Thank You, Alola! Respective Departures!! (1089)

[warset]

Ash did NOT release his Alola team. He just stored them with Prof. Kukui instead of Prof. Oak.
He now has two reserves instead of one. But regardless, they are still one video-phone call away from getting transferred over.

Also, the new season is a NOT a reboot but canon. You can clearly see Team Rocket’s Wobbuffet is still there. Jessie received her Wobbuffet in Johto via exchanging away her Kicktongue with Bennie.

 

[warset]

So is there an explanation for why Ash leaves his alolan team in Alola?

Because Prof Kukui is also an official regional Pokemon professor, and he is now Ash’s second reserve storage.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

OK, OK, OK! I just wanna ask... the last shot with Professor Kukui and Burnett... I get this feeling it was meant to imply Professor Burnett might be pregnant. I can't be the only one who may see it. Opinions, please.

Why would the anime show Burnet gaining a few pounds out of nowhere if she wasn't pregnant.

 

[Mr.Munchlax]

Ok, I’m still upset that Ash’s pokémon didn’t go back to Pallet Town, but after taking some time to think about it & watching the episode in full, I agree that leaving them with Prof. Kukui was the better choice. They basically became like a big family with the professors (& the episode itself kind of felt it was either about when to keep families together & when to say goodbye in order to pursue our own goals), so having them leave and split a family up completely just wouldn’t feel right. Plus, it’s touching that Ash sees Alola just as much as his home as Kanto does, so now I’m hoping that the Pokémon he catches in PM2019 will either stay at Prof. Oak’s or at Prof. Kukui’s.

As for the rest of the episode, there’s not much I can say that everyone else already brought up. It was a little rushed, but everyone still had their own heart-felt goodbyes & I geared up several times even though I was spoiled of the ending and was coming into this with a negative opinion. Regardless of how I feel about Ash’s Pokémon, I still think that Sun & Moon is one of the best series Pokémon’s done and they managed to wrap everything up perfectly.

 

[satopi]

Ash’s Alolan Pokemon has strong ties to Alola and has since claimed Kukui’s home as it’s own. I’d rather they stayed in a place where they’re familiar with and comfortable living in than to be left off in an area where they have no knowledge of, around people they don’t know. I also like the idea that they’ll keep Kukui and Burnet company and imagining his Pokémon playing with their child when he/she’s born. Also, keeping his Pokémon is a sign that shows that Ash holds a strong tie to the region itself outside of (barely) traveling it.

 

[DatsRight]

It's disappointing that the two Pokemon who were most screwed over involvement wise are the ones least open ended to get a possible reappearance next series (Naganadel and Shaymin, unless the latter is just migrating). Guess we can hope at least Sandy gets some screen time if Lana gets to reappear.

Part of me hopes skipping goodbyes with Ash's Alola lot means we might see reserve use next series, though in fairness Ash never really said goodbyes to his teams in any series due to the terms they were 'separated'.

Easy to feel bad for Mallow and Team Rocket in particular. Nearly all their allies are gone (Mallow is back to one Pokemon even) and TR are gonna have a lot to answer for when they come back to HQ with literally nothing. This is arguably the most self sacrificial we've seen the TRio when it comes to conflicting with their loyalty to Giovanni. Compare to BW where they had no problems selling out their Unova team to avoid Giovanni's wrath. This is interesting, TR have considered defecting before, but never with Giovanni directly put into question, they're always terrified the moment he's brought up.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

Didn’t like how rushed Shaymin release was though I mean Mallow didn’t really get a proper goodbye

 

[RedR]

In Advance, it was sad Ash starting with just Pikachu in a whole new region. But that could've been because Gen 2 games weren't compatible with Gen 3 games, so that may have been a way to illustrate that in the show.

We won't know for sure until Sw/Sh comes out, but maybe Ash's four Alola Pokemon won't be available to play as in Sw/Sh, so maybe this is symbolic that the only way to use them is to go to Alola (aka play Sun/Moon/USun/UMoon), so within the context of the show, let the Pokemon stay with Kukui in Alola.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

I think the reason he left his Pokémon behind was because in the new series he will probobly use his older Pokémon depending on where he is like he will use Primeape and Pidgeot in Kanto and so on.Also where the heck did Melmetal get that jet pack at the ending of the episode?

 

[Lord Starfish]

So in the end... The M20 remixes of Meetings and Partings or Clear Weather After Tears never ended up playing in the show... And since Miyazaki is no longer composing for the next series, unless they keep his music in rotation they never will. This makes me sad.

 

[Dragalge]

The Lead Art Director for Sun and Moon (games!!), Yusuke Ohmura, posted artwork of Ash’s Alola team including Nebby. Pretty nice!

https://mobile.twitter.com/yusuke_omura/status/1191554160224718849?s=20

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

The Lead Art Director for Sun and Moon (games!!), Yusuke Ohmura, posted artwork of Ash’s Alola team including Nebby. Pretty nice!

https://mobile.twitter.com/yusuke_omura/status/1191554160224718849?s=20

The Team of a champion

 

[mehmeh1]

In Advance, it was sad Ash starting with just Pikachu in a whole new region. But that could've been because Gen 2 games weren't compatible with Gen 3 games, so that may have been a way to illustrate that in the show.

We won't know for sure until Sw/Sh comes out, but maybe Ash's four Alola Pokemon won't be available to play as in Sw/Sh, so maybe this is symbolic that the only way to use them is to go to Alola (aka play Sun/Moon/USun/UMoon), so within the context of the show, let the Pokemon stay with Kukui in Alola.

Spoiler: Dex leaks

None of Ash's Alola mons are in

 

[Rune Knight]

What if similar to the ending of Link's Awakening....

Spoiler: Ending of Link's Awakening

The entire story and setting of Alola were just part of a Kyogre's dream...?.........Ffffffffffu-

 

[Shotgunrain]

If they made Torracat evolve with only 3 episodes left where it didn't do anything as Incineroar, they could have just evolved James' Mareanie during its battle against Wobbuffet as well...I don't think we ever saw an actual coloured Toxapex during the entirety of SM, that could have been a good opportunity. I remembered people saying that it was a wasted opportunity as well that Mareanie didn't evolve.

Also didn't Lillie have that Ice Stone from way back? I remembered that Snowy wasn't keen on evolving back then, so I thought that would imply that it would evolve eventually but the Ice Stone just never got brought up again anymore after that episode.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

The Team of a champion

At first glance.

But then again...

Half of those are underwhelming for their assumed Mythical status (Melmetal), came out ultra ready without Ash's input (Nagadel), is rotting doing nothing with his evolution (Incineroar), is basically a glorified Ride Pokemon (Solgaleo), and/or has the weirdest kind of plot armor ever (Rowlet).

Hell, his Sunny-D Roc is the only one who counts due to stealing the spotlight on Grand Trials too much next to Pikachu.

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

At first glance.

But then again...

Half of those are underwhelming for their assumed Mythical status (Melmetal), came out ultra ready without Ash's input (Nagadel), is rotting doing nothing with his evolution (Incineroar), is basically a glorified Ride Pokemon (Solgaleo), and/or has the weirdest kind of plot armor ever (Rowlet).

Hell, his Sunny-D Roc is the only one who counts due to stealing the spotlight on Grand Trials too much next to Pikachu.

It was still the team that made him a champion.
Naganadel defeated Lucario and held its own against tapu Koko for some time.
Melmetal basically destroyed most of silvallys health.
Rowlet defeated decideueye and is shown to be regularly strong.
Incineroar proved itself .
Lycanroc proved itself
This team proved itself more than the kalos team.
But sure keep insulting it as much as u want buddy we don't care

 

[Dragalge]

At first glance.

But then again...

Half of those are underwhelming for their assumed Mythical status (Melmetal), came out ultra ready without Ash's input (Nagadel), is rotting doing nothing with his evolution (Incineroar), is basically a glorified Ride Pokemon (Solgaleo), and/or has the weirdest kind of plot armor ever (Rowlet).

Hell, his Sunny-D Roc is the only one who counts due to stealing the spotlight on Grand Trials too much next to Pikachu.

Assumed? Melmetal and Meltan are Mythicals. There’s even a pop-up saying “Do you really want to transfer this Mythical Pokemon?” when attempting to transfer either in Pokemon GO.

And Melmetal isn’t underwhelming either. It did the majority of damage to Silvally, a legendary, before falling where Pikachu mainly cleaned up.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Eh, what I'm saying is, the first three samples either had less than 3 personal battles or none at all after evolving. I just wanted them to have more battle focus than one or two battles at the rear end of the series. Call me cynical, but it's sort of wasted potential not to show those more often in a weekly series.

 

[AznKei]

So, Lillie & Gladion are traveling abroad looking for their father thanks for Magearna giving hint that he's still alive somewhere in the Pokemon world, with their mother Lusamine.

Like I write in the last episode, the rest of the cast would do things that are typical to their interests. Ash would of course travel into a new region so he can become a Pokemon master, in which I believe he wanted to become a champion or the best trainer of the whole Pokemon world not only for the Alola League which is another level.

I was more intrigued about TRio departure, because unlike the previous series, they let their Alolan Pokemons stay in Alola instead of bringing them to their HQ. Speaking of departure, Bewear surely now about geography because it helped TRio to blast themselves into Kanto and it shows that it's not over protective of them since it must be aware that TRio are guys into professional missions regardless how evil their intentions can be.

Nice final episode, and no stuffs like comforting a crying Piplup or Dedenne.