aaah, finally Pokemon again. How have I missed it although it was "only" a two-week break! *me is relieved*
As for the opening:
I love this new opening and I definitely don't see any good reason why you shouldn't.
The scenes are impressive, sometimes even epic and thus worthy of the final season of a region. The music is very solemn and the lyrics are thoughtful. Quite frankly, this is just appropriate for the season which features the league, because this is also the most solemn and important event of every new adventure.
Anyways, the mixture of scenes, music and lyrics was great and appropriate, so again, I love this opening! If only it weren't so damn short.
As for the episode itself:
Boo! THIS was disappointing. Not again an episode that makes me upset about the strange physics of the Pokemon world which defies (almost)all logic...
- Ash is going to battle for his eighth badge really soon and his Monferno (fire type!) is not able to take down at least ONE of those two steel types??? Moreover, Monferno has always been shown as Ash's (secret) powerhouse, for example against Paul or when my dear beloved Cynthia talked about his future. I'm asking you, how come Monferno did so badly today? My biggest point of criticism!
- Suuuure, Happiny can lift a whole frozen lake and throw it into a valley as it is was nothing. COME ON!!! How silly was that?!?:saiyan: The writers have already proven themselves as being able to write highly profound, great episodes! Why this decline now??
- Why can't Metagross and Magnezone just battle SOMEWHERE else in this HUGE forest?? Why do they need exactly this basin? I mean, there surely was plenty of space in that forest and at least some even ground where they could slug it out. That explanation with the basin defied all logic considering that a town/city with all its narrow streets and tall buildings isn't more spacious than a forest at all
Sorry guys, but this was poor storytelling!
5.5/ 6 out of 10 points