"Arrival of a Rival" Episode Discussion

Here is where you can discuss the conclusion of the first Sinnoh Contest as Zoey takes on the world in "Arrival of a Rival".

My review to come forthwith.

Considering i missed the first 7 minutes, i think it was pretty well done. Zoey kept saying glah-meow when it is obviously glay-meow. Other than that, all i can say is, is it me or do all the d/p episodes have the same feel? It's almost bland, perhaps becuase pokemon's kiddy-ness has made it predictable?

I actually think that this season is much more entertaining than the past ones (except the Indigo League Season). I liked it except for the part where Zoey said that Dawn should raise Aipom. After that Dawn and Zoey's battle started, and they never mentioned it again. I thought that Glameow was too overused, and that Misdreavus should have fought again. Also they shouldn't of had Jessie in the finals, she should have fought Dawn with Dawn victorious, while Ash lost against Zoey, bringing Zoey and Dawn to the final round.

My favorite D/P episode as of yet. Zoey is très cool, and I'm finally starting to get used to her voice after being a little iffy about it during the previous episode. But now I think it suites her, more or less. I also agree that Glameow probably should've taken a break during one of the battles. The repetition in attack combinations was a bit much, and it would've been nice to see Misdreavus do battle.

And as for the pronunciation of Glameow, I'm pretty sure Zoey's got it right. After all, it's a play on the words 'glamor/glamorous' and 'meow.' Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not pronounced 'glay-morous.'

Zoey is cool.I liked this episode a lot, but I think Glameow and Aipom were overused, and I like the new point mesurment system.Doesn't anyone think Johanna was a bit hard on Dawn?And I was suprised that there was no mention of Johanna's Glameow.And at the end, more lesbian drama!

Neo Shadow said:

And at the end, more lesbian drama!

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It's only a matter of time before glameowshipping is born or something...
I knew Zoey was lesbian from the moment she was in dawn's "dressing room".

Chosen_of_Manaphy said:

It's only a matter of time before glameowshipping is born or something...
I knew Zoey was lesbian from the moment she was in dawn's "dressing room".

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There's no need for Glameow shipping.There's already one called AppealShipping.She's like the Sinnoh Harley, next thing we know she dresses as Dawn or Ash.Don't you just love how she calls Dawny sweety?

Chosen_of_Manaphy said:

It's only a matter of time before glameowshipping is born or something...
I knew Zoey was lesbian from the moment she was in dawn's "dressing room".

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Ah, so it's like Dub Sailor Moon with Amara/Haruka, except I'm not 8 and I don't think Zoey and Dawn are cousins. :silly: Ah, more new shipping was born again with the Zoey/Ash rivalry. I have no clue what it's called and nor do I care, but on with the review!

Episode was pretty good, though I was strange when Zoey said that Dawn should raise Aipom and no one talks about it again. Dawn is showing big strides in becoming a good coordiater. I do think that Dawn's mom, Johanna I believe, was a tiny bit hard on her, but I think that's just what the doctor ordered. Most of the episodes before this, Dawn had some sort of dependency on her mom and not Ash, Brock, and her Pokes. This seems similar to May at the end of the Kanto and Hoenn Grand Festivals, but Dawn got it much earlier, interesting.

And our old villainess Jessie fails to win a contest once again. I really thought that she would win and this would give Butchy a chance to cool her jets and give Jessie a sense of self confidence and a real contender for the Grand Festivals and other contests besides the comic knockout in the 2nd round foil that we all know and fear. But what can you do with writers, fire em? Ha, I crack me up...

ChrisG14 said:

Ah, so it's like Dub Sailor Moon with Amara/Haruka, except I'm not 8 and I don't think Zoey and Dawn are cousins. :silly:

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I thought I was the only one thinking that the whole time. Hahaha.

Anyway, now that we got Zoey's character more defined (until Dogasu can say different), we get the subtle version of Paul, actually. The way she acted -- rather superior/arrogant/condescending -- around Ash prior to his Contest Match rather seals things a tad. Not as intense as Paul, but more attitudal than, say, Robert, which is whom she reminds me of. I like this character, and whatever flaws I have for D/P, at least they haven't failed in important characters yet.

On the positive or negative: apparently, in the Pokemon world, people do have an issue of double dipping (Contests/Gym). The game lets you do both, so why are the animated people freaking out?

As for the "Dawn teaching Aipom" exchange, A) Dawn, why would you tell such things to a complete stranger? And B) if I were Ash when Zoey said the Pokemon that I was currently training be in better hands with someone else (a newbie), I'd be very insulted. Of course, this type of tactless ness isn't shown too much among the Twerps (and it is refreshing), yet it's still a tad jarring.

Regarding Dawn taking things in stride, well, it's a different pace from May's breakdown after her first loss? Heh. As for Johanna's mother..., what can I say? Well said, but should have waited until Dawn was further acquinted with Ash/Brock before asserting such things. Oh, well.

The battles, I thought everything is well paced, well done, until Jessie, of course. C'mon, writers, you gave James a win with the BF Orienteering contest. Why is it so difficult for you to give her the freebie? On the plus side, at least she isn't fried and blasted off like she had in previous Contests, so...I don't know anymore.

Either way, it beats most of the BF Contest episodes, that's for sure.

I was amused at this episode. Aside from a couple of puns line-wise (like Jessie mentioning that she'll be the ruler of the galaxy......heheheh), the battles were alright. Although...they called Shadow Claw Dark-type and said that it would be ineffective against a Normal-type Pokemon...Come on, writers! For pete's sake, they finally remember about that immunity (way too many Shadow Balls hitting Normal-types for me to list), and they get the typing wrong. :( You just can't win...

And, I didn't like how Jessie actually got to the last round and lost to a side character...that just doesn't make much sense to me. Well, at least Carnivine got its spotlight, eh DC?

Ichaste Pekoni said:

Although...they called Shadow Claw Dark-type and said that it would be ineffective against a Normal-type Pokemon...Come on, writers! For pete's sake, they finally remember about that immunity (way too many Shadow Balls hitting Normal-types for me to list), and they get the typing wrong. :( You just can't win...

And, I didn't like how Jessie actually got to the last round and lost to a side character...that just doesn't make much sense to me. Well, at least Carnivine got its spotlight, eh DC?

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I know, which is why I ignore such things anymore unless it's that glaringly obvious -- I'm so numb by now. Headdesk.

Jessie's loss makes sense in a way, but you'd think the writers would attempt something different for once. Sometimes, I think she'd be better off to quit. After all, everyone drilled that into Ash here. Sighs.

But, yes, Carnivine finally had the proper spotlight, and I forgot to mention how much I really enjoyed its Appeals Round. But then, you have so many things occurring (new character intro, first Contest of the new series), it gets lost in the shuffle. Sighs.

When Aipom used the final focus punch, I was like, wait, I thought Ash LOSES this contest... until the buzzer ran out XD

Zoey said Dawn should raise aipom because it wants to do contests, and she had already been told Dawn was a coordinator, while Ash was a pokemon trainer...

Can't wait for A Staravia is Born! on Monday and Leave it to Brocko! On Tuesday =D

I think Ash really overused Aipoms focus punch, an over-used move becomes less and less interesting as a contest progresses. What ever happened to the Swift/Double team combo Aipom used when training with piplup. I kept expecting to see Aipom use it but Ash just focused on knocking out Zoey's Glameow for me his fight was a big dissapointment.

Dogasu's comparison is up, even though, it doesn't have much. Now, the previous episode, on the other hand.... Anyway,

http://dogasu.bulbagarden.net/comparisons/diamond_pearl/ep012.html