September 22nd: SM140 - Akuziking Attacks! The Decisive Z-Move Battle!!

[Red and Blue]

Yes?


It does not. First off, out of universe, neither the summary nor merchandise hint at Poipole returning at all. Second, in universe, Poipole has never had a single battle in its life, it knows one attack, and it’s in a completely different world than Guzzlord. And let’s just say Guzzlord was roughing around in Poipole’s world, what the hell were Naganadel and Necrozma doing? The entire plot of Guzzlord randomly popping out of an Ultra Wormhole that just so happens to be on the off coast island of Alola where the League is taking place already in itself sounds beyond convoluted.



Because he’s short one Pokémon and has 50+ waiting for him to be used with a click of a few buttons. Kukui has only been seen, even in flashbacks, with his Incineroar and Braviary but apparently is bringing out four more to make a full team. Ash can do the exact same thing, especially since all of his Alolan Pokémon have starred in each of their League matches. Hell honestly I would be hype to the absolute limit if Ash used Pikachu and Torracat, as well as his other four mains, being Sceptile, Charizard, Infernape, and Krookodile. Or keep it simple and use Pikachu, Torracat, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charizard, and Muk/Tauros/Kingler for a complete Kanto team.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t be too mad if Ash used his Alolan team + Poipole in this battle, but just like with Goodra’s return which I also had a problem with, bringing a Pokémon who lacks significant experience just to fill some dumb team quota is dumb.

There was actually a bit of merch a few months ago featuring Poipole. Specifically Poipole and the Ultra Guardians with their updated Pokemlm after it returned home.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

Are you kidding? The first Guzzlord appearance was some of the best showing that an Ultra Beast got, highlighting that the Ultra Beasts aren’t just fun and games and can be quite dangerous. Boring is what they did with most of the Ultra Beasts, basically relegating them to filler feeling jokes where you could skip the episodes and have missed nothing.

No, I am not kidding. The UBs are merely supposed to be powerful creatures trapped in an unfamiliar world just desperate to get home, which they captured perfectly with the other UBs, but not Guzzlord.

 

[Ignition]

They’re actually using the Guzzlord again? Ugh.

At least we’ll probably see Tapunium Z (I could see them disregarding the fact that Guardian of Alola does set damage or they’ll just soften the blow so everyone else can beat it)

 

[Deleted member 384931]

They’re actually using the Guzzlord again? Ugh.

At least we’ll probably see Tapunium Z (I could see them disregarding the fact that Guardian of Alola does set damage or they’ll just soften the blow so everyone else can beat it)

I can see the Champion bei g the one who uses it.

 

[Poke Master 7]

No, I am not kidding. The UBs are merely supposed to be powerful creatures trapped in an unfamiliar world just desperate to get home, which they captured perfectly with the other UBs, but not Guzzlord.

And when you think about a powerful creature trapped in an unfamiliar world, somehow I don’t think some of the ridiculous situations that the Ultra Guardians arc presented us with are what comes to mind. Something like that would naturally be dangerous if for no other reason than that it’s a powerful creature in an unfamiliar territory. At that point, they were less powerful creatures and more mischief makers. Those were easily some of the biggest wastes of time and potential SM has thrown at us. They didn’t have to be grimdark serious but they shouldn’t have treated the situation like a big joke while in-universe acting like it was something serious.

 

[Revolver Furious Dragon]

I can see the Champion bei g the one who uses it.

More likely the kahunas since they do have a bond with the tapus. I can see all 4 launching a z move together

 

[TheWanderingMist]

And when you think about a powerful creature trapped in an unfamiliar world, somehow I don’t think some of the ridiculous situations that the Ultra Guardians arc presented us with are what comes to mind. Something like that would naturally be dangerous if for no other reason than that it’s a powerful creature in an unfamiliar territory. At that point, they were less powerful creatures and more mischief makers. Those were easily some of the biggest wastes of time and potential SM has thrown at us. They didn’t have to be grimdark serious but they shouldn’t have treated the situation like a big joke while in-universe acting like it was something serious.

Buzzwole: Went around sucking Pokemon dry. Does not stop flexing in-game. Acting like the flex battle is treating it as a joke is denying the creature's very origins.

Blacephalon and Xurkitree: Dangerous battle which could have blacked out the city had it continued.

Celesteela: Actually in Alola for over 200 years, nearly destroyed a forest just by waking up.

Pheromosa: Too fast to see, and strong enough to knock around Hala's Hariyama with ease. Also instantly acquired a devoted follower in Meowth, which implies it could do something similar for other Pokemon.

Stakataka: Rampaged for little reason, was very large and heavy and could have caused major damage.

Nihilego: Caused everything with regards to Lillie and her family simply by appearing.

Kartana: Went around cutting things up without care. Ultra Guardians failed to catch it and it went home on its own.

Poipole: Was too young to really cause any damage
Naganadel: Was not seen in the main anime world.
Guzzlord: Ate things without care.

And all of them, aside from Poipole, Naganadel, and Guzzlord, required the entire Ultra Guardians to defeat. Guzzlord was actually the most easily taken care of, as it only required cooperation between two people.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Buzzwole: Defeated by literally flexing on it

Xurkitree/Burst: Defeated by a Showcase routine

Celesteela: Was dug out of the ground and sent home

Stakataka: Asked to stop nicely and goes home without a fuss

Pheromosa: Got defeated by a gag character and went home

Kartana: Got bored, cut open its own wormhole and went home

Nothing about them was noteworthy, impactful, or dramatic

Meanwhile a lone Guzzlord drove everyone off an island by itself and would've done the same to the rest of the region had Koko not conspired to bring over someone to help

 

[dman_dustin]

Guzzlord was actually the most easily taken care of, as it only required cooperation between two people.

I don't think that's fair. You can't just take into consideration what happened when Ash got there, that defeats the entire purpose of that storyline. We all know Ash is the chosen one for everything anyway.

The point was Guzzlord demolished the entire Alola region, that it pretty much was basically a bio hazard probably quarantined as well. And people stronger than the Ultra Guardians (I doubt the entire region was filled with weak trainers) failed to stop Guzzlord.

Ash and Dia only stopped them because they combined their powers to drive Guzzlord into the wormhole on top of the Tapu Koko also helping.

In the summary we specifically see that everyone is getting involved. Not just the Ultra Guardians, but the Masked Royal.

The Masked Royal wasn't needed before, but is needed now, I do think that means this a more serious threat than you seem to be implying. Or at the very least I don't think its going to be resolved by just two people like before.

 

[Poke Master 7]

Buzzwole: Went around sucking Pokemon dry. Does not stop flexing in-game. Acting like the flex battle is treating it as a joke is denying the creature's very origins.

Blacephalon and Xurkitree: Dangerous battle which could have blacked out the city had it continued.

Celesteela: Actually in Alola for over 200 years, nearly destroyed a forest just by waking up.

Pheromosa: Too fast to see, and strong enough to knock around Hala's Hariyama with ease. Also instantly acquired a devoted follower in Meowth, which implies it could do something similar for other Pokemon.

Stakataka: Rampaged for little reason, was very large and heavy and could have caused major damage.

Nihilego: Caused everything with regards to Lillie and her family simply by appearing.

Kartana: Went around cutting things up without care. Ultra Guardians failed to catch it and it went home on its own.

Poipole: Was too young to really cause any damage
Naganadel: Was not seen in the main anime world.
Guzzlord: Ate things without care.

And all of them, aside from Poipole, Naganadel, and Guzzlord, required the entire Ultra Guardians to defeat. Guzzlord was actually the most easily taken care of, as it only required cooperation between two people.

Buzzwole: It sucking the Pokémon Dry was never treated as being something remotely dangerous to them. Hell it didn’t even require the aid of a Pokémon Center to help them. Instead it was treated more as a gag. And it was defeated by them flexing with it rather than stopping it.

Celesteela: The only reason that had been a threat to the land was because it was buried there the way it was, not because of any ill intent. It literally flew off once it was freed

Blacephalon and Xurkitree: The class defeated them by doing the equivalent of a Pokémon Contest appeal.

Pheromosa: It acquired a devoted follower in Meowth because he was infatuated with it, not because of any kind of power of its own. It ended up being beaten by a gag character.

Kartana: Nothing of it going around cutting things was played off as anything but a gag used for laughs. It didn’t even need to be captured as it went home because it got bored

Nihilego and Guzzlord were the only Ultra Beasts who were actually presented as any kind of real threat and showed how much harm they could cause. Nothing about either of them were played for laughs unlike most of the others.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

Buzzwole: It sucking the Pokémon Dry was never treated as being something remotely dangerous to them. Hell it didn’t even require the aid of a Pokémon Center to help them. Instead it was treated more as a gag. And it was defeated by them flexing with it rather than stopping it.

Celesteela: The only reason that had been a threat to the land was because it was buried there the way it was, not because of any ill intent. It literally flew off once it was freed

Blacephalon and Xurkitree: The class defeated them by doing the equivalent of a Pokémon Contest appeal.

Pheromosa: It acquired a devoted follower in Meowth because he was infatuated with it, not because of any kind of power of its own. It ended up being beaten by a gag character.

Kartana: Nothing of it going around cutting things was played off as anything but a gag used for laughs. It didn’t even need to be captured as it went home because it got bored

Nihilego and Guzzlord were the only Ultra Beasts who were actually presented as any kind of real threat and showed how much harm they could cause. Nothing about either of them were played for laughs unlike most of the others.

They aren't supposed to be seen as threats in the first place. And Buzzwole flexing is exactly what it does in game. Serious is boring, and the Guzzlord 2-parter showed this because it wasn't exciting and felt so empty of any connection to the rest of the region. It was just "hit Guzzlord until it is forced back into its wormhole", which isn't a strategy, it's just spamming.

 

[KittyKatPierc3]

I mean I get it but why? Like it seems forced

 

[Poke Master 7]

They aren't supposed to be seen as threats in the first place. And Buzzwole flexing is exactly what it does in game. Serious is boring, and the Guzzlord 2-parter showed this because it wasn't exciting and felt so empty of any connection to the rest of the region. It was just "hit Guzzlord until it is forced back into its wormhole", which isn't a strategy, it's just spamming.

There’s a fine line between what the things behavior is in the game and being an interesting way that it’s brought down. There was literally nothing visually interesting about them beating it in that way

As for them not supposed to be a threat, then if that’s the case, why would the anime feel the need to create a force for dealing with it if they weren’t seen as some form of threat?

And serious is anything but boring as serious allows for characters to cut loose and give us some really great scenarios where characters shine. And while you may not have found it interesting, that’s just it, your opinion. You ask me, the very prospect of them taking Guzzlord head on in spite of the threat it posed was a major step up from SM’s usual slapstick shtick which got old really fast. I watch Pokémon in part for the action which SM has been in short supply of.

 

[Shadao]

Guzzlord is honestly one of the few Ultra Beasts that I cannot see be played for laughs. It has a black hole of a belly and will virtually eat everything in sight. Even by UB standards, that's a horrifying walking natural disaster right there.

 

[Ignition]

This could potentially set up a lot of things:
-Poipole’s return (a slight chance of the light trio returning)
-Guzma’s and Skull’s redemptions
-Mohn returning
-Magearna getting awakened (highly unlikely)
-Debut of a multitude of Z Moves

 

[Deleted member 384931]

I think Meltan is already a better version of Poipole. Why would the writers send if off and bring it back afterwards?

 

[ShadowForce720]

I think Meltan is already a better version of Poipole. Why would the writers send if off and bring it back afterwards?

To give Ash a 6th team member. Looking at it regardless of how people feel about it at the end of the day Ash does have a bond with Poipole and to some extent it was treated as part of his team so, it wouldn't be that surprising if they brought it back as the 6th member of Ash's Alolan team.

 

[Deleted member 384931]

To give Ash a 6th team member. Looking at it regardless of how people feel about it at the end of the day Ash does have a bond with Poipole and to some extent it was treated as part of his team so, it wouldn't be that surprising if they brought it back as the 6th member of Ash's Alolan team.

Yeah, but I don't like the idea. Besides doesn't Poipole have to protect his home, if the queen died?

 

[ShadowForce720]

Yeah, but I don't like the idea. Besides doesn't Poipole have to protect his home, if the queen died?

Not really as there are plenty of other Poipole there that could potentially take over. Plus may I remind you all the other choices for Ash's 6th team member each come with their own problems. I mean if you really stop and think about it Poipole returning to be Ash's 6th team member of his Alolan Team is the most likely route the writers will probably choose to take.

 

[Deleted member 384931]

Not really as there are plenty of other Poipole there that could potentially take over. Plus may I remind you all the other choices for Ash's 6th team member each come with their own problems. I mean if you really stop and think about it Poipole returning to be Ash's 6th team member of his Alolan Team is the most likely route the writers will probably choose to take.

Which other Possibilities does he have besides Poipole?