Thoughts on the episode:
I liked the Sirfetch'd vs Hawlucha fight. I liked seeing the way it used its shield for attacking and I would've enjoyed the fight more if were longer. Not a big fan of Sirfetch'd being the fall guy but I suppose someone had to be. "Ash wanted to fight with fighting types" I doubt that was the actual reason. More like, "Dragonite has aready been shown to be an absolute bruiser and it'd ruin the perfectly good plan we set up or worse, it'd be the jobber and people would complain even harder. UWU" Then Pikachu vs Hawlucha. This was really weird to me. I skipped a few episodes in the past so I think I missed a reference to a previous episode that inspired this "Quick Attack Shockwave" idea. Even then though Quick attack with its tail stuck into the ground somehow having enough power to create shockwaves that somehow have enough power to lessen the impact of Sky Attack is um..... moderately unrealistic. I feel like they could've come up with something better and more creative than that but w/e. After a quick thunderbolt kill we come up to Pikachu vs Grapploct or rather, "Ash losing all brain cells for the sake of the plot." Like Ash knows Grapploct is a powerful close range fighter that ensnares opponents that come to close before brutally pummeling them and the very first thing he commands in this fight is quick attack? Again I blame the Story people. They just wanted these next to fights out of the way for the sake of the Episodes length which is why I will not be covering the Lucario vs Grapploct fight. They clash, Lucario wins, NEXT.
Lucario vs Machamp. Yep that's a mega evolution vs Gigantamax fight alright. First, for their first ever mega evolution, it was very um.... plain looking. Nothing that made me go, "yea this was worth waiting sense the XY series for Ash's first mega evolution". More of a "Yep, that's a mega evolution" I was more impressed by the gigantamax and I'm not sure how to feel about that. Second, I'm actually surprised that they paid attention to detail enough to not have Machamp's Gigantamax wear off until after Lucario makes its third move. That was a nice little attention to detail that I liked seeing. Finally another clash where Lucario learns Steel beam, making its moveset look so very very scuffed in the process of winning the match.
Overall, I guess I have a lot to say but at the same time, this really wasn't as much of an episode to talk about as I expected it to be for not only ash's first ever mega evolution, but also the finale of Ash vs Bea that we've been following for so long. It was good. I enjoyed some moments. I think the highlight was seeing Sirfetch'd fight. I didn't realize I actually had any investment in that but when it came out I realized, "Oh yea, it's using a sword and shield. I wonder how this'll go" then being somewhat intrigued by how it was fighting until its eventual fall. I'm actually kinda curious on when it'll learn meteor assault. But that's neither here nor there. As for the episode itself.
7 / 10 It was good. Nothing to really set the bar above anything else for me which is weird. I'm curious as to how I can enjoy the episode where the plot demands Skwovet outeats a Dragonite more than an episode we've been building up to for months. Pokemon Journeys is a helluva drug. >.>