DDemonRose
Member
I hadn't noticed this anomaly before but from what I saw of the XY series battling wasn't Serena's forte so nothing of value was lost.
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Serena never finishing a battle
- Thread starter Sham
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XY had this issue a lot due to evolving the majority of main cast Pokemon in that series and most of them suffering the usual post-evolution blandness, being demoted to key scenes only and losing all their quirks and chemistries. By the end of XYZ, there was only a handful of Pokemon used in the interaction scenes and most of them besides Pikachu were comic relief like Chespin, Pancham and Dedenne who did the same shtick over and over.
Abiding by BW interviews, this was likely because all these evolved Pokemon were too complicated to animate frequently, especially with XY's very crisp art style. I'm rather surprised Sylveon was too much for them to handle though. Aside from its "streamers" it has a rather simplified design. It also kinda hurt Serena's team due to their more family-ish dynamic being their most fun appeal, yet after that only Pancham was seen much with the odd bit of Braixen.
This is likely why SM streamlined the artstyle afterwards so evolved Pokemon could stay onscreen more often.
Sham
The Guardian of War
I don’t quite get when people say “battling wasn’t apart of her goal”. Battling is essential to almost everything Pokémon unless you simply keep them as pets. Serena battling would of lead to her Pokémon learning new moves so we wouldn’t have been constantly exposed to “fire fire, stone edge, fire fire and fairy wind”
I'm tempted to not quite, since SM shown a lot of non-battle agendas and training approaches. Hell some of them were far more satisfying than when they are learned during battles, which often feel like deus ex machinas.
The main problem was that XY hadn't came to that conclusion yet and kept putting Serena in these dumbed down battles for her development moments, or even worse, interrupting them with predictable Team Rocket faceoffs. I'd get if it wasn't supposed to be Serena's 'thing' but if it wasn't then couldn't they have her develop through something that fit her better and she could see through in a fuller and more entertaining way?
It felt like Serena was meant to be a quiet introspective based character with a different goal, but they still felt like they had force her to follow the formula all the time at this point and look at least superficially badass.
Leonhart
Imagineer
Sham said:
Her goal involved prancing around on-stage doing anything to keep the audience's attention to win votes, so that's probably why some people think that battling wasn't the writers' priority with her. As for her Pokemon learning new moves, that could happen without on-screen battling as we've seen plenty of times before with other Pokemon.
Sham
The Guardian of War
I meant entertaining for us (the viewers externally) not the internal viewers. Of course there are exceptions to the rules but most of the time battling=new moves about 75 percent of the time. Plus new moves would mean new combinations which could lead to different types of performances. This would be easily achieved with training or battling. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Pancham learned no new moves, Sylveon learned one new move with Fairy Wind after winning it’s first battle and Braxien has only learned two new moves.
Most of the SM’s cast Pokémon still learned new moves by battling, training off screen or training from another person. Like I said exceptions to the rules always exist but the main consistent thing is battling is typically a way for Pokémon to learn new moves and or evolution.
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SerenaRulez
Well-Known Member
But it would have been more exciting to see her Pokemon gain new attacks while battling instead of her Pokemon learning new attacks in between episodes.
Truth be told I'm never big on when Pokemon get moves or boosts through battles or intense situations, it always feels like plot armour rather than something they and their trainer worked for, especially in cases like Serena who don't even battle much anyway. It's just an instant win button with permanent side effects.
SM shown some entertaining ways for Pokemon to train for moves that fit with whatever the trainer was into at the time. It could have been interesting to see Serena try and master one of her team's moves through use of choreography or playing to their species nature, not just 'falling upwards' and getting plot armoured a power boost whenever she was in a dire circumstance.
SM shown some entertaining ways for Pokemon to train for moves that fit with whatever the trainer was into at the time. It could have been interesting to see Serena try and master one of her team's moves through use of choreography or playing to their species nature, not just 'falling upwards' and getting plot armoured a power boost whenever she was in a dire circumstance.
Leonhart
Imagineer
SerenaRulez said:
Fair enough, I suppose that I'm just letting my own bias against moves in the anime get to me. I usually dislike it when an episode is practically 99% filler, but then suddenly escapes the filler label just because a main character's Pokemon learns a new move towards the end of said episode. So the idea that Serena should've battled more often just so that her Pokemon would learn more moves on-screen sounded like another one of these scenarios to me.
Yeah I'm also not really big on anti-climaxes either. The whole 'Pokemon losing battle - gets boost - wins easily (even if said boost shouldn't make them that invincible)' formula is just painfully predictable and ruins a lot of battles, especially if they're actually put in a main arc. I'd rather they kept power boosts out of action sequences since they do not constitute as a satisfying conclusion for either a boring filler or a cheaply finished battle, and often the actual training focused episodes can get a more amusing chemistry and agency out of the characters.
Ubermuk
Sticky & Sweet
Instant wins suck but Serena's team was so poorly treated that I think most of us would've let it slide if her Pokemon learned more moves and got instant wins because of that.
Shadao
Aim to be a Pokémon Master
Until the introduction of experience candy and cooking.
Now it's the only way to level up your low level Pokémon without dealing level 60 Wild Pokémon.
And let's be serious. The anime had already proven long ago that battles aren't the only ways to raise your Pokémon to be stronger and learn new moves.
Sham
The Guardian of War
Platinum fan.
RetiredPokemonMaster
I haven't posted here in a few years. Let's see if I still have it.
When it comes to everything involving Serena it was wasted potential. I do even know what the point of her battling ultimately was when her goal didn't involve it. I'll never understand why she wasn't just made a Pokemon Coordinator. Oh well. I guess at the end of the day she'll only be famous for one thing. Amourshipping. Not her Pokemon, not her skill level, and not her goal, but amourshipping. Pity, I like Serena but I cannot call her a well written character. She deserved better
When it comes to everything involving Serena it was wasted potential. I do even know what the point of her battling ultimately was when her goal didn't involve it. I'll never understand why she wasn't just made a Pokemon Coordinator. Oh well. I guess at the end of the day she'll only be famous for one thing. Amourshipping. Not her Pokemon, not her skill level, and not her goal, but amourshipping. Pity, I like Serena but I cannot call her a well written character. She deserved better
AuraChannelerChris
Easygoing Luxray.
Maybe they wanted to really sell the idea that Ash's glorification shone so brightly that she had to look weak and helpless to make him look better in comparison?
I mean, she could have at least had Mega Evolution to back up her power or at least try evolving her freaking Pancham, but nooooooooooo.
I mean, she could have at least had Mega Evolution to back up her power or at least try evolving her freaking Pancham, but nooooooooooo.
You guys...do all realize that Pancham can only evolve if the trainer has a Dark type in their party, right? And while the anime *might* have been able to stretch it with Greninja being consider part of the "party" it's still a tad stretchy. Criticizing her for not doing something it was impossible for her to do just seems downright silly...
Pokegirl Fan~
Liko>>>>>Ash
I don't mind Pancham not evolving, final forms aren't everything in this anime.
I wish Serena caught at least one more Pokemon though. Her team was too small imo.
I wish Serena caught at least one more Pokemon though. Her team was too small imo.
AuraChannelerChris
Easygoing Luxray.
Jessie evolved her Pumpkaboo through trading but then she got it back after realizing she was attached to it despite almost getting a Mega Mawile.
That pretty much opened the possibilities for Serena if she was lent Greninja to evolve Pancham, but alas, Pancham sells better than Pangoro.
...Besides, don't you all dare to tell me you don't want to see a freaking giant panda doing crazy maneuvers during showcases.
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