Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon

[Astro Dude]

*doesn't view spoiler* Somebody viewed episode pics didn't they, but (EDIT): more than just that happened.

 

As for me, I'm not posting my thoughts till I've watched the episode (not up yet), but what I do know is next week's episode is either gonna be good or mediocre considering it's an Ultra Beast episode.

 

EDIT: now that I've watched the episode

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM123]

At the top of the episode, Lana's Primarina learned Sparkling Aria off-screen, as does Sophocoles' Vikavolt learning Signal Beam (Beacon Beam is better    ). Lana succeeds in performing the Z-Move that triggers copyright strikes on YT, whereas Sophocoles fails.

After a failed day's training, Kiawe tells the story of how he met Turtonator who got into a fight with the answer to the piss easy question (who hasn't appeared since DP138, almost 10 years ago), and Kiawe secretly arranges for said pokemon to battle Sophocoles so that he can master Savage Spin Out.

Meanwhile the girls spent most of their screentime having afternoon tea.

 

 

That was years ago. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=silUGunoeRg

[~British Soul~]

That was years ago. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=silUGunoeRg

>Using a video with 12 views

My point is still valid as it was a thing that happened.

[Astro Dude]

>Using a video with 12 views

My point is still valid as it was a thing that happened.

I mean the Youtube strike thing against Oceanic Operetta was years ago. Managed to find that one and it stayed the same.

 

[spoiler preview]

Anyway, Mr. Electivire returns. I know he has a name, I just hate him too much to care what it is.

 

 

[~British Soul~]

I mean the Youtube strike thing against Oceanic Operetta was years ago. Managed to find that one and it stayed the same.

 

[spoiler preview]

Anyway, Mr. Electivire returns. I know he has a name, I just hate him too much to care what it is.

 

 

I know it was years ago, but my point is/was still valid regardless.

[spoiler=Response]

No one remembers that prick's name.

 

 

 

EDIT (Saturday): new episode titles

Episode 1069: Pikachu's Exciting Expedition! (June 16th)

Episode 1070: Gladion & Lillie! Chasing a Father's Phantom!! (June 23rd)

Episode 1071: The Curtain Rises! The Alola Pokémon League!! (June 30th)

 

EDIT (Sunday):

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM124]

- The answer to the piss easy question appears and causes havoc by cutting the funk out of everything including that funker's statue in his stadium and the safe on his bloody shopping channel (because of course he does

- When the Ultra Guardians enter the base, there are now 38 Meltan as opposed to the 19 originally (not counting Vera's).

- I found it laughable that one of the easier UBs to catch was like "funk this, I'm not going in that ball"

- Eventually the Ultra Guardians got word that a meteor that was pushed off course by a random Rayquaza and Deoxys was heading towards the school and whilst the Ultra Guardians failed in their plan, the piss easy question answer destroyed it, saved Alola and tore a hole in space (which was how it got there in the first place) and buggered off back to its world.

 

 

[Astro Dude]

Okay, calling it now, either Hop, Leon or Sonia are gonna appear in the anime, and it looks like Bewear will follow Team Rocket to Galar.

[~British Soul~]

Okay, calling it now, either Hop, Leon or Sonia are gonna appear in the anime

I don't think any of them will appear pre-Sword/Shield tbph

 

and it looks like Bewear will follow Team Rocket to Galar.

Not necessarily. Just because Bewear is in SwSh doesn't mean she'll appear in the next series (that's way too flimsy imo). In fact, I'd rather that Bewear stays in Alola after Sun/Moon ends.

 

One thing I do see from Alola being carried over is Rotomdex, as the Rotom phone exists and it has the pokedex.

 

EDIT: new episode title

Episode 1072: Brawl! Battle Royal 151!! (July 7th)

 

Of course they'd have Battle Royals to whittle down the competition (in this case, Top 16).

 

EDIT (Sunday):

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM125]

For the first time in some time, the piss easy question wasn't piss easy, especially since the answer doesn't exist in-game... and ends up as a dead tree at the end (So did it actually exist then?    )

I wouldn't like to be in Vera's shoes when he has to explain how he got the Firium Z.

- Vera: "err I got it from a dead tree in the past."

Other: "Yeah right."

Vera: "...Tapu Koko gave it to me."

Vera: "It appeared out of thin air."

Vera: "I... err stole it"

 

Also, how was Kukui such a funking swot at 5 years old? That's pre-school age

On another note, this is the first time that Ice Ball has been used since AG110 (part 1 of Vera vs Juan), 680 episodes ago, and by a Pokémon that isn't part of the Spheal-line

 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM126]

More or less meh filler, borderline skippable tbph. (It's like EP017 but worse imo) The only thing of note is that this episode has surpassed SM077 with the least amount of humans (1, 2 if flashbacks are counted), and now there are 60 Meltan.

 

 

 

EDIT (23rd):

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM127]

Gladion beats Hapu and goes off to do something important, in this case the answer to the piss easy question that was owned by Mohn.

Team Rocket putting past experiences to good use by selling food at the league venue

Kukui announces that the winner of the league faces the Masked Royal in an exhibition match (People are noting, including myself that Vera will probs win the league as it seems that the writers are setting up a match between the two) 

I liked Faba backpedalling on himself when he found out the Masked Royal would fight the champ after saying earlier that he'd rather watch than compete.

[spoiler=Preview]

Hau's Dartrix is now a Decidueye, surprising no one. Hau will also have an Alolan Raichu

 

 

 

 

[spoiler=League stuff, from Twitter]

So we see Hiker David w/ Magmar, Guzma w/ Scizor, Plumeria w/ Salazzle, The Fishing Expert, DJ Leo, Mina, Acerola, Samson Oak, that Hiroki bloke, Olu'olu, Hau w/ A-Raichu as participants in the league 

 

 

 

Also in July, a new ending theme will be used, Type:Wild with Shoko Nakagawa on vocals, and this is a newly arranged version of the original song (which was the 5th ending theme of the original series) that aired between EP069 and EP103.

[Astro Dude]

You get the feeling the Alola League is a rehash of Yugioh's Battle City tournament?

[~British Soul~]

You get the feeling the Alola League is a rehash of Yugioh's Battle City tournament?

Not really, no.

 

On another note, this is the best thing I have read in a while:

"This level 10 Feebas has beaten 20 members of this battle royale using 30 moves that took us 40 years to master after getting this Feebas 50 years ago during my mother's 60th birthday where she blew out 70 candles because some idiot ordered 80 cakes, and that's terrible because it cost 90 quid and this joke lost its edge 100 episodes ago."

- Fishing Expert

[Astro Dude]

Not really, no.

 

On another note, this is the best thing I have read in a while:

"This level 10 Feebas has beaten 20 members of this battle royale using 30 moves that took us 40 years to master after getting this Feebas 50 years ago during my mother's 60th birthday where she blew out 70 candles because some idiot ordered 80 cakes, and that's terrible because it cost 90 quid and this joke lost its edge 100 episodes ago."

- Fishing Expert

Think about it: It's a battle royale, meaning everyone's a target. They probably have some indicator like star chips or locator cards and you qualify if you get enough. 151 trainers, a top 16 set all across Melemele? It's Battle City all over again.

[~British Soul~]

Think about it: It's a battle royale, meaning everyone's a target. They probably have some indicator like star chips or locator cards and you qualify if you get enough. 151 trainers, a top 16 set all across Melemele? It's Battle City all over again.

You realise the Alola League is taking place at the anime-exclusive Manalo Stadium, right? (Said stadium being in the ocean near Aether) Also, I believe the Battle Royals are going to be structured so that X amount of trainers battle per battle until a top 16 is known.

Therefore it won't be like Battle City at all or Fortnite for that matter.

 

EDIT (Sunday):

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM128]

The group arrive at the answer to the piss easy question and of course the boys do their thing and the girls do theirs

Whilst TR were selling their scran, they chat about the hot spring they built for Bewear/Stufful, with Meowth saying he has a contingency plan

Nice to see the dynamic between the two owls remain unchanged even after Dartrix evolved

Team Skull decide to funk things up for Guzma (who decides he's entering the league so he can wreck it anyway), but the grunts get curbstomped (six of them offscreen).

I figured we'd get some backstory regarding Kukui/Guzma

Also, we can't go through one episode without Vera getting floored in some fashion.

 

 

[Astro Dude]

How much you wanna bet that by the end of the Sun and Moon series, Ash will leave his Z ring and Z crystals in Pallet Town for his new journey in Galar?

[~British Soul~]

I wouldn't be surprised if he left them in Alola to be perfectly honest, that's what I'm expecting will happen.

 

Also new (and possibly partial) episode title

Episode 1073: Mallow & Lana! (July 14th)

 

So unlike previous years, there isn't a break for the movie, but this is likely due to the change in timeslot from Thursday to Sunday.

EDIT: Speaking of the movie:

Oh look, TR are not Vikings (very good change imho), though I have to say the song choice for the promotional video is an interesting one.

 

EDIT (Friday): More episode titles:
Episode 1073: Mallow & Lana! A Fully Powered Battle of Friendship!! (July 14th)
- This episode features Vera/Ash vs Faba, Guzma vs Ilima, Hau vs Samson Oak and Mallow vs Lana in the knockout round
Episode 1074: Jessie VS James! A Battlefield of Love and Truth!! (July 21st)
- This episode features Sophocoles vs Mina and Jessie vs James
Episode 1075: Overcome Decidueye!! (July 28th)
- This episode features Vera/Ash's Rowlet learning Featherdance from the Toucannon/Pikipek before his match against Hau
Episode 1076: Bird Battle! Brave Bird VS Sky Attack!! (August 4th)

 

EDIT (Sunday):

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM129]
- I liked it when James acknowledges those who pay attention to last week's episode when presenting the piss easy question: "You already know, don't you."
Me: "Yes, it was mentioned last week."
- The battle royal (which was a shitshow) was basically a game of PUBG with all 151 peeps battling each other inside the stadium at the same time with the Kahunas as refs. 16 chicken dinners were on offer at the end of it all.
- Jessie & James' outfits were reminiscent of Sina and Dexio's outfit in SM, and their strat was to camp whilst everyone else took each other out, it was a legit strat mind and it worked for the most part, apart from Jessie's Mimikyu defeating Pikarla's Pikachu, which was named Boruto with hair similar to Boruto's as well (Of course that name won't carry over in the English version), and the name thing only worked because Boruto airs before Pokémon.
 - I can understand why they wanted to camp though, they didn't want Vera knowing it is them, especially since Jessie was using Mimikyu
- The writers certainly hate Araquanid. Across its two appearances, it has had less than 30 seconds screentime.
- It's interesting that the answer to the piss easy question took down all of the Team Skull participants, sans his next opponent Guzma
- I like that alot of people expected quite a few Z-Moves being used and we only see one, Inferno Overdrive taking down a Metagross
- The other two last 16 matches are Kiawe vs Acerola and Lillie vs Gladion (Lillie is donion rings then)
[spoiler=Preview]
The answer to the piss easy question (Ilima) has a Kangaskhan that can mega evolve (RIP Mega)

[Astro Dude]

I can see it now:

Mallow: Lana.

Lana: Mallow.

Mallow: I guess we can't hold this off any longer.

Lana: This is it. In order to move to the next round, I must battle my best friend.

[~British Soul~]

I can see it now:

Mallow: Lana.

Lana: Mallow.

Mallow: I guess we can't hold this off any longer.

Lana: This is it. In order to move to the next round, I must battle my best friend.

This is how I see it:

(The two chatting to each other in the tunnel, as shown in the preview)

Lana: Let's both give it our best.

Mallow: You got it.

(EDIT (Sunday): ^ That is essentially how it went in the episode) 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM130]

- Faba deserved to lose after manipulating what Pokémon Vera would use. Blatant cheating, yet noone noticed.

Faba (to Hala, after losing): Judge! How is that legal?!

Me: I dunno, how's it any less legal than your blatant cheating before the match?

Also me: Also, YOU instigated this by forcing Meltan to come out, so essentially it's your own fault.

- Before the Guzma/Ilima match;

Commentator: Ilima has previously participated in the Kalos League, and is the favourite to win the tournament

Me: Vera came 2nd in Kalos, so if he did worse than that, then he shouldn't be the favourite

- Guzma employed pro strat with his answer to the piss easy question, having it dodge the (mega evolved) child's attacks and knowing the parent wouldn't harm the child, used the momentum to strike and win.

- Hau vs Oak was meh.

- Lana vs Mallow was one of the better battles here. Lana teaching Icy Wind offscreen, pro strat, though I'm not surprised Lana won. Mallow didn't put as much effort into training as Lana (she even tried to recall Tsareena), and Lana beat a trial.

 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM131]

Jessie vs James, the hyped billing for the episode was an absolute funking joke. The wedding music was random (and as Katsumi Morikawa would say, "I'm pretty sure there are laws against this kind of thing."), and this is not the first time I've heard that track in a tournament arc of an anime, and yes I am being serious. Jessie seemed like she didn't care, and yet Wobbuffet was smart enough to know what move to deflect back. It is a shame Knock Off wasn't used, but I'm not surprised James won, especially since you have to take damage to dish it out at twice the force anyway.

Seeing the Gengar in the preview from last week, I was wondering if it was Lapoo, turned out it was though I'd say that Acerola was the better battler than Kiawe tbph.

Sophocoles vs Mina was one of the better battles in this episode and it could've gone either way, despite Mina having the advantage.

Finally Lillie vs Gladion, whilst Lillie showed some decent strats (Hail + Aurora Veil, as well as Snow Cloak), it wasn't a surprise that Gladion won, he has more experience.]

Though I'll say it's been a while since Vera took a backseat (don't even remember what he did, lel).

 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM132]

- After a Wingull explained the score, the answer to the piss easy question and its pre-evos trains Rowlet so it can use Featherdance (albeit hasn't mastered yet)

- I liked that Jessie made up bollocks about James when he was intro'd, saying he had gone around the world challenging gyms

- Gladion uses the same strat as Vera, by negating Black Hole Eclipse with Continental Crush, something that Nanu notes (I forgot that happened though tbf). Though he beat James convincingly

- Even though both Hau and Vera basically wasted their Z-Moves (something I thought was dumb when Vera did so early), I like that the battle is going to be decided by skill (That will be won by Vera)

 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM133]

- Nanu confiscates the cloak and says he'll give it back (Sure...)

- When both pokemon collapse after the Brave Bird/Sky Attack clash, decidueye gets up and Nanu deems Rowlet unable to battle, declaring Hau the winne- however, DQ3's Hero calls for a VAR review and with his 20/20 vision notes (in true Phoenix Wright fashion) that Rowlet is sleeping (Way to avoid the BS that knocked Vera out in the Indigo League, but this in itself caused controversy) and the battle resumes

- As decidueye charges a second Sky Attack after Spirit Shackles nails Rowlet in place, Vera and the Pikipek-line flap their arms/wings to get Rowlet to use Featherdance and dodge the attack, following it up with a Brave Bird resulting in the answer to the piss easy question

- Meanwhile, Meltan buggers off to call its fellow Meltan for some reason

- In the tunnel, Hau cries because his favourite malasadas were sold out (Which was what the animator Iwane said on Twitter alongside an image of Hau crying) whilst DQ3's Hero (who clearly F'd his grandson) says that he foought well

- At Bewear's place, Bewear and Stufful get out of the hot spring only to be enticed to go back in via a honey drink from a robot Oranguru (Meowth's contingency plan?)

- The battle between Kiawe and Sophocoles begins and the episode ends with Sophocoles using his Z-move

 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM134]

- #JustMeltanThings

- Vikavolt learned Wild Charge off-screen and it was used to go almost toe-to-toe with Kiawe's Z-Move but the latter was stronger, resulting in the answer to the piss easy question

 - Although I will say that Kiawe would've been better off using the Fire Z-Move, so what if Vera has it too.

- Team Skull consulted their crystal balls, saying to Lana that Guzma will wipe the floor with her in no time (I don't think 10 mins is no time, but hey)

- Lana expected Guzma to go in for First Impression, but instead Primarina got a Throat Chop to the... throat preventing it from using Sparkling Aria for 2 turns. (Say what you want about Guzma, but he knows his stuff)

- As brutal as Golisopod was during the battle, Guzma was still fighting fair and square (as noted by Lana post battle). Anywho Primarina got its buttocks handed to it after its Z-move that previously got claimed got Liquidated.

 

 

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM135]

- The answer to the piss easy question comes to watch Kiawe battle, but is ambushed by Skull grunts, though she is saved by Gladion

- At the food truck, Team Rocket celebrate selling out of stock before 12pm, but have an existential crisis and realise that they're the bad guys (Gee, it just reinforces my thoughts that I'll be glad to see the back of Bewear once Sun & Moon is donion rings)

 - And the first thing they think of doing is... steal the prizes (Wow), but Meowth has a better idea, nab everyone's pokemon (and fail at that    )

- Plumeria tells Guzma that he shouldn't underestimate Vera (Rightly so, he did finish 2nd in Kalos after all). Guzma reminds everyone that he's undefeated, but the Grunts have no idea why Guzma has never lost

- during the 2-on-2 fight with Gladion, Turtonator learns Focus Blast and uses to knock out Lycanroc, evening the playing field

[spoiler=Thoughts on SM136]

- Kiawe initiates Inferno Overdrive, but it was tanked by Gladion giving Silvally the Fire Memory, who then proceeds to beat Turtonator with crush claw

- After the match, Kiawe declares Gladion his rival as well, and such a declaration moves Olivia to tears

- Plumeria notes the destroyed 2nd place and coveted bronze medal trophies, saying that they wouldn't be destroyed if they were winner trophies

- The Bewear/Stufful scene dragged on longer than needed tbph (bloody padding)

- Guzma's lead uses U-Turn and switches to Golisopod

- emergency exit activates sending out the answer to the piss easy question who was unable to dodge Fire Blast and falls (Same thing happened to Gary's Scizor, who was also OHKO'd by a fire move)

 - Also it seems that Guzma doesn't know about the ability (yet Kukui does) and has a go at it for returning to its ball

 

 

 

EDIT: new episode titles

Episode 1077: Everyone's Fully Powered! The Road to the Semifinals!! (August 11th)

Episode 1078: The Semifinals! Kiawe VS Gladion! (August 18th)

Episode 1079: Rising Fire! There's More Than One Rival!! (August 25th)

[spoiler=Spoiler Owl]

Lana loses, as the other semi is Vera vs Guzma.

 

 

Episode 1080: Guzma the Undefeated! (September 1st)

Episode 1081: The Finals! The Ultimate Rival Showdown!! (September 8th)

[~British Soul~]

Yup, the mad lad finally done it, Ash won the Alola league, and everyone freaked out over social media, including congratulatory posts from Junichi Masuda and Veronica Taylor.
Meanwhile Poipole, now a Naganadel returned and joins Ash's team for his fight with Kukui after finding out during the Guzzlord crap that he is Royal Mask.

[~British Soul~]

 ASun & Moon is now donion rings and before I move on to final thoughts, I have one thing to say:
GOOD RIDDANCE BEWEAR! You won't be missed! (that is something I wouldn't say on Serebii at all).

On to the final episode itself,
It was a surprise to see Burnet becoming pregnant, though I'm gonna be real, since it's likely we won't see the baby, it might as well be interpreted as she put on weight. I liked that TR got a blast off in the end, sure it was due to Bewear (who starved them of blast offs in the first place), but a blast off is a blast off. I didn't notice it at first, but Jigglypuff was also on the plane heading to Kanto, it was resting under a seat. I will say this, when Vera was explaining (or failing to explain) about helping an Ultra Beast, my immediate thoughts were "I'd sooner believe Lana's bollocks than that". Also TR leaving their 'mons in Alola rather than sending them to TR HQ was for the best as they wondered if they would be happy there (and it's the first time Jessie & James released a Pokémon at the same time since Arbok and Weezing in AG006), as for Vera Kukui'ing his Alolan 'mons honestly makes no difference than if they got Oak'd tbph, though everything had come full circle, Pokémon-wise for Vera & TR, they returned to Kanto with the same amount of Pokémon in their possession as they did when they came to Alola.
The episode was a feels trip though to say the least.

As for a series review:
I will admit that the artstyle change took a little bit of getting used to, but it fit the setting of the Alola region, and the change of formula they did with SM was a nice change of pace and we got to appreciate life in Alola more with recurring characters and such, and they didn't shy away from breaking conventions, like Ash having a mythical on his team, and winning the league and on reflection, with the premise of the upcoming series, it was nice to finally see him win a league, and continuing with the breaking conventions tangent, I appreciate that they covered themes like death (like Stoutland for instance) yet did so respectfully and maturely. Of course, the series was not without controversy, as was the case with SM064, which became the first episode to be banned outside of Asia since EP250. I also liked that they gave attention to Pokémon that haven't appeared in the series in practically an eternity, even if it's a cameo, as well as references to various other anime with regards to facial expressions or outfits worn. One thing I was iffy on was Jigglypuff returning as its character arc was pretty much donion rings after its sole AG appearance.
That aside, moving on to things I didn't like about SM, Torracat evolving was pointless as it didn't get to fight as incineroar (at least May's Blaziken got action in DP). The Bewear gag got old for me fairly quickly, and it preventing TR's blast off in SM042 was a huge red line for me as it had no business going there in the first place (unlike TR), at least that was rectified in SM102. Another negative for me was the premise of SM068 and the fact that it contradicted employment laws (regarding Ash at least). Also I will not forget the disrespect towards Araquanid who had less than 30 seconds of screentime throughout the entirety of SM, nor will I forget about some continuity being flushed down the toilet (ie Ash forgetting how to play ping pong). Finally I wasn't the biggest fan of the PokéProblem segment (or as I call it, the piss easy question segment), then again I'm an older fan so that can be forgiven, though I didn't mind the characters talking about specific Pokémon at the end as it educated the younger viewers as they might not know much about them if at all. Another negative I must mention is the overuse of some insert song within a undetermined span of episodes, like they did halfway through the series when Future Connection was used 7 times in 12 episodes.
Negatives aside, SM was a fairly decent series, though not as battle oriented as previous series, it did have some battles (Ash vs Kukui being the best that SM offered), and the change in artstyle allowed for more flexibility in animation.