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Use of Attract in the Anime

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PokeMaster366

Well-Known Member
We all know how Attract works. Hearts fly from the user and towards the enemy, the enemy falls in love, and the user proceeds to spank buns and get an easy win. It's a decent move all-around, but has it overstayed it's welcome in the anime?

We've already seen several occasions pre-Unova (specifically Sinnoh) where Attract (and Cute Charm if you count that) use was limited to where it was only used in order to confirm the genders of certain Pokemon. I think the only time where Attract/Cute Charm played a substantial role in an important battle (pre-Unova) was in that one contest in Solaceon.

It was an interesting gem at that time, but now that we've gone into Unova, it's become more like a novice's cop-out. Ever since Ash caught Snivy, Attract has been used very often by multiple Pokemon in order to gain victories. The battle on that list include:

Snivy vs. most of Ash's team (when he was trying to capture her)
Snivy vs. Servine (first time)
Snivy vs. Clay's Palpitoad
Iris's Emolga vs. Jimmy Ray's Watchog
Emolga vs. Kenyan's Sawk (if use of Attract spam to force Static counts, even if the Attracts were blocked), and
Bianca's Emboar vs. Cameron's Samurott

And this is only counting the 1 vs. 1 battles. If I went into stuff like that mess with the Swoobats and the Durants, the list would probably be longer. Pretty much every other battle where the move failed (Snivy vs. Trip's Frillish) or just wasn't used when it was still part of the moveset (Snivy vs Riolu/Lucario) ended in defeat with the exception of Snivy vs. Pawniard.

Maybe Snivy is just skewing these statistics, but it was just one of those glaring issues that couldn't be ignored. So what's your take on the recent use of Attract in the anime?
 

Lorde

Let's go to the beach, each.
I think it's as overused as Hyper Beam, Double Team and Iron Tail to be honest. I mean it seems like every other Pokemon in BW has Attract and it's annoying how it usually leads to an easy victory, especially in Snivy's case. I mean I think Snivy's a decent Pokemon and all, but she uses Attract so often to achieve flawless victories that I wonder whether those victories should even count; they're just so heavy in deus ex machina in my opinion. Anyway, I wish the writers would be more creative and used Captivate instead or something.
 

the1stpkmnfan

Your Big Buff Bro
I've enjoyed having attract around, just to confirm gender of a Pokemon. I enjoyed seeing Jessie find out that her Yanmega was a girl, from Togepi's attract.
 

PokeMaster366

Well-Known Member
I think it's as overused as Hyper Beam, Double Team and Iron Tail to be honest. I mean it seems like every other Pokemon in BW has Attract and it's annoying how it usually leads to an easy victory, especially in Snivy's case. I mean I think Snivy's a decent Pokemon and all, but she uses Attract so often to achieve flawless victories that I wonder whether those victories should even count; they're just so heavy in deus ex machina in my opinion. Anyway, I wish the writers would be more creative and used Captivate instead or something.

I think Attract only counted as a Deus Ex Machina when it was used in the battle between Emboar and Samurott. We already knew ahead of time that Snivy had Attract, but with Emboar, it came completely out of left field and was an unexpected move since Wild Charge would've been more appropriate for the situation.
 

Blue Saturday

Unfurl your Blessed Wings!
I like Attract.

It does get on my nerves when the battle is won without struggle for Snivy, like against Clay's Palpitoad and it really does seem like she can't ever win a battle without Attract. Attract didn't work against Pawniard and she was clearly winning until she got stuck in the ground, Attract didn't work against Elesa and pretty much resulted in a very quick victory for Emolga, she couldn't land a hit against Emboar without Attract, she couldn't beat Frillish at all because Attract didn't hit. The only times where she's been able to win without Attract are against opponents that don't present a huge challenge for her like Gothita or Cinccino. One of the reasons I prefer Snivy would drop Attract and prefer Emolga with Attract is because if Attract doesn't work for Emolga, it's not the end of the world and Attract doesn't work for Snivy? It's pretty much. "OH CRAP, GAME OVER GAME OVER!" Emolga at least was able to take out Sawk with some strategy on Iris's part. I don't know what the point of giving Bianca's Emboar was. It doesn't make me think of Bianca as a strong trainer if she has to result to using Attract(Another stereotype for Bianca's girly, ditzy behavior.) to beat Cameron's Samurott.

I think Attract only counted as a Deus Ex Machina when it was used in the battle between Emboar and Samurott. We already knew ahead of time that Snivy had Attract, but with Emboar, it came completely out of left field and was an unexpected move since Wild Charge would've been more appropriate for the situation.

Agreed. It didn't feel like a full Deus Ex Machina but definitely was one. The writers could have easily had Emboar use Wild Charge and Bianca show off a little analytic thinking to win but Bianca got an insta-win with Attract. Shame really.
 

Rohanator

Well-Known Member
With Snivy it's not really a problem imo since she doesn't really win with it usually. She beat Palpitoad sure, but she should've been able to do that regardless and Clay's reaction was worth it. Same thing with Trip, the WTF factor was just too good, he didn't know what hit him rofl. + It was an actually believable way for Snivy to beat its evolution.

With Bianca I kinda facepalmed at first and was like Y U NO WILD CHARGE, but overall, an Emboar using Attract. I mean..I just can't hate that. xD

The only BS thing about Attract is how easily everyone but Ash can seemingly avoid it. Trip dodged it. Shamus just slapped it away. When Ash's Pokemon get Attracted it's...over. xD
 

PokeMaster366

Well-Known Member
OP says it all. It's a cheap cop out move that usually wins the match if it cant be stopped.

Thank you for the productive argument, pokemonsquared.

Back to Attract talk. Personally, I don't like Attract being used as a move for serious battles. Like Doryuzu said, it's a real shame when successful use of Attract leads to a flawless victory where little energy is exerted. It also makes more battles look like they were won with luck (or hax or whatever you want to call it) rather than skill or power.
 

Rohanator

Well-Known Member
Thank you for the productive argument, pokemonsquared.

Back to Attract talk. Personally, I don't like Attract being used as a move for serious battles. Like Doryuzu said, it's a real shame when successful use of Attract leads to a flawless victory where little energy is exerted. It also makes more battles look like they were won with luck (or hax or whatever you want to call it) rather than skill or power.

It's up to the opponent to work around it though. If one is completely helpless against Attract then I guess beating them just didn't constitute much skill. It's a status move among others, at least it doesn't immobilize you 100% like Sleep.
 

Pepsi_Plunge

Dojyaaa~~aan
It was cool to learn the genders, it was kinda spammed at the start but after the first 30episodes and specially after the first Don tournament, it started getting less and less use, Snivy won with it because its a valid move and her main weapon, whoever has problems with it(people with actually problems not pokemonsquared trolling) deal with it, its valid ingame its valid in the anime.

I personally enjoyed seeing Attract on Snivy and Supersonic in Palpitoad, I wich we had more status moves in the anime, i would love to see something with Cute Charm or Will O wisp in the team for example.
 

PokeMaster366

Well-Known Member
It was cool to learn the genders, it was kinda spammed at the start but after the first 30episodes and specially after the first Don tournament, it started getting less and less use, Snivy won with it because its a valid move and her main weapon, whoever has problems with it(people with actually problems not pokemonsquared trolling) deal with it, its valid ingame its valid in the anime.

I personally enjoyed seeing Attract on Snivy and Supersonic in Palpitoad, I wich we had more status moves in the anime, i would love to see something with Cute Charm or Will O wisp in the team for example.

When you put it that way, we start to go into the field of "Constantly Abandoning Logic." If we consider what you say about Attract to be truth, then that would mean accepting the idea that the only reason Attract works is that the targets are too stupid to consider dodging, and in retrospect, all it takes to dodge the move is to simply duck or jump 2-3 feet, so anyone with a brain cell should be able to avoid the attack.
 

ludiloco

Well-Known Member
Ash's Corphish becomes stronger when confused or infatuated, it's the ultimate weapon against attract.

Expecting Snivy to use attract in a possible lab episode to confirm the gender of Ash's other pokemon.
 

Blue Saturday

Unfurl your Blessed Wings!
Ash's Corphish becomes stronger when confused or infatuated, it's the ultimate weapon against attract.

Expecting Snivy to use attract in a possible lab episode to confirm the gender of Ash's other pokemon.

That seems like something Emolga might do, use Attract on other Pokemon.

Attract has just been a tad too broken in BW, the opponents are still able to attack. Ambipom for example could still hit her mark while infatuated by Delcatty. Though confusion isn't treated badly at all, Zebstrika still managed to hit Palpitoad despite Supersonic's effects.
 
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Blessed

Well-Known Member
If it's overused then it's bad writing to be honest. It's just implemented so much to get the writers out of actually having to write a decent battle.

So, I can really see why people consider it a deus ex machina.
 

Blue Saturday

Unfurl your Blessed Wings!
So, I can really see why people consider it a deus ex machina.

No, it's not a Deus Ex Machina in the traditional sense. Emolga and Snivy's abilities to use it were established well before most of the battles where they used it, however when it used out of the blue by the likes of Bianca to gain a win in a hopeless situation for her. It becomes a bit DEM-ish, Snivy definitely should at least struggle for a win for once and not gain it so easily with Attract.
 

LizardonX

Banned
It's only DEM if emboar learned it mid battle. Bianca was just packing a secret weapon for the league :p or unless you call stephan's obvious zekstrika rigging legit.
 

Master Ask

I am your Greninja
In my opinion, attract is too overpowered in the anime
 

Lorde

Let's go to the beach, each.
If it's overused then it's bad writing to be honest. It's just implemented so much to get the writers out of actually having to write a decent battle.

So, I can really see why people consider it a deus ex machina.

I agree. It's gotten to the point where it seems like the writers use Attract when they can't think of a good battle. It's basically their go-to move when they want to end battles quickly. At least other overused moves like Hyper Beam and Double Team are used in a way that doesn't always lead to a one-hit knockout; the same cannot be said about Attract though.
 
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