Folks, I’ve been consulting the relevant sages, and it is absolutely time for some Pokemon Sun and Moon. They foretell of pleasant, lighthearted adventures under the Alolan sun, and perhaps even a generous dash of expressive, comically exaggerated character acting. They also mentioned a crew of characters it is impossible not to love, accompanied by creatures who are equally comfortable chilling out as cute pets or battling each other through sumptuous cuts of fight animation. I frankly think I need not have bothered consulting these sages in the first place, as all of their predictions seem suspiciously obvious, but I nonetheless agree with their fated prediction. Let’s enjoy another new episode of Pokemon Sun and Moon!
Episode 27
We open on a pan down from the Alolan sky into a dark alley, where the Skull Gang are currently doing their best to look intimidating while loitering by a trash can
Pans from skies into alleys are a useful dramatic tool! The shift from clear, open sky to dark, enclosed territory, complete with the negative connotations that dark alleys inherently possess, mean they’re an easy way to create an immediate sense of privacy, menace, or the feeling that we’re slipping into a secret world. In this case, it adds a little dramatic juice to the introduction of a crew who need a whole lot of help to appear intimidating
Oh shit, it’s Lillie’s brother! I think this is the first time we’ve seen him in the show, I wonder what he’s been up to
Oh, poor Skull Gang. I can already see where this is going – they’re going to be used as cannon fodder to demonstrate how threatening this new challenger is. Thus is the fate of all defeated cartoon gangs: to become fuel for hyping up the menace of the next gang
“When two trainers’ eyes meet, a battle must begin!” I appreciate Skull Leader’s reverence for the classic rules of Pokemon game design
Lillie’s brother has a dark Lycanroc, of course. They’re doing a nice job of using the walls of these alleys to create a sense of depth and drama in the frame
Also some nice new cuts of fight animation here, like the three Skull pokemon leaping into action in sequence
Hah, I love this trick where the Skull folks are caught in a reaction freeze frame, and then back up from their own exaggerated portraits
Apparently Umbreon’s name is “Blacky” in Japanese. Not surprised that one got replaced entirely
“You know, since we treat evil and justice as the same thing, wouldn’t something as creepy and cool as that Lycanroc be perfect for us?” Bless you Jessie
Wobuffet’s Jimmy Buffett costume remains an incredible gag
“Come Forth, Lycanroc with the Crimson Look!” Damn chuunibyou-ass pokemon
Damn, Rowlett’s gaining some skills! Ash’s team is starting to look like a real lineup at this point, and not just some pets he found in the yard
Both Pikachu and Meowth have done this specific eye-popping gag this episode, which makes me think some particular key animator is a fan of that face
Ooh, it’s started raining outside, and I’m all cozy in here watching Pokemon. I love this job
Ash is a dedicated and supportive trainer. Always nice to be reminded he actually works very hard, and isn’t just handed everything (even though he is handed a lot of things)
The pokemon just think up their own games to play at school, like this conga line being led by Charjabug. Adorable
Uh oh! Rumors tell of a mysterious Lycanroc-wielding pokemon trainer, who’s apparently mighty tough
Another episode with a solid dash of “check out Sun and Moon for these cool features,” this time in the form of the dual mode Lycanroc
Oh my god, Lillie’s brother is fighting Default Sailor Trainer
It’s interesting how a character’s pupil becoming extremely small, with a very thin wider band for the iris, has become visual shorthand for someone essentially being knocked out on their feet. I wonder what manga first established that; I most strongly associate it with Dragon Ball, but doubt it started there
Some more strong faces in that pop-eyed style as Ash discovers Lillie is this trainer’s sister
Gladio is his name, and I like how he immediately notes that Lillie can hold pokemon again. He’s still pretty distant, but he seems more considerate here than in the game
Gladio isn’t looking for a battle, but noting multiple Kapu-Kokeko battles on Ash’s resume sparks his interest
Oh my god, Lillie’s whole family look so adorable together. I can’t wait to meet this universe’s version of Lusamine
“My brother left half a year ago. All of a sudden, he said he wished to study by himself, and then…” Child services are pretty loose about parenting restrictions in Pokeworld, huh? I wish I could have said “I have a journey I must undertake” at fifteen and just walked out the door
Apparently Gladio only became a goth once he left home, a common trajectory
I used to think the Pokeworld was a gentle place, but if there are creatures in this world who would bully something as perfect and precious as an Eevee, I don’t know what to think
I love Ash’s Rowlett shirt
The Lycanroc’s badassery has got Rockruff all fired up
Absolutely incredible comedic timing on Pikachu trying to wake Ash up. The animation of him bouncing his stubby legs up and down on Ash’s chest is an inherently funny choice, but what really sells it is the silent beat of Pikachu thinking, “welp, I guess we’re doing this” before he resorts to electrifying Ash
Of course the extremely self-serious Gladio sends an official letter of challenge
Team Rocket show up once again, this time just to appreciate the glorious Alolan sunrise. They don’t even really have a narrative attachment to this episode, but it’s always nice to see them
Ah, here they go. With Rockruff and Lycanroc in the midst of battle, they fire off those reliable nets of theirs, picking up both Pikachu and Lycanroc
They always try some version of this plan and it never works, but somehow they remain undeterred regardless. Even though they’re ostensibly the “villains” of Pokemon, Team Rocket are largely defined by positive, sometimes even admirable qualities: perseverance, loyalty to their friends, an appreciation of the world around them, and an understanding that work isn’t everything. And given how frequently they fail, they can actually serve as a more relatable set of role models than Ash himself
Even when Rockruff catches up with their escaping truck, James just praises its tenacity. They’re so bad at being evil
They’re pulling off some nice tricks of active camera movement here, by separating the planes of the sand, the truck itself, and the forest in the background, and moving each of them at a different speed to convey the sense of a camera spinning
Z-moves are perfect for Gladio, who’d probably be doing goofy hand poses along with his moves either way
And Done
Ash has acquired a destined rival! I mean, I guess all of his friends are rivals to some extent, but this rivalry is far more rival-y than any before, complete with dramatic letters of challenge and battles that are halted to join forces against a greater foe, then rescheduled for some indefinite point in the future. That is top tier rival ass shit, and I hope Gladio soon returns to darken Ash’s door, and perhaps even join the crew proper. All that and some delightful Team Rocket moments make for a very filling episode of Sun and Moon!
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