun and Moon episode 25 some people were saying that oh Team Rocket can't get a Darkinium-Z or that it's unlikely to happen and yet in the end that didn't prevent Team Rocket from getting said Z-crystal in Sun and Moon episode 25, and then when Sun and moon episode 52 rolled around some people were trying to say that oh well Alolan Meowth will still the Darkinium-Z and yet when the episode actually aired that never happened and instead it actually told them they need a Z-ring, so it doesn't make much sense for them to get a dedicated episode on them having a island pilgrimage trying to get a Z-ring if they aren't going to get one.

The point is that they most likely would have never gotten the Darkinium-Z in the first place if they were never going to get a Z-ring and be able to use it. You can say you doubt it all you want but I think at this point it's safe to say that it's more likely that they are going to get a Z-ring then going the entire series without having a Z-ring regardless of whether or not they have climatic battles.

 

[DatsRight]

I can maybe see them getting a Z Ring, but I can see something getting in the way of them actually using it efficiently. With TR, there HAS to be some sort of catch.

My point is that I'd rather if they got some sort of power up that they be allowed to have some sort of use for it, compared to Mimikyu who got shafted for ages before they seemed to just give up playing him as a threat altogether. If they got Darkium Z working at last, I'd like it to get SOME sort of use, even if it's not necessarily as a threat against the twerps. JUST SOMETHING MEANINGFUL.

Team Skull haven't got a power up of any sort for example, but it looks like they're at least playing that into their role and giving them a more unique chemistry with the twerps now, instead of just being flat joke antagonists that don't offer anything new.

 

[Missingno. Master]

Meowth has said that he couldn't learn Pay Day because he could speak and walk and that his ability to speak and walk has "used up all his move slots". I don't think that it may necessarily translate to his inability to use Z-Moves, but he does have impaired battling capabilities due to his ability to walk and talk, in which if Meowth uses Black Hole Eclipse by accident, it might be weaker in power than expected.

When did Meowth ever say he'd used up all his move slots? I remember him stating that learning to talk came at the cost of Pay Day, but I don't recall him ever claiming that his unusual talents came at the cost of his remaining move slots.

I couldn't picture Mimikyu's moveset changing any. Mareanie could easily learn Bite, though of course Meowth and Bewear are the two most likely candidates. I'd like to see either one of them pull off a Black Hole Eclipse, personally.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

Meh, even if they get a z ring, it's not gonna make them any more of a threat tbh. They've all but committed to the idea that TR are morons this season again so I don't expect them to suddenly be battle geniuses just because they can use a z move.

Guarantee you half the time they'll forget they can even use a z move and and just be Beweared away as usual.

 

[satopi]

I hope Team Skull interacts with the TRio again. I'm rooting for the TRio to get a Z Ring.

 

[i2i]

Meh, even if they get a z ring, it's not gonna make them any more of a threat tbh. They've all but committed to the idea that TR are morons this season again so I don't expect them to suddenly be battle geniuses just because they can use a z move.

Guarantee you half the time they'll forget they can even use a z move and and just be Beweared away as usual.

I don't expect to keep Z-ring by the end of this episode.

 

[ShadowForce720]

I don't expect to keep Z-ring by the end of this episode.

Then what would be the purpose of having a Z-crystal if they weren't going to keep the Z-ring. At this point it more then likely that they are going to be getting a Z-ring in this episode and are going to keep it. Also may I point out that back during Sun and Moon episode 25 people said that they didn't expect or thought it was unlikely that Team Rocket would get the Darkinium-Z and yet look what happened they wound up getting it and keeping it.

Then you have epsiode 52 where some people thought Alolan Meowth would steal the Darkinium-Z and yet that didn't happen and instead Alolan Meowth helped them out by telling them that they need a Z-ring. So if anything Team Rocket getting a Z-ring in this episode and keeping it is more likely then you think, and is more likely then them losing it a the end of the episode or not getting it at all.

 

[DatsRight]

My cynicism comes from the fact even if they did get the Z Ring, the writers wouldn't know how to make use of it. The villain face offs aren't that great in the anime. Even the villain stories that are SUPPOSED to be threatening still have the twerps win effortlessly, just through dumb luck or DEM instead of a curb stomp battle. The times we get a developed face off where the villains are formidable but the twerps are just that little bit MORE so are rare.

They didn't do much at all with Mimikyu despite it supposed to give them an upper hand, and after a while they just skipped the formalities and made it another punching bag without us getting one solid Pikachu vs Mimikyu battle.

I think the good battles are saved for the official trials and events, after that they run out of ideas, so the villain battles nearly always take advantage of the fact the twerps don't have to win through skill and rules to make it an anti climax.

 

[p96822]

If Team Rocket get the Z ring I think they should kidnap Lana, Kaiwe and Ash to get their Z Crystals so they can give them to their boss and he can mass product it.

 

[IcySealeo]

If Team Rocket get the Z ring I think they should kidnap Lana, Kaiwe and Ash to get their Z Crystals so they can give them to their boss and he can mass product it.

You're probably kidding, but that's a very realistic option for the writers to use when TR leave to the Gen VIII region and leave the whole Z-ring plot behind.

 

[DatsRight]

You're probably kidding, but that's a very realistic option for the writers to use when TR leave to the Gen VIII region and leave the whole Z-ring plot behind.

I'm not sure if the anime would let TR get away with stealing priceless artefacts. They won't let them get away with stealing a bag worth of berries. XD

I can see something happening to Ash's Z Crystals by the series' end, but more likely he sacrifices it or it breaks like it did in the first episode.

I can DEFINITELY see TR trying to snatch the twerps' Z Crystals as much as they do their Pokemon once they have a Z Ring, though I expect it would have about the same success rate (except maybe one or two temporary cases they have them long enough to use them, at a stretch). Meowth might make a grab for Ash's Normalium Z for example.

I suspect if Lillie gets a Z Ring and Fairium Z, she would fulfil the role of Jessie's Pokegirl rival.

 

[Joltik-Kid]

It's looking like Torracat is permanently stuck with the Normalium Z then XD

 

[BulleDeChagrin]

It's looking like Torracat is permanently stuck with the Normalium Z then XD

I really don't think so. I think they will make all totems appear and Ash will beat either Totem Salazzle or Marowak to get Firium Z. From the Wishiwashi and Raticate trials we've seen they don't need to be part of the island challenge. And it's not like they never return to Akala anyway.

 

[Golden_Latias]

Or Torracat could evolve, and Ash could get the Incinium-Z.

Not like we see Kukui's Incineroar all the time anyway.

 

[DragonKahuna]

The TRio having Darkinium Z kinda makes think it won't be the Z Crystal that Ash will earn from Nanu. From one side I totally see Ash getting Darkinium Z, but I can expect him to earn Incinium Z. Then on the other hand, it would spoil Torracat evolving which is way too early. In general Dark type along with Poison and Ghost seem to be considered as "evil" typings.
I think that the TRio might do the Thrifty Megamart trial and get a Mimikyum Z. But as another member stated above three Mimikyus would be too much. (Unless Acerola's Mimiky is the Totem one and she captures it)

 

[Satomine Night]

Meh, even if they get a z ring, it's not gonna make them any more of a threat tbh. They've all but committed to the idea that TR are morons this season again so I don't expect them to suddenly be battle geniuses just because they can use a z move.

Guarantee you half the time they'll forget they can even use a z move and and just be Beweared away as usual.

I agree. Team Rocket have rarely, if ever, been threatening in this series so far. They might be getting a Z-Ring which does not make me happy, as I don't think they deserve one, but that doesn't mean we'll get to see them use it very often. Either that, or the writers will make Ash and his friends' Z-Moves just that more effective in order to counter Team Rocket's Black Hole Eclipse.

 

[DatsRight]

I agree. Team Rocket have rarely, if ever, been threatening in this series so far. They might be getting a Z-Ring which does not make me happy, as I don't think they deserve one, but that doesn't mean we'll get to see them use it very often. Either that, or the writers will make Ash and his friends' Z-Moves just that more effective in order to counter Team Rocket's Black Hole Eclipse.

The one palpable TR face off was probably the Alolan Meowth episode, if only because their plan was thorough enough that it forced half the trainers to use their Pokemon's abilities in a resourceful way.

Besides that it's either been curb stomps or plot armour interruptions like Bewear. Sure they beat Ash once, but it means little when dumb luck saved him anyway. They still didn't force a challenge for the twerps they had to counter.

I wouldn't feel too bad though, TR. You haven't done much worse than TS, or even Faba and Mother Beast Lusamine.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

^Honestly, Team Rocket getting a Z ring seems pointless to me because of that; I can't really see them using it much at all.

 

[DatsRight]

The same problem occurred with Wobbuffet and Mimikyu. They decided to give TR powerful Pokemon for once, but then the problem was thinking up ways for the twerps to counter them every episode. They often ran out of ideas and had the twerps win by fluke (which done too often would make THEM look incompetent instead) so quickly fazed them out until it was plausible that the twerps would have surpassed them and could go back to beating them with bare bones attacks.

I think that's always the roadblock with the bad guys, you can give them threatening plans, but then you have to give the heroes an even better counter attack. Making TR do something smart is rare enough, making the twerps do something even smarter to rebuff it is even rarer.