"Memories in the Mist" Review (Pokémon Sun and Moon: Ultra Legends)

 Dedicated to the memory of my brother, Sean Qualkinbush

July 18, 1997- August 15, 2021

Alola everyone, and welcome to my look at the Pokémon Sun and Moon: Ultra Legends episode “Memories in the Mist.” This is an episode that I’ve been prepping to talk about for a very long time, so let’s get started.

The episode picks up where the previous one left off, with Kiawe recounting the events that have passed. It’s here that we reveal what this entire arc has been building towards. Kiawe’s late grandfather knew Sofu, who is revealed to have passed on prior to the events of the story.

Mallow, upon hearing this, suddenly leaves the Pokémon Center; followed by Lana. Here, she opens up about her mother: Aina. When she was younger, Aina was very ill; but she would still take walks with Mallow. It turns out that she’s also the one that caught her Bounsweet as a little girl.

Despite being hospitalized, her condition did not improve over time; culminating in an argument when they last saw each other. While the episode does not mention the exact illness, its messaging is quite clear: Mallow never got the chance to properly say goodbye to Aina and regretted it deeply, as Lana consoles her. Given the events of the past year or so, this story thread is especially meaningful. 

Later on, everyone heads to Hapu’s farm; and although Mallow tries to claim otherwise, it’s clear that she wants to see her mother again, and Lana knows it. She’s not the only one: Gladion believes that the mist emitted by Tapu-Fini can help him see his father; Mohn. 

Everyone lends a hand to tend to the Poni Radishes, and it’s a nice little moment. Elsewhere, Gladion is training in the area nearby as Tapu-Fini’s mist starts rolling over the island! The mist envelops Gladion, Lillie, Mallow, Ash and the Pokémon near them. The reason is this- the power of Tapu-Fini has presented them with the means to see lost loved ones. As a line between life and afterlife; it’s implemented in a similar vein to the Force ghosts in Star Wars and the Ancestral Plane in Black Panther.

Hapu realizes something is amiss, and goes to the Ruins of Hope to investigate. Ash is greeted by the elder Stoutland that was Torracat’s mentor and surrogate father; and its spectral essence has one last piece of knowledge to impart- the move Fire Blast! This also reveals, subtly, that Ash’s father is still alive and on his own journey; with one guess about his identity now off the table.

Elsewhere, Gladion and his sister Lillie find each other in the mist. Though the two are glad to see each other, they have yet to find their father Mohn. I also note how effective the mist is in this episode, presenting a more muted take on the usual color palette. This keeps the mood consistent, and the usual tone doesn’t return till this story is resolved.

Now, comes the scene which is the emotional center of this story: Mallow’s reunion with her mother Aina. The two embrace, and she lets out all the feelings she had been holding back; throughout her entire character arc if not longer. She comes to terms with her loss, and the way this story deals with grief played in a largely realistic fashion. It manifests in different ways for each character experiencing it; and even though death isn’t typically a common subject matter for a “kid” anime, it acknowledges how often that the hardest thing one can do is forgiving yourself.

Mallow thanks Aina for how grateful she is to call her her mother; as a garden of Gracidea flowers bloom amongst them. Hapu, realizing the truth, decides to confront Tapu-Fini. This serves as a parallel to the others’ arc; sending out her Golurk to face the guardian in battle directly. At that moment, the essence of her late grandfather Sofu appears before her; meaning she’s finally being recognized as the Island Kahuna.

The mist slowly recedes as the departed ascend back to another plane of existence. As Aina leaves in a sparkle of dust, Mallow finally gets the chance to say goodbye to her properly. Bidding her farewell, a Shaymin appears in the field of flowers. (Sniffs) This anime is a masterstroke of storytelling, I just can’t be the only one who sees that.

As everyone reunites, Hapu rejoins the the group, stating that she’s been recognized as the new Island Kahuna of Poni Island. Moreover, Hapu realizes that Mohn is still alive and out there somewhere. With this, Mallow agrees to stay with Shaymin for now, and Hapu agrees to take Ash up for his last Grand Trial! As the closing credits roll, this has easily joined the list of the best episodes of this season; and one of the best incarnations of the series to date.

“Memories in the Mist” is easily one of the best episodes of the Sun and Moon series; and easily ranks among the best entries in the entire Pokémon franchise. A series that was once thought of being little more than a quick cash-in on Yo-Kai Watch has now surpassed those expectations to become not just a great Pokémon story; but one of my favorite takes on any long-running series in recent memory. I haven’t really done a whole “1001 Animations” like others have; but this episode is going in the same vault of honor that I’ve held shows such as “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “Batman: The Animated Series” for years to come. From its animation to how it conveys its message, it really is that good. Thank you for letting me share it with you all, and I will see you again soon. Alola.

Presenting a Mid-August Pokémon Presents Riff (8-18-21 Presentation Reacton+Thoughts).

Hey everyone: now that I’m back from out of town, I offer my belated thoughts on this month’s “Pokémon Presents” livestream. After the dry spell of information in June and July; we finally have more details on upcoming games, and the highly-anticipated Sinnoh titles on Nintendo Switch in particular; so let’s get started.

The presentation was overseen by The Pokémon Company COO Takato Utsunomiya; and began by revealing info on updates for several spinoffs: in addition to the new events for Pokémon Go and Pokémon Masters EX; Pokémon Café Mix will receive a revamp with Pokémon Café Remix later this year.  The MOBA spinoff Pokémon UNITE will also see release on iOS and Android mobile devices on September 22, with bonuses granted to early adopters; and cross play with the Switch port enabled for those who connect the game to a Nintendo Account or Pokémon Trainer Club account.

Now, comes the details of the highly-anticipated Sinnoh titles: the remakes “Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl,” and the prequel “Pokémon Legends Arceus.” The remakes, which are releasing on November 19; have made considerable progress since their initial reveal this past February. On top of seeing the return of beloved characters and features from the original games on the Nintendo DS (the new Super Contests and updated Union Room look great), the game also includes a host of new ones such as character customization. As you can imagine; I’m very eager to play them.

The stream was capped off with key details on “Pokémon Legends Arceus,” Game Freak’s next major title releasing January 28, 2022. Taking place in the Hisui region (what the Sinnoh region was known as in ancient times); you are tasked with assembling the very first Pokédex under the guidance of Professor Laventon. On top of the title having made quite a bit of progress in development, I think this game could very well be the blueprint for future games in the series going forward. It has the potential to be the Pokémon series’ “Super Mario Odyssey,” “Metroid Prime” or “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” That last title definitely has shown considerable influence on this game’s design. Perhaps it only makes sense to finally return to Sinnoh now. For the 25th anniversary, the future is in the past.

I will detail more on these games as their launch gets closer, but for now; something came up and I need time to process it. That will be all for now, take care everyone.

Pokémon Koko (2020) First Sub Viewing Thoughts.

Hey fellas- as I continue to eagerly await the release of its English dub; here are my first viewing thoughts on “Pokémon Koko” from its recent fan-subtitled release.

The story revolves around a young man named Koko, who was orphaned 10 years before the movie's events; and has a surrogate father figure in the mythical Pokémon Zarude. Crossing paths with Ash and Pikachu; they must form an unlikely alliance to save the forest from disaster.

While not quite the breath of fresh air that the previous film from director Tetsuo Yajima, 2018’s “Pokémon The Power of Us” was; I still consider it to be a good movie even if it’s not my favorite of this alternate continuity. Animation-wise, even though there’s some instances of iffy CGI vehicles (including a walking tank in the final battle of the film); the traditional animation is still as incredible as ever. Everything looks smooth and colorful, and especially like the setting of the movie.

I will do my best to not have any major spoilers, though I will say this: much as I did with past movies in the series; I am pleased with how they’ve taken the material. I will get into this in my full review after the English dub comes out, but while some have compared this movie to a larger-scale version of “The Kanghaskhan Kid,” in many respects, I consider it more to be its spiritual antithesis. However, at the same time; I don’t really mind the parallels to the Disney animated “Tarzan,” as that film was the last of their renaissance era and a good one to go out on. Though the character dynamic isn’t my favorite of the recent movies, the main themes of identity, childhood and parenthood are quite effective.

On that note, I will address the Cufant in the room: the scene where Ash mentions his absent father. Again, I will detail this more in my full review; but even though it’s a small scene in an alternate continuity, the fact that he’s mentioning his dad at all is simply world-shattering; as a great many things have been over the past year alone (Space Jam finally getting a sequel after almost 25 years, Bill and Ted finally finishing their trilogy after almost 30 years; and so on and so forth). It’s a simple, but effective way of handling the matter.

With this, I am going to take a brief break from posting; though I will be back later this month with my thoughts on the next Pokémon Presents. That will be all for now, take care everyone.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: Expansion Pass (Switch) Review- New Frontiers for Galar and the Series

In January of last year, rather than announcing a third version; sequel or “Ultra” version that previous generations got; Pokémon decided to do something a little different for this time: the first expansion in the main series history. Though some fans were split on the matter; others were intrigued to find out what that would entail. As someone who falls into the latter camp; I was quite pleased with this first effort as a whole. So, much as I did with the main game; let’s take a look at the “Expansion Pass” for Pokémon Sword and Shield!

I will be splitting this look into two sections for each chapter, since much of what I said about the main game carries over here. Each new element will be treated as part of its respective chapter; so let’s start with The Isle of Armor; which released on June 17 of last year. 

I wasted no time in opting in, and once the day came; I was given my ticket in the form of the “Armor Pass.” After taking a train and a Corviknight Taxi to reach the island, I went there to train; as was my rival; an aspiring gym leader. Depending on which version you play, you contend with the poison-type trainer Klara or the psychic-type specialist Avery. I rather like their designs, and despite their condescending behavior; I do rather like pulling their pigtails and serving their proverbial “humble pie.”

Our teachers during the stay are the eccentric martial arts master Mustard and his wife Honey. On top of the condiment being pretty tasty, feel free to insert a Beatles or Incredibles reference here.

Anyway, the setting is based off the real-life Isle of Man off the coast of England; and the island is another take on the Wild Area concept: the island is one big Wild Area, which reintroduces many monsters from the entire history of the series and an entirely new one that’s key to the story of this section: Kubfu!

In order to train Kubfu, you are given three tasks to accomplish on the island. The first task is chasing after three Galarian Slowpoke; one of which has absconded with the dojo’s uniform for new students! After defeating them and reclaiming said uniform, you are officially taken under Mustard’s wing; and upon completion of the trials; you will be given a special armor that’s the dojo’s prize.

The next task revolves around gathering ingredients for the “Max Soup,” which will not only be key to bonding with Kubfu; but can allow your partners to gain the ability to “Gigantimax” upon consuming it. It takes three “Max Mushrooms,” and the mushrooms can be found on the island, mainly in the Forest of Focus.

The final task is to bond with Kubfu in order to train it into Urshifu in the Towers of Two Fists! Depending on the training method; its form will be different depending on which tower you decided to train in. I went with the Tower of Darkness in Sword and the Tower of Waters in Shield. 

The island is also the host of side activities to enjoy: on top of getting rewards to flesh out the dojo from Honey; you can also search for Alolan Diglett hidden around the island in exchange for Pokémon! That alone kept me busy well into this year; and I’m almost done in both versions. My favorite might actually be the Cram-O-Matic; an invention made by their son, Hyde. The device allows you to get items by combining them inside; including bringing back Poké Balls made from Apricorns from Johto! 

In between it all, you not only train under Mustard; but the gym leaders from the base game also come to train on the island! Additionally, Mustard was also Leon’s sensei a long time ago! Of course, to close out the story portion of this part of the pass, you get to fight Mustard! He’s a real go-getter; and he uses the Urshifu form opposite the one you choose!

As a quick aside before I get to the next half of the pass; I do like how this expansion reintroduced the walking Pokémon. Much like Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, it’s something that was found in the data for Sun and Moon, but couldn’t be included due to technical limitations.

On October 22 of last year, the second half of the pass went live with The Crown Tundra! This chapter is named for the area where the story takes place, which is heavily based on the mountains of Scotland. Upon taking the train there, you are assigned research tasks alongside the rugged explorer Peony and his daughter Peonia. Peonia would have been the research partner already, but as his teenage daughter; she has a different way of research than her dad. 

This leads into a new game mode that’s one of my favorite aspects of this chapter: the Dynamax Adventure. Not only is it a gauntlet of Dynamax Raids, but several Legendary monsters from previous games make their return! It’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing over the past few months; though I do admit I had to to the first challenge twice to get Suicune in Shield after my Joycon drifted to the wrong rental Pokémon. I got a Sobble pro controller to avoid a repeat of that.

This section also revolves around the legendary Calyrex and his steed; which varies depending on your actions in the story; and I will get to that in a bit.

Anyway, after making base camp in the small town of Freezington; which has been frozen in time in more ways than one; you are given a series of tasks by both Peony and Sonia. I mentioned in my review of the base game how much I love her, so let’s continue.

As I mentioned, the first task is known as “The Secret Bonds of Sovereign and Steed;” where you must not only find out about the legend of Calyrex, the “King of Bountiful Harvests,” but also capture said steed for Calyrex! This involves finding more about his history with the town; and Calryex using Peony’s body to speak. Heh- wouldn’t be the first time in the series.

In order to help earn the trust of said steed, you need the Reins of Unity to bond Calyrex with his steed. Also, the steed depends on what you feed it in each version. In Sword, I went with the Ice Root Carrots for Glastrier, in Shield, I used the Shade Root Carrots for Spectrier. Lastly, and after you meet with Calryex and Peony at the Crown Shrine at the peak; you get to battle and capture the monster. I actually like the design and story behind him, and the Triforce symbols on his neck. 

The second task is called “The Terrible Titans: Lurking Locked Away,” which sees the return of the titans from Hoenn; but also introduces two new ones: Regieleki and Regidrago. The latter reminds me a lot of Klaptrap especially. You have to capture Regirock, Regice and Registeel before you decide which one to face in the Split-Decision ruins; and for the most part; the methods to find and capture the other ruins were easier than basically having to learn Braille in Generation III; apart from having to find a backup Everstone in Shield, since I don’t use them that often (typically sell them; didn’t know they were required to enter one of the dens).

The third and final story task is called “A Legendary Tree of a Legendary Three,” where you have to catch the Galarian forms of the Kanto Legendary Birds. The Galarian Articuno was the easiest for me, since that was in the same area I already was. Galarian Moltres was on the Isle of Armor from the previous chapter; which was a bit tougher; and the hardest to track and capture was the Galarian Zapdos; who has drawn a lot of comparisons to the “Expresso” mount from Donkey Kong Country. Between that and the aforementioned Regridrago, guess I have that game on my mind lately. This concludes the story portion, with Peony and his daughter continuing their research with your help; and, depending on whether or not you’ve cleared a bonus adventure with the Ultra Beasts or the Isle of Armor chapter (I had done the latter well before this chapter went live); you then get a message from Leon.

This leads to one of the biggest additions to this entire pass; one that’s contributed to some of the time I’ve spent most: the Galarian Star Tournament. This mode assembles the entirety of the cast of the game. You can unlock more each time you defend your title, with the last couple being Sordward and Shielbert. They’ve made up for their antics in the base game by investing in this tournament. Though they’re not the best battlers, they make up for their behavior with “LOADS OF MONEY!”

Now that’s a British reference I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get in, yet here we are! With this, and over 480 hours logged combined between this pass and the base game; can I finally start wrapping this up.

Having spent extensive time in both the base game and the expansions to write this review; I can honestly say that as their first attempt at this distribution method, this may not have been the breath of fresh air the base game was; but it’s an easy 4 out of 5 at least. It basically fills the same role a third version, sequel or “Ultra” version normally would. This whole “charging extra for the full experience” argument doesn’t make much sense to me when like most first-party Nintendo games; the base titles are a complete experience. This is no different than the Splatoon 2 “Octo Expansion” (which I got alongside the base game) or the pair of Fighter Passes for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (which I opted into before I even knew who’d be joining the fight). Suggesting otherwise typically isn’t how game development works, nor is it how product development works in general. I reaffirm this was the intended plan. Even factoring in the current situation, the development cycle thankfully wasn’t altered in any way. These titles weren’t made by Bethesda, after all.

So, I definitely wouldn’t hate these just because I played Okami as well. On the contrary, the amount of other titles that didn’t quite measure up or were outright bad that I’ve played over the past year helped me appreciate Generation VIII and other ones in my collection more. As for the brief loading moments, like before; any detractors only get one: I guess we know what the developers’ favorite Metallica song is- “Fade to Black!”

Now that I’ve finally finished this review; I intend to keep playing these games along with other titles in the series, past, present and future. I hope you’ll all find something to enjoy; and I will continue to look forward to the upcoming Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl this November and Pokémon Legends Arceus in January! That will be all for now, see you soon!

New Pokémon Snap+Generation VIII Smashing Sales, Switch Outsells PS3 and Xbox 360

Hey fellas- thought I would provide a quick sales update now that the data has finally been updated for the last quarter. New Pokémon Snap, having just rolled out a new update with more monsters and courses (loving the Mightywide River course); has now been confirmed to have sold over 2 million copies in just under four months on sale! This is double what the original sold in its run on Nintendo 64, which definitely proves demand for this long-awaited sequel.

On that note, “Pokémon Sword and Shield” are still selling like gangbusters, having sold over 21.85 million copies worldwide as of this writing, outselling the 21.40 million sold by “Super Mario Odyssey,” definitely no small task. The top seller still remains “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” at 37.08 million copies; followed by “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” at 33.89 million copies, “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” at 24.77 million copies and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” at 23.20 million copies. The remainder of the list consists of “Super Mario Party” at 15.72 million, “Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Eevee” at 13.57 million, and “Splatoon 2” at 12.45 million; with new entry “Ring Fit Adventure” rounding out the top 10 at 11.26 million, edging out “New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.”

The last update I will share is how the Nintendo Switch itself has now sold over 89.04 million units worldwide; surpassing the 87.4 million units sold by the Playstation 3 and the 84 million sold by the Xbox 360! With new variations to come even after the Switch OLED, surpassing the sales of the original Wii is a lofty but plausible goal. That will be all for now, and I will see you again soon.

PS: Go watch The Suicide Squad whenever and however you can, it was delightfully twisted. Later.

Why the Villain of the Digimon Tamers Anniversary Play is a Bad Idea (Featuring an Open Letter to Chiaki Konaka From a Longtime Fan).

(Sighs) For the most part, I tend not to contribute to or follow online drama. Regrettably, however; there have been times where others' words and actions have forced my hand.

Case in point: off the heels of the announcement of a Digimon Adventure 02 film (which I have mixed feelings towards, given the involvement of the creators of Last Kizuna and 02 not being my favorite season) and a new anime known as "Digimon: Ghost Game" (which has potential), the long-awaited Digimon Tamers 20th anniversary project has been announced. The results were... not what I was expecting or hoping for.

Rather than a new anime or even a "20 years after" reunion, it's a stage play set in the same fictional universe. Admittedly, a stage adaptation is not a bad idea on paper; but unfortunately, it gets worse. The play, written by the series' head writer Chiaki Konaka; features an antagonist whose motivations are rooted in "political correctness" and "cancel culture." (sighs)

As someone who is notable for not considering themself the former and doesn't actively follow the latter (I didn't really take the bait about that business with Lola Bunny or Potato Head, for example); I'm going to explain, to the best of my ability without directly going after Konaka as a person why that seems like a bad idea. Also, I am well aware of Konaka's beliefs as of late; those will be addressed in an open letter in this post as well. 

I typically am quite good at separating the art from the artist, but I also admit that's considerably more difficult when said artist displays an openness of this kind off the clock; and when their values are so baked into the material that isn't always possible. That's part of the reason I've had to turn down so many requests over the years, but that's beside the point. 

My point is, on top of complaining about these ideas becoming something of a cliché in itself (to the point where I've found their detractors more irritating than their supporters); it just seems like too easy a target given what the series established before. When the show began with a young man spawning a kaiju from a drawing in his notebook and the final villain that pushed the psyche of a child to its breaking point, it seems underwhelming at best and misguided at worst. 

Even as someone who isn't against the idea of allegory in fiction in and of itself (Heck, my favorite film is The Dark Knight; which has been seen as a parable for the War on Terror set in the DC Universe, but also serves as an excellent crime thriller on its own merit which just happens to have Batman as its protagonist), it's admittedly something that's difficult to get right and very easy to screw up. 

While I may be semi-retired from this blog, even I understand the idea of wanting to make fiction that comments on our world's events; but sometimes things need more rewrites. This idea of a "singular online value system" is not really an argument that a lot of people are making, and the people that are usually are the ones that are typically given specific instructions; which they chose not to follow before the admins kick them out and block their IP address. I can't believe I'm typing this, but even "Runaway Locomon" had a better story idea than this; and I openly have admitted I'm not a fan of "Runaway Locomon."

With that in mind, a villain that is motivated by these ideas seems largely antithetical to the previously-established canon. Personally, it seems more like some petty individual on an imageboard than a legitimate threat. On top of this, with these motivators already becoming increasingly downplayed if not outright fading from memory; this play is already looking a touch dated, becoming something of an unintentional period piece before the curtain even raises on its first performance. I don't claim to speak for everyone; but a large number of fans didn't react well to the table read. I certainly didn't, and that is the main reason behind this post. As has often been said: I'm not mad, just disappointed.

The most disappointing thing about this, however; is that this continuity had the potential to make a follow-up that truly lived up to the legacy of its senior, but Konaka instead chose a route that didn't sit well with a lot of people. Sadly, instead of backing away; he decided to double down, claiming he isn't a total extremist while also bemoaning how podcasters he listened to got taken offline. Granted, he hasn't taken as big a hit to his reputation as others in recent memory; but it's clear that his recent stance on current events has impacted his legacy. I will not be sharing said beliefs here; which should give you an idea of how controversial they are. Let's just say that somebody REALLY wants to know who deuced in the urinal.

Enclosed in this post is an open letter to Chiaki Konaka. I am not trying to insult the man or his work, I am simply pointing out that I'm among the people that isn't onboard with the ideas proposed in this play or elsewhere.

I apologize for how heavy this post is; but this kind of behavior is not something I can defend. The idea that the creator is "stating the truth" when the justification has been proven demonstrably false numerous times is utter nonsense. Anyway, among other posts I'm working on; my review of the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra is just about done; and I will be posting it before I go out of town later this month. For now, I will be going to see The Suicide Squad this afternoon. That will be all for now. Stay safe, reject fear, embrace facts.