Kanto
8. Pewter City
This is the first of many battles that the series has seen; and despite the creative license it takes with the games; it still manages to craft a worthwhile experience that I have seen many times. Though I do like how Ash shows Brock the path he's following isn't the one he should be, I do concede Ash does not take his initial defeat well. This isn't the last time he reacts this way, either, though admittedly; they did get better with time.
7. Cerulean City
This episode also takes some liberties with the games, but given how much I watched this episode when I was younger; it was another experience I had lots of fun with overall. I always like how each version of this battle has its own unique approach, in this case; Pikachu saving the Sensational Sisters' bacon.
6. Celadon City
While Erika in the anime may not initially have been written the same way she was in the games, I still found this to be a fun episode; especially with the initial way Ash got in: disguised as a young woman named "Ashley" in the first of many times he crossdressed (XYZ being the exception, with Serena doing so instead while he's ill). It's kind of like in Wayne's World: "Did you find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress and pretended to be a girl bunny?" Maybe not, but amusingly, I think Veronica Taylor did an early version of her May voice in this disguise.
5. Vermilion City
Even though the previous badges were not given in the traditional sense, this battle with Lt. Surge is easily one of the best early gym battles due to the challenges Ash's Pikachu faced against its evolved form of Raichu. I don't know what to make of how #PokémonLetsGo is changing him, but I will say that between his new design and military getup; he once again gives me vibes of being this series' answer to Col. Guile from Street Fighter.
4. Fuchsia City
I'm one of many that just can never seem to resist the allure of ninjas, and this gym battle is proof of that. I have seen it many times since I was younger, and I definitely like how the battle was handled; taking what was merely a haven of invisible walls in the games and turning it into an action packed mansion. On top of being revisited for "The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion," this was also the first appearance of Maddie Blaustein as Meowth. I also find it amusing how James compared the gym to "Japanese restaurant." Oh yes: typical architecture for a Benihana.
3. Saffron City
In another case of world-building providing a unique take on the setting, this was one multi-part battle that I have gained retroactive appreciation for as I got older. While I didn't really enjoy "Abra and the Psychic Showdown" when I first saw it (not just for Ash getting debagged either), I did start to like it for its darker elements as I got older. It has joined the rotation of my favorite Kanto gym battles along with "Haunter VS Kadabra," and I am glad to say it's one of my favorite takes on Sabrina.
2. Viridian City
While we wouldn't get a proper battle with Ash and Giovanni for many years, the gym battle in Viridian City overall was a strong final gym battle for Kanto that definitely provided some great animation and an all around great episode even with everything going on it. It also had some storylines parallel to the first movie, which would have been tighter if it weren't for the Electric Soldier Porygon incident.
1. Cinnabar Island
This two-part take on the gym battle with Blaine has held up incredibly well over time. From both the perspective of a 7-year-old and a 26-year-old, it's not just my favorite Gym battle from Kanto; but easily one of the best of the entire series. The final battle with Charizard and Magmar has held up over years of advances in animation with even just the simple pleasures of traditional ink and paint. Like many in the fandom, I have an appreciation for Masaki Iwane; who is a key animator for the series who has been doing work for it since its inception. He has extensive work for OLM, and is still involved with the show today. Now, before I move onto Johto, it's time for a quick break; and you'll see my ranking of Johto gym battles at the next heading.
This episode also takes some liberties with the games, but given how much I watched this episode when I was younger; it was another experience I had lots of fun with overall. I always like how each version of this battle has its own unique approach, in this case; Pikachu saving the Sensational Sisters' bacon.
6. Celadon City
While Erika in the anime may not initially have been written the same way she was in the games, I still found this to be a fun episode; especially with the initial way Ash got in: disguised as a young woman named "Ashley" in the first of many times he crossdressed (XYZ being the exception, with Serena doing so instead while he's ill). It's kind of like in Wayne's World: "Did you find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress and pretended to be a girl bunny?" Maybe not, but amusingly, I think Veronica Taylor did an early version of her May voice in this disguise.
5. Vermilion City
Even though the previous badges were not given in the traditional sense, this battle with Lt. Surge is easily one of the best early gym battles due to the challenges Ash's Pikachu faced against its evolved form of Raichu. I don't know what to make of how #PokémonLetsGo is changing him, but I will say that between his new design and military getup; he once again gives me vibes of being this series' answer to Col. Guile from Street Fighter.
4. Fuchsia City
I'm one of many that just can never seem to resist the allure of ninjas, and this gym battle is proof of that. I have seen it many times since I was younger, and I definitely like how the battle was handled; taking what was merely a haven of invisible walls in the games and turning it into an action packed mansion. On top of being revisited for "The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion," this was also the first appearance of Maddie Blaustein as Meowth. I also find it amusing how James compared the gym to "Japanese restaurant." Oh yes: typical architecture for a Benihana.
3. Saffron City
In another case of world-building providing a unique take on the setting, this was one multi-part battle that I have gained retroactive appreciation for as I got older. While I didn't really enjoy "Abra and the Psychic Showdown" when I first saw it (not just for Ash getting debagged either), I did start to like it for its darker elements as I got older. It has joined the rotation of my favorite Kanto gym battles along with "Haunter VS Kadabra," and I am glad to say it's one of my favorite takes on Sabrina.
2. Viridian City
While we wouldn't get a proper battle with Ash and Giovanni for many years, the gym battle in Viridian City overall was a strong final gym battle for Kanto that definitely provided some great animation and an all around great episode even with everything going on it. It also had some storylines parallel to the first movie, which would have been tighter if it weren't for the Electric Soldier Porygon incident.
1. Cinnabar Island
This two-part take on the gym battle with Blaine has held up incredibly well over time. From both the perspective of a 7-year-old and a 26-year-old, it's not just my favorite Gym battle from Kanto; but easily one of the best of the entire series. The final battle with Charizard and Magmar has held up over years of advances in animation with even just the simple pleasures of traditional ink and paint. Like many in the fandom, I have an appreciation for Masaki Iwane; who is a key animator for the series who has been doing work for it since its inception. He has extensive work for OLM, and is still involved with the show today. Now, before I move onto Johto, it's time for a quick break; and you'll see my ranking of Johto gym battles at the next heading.
Johto
8. Violet City
While Falkner in the anime may not be as condescending as he was in the games, he still shows shades of this in his attitude toward electric Pokémon. That being said, this battle is still a good one to lead with in Johto, and the battle between Charizard and Pidgeot was a great way for Ash to win the Zephyr Badge in "Fighting Flyer With Fire."
7. Azalea Town
Bugsy also differs significantly from his counterpart in the games, though this also makes this battle stand out among the early Johto gym matches. Even though I also started with Cyndaquil in my many playthroughs of Gold; I always like it whenever the animators and writers can think of creative ways to overcome a Pokémon's limits and have Ash or others work up countermeasures for type disadvantages. That ended up making his battle for the Hive Badge that much more satisfying, though the battles in this arc would just keep getting better.
6. Goldenrod City
Whitney, while not as impulsive as she is in the games; her Miltank is no less a formidable foe. My strategy was to trade someone outside the city for a Machop; train it till it learned some good fighting moves and just let that "moof-milker" have it. Still, this two-parter not only showed how some gym leaders could get on the same wavelength as the leads, and saving her dairy farm definitely made a sweet, creamy way to get the Plain Badge.
5. Cianwood City
This finale to the "Johto League Champions" season was another strong gym battle with Chuck, a portly fighting master who despite sharing his name with memetic brawler Chuck Norris; seems to be a very thinly-veiled parody of Steven Seagal. It also was an interesting way of handling the games' subplot of getting medicine for a sick Ampharos, which leads to my next entry on this list.
4. Olivine City
While Jasmine may not be my favorite Johto gym leader, I felt that the way this story was handled was an interesting one. Moreover, I definitely like how the Steel types that were introduced in Johto were every bit as much a challenge here as they were in the games.
3. Ecruteak City
The world-building in Johto ended up being one of the many reasons why the games are among my favorites in the series, so this naturally extended to how the show handled the lore. It also provided key context for Ash's battle with Morty, which was honestly my favorite battle of the first half of their gym leaders. Even though Noctowl was immune to Ghost type attacks, Morty was definitely no slouch in battle either. Ever since I was 9, I still watch this battle every time I get a chance to.
2. Mahogany Town
8. Fortree City
While the battle with Winona itself was fine, it's more of how they handled the setting itself that makes this battle my least favorite gym battle of AG: it's a generic kind of setting that doesn't take advantage of the treehouses that made it one of my favorite areas in the games, essentially like the Endor or Kashyyyk of this 'verse. It's also one of the reasons I have conflicting feelings towards the AG series; and I'm glad that later sagas rectified this by making the unique architecture of Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and especially Alola vital to the stories of those respective adaptations.
7. Sootopolis City
Though I haven't played Emerald that much compared to other games set in Hoenn, the battle with Juan was all right as multi-part battles go. While I would have preferred if Wallace was the final challenge, this was well after Advanced finally came into its own for me. Whatever the case may be, it's definitely one that was flawed, but ultimately enjoyable, much like the next entry.
6. Mossdeep City
This battle is definitely fun for my money, but it's infamous for two words: "Thunder Armor." While this was before more special moves were introduced in the games, to this day; no move of this kind has been introduced before or since. I know the anime does take creative license when they have to, but even I have to call "HAX" on this. This was also after how Tate and Liza's introduction in the previous episode took so many liberties with space travel that it's no wonder the remakes just threw up their hands and had you outright catch Deoxys in space while riding on Rayquaza's back. I also did get some laughs out of some of Team Rocket's dialogue as they tried to wreck the gym and steal all the Pokémon; as they still use them to hide the writers' blue material to this day. "Let's make like candles and blow!" Um, phrasing?
5. Rustboro City
Though it took quite some time for me to open up to Generation III for its anime incarnation, I must say that it definitely had a good gym battle to lead off Ash's time in Hoenn. Though I admit some of the countermeasures against this gym are not quite what I would have done on my GBA or my 3DS, it's a solid first gym battle that always makes me want to listen to the Police whenever I put it on. Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light!
4. Mauville City
Wattson was definitely the antithesis of Lt. Surge as Electric-type gym leaders go; so that naturally made for a fun experience. The design of the gym was also a technical marvel of his skill as an inventor; and I'm also glad that they not only brought the character back in the following season, but also expanded on this in the remakes.
3. Lavaridge Town
One of my favorite experiences in the games was the fight against Flannery; and I'm not a bit surprised that also translated into its rendition in the anime. While it often intrigues me when Ash clashes with someone who's his polar opposite in personality (as other entries on this ranking alone can show), it's also fun whenever he fights with someone who's on the same wavelength as him. Even though this may not be my favorite example of someone taking over a gym from their grandfather (that comes in the next heading); it was a pretty fun time that's worthy of making the top three.
2. Dewford Island
Now is something that is definitely an interesting experience. While I mentioned in the last entry about how entertaining a battle can be when the trainer and their opponent are one; here is an example of how the clash between Ash and Brawly can lead to both of them changing to suit a new style of battling. Though this was around the time when I decided I needed a break from the series to experiment with other stuff, I definitely enjoyed this mini-arc on Dewford Island when I got back into the series as a teenager; and I have a couple episodes in mind from that arc before my retirement. You'll have to wait and see what they are. On that note, the training exercises on the island made Ash's eventual victory much more satisfying in hindsight then just raging against a laid-back surfer.
1. Petalburg City
Even with the two crappy episodes that preceded this one (I still prefer Johto filler silliness any day to implied marital infidelity and a neighborhood that I'd actually be glad to see be razed by Team Magma or Aqua), this battle with Norman was definitely my favorite of all the ones in Hoenn; even if Max's incessant whining at the end made me yearn for the quiet dignity of Wesley Crusher. ... Excuse me a moment before I continue.
Now that I have that out of the way, I shall finish this by stating that while not exactly the same as it was in the games; it definitely had a similar effect of cementing itself as one of the best parts of Generation III. Even though I still have mixed feelings towards the manga making Ruby a more effeminate showman (both he and AG Ash have strains of Spider-Man and young John Connor from T2 in my headcanon), Norman's presence in itself is a rare example of a main character having a father that isn't absent or presumed dead. (Note: I also don't go for him being abusive like in the manga either, instead portraying him as a mentor figure and overworked; but decent father.) It's a gym battle that once you skip over the "blather skite," is definitely worthy of being called my favorite of AG. Now, for a quick break, and then I shall tackle Sinnoh.
While Falkner in the anime may not be as condescending as he was in the games, he still shows shades of this in his attitude toward electric Pokémon. That being said, this battle is still a good one to lead with in Johto, and the battle between Charizard and Pidgeot was a great way for Ash to win the Zephyr Badge in "Fighting Flyer With Fire."
7. Azalea Town
Bugsy also differs significantly from his counterpart in the games, though this also makes this battle stand out among the early Johto gym matches. Even though I also started with Cyndaquil in my many playthroughs of Gold; I always like it whenever the animators and writers can think of creative ways to overcome a Pokémon's limits and have Ash or others work up countermeasures for type disadvantages. That ended up making his battle for the Hive Badge that much more satisfying, though the battles in this arc would just keep getting better.
6. Goldenrod City
Whitney, while not as impulsive as she is in the games; her Miltank is no less a formidable foe. My strategy was to trade someone outside the city for a Machop; train it till it learned some good fighting moves and just let that "moof-milker" have it. Still, this two-parter not only showed how some gym leaders could get on the same wavelength as the leads, and saving her dairy farm definitely made a sweet, creamy way to get the Plain Badge.
5. Cianwood City
This finale to the "Johto League Champions" season was another strong gym battle with Chuck, a portly fighting master who despite sharing his name with memetic brawler Chuck Norris; seems to be a very thinly-veiled parody of Steven Seagal. It also was an interesting way of handling the games' subplot of getting medicine for a sick Ampharos, which leads to my next entry on this list.
4. Olivine City
While Jasmine may not be my favorite Johto gym leader, I felt that the way this story was handled was an interesting one. Moreover, I definitely like how the Steel types that were introduced in Johto were every bit as much a challenge here as they were in the games.
3. Ecruteak City
The world-building in Johto ended up being one of the many reasons why the games are among my favorites in the series, so this naturally extended to how the show handled the lore. It also provided key context for Ash's battle with Morty, which was honestly my favorite battle of the first half of their gym leaders. Even though Noctowl was immune to Ghost type attacks, Morty was definitely no slouch in battle either. Ever since I was 9, I still watch this battle every time I get a chance to.
2. Mahogany Town
While this is not always the case, gym battles near the end of each story arc tend to be among the best of each respective series; and Ash's battle with Pryce is a great example of that. It's not just the Ice type attacks that he has to break through. He has to melt the frozen heart of the curmudgeonly old gym leader. I also like the eccentric referee in the gym battle and Pryce's introductory episode, who's somehow able to run and leap across the ice caves in flip flops. Huh: it took me a while to navigate those caves both in the original Game Boy Color games and their Virtual Console rereleases.
1. Blackthorn City
Even though it was a long, strange journey to get to this gym battle; there's no denying it was well worth the time to get there. I must also note that Clair's personality is much friendlier than it is in the games. As someone who beat her on my first try in Gold and Silver, navigating the Dragon's Den while she was in her funk was tougher than the actual battle was; let alone getting in the door. The multi-part storyline and subsequent battle was simply fantastic, and I'm glad to call it my favorite Johto Gym Battle. Now, after a brief intermission, I will start the ranking of the Hoenn gym battles. Knowing my personal history with AG, it should be interesting nonetheless.
Hoenn
8. Fortree City
While the battle with Winona itself was fine, it's more of how they handled the setting itself that makes this battle my least favorite gym battle of AG: it's a generic kind of setting that doesn't take advantage of the treehouses that made it one of my favorite areas in the games, essentially like the Endor or Kashyyyk of this 'verse. It's also one of the reasons I have conflicting feelings towards the AG series; and I'm glad that later sagas rectified this by making the unique architecture of Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and especially Alola vital to the stories of those respective adaptations.
7. Sootopolis City
Though I haven't played Emerald that much compared to other games set in Hoenn, the battle with Juan was all right as multi-part battles go. While I would have preferred if Wallace was the final challenge, this was well after Advanced finally came into its own for me. Whatever the case may be, it's definitely one that was flawed, but ultimately enjoyable, much like the next entry.
6. Mossdeep City
This battle is definitely fun for my money, but it's infamous for two words: "Thunder Armor." While this was before more special moves were introduced in the games, to this day; no move of this kind has been introduced before or since. I know the anime does take creative license when they have to, but even I have to call "HAX" on this. This was also after how Tate and Liza's introduction in the previous episode took so many liberties with space travel that it's no wonder the remakes just threw up their hands and had you outright catch Deoxys in space while riding on Rayquaza's back. I also did get some laughs out of some of Team Rocket's dialogue as they tried to wreck the gym and steal all the Pokémon; as they still use them to hide the writers' blue material to this day. "Let's make like candles and blow!" Um, phrasing?
5. Rustboro City
Though it took quite some time for me to open up to Generation III for its anime incarnation, I must say that it definitely had a good gym battle to lead off Ash's time in Hoenn. Though I admit some of the countermeasures against this gym are not quite what I would have done on my GBA or my 3DS, it's a solid first gym battle that always makes me want to listen to the Police whenever I put it on. Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light!
4. Mauville City
Wattson was definitely the antithesis of Lt. Surge as Electric-type gym leaders go; so that naturally made for a fun experience. The design of the gym was also a technical marvel of his skill as an inventor; and I'm also glad that they not only brought the character back in the following season, but also expanded on this in the remakes.
3. Lavaridge Town
One of my favorite experiences in the games was the fight against Flannery; and I'm not a bit surprised that also translated into its rendition in the anime. While it often intrigues me when Ash clashes with someone who's his polar opposite in personality (as other entries on this ranking alone can show), it's also fun whenever he fights with someone who's on the same wavelength as him. Even though this may not be my favorite example of someone taking over a gym from their grandfather (that comes in the next heading); it was a pretty fun time that's worthy of making the top three.
2. Dewford Island
Now is something that is definitely an interesting experience. While I mentioned in the last entry about how entertaining a battle can be when the trainer and their opponent are one; here is an example of how the clash between Ash and Brawly can lead to both of them changing to suit a new style of battling. Though this was around the time when I decided I needed a break from the series to experiment with other stuff, I definitely enjoyed this mini-arc on Dewford Island when I got back into the series as a teenager; and I have a couple episodes in mind from that arc before my retirement. You'll have to wait and see what they are. On that note, the training exercises on the island made Ash's eventual victory much more satisfying in hindsight then just raging against a laid-back surfer.
1. Petalburg City
Even with the two crappy episodes that preceded this one (I still prefer Johto filler silliness any day to implied marital infidelity and a neighborhood that I'd actually be glad to see be razed by Team Magma or Aqua), this battle with Norman was definitely my favorite of all the ones in Hoenn; even if Max's incessant whining at the end made me yearn for the quiet dignity of Wesley Crusher. ... Excuse me a moment before I continue.
Now that I have that out of the way, I shall finish this by stating that while not exactly the same as it was in the games; it definitely had a similar effect of cementing itself as one of the best parts of Generation III. Even though I still have mixed feelings towards the manga making Ruby a more effeminate showman (both he and AG Ash have strains of Spider-Man and young John Connor from T2 in my headcanon), Norman's presence in itself is a rare example of a main character having a father that isn't absent or presumed dead. (Note: I also don't go for him being abusive like in the manga either, instead portraying him as a mentor figure and overworked; but decent father.) It's a gym battle that once you skip over the "blather skite," is definitely worthy of being called my favorite of AG. Now, for a quick break, and then I shall tackle Sinnoh.
Sinnoh
8. Oreburgh City
Much like I was the first time I played Platinum (which got me back into the series for the first time in 2009), the initial challenge posed by Roark definitely helped set the stage for the 10th anniversary of the series at the time. When he says that he's "not just sitting around reading comic books," he definitely means it. As a miner who helped build the city with each swing of his pickax like his ancestors before him, Roark was a fitting challenge for the Coal Badge to lead off the gym battles in the Diamond and Pearl series.
7. Eterna City
Though Gardenia may not be as crazy as she is in the games, her eccentricities definitely made for an entertaining battle for the Forest Badge regardless. It also further my headcanon that many, but not all the Grass-type leaders we've had so far are sort of offbeat hippies that have aptitudes for "alternative medicine," if you catch my drift.
6. Pastoria City
Well before Incineroar was spawning endless wrestling-based memes, there was Crasher Wake; the leader of Pastoria City that is one of the hammiest wrestlers in a non-wrestling video game I have seen, and that extended to his anime incarnation. It wasn't perfect, but thanks to the portrayal of the battle for the Fen Badge; it definitely makes for some amped-up thrills before they came up with the Royal Mask. It also furthers my encouragement to look less for the usual concepts from American or Mexican wrestling (the latter of which I could never really get into, and I still don't really go for it) and instead seek inspiration from martial arts, video games and Japanese pro wrestling in terms of storylines, fight choreography and overall visual flair.
5. Hearthome City
Given how long it took do get going both in and out of universe, the battle with Fantina was definitely worth the wait. Once this free-spirited, French-voiced maiden was back in Hearthome City, the battle for the Relic Badge was definitely a fun experience that reflected her odd personality perfectly. Not only does this work perfectly for the narrative, but it's also a recurring facet of her character wherever she appears; and not just as a contest judge. One of my favorite parts of the manga was when a pair of socialites thought Platinum's makeshift fashion designs would ruin the reputation of the Hearthome Collection. Instead, Fantina falls in love with the designs; and dismisses the socialites' attitudes as too stuffy and rigid. Even though I prefer DP Adventure, that was definitely a standout scene for that chapter of Special. So, as you can imagine, I enjoy seeing her wherever she appears; and I hope that whatever form this potential Generation IV remake takes, that it makes her every bit as memorable.
4. Canaleve City
I LOVE THIS GYM BATTLE! Now that I have that out of my system, my enthusiasm for the gym battle with Byron is every bit as big as the gym leader's own. Not only is Byron Roark's father, the resulting gym battle is every bit a fun challenge as it was in my copy of Platinum. Since Byron essentially taught Roark everything he knew about Pokémon, it's no secret he's every bit as big a hurdle to clear for Ash in his battle for the Mine Badge. Plus, Dan Green adds yet another memorable character to his list of credits with his deliciously hammy take on he Canaleve Gym leader. ... Okay, one more before the next entry. I LOVE THIS GYM LEADER!
3. Snowpoint City
With the Sun and Moon setting adopting a school-based premise, it's no secret that another beautiful young student teacher would be in the top 3: Candice! Since the setting of Snowpoint City was one of my favorite locations in Platinum, it's no secret the anime version would share the same favor with me. Candice's challenge for the Icicle Badge made for a great experience as the penultimate Sinnoh gym battle. With future main games being made for the Nintendo Switch (not counting spinoffs like Detective Pikachu), I would love to see how this would fare in HD. With 10 years approaching since I first played Platinum, it would be great to experience again; but I'm getting ahead of myself.
2. Sunyshore City
Though the final battle definitely took a while to actually occur, it was definitely worth it to help the gym leader Volkner recover his fighting spirit; and after he had to repair his tower after people tried to steal it! Yeah, that actually happened. Moreover, Paul; cruel as he was, didn't want to just accept a free Beacon Badge from someone who had given up on his battling spirit. Even a borderline psychopath didn't want to take a badge that he deemed as not worth the raw material it was made with. With the combined nudging of Ash as well as Flint (the one from Sinnoh, not Brock's father); the resulting battle definitely made things worth the while when it finally happened.
1. Veilstone City
While I definitely spent a long time drafting this section (especially after one of our cats made a mess on my rough draft), as I thought about DP further; I did eventually decide to give the top spot to the battle with Maylene. In addition to casting Rachael Lillis in the dub for the first time since the TPCI transition; her character was always one of my favorite ones from Generation IV. As someone who inherited the Veilstone Gym leadership from her father; her doubts about her ability not only mirrored those Ash and Dawn faced in Sinnoh; but I definitely related to how she felt as someone who was going through a very tough battle with depression at the time I first saw the episodes involving her. She also favored Lucario as her partner, and much like the eighth movie; was another factor in making it my favorite Pokémon. By the time the battle for the Cobble Badge took place, alongside with my copy of Platinum inside my DS, something inside clicked. It was like my fandom had never really left: I was back. I will definitely address this more in the next heading, with my ranking of the Unova gym battles.
As the penultimate battle for the XY series and the anime overall for a while, this fight with Olympia set the stage for laid ahead in XYZ. While that season was not without its issues, this double battle was an ideal one to end the 18th season of the series with a glimpse into the past, and the future. I also note that while her character in the games may be more quiet, her being more of a mentor figure and a grand speaker definitely worked in the series' favor. Now, ranking the top 3 battles was definitely going to be a tough call; since they were all excellent, but here we go.
3. Snowbelle City
As the last gym battle of Kalos and the last one they've done for a while (not counting the Kanto school trip in Sun and Moon), this was an excellent experience to help wind down the XY series and the XYZ season. I also felt Wulfric had a better vocal performance than Ramos, and it was closer to what I wanted. David Brimmer (credited under the alias Michael Alston Baley) definitely seemed to be channeling John Rhyes-Davies as Gimli in his own way. It's actually amazing how little they changed about his personality; and they arguably made him more powerful than in the games as the final challenge. Even with the messy fallout from the Lumiose Conference (I may not have been as mad as others, but I agree its outcome was still a bigger ripoff than Robopon), I still submit that it wasn't for nothing: the Ash-Greninja DLC was so powerful in its base stats that it's often banned in competitive play; and it's even part of the redesigned Final Smash in #SmashBrosUltimate! Ranking my top entries on this was definitely tough; but if you've been following me for this long, you'll know why I chose them.
2. Shalour City
When something I like this much only gets the runner-up slot on my Kalos gym battles, you know that it's an excellent episode. As the culmination of how Korrina was used after her introductory arc, it showed how much the XY series was eager to shakeup the formula set by its seniors and showed that even in its 17th season, there was plenty of life left with the clash between Pikachu and Mega Lucario. It was definitely a tough call between this and my top pick, but I think you'll definitely enjoy reading about it.
1. Lumiose City
From the moment the XY series began, I knew that it was the series that I wanted the Advanced Generation to be. Though AG introduced many new concepts, this one arguably perfected the ideas seen there. With the battle between Ash and Clemont having been built up since the beginning of the series, it was the ideal battle to cement my appreciation for Generation VI; with animation and fight choreography that makes it worthy of being my favorite XY gym battle. It was a tossup between this and my second choice (I'm also a LaserBladeShipper, so that might be part of it), but even after all this time; it's definitely a choice that I'm glad to have made. Whatever the case may be, and whatever form the series takes in the future, I will be glad to be a part of it.
My next plans are largely the same for the remainder of this month: most of my energy will be going to my look at Akira to close out this year and my full look at Pokémon The Power of Us to be completed and posted by Christmas Eve, as well as the remaining content I've been drafting ever since I began contemplating my retirement in 2016. You will just have to wait and see what it is, and I will have plenty to show you in the remaining time I'm spending here. And to our own way...
6. Pastoria City
Well before Incineroar was spawning endless wrestling-based memes, there was Crasher Wake; the leader of Pastoria City that is one of the hammiest wrestlers in a non-wrestling video game I have seen, and that extended to his anime incarnation. It wasn't perfect, but thanks to the portrayal of the battle for the Fen Badge; it definitely makes for some amped-up thrills before they came up with the Royal Mask. It also furthers my encouragement to look less for the usual concepts from American or Mexican wrestling (the latter of which I could never really get into, and I still don't really go for it) and instead seek inspiration from martial arts, video games and Japanese pro wrestling in terms of storylines, fight choreography and overall visual flair.
5. Hearthome City
Given how long it took do get going both in and out of universe, the battle with Fantina was definitely worth the wait. Once this free-spirited, French-voiced maiden was back in Hearthome City, the battle for the Relic Badge was definitely a fun experience that reflected her odd personality perfectly. Not only does this work perfectly for the narrative, but it's also a recurring facet of her character wherever she appears; and not just as a contest judge. One of my favorite parts of the manga was when a pair of socialites thought Platinum's makeshift fashion designs would ruin the reputation of the Hearthome Collection. Instead, Fantina falls in love with the designs; and dismisses the socialites' attitudes as too stuffy and rigid. Even though I prefer DP Adventure, that was definitely a standout scene for that chapter of Special. So, as you can imagine, I enjoy seeing her wherever she appears; and I hope that whatever form this potential Generation IV remake takes, that it makes her every bit as memorable.
4. Canaleve City
I LOVE THIS GYM BATTLE! Now that I have that out of my system, my enthusiasm for the gym battle with Byron is every bit as big as the gym leader's own. Not only is Byron Roark's father, the resulting gym battle is every bit a fun challenge as it was in my copy of Platinum. Since Byron essentially taught Roark everything he knew about Pokémon, it's no secret he's every bit as big a hurdle to clear for Ash in his battle for the Mine Badge. Plus, Dan Green adds yet another memorable character to his list of credits with his deliciously hammy take on he Canaleve Gym leader. ... Okay, one more before the next entry. I LOVE THIS GYM LEADER!
3. Snowpoint City
With the Sun and Moon setting adopting a school-based premise, it's no secret that another beautiful young student teacher would be in the top 3: Candice! Since the setting of Snowpoint City was one of my favorite locations in Platinum, it's no secret the anime version would share the same favor with me. Candice's challenge for the Icicle Badge made for a great experience as the penultimate Sinnoh gym battle. With future main games being made for the Nintendo Switch (not counting spinoffs like Detective Pikachu), I would love to see how this would fare in HD. With 10 years approaching since I first played Platinum, it would be great to experience again; but I'm getting ahead of myself.
2. Sunyshore City
Though the final battle definitely took a while to actually occur, it was definitely worth it to help the gym leader Volkner recover his fighting spirit; and after he had to repair his tower after people tried to steal it! Yeah, that actually happened. Moreover, Paul; cruel as he was, didn't want to just accept a free Beacon Badge from someone who had given up on his battling spirit. Even a borderline psychopath didn't want to take a badge that he deemed as not worth the raw material it was made with. With the combined nudging of Ash as well as Flint (the one from Sinnoh, not Brock's father); the resulting battle definitely made things worth the while when it finally happened.
1. Veilstone City
While I definitely spent a long time drafting this section (especially after one of our cats made a mess on my rough draft), as I thought about DP further; I did eventually decide to give the top spot to the battle with Maylene. In addition to casting Rachael Lillis in the dub for the first time since the TPCI transition; her character was always one of my favorite ones from Generation IV. As someone who inherited the Veilstone Gym leadership from her father; her doubts about her ability not only mirrored those Ash and Dawn faced in Sinnoh; but I definitely related to how she felt as someone who was going through a very tough battle with depression at the time I first saw the episodes involving her. She also favored Lucario as her partner, and much like the eighth movie; was another factor in making it my favorite Pokémon. By the time the battle for the Cobble Badge took place, alongside with my copy of Platinum inside my DS, something inside clicked. It was like my fandom had never really left: I was back. I will definitely address this more in the next heading, with my ranking of the Unova gym battles.
Unova
8. Striaton City
The Black and White series wasted no time in embracing the insanity of its lineage and trying to rekindle the feelings of Kanto; and this first gym battle is a great example of that. Taking on the combined might of Chili, Cress and Cilan is one thing; having to contend with the delightful fun of Dr. Fennel is another. One of Professor Juniper's associates who specializes in dreams; it was clear from the early stages of Generation V it was going to be one of the most bizarre cases of Japanese-American fusion that Nintendo ever signed off on, and I've played Earthbound. I loved that, and as you will see in the next entries, I remain one of the staunchest defenders of Unova.
7. Nacrene City
First I will address the Donphan in the room: Lenora's character, who was perceived as the infamous "mammy" stereotype of African-Americans (like the kind they had in some of those old Tom and Jerry cartoons); had to be reanimated when the episodes involving her gym were dubbed into English, so her apron would be less prominent in her outfit. While her character itself didn't carry any other connotations of the stereotype, like with Jynx; I understand why they didn't want to take the risk in a series primarily targeting 10-year-old schoolchildren. In the sequels, she just slung it over her shoulders rather than wearing it.
Still, her character had way more good qualities than bad. No one seems to mind about her husband Hawes; and she also encourages challengers to read the tomes in her gym's library. So, it's little surprise that she posed a surprising challenge; much like she did in the games (again, my strategy was to catch a fighting type just outside the city; and train it as a countermeasure against her Watchog's Retaliate attack). As a result, the training faced in the battle for the Basic Badge was not only required to keep up; it also made the victory much more satisfying.
6. Driftveil City
While the dub makes the character of Clay less of an Eagleland character type and more like the rich Texan from The Simpsons; this gym battle was a fun rush of adrenaline for this gym. I definitely thought it was another great challenge for Ash against a gym leader who made enough money mining to retire before he came of age; and decided to strike out a new venture in training Pokémon.
5. Castelia City
Even before the battle was officially held, I definitely enjoyed seeing Burgh as a conceptual artist/fashion designer; and what he brought to the table was definitely a great example of how weird and wonderful Best Wishes was for me. Sometimes, you just want to watch a funny man and his bugs in battle.
4. Mistralton City
In yet another example of a gym leader inheriting the gym from their grandfather and needing to regain their competitive edge; the way the anime handled Skyla was definitely one that always gets me amused. Despite her initial insistence on using simulated "air battles," I still submit another gym leader said it best: "a simulation is one thing, but this is real life!" Sure enough, this pilot definitely found her spark again after battling both Cilan AND Ash to do it. I also enjoy how her gym worked in the cannons from the first pair of games and elements of the wind tunnel from the then in-development sequels. Definitely makes up for mishandling Fortree City.
3. Nimbasa City
This gym battle definitely took a while to happen, but it was delightfully bonkers when it did. In the past, people accused me of just liking it for Elesa and her form; but I genuinely found it funny in how it approached the material; and how Elesa's ace is apparently a Tynamo. I still submit comedy is subjective, since I would rather watch this than "The Bicker the Better" any day.
2. Icirrus City
The penultimate battle with the martial artist and former film star Brycen was a great penultimate battle to be sure; and though things didn't really go the way I expected for the last one, that makes my top choice even more worthy.
1. Virbank City
For the last gym battle of Unova, a curveball was thrown of fighting the new gym leader Roxie; which led off to the Best Wishes 2 season. This poison-type punk rocker was a perfect piece of Pokémon power to introduce the new elements of the sequels to the series, and I'm glad that I got to experience it. Now, a quick break before I finish up with the ranking of the Kalos gym battles.
While the dub makes the character of Clay less of an Eagleland character type and more like the rich Texan from The Simpsons; this gym battle was a fun rush of adrenaline for this gym. I definitely thought it was another great challenge for Ash against a gym leader who made enough money mining to retire before he came of age; and decided to strike out a new venture in training Pokémon.
5. Castelia City
Even before the battle was officially held, I definitely enjoyed seeing Burgh as a conceptual artist/fashion designer; and what he brought to the table was definitely a great example of how weird and wonderful Best Wishes was for me. Sometimes, you just want to watch a funny man and his bugs in battle.
4. Mistralton City
In yet another example of a gym leader inheriting the gym from their grandfather and needing to regain their competitive edge; the way the anime handled Skyla was definitely one that always gets me amused. Despite her initial insistence on using simulated "air battles," I still submit another gym leader said it best: "a simulation is one thing, but this is real life!" Sure enough, this pilot definitely found her spark again after battling both Cilan AND Ash to do it. I also enjoy how her gym worked in the cannons from the first pair of games and elements of the wind tunnel from the then in-development sequels. Definitely makes up for mishandling Fortree City.
3. Nimbasa City
This gym battle definitely took a while to happen, but it was delightfully bonkers when it did. In the past, people accused me of just liking it for Elesa and her form; but I genuinely found it funny in how it approached the material; and how Elesa's ace is apparently a Tynamo. I still submit comedy is subjective, since I would rather watch this than "The Bicker the Better" any day.
2. Icirrus City
The penultimate battle with the martial artist and former film star Brycen was a great penultimate battle to be sure; and though things didn't really go the way I expected for the last one, that makes my top choice even more worthy.
1. Virbank City
For the last gym battle of Unova, a curveball was thrown of fighting the new gym leader Roxie; which led off to the Best Wishes 2 season. This poison-type punk rocker was a perfect piece of Pokémon power to introduce the new elements of the sequels to the series, and I'm glad that I got to experience it. Now, a quick break before I finish up with the ranking of the Kalos gym battles.
Kalos
8. Santalune City
The first gym battle was a good experience to start the XY series right out of the gate. At the time of its original airing and since, I can definitely suspend disbelief for how Viola was a surprisingly powerful first gym leader. This is also because when I got my copy of Y initially, that the battle was surprisingly challenging in its own right; and I definitely had to re-evaluate my strategies on the fly, barely winning as a result. Ash, of course; had to work out countermeasures in his own way; especially as she's more powerful than she is in the games. The Battle Chateau episode that featured her later on made her a Duchess rather than a Marchioness, which brings me to my next entry.
7. Cyllage City
Even factoring in the MV Sewol incident that led to the preceding episode being pulled in favor of this battle with Grant being moved up; it was still a relatively creative episode to show off this gym leader. I definitely love this character, both in looks and personality. Also, while he's a Marquis in the games; he becomes a Grand Duke by the time of this gym battle. Though the actual nature behind Ash's countermeasure would not yet be revealed until after "An Undersea Place to Call Home" eventually aired, it still was a strong second gym battle in an excellent take on the series' canon.
6. Coumarine City
This setup ended up being a highly unconventional gym battle against Ramos; which resulted in an episode that was bizarre, but ultimately entertaining in its own weird and wonderful way. The only thing that I found kind of disappointing was how they cast Ramos' voice acting. I mean, it's one thing when he sometimes calls you "whippersnapper", it's another when you make your performance sound like a mashup of Foghorn Leghorn and Yondu Udonta, among countless other overly cartoonish southerners. While not the most bizarre change that I saw made to the characters here, that will be next up.
5. Laverre City
The battle with Valerie was by far one of the most odd experiences I had with XY before it even started. Not only were her mannerisms changed to be more formal as opposed to the quasi-Kansai dialect she has in the original (since she's a fashion designer from Johto), her style of battling is unconventional to say the least. Moreover, the ways that her monsters were dealt with were also not what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, I do sometimes like it when the writers screw with my expectations; but I'm still surprised Ash's countermeasures worked. Here's how his winning stunt would have worked in the games: attacking the Trick Room with X-Scissor wouldn't work, Ash would have to wait for it to run out. Hawlucha's Flying Press would be the best bet, since it has traits of Flying and Fighting. Spritzee wouldn't have much HP left after the battle with Fletchinder. I may be new to the competitive scene, but this is one of the most absurd things since the "Thunder Armor" I mentioned before. While not as good as the next battles on this list, I found it to be plenty enjoyable for how crazy it was, and I will have plenty say after this last break.
4. Anistar City
As the penultimate battle for the XY series and the anime overall for a while, this fight with Olympia set the stage for laid ahead in XYZ. While that season was not without its issues, this double battle was an ideal one to end the 18th season of the series with a glimpse into the past, and the future. I also note that while her character in the games may be more quiet, her being more of a mentor figure and a grand speaker definitely worked in the series' favor. Now, ranking the top 3 battles was definitely going to be a tough call; since they were all excellent, but here we go.
3. Snowbelle City
As the last gym battle of Kalos and the last one they've done for a while (not counting the Kanto school trip in Sun and Moon), this was an excellent experience to help wind down the XY series and the XYZ season. I also felt Wulfric had a better vocal performance than Ramos, and it was closer to what I wanted. David Brimmer (credited under the alias Michael Alston Baley) definitely seemed to be channeling John Rhyes-Davies as Gimli in his own way. It's actually amazing how little they changed about his personality; and they arguably made him more powerful than in the games as the final challenge. Even with the messy fallout from the Lumiose Conference (I may not have been as mad as others, but I agree its outcome was still a bigger ripoff than Robopon), I still submit that it wasn't for nothing: the Ash-Greninja DLC was so powerful in its base stats that it's often banned in competitive play; and it's even part of the redesigned Final Smash in #SmashBrosUltimate! Ranking my top entries on this was definitely tough; but if you've been following me for this long, you'll know why I chose them.
2. Shalour City
When something I like this much only gets the runner-up slot on my Kalos gym battles, you know that it's an excellent episode. As the culmination of how Korrina was used after her introductory arc, it showed how much the XY series was eager to shakeup the formula set by its seniors and showed that even in its 17th season, there was plenty of life left with the clash between Pikachu and Mega Lucario. It was definitely a tough call between this and my top pick, but I think you'll definitely enjoy reading about it.
1. Lumiose City
From the moment the XY series began, I knew that it was the series that I wanted the Advanced Generation to be. Though AG introduced many new concepts, this one arguably perfected the ideas seen there. With the battle between Ash and Clemont having been built up since the beginning of the series, it was the ideal battle to cement my appreciation for Generation VI; with animation and fight choreography that makes it worthy of being my favorite XY gym battle. It was a tossup between this and my second choice (I'm also a LaserBladeShipper, so that might be part of it), but even after all this time; it's definitely a choice that I'm glad to have made. Whatever the case may be, and whatever form the series takes in the future, I will be glad to be a part of it.
My next plans are largely the same for the remainder of this month: most of my energy will be going to my look at Akira to close out this year and my full look at Pokémon The Power of Us to be completed and posted by Christmas Eve, as well as the remaining content I've been drafting ever since I began contemplating my retirement in 2016. You will just have to wait and see what it is, and I will have plenty to show you in the remaining time I'm spending here. And to our own way...
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