Thread: BW 107 "Satoshi VS Kotetsu! Secret Weapon Sazandora!!"

I'll start with the positives from the episode - Oshawott was amusing and I liked Swanna's voice.

Moving on.

This is an absolutely terrible battle with no redeeming factors whatsoever. Starting with Pokemon getting knocked out on either side for nothing more than stupid tactics, Ash leaving Pignite out when Samurott came in, Kotetsu sending out Ferrothorn and Swanna out against Pignite and Pikachu respectively - completely unnecessary and hardly fitting for what is supposed to be a match up of two of the top 8 trainers in Unova.

Hydreigon highlighted Ash's lack of preparedness - against Tobias' Darkrai at least his Pokemon looked like they were trying as hard as possible and it was the sheer strength of their opponent that led to the losses - while here Boldore and to a lesser extent Oshawott did nearly no real damage or even look at any point capable of doing anything. But then Pignite turns around and knocks it out fairly easily - making Ash's other Pokemon look bad and it seem like it's not Kotetsu being strong, just Ash's Pokemon being too weak to beat it.

I'll explode if the twist at the end of the battle is a double knockout but because Ash had six out and Kotetsu only five he wins by default.

For some reason, I don't mind Kotetsu now.

I mean, sure it's annoying as hell that Ash is going to the Top 8 again (maybe) , but think about it: Ash's team is so terrible at the moment. Oshawott, Snivy, Unfezant and Boldore didn't get a single win. Pignite and Pikachu were, ofcourse, the powerhouses. His team is so terribly unevolved (the writers focus too much on merchandising, huh), while Kotetsu atleast brought some evolved powerhouses.

Ash keeping up with Pignite against Samurott was horrible.

However, the animation was really nice and I liked Lucario's evolution.

Also, I kind of laughed at the fact that the "rival friends" were cheering for Ash and not Kotetsu. I thought they all bonded together. Oh well .

I think he snapped his headband one too many times, it probably gave him brain damage at one point.

Like, I think that Kotetsu is a legitimately good trainer. His pokemon are strong, ya know? I think that if he were introduced a bit earlier, he might have been a bit more developed and I might even feel empathetic towards him, but he's not...I think it's because he was introduced so late that the writers are trying to do all these brash quirks with him. Make him stand out more?

It's not appealing for me.

I refuse to believe that an experienced trainer like Ash loses to someone like that. Whenever Ash showed irresponsibility, it's bitten him in the ass, right? Like if he's over confident, he usually loses or stuff like that. Kotetsu is very lucky. He's almost rewarded for his stupidity.

*sighs* i want to like him i really do he seems like a cutie but given the circumstances i think i may develop a seething hatred towards him

Originally Posted by CommanderPigg

Like, I think that Kotetsu is a legitimately good trainer.

I disagree.

I think Kotetsu only wins battles purely on his Pokémon's strength.

Kotetsu hasn't done anything trainer intelligent to be considered a good trainer. Ash has been shown to be a far more trainer intelligent with semi-strong Pokémon (depending on the Pokémon). Kotetsu is just seemingly handed wins that he doesn't deserve.

But oh well. Nothing anyone can do about that.

Let me rephrase that then:
I think he appears to be a good trainer because he has strong pokemon. How he catches/trains is pokemon is still largely unknown, but he had to have done something to get them to that level.

If we knew more about his methods, I suppose his wins would be a bit more justifiable, but right now, I honestly think he's lacking material and development.
I'm sorry that this match is so rushed and one dimensional. I don't like leagues ending terribly, but they usually do. I feel almost bad for Kotetsu that he had to go through this because he was given more introduction than a typical "last battler" for Ash, ya know? Gives people time to wanna bond with him.

IDK, we'll just see how this goes.

Kotetsu is scatter-brained I'm pretty okay-ish with one, those are his methods. Snapping his headband to think up a good idea, it's just like Satoshi turning his hat. It's his quirk and thing he does. I think Kotetsu is a skilled trainer in his own right, he battled Shizui and dealt with Bel very well. Why the writers did this I don't know.

Snapping the headband only to send out Natorrei to be slayed? :/

I really really think this would have turned out better if the battle wasn't so damn rushed at times, the writers should have done half now and half next episode. They're trying to end the league too dang fast to imo, get to Episode N.

Originally Posted by CommanderPigg

Let me rephrase that then:
I think he appears to be a good trainer because he has strong pokemon. How he catches/trains is pokemon is still largely unknown, but he had to have done something to get them to that level.

Perhaps, but some trainers are just handed strong Pokémon, no training required.

Think Iris's Dragonite only obedient instead of disobedient.

I'm not saying he doesn't train his Pokémon but I really think he doesn't because his Pokémon beat Pokémon left and right. It's like Kotetsu's Pokémon would be ideal for Paul, since they don't require real training.

Sure Kotetsu is unknown, but I can't see how someone so scatterbrained, would even be able to be a decent trainer (since I have yet to see any trainer intelligence from him). I mean without Kotetsu's brute strength Pokémon, I just can't seem him going far.

Maybe Kotetsu received some of his Pokémon from a friend or a family member. Think of Brock lending his Pokémon to Forrest.

I don't think it's fair to make those kinds of calls about a trainer we know so little about. For all we know he could have worked long and hard to get his Sazandora, or it could have fallen out of the sky onto his lap. You can conjecture all you like on whether he "earned" them or whatever, but there's no evidence either way.

I guess I may be the one who partly doesn't care about this and partly loves this. Regarding Kotetsu. I think this is amazing, Kotetsu's such a huge scatterbrain and he still manages to win battles. Well I say somehow, yet we know Kotetsu does it by snapping his headband and giving himself a brainwave. But it seems Kotetsu's brainwaves were messed up by constantly hurting himself on the forehead and Kotetsu clearly wasn't thinking straight in this battle.

I realize if Kotetsu did have six Pokémon and wins against Satoshi then Kotetsu wouldn't have needed six anyway.

Originally Posted by Winterdaze

I don't think it's fair to make those kinds of calls about a trainer we know so little about. For all we know he could have worked long and hard to get his Sazandora, or it could have fallen out of the sky onto his lap. You can conjecture all you like on whether he "earned" them or whatever, but there's no evidence either way.

Agreed. If we know little about a character it is best not to jump to assumptions and just go with the flow until we know more about them. With Best Wishes continuing after the League, Kotetsu has a chance to have his character fleshed out.

Originally Posted by Virgil

Also, I kind of laughed at the fact that the "rival friends" were cheering for Ash and not Kotetsu. I thought they all bonded together. Oh well .

Okay, good, I wasn't the only one then xDDD I mean, I think that they all (especially Cilan and Iris) have a bias towards Ash since they've known him longer. cilan especially especially

Originally Posted by CommanderPigg

Okay, good, I wasn't the only one then xDDD I mean, I think that they all (especially Cilan and Iris) have a bias towards Ash since they've known him longer. cilan especially especially

And Ash stood up to Bianca's dad, so you know she's all over dem nuts she'd support him.

I don't get it...a Gen full of awesome and inspiring Pokémon and the writers are too lazy to give Kotetsu a 6th Pokémon altogether?

Probably one of the crappiest league episodes... in the history of the anime, in my opinion. Horrible type combinations, super rushed battles. It felt like a complete fiasco to me.
In a few scenes, the animation was slightly off as well.

Back and forth curbstomping. I am not impressed.