Thoughts on the Decolore Islands storyline?

[shoz999]

It's several years after this storyline showed up, so what are your overall thoughts on this currently?



So this is my personal opinion. I finally finished watching Decolore Islands but way before I even reached the season, people were telling me that the Decolore Islands is easily the worst part of Best Wishes and I kind of understand it now after finishing it. However I think as a season of the Pokemon anime, this is at the very least okay. It's actually kind of interesting. I like the cruise ship setting and maybe I'm just a One Piece fan but I wished the anime gave more attention on the cruise ship setting. Ships are like little "mini-cities" on water so that was a definite missed opportunity.

However what I ultimately find interesting is how it ditches, to me at least, the most amazing thing about the original Best Wishes Pokemon Leagues storyline, the build-up episodes. Say what you want about Best Wishes but the anime crew experimenting with the cohesive build-up storylines hinting at something greater were awesome. On the other hand, I suppose this amazing build-up is also why Best Wishes is easily the most disappointing season, since the build-up honestly feels like it's sometimes been reduced to nothing due to a disappointing result. So the reason why I'm mentioning this is that the Decolore Islands season doesn't have any such build-up. If your expecting a cohesive story similar to the Best Wishes Pokemon League storyline, it isn't here. There's no real build-up here because it's a heavy filler arc with individual filler episodes and I think that's why most fans regard it as the worst season or storyline.

However not all the filler episodes are bad. For me actually, Decolore Islands honestly had a couple hidden gems that are honestly some of the best Pokemon filler I've seen in a long while. The first one that really stood out was the episode, "Cilan and The Case of The Purrloin Witness" which is a fun little mystery episode that entirely takes place on and makes great use of the Cruise Ship setting that the Decolore Islands storyline is partly based on. Another fun little episode was "Mystery on a Deserted Island" which is also another fun little mystery episode centered around an island holding pirate treasure. This was a very good episode and I was not expecting what the treasure was. What the treasure holds an interesting and satisfying conclusion that made me feel like a kid again. In fact, it might actually be the first real Pokemon episode where I recommend anime fans to warn others of story spoilers on the same level that a few Pokemon Adventure fans I know become absolutely furious seeing spoilers about the story-centric Pokemon Adventures.

Another thing was that there was something that Decolore Islands made me realized something about the Pokemon anime series that never occurred to me before. Throughout the entire storyline, Ash doesn't capture any new Pokemon and then later it hit me, how many Unova Pokemon did he captured? According to Bulbapedia, he captured 9 Unova Pokemon and it just hit me again. Ash has never captured more Pokemon by region than the Pokemon during his adventures in Kanto which is around a total of 12 Pokemon excluding the thirty Tauros except one of course. In some of the other seasons, like Hoenn, he's captured less than six new Pokemon of that region.

Another thing is Alexia, a Kalos character introduced in the Decolore Islands storyline. A fan whose name I won't reveal sounded a little surprised a while back when I said you can dive in the XY series perfectly fine without watching any of the previous seasons, including the Decolore Islands which features Alexa. I know this personally at the time because I easily understood what was going on, wasn't confused or lost on any details when I watched the Pokemon XY series as my first Pokemon anime series as a returning Pokemon anime fan and I still think it holds very much true. You can still watch the XY series without watching Decolore Islands because Alexa doesn't really do anything important in the Decolore Islands that you can easily skip it without worrying about missing out on anything. In fact it's quite obvious that all her job is really just Kalos fan-service, introducing new Kalos Pokemon and telling Ash & the audience that the Kalos region exists and that's really it. It's no different from say Tracey who introduced Marill to Pokemon fans.

So overall in my opinion, the Decolore Islands storyline is honestly okay as a season of the Pokemon anime. I think kids will like it, although I can see that some may get bored if there isn't a checkpoint to progress the story or characters. In fact it's because of the lack of checkpoints, the kind that progresses Ash's character at the very least, is why you can easily skip this if you ever find yourself yawning.

 

[Shadao]

It can be considered "okay" had there been more than just "going back to Kanto." When Ash is journeying through the Orange Islands, there was a Pokémon League to compete, complete with badges and a Champion. There was something to do. And that's when we judge Decolore Islands on normal caliber.

However, Decolore Islands also came at the heels of Episode N, which was pretty much the only thing left in Unova that was worth spending time to see what happens. The consensus of Episode N was that it had potential but fell short due to being rushed and the finale battle being anticlimactic, clearly a disappointing salvaging of the original Team Plasma arc. And I believe it colored Decolore Islands very badly since there could have been so many episode slots to be used for the Episode N arc rather than this filler trip to Kanto. It's as if the production team just flat out gave up on the whole Best Wishes and focus all attention to XY (which is not surprising given that Iris and Cilian were given an abrupt goodbye while Alexa becomes Ash's only companion for the last two episodes).

 

[shoz999]

It can be considered "okay" had there been more than just "going back to Kanto." When Ash is journeying through the Orange Islands, there was a Pokémon League to compete, complete with badges and a Champion. There was something to do. And that's when we judge Decolore Islands on normal caliber.

However, Decolore Islands also came at the heels of Episode N, which was pretty much the only thing left in Unova that was worth spending time to see what happens. The consensus of Episode N was that it had potential but fell short due to being rushed and the finale battle being anticlimactic, clearly a disappointing salvaging of the original Team Plasma arc. And I believe it colored Decolore Islands very badly since there could have been so many episode slots to be used for the Episode N arc rather than this filler trip to Kanto. It's as if the production team just flat out gave up on the whole Best Wishes and focus all attention to XY (which is not surprising given that Iris and Cilian were given an abrupt goodbye while Alexa becomes Ash's only companion for the last two episodes).

Actually Alexa becomes Ash's only companion for the very last episode. I just finished it this day so I do believe it was just one episode. However I do agree that the last two episodes were going a bit too fast. Even Ash's reunion with his Pokemon felt rushed. Really did feel like the anime crew just gave up. I just remembered that Unfezant wasn't even in the Decolores Islands for almost the entire time. On a side note, looking back at my summary, it almost looks like I didn't mention the plot of the Decolores Islands lol. That's because the story is literally just cruising around the islands. I guess a Pokemon League can make all the difference in expanding how big a story can be. If there was no Pokemon League for BW, it would just be a rivalry storyline.

Also as for Episode N, that failed in so many many MANY areas for me. Lack of Zekrom, Colress isn't nearly on the same level as a Pokemon Champion, Colress doesn't even have any of his Pokemon including his signature Klinklang, N's role feels reversed with Anthea & Concordia's role. N is supposed to be the suspicious one who has a lot to learn while Anthea & Concordia are the ones who are at peace with themselves. Ghetsis kind of feels like Ghetsis but also feels like the anime glossed over so much story details that his character feels kind of rushed, lack of Seven Sages, actually the fact that it's taking place after the Pokemon League in such a rushed way is an injustice to both BW and BW2's stories.

Still I do think Decolore Islands is just okay as an Pokemon anime season. Like 6/10 okay. Honestly it's kind of weird. I think Decolore Islands is the more boring of the two while Episode N is the more disappointing. Funny thing is I've never mentioned the fanservice episodes such as Clair or Butterfree. The funny thing is that I honestly thought they were kind of boring personally. Weird, I guess the fanbase has different opinions though considering how a lot of you keep bringing up Clair as a potential role model for Iris in the Iris rewritten character thread.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

In simple language decloro islands arc was the low point of pokemon anime. The arc got interesting when alexa and clair came since it also made way for iris story to wrap and how ash will go to next region.

 

[DatsRight]

I can kind of appreciate it was a bit of a precursor to SM's storytelling, more random character stories that maybe didn't have a lot of ongoing development but were trying to make fun vibrant use of the cast, something I think is sometimes lost in the more continuity based seasons.

I also like it is about the only final season where Team Rocket haven't completely overstayed their welcome, meaning the last season TR fillers weren't often something to dread. If anything the writers seemed to be revelling in them being comical again and having some funny OS style face-offs with the twerps with funny banter between them and what not (something that sadly didn't last in series after), with hilarious stuff like the first cruise hijack episode or the Beheeyem invasion ("IDIOTS!?!?"). They also maintained a LITTLE of their earlier menace, it was the only series finale they actually had some sort of palpable final stand off against the main group instead of the usual pitiful curbstomp.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

It felt exactly like the first year of XY to me. It had way too much fillers that bored me and Team Rocket was becoming more and more annoying with each new episode.

 

[Zoruagible]

It had potential, but it just ended up becoming "Everyone gets a Pokemon unless they're a main character"

Really the only good that came of it was this:
Giving Ash a running gag, trying to catch a Dunsparce in each saga(Hopefully that can happen again before SS starts...)
And the best next region promo we've had, rather than throwing a new Pokemon onto a familiar character like Gary(Though that can be excused, he just evolved one of his Pokemon) or putting a new region trainer in the League they just used a character from the upcoming games. The episodes with her were the best

It could have worked better had they made the DA Orange Islands 2.0
But they didn't. It was just full of filler, apart from Alexa and Oak's Rotom nothing mattered.
Would have been nice if they at least gave Ash a last minute evolution(Like Dewott) and Cilan a fourth... but minor characters got captures instead.

 

[Ignition]

I try not to think about the Decolore Islands because I got so bored. It was just “let’s show random characters get team changes like Clair’s Shiny Druddigon and Oak’s Rotom but not focus on any other characters”. I do like the episode where Ash goes home and sees all his Pokèmon while having one final moment with his Unova team + Charizard

 

[Remix2]

A complete wastle of time made by people who not only don’t care but by people who known that they’re getting replaced by the end of the series.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

It's OK...but since they rushed the actual plot of Black&White, it feels kinda empty. I don't really care, because Clair shows up in an episode and she is my favorite Gym Leader who I didn't think was ever gonna show up again.

 

[Kintaro]

This was around the point you can tell the writers gave up on BW, no before that.

None of Ash's Pokemon got any further evo's, why couldn't they at least evolve Scraggy or Boldore? All the BW rivals completely disappeared after the league. They could have made a final 4th Don battle tournament but didn't do that either.

Jesus Christ. I mean the reason why so many people dislike BW is because of all the crappy decisions they made with it. It's like the writers just gave up.

 

[AznKei]

Well, since there's not much going on to the main cast, outside of them departing & Alexa with her gen 6 mons, I could understand the disappointment for the lack of progression.

But because I didn't watch most of BW, I watched Dawn & Vergil arcs only, I thought the episodes were pretty standard and formulatic.

 

[mehmeh1]

This was around the point you can tell the writers gave up on BW, no before that.

None of Ash's Pokemon got any further evo's, why couldn't they at least evolve Scraggy or Boldore? All the BW rivals completely disappeared after the league. They could have made a final 4th Don battle tournament but didn't do that either.

Jesus Christ. I mean the reason why so many people dislike BW is because of all the crappy decisions they made with it. It's like the writers just gave up.

They really should've done this tbh, and have ash win, it's no league, but still, having ash take nothing to take home but his gym badges was incredibly disappointing, I mean, you have a bunch of trophies for other competitions in his room and then for unova just his badges

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

I dunno but I actually like Decolore Islands. It was not as good as the League portion of Unova nor Episode N but it was a decent arc. I like how it was less about another battling quest and more about travelling and exploring a bit.

I dunno, it was, for me, a good break from the usual formula of travelling for the league/major competition/big plot event.

 

[Xuxuba]

Wait... there was a storyline?!

 

[Dragalge]

I only liked the Beyeehem and Clair episodes along with the final episode of BW. Otherwise it was so awful lol. It could have had potential to provide closures for the rivals and such but nope. They couldn't even give Zoroark a good episode out of this. B/ Well...

Spoiler: SM spoilers

Mohn has a Zoroark of his own but who knows if we'll get to see it battle

It did feel like, starting with how they were handling Trip later on to the overuse of stock footage, that they had stopped caring about BW as whole and this whole trip was only a part of that. At least I felt that they cared about XY (and currently SM despite some of its problems haha). I don't think having 20ish episodes with mostly filler is the way to have a series go out with a bang lol.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

...It had a storyline?

 

[ash&charizardfan]

I only liked the Beyeehem and Clair episodes along with the final episode of BW. Otherwise it was so awful lol. It could have had potential to provide closures for the rivals and such but nope. They couldn't even give Zoroark a good episode out of this. B/ Well...

Spoiler: SM spoilers

Mohn has a Zoroark of his own but who knows if we'll get to see it battle

It did feel like, starting with how they were handling Trip later on to the overuse of stock footage, that they had stopped caring about BW as whole and this whole trip was only a part of that. At least I felt that they cared about XY (and currently SM despite some of its problems haha). I don't think having 20ish episodes with mostly filler is the way to have a series go out with a bang lol.

I am happy zoroark is finally getting some love 9 years later lucario stole its thunder in BW, should have knocked out ash in vertress conference instead of lucario.

 

[KyogreThunder]

Never liked this filler arc much at all, I've always thought Pokemon World Tournament should have been more prominent and brought back the Gym Leaders (especially since a good chunk of Ash's early badges were pity badges).

 

[Kintaro]

I also didn't like how it felt like the writers gave up on Iris/Cilan at this point, besides a few eps. I can't think of many other characters the writers just plain gave up on while a series was still airing, unless you count Brock always being in the background in DP, or Misty's lack of focus in Johto and Max not doing much of anything after Hoenn.