Sun & Moon Characters Speculation Thread

[GarchompChain]

The actual Romanization of the Elite 4's title is Shitennō, which does actually translate relatively literally as Four Heavenly Kings. Elite 4 is just a Western take on the name, in the same sense that Pokemon and human characters have distinct names from their Japanese counterparts that usually have at least mostly the same meaning. In this case, calling them the Four Heavenly Kings in the west probably wouldn't have been the most sensible choice, since we wouldn't be able to pick up on why they're called that.

Unless you want to argue that Buddhism should be calling its Four Heavenly Kings the Elite 4 instead, since that's where Pokemon took the term from in the first place.

Maybe they took their name from there, but it's not the same. And this is the last post about this from me, because it's getting too much off topic.

 

[Leonhart]

Although they're going to have to show much more battle prowess in my opinion to be considered in the same tier as other region elite four members.

I agree since Hala, Acerola, and the others don't seem nearly as powerful as their in-game counterparts. Part of me would find it strange to see them become the Alola region's Four Heavenly Kings for that reason since it's hard to take them seriously given their track records in this saga.

 

[RileyXY1]

I don't think that we'll be seeing Elite 4 promotions in the anime.

 

[MockingJ]

I think there's still time for this to happen but I think that Giovanni should visit Alola and do some major scheme after the League is done. Nanu could probably have a role in that since he knows Giovanni apparently.

 

[Leonhart]

I think there's still time for this to happen but I think that Giovanni should visit Alola and do some major scheme after the League is done. Nanu could probably have a role in that since he knows Giovanni apparently.

I actually don't want Sakaki to appear anymore in SM since I don't like the idea of a post-League Rocket-dan led subplot. If we're going to get any kind of villainous team scheme at the end of this saga, I'd rather see it be something involving Guzma and the Skull-dan than Sakaki making some kind of appearance, but that's just me.

 

[MockingJ]

I actually don't want Sakaki to appear anymore in SM since I don't like the idea of a post-League Rocket-dan led subplot. If we're going to get any kind of villainous team scheme at the end of this saga, I'd rather see it be something involving Guzma and the Skull-dan than Sakaki making some kind of appearance, but that's just me.

But the writers might as well do some kind of Team Rocket sub-plot similar to the Rainbow Team Rocket thing as a way to tie up loose ends. Team Skull could be involved in that too.

 

[Leonhart]

But the writers might as well do some kind of Team Rocket sub-plot similar to the Rainbow Team Rocket thing as a way to tie up loose ends. Team Skull could be involved in that too.

I'm not completely on board with the Rainbow Rocket-dan subplot idea however, because I don't feel that the anime can properly handle something like that. The writers would most likely butcher most of it by only having Sakaki, Matori, and a bunch of Rocket-dan grunts show up in Alola instead of the writers going all-out by bringing the other villainous team leaders into the mix.

 

[Zoruagible]

I'd just like Guzo to return for it, the guy was quite interesting.... but abruptly thrown away like poor Pierce was

I'm not expecting Giovanni himself to be involved at all, not physically anyways. But I'd like it if Matori faced consequences for her failure though, like getting demoted so Archer can take her job
He hasn't really had much focus this series, Matori's being played as the antagonist more than him.

It would have been nice if they touched more on his and Nanu's connection though... just felt like a waste

 

[Ignition]

I'd just like Guzo to return for it, the guy was quite interesting.... but abruptly thrown away like poor Pierce was

I'm not expecting Giovanni himself to be involved at all, not physically anyways. But I'd like it if Matori faced consequences for her failure though, like getting demoted so Archer can take her job
He hasn't really had much focus this series, Matori's being played as the antagonist more than him.

It would have been nice if they touched more on his and Nanu's connection though... just felt like a waste

We’ll most likely never see a Persian vs Persian match and thst makes me sad

 

[Leonhart]

I'm not expecting Giovanni himself to be involved at all, not physically anyways. But I'd like it if Matori faced consequences for her failure though, like getting demoted so Archer can take her job
He hasn't really had much focus this series, Matori's being played as the antagonist more than him.

I feel that in the same way that Musashi, Kojirou, and Nyasu tend to get away with their incompetence, so would Matori if her next scheme fails. She's not my favorite Rocket-dan member by any means, but I just can't imagine Sakaki demoting her given that she does so much more than any other Rocket-dan members aside from the trio.

 

[Eddieursa]

I think it's a little too obvious, but the result of the next round is almost clear. Basically, each round is a character using a different Pokemon.

+ Gladion vs James: Zoroark vs Mareanie. Do we need even say it? Gladion wins.
+ Ash vs Hau: Rowlet vs Decidueye. Ash is going to win, but the only way possible to do it, it's if it evolves to Dartrix.
+ Kiawe vs Sophocles: Charizard vs Togedemaru. Charizard clearly wins.
+ Guzma vs Lana: Guzma clearly wins.

For the next round:
+ Ash vs Gladion: Lycanroc vs Lycanroc. Ash wins.
+ Guzma vs Kiawe: Surely, Guzma wins with his Golisopod.

For the final:
+ Ash vs Guzma: Ash wins using Torracat, and there's a chance it ends up evolving to Incineroar.

Ash vs Royal Mask: I hope it will be more than just one Pokemon to use.

 

[Ignition]

I think it's a little too obvious, but the result of the next round is almost clear. Basically, each round is a character using a different Pokemon.

+ Gladion vs James: Zoroark vs Mareanie. Do we need even say it? Gladion wins.
+ Ash vs Hau: Rowlet vs Decidueye. Ash is going to win, but the only way possible to do it, it's if it evolves to Dartrix.
+ Kiawe vs Sophocles: Charizard vs Togedemaru. Charizard clearly wins.
+ Guzma vs Lana: Guzma clearly wins.

For the next round:
+ Ash vs Gladion: Lycanroc vs Lycanroc. Ash wins.
+ Guzma vs Kiawe: Surely, Guzma wins with his Golisopod.

For the final:
+ Ash vs Guzma: Ash wins using Torracat, and there's a chance it ends up evolving to Incineroar.

Ash vs Royal Mask: I hope it will be more than just one Pokemon to use.

We already know Gladion is using Lycanroc against James

 

[Eddieursa]

We already know Gladion is using Lycanroc against James

Oops! My bad. Then I guess Gladion will use Zoroark vs Ash's Torracat. Then, Ash will use Lycanroc vs the Bug Type of Guzma. Possibly Golisopod, which will be a tied battle. Lycanrock's Rock Type can beat Golisopod's Bug Type, but Golisopod's Water Type can beat Lycanrock's Rock Type.

 

[Leonhart]

For the next round:
+ Ash vs Gladion: Lycanroc vs Lycanroc. Ash wins.
+ Guzma vs Kiawe: Surely, Guzma wins with his Golisopod.

I think it'll be switched around and Satoshi might battle Kaki instead since they've always had a kind of friendly rivalry with each other, which I'd like to see be settled in this League. And I've always thought that Gladio would be a better candidate for the final battle of the League than Guzma since Gladio has been around longer and has more history with Satoshi.

 

[ShadowForce720]

I think it'll be switched around and Satoshi might battle Kaki instead since they've always had a kind of friendly rivalry with each other, which I'd like to see be settled in this League. And I've always thought that Gladio would be a better candidate for the final battle of the League than Guzma since Gladio has been around longer and has more history with Satoshi.

The problem with Gladion being Ash's opponent in the finals is that there is no real reason for him to fight the Masked Royal other then it just being a cool match up, however no matter how you try to argue it there is nothing that Gladion is capable of doing that would make Ash feel as stressful and pressured as Guzma can do to the simple fact that regardless of whether or not Ash beats Gladion in the finals there is no danger of him trying to destroy the league, where in Guzma's case Ash would be under a lot of pressure and stress because he knows that if he loses to Guzma in the finals that Guzma would pretty much accomplish his goal of destroying the league.


Basically at this point with how it's been set up it makes more sense to have the final match be between Ash and Guzma and not Ash and Gladion because both Ash and Guzma have connection to Kukui/Masked Royal and Guzma can generate a lot more pressure and stress then Gladion can at this point. Now had Guzma not been in the league then yes it would have made sense for the final match to be Ash vs Gladion, however as the way things currently stand it makes more sense for Ash vs Guzma to be the final match.

Also if the Top 4 is Ash vs Kiawe, and Guzma vs Gladion then Gladion will likely lose to build up Guzma because otherwise there would be no point in hyping him up and foreshadowing a league match between him and Ash at the start of the league.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Guzma vs Kiawe would be better since it lets Ash battle both Gladion and Guzma

I really hope Ash loses to Guzma and Kukui beats him instead - it'd be a much better payoff

 

[ShadowForce720]

Guzma vs Kiawe would be better since it lets Ash battle both Gladion and Guzma

I really hope Ash loses to Guzma and Kukui beats him instead - it'd be a much better payoff

Just pointing this out but you do realize if Guzma beats Ash in the finals then he will accomplish his goal of destroying the league and on top of that it would mean that Alolan League's first champion was a leader of an evil team, an antagonist, and someone whose goal it was to destroy the league. Basically even if Kukui beats Guzma in the exhibition match, it doesn't change the fact that the exhibition match is just a reward for winning the league.

Basically Guzma winning the Alolan league but losing the exhibition match would be basically the equivalent of Kukui may have won the battle but in the end he lost the "war", as him beating Guzma at that point doesn't mean anything as Guzma will just rub the fact that he won the league and tell Kukui that it just goes to show that Kukui and Hala were wrong and he was right all along.

 

[MockingJ]

I think it'll be switched around and Satoshi might battle Kaki instead since they've always had a kind of friendly rivalry with each other, which I'd like to see be settled in this League. And I've always thought that Gladio would be a better candidate for the final battle of the League than Guzma since Gladio has been around longer and has more history with Satoshi.

I don't think the Kiawe and Ash rivalry/bromance thing needs a conclusive match though. Like you said it's a friendly rivalry so there's no real reason for them to battle since they're both good friends.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Basically Guzma winning the Alolan league but losing the exhibition match would be basically the equivalent of Kukui may have won the battle but in the end he lost the "war", as him beating Guzma at that point doesn't mean anything as Guzma will just rub the fact that he won the league and tell Kukui that it just goes to show that Kukui and Hala were wrong and he was right all along.

Guzma’s just showing that the League isn't the end goal

You beat the league, congratulations

Now what?

Go off to the next region and do it again? And again? And again?

 

[Red and Blue]

Guzma’s just showing that the League isn't the end goal

You beat the league, congratulations

Now what?

Go off to the next region and do it again? And again? And again?

Well if he wins the league yet still loses to Kukui that could set the stage for him challenging Leon. They could end Ash's journey in Galar