September 13th: PM2019 037 - I'm Back! Nice to See You, Alola!

[Yuugis Black Magician]

The current system in the anime seems to be working. Build up your rank (which is arbitrarily handled since they can't really just create a point system to determine these things for fiction) and then make it into the Masters Eight where you get to...challenge Dande? That's the only part that isn't really defined yet. How often does Dande have to defend his title? Is there a Masters Eight tournament held every once in a while? Does Dande have to participate like a normal contestant?

I do wish the Champion League had been better defined. Was it a tournament where only previous winners of the regional League tournament would enter? That's an interesting concept, since it could mean dozens if not hundreds of different trainers on the level of Takuto, Virgil and Alan. Does the winner of the Champion League instantly take over the region's (Super?) Champion (Wataru, Daigo, Shirona, Adeku, Kukui?)? Do Shirona and the others participate in a national-level League? The first four generations are all clearly based on prefectures within Japan so does that mean Shirona, Daigo and Wataru compete in a 'National Japan League' only for trainers who have won the Champion League before? Is there is 'Champion of Japan' rank?

So many things to consider!

 

[Lord Starfish]

The confusion is that the writers decided to for whatever reason keep the E4/Champion completely different from the games.

In the games you battle the 8 gym leaders and you get to challenge the E4.

In the anime instead you challenge an anime only tournament and when you win. Absolutely nothing. Take your trophy and get the hell out.

Instead of what should have happened, is then after defeating the anime only tournament you then challenge the E4.

What makes this worse is 8th generation decided to adopt the anime style approach and remove the Elite four completely.

WHICH FURTHER causes issues with the anime given that the PWC is a thing and had 8th generation kept things the same would've resolved Leon being the champion of Galar and Pokemon world championships, Raihan could be an E4 and the gym challenge would fit the other anime.

Instead defeating the gyms, winning the champion's cup allows you to directly challenge Leon. But how do you keep Leon Galar Champion separate from Leon World Champion? It just doesn't make sense.

And let us also remember that the Wataru VS Dande battle was specifically referred to as the "Finals" of the World Championships. With the setup that they now have going... What does that even mean? Do the top 8 just periodically duke it out in tournaments? Was Dande VS Kibana another such tournament match? Were Dande and Wataru just perfectly tied prior to that point and there was no one individual holding the top spot?

...Looking back at episode 12 they did mention that a tournament had taken place. But I'm still confused as to how they explicitly said there that only one of the two would become the Supreme Monarch(/World Champion / Greatest of them All... Whichever term floats your boat), and so either there would have had to have been some unidentified other person holding the top spot who was dethroned without a fight, or the Masters Eight didn't actually have anyone ranked first until that exact battle.

 

[ibelinssj]

some westerners

I am not westerners
But as I can't understand Japanese language, I have to rely on English sub (I don't like how the dub change the meaning of things...)

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Let's just say Ash won the Alola League and leave it at that.

Why are we even discussing this?
https://mobile.twitter.com/anipoke_PR/status/1303211464459603968/photo/1

Oh, great. Goh wasn't happy with two starters so he's trying to get Ash's previous starters to like him more. Or, worse, they find him likable naturally.

(I'm not being serious...unless...?)

 

[Twilight-Kun]

...Incineroar, what happened to you

 

[nuzamaki90]

...Incineroar, what happened to you

He finally achieved his only life dream and is spending the rest of his life living in leisure at notHawaii, all the while reaping the benefits of being caught by the Champion of the region. I’d be pretty happy too.

 

[Red and Blue]

Sobble liked being hugged by Ash's Dragonite but not his Incineroar, interesting.

 

[Ace-Barn]

Let's just sat Ash won the Alola League and leave it at that.

Oh, great. Goh wasn't happy with two starters so he's trying to get Ash's previous starters to like him more. Or, worse, they find him likable naturally.

(I'm not being serious...unless...?)

Seriously though, if it wasn't for the fact that they are using Goh to showcase the Gen8 starters (or at least Scorbunny and Sobble) I would be wondering what past Gen starters he would be getting since many got shafted with Ash and marketability.

I don't know if I am more interested in seeing Goh get past starters from past professors which would give them a chance to appear, or if I want to see the show explore starters in their natural environment.

So many final stage starters that didn't get screen-time.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

I don't know if I am more interested in seeing Goh get past starters from past professors which would give them a chance to appear, or if I want to see the show explore starters in their natural environment.

He gave the starters at Cerise's lab the middle finger and hasn't done anything about that ever since.

 

[Red and Blue]

Seriously though, if it wasn't for the fact that they are using Goh to showcase the Gen8 starters (or at least Scorbunny and Sobble) I would be wondering what past Gen starters he would be getting since many got shafted with Ash and marketability.

I don't know if I am more interested in seeing Goh get past starters from past professors which would give them a chance to appear, or if I want to see the show explore starters in their natural environment.

So many final stage starters that didn't get screen-time.

He will probably want the Kanto starters at the very least. Sakuragi could give him one and he can catch the other two

 

[Ignition]

Sobble liked being hugged by Ash's Dragonite but not his Incineroar, interesting.

Considering their faces, it's likely it just grabbed them in for a hug without any signal. I don't think anyone wants to be surprised with a hug from a stranger (especially when it's something that looks like Incineroar lol)

 

[Ace-Barn]

I wonder if we will see more of Goh's craziness (even though he is likely losing) or if that was a one time thing to get Ash back onto his feet?

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

I wonder if we will see more of Goh's craziness (even though he is likely losing) or if that was a one time thing to get Ash back onto his feet?

Well there is the battle with Kiawe coming up soon

 

[Mythical-Moonlight]

Sobble liked being hugged by Ash's Dragonite but not his Incineroar, interesting.

I think Sobble is just overcrowded honestly.

Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if you squeezed in one tight hug with 2 other people?

And like @Ignition said Incineroar's (admittedly intimidating) appearance probably does not help lol

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

Ash's team just tries to hug Ash but end up getting Goh instead. Or Ash introduces Goh and in excitement they go all "here's an Alola hug 4 ya"

 

[Mythical-Moonlight]

All I know is, Incineroar should probably let go of Sobble pretty soon before the whole room starts getting... Wet if you catch drift

Spoiler

Who am I kidding we all know that's exactly what's going to happen in the very next scene after

 

[divinepokemonXZ]

Seriously though, if it wasn't for the fact that they are using Goh to showcase the Gen8 starters (or at least Scorbunny and Sobble) I would be wondering what past Gen starters he would be getting since many got shafted with Ash and marketability.

I don't know if I am more interested in seeing Goh get past starters from past professors which would give them a chance to appear, or if I want to see the show explore starters in their natural environment.

So many final stage starters that didn't get screen-time.

Swampert in particular would benefit from being owned by one of the main cast instead of being an antagonist PoTD

 

[Sham]

Well yeah, there's that too, but I was referring to this weird idea some westerners seem to have about how there's more to the league than just the tournament, something that involves the E4. And THAT's a misconception that was entirely created because the dub tosses this "conference" term around whereas the original just talks about league finals and league winners and whatnot.

What are we “westerners” suppose to make of multiple episodes in DP and BW mentioning the Champion League of being a thing after the League conferences? If it’s separate than the regular conference than what are the main things disconnecting the two? I also doubt that calling it a “conference” is confusing viewers because most English speakers know that’s just simply a synonym for tournament and or league.

 

[ibelinssj]

If it’s separate than the regular conference than what are the main things disconnecting the two?

I remember the DP sub said the winner of the regional conference can enter the regional champions league... is it also true in Japanese language? @Dephender

Ash won the Manalo conference but champions league do not exist in Alola.

 

[Dephender]

What are we “westerners” suppose to make of multiple episodes in DP and BW mentioning the Champion League of being a separate thing compared to League conferences? If it’s separate than the regular conference than what are the main things disconnecting the two?

They're two separate things, yes. We never got all THAT much info on the Champion League, but it was mentioned that winning the league qualifies you for it.