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Mission: Defeat Your Rival! (765)

jammiedodger

Active Member
Ash VS Trip was essentially a remake of Pikachu VS Onix from Showdown In Pewter City.
The writers can't fool anypony, they remade the battle just with Pikachu dying more. I did nearly cry seeing Pikachu all purple like that... I could go on and on and on about how wrong it was that Pikachu was being god-damned choked to death, but I won't.

I have to admit, I was shocked by how violent that looked. Maybe it was just the animation evolution over the years, but even SiPC's fight didn't look anywhere near this violent. It didn't help that the whole setup was a bit of a clusterfeck with Ash yelling at Pikachu, seemingly fruitlessly and quite traumatically for the viewer, and then that deux ex machina win.

I still don't know why the writers didn't make Pikachu's encounter with Zekrom at the start of the series reset his power level, that way it losing would make more sense, especially against Pokémon it ought to have an advantage over.

Then again, Pikachu was only ever a glass cannon with plot armour in the first place.
 

squrtle

Dance with the Enemy
I have to admit, I was shocked by how violent that looked. Maybe it was just the animation evolution over the years, but even SiPC's fight didn't look anywhere near this violent. It didn't help that the whole setup was a bit of a clusterfeck with Ash yelling at Pikachu, seemingly fruitlessly and quite traumatically for the viewer, and then that deux ex machina win.

I still don't know why the writers didn't make Pikachu's encounter with Zekrom at the start of the series reset his power level, that way it losing would make more sense, especially against Pokémon it ought to have an advantage over.

Then again, Pikachu was only ever a glass cannon with plot armour in the first place.
It was a traumatizing battle. It was milked to death (almost literally) because they realised they couldn't make the battle last the length of the episode, so they milked it for 10 minutes. Then the Pika-Swellow thing happened in a way, and christ alive it went all DBZ. The whole "OPEN YOUR EYES" thing... Pikachu had his eyes closed because he was dying. Worse than Aim for the horn.
 

jammiedodger

Active Member
It's a shame because when the writing team are on form they can actually create some pretty decent episodes. I don't see why the league's have gradually got so much worse. First being trounced by freaking legendaries and now this crap. It's not going to get any better either, if the general feeling towards the Japanese version is anything to go by.
 

Brownie

Anti Drew & paul fan
God this episode sucks....

I'll have a full review later, but these are all of the main problems I have with it: Trip going out in the first round, Bianca whining after losing (I'd cry, too, if I lost to him, but still), the way Trip got beaten (he gets OHKOed by Electro Ball + Iron Tail, a combo that shouldn't even be effective, while Pikachu takes hit after hit, and then gets strangled nearly to death, and still manages to pull off said combo? It didn't even make sense, either...). If Trip was a main character, and Ash a rival, I would hate Ash more than Tobiass.

The only thing I DID like about this episode is the title, and the way Sarah said it.

Yeah.
 

SKyLineR32

Master Weasel
I understand why people thought the Serperior vs Pikachu was a little too much, but I personally don't see what was so bad about it. Pikachu has already been through a lot prior to that battle, but it always comes out fine like nothing even happened. I'm sure this episode will be no different. Just my opinion.
 

Joltik-Kid

Careful? Where's the fun in that?
I understand why people thought the Serperior vs Pikachu was a little too much, but I personally don't see what was so bad about it. Pikachu has already been through a lot prior to that battle, but it always comes out fine like nothing even happened. I'm sure this episode will be no different. Just my opinion.
Because a single combo (the only true hit Pikachu got on Serperior) was all it took to take Serperior down
 

LizardonX

Banned
Serperior going from solarbeam and frenzy plant to energy ball and wrap was unforgivable. It's pretty much the writers knowing they made it too good for ash to possibly beat and so phoned in a handy dose of plot induced failure on the two.
 

PikachuIsCute

New Member
Guys Pikachu was not near death at all, he was just about to faint. Pokemon are way stronger to die in that silly way. As for Serperior, its clear that its trained well in Speed to avoid damage, but it seems Serperior is not used to taking damage. Iron tail + Electro ball is still effective because its Iron tail powered up, means its a Steel type move, don't make game logic your 'base'.
 

BlueWartortle

ぶル ワルとルツル
I should better call it Mission: Shoehorn the Series Mascot

The final main rival battle was like Serperior's winning, Ash shouts "Pikachu", Pikachu gains confidence, Pikachu wins!
Okay, we were sure that the outcome will be like this, but couldn't you take it a bit easier. Ash v Gary/Ash v Paul can't be compared to THAT thing!

Cameron v Bianca was surprisingly okay. We got some Bianca's Emboar battling (which was already shown as powerful during Clubsplosion), and we finally saw Cameron's Riolu in action.
That battle fared out quite well, and Cameron winning was a bit predictable as well (they wouldn't summon a League Rival only to have him defeated by Bianca...)
 

Joltik-Kid

Careful? Where's the fun in that?
Guys Pikachu was not near death at all, he was just about to faint. Pokemon are way stronger to die in that silly way. As for Serperior, its clear that its trained well in Speed to avoid damage, but it seems Serperior is not used to taking damage. Iron tail + Electro ball is still effective because its Iron tail powered up, means its a Steel type move, don't make game logic your 'base'.
If memory serves, Snivy and Servine were well capable of taking hits, Snivy took a Quick Attack and I believe an Iron Tail from Pikachu, while Servine took multiple Vine Whips (basically Pikachu's Electro Ball) and a final Leaf Blade (Pikachu's Iron Tail) to fall to Ash's Snivy. Not sure how you lose all that defense after evolving despite the focus on Speed training
 

PikachuIsCute

New Member
If memory serves, Snivy and Servine were well capable of taking hits, Snivy took a Quick Attack and I believe an Iron Tail from Pikachu, while Servine took multiple Vine Whips (basically Pikachu's Electro Ball) and a final Leaf Blade (Pikachu's Iron Tail) to fall to Ash's Snivy. Not sure how you lose all that defense after evolving despite the focus on Speed training

If you're training on something, but stop for a long time, you will lose what you learned or gained. I bet ever since his Servine evolved it didn't get a scratch, except when Alder 1-hit it with his Bouffalant, did you notice Serperior was a bit scared when Pikachu was about to use Thunderbolt even thought its not effective.
 

Joltik-Kid

Careful? Where's the fun in that?
If you're training on something, but stop for a long time, you will lose what you learned or gained. I bet ever since his Servine evolved it didn't get a scratch, except when Alder 1-hit it with his Bouffalant, did you notice Serperior was a bit scared when Pikachu was about to use Thunderbolt even thought its not effective.
I noticed Pikachu's never been trained for defense in it's life.
 

jammiedodger

Active Member
It wouldn't have been so bad if the writers had perhaps emphasised Trip's Serperior being unusual in that he trained it for speed and offence over its usually solid defence. Of course that wouldn't do anything to explain Pikachu suddenly becoming a wall.

Actually writing a full 6-on-6, or even 3-on-3 battle would have done a lot to negate this, allowing several of Ash's Pokémon to chip away at Serperior while he formed some kind of strategy to beat it.
 
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PikachuIsCute

New Member
I noticed Pikachu's never been trained for defense in it's life.
Just taking hits while battling, no one forces his Pokemon to take damage for training purposes, besides its not that effective, but it adds up, and there are alot of other factors that determines a Pokemon performance in battle, its not a game, they have feelings, personalities, confidence, moods etc..

It wouldn't have been so bad if the writers had perhaps emphasised Trip's Serperior being unusual in that he trained it for speed and offence over its usually solid defence. Of course that wouldn't do anything to explain Pikachu suddenly becoming a wall.

Actually writing a full 6-on-6, or even 3-on-3 battle would have done a lot to negate this, allowing several of Ash's Pokémon to chip away at Serperior while he formed some kind of strategy to beat it.

its not numerical data in the anime, sure Pikachu could have fainted, but he knows very well its Ash chance to enter the league and he won't give up easily, especially that he likes Ash alot.


A Serperior being trained in offense? Does even EV/IV work that way?
No IV/EV's in the anime. IV's are like talents, like some human good in Piano naturally, a Pokemon can be good in attack instead, etc..
EV's are training/battling and is lost partially if the Pokemon does not battle for a long period of time.
 
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Caseydia

Ace Trainer
This has got to be the worse Trip vs Ash battle I've ever seen. Ten minutes of watching Pikachu being squeezed to death was not what I wanted. I was hoping for a new attack that Pikachu could atleast learn so that this wouldn't seem so stupid.
 

1rkhachatryan

Call me Robert guys
So I'm the only person who had a problem with how hacked that Samurott was?? Seriously Escavalier's defense was raised hella high and more then enough to take a Razor Shell.
 

moneylesswario

Gone But Not Forgotten
So I'm the only person who had a problem with how hacked that Samurott was?? Seriously Escavalier's defense was raised hella high and more then enough to take a Razor Shell.

That was pretty bad, I agree (the explanation for it (shockwaves from the inside or whatever it was)) didn't even make sense
 
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