Diamond and Pearl's Ending - The Battle Zone from a great distance, one of the major settings of the Platinum Chapter
Pokemon Adventures Platinum Chapter is a continuation of Diamond and Pearl Chapter. In fact it's more proper to say that it's the true finale to the Diamond and Pearl storyline where we last saw Diamond, Pearl and Platinum hi-fiving just when things seem like it was alright until a hole appeared dragging a weakened Palkia, Dialga and unconcious Cyrus with it's menacing appendages. Suddenly a mysterious galactic member named Charon appears, leaving behind notes. What I just described is the ending of the Diamond and Pearl Chapter but for the Platinum Chapter... this is only just the beginning.
Platina's Final Team prepped and ready for Sinnoh's Battle Frontier By SCIIZORS
Our main characters are Diamond, Pearl and Platinum however unlike before where each character equally shared the role of a main character traveling together as companions, this time Platinum chapter starts off with a lead character role in much of the same way Red stood out from Green and Blue or Ash stood out from Brock and Misty in the original seasons. The lead character is Platinum and throughout this chapter, you will be amazed how much she's progressed from the inexperienced sheltered rich girl who Pearl jokingly calls a "damnsel-in-distress". She's not with Diamond and Pearl anymore but rather she's investigating the Battle Frontier alone and determined however it never really feels she's alone as Platinum makes many new friends along the way such as Looker, the Frontier Brains and the Stat Trainers. The biggest reason why Platinum doesn't feel like she's alone however is her Pokemon. One of the biggest complaints about Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl was a lack of character development between Platinum and her recently obtained Pokemon from the Gym Leaders of Sinnoh. This was seen as forced and last-second probably due to time constraints. It's here that the Platinum Chapter makes up for that throughout long.
We get a sense that Platinum is working with her team of Pokemon in terms of preparation, battling and dealing with the villains of the series. It is through her Pokemon that we get some of the most thrilling battles the entire Pokemon serise has to offer, more specifically through the Battle Frontier's gimmicky facilities that places limitations on her team. Platinum is investigating her actual bodguards, Paka and Uji, who mysterious disappeared and she has a lead in Sinnoh's Battle Frontier. She hopes to get information from the Frontier Brains themselves and to do this, she has to battle in their facilities as Looker fills the role of coach/cheerleader that normally Pearl and Diamond do. Looker is a funny character with just enough on-screen time to not steal the show. His disguises, gadgets and reaction-movement against even Pokemon are quite hilarious however he also supports Platinum by giving her some advice on how the Frontier facilities may work from time to time.
Action is swift, intense and is more than just blows and dodges but is a match to outsmart the other.
Platinum Chapter is a very fast-paced chapter and it is here we get to non-stop action scenes quickly! Ever tactic, every blow and every move the Pokemon makes in a arena affected by the facilities gimmicks are quite thrilling. One moment it may seem Platinum has the advantage, the next she's suddenly pushed into a corner not because like how the anime handles it's fights through powerful blows and speeds but because essentially each battle Platinum enters against the Frontier Brain is not only a battle of quick reactionary time but also outsmarting the other Pokemon through skills and tactics. For example, there is one scene where Ursaring and Alakazam are quite exhauted, down to a fist-fight, dealing severe blows to each other where each fist feels like it has weight to it, punching into their guts and into their cheekbones. The action is quite intense and it may seem like a simple action scene but there's more to the picture. What Factory Head Thorton didn't realized was that the move Alakazam was using underneath this simple action-scene was none other than Drain Punch, a super-effective move against normal-type but also recovers health for each blow allowing Alakazam to last longer in field. It's moment like this that truly describes how there's more to these action scenes than meets the eye.
Giratina, the main antagonist of Platinum Chapter
However that's just the Battle Factory where Platinum utilizes rental Pokemon. How do her own Pokemon fare? Pretty well but as I said before each facility is a testament to Platinum's skills as a Pokemon trainer and her bond with her Pokemon. Each action scene is quite intense putting Platinum in different situations. In fact there was one noticeable action scene during the Battle Arcade where Platinum's friendship in her Pokemon was literally put to the test in a way that terrified her. The Battle Arcade uses a roulette system that randomizes certain factors about a battle, for this case, Platinum's team got switched with Arcade Star's Dahlia's team. This means that Platinum is forced to use the Frontier Brain's Pokemon team and while this may seem great that she has an OP team on her side, this also means she has to literally hurt her own Pokemon in order to win. It's not only worrying for her but also worrying for her own Pokemon. Her Pokemon has faith in her and they want her to win which is why at first they are so nervous and afraid to battle at their hardest for Platinum's opponent when they can simply just disobey and let Platinum attack them. In the end, this is literally one of the most compelling and convincing ways where friendship actually triumphs in the end and progresses even stronger. Platinum tells her Pokemon team to do their best as an opponent and Platinum swallows her fears and uses Dahlia's Pokemon against them. It's quite an intense moment, not only from an action perspective but also from a character development perspective. It is later that Platinum has already beaten four out of the five Frontier Brains. She's delaying the fifth out of priorities, more specifically she now has a better idea where Paka and Uji are at thanks to the Frontier Brains. Platinum's eyes are wide-open in shock, they are in the Distortion World, a world on the other side of theirs where everything humanity knows is twisted in that realm, inhabited by only one ruler... or it's prisoner, Giratina.
Diamond & Pearl investigating the Old Chateau
Although Platinum gets a huge boost in character development, Diamond and Pearl are also vital to this story, out to search for the legendary Pokemon according to Charon's notes. It's from here that we once again see the fun little antics of Diamond and Pearl that we normally see in the side-ventures of the DP story arc through their investigation of the Old Chateau near Eternia City. It's quite funny and a bit noticeable that their action scenes have more hilarity to it. One thing lead to another and Diamond befriends a mischievous Rotom from the Old Chateau near Eternia City. To their surprise, Giratina has arrived and he is as menacing as ever... also Charon's there... for reasons.
Regigigas overpowers Giratina
So much happens in such little time during Diamond and Pearl's time in Eternia City. Battles unfold and a shocker emerges. Giratina seemingly kills Dia with one it's appendages. Dia isn't trembling in pain or knocked out unconscious. No, he lays there with a lifeless look on his face that certainly will get any reader worried as Pearl and their Pokemon panics. It's from this that Regigigas, Diamond's Legendary Pokemon, is furious. One of the most noticeable highlights is that this is the first time we see Regigigas duke out against Giratina in any form of Pokemon medium. So how does Regigigas. Surprisingly, Regigigas may actually be stronger than Giratina and this is literally Giratina's first epic reveal. Giratina is a menacing creation dragon and he is in a healthy state so it's quite awesome, putting a smile on your face, how overpowering Regigigas can be. In fact things get only more intense when Giratina "kills" Dia which angers Regigigas even more. One of the coolest displays of strength is that Regigigas uses just one arm to grab Giratina by the head, swinging the massive creation dragon into the sky before slamming his head into the ground. This is some earth-shattering action here. Luckily things turn alright when in actuality Giratina's attack sent Dia to the Distortion World. And from there and unexpected shocker for most fans, Cyrus stands there waiting.
The Distortion World
So what happens next. Stat trainers meet Platinum again. Pearl later meets his father. Diamond meets Cyrus. Team Galactic meets Stat Trainers and Marley meets... the Advanced Galactic Grunt? That is definitely a surprise that I don't think anyone was expecting. The Advanced Galactic Grunt is a rather obscure character who served as the only henchman who could really talk like a person... to an extant. Now here he is holding Marley demanding answers. Surprisingly the Advanced Galactic Grunt is actually a fairly interesting character underneath the grunt attire, having been brainwashed, forgotten his original identity but is allowed as one of the few special grunts allowed to think on his own to an extant by none other than Sird as in this character is one of the few connections to Sird and so is Darkrai as it's revealed that he was the one who got in Mewtwo's way during the events of FRLG. The strange part is that it does make you wonder if Kusaka planned this mysterious character ahead of time from the Diamond and Pearl story arc as the Advance Level Grunt frequently mentions the Pokedexes and the past Pokedex holders which seems to have almost no relation to Team Galactic until now. Now he regrets every horrible thing he has done while brainwashed, wanting to atone for his mistakes and search for answers into the Distortion World. The last time we see this character is when he sympathizes with Darkrai, a Pokemon that means no harm but unintentionally causes nightmares wherever it goes.
On a different note, one thing has to be mentioned is the Distortion World. This is probably truly the first and only time in any Pokemon adaptation do we get to see Pokemon battle enacted at several different angles in the Distortion world a world where what humans are familiar with in the Pokemon world are twisted and bizarre here. The battle scenes in the artwork are quite mesmerizing that it reminds you of some classic paintings only with Pokemon battles in it.
Flint & Volkner challenging Giratina to a Pokemon battle
So what does these group of trainers find when they enter the Distortion World lol? Flint and Volkner having a great time fighting Giratina lol. It's quite a hilarious and fun surprise, especially considering that Volkner has gotten more and more bored of battles, finding excitement in battling one of the creation dragons himself. Giratina is trying to kill them as he actually can feel the damage from these two master trainers and what do Flint and Volkner do? Every time they dodge a fatal blow, they can't help but smile in excitement. Flint and Volkner are truly one of the crazier and more daring trainers out there lol.
Battle Legends and Sinnoh Legendaries. A reunion and a clash of epic legends at the same time.
Throughout their ventures of the Distorion World, more battles are made, legendaries caught or befriended previously by different trainers such as Palmer's Cresselia and Marley's Shaymin interact with this dangerous world. It truly becomes an epic clash of legends when these legendaries start duking it out. It is amazing seeing all these legendaries going up against each other and more importantly feels relevant to the plot at the same time, the stakes being incredibly high for everyone. However arguably Platinum Chapter's best moment is not a battle scene but rather something leading up to it. Diamond's interaction with Cyrus.
Diamond meets Cyrus
In Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl, Cyrus has had the most accurate and faithful adaptation of Cyrus almost out of version of Cyrus to date, even having a more intimidated cold look than his game counterpart. It's here where things take a surprisingly light-hearted turn that no one was expecting. Cyrus has come to the conclusion that he was wrong this whole time. He still believes humans are in general incomplete beings however he now believes himself to be one as he witnessed Diamond, Pearl and Platinum's actions, that to be complete you have to work together. Cyrus wonders if his life would be any different if he had friends like Diamond's. It's quite an emotional moment that turns into a hilarious one as Diamond angrily hits in the head once for all the terrible things he's done before smiling at him like a friend. It's from here that Cyrus alongside a weakened Palkia and Dialga decides to help out. From here on out, it's everyone vs. Giratina but it doesn't end there.
What's funny about this scene is that it's a reminder of not only how well-written Cyrus is but how well-written Diamond is. According to some interviews, Kusaka, the writer of Pokemon Adventures, described Diamond as actually the hardest character to write because of how "normal" he is. The other two he claims are easier because Pearl is a talented kid who can recognize how moves work and is the son of Tower Tycoon Palmer while Platinum is super-rich but it's Diamond, the "normal" kid, who understands and changes a lot of people during his travels. He manages to cheer up Platinum when she felt like a loser during the Pokemon Contests, he makes Pearl realize that he's not his boss, he makes master trainers like Cynthia laugh, he makes Dialga and Palkia smile in agreement and here he's the one who understands Cyrus's philosophy and makes him realize that he's the one who is incomplete here. It's through this that Diamond the most "normal" character here is actually the most interesting. He brings out a lot of goodness in people and Pokemon and honestly I wouldn't be surprised in a Sinnoh Remake chapter that Diamond is the one who understands and convinces Giratina to change his violent ways.
Shaymin recognizes Cyrus's newfound gratitude for life.
Speaking of Cyrus, In an even further shocking moment is arguably not only Shaymin's best appearance in any form of media but the fact that Shaymin is a symbol of arguably the greatest heartwarming and even the most human moment in the Pokemon series. Shaymin happily jumps into Cyrus's arms much to everyone's surprise and from there Shaymin transforms into a Skye form, leaping out of Cyrus's arms. This is quite a magical Pokemon moment as Shaymin is proof that Cyrus has restored his faith in humanity, only changing into his Skye forme when Shaymin senses a human's heart full of gratitude for life and it's Cyrus of all people. It's quite a tearjerker to see a nihilistic character like Cyrus suddenly regain their faith in humanity through such a magical moment.
Draco Meteor
Through the combined efforts of all these trainers, Giratina can't deal with this and quickly escapes into the real world... also Charon is there. When Giratina escapes into the other side, he finds himself shocked, stunned, surprised at what he finds. A barrage of mastered Draco Meteors by none other than Cynthia herself. Unlike the chaotic somewhat inaccurate Draco Meteor from before, this is accurate and locked-on to Giratina 100%, a symbol that Cynthia has finally become the OP Pokemon Champion we all know and love from the games and anime. What better way to show how far Cynthia has come than landing the finishing blow to one of the powerful legendaries in the Pokemon series.
Everyone makes it out healthy and alive.
A farewell to Gen 4 fans.
So what happens next? A weakened Giratina realizes he's outnumbered and goes back to the Distortion World in defeat. Looker arrests Charon and as for Cyrus? Cyrus surprises his loyal followers that he's disbanding Team Galactic for good, deciding to go on a Pokemon journey. Considering his newfound gratitude for life, whatever Cyrus does in the future would certainly be quite unexpected due to the unpredictability of Cyrus's choice and this is certainly one of them. It's also from here that Cyrus's followers feel betrayed. So what do they do? They demand to go with him on his journey and Cyrus accepts. It's quite a happy ending for Team Galactic and this scene really shows just how loyal the lieutenants are to Cyrus. As for the rest, everyone happily goes back to their duties. Platinum decides she wants to challenge Tower Tycoon Palmer soon but before that she wants to hear Diamond and Pearl's comedy routine as she hasn't heard it in a long time. It's a surprising reminder that Diamond and Pearl haven't really done any comedy routines throughout this chapter until now. It was met with mixed reception by fans, even those who love the story arc but here. It feels like a nostalgic farewell to the Pokemon fans who loved Gen 4.