Pokémon Journeys: The Series Part 3 Review – Battling Tones

The more I watch Pokemon Journeys, the more that a certain thing really comes to mind…this show really doesn’t belong on Netflix! I know that may sound weird given the beauty of binge-watching nowadays. Still, in truth, Pokemon is a show that works BECAUSE there are so many episodes in a “season,” and you can watch one pretty much every week and not have long gaps between new ones (before the Netflix model). Still, while that flaw is important, Pokemon Journeys Part 3 continues to impress…even though it’s still taking missteps at times.

The latest batch of 12 is another set of episodes fitting the Pokemon Journeys mold rather well. Some episodes are about Ash getting through the World Coronation Series, others are about Goh in his journey to catch’em all, and certain other friends and characters get their own time to shine as well.

Let’s start with the positive. Shall we?

First off, I loved the season’s opening, as the show went back to Ash’s past to get a rematch going with Korrina and her Mega Lucario. This was a fun reintroduction to Mega Evolution for those who haven’t seen it (like Ash’s Riolyu), as well as allowing Ash to show his battle experience once again. While I honestly would’ve preferred Ash to lose this fight (especially given how the battle was shown), it was still a great fight overall.

The huge SHOCK of this season, though, was episode 2 called “Splash, Dash, and Smash For The Crown,” a rare two-for-one story that is hands down one of the most overt anime things I’ve ever seen. Seriously. They go full-tilt with the anime references, the visual styles and break the fourth wall more than once in this episode. Usually, I’d detest something like this, but it’s so funny that I can’t help but laugh. Also, check my sanity that I made it through this episode without cracking…that I know oh.

I also dug the various Pokemon that Ash and Goh not only met but caught. I’m used to Goh pretty much catching them all, but it’s fun to see what he’ll catch next, and they get clever with how it goes down at times. Including getting Sobble, the Trapinch evolutionary tree, and more. Ash even gets a Farfetch’d that truly fits his personality, and I hope he gets to evolve it into a Sirfetch’d over time.

And this says nothing of the battles, which are awesome at times. Including seeing Leon and Raihan battle it out in an entertaining fight that you have to experience for yourself.

There are also some more emotional episodes, including the episode “Time After Time,” which is a real tear-jerker as we see a bit of Goh’s past and see why he’s initially very standoffish to Ash at the beginning of the series. It’s episodes like these that really show the awe and wonder that a show like Pokemon can have as it shows the human element and the Pokemon element.

Don’t worry; there are funnier episodes like the previously-mentioned “anime explosion” of an episode and one that features a whole swath of Pikachus.

But…

There’s still a problem with the conflicting tones that the series has had so far. And no, I don’t mean the bouncing storylines between Ash and Goh, but rather, the sometimes filler episodes and the portrayals of Ash and Goh at times.

For example, you undoubtedly have heard about the episode where Pikachu and Ash fight, resulting in Pikachu running away to Ash’s mother because of her being kind to Pikachu during a visit before the fight. The episode makes Ash look like an idiot and a jerk, Pikachu being a hothead and impulsive, then everything is fixed at the end without much effort.

I’ve voiced my displeasure of hearing this storyline on the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast before. It makes no sense for this episode to happen as it did. Ash has done heavy training with a Pokemon before, and Pikachu had no qualms. Ash has picked up on Pikachu’s moods in the past with no issues either. Let alone a blow-up like this. What’s more, the LITERAL episode before this one was a very similar storyline about a Pokemon’s attention by its trainer being usurped by a newcomer. They even mention it in the Ash/Pikachu episode! Why did they put these episodes back-to-back? And the “emotional impact” pales to the Goh-focused “Time After Time” by a large margin.

Plus, again, the Netflix model really does this show a disservice. For example, the last two episodes feature Ash taking a major Series loss to Galar Gym Leader Bea (who comes off as a total boss), and the episode right after has him dealing with the fallout from it. But, it’s a quick fix, and it’s very atypical Ash in terms of how he handles the loss. So again, conflicting tones, plus being able to visit it right away versus having people wait a bit to process it (it could’ve been a good “finale” for the section), kind of belittles the loss.

Still, overall, Pokemon Journeys Part 3 does an excellent job of keeping the flow going, and while we do have to wait 3 months or so for the next batch (which I PRAY has the Alola episode in it!!!!), it’ll be worth it to see what this show does next.