Newest Post
// On :Thursday, November 24, 2016
Hey guys, kanna here. Well, now that this season of Pokémon has concluded, it's time for me to give it what it deserves. Let's get started!
I'll be talking about the tail end of the series (episodes 39-47). Because this is so many episodes, I'm making this two parts. So this post will cover episodes 39-43, and the next will cover 44-47. Not that the rest of the series isn't important, but I feel that these last few episodes were the highlight of this season of Pokémon. Additionally, I'll be using the names of the characters and Pokémon that are used in the English dub and the games. I feel it will make things less confusing. However, if I slip up, I slip up. I'll correct it.
So, after a long and intense battle against Alain in the final round of the Pokémon League, Ash lost (again). I have to ask: is it statistically impossible for this kid to win a Pokémon League? It seems like there's some mathematical formula the writers are following to make it so that he loses every single time. I just...ugh! Writers, sometimes you make no sense.
Anyway, after a long battle against Alain, these vines...ivies...whatever come out of nowhere and start destroying everything in sight. A Zygarde in its 50% forme
 |
| Zygarde 50% forme |
 |
| Zygarde Cell |
 |
| Zygarde Core (this is Squishy) |
Meanwhile, Ash gets kidnapped by Team Flare and he and Alain find out that Alain was being used by Team Flare's boss, Lysandre, the entire time. Lysandre tries to use the same energy that controlled Z-2 (aka Mega Evolution energy) to control the power of the Bond Phenomenon between Ash and Gekkouga--I mean Greninja (told you there would be slip ups). However, he fails in this, and Ash is set free thanks to the Bond Phenomenon between him and Gek--I mean Greninja. This is REALLY hard.
Ash and co. find out that Puni-chan--I mean Squishy...G-d this is hard--is actually Zygarde. Alain decides to join forces with Ash and fight Lysandre. However, just when things seem to be taking a turn for the worst, Malva (I might have her name wrong, but that's how I think it's spelled; in the Japanese version, it's Pachira), a member of Team Flare, turns against Lysandre. She didn't realize that he wanted to destroy the world, and wants to put her faith in Ash and Alain. So the fight becomes three on one.
Cut to Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont. They're fighting off Team Flare admins to regain control over the Lumiose Gym, when they're joined by Prof. Sycamore, Blaziken Mask, and Mega Blaziken. Bonnie goes after Squishy, because she can "sense" (I'm using that super loosely) Squishy is losing. Clemont leaves to go and take back his gym with Clembot, and the two manage to take the gym back, but not without great sacrifice.
Yep, Clembot sacrifices himself to destroy the machine controlling Z-2. While I'm sure there are a million other ways this could have been done, it was actually pretty sad for Clemont to sacrifice his invention. The two actually share a pretty emotional moment before Clemont is forced to push the button that will ultimately destroy Clembot.
Squishy tries to communicate with the mind-controlled Z-2, but Z-2 can't hear anything because of the mind control. Eventually, Squishy ends up transforming into Zygarde's 50% form, which looks like the Zygarde we all know and love. This is exactly what Team Flare wants. They brainwash Squishy, and both Z-2 and Squishy start wreaking havoc on Lumiose City.
Serena, Mairin, and Prof. Sycamore infiltrate the Team Flare Laboratory with the help of the Hoenn League Champion, Steven Stone and Team Rocket. They rescue Mairin's Harimaron--I mean Chespin--who is still asleep and glowing green. Well, that can't be a good thing.
Cut back to Bonnie, who has gone after the mind-controlled Squishy with Mega Blaziken and Blaziken Mask. Upon finding Squishy, she shouts at it and says stuff like "You don't really want to do these things, do you?"
Unfortunately, this doesn't work and Bonnie is nearly killed by an attack from Squishy, until she is saved by Blaziken Mask. She continues to try to reach Squishy, but ends up falling to her hands and knees in tears. In one last attempt, she sings Squishy's song, and through the power of love, is able to break Squishy's mind-control. I couldn't make that up if I tried.
OK, maybe it wasn't the power of love. But that's what I'm going with, because...I have no other explanation. They don't share a Bond Phenomenon like Ash and Greninja do, so I'm going with the whole "power of love" thing (as cheesy as it is).
For the record, it's probably going to be better in the original Japanese than the English dub. The English dub of episodes 42-47 haven't aired in the US yet.
Ash, Malva, and Alain defeat Lysandre, who says that this won't be the end of his plan, and he (I'm not kidding here) falls off the edge of Prism Tower. I really wonder how they're going to handle this in the English dub. I mean, it's not like they show people falling off of tall buildings to their untimely demise in kids shows. Right?
Um...following that, Ash and Alain go to Clemont at the Lumiose City Gym, as he grieves over the loss of Clembot. He regains his resolve and rejoins the fight. They all board this giant helicopter...thing.
We cut back to Serena, Mairin, Steven Stone, and Prof. Sycamore, who are trying to...I'm not really sure what, but there's this crystal in the room that emits the same energy as Mega Stones during Mega Evolution. Mairin's Chespin gets absorbed by the crystal, and it comes to life. Serena, Mairin, Steven Stone, and Prof. Sycamore manage to escape the laboratory, but the crystal transforms into a giant crystal Zygarde (the English subs from the original Japanese referred to this as a megalith. I'm not sure what they'll do in the English dub).
Meanwhile, Bonnie and Squishy encounter Z-2, who still has hatred towards humans after being mind-controlled and forced to wreak havoc on the city. Squishy urges Z-2 to give the humans a chance, so Z-2 joins Bonnie, Blaziken, and Blaziken Mask as it observes the humans' attempt to defeat Lysandre.
The giant crystal Zygarde starts heading to Anistar City, home of psychic Gym Leader Olympia, who issues a psychic call (don't ask). All hope seems lost until our heroes are reunited with the Kalos League Champion, Diantha, as well as the gym leaders. Everyone makes a pathway for Ash and Alain to get through so they can get inside the crystal Zygarde and get Mairin's Chespin out. They do, and everyone attacks the crystal Zygarde, just to make sure it's down for good.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work, as Lysandre survived the fall (no, I don't get it) and the device he wears around his wrist is what's controlling the crystal Zygarde. It continues to advance and attack, and ultimately knocks our heroes and everyone else to the ground. Blaziken Mask's identity is revealed to be Clemont and Bonnie's father.
Z-2 comes to the realization that there are good humans in the world and it needs to believe in them. So Z-2 and Squishy join together with every Zygarde cell in the world to form Zygarde's 100% forme (sorry for the lack of a picture...apparently Blogger will cooperate with some pictures and not with others). Zygarde defeats Lysandre. Rather, it kills Lysandre (I'm really not sure how they'll do this in the English dub), and Lumiose City is left to rebuild and ultimately start over.
Thoughts: I freaking loved these episodes. I was a little sad because this conflict meant that we were drawing close to the end of the series, and this is arguably one of the best series since the Diamond and Pearl era. I'm sorry, but Black and White sucked. This definitely made up for it. Diamond and Pearl was just okay, Black and White sucked, but XY and XY&Z were ultimately the best since Diamond and Pearl.
The animation is fantastic, and while it does feel like the "Ash-Greninja Show," we see almost all the Pokémon helping out. The "bond phenomenon" is an interesting concept that had never been done before in Pokémon. While it isn't explained how it differs from Mega Evolution, other than the fact that it doesn't need a Mega Stone or a Key Stone, it's still an interesting concept that I wish the writers had delved a little deeper into.
Overall, these were some of the best episodes in all of XY and XY&Z. See you guys in part 2, where I talk about episodes 44-47.
