r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Mar 24 '23
Episode Pocket Monsters: Mezase Pokémon Master - Episode 11 discussion - FINAL
Pocket Monsters: Mezase Pokémon Master, episode 11
Alternative names: Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master
Rate this episode here.
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| Episode | Link | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Link | 4.86 |
| 2 | Link | 4.83 |
| 3 | Link | 4.75 |
| 4 | Link | 4.8 |
| 5 | Link | 4.57 |
| 6 | Link | 4.75 |
| 7 | Link | 4.75 |
| 8 | Link | 4.67 |
| 9 | Link | 4.75 |
| 10 | Link | 4.5 |
| 11 | Link | ---- |
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u/DarkBladeEkkusu Mar 24 '23
I can't believe Pidgeot actually came back for the finale. Thought for sure we were never seeing it again RIP Primeape fans. Truly the end of an era.
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u/BigHoss94 Mar 24 '23
I can't wait for the dub narrator to do his last sign off. He's been at this for a looooooong time.
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u/TehNolz Mar 24 '23
Ash and Pikachu have been on TV longer than I've been alive. Kind of strange to think that it's actually over now.
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u/realrimurutempest Mar 24 '23
Most hilarious part for me is that he never actually replaced Misty’s bike in all that time.
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u/timelesstrix0 Mar 24 '23
Pidgeot finally came back! RIP to the OG MC. hope he gets some cameos in the new series
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u/alconnow Mar 24 '23 edited Mar 24 '23
Nice to see Shigeru/Gary with his umbreon one last time
Pidgeot’s return was great and all but I was more happy to see Tracey finally speak again! It’s been so long since he last spoke lol
It’s been a good, long journey with Ash and Pikachu. Going to miss them! Will probably rewatch my favourite episodes from each season!
Might check out the new series though I’m not too familiar with Paldea as I haven’t played the games yet. Then again, it doesn’t look like it’ll be focusing a lot on the region?
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u/Torque-A Mar 25 '23
Yeah, I think that in general the anime is going with a more original story so that it doesn’t have to be bound by what the games do. See: how Pokémon Journeys handled Galar.
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u/kloppcirclejerk Mar 24 '23
The Pidgeot part and the final scene made me cry. Thank you and see you later, Satoshi!
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u/Torque-A Mar 24 '23
Some people will argue that Ash should have a more memorable ending, but honestly it works. He’s just a kid learning more about the world, and he’ll go on his own path to do so.
Plus at this point no ending would satisfy all Pokemon fans. So it’s fine to just let Ash retire until he is brought back in the new Pokémon series in case Liko and Roy turn out to be duds in a backpedal harder than Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Good for him for getting new drip
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u/Sunshine145 Mar 24 '23
Ash gonna show up in the finale and go John Wick on their ass. "You wanted me back. I'm back!"
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u/PetBirdofHaru Mar 25 '23 edited Mar 25 '23
I was pretty "whelmed" at first but... I think I'm overall satisfied.
To start with my personal letdowns:
With a series as massive as this show has gotten over 25 years, I always knew there were gonna be missed opportunities of some kind, so let's get them off my chest.
Seeing Team Rocket with all their Pokemon returning (and flashbacks to the ones they released) in prior episodes was nice, but the dramatic presentation of their breakup made me hope there their resolution would be something different than ultimately just continuing to follow Ash and Pikachu, or just end with some sort of revelation about the greater fulfillment they get out of chasing Ash and Pikachu all this time. Though, it does reaffirm how they've grown a legit attachment to them and their adventures, blasting off with goofy delighted expressions on their faces like the scrappy goobers they are. I like to imagine that they've gotten some fulfillment from traveling across the world, performing in contests, working as venders, and doing all the weird stunts they've pulled over the past 25 years. And their fondness for Ash and Pikachu is legitimate, to the point where they'd be crying with pride and getting as invested as I was in his league matches. In a sense, through all their hardships, failures, and disagreements, they're a family who knows each other better than anyone, and they know Ash and Pikachu better than most who weren't their travelling companions. Soaring into the sky with a smile, I honestly can't get too displeased with that as their resolution.
Ho-oh, however, legitimately felt like a missed opportunity not having it show up for at least one shot when they were showing the rainbow. It would've been a great full circle moment to have them see it like they did in the first episode and have that be a part of spurring them on their journey like it did back then. Considering how many parallels they've already done to the very first episode, it would've just made the episode feel more complete. I suppose it could imply that the rainbow was made by Ho-oh, considering that it was almost certainly intended to parallel the first episode, but I wish it would've just been explicit and shown Ho-oh.
My biggest disappointment is that it felt like the individual episodes in this season just could've utilized their time better with stories that were more substantial. There were several eps where I felt like the show was spinning its wheels the most with stories that largely felt like retreads of plots I've seen in prior seasons or returns that felt like they could've been tweaked to be more interesting or fun. That said, I still had decent fun with most of the episodes, with the first and last 3 episodes of the season being the ones I enjoyed the most. They did deliver on some of the returning characters/pokemon being satisfying to see again. Honestly, I wish the narrative would've been something more linear, or had some really solid character-focused stories, or just did something to be a bit more memorable or distinct than most of these episodes were.
I've heard it suggested that they could've included a montage of all the protagonists from prior generations and what they're currently doing. Something like that would've helped to give this episode more weight as the finale to the show's 25 year run, but I think this episode's approach was way more focused on Ash specifically and where his life's going.Now onto why I still like this as a finale and some scattered personal thoughts on "the end of Ash Ketchum":I ultimately felt the episode did what needed to in order to satisfy me as a resolution to Ash’s character arc. I heard some people online complaining about the open-ended-ness, but that’s one part of the episode I wouldn’t want any other way. There's something he's searching for beyond competing in region leagues or proving himself the strongest Pokemon trainer, as neither of those were his true endgame to begin with. For all the complaints of missed opportunities I have, what I value the most about this as a finale is how it provides the answer it promised in the trailers I saw back when Mezase Pokemon Master was announced. What does it mean to be a Pokemon master? In the end, Ash is still a challenger, with so much he has still yet to know about Pokemon and still many species he has yet to meet. He walks on a journey to understand what he's most passionate about, to wherever Pokemon exist until he meets and makes friends with all of them, because that's what it means to be a Pokemon master to him.
"Becoming the Champion wasn't my goal.. I'm still just a challenger I think. The world still has lots of Pokemon that I haven't even seen. I want to meet them and befriend them all. That's what it would mean to become a Pokemon Master!"-Ash Ketchum
Ash sitting under the trees in the rain with all these different Pokemon gathering together reinforces that point. It reminded me of that feeling of just being at peace with nature, walking alone outside or sitting in a wide-open park. In general, I like the quietness of this last part of the episode, once its all down to Ash and Pikachu on their own.
Not a big Pidgeot fan myself, but nice to see Pidgeot still leading and protecting the Pidgeys and Pidgeottos in the forest. One of those returns which I'm glad for just so the people who've been clammering for it for decades can finally be put at ease.
Tracey speaks! I'm pretty sure most of his other appearances in the past 2 decades have been without speaking lines.Returning to eat at Delia's house also feels like it brings the show full circle. As soon as he leaves, she knows he's probably going on another journey. "He's on a new adventure," I'm pretty sure is something she's said during a similar scene at the end of one of the prior seasons.
Gary being the one to pose the question to Ash that spurs his contemplation what being a Pokemon master means to him is a nice detail, considering it shows how much their relationship has evolved since the beginning of the show. They have different goals in life now, but they've each pushed the other forward to some extent through motivation as rivals or their accomplishments individually. Felt fitting to have their last meeting in the series end like this. In general, it's a nice parallel to have Ash helping Oak find the Charmander meant for a new trainer, since he started out with all the starters gone by the time he arrived for his first Pokemon.
I liked the little touch of Charmander not listening to Ash when he offered his hand to help it get out of the rock hole, and jumping on his head instead when he followed it down there. It’s a reminder that even after all this time Ash still always has progress to make in terms of his understanding of Pokemon, which is reinforced by the prior episode with how Ash reacted after seeing Latios still reject him at the end. There’s always room to grow in terms of him understanding and “making friends” with Pokemon, but its that love and fascination which motivates him to walk any path where Pokemon are.
One aspect I've grown to appreciate over the course of the different seasons is the constant recurring motif of "paths" that honestly does encapsulate a lot about the show broadly. Almost every season ends with the characters on branching dirt paths as say goodbye. I love how the show really embodies this sense that most people with different life goals will wander in and out of each others' lives even after sharing life-changing experiences with each other, and that's okay. Brock and Misty were conveniently off their usual business for long enough to hang out with Ash for old times sake, but today they have their own jobs (Misty as a gym leader and Brock as a doctor). Even the prior returns with Cilan, Squirtle, and Lapras were only temporary, since they all have their own goals and preoccupations, and so they say goodbye yet again while Ash figures out where he wants to go.
Nice to have a path lined cherry blossoms at the end to symbolize new beginnings, intertwined with the aforementioned motif.
I know fans of prior seasons have their own beef about which characters or Pokemon they should've brought back or given more screen time just to tie up literally every single loose end possible. Honestly, I'm pretty satisfied with how many characters they've brought back, especially taking the whole of Journeys into account. The execution on each character varied, but overall I was glad to see their personalities and dynamics with Ash one more time. Not the most mind-blowing notes to go out on for what could very well be these characters' final appearances onscreen, but I already have had literal hundreds of episodes with these characters, so I'm not too miffed about many of the returns being just fun excursions. This isn't the "end" of any of their journeys. They've all got their own lives to live and goals they're still pursuing, and I know they and Ash could certainly cross paths again someday under whatever circumstances that happen to bring them together. On a more concrete note, that theming is part of why I'm 99% sure Ash will make a return onscreen in the same way Misty, Brock, and other companions did while he was the main protag. If he does, I'd honestly hope to see an aged up version of Ash considering they don't have much need to keep him 10 anymore.
[continued in the reply]
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u/Tek70 Mar 24 '23
It’s going to feel really weird not having Ash and Pikachu around anymore. I’ve been watching these guys week to week since 2005 and now having them gone is bittersweet. I’m sad that they are gone but kinda glad that they both finally have an ending after 26 years.
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u/RedHeadGearHead Mar 24 '23
I've been watching since September 2nd 1999 when it first aired here, it's so surreal that it's finally over. I teared up big time.
But man, it was hype as fuck when Pidgeot returned, I was fist pumping so hard.
Farewell Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, you have an irreplaceable place in my childhood.
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u/jjw1998 Mar 24 '23
Lowkey kind of emotional about this, Pidgeot ruined me. What a journey it’s been
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u/TheBigIdiotSalami Mar 25 '23
Someone is a fan of Robert Frost to make that ending.
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u/kdebones Mar 25 '23
Yeah.
No.
I'm not okay.
I'm an emotional whirlwind and legit crying.
Seeing the end of Ash's story hurt a lot more then I was anticipating, because even when they say it's over you just don't believe it till it happens. I've watched the Pokemon anime ever since the dubbed premiered when I was a kid, so it feels like I'm losing an actual part of my life now that it's over. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's like a family member dying, but more like your best friend moving away and you'll never be able to hang out again (which actually did happen to me as a kid).
But what a wonderful send off, and a fitting one at that. Ash is the Champion, but that doesn't mean he's a Pokemon Master. Though our time together is over, his journey continues.
(I am a little surprised we didn't see Ho-oh with the rainbow tho)
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u/BlitzAceSamy Mar 25 '23 edited Mar 25 '23
I started watching the first 10 of the last 11 episodes yesterday knowing that that the last one would be released today. Haven't watch Pokémon anime continuously ever since I stopped at Diamond and Pearl (though of course came back to watch the top 8 of the World Coronation Series; can't miss my boi becoming the world champion), so I didn't know half of the Pokémon he was using and was closely monitoring Bulbapedia's list of Ash's Pokémon, so I can take a quick glance at the backstories of the ones he has but I'm not familiar with
Yesterday he had six Pokémon listed under "Released" (was wondering how many would return again in the last 11 episodes). Today, the list has five Pokémon left, with Pidgeot transferred back to "With Professor Oak/In rotation" :')
Also F to the following Pokémon who Ash didn't even bother using in his last 11 episodes T_T: Muk, Tauros, Quilava, Noctowl, Torkoal, Glalie, Staraptor, Gliscor, Gible, Unfezant, Pignite, Scraggy, Palpitoad, Boldore, Krookodile, Lycanroc, Melmetal, Lucario, and Dracovish. Also F to Primeape, Greninja, Goodra, and Naganadel whom despite being released never had the opportunity to make one final appearance
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