Pokémon anime

Actually, from what i heard, the anime's better than it ever has been.

Exactly. Don't be ignorant, Kax. It is better then the anime is ever been.

The movies just happen to be mediocre right now. Still better then the Genesect movie, but still mediocre.

I think the conclusion of XY will determine how great it really is. With all this buildup, to have ANOTHER loss or reset would be too much to bear. Hopefully they know that.

Would you be okay with Ash going on to Alola if he wins the league?

Honestly if Ash wins the league I would rather Sawyer take on the roll of main character.

Alain could be a rival to any of the alola characters, i could see. He's pretty popular, and I could see the animators keep him.

Ash wins the League, but when he's about to move to Elite Four, Malva comes and hijacks everything.

Funny that when the anime is at it's best is when I can barely gather up the interest to watch it.

I suppose it's just been around too long.

Oh crud, that actually sounds plausible.

EDIT: (Japanese: カロスリーグ開幕！メガリザードン対決・X対Y！！ The Kalos League Begins! The Mega Lizardon Showdown: X VS Y!!) is the 125th episode of the XY series, and the 924th episode of the Pokémon anime. It is scheduled to air in Japan on June 30, 2016.

Malva will appear again in XY 125.

edited 28th Jun '16 1:05:31 PM by lalalei2001

I feel you. Everything about XY/XYZ screams endgame, which makes the inevitable fact that Ash and Pikachu will be reset come Sun and Moon all the more bitter.

Honestly the end of every saga feels endgame. Johto could have been the end of Ash and co, AG could have been the end with Ash becoming a Frontier Brain, DP could have been the end had Tobias never existed, XY could be the end, etc. BW is the only one that didn't give that vibe for obvious reason.

Its the same thing with each female companion. People always say, "Well this new female lead is so important what could they possibly do with another new girl next time?" and then it always happens anyway.

How many times has Team Rocket made a temporary Heel–Face Turn, with things starting to go well for them?

Never really as a cliffhanger at the end of the series however. Actually if there's any signalling at all a series won't retire them (and thus likely not Ash or Pikachu either) it's that none of the regions really give them a respectful send off like the other characters, always just reduced to filler by that time and still wondering how to get Pikachu. BW was the nearest to them leaving still as a centre piece, due to the Decolores Islands mostly just being a filler arc about their retro personalities returning and doing their usual schemes against the twerps.

I heard there were plans to bow them out after Operation Tempest, though I think that was even worse, with them leaving as serious husks of their former selves.

edited 28th Jun '16 3:49:19 PM by Psi001

Would you be okay with Ash going on to Alola if he wins the league?

Well hypothetically speaking if that video on the last page was correct and S&M are the last games (before a reboot) then yeah I'd like to see Ash finish the series. If not I don't know I'm more or less neutral. Its not like replacing Ash is going to cause a 'ruined forever' reaction from the fanbase. Replacing the Rocket Trio on the other hand might...

If it is the last series then I want a post-league arc that wraps up all remaining plot issues. Like Ash defeating TR/Giovanni for good.

edited 28th Jun '16 3:57:57 PM by WorldTurtle2

Personally, I don't see why keeping our Terrible Trio requires keeping Ash and Pikachu. I mean, what's to stop them from getting attached to another kid's Pikachu or whatever would replace him as the Series Mascot for the generation?

Then again, I didn't see why Harley had to go with May either. Drew certainly, but Harley was Hammy enough to stand on his own.

On the other hand, to point, we won't have time for a Post-League arc. Then again, apart from Operation Tempest, Giovanni has been a Greater-Scope Villain, so a conflict with him isn't really essential.

Besides, it seems like much of the dramatic plot that Sun/Moon could have is already being utilized this Season... unless Squishy and Z2 are merely Stage One for Flare or, preferably for , Rocket. In that instance, I would see Ash continue, though the tone of the series would be permanently altered.

As for Ash continuing otherwise, it would depend on whether they hit the Reset Button on him and/or Pikachu again. An Ash who had his prior experiences would've had at least some chance against B1W1!N and, as much as I deplored Iris EDIT: being not-so-much a character in her own right as Misty under the post-Shudo regime, having Lillie be a Good version of B1W1!N strikes me as an interesting concept; again if Ash is allowed to retain his Kalosian intelligence.

Although, as I've said quite a few times before, him leaving Greninja behind would be rather problematic. I mean, wouldn't either of the two be subject to increased strain/energy if the other was in a heated battle or a Training "Accident"? Conversely, however, I would like to see Ash develop his Synchronization power with other full evols: surely Alola would have a non-starter/non-pseudo-Legend that Ash could bond with much like Charizard and Greninja.

But, yeah, most of this would be under the scenario that Kalos gets Hijacked By Giovanni and the B-Plot of Alola is trying to prevent him from unleashing ultimate power while preventing the local evil team from doing the same.

edited 28th Jun '16 5:49:45 PM by DonaldthePotholer

we won't have time for a Post-League arc.

Do you think I was referring to Kalos? I was referring to Post Alola League. If S&M is as that video on the last page suggested the last games before a possible reboot.

Yeah, I was.

Still, unless the writers go through Alola like they did Unova, there wouldn't be much of a post-League arc unless there was a real long time between games; and in that case, you run the risk of ending long before the reboot occurs anyway.

It'd be better for most of the conflicts of such an arc to be integrated into Alola proper, with resolutions taking place elsewhere as needed. Especially if Ash wins in Kalos; him doing so would get him the increased visibility necessary to get the attention of Greater Scope Villains turning them into actual Big Bads.

And besides, if the series doesn't end with Ash winning a Championship, then the only way it could end is with him standing against an Elite/Champion trying to gain their position.

EDIT: As we stand at the vigil of Ash's 8th Campaign, (including his 2 Challenge Cups) I have a question: If he's going to breeze through the early rounds with just Ash!Greninja, how is that any different than Tobias back during Ash's 6th Campaign?

Also, this from Rohanite. It Has Been an Honor indeed.

edited 29th Jun '16 6:30:34 PM by DonaldthePotholer

The results for Alain vs Trevor are in. And it's.....

Mega Charizard X vs Mega Charizard Y: Mega Charizard X wins; Mega Charizard X vs Aerodacytl: Mega Charizard X wins; Mega Charizard X vs Florges: Mega Charizard X wins.

Total: 3-0; Alain wins

On the plus side, we get see Ash invoking his game counterpart's face with a stoic frown after he has beaten that angry trainer before his officia Leaguel match. And I do like that mural image of the Gym Leaders. I want to know what he said.

edited 30th Jun '16 3:49:50 AM by Shadao

Are you serious?

Well, at least they didn't waste our time.

It's Alain. His Mega Charizard X went toe to to with primal Legendaries. Him curb stomping Trevor seemed like a forgone conclusion.

Alain is pretty much going to Tobias his way through the Tournament until he finally faces Ash.

It didn't though.

Ash himself is a Tobias in this league. Ash Greninja one-shot Tomo's Altaria and the rest of the battle being skipped heavily implied it was a full sweep.just like Alan vs Trevor. It felt like both of them are so above the competition that them being the finalists is a foregone conclusion.

And yet, he's still gonna lose.

I admit, the amount of crow I'm gonna be eating if—and that's a really big if—I'm wrong will be enough to bury an entire country, but I really can't believe the writers will end things until they really do, or that they really have the guts to end Ash's saga once and for all.

That's actually another parallel with DP actually; Paul vs. Barry was also a Curb-Stomp Battle for the former to hype up his match with Ash. Although Ash wasn't curb-stomping his own competition so there's that.

I think they should have let Ash's other team members shined a bit rather than falling on Greninja; its pretty clear Greninja is on a far higher level than any of Ash's other Pokemon, and will be the featured Pokemon against Alan. So rather than let Greninja curb stomp everyone, let Ash's other mons shine before they inevitably get worfed to Alan.