September 8th: SM138 - The Finals! The Ultimate Rival Showdown!!

[Red and Blue]

Guzma isnt rivals with either Kiawe or Gladion so Ash must have won. Hopefully we get a victor and no interruptions

 

[Doppelgänger]

Oh the haters on this site and everywhere else will find more excuses to hate SM. Despite how I really don't mind this league.

This is one of the better leagues and has really solid animation and battle writing, but while technically good it isn't as fun/exciting as admittedly lesser leagues like Kanto or Unova.

Z-Moves hurt more than they help. The underpowered Pokemon make the battles feel amateurish. Bad refs make it feel unprofessional.

To the league's credit though, we're still not through the quarterfinals yet, and we've already been through two rounds. Having the biggest league ever gives a lot of opportunity for a satisfying payoff.

 

[Remix2]

Anyone going into this League expecting a highly intense affair like last Gen have only themselves to blame. Given the kinda series SM is and the downplayed focus on battles this saga I was not expecting anything more than what we're getting. The focus is obviously more on the personal growth of those participating than it is just solely focusing on Ash trying to claw his way to the top

Which doesn’t work when only two people anything form it and the rest are just there gaining nothing of note.

 

[Soniman]

Which doesn’t work when only two people anything form it and the rest are just there gaining nothing of note.

So far the main class have gotten some development from their battles. Mallow being the biggest example so far, Lillie being rather minor, hell even James gained something with Marenie. Idk I think it's been doing pretty well so far

 

[DatsRight]

I truthfully think it would have been cheaper if they'd tried to make it a 'badass' league where everyone is just suddenly experienced for the sake of flashy battles despite barely any build up besides bad guy curb stomps. This time the league IS the development based on how much the characters have genuinely grown in the agenda. It's definitely something different with a very different approach from previous ones, I understand people who wanted some solid battles at last being disappointed, but SM as a whole is aiming for something more unique and character driven.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

This is one of the better leagues and has really solid animation and battle writing.

Um...

1) Only 5 or 6 people out of 151 bothered with trials.
2) Anyone can enter, even the ones who never took any trials or completed all Grand Trials.
3) From a character point, only 4 out of 151 people have ANY prior interest to battle. The rest were just gag people.
4) Way too many 1 on 1s to justify how almost no one in this damned region - except for one girl's embarrassing mother - ever bothered to get more than 4 Pokemon.
5) Battle Royale? All I saw was a dust storm that blocked seeing that many people participating, and the students were helping each other out just to secure a spot in the next rounds.
6) Not so solid animation.
7) Battle victories were practically handed out to the only people who are into battling, because the rest are cannon fodder. It ended up being predictable because now the top 4 are LITERALLY the only people who ever showed any interest in serious battle and training before Kukui made the announcement. No upsets from the likes of Lana.
8) Ash Vs. Hau was a horrible match that suddenly tried to use Rowlet's sleep issues as a serious thing when it's been always a gag until that point, and it also culminated in Hau being the worst represented in-game rival of them all for only having 2 1/2 focus episodes up until now. I even thought Hau was robbed of a victory by his own grandpa (even if his grandpa had the best intentions in mind, but still!) And to add to Ash's run, his previous battle was literally a gag battle...and that was his first match after the battle royale.
9) Because of the above, Nanu is the worst referee I've seen. He needs to go to that Hoenn referee school.
10) Lana Vs. Mallow suddenly decided to make Mallow into a coward for no real reason.

Good for Ash to make it to the finals, but at least to me, he has to win against the embarrassing masked wrestler just so that I know he managed to outlive this atrocious joke of a league (to me, winning the whole thing is comparable to him finishing in Top 4 in any other league whose name doesn't that with a "U"). If he loses against Gladion, Lycanroc is getting screwed. If he loses to Kukui, Torracat's whole deal with Incineroar was all in vain and will make his character redundant as he's the only Pokemon who never took part in a Grand Trial in favor of spotlight hogging Pikachu and Lycanroc.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Oh boy, it begins...

 

[Bortgreen]

Anyone going into this League expecting a highly intense affair like last Gen have only themselves to blame. Given the kinda series SM is and the downplayed focus on battles this saga I was not expecting anything more than what we're getting. The focus is obviously more on the personal growth of those participating than it is just solely focusing on Ash trying to claw his way to the top

This is the exact reason why I'm liking the league compared to most people here: not high expectations

 

[GarchompChain]

I hope this is at least two episodes. A non full battle final sounds kinda lame. The semis being one episode and 2v2 (or maybe 3v3) is bad enough.

 

[Bortgreen]

I hope this is at least two episodes. A non full battle final sounds kinda lame. The semis being one episode and 2v2 (or maybe 3v3) is bad enough.

Minimum 3v3 probably, Gladion already has Silvally, Lycanroc and Umbreon, and he can still use Zoroark and maybe Noivern

The best thing even would be if a theory I read somewhere becomes true: the battle is 5v5, it ends in a draw and then Nebby and the Lunaala Gladion befriended come and they have an epic battle. Pretty unlikely to happen but literally legendary if true

 

[mehmeh1]

I REALLY hope this is a 2-parter, Fujisaku is just terrible at battles and having Ohashi as an animation director could be great

 

[Dan1233213]

Not Fujisaku again...

I hope its a two parts episode... They should give the final league episode to tomioka\omode

 

[Jangobadass]

*looks at creative team for episode*

This better be a 2 parter, or else this cements Alola as Worst League...

 

[mehmeh1]

I hope its a two parts episode... They should give the final league episode to tomioka\omode

Tomioka would be ideal, but he hasn't written a league battle episode since DP188, and I doubt that'll change anytime soon, at best he'll write the MR episode (technically not a league battle). Also, SERIOUSLY? The battle royale 151 guy is directing the animation for this episode? I can only hope for the key animators to carry here

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

I hope this is at least two episodes. A non full battle final sounds kinda lame. The semis being one episode and 2v2 (or maybe 3v3) is bad enough.

I imagine that this match will be at least a 3 vs 3 match. As for the amount of episodes the finals are I can see it lasting an episode to an episode and a half at the very most.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

This is the exact reason why I'm liking the league compared to most people here: not high expectations

Problem is, having low standards is fine, but then the series somehow manages to sink to brand new depths

Ash had no right to make it past Hau, who completely dominated their match, but lo and behold, here's Ash now, battling the likes of Guzma and Gladion, who'd have both eaten Hau for breakfast

 

[Zhydra]

Yeah you don't mind this league. That obviously means that everyone who doesn't is a hater.

That isn't what I said. The people who hate SM will find excuses to bash this league along with everything else in this series. I don't mind the league, so I praise what I like and criticize what I don't. (Like the use of Hau.)

Then again, I put my expectations so low that anything will surprise me. Including Ash making it to the finals. (Twice in a row.)

I still expect Ash to lose, because it is kind of a custom.

 

[Deleted member 384931]

Hate is a strong word, in 20 years we haven't had a series that is totally based on comedy since maybe OS. The facts are that Ash isnt a total bafoon like he was in BW and maybe he acts childish and reacts like he has saw a thing for that first time, while he didnt. (But we got used to that). I think much people are dissapointed it isnt more battle-orientated. Also a lot of people don't like the style of jokes and such.

I think we have to see it as an attempt to change the anime. Don't get me wrong, but I understand that doing 20 years the same thing is getting boring.

 

[IkeBayern]

I would guess that this battle is a two-parter, like this episode will probably have a lot of build up and character moments, the action will start in the latter half and carry onto the next episode. The staff would make sense for that.

I agree with that, most league battles (especially rival ones) are not completed in one episode... I remember that Ash vs Paul took 3 episodes but usually they take 2 to finish the job

It’ll start off alright and probably gain momentum towards the end of the next episode

 

[Deleted member 384931]

It would be really fun if Kiawe is the other finalist instead of Gladion lol.