Pokémon: The Official Dub Discussion Thread

EPISODE: BW122 "What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals!"

After a recap, we start the episode with the glowing red Light Stone floating up into the sky as Ash yells at them to stop (yes, reveal that you're now awake and sneaking around, the ONLY advantage you have at this point). Suddenly a fog rolls and a Psybeam and Magical Leaf fires out and knocks the Plasma Grunts guarding N, Ash & co. realizing it's Anthea & Concordia here to rescue N. With everyone distracted, Iris takes the opportunity to have Axew start working on breaking the metal rings binding her.

Anthea: N, your heart has been stained.
Concordia: What exactly has happened to you?
Comment: ... What in the world are you talking about? Are you talking about N surrendering himself and the Light Stone to save Ash & Pikachu? First off, Team Plasma was surrounding Ash & N so even if N didn't give up it's very doubtful that he's escape from Team Plasma once they were done toying with Ash & Pikachu (actually, what were the Plasma Grunts doing as Colress was having Pikachu attack Ash & co., watching? Shouldn't they have been surrounding N?). Second, if the plan was for N to take the Light Stone and run, where were YOU TWO! A blinding fog which teleports people? That's kind of useful for escapes!

N tells Anthea & Concordia that Team Plasma is trying to wake up Reshiram and will probably repeat the disaster years ago. He also says Reshiram i filled with rage and must find out why or else there will never be understanding between Pokemon and people, dooming both without a future (or Reshiram just goes on a rampage until another Legendary appears and smacks it down, may I remind everyone that Arcues does owe Ash a favor for saving it's life. Though Unova will probably be decimated before then, unless Zekrom decides to be that "hero" Legendary). Anthea & Concordia tell N to return to them but N says he won't run away and of he wants Pokemon happy they'll battle alongside them. The eyes of Gardevoir and Gothitelle appear... which only gives Colress a location to shoot. And indeed the Pokemon Control Device takes control of Gardevoir and Gothitelle, the fog disappear to reveal Anthea & Concordia are standing on a nearby rock (why did you guy also come through? Wouldn't it be safer to remain in the other dimension, it's not like the first time where you had to come through because N was injured and unable to move) which Gardevoir and Gothitelle then attack, Team Plasma then surrounding them.

Ghetsis completes the ceremony and Reshiram is fully summoned, everyone looking at it in awe. Meanwhile, Axew breaks Iris's metal ring and she tells it to start working on Cilan's (you know now that you're not hidden by the fog all Team Plasma has to do to ruin your plan is look over to you, you may have wanted to find a place to hide while the fog was still up). Reshiram flies down in front of Reshiram, however Ghetsis greets Reshiram and it turns to him and angrily roars. Ghetsis says he knew it'll be angry which is where Colress comes in and he uses the Pokemon Control Device to take control of Reshiram, or does he? In true villain undersight, Ghetsis orders Reshiram to kill (not using that word, of course) N, Anthea, & Concordia BUT Reshiram goes crazy and starts sending off "power waves" knocking everyone back. Iris, Cilan, Cedric, and Looker specifially runnig away to a safer location. Reshiram then fires a Fusion Flare at a piece of th ruins but th power of alone sends Plasma Grunts and Pokemon flying all over the place, though Ghetsis is pleased by it (BTW, Team Rocket is watching and making comments the whole time, though nothing too importent). Colress is impressed by the data he's getting but says Reshiram's potential is far greater then what they're seeing and commands Reshiram to do another Fusion Flare, destroying more ruins and sending more Pokemon flying. Now in a more hidden location, Iris and Cilan check on Cedric who essentially says he's alright as Cilan sends out Crustle to break his metal ring (Looker is gone though).

Over to Ash, Ash tells Pikachu that they need to do something when N, Anthea, and Concordia meet up with him... as well as Team Plasma and their pack of Liepard. Pikachu attacks with a Thunderbolt and chases them off.

Team Rocket also are thinking they need to do something or else Team Plasma will take the world from them. Looker then appears behind them (managing to free himself from the metal ring, there was a quick shot of him getting a device after the second Fusion Flare) and ask them for their help, James asking why they would and Meowth saying for their own rep and happily agree.

Back to Ash, Liepard surround Pikachu as Barret tells Colress to aim the Pokemon Control Device at Pikachu (why? You have control of Reshiram. Now it'd make sense for Colress wanting to do it since he thinks Pikachu is an interesting specimen, but I would think to other Team Plasma members they'd see Pikachu as a moving target for Reshiram. Also wouldn't you not want to risk straining the Pokemon Control Device now that it's controlling a highly powerful Legendary Pokemon?) though Ash steps in front of Pikachu saying he won't let them. Colress of course just aims between Ash's feet to Pikachu... when Meowth jumps in! Meowth uses Scratch/Fury Swipes to knock away Barret and the Liepards, causing the other Plasma Grunts to run. Ash asks why Meowth is helping them though he tells him not to sweat it and hide, Ash agrees following Meowth. Meowth leads Ash to Jessie, James, and Looker and explains they're working together to destroy the Pokemon Control Device. Ash says he'll help lure away Team Plasma, but tells Pikachu to stay behind. N, Anthea, & Concordia then appear and Ash tells them about the plan and for them to stay behind, though N asks how they plan on destroying it (I assumed by attacking it until it's a pile of scrap metal). Meowth says it's being guarded by controlled Pokemon so Ash says they'll have to force their way through (because this is Pokemon, EVERY question can be solved by battling) and runs off.

Meowth: Are you nuts twerp?
Comment: Yeah, this isn't one of the movies... and even if it was you ramming into things NEVER works anway!
Ash: AAAAAAAAAH!
N: Oh no, Ash!
Iris: Don't do it!
Comment: Iris? Where did you come from?
Looker: It's too dangerous!
Comment: In Pokemon, what isn't?

James says Ash's job is a distraction, Jessie saying they'll do the heavy lifting, both then running off as well. Aldith tells Ash he's wasting his time and all the controlled Pokemon and Liepards surround Ash. Pikachu can't stay behind with Ash in danger and rushes out, Ash telling it not to but finally accepting Pikachu isn't going to wait around and tells it to use Quick Attack. N tells Anthea & Concordia though Ash can't hear Pokemon he knows how they're feeling and asks if that isn't the ideal their looking for. Colress tries locking on Pikachu though it moves out of the way, meanwhile Ash dodges the Golurk punches until one is blasted by Axew's Dragon Rage, Iris telling Ash to leave this to them. A bunch of controlled Conkeldurr & Timburr confront Iris but they're knocked back by Woobat's Air Slash and Yamask's Shadow Ball, Meowth knocking aside some Liepard surprising Iris. Team Rocket does their motto and say they got things under control leaving Ash & Pikachu a clear run to the Pokemon Control Device... that's up on a hill.

Ghetsis: Reshiram, get them!
Comment: Oh, and they also have an Reshiram to deal with. You know, maybe it's a good time to see two fire dragons fight...

Reshiram lands in front of Ash & Pikachu so Ash tells Pikachu to use Electro Ball on the Pokemon Control Device. However Colress finally locks onto Pikachu and fires, taking control of Pikachu again. Ash runs up to Pikachu but is shocked back, N running up and grabbing Ash though explains Pikachu is fighting the device. Iris and Cilan also run up and cheer on Pikachu, Ash telling Pikachu he knows it can fight the device back.

Colress: My, you really like to dream, don't you? My device is able to control the likes of Reshiram. What hope does you little Pikachu have to resisting it?
*Pikachu turns toward Reshiram and Colress*

Colress: Impossible! There's no way you can resist!
Comment: Foolish Colress, this is a kid's anime, meaning that the power of friendship is the strongest thing ever.

Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt on Reshiram, N saying that Reshiram's consciousness has returned, and Cilan explaining Reshiram is using Pikachu's Thunderbolt to break free of the control (I heard being shocked to your senses but this is ridiculous!... Actually, it is, why would a Thunderbolt even be effecting Reshiram as well as it is. Maybe if this was Zekrom it would make a little more sense since it's at least part Electric-type so you can say it's using Pikachu's electrical attack to power itself, but what excuse does Reshiram have?). Ghetsis ask Colress what is going on and tells him to increase the output to control Pikachu. Colress fires again but Pikachu remains unaffected, releasing electricity in resistance.

Ghetsis and Colress can't believe in this Tauros Mulch.

Finally, Ash gives Pikachu the order to user Electro Ball on the Pokemon Control Device and, with Reshiram adding in a Fusion Flare, the Pokemon Control Device is destroyed freeing all the controlled Pokemon. As everyone tries to figure out if its over and Ash gives Pikachu a hug, Colress starts having a mental break down not understanding how Pikachu resisted which N says it's something he'll never understand that there's nothing stronger then Ash's bond with his Pokemon. Colress gets up saying he won't quit but Reshiram breaks free of its control (what took it so long?) and starts to power up, N saying he's hearing the voice or anger and Colress saying its power is more then when it was being controlled.

Reshiram uses Blue Flare destroying more of the ruins as N & Ash tell it to calm down. N tells Reshiram that people and Pokemon can live together and they care for it which does calm Reshiram down. Ghetsis tells Reshiram this is unacceptable but Aldith and Barret hold him back saying they must retreat. Looker yells to not let them excape and Ash sends out Krookodile to use Stone Edge & Cilan has Crustle use Rock Slide to surround Ghetsis, Colress, Aldith, and Barret with rocks. Iris then sends out Dragonite to use Ice Beam, trapping Team Plasma in a block of ice.

Reshiram gets ready to fly off but N stops it and talks about the first time they met it sensed it anger and even now it still does. He asked how Reshiram felt when it saw all of them working together to stop Team Plasma and after a moment of pause N thanks it and asks if it can believe in people the same way. N says he'll keep on fighting for the truth Reshiram seeks and the ideal world they want, Reshiram giving out a huge roar and flying off above the clouds. Iris asks N what did Reshiram say (what, you couldn't figure it out from what N said next?) but as N tries to put it into words Ash says he doesn't need to tell them as he wants to meet Reshiram again and ask for himself, saying it's something to look forward to (yeah... Ash, what you have to look forward too is a black & red death vulture and an elegant life deer). N turns to Anthea & Concordia and ask don't they think they saw many things they couldn't from within the fog (get it, the fog was a metaphor for thier bias toward the world!). N asks for them to travel with him but Concordia asks where they'll go.

N: To the ideal. To work toward to turning that ideal into a reality.
Comment: Wow, they sure mention "ideals" a lot. You'd think at some point that a dragon of ideal would be involved... WHERE IS ZEKROM!

Anthea and Concordia agree as they hear police siren and we cut to the White Ruins being covered by police. Officer Jenny puts Ghetsis, Colress, Aldith, and Barret in a prison van as Colress mopes that his Pokemon Control Device was a failure... before suddenly becoming very cheery saying that for his next invention he'll make a device that lets Pokemon talk to people.

Stage 5 of grief or mood whiplash?

Looker thanks Ash for his help saying that they'll meet again (well your both a fan favorite and creator favorite character so, yeah, we'll probably see you at some point in XY dealing with Team Flare) and drive off. Cedric meanwhile is in stage 2 of grief as he complains that the Light Stone was a major discovery but then some of the archaeologists tells him they found new ruins which is ice-based (ugh, ice sliding puzzles...) and already made some finds. They ask for Cedric's support and he gets excited, telling Iris and Cilan goodbye and they won't meet again... until when they do (hey, they got to get one last running gag in). Team Rocket are seen running off, once again inspired to catch Pikachu. Finally Ash & co. say bye to N, Anthea, & Concordia, N thanking them and that they'll be working toward creating their ideal world, the narrator coming to end the episode.

Final Thoughts Of The Team Plamsa Arc/Episode N:
So we've come to the end of the Team Plasma Arc/Episode N. First off, this episode was good. It had a lot of action and the protagonists started acting intelligently by realizing they should be trying to destroy the Pokemon Control Device. However there are a few faults which encompasses the Team Plasma Arc/Episode N as a whole, and I think it's time we quickly discuss it.

First off, as I've said many time in the past, Team Plasma should have been involved with the story from the get go. Yes, I know Team Plasma was suppose to make their appearance when Ash & co. got to Castelia City (BW023) but said story was cancelled due to the 2011 Tsunami that hit Japan and the story revolved around Team Plasma and Team Rocket fighting in Castelia City with the destruction of buildings (FUN FACT: scenes involving a temple in those cancelled episodes were later reused in BW064 "Explorers of the Hero's Ruin!" and BW120 "Ash and N: A Clash of Ideals!"). However I'm more talking about them appearing as early as they did in the games, first time in the games being in Accumula Town. What makes Team Plasma (at least the original Knights Templar ones) different from other Pokemon villainous syndicates is that they were a public group, appearing in cities and towns and giving speeches about Pokemon freedom. Yes they were doing operations behind the scenes, but they did have a public persona as Ghetsis was using that as a cover of making them look like a righteous group. It's important to remember that only Ghetsis knew the real reason behind Team Plasma, everyone other member did want to separate people and Pokemon, some more jerkish and brutish than others but none were technically "evil". Having Team Plasma act like all the other villainous syndicates by only appearing when doing team operations takes this away as they more become an extremist group like Team Aqua & Team Magma, making their goal less righteous. Also, they did heavily push another thing the game was able to do over time: making the main protagonist a sort of opposite to N. In the games the first time you meet N was in Accumula Town as just a random trainer who was watching Team Plasma's speech. He saw something special about your character and over time had decided that you're his opposite in terms of truth and ideals, slowly getting you involved with Team Plasma's plans whether you knew it or not. In the anime, Ash is made out to be N's opposite but it sort of feels rush as they only ever focused upon it in these last few episodes where Ash defeats Team Plasma since he has a strong bond with his Pokemon (specifically Pikachu), something which N doesn't since he has no Pokemon. It just adds on another Gary Stu trait which Ash has when he needs to be prominently involved with the plot.

Also, due to them having to cram Team Plasma's story in a few episodes instead of over the entire Unova arc, that means many important members of Team Plasma were removed which could have been expanded upon due to their limited appearance. I'm mostly talking about the other six sages (which only made a quick cameo) and the Shadow Triad. Then we have characters who do appear and how the anime had changed them, mostly because the anime combining story elements of Black 7 White and Black 2 & White 2 causing conflict problems. First we have N who still wants to separate people and Pokemon... YET also believes humans and Pokemon can get along. Now I guess this could work if he was just against using Pokemon for entertainment purposes like battling, but he's also against people using Pokemon to help in rescue operations. What do you want N? You can't have people and Pokemon not interact with each other AND have them understand each other, its either one or the other. Team Plasma as a whole was just changed to being a villainous group as they were in BW2, Ghetsis pretty much only use the "freeing Pokemon" excuse to manipulate N (and Anthea & Concordia). Because of this, they also changed Colress from a person only in this for self interest thus doesn't care who he works for to someone who's loyal to Team Plasma. Sure, he says he's not completely in agreement with Team Plasma and shows he thinks he's superior to them, but he never once showed that wasn't loyal. In the games you had Colress talking to and sometimes helping the player, and when Team Plasma was defeated he took the Plasma Frigate and flew away with it, breaking all ties with Team Plasma. But in the anime Colress is always following orders and gets arrested with the rest of Team Plasma when their plan fails. However the ones hit hardest by changes were Anthea & Concordia even though there was no reason to change them. I went on a rant about this before so I'll keep it short: In the games, Anthea and Concordia understood people and Pokemon needed each other and worried about N's ambitions being a bit too extreme. They were the human element to N as they were the two humans he interacted with the most. However in the anime they switched attitudes with N, now they're the ones who hate people and don't think people and Pokemon need or will ever understand each other, preferring to separate themselves from the world along with Pokemon injured and mistreated by people. This not only makes them a bit unlikely and not add anything to their game character since they're clearly different characters, but also makes you wonder why N is more tolerant of people if the only people he ever interacted with aren't. The only one who doesn't come out mangled is Ghetsis, though he comes off looking not as smart as his game counterpart since his plans in the anime revolved heavily on someone else to build the Pokemon Control Device and for them not to back stab him for whatever reason.

Looking over how the plot of the anime relates to the plot of the anime, obviously there was going to be problems that not even the manga was able to figure out without having to "pick a side". Unlike previous games, Black & White's story heavily involved what version you got since N got the other dragon and the player got that version's mascot dragon. In previous games, you could always sort of combine both version's plot which is eventually what the third versions end up doing. Gen III, had two teams fighting each other trying to use thier Legendary Pokemon to control the environment. In Sapphire you had Team Aqua bad, Team Magma good, and Aqua trying to use Kyogre to raise the sea levels causing there to be more water. In Ruby you had Team Magma bad, Team Aqua good, and Magma trying to use Groudon to dry up the seas and oceans to create more land. Though when I say "good", I use it very loosely since the battle between felt more like a gang fight then one being good guys and if both were on even levels then you wouldn't be surprised if they tried using their Legendary to fight the other. Come Emerald, that's what happened, both teams were bad and were going to beat the other team's Legendary with their's, only to realize neither team could control their Legendary. In Gen IV, the story was even more simple as what version you had depended on which of the mascot Legendaires Cyrus summons, thus the third version had Cyrus just summon both though had Giratina appear and crash the party. But with Gen V, that couldn't be done. You either followed Black's story where N got Zekrom and you got Reshiram OR you followed White's story where N got Reshiram and you got Zekrom. Furthering this problem was, instead of a third version, we got a 2nd pair of games which continued the story of the 1st paired games depending on which version it is! N appears with his dragon (which he'll later let you capture) and Ghetsis fuses it with Kyurem to make it either Black Kyurem (fused with Zekrom) or White Kyurem (fused with Reshiram). To further no help things, the anime decided the first movies of Black & White were going to feature Zekrom and Reshiram even though there's only suppose to be one of each! So apparently there's at least 2 Zekrom and Reshiram: the pair in the movie, the Zekrom seen in the first episode if BW, and the Reshiram we just saw Team Plasma summon. Speaking of which, where was Zekrom? Why such a huge focus on Reshiram when Zekrom is just as important and powerful? Infact when Ash & co. first met N it was brought up that Ash saw Zekrom and N ask Ash to tell him everything he knew. But nope, only Reshiram, no Zekrom appearing upon sensing Reshiram has awoken to help (being Ash was set to be N's opposite and Zekrom once appeared to Ash to give back Pikachu's electrical powers, you'd think Zekrom would have some sort of connection here) free its other by fighting it. And this will bring me to my final problem: the Pokemon Control Device.

Thinking about it, a Pokemon Control Device would indeed be a VERY valuable thing for a villainous syndicate to have, and it's not out of the question for a few to try and make one. However the problem with this is that you pretty much make the villains very hard to battle against since the only way you battle in this world is with Pokemon and if you can just take control of the heroes Pokemon then they have no other way of fighting back. Infact, they won't want to use their Pokemon at all meaning now, in a series called POKEMON, we have the main characters not wanting to use their Pokemon to fight the villains! If they were to put some more restrictions on the Pokemon Control Device the this wouldn't be such a problem like it can only control a certain amount of Pokemon until it gets overloaded. I say this is if they had the Pokemon Control Device only able to handle Reshiram then we could see the heroes try to battle the extremely powerful Legendary. Maybe we could have seen that teased Charizard battle with Reshiram, maybe even throwing in Dragonite as they try to hold back Reshiram as Ash & co battle to their way to destroy the Pokemon Control Device. Maybe they could even had Zekrom appear when Reshiram overwhelms Charizard & Dragonite and is about ready to incinerate Ash, only for a giant lightning bolt to come down and everyone looks up to see Zekrom has appeared to aide Ash. Heck while Reshiram and Zekrom fought they could come up with the excuse that the Pokemon Control Device does has enough room for one more Pokemon and takes control of Pikachu (everyone else's Pokemon taken from them when captured including Ash's when he was knocked out) and we have Pikachu resisting and malfunctions the Pokemon Control Device, freeing Reshiram who stops fighting Zekrom and both use their Fusion attacks to destroy the Pokemon Control Device for good. Of course now I'm just writing my own *coughandbettercough* story.

To summarize, much like the Unova saga as a whole, the Team Plasma Arc/Episode N was a letdown due to the problem presented by the game's story and changes they did just for the anime. Well that's all I really have to say, seeya next time as we start to end the Unova saga with a cruise from there to Kanto by going through the Decolora Islands!

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