Top 13 Favorite Pokémon Villains

Hello everyone. It's been a very intense year, and I can honestly say that I've never been more eager for one to be over than this year. It would honestly be easier for me to list the things that didn't happen this year than those that did; but I prefer to end this year and my celebration of the 20th anniversary of Pokémon a high note. So, to help close out this year and make way for 2017; I present my top 13 favorite Pokémon villains!

My criteria are simple: As long as a character plays some role in the anime, be it adapting a villain or team from the games; created just for the show or one of the movies, or a particularly nasty character of the day, they will be eligible. A couple ground rules, however: 1. I am going to try to include villains from the series as a whole, not just the parts I like the most. 2. While I am eager to see how the Sun and Moon series handles Team Skull, for the sake of argument; I am keeping them out of the running since the series is still airing (though I can definitely vouch for how nasty they are in the games. Go play them and you will know what I'm talking about.). So, let's get this night of New Year's Evil started.

13. Attila and Hun

To lead off this list, I decided I would give credit where it is due even with a work I didn't really enjoy. Despite my total dislike of The Legend of Thunder (it was an indicator of what was to come in Chronicles, I will do some more in 2017), I will admit that Attila and Hun were actually among some of the more memorable Team Rocket operatives. Even with the liberties the dub took with them (which are the least of that mess's problems for me); I still felt that they were a welcome change of pace from the more comical members of the group.  Although I don't share many fans' sentiments about the special as a whole (I still very much consider it to be the Batman and Robin of the Pokémon series), if I had to choose one element to keep for a potential rebrand, it would be them.

12. Dr. Yung

As the villain of the 10th anniversary "Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon" special, Dr. Yung was an ideal choice for the occasion. In the guise of the Mirage Master, he not only deceived many beloved characters that took part in such a milestone; he had very little qualms about simply obliterating a digital recreation of Mew on the grounds that it was a "flawed specimen" in his eyes. To say I consider such an act to be his moral event horizon is kind of like saying this year was more intense than previous ones in this decade. Technically accurate, but it tends to understate my overall thoughts on the matter. I digress, I am not here to vent my disappointments of this year (at least not totally); I am here to detail my favorite villains of a series meant for children, so let's keep going, shall we?

11. Lawrence III

Before I officially get to my top 10 entries, I thought I would include the villain of my favorite of the original three movies. While he may be a bit less vile than the other entries I have planned for this list, I thought it would be apropos to include him as my pick for a villain that is blissfully unaware of the consequences of his actions; to the point of not even considering Ash and his friends a threat in the slightest. He is merely a collector, and simply wants to add the legendaries to his treasures regardless of what happens to do it.

10. Shamus

As the trainer who abandoned Tepig in the BW episode "Evolution By Fire," someone that was set up fairly early on was truly worthy of this entry. He's an absolute scumbag in every sense of the word, openly faking affection for Pokémon and then tossing them aside when he considers them unfit for his roster. He doesn't even have Paul's excuse of being disappointed with his older brother, which makes it immensely satisfying when Tepig evolves into Pignite and roasts this clown.

9. Hunter Rico

Even though Advanced may not be my favorite series, I will admit it has its moments; and this character in the early episode "A Poached Ego" is a good example of that. Rico not only opted to smuggle massive amounts of Ekans and Koffing with little to no compunction about making them "damaged goods," he even carries around an FN-P90 gun as insurance (I presume the only reason 4Kids didn't skip the episode like they did "The Legend of Dratini" is because he didn't actually fire at anyone, though he did brandish it more than once). It even led to a very emotional send-off for Jessie's Arbok and James' Weezing. As I mentioned in the last post, when characters that usually have no problem with stealing Pokémon think what someone is doing is horrible; you know you've earned a spot on this list.

8. Annie and Oakley

Even when taking into account the liberties taken in the dub (making them into Team Rocket operatives rather than independent mercenaries, complete with similar naming conventions); these two ladies are among the many reasons that I consider Heroes to be a solid movie to close out the original series movies. They may not be as evil as the next few entries on the list, but they are definitely willing to destroy Alto Mare's ecosystem to further own ends and get paid. That, and they are downright gleeful about the prospect too.  That will definitely be a factor in this countdown as it goes on. There's just something about hitwomen that will casually torture a Latios while wearing designer sunglasses that makes a good pair of villains for me.

7. Domino AKA Agent 009

On that subject, for your consideration; Agent 009, "Domino." Named for the famed hitwoman of the same name, she is an ideal aid to Giovanni in the Mewtwo Returns movie. As a member of Team Rocket's more elite operatives, she takes great glee in belittling Jessie and James in their failures. Given how the film was a direct sequel to Mewtwo Strikes Back, it had a lot to live up to as the first of many movies in this series. Needless to say, she definitely helped the film succeed as a follow-up to a work many people enjoyed, myself included.

6. Vicious AKA The Iron-Masked Marauder

From the Bulbapedia article about the character: "The Iron-Masked Marauder is a villain with absolutely no redeeming qualities. He is shown to be a malicious psychopath and also a megalomaniac, dishonest, ruthless, cruel, and egocentric person. He values his own life above that of others, whether out of cowardice or selfishness, and has no qualms about harming others, be it humans or Pokémon, for the sake of reaching his own goals."


Apart from the reasons I mentioned in my recap of the fourth movie; I couldn't have said it better myself.

5.  Colress

While I was among many that was disappointed that the initial appearances of Team Plasma were indefinitely postponed by the disaster in Tohoku in March 2011 (though the Generations shorts that featured the team offer glimpses of what could have been); I am also among those who feel that their appearance in the Episode N saga of Best Wishes 2 worked to their advantage. Although the character in the games does help you on your quest, Colress in the anime  uses mind control on the Pokémon in his introductory episode (including those of the main characters), and is more than willing to hurt Ash and his friends to prove his theories. He is also more appreciative of Ghetsis due to Plasma's "providing" increasingly more difficult "subjects" pushing the theories further. This definitely made him quite the effective villain, more than a good fit for his superior.

4. Lord Ghetsis

Pictured: Artwork from Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

When Ghetsis finally entered the anime after the above-mentioned 2-parter was indefinitely postponed, expectations were definitely high to say the least. I submit that as a villain that introduced many concepts to the series that hadn't been dealt with before the Black and White series, he is a key reason why I don't share many fans retroactive disdain for Generation V. He and his followers in Episode N are among some of the most memorable villains that the series has had in some time, largely because their roles are never played for laughs once. With a black cloak (his more regal one in the first Black and White was seen in a flashback), a voice that highly resembles Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in the dub and utter contempt for the world around him; Ghetsis' ambitions are the envy of many a real-world tyrant. While the arc showed that Ash and N disagreed on many things about Pokémon, N did agree on one thing as his former adoptive son: he had to be stopped, no matter the cost.

3. Hunter J

Now we're talking. As one of the final spots on this list, it got increasingly harder to include some of my potential candidates (who will be given honorable mentions at the end for a possible second list in the near future).  That said, I knew J would have to make the list; and including her in my top 3 was a given. I can credit the Diamond and Pearl series (as well as the Platinum game for my DS at the time) with helping me get back into the series as a teenager. As a series that often told darker stories and took more risks with the characters than past ones, J was notable as a villain that was not in the accompanying games; having been created for the series on her own. She is among villains that sees her own Pokémon as little more than living weapons; and doesn't care who she hurts as long as the highest bidder makes good on their payment. She routinely harms people and Pokémon alike to accomplish her goals. Notably, she used her Drapion to try to strangle Ash and lift him off the ground; and jettisoned a group her minions as cargo for letting a catch get away. She is also one of the few villains to be killed off onscreen during the three-part finale of the Team Galactic arc, with her ship filling up with water and exploding, with the only part of her remaining being her visor. A fitting end for someone as vile as her.

2. Giovanni (Origins)

As the first of many memorable villains in the series; Giovanni has had many unique incarnations over the past 20 years. This rendition from Pokémon Origins is no exception. Not only does he fit the mold that Origins built as a darker rendition of the plot of Pokémon Red and Blue, he manages to be one of the most memorable versions of the character in the course of a single episode. The Giovanni segment was probably my favorite part of the series (talk persists of more being made in the near future), and the way he was depicted was a key reason for that. Even though he initially saw Red as an obstacle, he grew to admire his drive and energy by the time of the gym battle in Viridian City. It also helped that Jamieson Price was an excellent choice to voice the character, given his role as Lordgenome in my favorite anime; Gurren Lagann. It was a very tough call between him and my top choice, but I can easily say that he stood out nontheless.

1. Lysandre

Yep, I bet a fair amount of you knew this was coming. While XYZ did thankfully exorcise many of the cheesier elements from Team Flare (along with their similar incarnations in the Pokémon Special manga), in every version of the Kalos journey I've seen (including my recently-finished second playthrough of the main quest in X) has been relatively consistent in their depiction of Lysandre as a man of wealth, taste and malice. Even though the anime attempts to give him a backstory of being a former philanthropist, given how he says it as he's putting his plans in motion; I can definitely give him the aura of an unreliable narrator. His enabling of Alain furthers that, but what really sets him apart is how ambitious he is. Not content with merely flaunting an expensive suit or an ostentatious haircut, he is more than willing to lay waste to the world and rebuild it in his image for his own warped vision of beauty. In a time where we are about to face many challenges of our own in real life, Lysandre is the ideal villain to embody those challenges. Much like J, Lysandre was even killed off at the end of the Team Flare Crisis arc in a change from the games (where his fate differed depending on which version you played). Depending on how the Sun and Moon series will handle Team Skull as it goes, I am definitely confident in him for my choice as my favorite Pokémon villain.

Before I officially put this year to bed at the stroke of midnight, here are some honorable mentions in no particular order: Grings Kodai, Team Galactic, Xerosic, Damien, and the Chancellor from Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel.

So, that will be all for now. I will start compiling my revised list of my Top 13 Favorite Anime Villains by the time you see this; and I hope to have it up sometime tomorrow at the earliest, since I might be helping move my grandfather into his new hospice home. The future is now, so let's make it a good one. Bang.

13 Things Wrong With The Character of Alain.

Hello again everyone. Well, my Christmas turned out quite well. My brother gave me an X-Men Apocalypse Blu-Ray, my father and grandparents sent me some money, and my mother gave me some new Pokémon cards and a BB-8 model from Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens (the Disney store replica; not the Sphero droid).

That said, 2016 has been quite the turbulent year; and one of the things that helped me get through it was the 20th anniversary of Pokémon. It will help with the next few years as well; with talk of new content for the upcoming Nintendo Switch and some new anime as well, least of all the "I Choose You" movie (not to mention the live-action Detective Pikachu movie from Legendary Pictures).

Still, it's time to finally put my issues with a character that's been one of the few blemishes of an otherwise great series to rest. I have mentioned before that I'm not a terribly big fan of Alain in the Mega Evolution Specials when I recapped all four acts of it last year. However, I did express hope that the character crossing over in the XYZ series would help flesh him out more. As time went on, that hope ended up being completely dashed.

Not only can I not even choose one episode to recap to express this as I originally planned; I can't even do my conventional "Top 13" list to illustrate how I feel. So, as one of the last couple pieces I have planned this year, I shall tell you 13 things wrong with the character of Alain.

As a warning, there will be spoilers for the XYZ series. If you haven't seen it yet and are planning on doing so, you may want to go see what Cracked has to offer. Otherwise, feel free to keep scrolling down and continue. Let's get this started.

1. The character's presence in the anime as a whole.

When the character was first introduced in the Mega Evolution Specials, many hoped that he would be a replacement for longtime protagonist Ash. I was not among them, largely because I've been trying to get people to understand that such a precedent is not as easy as everyone else thinks. In fact, Bill Watterson, creator of "Calvin and Hobbes" once said words to the effect of "believable characters are difficult to create and easy to destroy" in some of the notes he wrote for a book collection made for the 10th anniversary.

As a result, I often found that Alain's presence was easily overshadowed by most other characters not only in the specials; but once he actually crossed over into XYZ, he didn't really fit the dynamic that was established prior to that. The fact that even with four specials and a handful of episodes in XYZ to show what he can do, it doesn't really work in favor for him when I know less about his character than a bunch of characters of the day that have only appeared in one episode. I still submit that his role could have been filled much better by Steven Stone; who was genuinely entertaining in his appearances (and has the added benefit of tying into the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games).

2. His interactions with other characters.

Tying into the above flaw, despite the potential I admit Alain had to deconstruct the qualities of a Pokémon trainer; none of the writers seemed to be able to convince me about how believable his actions on screen could be.

While some of the flashbacks (such as the one pictured above with Professor Sycamore) show that his character could have been a genuinely engaging look at an older Pokémon trainer's journey, Alain seems to talk to virtually every character he meets with the same level of interest as someone ordering a cup of coffee. The crossover with the main XYZ series did very little to change that. I kept hoping for more scenes that would have shown his transformation from an idealistic young spirit to a cynical teenager, but they never came. Even when he did start showing enthusiasm as the series was winding down; it was the utmost definition of "too little, too late." Even though the series finale of XYZ did tease a potential reappearance of the character, to be frank, there is very little I could see myself wanting from Alain meeting anyone else in the future. Gene Siskel once asked this question about how to gauge one's investment in a film: "Would a documentary about the same actors having lunch be more interesting than the film I'm watching?" I can easily answer "yes" to that question. Hell, I have so little attachment to Alain as a character that an arc about showing how he became so downbeat and depressing a character would have been more interesting than the one I actually got!
To say many I found many people's reaction to events I will detail later on this list hypocritical would be putting it mildly.

No matter who Alain talked to, he always had the same general manner of speaking and just a handful of emotional states. For a character that's supposed to appeal to someone like me, that isn't a good thing. It also didn't help that both the actors cast for him (Kensho Ono in Japanese, Johnathan Silver in the dub) made me yearn for Hayden Christensen. At least N had the backstory of preferring the company of Pokémon, hence why most versions of his character aren't used to speaking with humans. Alain, however, is never given a reason why he's so distant to other people; which will come back to bite him in the ass as I continue this list.

3. The circumstances of gaining what he needed for Mega Evolution.

Here's something that really furthered my dislike for the character. Not only was this a departure from the games (where the power is given to you by Gurkinn, the Mega Evolution Guru), it unfortunately ended up being highly detrimental to Alain's character. I still submit that if he had never taken the Key Stone and Mega Stone from Lysandre, none of the events that transpired from that point would have happened. He never would have met Maron, Team Flare never would have gone after the legendary Pokémon; and he never would have been complicit in Lysandre's plans.

Let me make clear that this sort of thing is not the same as a bunch of 10-year-olds being swindled by a couple teenagers in Halloween costumes. In fact, even Team Rocket abhorred what Team Flare was doing and how Alain helped them accomplish their goals. When a villain faction that has little to no qualms about stealing (anything from Pokémon from enough food to keep from starving) thinks what you're doing is horrible, you've clearly misunderstood what you need to do as a hero.

I will be detailing more on how this event was an indicator of things to come from Alain as this list goes on; but I want to touch on more points from the specials before I officially transition to how he did in XYZ.

4. Inconsistencies as a trainer.

Despite being billed as "The Strongest Mega Evolution," neither the specials nor the XYZ series were able to display Alain's skill as a trainer, perceived or real in a consistent fashion. One episode will show him becoming Champion (I will finally assess that mess as the list goes on), another will portray him as losing to the Hoenn Legendaries and having to be rescued by Maron of all people, as shown in Act III (still the only act I really enjoyed).

The point is, it doesn't really work in the character's favor when the writers can't even establish how they want him to behave; much less battle. This isn't like Pikachu being able to take down a Regice but getting nerfed before he fights a Snivy: I've battled trainers online that have had more consistent attack patterns than Alain. In the time that he was given on screen; I've learned more about strategies that people overseas use in battle than about he does.

His doting on his Charizard doesn't help the matter either. As someone who likes Charizard and his mega evolutions (really enjoying training mine, Toothless, in my new copy of X); I wasn't a big fan of how it came at the expense of other members of his roster. If reaming Trevor's Mega Charizard Y in the Lumiose Conference (not helped by the fact that I actually like Trevor's character) didn't show how little I gave a damn about his perceived bond, then how the tournament treated the rest of his roster certainly did. Even in all the previous stories, I admired how even with Pokémon that I don't think very highly of; there was always an effort to show how they could be fleshed out as characters and even change my stance on certain monsters from the games. Instead, Alain barely connects with an entire roster of powerful Pokémon in favor of shilling his Charizard.

Even when he claims he wants to get stronger, without any clearly-defined motivations; his character is as inconsistent as anyone holding a political rank. Depending on what happens after he leaves Kalos, maybe that might be a more sound option. He wouldn't be the first conceited blowhard with a bad haircut to try that (make your own assumptions).

5. The way he treats Maron.

Yeah, you knew this was probably going to be on the list. Even though I'm not a big fan of her character either, even she didn't deserve what happened to her! Honestly, why her? She was only a little girl starting out on her journey! She needed a friend, a shoulder to cry on when things were tough, and he shunned her! He, as I pointed out before; is even responsible for what happened to her Chespin and by proxy, the events of XYZ! Of course, even he doesn't seem to understand that for reasons that will be detailed in the next entry on the list.

6. His inability to grasp the consequences of his actions.

As the final moments of the Mega Evolution specials wore on, it became inherently clear to me that Alain had a fundamental problem of being able to grasp the consequences of his actions. Granted, he was at least angry at what happened; but rather than realize what he had done, he just kept going with the same course of action in XYZ without an ounce of foresight. It just compounded the same lack of understandable motivation that dogged him the moment he appeared onscreen. Still, I hoped things would get better with his inclusion in XYZ. As I'm about to tell you, they didn't.

7. His arbitrary introduction to the XYZ series.

While the inclusion of his character may have been something of an admission that Alain couldn't carry a whole series like other fans thought he could, regrettably; he didn't fare much better when he became a supporting character in XYZ. His introduction in "A Meeting of Two Journeys" just felt so tacked-on that you could have introduced him there, which should tell you something about how little impact the Mega Evolution Specials had on me as a viewer. While they were at least better than Chronicles (especially The Legend of Thunder), they paled in comparison to Origins and now Generations. Alain being transplanted to the main anime did little to change that, and the next spots of the list show what did change was NOT for the better.

8. His willingness to help Lysandre and Team Flare.

After Alain was introduced to the the XYZ series formally, he did very little to develop as a character; and the developments he did have just raised further questions as to what the people in charge were trying to accomplish.

This example stands out as particularly bad, since as I mentioned before; Alain deliberately chose to help Team Flare and Lysandre, which is on a whole other order of magnitude then just a 10-year-old being tricked by a couple teenagers in Halloween costumes.


This can best be displayed by the episode "An Explosive Operation," wherein he openly accepts a call to help Team Flare capture Zygarde 50%. Did anyone read the script for that episode out loud? Needless to say, it was definitely an indicator of things to come. From that point forward, Alain's chances for redemption continued to dwindle.

9. Constant appearances at the expense of other characters.

Alain's minimal impact on me and others as a character also  hasn't been helped by the fact that there are numerous other characters  that could have been utilized instead. In addition to my mention of Trevor, other characters from the Mega Evolution Specials such as Astrid and Remo would have been more interesting to see; as would more of Siebold. Granted, Malva did help the story; but the fact that this character was being pushed instead of other ones from the games that would have worked better (such as the other members of the Kalos Elite Four, Drasna and Wikstrom). Yet, despite the constant bombarding of his character in XYZ; how the character was written always seemed like an afterthought to me, especially in the remaining points on this list.

10. His entire role in the Lumiose Conference.

Yeah, it's almost impossible to talk about this character without mentioning this event nowadays. When Alain became the winner of the Kalos League, the fandom reacted with a level of backlash normally reserved for real-life individuals like Ryan Locthe (I note that comparison will officially date this list, but I digress). At the time, it got so divisive that the most rabid supporters of the anime were hate-bombing TV Tokyo's YouTube channel with downvotes (disregarding how it's OLM that actually makes the show, but whatever) and the harshest critics of it refused to admit anything about it was good. I can definitely understand why a lot of people were upset (I was, but not to the extent others were); though I can at least agree the battle itself was pretty well-made and its outcome was totally ridiculous (though it was an improvement over a team of Legendaries and Lucario ex machina). On a personal level, however, I think the Nostalgia Critic said it best for his look at Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain for his "Was that Real" series: "I'm kind of disappointed that I'm not more disappointed."

I know that a great many people were angry about what happened, but I personally think that a lot of their rage was hypocritical given how the lion's share of it was leveled against the runner-up and not the subjective champion. I would have been a lot angrier at Alain winning myself, but I can now officially say that I found him on a personal level too underdeveloped to care. The fact that you could replace his character with a throwaway league rival and my reaction would have been exactly the same does not work in favor for him representing me as an older fan.

While a few holdouts are also clamoring for a rematch, there is honestly nothing I would want out of one that the series could offer.

Yet, even after winning something many would die for, he still didn't really change as a character; which will be addressed in the final three points.

11. His role in the Team Flare Crisis arc.

As we wind this list down, I want to make clear that a lot of people that were up in arms about the League personally pulled the trigger too early in my opinion. The Team Flare Crisis arc was exactly what I wanted to flesh the faction out more after how hokey their incarnations in the games were. So what's the deal?

Well, even with the circumstances of his dealings with Team Flare revealed; Alain still didn't change a bit as a character until the arc itself was winding down. He didn't really do much of anything until the later parts of it.

This is also what set the two protagonists apart for me: even after finding out what Alain did and everything he put him through, Ash didn't have it in his heart to take the same actions Alain did and decided to help him set things right.

Moreover, despite his claim that he would "make Maron smile again," it was ultimately Steven Stone and characters that had been established before Alain that saved Chespy and cured her illness. Even when he finally stood up to Team Flare, it was ultimately with the help of Ash and the Kalos gym leaders. With that on the table, I highly doubt Alain would have done such a thing under his own volition given the way he was established before all this happened.

At the very least, he does finally realize how he was responsible for everything that transpired and shows actual emotion at this reveal beyond "stoic blankness" and "fake social smile." As I said earlier in this list, however, it was still the very definition of "too little, too late."

12. His role in comparison to other protagonists and characters.

Perhaps one of the biggest ways to gauge how disappointing Alain was as a protagonist for me is to compare him to some other ones. I was very skeptical about how the character could live up to Origins Red as well as a whole swarm of previously-established trainers, and it turns out that my doubts were justified. Even though Red hadn't been adapted into an animated format before Origins, that special still took the care to establish him as his own character and made it easy to get invested in his journey. No matter how often Alain appeared, all I knew about his character is that he wanted to be strong and little to nothing else. Like I said before, there are side characters that have only appeared in a single episode that I know more about than Alain.

This can be furthered by the fact that over the course of this year, the YouTube series Pokémon Generations managed to succeed in every area the Mega Evolution Specials failed for me. I really enjoyed the "less is more" approach to the characters and the Pokémon world. By focusing only on the key events from the games, it allowed characters that couldn't be adapted before in other versions to stand out in ways that I could only have imagined in the past. The player characters of the games had little to no dialogue, yet I am a viewer was totally invested. Despite the attempts to appeal to me with Alain, the first skit managed to get me into the journey all over again by doing something as simple as putting me on the same intellectual level as a young man with a Game Boy in his hands. As the weeks went on, the skits did provide a good template for my personal idea of a reboot for the series, straddling the line of a darker version of the premise while also being true to its family friendly roots in a similar vein to Star Wars (which is seeing a return of original trilogy influence with Rebels, The Force Awakens and now Rogue One) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which is quickly building a narrative every bit as entertaining and unique as their source material). The final short, which detailed the ending of Pokémon X and Y is exactly the kind of anime that I wanted Alain to be a part of. Even after all the times that people tried to market Alain as an older protagonist to me, the ultimate irony was that seeing AZ reunite with his beloved Floette was a truer bond to me in less than 5 minutes than Alain had with his Charizard in all of his multiple appearances.

13. His overall disconnect between others.

Last, but not least by a long shot; was just the total disconnect that Alain had overall. Not just with me as a viewer; but with virtually every other character he interacted with. The way he spoke to other people and how he always chose to distance himself from who he interacted with was ultimately detrimental to not only his role in the anime, but also to the potential the character had.

Even though many people thought he had the potential to be a new protagonist to rally behind, I submit that potential was never realized in the slightest. In fact, I can officially say that Alain is my least favorite rival ever. At least other rivals had some qualities I could talk about beyond being some dour-faced hipster. This guy was so sullen he made me look like Aziz Ansari!


Seriously, the whole mold of his character didn't fit the world that was being built with the XY series at all; to the point where it almost feels like he was transplanted from a totally different anime. He's basically Shinji Ikari without any of the sympathetic qualities that made that character memorable for me. Exactly what was missing from the franchise that the powers that be decided this emo teenager was it? I've seen fanfics that had more believable characters than Alain.


Even in the case of characters I don't like, I usually have something for them in terms of my head canon before I consider just cutting them out or killing them off. Alain doesn't even have that. The best I could do is just have the character get killed and have a large part of the story investigating his death. The disconnect is just so great that there is nothing that the character can offer me as a viewer that I would want. The final appearance of him in the series finale of XYZ did little to nothing to change that.


With the Sun and Moon anime potentially setting up appearances from Gladion and Lusamine via a photograph in the newest Japanese episode as of this writing; I think it could be an opportunity to do the things they could have done with Alain. Their relationship in the games has more than enough backstory to work with (still not spoiling any specifics, go play the games yourself and you'll know what I'm talking about), so I am wondering where it might go from there. As for an older protagonist: I honestly wouldn't mind if the next attempt had more of a Deadpool or Star Lord quality to him, or at the very least a more idealistic take on the series. Again, the likes of Goku and Monkey D. Luffy are great examples of characters that never lose their adventurous spirit even when they get older.

This article not only took longer to write than I thought, but it also comes in the window of the death of someone I admired: Carrie Fisher, best known as Leia Organa in the Star Wars saga died of heart failure at age 60 as I was working on this piece. With her work on Episode VIII completed, every time I watch a Star Wars film from now on (including going to see Rogue One again with my family) will remind me of how much I admired her as a character and a person. This whole year has been full of traumatic events, and I honestly have no idea what to expect from the future anymore. On top of that, my grandfather is now going to be moved into a new hospice facility; so I'm going to wrap this up before I help take care of him for the next day or so.

With the new year drawing closer than ever, I am definitely going to make good on my oft-delayed plans of a tribute to those "New Year's Evil" marathons they used to have when I was younger. So, check back with me New Year's Eve for my Top 13 Favorite Pokémon Villains, and as the new year begins in 2017 for my Top 13 Favorite Anime Villains! See you, space cowboy!

Recap: The Ice Cave

Hello again, and Merry Christmas, everyone! Even though this year has been quite turbulent (probably the most accurate word I can use for it given the circumstances); I can officially say that the 20th anniversary of Pokémon has been a huge success, thanks in no small part to the double-whammy success of the Pokémon Go mobile game and Pokémon Sun and Moon on 3DS shattering the records set by their seniors’ sales (not to mention the Virtual Console releases of Red, Blue, and Yellow). So, in addition to me doing the Wonder Trade Christmas again (breeding Riolu in X and Y, Charmander in OR/AS, and Pichu in Sun and Moon); I will give you all a present of me looking at another banned episode of the series as my last recap of the year! Let’s open up “The Ice Cave!” 

Our theme song for this anime is the tune “Ready Go,” which is a good song despite me being a relative newcomer to the Japanese version. I know the subs of it must be out there somewhere because of how people are doing all these comparisons (Dogasu is the man I cite most commonly); but you can take my word on how hard they are to find.

We open on Ash, Misty and Brock being on their way to Blackthorn City so Ash can try for his eighth and final badge. So, this episode, were it not skipped; would have taken place chronologically between “I Politoed You So” and “Beauty is Skin Deep.”

Anyway, they come to a fork in the road and decide to take a shortcut through the ice cave; with Team Rocket planning something behind them. 

We then get our title card to help lead us into this episode.

As everyone enters the cave, Misty takes a bad step and everyone goes sliding into a pitfall trap. Yeah, that was irritating when I was younger. Not only was 90% of the floor of the cave ice and obstacles, it was also a maze. It took me hours to navigate that mess on my Game Boy Color when I was 9 (with the Heart Gold remake also adding a bit about giving one of the Kimono Girls a push when her geta are frozen to the floor. I haven’t played Soul Silver yet, but I want to).

Team Rocket reveal themselves, and they all start dousing the gang in water in attempt to freeze them and take their Pokémon!

They’re able to send them blasting off; but everyone is soaked, most of all Brock, to the point where he catches a cold!

Everyone finds a Pokémon Center, and rather than Chansey or Blissey; the helpers of Nurse Joy are Jynx! All right, I will definitely have to address the reason why this was banned; as she is the Donphan in the room, so to speak. Even though Jynx is meant to be a sort of parody of the “ganguro” fashion trend in Japan (where young women often dye their hair and dress themselves in makeup and flashy clothes), many circles in the west perceive her as a racial stereotype of African-Americans (which has also led to certain Looney Tunes cartoons being part of the infamous “Censored Eleven.”). While some episodes like the Christmas special I recapped a while ago can be at least considered apocryphal due to the “Electric Soldier Porygon” incident; there really wasn’t much of a way to re-edit this episode to downplay or eliminate Jynx’s role without compromising the story. So, 4Kids took the easy way out and just skipped it; and Jynx would later be redesigned to purple skin to avoid a similar mishap (she’s even been redesigned that way in my Virtual Console copy of Yellow as part of Lorelei’s roster).

Anyway, Nurse Joy arrives; and she helps get Brock into bed as she tells Ash and Misty to get out of their wet clothes before they get sick too.

They hang their clothes to dry over a heater as Joy takes Brock’s temperature. As a result of seeing her, Ash and Misty aren’t sure whether his fever is from the cold or seeing Joy. 

As for Ash and Misty wrapping up in these blankets; barring their shoes, undergarments and Ash’s hat: even with their clothes drying in what’s effectively a hospital; it’s a bit much even for a couple 10-year-olds to be in a somewhat modest state of undress. Get your mind out of the gutter!

After their clothes dry, it turns out that this Joy is related to one in the Orange Islands in the episode “The Joy of Pokémon,” which I might recap in the future; but first I want to catch up on other projects I couldn’t this year.

It also turns out the Pokémon Center is for the ice Pokémon; as shown by how Jynx helps Joy wash the eyes of this Piloswine. Also, Piloswine apparently has tiny eyes.

Team Rocket in a boss fantasy, then starts coming up with things they could do with the ice Pokémon they send to him.

Jynx wakes him up LIKE A BOSS!

Swinub grooms him LIKE A BOSS!

Piloswine polish his floor LIKE A BOSS!

Reward his minions LIKE A BOSS!

As Jessie,James and Meowth start devising a plan to wreck the cooling system; Jynx actually kisses him! I’m not going to question anything, but I am going to play this music.

Then, suddenly, Ash, Misty and Nurse Joy discover that the cooling unit has been tampered with! As they try to fix it; they end up falling into another pitfall! Even when they get out, they have to get back to the Pokémon Center to protect Brock and the others!

First, however, they need to stop the temperature from getting higher; otherwise the roof of the cave will collapse! 

They’re able to repair the cooler, but Team Rocket reaches the Pokémon Center while Brock still hasn’t fully recovered!

Although Jynx tries to hold them off, Team Rocket has a bunch of heaters that sap her strength! Still makes more sense than Pyro Man in NT Warrior (I’m done with that series; not even the reboot cartoon is going to change my mind about that).

Brock tries to stop them, but his fever is too high to react quick enough in battle!

Luckily, Ash and Misty return in the nick of time! 

Then, the cave returns to its usual cool temperature; and Pikachu destroys the heaters!

Jynx’s strength returns and Team Rocket is sent frozen and blasting off!

I WAS FROZEN TODAY!

Thanks to Jynx’s help; Brock has recovered and everyone can continue on their journey!

We then close on everyone reaching Blackthorn City! That brings back some good memories of playing Gold, Silver and Crystal and beating Clair for the first time.

While I have no formal opinion on any stereotypes that Jynx embodies, I personally think it’s too bad this episode was skipped; and most likely will never be dubbed in English. However, it’s relatively easy to find online with subtitles, so I can definitely suggest giving “The Ice Cave” a watch and deciding for yourself. From a strictly fan perspective though, it’s a pretty fun little episode with some nice animation for the time and makes for good viewing in between playing the games. I am almost done with beating the main quest in X in my replacement game, and I have a combined 120 hours logged in my copies of Sun and Moon. By the time you read this, I will be having dinner with my family, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Next time will be a list I’ve been meaning to write for a while. See you space cowboy.

Recap: A Very Yo-Kai Christmas

Hello again, and happy first day of Winter. Well, guess it’s time to do the dub of the Yo-Kai Watch Christmas special. This was one of my choices that was dependent on the sales figures of Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls in the US. As of November 26, the games have only sold a combined 90,000 units; just shy of my threshold of 100,000 in order to so the second movie. Given how it’s taken them almost two months to reach that figure, the results are definitely disappointing to say the least; coming from someone that’s not a fan of the series and a year that’s also seen other anticipated titles end up being disappointments (though I’m still interested in some of them so I can decide for myself. Examples I might pick up include Star Fox Zero, Mighty No. 9 and ReCore).

Of course, the anime hasn’t been doing as well in the US either. Even after Disney XD has burned through about half the episodes they ordered for their second season, the ratings have yet to go past 500,000 viewers at their peak. So, let’s open up “A Very Yo-Kai Christmas” and see whether or not it can be re-gifted or exchanged for a gift card instead.

We open on Nate being sent on an errand by his mother to pick up a cake for their Christmas dinner. OK, that’s admittedly not too bad. I was younger than him when I was sent on errands to the shop; so doing so is acceptable at age 11. I didn’t even have many of the advantages people in his position take for granted these days, but I was around that age when I started helping with shopping, Christmas or otherwise.

On his way to the bakery, he sees a pair of soccer shoes in a store window and anticipates getting them for Christmas. So far, this isn’t that bad.

Of course, Whisper has to act like a discount Grinch or Scrooge by showing his discontent with the season. Please, go away! I’ve had a long night, and your mugging isn’t helping!

His reason for being such a baby depends on which version you watch: in the Japanese version (which I once again watched for a frame of reference), he says it’s because of the “Holy energy”. In the dub, since you apparently can’t say the H-word in a kids’ anime (though the finale of Gravity Falls on the same network was very dark even from my perspective), it’s because of “Christmas spirit.” It’s stuff like this that makes me nostalgic for the likes of Charlie Brown, Frosty and Rudolph (which still air to this day this time of year even after countless other specials have come and gone).

We also run into a nameless couple arguing, who I shall dub Donald and Hillary for the sake of argument (total coincidence, no disrespect intended). Donald questions why Hillary has to “pick apart everything” he says, and Hillary replies that she’s an English major. Hey fellas, those are my lines.

Of course, it’s the result of Dismerelda; who is placated by her husband Happieré (Honobono in Japanese) giving her a present, which also clears the air around Donald and Hillary. Figures. I feel like I put on the pilot again by mistake. This whole year just feels like I’m stuck in a time loop. All that’s missing is me waking up to Cher. 

Elsewhere, Yokai from previous episodes (many of which I won’t be covering here) are affecting the consumerism in Springdale. I am well aware that this is first and foremost a spiritual holiday; and I’ve taken the whole salesmanship in recent years to be a more Pagan aspect of the season (I haven’t seen much in the way of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but I have used some of the money I’ve gotten from my relatives to expand my Pokémon and Star Wars collections; and I’m also looking into some Transformers I don’t have yet either).

Despite Whisper’s claim that “the Holidays are dangerous for yokai”, he seems to be the only one that feels like that. In fact, Jibanyan is skipping down the street with a song in his heart. Like I said, Whisper is being a total Scrooge about the matter.

Nate picks up the cake, but is dismayed to find out the baker took a bite out of it due to the influence of the Yo-Kai Grubsnitch. OK, I’m definitely not doing that episode, since I need more to work with than just one joke and a toy.

You know that I’m not a big fan of the dub’s alternate intro by now; so I’m skipping it. I’m listening more to stuff like this instead.

The next segment is entitled “The Koma-Santa Clause.” Hey, there’s a joke I actually get! For the record, I like the first Santa Clause most; the second one is OK, I don’t really care for the third one.

Anyway, Komasan and Komajiro are assigned to be Santa’s helpers for the town of Springdale this year; delivering toys to all the children in town.

So, they put on some red suits and white beards that were included with their sacks; and they set off while sounding like like Bo and Luke Duke. Yeah, I have no formal opinion on that old show being pulled from the airwaves. Too bad, it was actually pretty silly fun. 

The first stop is the home of a little girl who wants a teddy bear; but Koma-Santa (just go with it) wants to give her a pony instead. Noble thought, but what if someone actually wants a pony? What will happen then?

Fortunately, Santa-jiro (bear with me) switches the pony with the toy she really wants. Nice save, buddy.

After coming to a fork in the road; the two decide to split up and deliver the rest of the toys before morning, so they can cover more ground. While I normally don’t address the Komasan segments in these recaps on the grounds that I find them more interesting than the main ones with Nate, Jibanyan and Whisper, since Christmas is coming; I thought I would make an exception.

Also, one of the toys that gets delivered appears to a variant of an Optimus Prime toy. I still intend to recap more Transformers anime next year to help get ready for The Last Knight. Some I like, some I don’t; some to definitely prove that Michael Bay isn’t the only one who can make a work of fiction about a toy a parable for robotic civil war and a vessel for youth and nerd product positioning at the same time!

With just a few minutes left to spare before midnight, Komajiro even gives Komasan a coin purse to to help clear up space in his bag! Very nice, and practical too! I may consider getting a new billfold soon as well; since mine has seen a bit of mileage and I’m kind of tempted to use this Batman V Superman paper craft one I got in a Lootcrate a while ago.

Admittedly. the first two segments of this anime have been at least serviceable; with the Komasan and Komajiro segment having an advantage over the main one because of a simpler story structure and characters that actually seem like characters and not just toys. I actually wouldn’t have such a problem with the whole thing if the main segments were more like this.

Sadly, this is not to be; as we’re right back in the mess with the third and final segment; regarding “Yo-Kai Old Saint Trick.” I much prefer the robotic “Annual Gift Man” that lives on the Moon. 

This bit opens with Nate returning home with the cake, conveniently ignoring the first bit ended with the baker taking a bite out of it! Consistency? What’s that?

For some reason, Mrs. Adams asks Nate what they’re having for dinner, giving him a choice of fried chicken; tuna casserole or Japanese takeout. Stop the presses, they actually used the J-word in this dub!

Confused by the way his mother is acting, Whisper than suggests that maybe she made all three dishes in the spirit of the season! What an odd thing to say.

Then all of a sudden, it turns into a game of Who Wants to be A Millionaire. Hey, there’s another joke I actually get! 

Nate correctly answers fried chicken, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she also had a bunch of mashed potatoes and gravy; hot buttermilk biscuits and enough Pepsi to fuel a night in watching Doctor Who and playing Super Smash Bros! 

We then get another such bit, where the Yo-Kai version of Santa Claus; Old Saint Trick is revealed! He’s quite different from the original folklore and the jolly old fellow who’s on my Coke bottles this time of year; though he’s at least not as troublesome as Sinterklaas’ lesser-known antithesis, the Krampus (though the movie last year helped bring him to a wider audience before it was quickly overshadowed by Star Wars Episode VII).

However, through some comic miscommunication; Whisper and Jibanyan then get sucked into a couple of his bags, and the third contains the soccer shoes Nate wants so much! Yeah, I’m personally thinking about getting some new kicks myself; still working one freshening up my wardrobe for 2017 (as per usual, the shoes that have seen mileage since the start of this year will most likely be kept for yard work and sentimental reasons).

Nate tries looking determined; but it’s just making me use this Mr. Plinkett clip again. 

What's wrong with your face?

Nate, being an impulsive 11-year-old; chooses the bag with the shoes, but Old Saint Trick keeps them and returns the yokai, and gives him his medal! He just couldn’t leave this anime without another toy plug, could he? Also, as someone who is just about done with their shopping; most of the tie-in merchandise hasn’t really moved in my area. I have also expanded my reference points towards shops in Eugene; and close to every time I’ve visited the shops there; barely any of the toys or games related to the franchise have sold. Apart from the NES Classic Edition, most of the toys that people seem to be picking up for the season are things related to Rogue One, Doctor Strange, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers (shipments for merchandise of both the film reboot and Ninja Steel are slowly trickling in my area) and DC Comics. Minecraft and Five Nights at Freddy’s also have a decent following in these parts. Bringing up the Z-Ring seems kind of like overkill; but virtually every place I’ve been to has only had a few in stock, making me glad I ordered mine as soon as I could (I just need to put new AAA batteries in it, and I’ll really be in business). 

More on how the claim of this crap being “the next Pokémon” is now null and void in a moment; but for now, I might as well start wrapping this up like some gifts to my family.

While Nate is glad to get a new soccer ball and uniform; he is dismayed that his grandmother got him this statue. As for this Japanese shogun being retained when the setting was changed from Japan to Idaho; I once again refer you to this SF Debris quote: “By calling attention to the elephant in the room, they’ve unwittingly drawn attention to the mammoth standing next to it.”

Of course, we close on Nate getting the shoes as he falls asleep that night. Even in what’s admittedly one of the better episodes I’ve seen; I can’t really go so far as to praise it. Not when I can see an ending like this coming from Portland.

Even with my odd traditions around this time of year; I can’t really be too mad at this anime. At the same time, however, even I can understand why many fans are disappointed even if I don’t share their enthusiasm. While Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls heavily hint at the third game; the idea of getting it localized at all is in my book, a much tougher prospect than just trying to rework it. Under normal circumstances, I would just go with “Occam’s razor” to describe why things didn’t go as planned for the series here: The simplest explanation is probably the correct one. Unfortunately, much like our political transition this year, these are not normal circumstances.

This isn’t the same thing as trying to bring a game that’s a cult favorite to the US in chances of getting a wider audience: this is, for intents and purposes, a Japanese phenomenon that hasn’t clicked with people here on a broad level. Once again, Pokémon has retained its stranglehold on many players young and old; while Yo-Kai Watch seems to be further headed towards a date wth Bakugan, Redakai and Monsuno. 

On that note, I feel like I’ve failed Level-5 in many ways; but in others I feel like the fans are trying to sell me a velvet painting of Elvis Presley and telling me it’s Picasso’s “Guernica.” While I admit I’m still willing to at least play the sequels before I officially pass judgment on them (even though I traded in the first game back towards Sun and Moon, I’m keeping the data on my SD card in case I do pick them up soon); I just feel that people keep trying to tell me a game I find passable at best is great. I’m sorry, Hino: Ni No Kuni is awesome, and that’s the nicest thing I can say about the Yo-Kai Watch video games.

“A Very Yo-Kai Christmas,” however; still doesn’t provide enough for me to officially give praise to anything other than the animation. The story doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done a thousand times before, and Nate is a protagonist that seems content in the truth of averageness rather than willing to challenge himself and grow as a character.

I guess I’m just too used to my childhood anime heroes. Characters like Ash Ketchum, Yugi Moto, Son Goku and the many Digidestined “goggle-heads” helped teach me universal values of right and wrong and being prepared to protect the ones they care for; no matter the cost. When a protagonist would rather have a pair of cleats than creatures he claims are his friends, how am I as a viewer supposed to apply my 11-year-old-self to his stead? If anything, the anime has furthered my appreciation for Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” and its lead of Chihiro Ogino, who has more identifiable flaws and sympathetic qualities to endear her to me; especially through her journey as the persona of bathhouse worker “Sen.” Most of all, the “if you don’t like it, don’t watch it” argument really fails when Disney XD airs the series from anywhere to an hour to hours on end every day in a manner that shames Nickelodeon’s obsession with SpongeBob reruns and Cartoon Network milking Teen Titans Go for all they can; only those shows at least have some capacity to make me laugh. If you were in my shoes, how long would it take you to see what’s on demand or on Netflix?

Well, I know what I’m going to do next to wash my hands of this fluff. I’m going to play my replacement copy of Pokémon X; watch the extended cut of Suicide Squad I just got on Blu-Ray; and work on my next recap. Check back with me Christmas Eve for my look at another banned episode of Pokémon: “The Ice Cave!” See you, space cowboy!