Pokémon Evolutions is Beautiful

for pokemon's 25th anniversary we were given the gift of pokemon evolutions a limited web series consisting of eight episodes one for every generation and i've got to tell you this series is absolutely gorgeous i must also confess that i fell behind as the episodes were coming out so i recently binged the entire series watching most episodes for the first time back to back so i'll go over every episode one by one and we'll see what makes the magic work this is pokemon evolutions [Music] episode 1 the champion focuses on leon as he reflects on his recent failure to stop eternity i think this is a great premise because we get a better look at how leon is feeling without even hearing him say anything i always thought it was a cool idea having the prep room before each battle during the pokemon league and getting to see leon use his time before the battle to reflect makes sense there's this great moment as charizard hypes him up the downside to the short is that it cuts to the eternitis battle throughout which looks great but this is a moment from one of the more recent video games and we've already seen it in the game's cutscene and adapted into the pokemon journey's anime again it is animated beautifully in evolutions but it's nothing new in terms of lore and plot this is also an issue i have with some other episodes in the series but it overall isn't too bad when it comes down to it this episode is great episode 2 the eclipse focuses on lily as she brings nebby to the altar of the moon again visually it's beautiful but it repeats moments from the video game and provides less new content i will admit that the battle between necrozma and lunala during the climax is vastly improved from the game cutscene necrozma has such a terrifying presence with how it moves it feels so heavy as it drags its arms while maneuvering through the sky and every hit is brutal the camera and effects get a bit shaky and kind of in the way but this is the most intimidating base form necrozma has ever been and i love the music and ending of this episode as it reaches a low point just before rising back up before the cliffhanger i think this is how you should adapt scenes close to one to one while improving upon the original with the medium that you're given episode 3 the visionary centers around lysander just as he's defeated after his final stand this is the shortest episode of evolutions and it really feels like it as the main new content we get is a bit more of a glimpse at lysandre's beliefs and his interactions with his peers and it is pretty cool getting to see dianetha and professor sycamore interact with him more and it was a great moment at the very end with sycamore watching lysandre's final message being played it kind of makes me realize that lysander had a good vision and people really trusted him before he you know rebuilt an ancient death weapon episode 4 the plan has getzus narrate his plan for domination and oh my gosh the voice actor just sounds insane and it gives him a threatening presence to match his character i love this small moment where n notices hilda while in a cumula town because this is just moments before they officially meet and we do get to see a battle that happened off-screen in the video games as n faces off against alder which is a great addition although there is this weird dimming effect during the battle that makes it hard to watch i'm guessing it's probably because of all the lightning which is a shame because evolutions has some amazing looking battles i really wanted to see volcarona getting swatted more clearly and even the small moment with amphia and concordia in n's room is weird and feels slightly off i mean this in a good way because in the video games that's the vibe i always got from them and this location also there are a bunch of rare candies just sitting there i guess that's what happens when you're a rich kid this is the longest episode so far though it's beat out by later episodes but i think this was a good overall summation of getzes plan executed through n there's new content and the episode feels more substantial i'm not saying that making every short closer to 10 minutes is a solution but that time range allows for this to be included also there's a fact that pokemon black and white were long ago enough to look well pixelated so even moments that are repeated look different when adapted in this medium episode 5 the rival follows barry with the narrative framing of his desire to battle his father i think this was a great choice because even though we see barry in the games as our rival he was never really the focus his motivation really was to one day be strong enough to battle palmer but having it all presented in this way makes it easier to follow and get behind interesting that he has pip up as his starter pokemon because it keeps in line with his appearance in pokemon masters this short also includes another battle that happened off-screen in the games as he loses to jupiter at lake acuity and she takes away uxie in a mason jar getting to actually see his loss and having better facial expressions in this animation gives more weight to the moment he confronts her later at spirit pillar and having the episode end with palmer stepping into the light and addressing barry as his son is the perfect way to end the short while barry ultimately doesn't get a lot of time in the main series games it was the perfect amount of time to be able to condense it into an animated short episode 6 the wish adapts the story of zinnia and may in the sky pillar this is the longest episode overall and while it doesn't necessarily bring too much new story it improved the delta episode immensely having this take place during the night allows the bright story visuals to pop as zinnia recounts the history of the hoen region and the climb to the top of the tower is presented in a way that really gives life to the characters as zinnia effortlessly leaps from platform to platform and mae really struggles to keep up it's a moment from the games that's very important with huge lore dumps though it wasn't very visually interesting but here it's beautifully adapted getting to see more of zinnia's personality is great as she successfully summons rayquaza but ultimately fails to be the sole person to carry out her perceived mission along with how she acted sort of apathetic toward may we can better see how she's hit with her realization of how even though she was trying to save the world she became selfish with taking the responsibility completely on her own if i'm being genuinely honest i think the delta episode could be best executed as a feature-length movie or maybe even an ova or special though it is great that this episode was the longest at just over 10 minutes because it shows the potential these shorts have and how they can really shine when they go just a bit longer episode 7 the show is the most unique as rather than focusing on a single major character we're given a look at a show put on by the kimono girls of ecruteak city and it's presented exactly as such it's basically just a story we know of the bell tower brass tower and ho-oh and lugia i love that this is something we would see in universe as a full show i would love to be able to watch in fact i did that guy with a totodile was me one great detail is that all the effects during the show are from pokemon like powder from grass types and sounds from firo and of course every element of the first five eeveelutions being a way to tie into the story this episode is exactly what i think additional shorts should be something familiar presented in a new way that brings you into the world of pokemon utilizing characters we don't see much from while also being visually stunning [Music] episode 8 the discovery is the final episode and shows us what green was doing during the events of let's go i know the video game green and manga green are different but the personality that she has in this episode really reminds me of her manga counterpart the way that she turns just to be faced with a bunch of trainers on the nugget bridge only to take them out in battle effortlessly and signing off with a wink is hilarious she's competitive when she finds out trace is also on the tail of mewtwo and even just runs a different way when you think it's about to break out into another battle and then she just slides around a wild graveler it really just gives her more of the personality which she's needed and the battle at the end is great that along with the ending being a meeting with professor oak as green learns the value of working together is nice because it feels like an appropriate end to the entire series being a celebration of all eight generations it's meaningful that it comes full circle ending with a kanto adventure and it even leaves off on the note that there's even more to experience beyond what these characters have come to know pokemon evolutions is beautiful there were points i think didn't grab me as much but watching the whole series in one sitting was totally doable coming out to a little over an hour of run time the great thing about anthology series like this is that even if one episode doesn't hit there's always the next one i think all of these episodes are great but i am of the opinion that the latter half is the best of the series and even contains some of the best of any pokemon spin-off anime series never every episode is visually striking and there's bound to be something you'll like because whatever your favorite generation is there's something in this series that will bring back those memories and bring something new and some of the most beautiful visuals i've ever seen each episode is different in its own way while emphasizing the core theme of pokemon the bond between people and pokemon that grows even more friendships and is strong enough to stand up to any obstacle that threatens that bond because even after 25 years pokemon and its fans continue to evolve and that is beautiful so today we're asking ourselves the important question does this challenger have what it takes so tell me how you'll save that pokemon what can you do lily are you finished you really thought you could beat team galactic maybe i'm never gonna be tough enough to beat my dad go onward discover whether you have what it takes to be a hero [Music] i don't expect that i will ever make you understand how i think and feel ever since i was a little girl so full of uncertainty that i felt my heart might be completely crushed by it i've always turned my eyes up to the endless guy above [Music] now you know what i'm trying to do [Music] hey wait a second if it isn't the little boy who ran off crying i think you're tougher now i'm here to get my revenge people ought to help one and that is what i'm going to teach her too just look at your pokemon the bond you share is marvelous and you've found so many this wish was able to bring people and pokemon together pokemon trainers listen well the future isn't decided you can't be sure each day will be like the one before you have the potential to change [Music] with all the data you've gathered you've really been helping my studies and besides you weren't doing it all alone you were a part of a much larger community dream a world of dreams and adventures challenges and discovery of trainers and pokemon and now thanks to all of you i finally fulfilled my dream the pokedex is complete [Music] you

Channel: GatorEX

Views: 423,283

Keywords: Pokemon, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Game Freak, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Video Game, Pokemon Nintendo Switch, Discussion, Analysis, Theory, Game Theory, Pokemon Evolutions, Pokemon Anime Spin Off, Pokemon Mature Anime, Pokemon Zinnia, Pokemon 25, Pokemon 25th Anniversary, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Pokemon Hilda Anime, Pokemon Lillie, Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon N, Pokemon Green, Pokemon Green Anime, Pokemon Zinnia Anime, Pokemon BDSP, Pokemon Masters

Id: 6a7HahiJRCM

Length: 11min 24sec (684 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 07 2022