XYZ 32, or a A League of His Own (as named by the dub), is probably one of, if not the, most hated League openers ever created by the general Pokémon fandom. From words like "clickbait", "lackluster", "horribly paced" and "too much" thrown around, you'd be hard pressed to find a single positive opinion about it. Heck, this goes for most of the Kalos League in general.
I, however, take a complete opposite opinion: XYZ 32 is one of the most perfectly written episodes of the series for what it tries to accomplish.
It probably sounds like I'm a fanboy of everything XY, though I'll be the first to admit that the Kalos League could have been done better in places. Just not this episode. While I'll go more in depth with that when I do my comprehensive multi-part XY review (coming soon), for now, I want to discuss the episode that started it and prove why it's simply one of the best, especially when it comes to writing and animation.
Note, this will be a different style of post than my usual blog posts.
So, to cover this episode, we'll be going in chronological order from start to finish, while also including slight spoilers for episodes that come after (shouldn't be a problem) in order to further drive home the point.
To start the episode, we are quickly introduced to Malva. You know, the Elite Four member and someone who works with Lysandre? Right away, the episode tells you that this is no ordinary League; it won't be revolving around the battles, but the character and the plot that is to come. If you came to this episode or League looking for a battlefest, this tells you it won't happen. "But narrative intent is bullshit." Narrative intent is in everything, whether you choose to see it or not; it's what writers call subtlety. Therefore, the intent of this very opening scene is that Malva is here, and something with Team Flare will be going down.
So, now that the episode's introduced this character, it takes no time in rushing towards an interview with Ash. However, the interview is not important so much as what it sets up: Ash's determination to win the League, while still showing a sense of humility, while establishing the subplot for the episode. The interview is what leads to Takeru (yes, I'll be using his Japanese name) requesting a battle from Ash; a request he doesn't deny, but we'll get into that later.
Some may feel that it's wasting time from the episode that should have focused on the battle, however, this subplot is beyond key as later events will show. Not the least of which is showing Serena's current disposition:
For a girl who blushed back in XY 60 at the mere thought of taking Ash's hand, she so easily takes it here. Establishes her own development, and helps to cement her as the mom figure of the group. It's an anecdote, of course, to the meat of the episode, but still one that helps showcase the character development.
The scene shifts to a sort of pre-League banquet now, which as far as things goes is pretty standard. Not exactly unfamiliar territory really. However, it's the presentation that is so important here. First, we'll note Sawyer, who is separate from everyone else, but still acknowledges those there, especially Ash. Not only does it show that he's normally social, only he's focused on the League ahead, but that he also never stopped believing in Ash. Obviously, these are memorable points of his character, and ones that come into play in the semifinal match between the two.
Likewise, we have Tierno and Trevor, far more sociable and friendly, interacting directly with Ash's group. It serves as the ultimate contrast between each character's mentality, all within a single scene. Sawyer is reserved and focused, but acknowledging; Tierno and Trevor are friendly and opening, but clearly not as focused on battles (Trevor, maybe a little, but Tierno's more interested in Serena). Then we have Ash and Alain, and here is where the focus of the episode's writing truly comes into play.
To point out, we have Ash: very sociable, outgoing, and willing to approach anyone. Then we have Alain, who shows a lot of things in this moment. For one, the whole scene depicts Alain as walking away from the events. Not only does it establish him, yet again, as someone cold and distant, but it also symbolically represents him as being different from the others. He isn't here for the League, and he doesn't care about anyone. He won't even talk to his former mentor! It's a stark contrast to Ash, despite their similarities, which are shown later.
Likewise, you continue seeing the stark difference between Ash and Alain here, as Ash acknowledges the opponent before him. Yes, Alain does the same before battle begins against Trevor, but he doesn't do it pre-League. He's someone who doesn't care about anyone else at the tournament but Ash.
Speaking of Trevor, the next scene goes on to establish him: he has a secret, and it's pretty obvious as to what it is. Not only does it show where this secret is from, but that he's outright relying on it. It also helps to show that Tierno doesn't have this secret, because he mentions nothing about himself. It's a lot of little information packed into a few short sentences. How Trevor uses this secret...well, that's something we'll see, when...
Then the subplot comes back into play when Takeru confronts Ash in the hallways. Now, I've heard this battle against him described as nothing but "hype bait" for Ash to win the League, and I'll admit, I thought so, too...until you actually pay attention. This isn't about hyping at all, but about the clear differences between Ash and Alain being continued and furthered. While Alain considers Trevor a nothing to simply be obliterated with Charizard, Ash considers his promise with a nobody, really, of paramount importance.
For one, we have Takeru, a trainer without eight badges. Then, we have Trevor, who gets completely smoke despite having eight badges. It's a show that Trevor deserves to be there...he was just one-upped by Alain in a big way. He's definitely on the lower end of those who made into the Kalos League. It's a subtle establishment, but one that is vital for the viewer to process that Ash can and will face Alain. That line above in the final picture is the establishment of all that.
Then we truly get to the meat and meaning of the subplot at long last.
The moment that Takeru asks Ash to honor the dreams of those who couldn't get into the League, many saw it as the declaration that Ash would win the League, and thus felt that the scene was pointless when he didn't. Except, that wasn't the point of this moment. The point was Ash choosing to thank, acknowledge and honor someone he didn't know and had no reason to care about. Takeru wasn't a stepping stone for him to blow aside just to move forward in the League, he almost made him late! Instead, he was the embodiment of Ash's altruism, itself, making Takeru smile and inspiring him, especially when stacked against Alain, who couldn't give Trevor (or any other opponent later) the time of day.
But how does this matter? So what if they're different? Ash and Paul were different, too. Except Ash and Alain are more explicitly foils, as the next scene shows.
Ash obliterates Tomo. Like Alain, he's clearly implied to have a 3-0 victory against his first opponent. People may complain that the whole battle wasn't shown...but how interesting is a series of oneshots? The narrative instantly tells you that Ash oneshots them, and we have no doubt of it. The foil and comparison is now in place:
Ash oneshotted Tomo. Alain oneshotted Trevor.
Ash gave time to honor Takeru. Alain could care less about anyone at the League.
Ash mingled with his fellow rivals. Alain walked away.
They're the two top competitors at this League, and everyone knows it, despite how vastly different they are. It's those same points that, despite Alain winning, makes him feel like he really lost the whole time, later in XYZ 44. It is that same inspiring attitude which he gives to Takeru, that makes Ash the one that is able to pull the broken down Alain out of despair in the Flare arc. Without their differences, all of that would have been shallow and pointless. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the point of this episode.
And while the episode closes off with some others, such as Sawyer, reaffirming their stance and character promises, the first segment of the Kalos League gets its point across in a brilliant fashion.
Conclusion
I realize that due to following in a rather chronological format, my points may not have gotten across well, so to reiterate, I'll bullet point it.
- XYZ 32's primary function is only partially to kick off the League, but mostly to establish Ash and Alain as foils. That both are the top competitors at the competition, yet are two totally separate individuals, with one self-focused and the other selfless, further hammers this in, and has far reaching effects for the rest of XYZ.
- XYZ 32 sets up the plot moving forward by not only showing Malva there, indicating Flare may move, but also showcasing Sycamore and Alain's silently terse relationship.
- XYZ 32 reestablishes character goals and who they are. From the focused by interacting Sawyer, to the more friendly focused Trevor and Tierno, and finally the very standoffish Alain, who stays away from everyone, even if his goals of battling Ash and collecting Mega Evolution Energy are made plain.
- XYZ 32 establishes the class of trainers: from those who couldn't get in, to those who could but were still destroyed because of their reliance not on their own strength, and then those at the top, like Ash and Alain.
The episode was able to do all of this in its short time frame, and some of it was subtle, while some of it was obvious. If you actually take a look back at the episode with the full knowledge of the rest of XYZ, think of Takeru beyond this need to validate winning or losing, and really look at the intricacies of it, you can find just how brilliant an episode this is. If you don't want to, fine, but I'd like to think I've made my point, if you're open to it.
Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity
I always thought this one was excellent as a character episode, glad to see I'm not alone on that.
ReplyDeleteI think Ash's promise with Takeru was also a parallelism with Serena. She promised to Shauna to take 1st but ended up taking 2nd instead, like Ash.