The first part felt a lot like a mini-movie to me. The animation were very,very, VERY cool, the plot was engaging and Hajime was...ok.
I´m not a fan of Pokémon-Ranger in the anime as their "captures" are too forced for my taste...but, at least their brainwashing machines didn´t seem too brainwashy to me in this episode. It looked like most wild pokemon are too lazy to help and just need a little beyblade action for motivation
J shows again that she is the woman. Really, the show needed a villain like her for AGES.
This episode felt so intense. Especially the ending when she was attacking Ash wit her Pokémon. Very cruel.
Both episodes were very cruel for pokemon standards anyway.
I have to agree with Gravy about Riolu.
The fandom is getting on my nerves with all the Riolu nonsense, but this episode showed me again why I love the Lucario-line so much.
During Ash´s interaction with it I suddenly caught myself thinking that a Riolu for Ash´s team wouldn´t be so bad at all...yeah,..I got infested by the devil, I know...
Anyway, episodes like this reminds me WHY I watch Pokémon after all these years without thinking about it.