Oh those are on the list too, I have a very long list
19.11.2025 01:33
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Oh those are on the list too, I have a very long list
That's on the list
Marnie is one of the best written Pokémon rivals in the entire franchise.
I wrote a 5000+ word essay explaining why.
#Pokemon
substack.com/@kizzitykait...
I like how you don't even try to refute anything I claim lmao
This only proves you can't think of an actual point to prove I'm wrong.
I made a 2 hour long video essay on why Chairman Rose is the best Pokemon villain
youtu.be/SU3F6U7hrEQ?...
Lusamine was objectively better written in the anime, here's a 6000+ word essay explaining why.
#anipoke
open.substack.com/pub/kizzityk...
YES THE PEAK
I like how this was basically the plot of the Raquaza Rising finale.
#anipoke
So yeah
Pros:
+Works well as a test for the trio
+Shows off Roy and Liko's growth really well
Cons:
-Dot gets largely shafted in a battle meant to test her skills
-Liko continues feeling like a writer's pet
Not an amazing battle but not a bad one either.
Just okay.
(END)
Moving on-
Lastly, the win feels awkward, but it makes sense if you're pay attention.
Saying she wasn't holding back was dumb, but its also pointed out that Geeta could've resorted to stalling and waiting for the poison to finish them off, and actively chose not to.
(17/18)
You might think I'm being a bit harsh in blaming Dot's lack of presence on Liko, but I struggle to see how else this is supposed to read.
Regardless of the reason, the fact that Dot feels so non-essential doesn't outright RUIN the battle, but it is a huge writing flaw.
(16/18)
This feels especially insulting when Dot weirdly GIVES UP on tactics altogether to rely on luck, seemingly JUST so Liko can correct her.
It very much feels like Dot is being written out of character to make Liko look better.
Why else would Dot say something like this?
(15/18)
-Roy gets his 2 big moments to showcase his growth.
-Liko gets all the tactical lines, her big surprise attack moment, AND the big climatic finale (which weirdly feels like it deletes everyone that isn't Liko and Floragato from the scene).
-Meanwhile Dot gets...nothing
(14/18)
To be clear, I'm not against the notion that say, Liko is picking up on tactics and ideas she's seeing other people use.
But the problem is that its making Dot feel obsolete in this battle that's -again- supposed to be a test for ALL 3 of them, not just Roy and Liko.
(13/18)
In the Geeta battle, DOT is the one being written to be less capable out of nowhere.
As I said, Dot doesn't get to demonstrate her battle smarts despite doing so consistently many times.
Instead, comments that Dot would usually make are being made by Liko here.
(12/18)
Liko vs Diana in ep 74 had the same issue.
It's not that Liko didn't perform well, but Diana was artificially written to have no real tactics and just spammed moves (which she ironically criticizes past Liko for doing), just so Liko could score a win she didn't need.
(11/18)
The core issue that holds the battle back from being overall fantastic, and the same problem that plagues a LOT of Liko's battles...
...is how other characters are artificially written to be LESS competent in order to make Liko look smarter, even when its not needed.
(10/18)
This is genuinely great writing, as it utilizes what we ACTUALLY KNOW about Liko to demonstrate what she's learned as a trainer, while still being surprising and adding an interesting emotional nuance to her.
In isolation this is a perfect moment for Liko's growth...BUT-
(9/18)
Liko knows she won’t be able to trick Geeta if the 3 of them are on the same page, so she deliberately tricks Roy and Dot instead.
Geeta assumes they're attacking in desperation because, in R+D's case, they are. So Liko takes advantage of that assumption to get a leg up.
(8/18)
Across the series, the main theme of Liko's character has been attuning to the emotions of those around her. It's the one part of her arc that's been consistent in how its addressed.
And in regards to demonstrating Liko's growth in that regard, this battle is PHENOMENAL.
(7/18)
Liko.
As I assumed, Liko is the most contentious part of this battle, NOT because her moments are bad, quite the opposite.
I'd actually argue this battle does a better job than almost EVERY prior Liko battle demonstrating what her actual strengths as a trainer are.
(6/18)
We know Dot is capable of being the battle planner, we've seen as much many times like in the Kleavor fight. But here, in a match explicitly meant to test her capabilities, she's given no chances to do anything notable.
Mainly because those chances are swallowed up by-
(5/18)
For Dot however, this battle mostly sucked ass.
Outside of a SINGLE comment, she gets no moments to show her tactical mind, mostly doing nothing the whole time.
This is a major problem cuz this match is supposed to be a test for ALL of the trio, but Dot's being shafted.
(4/18)
For Roy, this battle is a complete success.
He gets to show what he's learned about spacial awareness and quick thinking multiple times throughout the match.
On top of that, he directly draws from past experiences like the Kleavor battle and builds on his own ideas.
(3/18)
First thing to keep in mind is that the battle is premised as a TEST for the trio.
It's not intended to compare their strength to Geeta's.
Narratively, this battle's main goal is to demonstrate their growth to her, and by extension, the audience, which is smart.
(2/18)
#anipoke
The Geeta battle was...okay.
It’s severely flawed but it's got a lot of elements that work really well.
Much like HZ as a whole, it draws a lot of discourse mainly because people REALLY want it to be either terrible or flawless, when in reality its neither.
(1/18)
(Episode 76)
I like Sodayo.
He's really fun and his dynamic with Molly is adorable.
That's it really. A nice simple and fun episode, and those tend to be really well done in HZ.
(Honestly this was better than the big Lucius/Gibeon backstory episode just before it lmao)
Okay so the series is self-aware enough that Liko works way better as the healer/emotionally insightful member of the team, to the point that they joke about it through Sodayo.
I'll remember this next time they awkwardly force her to be the battle-expert for no reason.
#anipoke
(Episode 75)
The story of Lucius, Gibeon, and Rystal was...cool, I guess.
I dunno, you can feel this was rushed into being just one episode. Terapegos is the only member of the main cast emotionally affected by this and its literally just a prop for most of the flashback.
Okay so like-
-should I ask why Rystal appears in the Crystal Pool with her baby?
Did she die with the baby in her arms?
If so why does Leila appear as a baby and not how she died?
Am I thinking too hard about this?
Probably.
#anipoke
