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The Fight Over the Crystal! Team Rocket VS Team Skull!! (968)

Mr.Munchlax

Great Ball Rank Trainer
Is it me, or did it look like Lana had a lot of focus during the class segments? I haven't seen the episode yet, but I've seen the screenshots on the main site & (second to Ash) they seemed to put a lot of emphasis on her.

I don't think this is foreshadowing her trial on Akala Island, but it could mean this was also a Lana episode in a way
 

Everything12

Well-Known Member
Not really as far as I can tell form watching it, I can't understand Japanese myself but Lana does seem to ask what the water Z-Pose is but everyone, except Lillie and Kiawe, are shown practising.
 

Frozocrone

Miraculous!
I've seen enough Greninja spamming from last saga to know what mizu means so yeah, Lana was asking abuot Waterium-Z (and practiced)

Good episode imo. Team Rocket and Team Skull continue to be highlights of this saga.
 

TheWanderingMist

Paladin of the Snow Queen
I wasn't actually expecting TRio to get the Z-Crystal yet. They even managed to defeat a tTtem Pokemon, so they did actually earn it as well. They don't seem to have heard the part where the Pokemon needs a move of the same type, or they wouldn't have tried to use Darkinium Z with Meowth. Z-rings I believe aren't really necessary, just a convenient way of carrying the crystal, though they'll probably try to steal one later anyway. Pretty sure Rotom was singing the Ending Theme when showing off the Z-Crystals. Everyone was practicing the poses...foreshadowing for everyone getting some sort of crystal eventually? Lana seems more pumped than any of the others about learning the pose for Hydro Vortex. Oh, and Mimikyu is starting to care about its teammates more seeing as it willingly saved them without Pikachu around to motivate it. The end closed in on Bewear...that probably means that move we saw it using in EP01 was Brutal Swing. You know, looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't think TRio wouldn't get this crystal. It's literally the Evil-type Z-Crystal.
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
I liked this episode. Team Rocket managed to beat Totem Raticate fairly (although it was weakened by Mareanie and Team Skull before Mimikyu got a KO with Play Rough). I'm not sure if it counts as it wasn't a trial overseen by the Kahuna, and locking away all the support Raticate in a cage might count as cheating, so I'm not sure if they could actually use it even if they knew a Dark move or if it'd simply shatter if they tried (like Electrium Z did for Ash the first time). Also nice to see Mimikyu use its Disguise ability to take Raticate's attack.

Oh and poisoned James face continues to be funny.
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
Lana was the most pumped for the Z-Move and the next trial is the Water one interesting.

It is? I just watched it raw, don't have a clue what was said most of the time. I'm not counting on them following the order from the games, the trials seem pretty different from the games so far.
 

TheWanderingMist

Paladin of the Snow Queen
It is? I just watched it raw, don't have a clue what was said most of the time. I'm not counting on them following the order from the games, the trials seem pretty different from the games so far.

There's really only been 1 Trial so far. And they usually follow the order from the games, so the Water Trial is probably still next.
 

Golden_Latias

#SlayQueenSlay
Hopefully Lana's interest in learning the Water Z-Move posts means a little more than simple foreshadowing for the Water Trial. ;)
 

Frozocrone

Miraculous!
But Brionne?!?!
 

satopi

Life doesn’t end, …it changes.
Team Rocket vs Team Skull- a rivalry to massively unfold fans~

-Ahhh James is doing the PokeProblem segment!!! :D

-I'm so impressed to see Ash and Kiawe performing their Z moves together, Prof Kukui's reaction is how pumped up I feel

-BWHAHAHA!! Ash saying their catchphrase... this is a hilarious daydream

-And once again, they switch desks. You guys are making it painfully obvious whom Ash (and Pikachu) are close to in relationships. I'd love if Rotom sang the ending theme than that autotune tone deaf guy.

-Did that girl Skull member say that she was hungry but how boys say it....

-Yay! We'll actually seeing how Prof Kukui teaches his students!!

-Mimikyu came back for revenge... I can't believe it's finally liking/saving them again. ;~;

-Great line Bewear

Yay!!! Team Rocket got the Z Crystal!! I really liked this episode and seeing more of Team SKull and their relationships with their teammate. Aniki is definitely the big brother and cool leader of the group. It was very cute seeing not just the classmates but Team Rocket practice Z poses. It was heartwarming seeing Jessie and James go back to see if Meowth was ok while Aniki kept going for the Z Crystal (not that his teammates minded lol). I think Meowth now knows how it feels to be coddled by a random stranger just because he's cute like Pikachu. I loved that this whole episode focused mainly on Team Rocket & Team Skull but we got to see what the classmates are doing for their school day and had nothing to do with what Team Rocket & Team Skull were doing.
 

Satomine Night

The Power of Z!
Whoa, Team Rocket actually successfully got the Darkinium-Z?! :eek: Well, color me surprised! I was not expecting Team Rocket to actually succeed and to be honest, I was hoping they wouldn't. But in true (read: idiotic) Team Rocket fashion, they didn't do all of their research (even though James created a Z-Crystal detection device), so not only do they have no idea that Z-Crystals are type-specific, but they also have no idea what the poses are for each Z-move (or that the Trainer has to perform the pose alongside the Pokémon). In other words, Darkinium-Z is completely useless to them at the moment.

That focus on Bewear at the end of the episode makes me think Bewear is going to be the one to (eventually) use Blackhole Eclipse (when the TRio eventually figure out how to properly use Z-moves), which means either Bewear is going to be caught, or it's going to be an ally Pokémon who battles under their command. The latter, while far less likely, could potentially be more interesting, as that would enable both Jessie and James to use Z-moves.

Mimikyu was bad*** in this episode! :eek: I didn't expect it to battle so seriously without Pikachu around to awaken its bloodthirsty rage, and it totally did a number on the Totem Raticate.

I like how the focus switched between the Team Rocket vs. Team Skull shenanigans and Ash and his classmates learning about Z-moves and Z-move poses. The focus on Lana's interest in learning the pose for Hydro Vortex makes me wonder if a Waterium-Z is in Lana's future. :) Also, the mention of how Pikachu can use Corkscrew Crush and Ash practicing the pose for Corkscrew Crush makes me wonder if the writers are hinting at what Ash's next Trial will be.
 

Golden_Latias

#SlayQueenSlay
I think Popplio would probably get curbstomped by Totem Wishiwashi.

Maybe Ash wins the Waterium-Z and lets her have it? cue blueangelshippers
 

345ash-greninja

Auto-Memories Doll
Wow, what an intruiging episode! Ash and Kiawe using Gigavolt Havoc and Inferno Overdrive together- that was ****ing awesome! The bickering between the two groups of mooks was boring in the middle. But damn, that Alolan Raticate was powerful! :eek: It was thrashing everything in its way until....damn Mimikyu came and defeated it! :D And TR end up with the Darkium-Z! Wonder how they will use it though, they don't have a Z-ring. Excellent episode though, surpassed my expectations, 8/10
 

lemoncatpower

Cynical Optimist
I think Popplio would probably get curbstomped by Totem Wishiwashi.

Maybe Ash wins the Waterium-Z and lets her have it? cue blueangelshippers

is that allowed? Just giving people z-crystals they havent earned technically? Unless poplio evolves, idk how else Lana would obtain the z-crystal though.
 

Mr.Munchlax

Great Ball Rank Trainer
While I'm glad that Team Rocket got the Darkinium Z, it's still going to take a while before they become an actual threat with it since they don't know the proper pose & they have a Z-Ring made out of cardboard. I'm still looking forward to when that day comes though because it will make it all the more rewarding!!
 

345ash-greninja

Auto-Memories Doll
Does Meowth know Bite? If so, then it can use Blackhole Eclipse.
 
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