Analysis of the Pacing of the Sinnoh storyarc

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GoldChaos

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With the fourth Sinnoh Gym approaching, I decided to examine the current pacing of the current story arc, as compared to the badge quests in Johto and Hoenn. I have figured out averages of the episodes where Ash gets a badge, and the actual pacings, and tried to examing how we stand in Sinnoh. First badge episode count uses the arrival into the region episode as a starting point.

Johto episode counts
1st: 15 ; 2nd: 13 ; 3rd: 15 ; 4th: 23
5th: 27 ; 6th: 15 ; 7th: 14 ; 8th: 16

Average: 17.25 episodes between badges
79 episodes in: Between the 4th and 5th badges
Remaining arc episodes: 20

Hoenn episode counts

1st: 16 ; 2nd: 15 ; 3rd: 9 ; 4th: 16
5th: 14 ; 6th: 15 ; 7th: 15 ; 8th: 11

Average: 13.875 episodes between badges
79 episodes in: Between the 5th and 6th badges
Remaining arc episodes: 21 (using episode 132 as the end point according the Bulbapedia's episode list)

Sinnoh episode counts
1st: 18 ; 2nd: 19 ; 3rd: 31 ; 4th: 15

Average: 20.75 episodes between badges
This assumes that Ash does win his badge in DP083.

Now, it looks like that Sinnoh is still going slower than even Johto, in regards to the quest for badges. However, if it goes to to an average of 13 episodes between gym victories for the remaining 4, then it'll be on the same pace as Johto. However rarely as of Johto is there 13 or less episodes between Ash beating a Gym Leader. I'd expect the average to skew higher, maybe towards the current average.

What will skew things higher?

Assuming the Austrialian Fan Pokemon mag is true where it counts, we will definately have the victory at the Hearthome Gym within the next 21 episode (as there are only 21 episodes left in the Battle Dimension season), and after that the group will head towards Celestic Town.

However, there are serveral towns in between Celestic and Canalave City, where the next offical Gym is. And there are a lot of cities in between them, if I'm reading the map correctly.

In fact, there seems to be a huge amount of distance between the Canalave, Snowpoint, and Sunyshore Gyms. There are no direct routes between them. How will it be managed?

And that's not considering things like Dawn's Contest, Team Galactic plot episodes, and the effect of Platinum, and what's in the works after Platinum.
 
Hate to burst your bubble, but the "Sinnoh is longer than Johto" thing is old news.

Also, we really don't know how many episodes we have left in the Battle Dimension season because PUSA doesn't follow any sort of patterns when it comes to their season breaks.
 
We're getting alot more "meat" though between gyms, so it seems faster though.
 
The only reason to be concerned is how rushed the filler saga, if there is one, is.

Battle Frontier was rushed because of D/P, and if now they're taking their time with Sinnoh, how rushed will the next saga be until the 5th gen?
 
I think the writers may be going at a slower pace in Sinnoh so they can avoid a filler saga altogether.
 
So that the so-called "Battle Zone" in Platinum is merged into one season (Season 12)? I dunno. I think they might do the four seasons in total in relating to Generation IV before they move on to the next one. This'll give us a couple of years too. So once we reach that bridge and cross it, there'll be a new handheld out, and Generation V games out for the profit.
 
Dogasu said:
Also, we really don't know how many episodes we have left in the Battle Dimension season because PUSA doesn't follow any sort of patterns when it comes to their season breaks.
Click to expand...

Well, given the previous gaps between episodes, and how much is left within a typical 52 season, if should be safe to guess that the gap between badge four and five would be within twenty episodes.

Well, I guess it all boils down to two things really:

How many episodes will be dedicated to the Sinnoh arc.
How many episodes in between the end of the Sinnoh arc and the launch of the 5th generation series.

Given there are no landmarks between Pastoria and Hearthome, it should be closer to the time it took to win the first two badges then it was to win the third. However, that magazine implies the next destination after Hearthome is Celestic Town. If they go to the next gym in Canalave, the group has to cross at least two cities. And like I said before, it won't be a cakewalk between Canalave to Snowpoint, and from Snowpoint to Sunyshore. There's a good number of cities in between.

So the question is, will there be episodes dedicated to visiting cities in between the final gyms, and what will be the gaps between cities? Is it more likely we will see another 30 episode gap between Ash getting a badge?

Despite this, I don't think that we'll see the Sinnoh saga make up the entire Gen IV episodes, nor do I think the filler saga will be rushed. I do think that given Nintendo's new philosophy, they are not in any rush to reveal any fifth generation stuff.

So, my prediction:
4th to 5th: 18
5th to 6th: 24
6th to 7th: 23
7th to 8th: 25
Episodes till end of arc: 20

Total episode count: 199, or about four years worth of episodes.
Filler arc: About two years worth of episodes.
 
You think Sinnoh will go on for 200 episodes, and then another filler arc after? Wouldn't we be in 2010 by then?

I honestly believe the next DS will come out around 2010, and for all we know Pokemon could come out close to launch this time.
 
I think Ash will get his fifth badge by the end of this season.

Next year, he'll get two badges, and Dawn will get a Ribbon. I'm guessing most of the season will be devoted to Team Galactic.

Ash and Dawn will get their last badge and ribbon in "season 4" and the second half will be devoted to the Grand Festival, then Pokemon League.
 
Since the filler episodes are usually filled with training/development/exciting stuff, the gaps aren't as lomg as they seem to be. Besides it takes Ash 14-20 episodes USUALLy to get to a Gym, that big ol' 31 ep gap was just because they Hearthome City gym wasnt meant to be done yet.
 
Hmm, does anyone know whether or not D/P 74 will be included in Season 11 for the dub?

I'm just wondering about this.
 
Ah, I see.

Thanks, Dogasu. ^^


Now we just have to wait and see what happens.
 
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Since 4Kids lost the show the seasons aren't 52 episodes exactly anymore... 9 was 47 and 10 was 51 - but I guess like these two season 11 will also be a very close number to 52
 
Heh, I guess PUSA is out of luck for new opening images since Together 2008 will probably be here for the entire year.

Maybe they should continue taking stuff from the endings.
 
I still say that the Eternia to Veilstone path was so long because of the "lolLucarioinanimuwithbrawlzreleasedate11!!11!Ash4Riolu" and because the trek in games is the longest between gyms in any region so far.

And since most of the gyms now are relatively close to each other, we should only be on 15-20 episodes average between gyms.
 
But what about the trip from Hearthome to Canalave (via Jubilife) then from Canalave to Snowpoint? That's another long leg.
 
I doubt SSBB had anything to do with it
With that logic they'd also being back Jiggly since it's one of the characters there
With that logic they'd also have May with Squirtle and Ivysaur except Wartortle and Venusaur
I think the fans are much more advertising crazys than what they say the writers are...
Not EVERY LITTLE STEP the characters do is to advertise things


Also... by my count (which means things like these count as NOT a filler: Dawn get the Pokétch (we do see it again), Dawn get Coin Toss (she does use it again), The Sugar/Raichu episode since it remind us Berries and Pokéblocks and baking cakes from Berries which is like making Poffins an episode before the Poffin introduction episode, The Chingling episode since it revealed Gligar's attacks which is like Pokémon learn a new attack, and some other little things that others will probably won't agree with me that should be counted)

DP had only 10 real fillers
And even these few fillers had some good things like introducing a new Pokémon, showcasing a rarely seen Pokémon, showing the gender difference, focus on neglected characters, focus on the Pokémon, focus on all the main characters...
These are the 10 episodes:

DP 21 - B-button
- recurring character appear again (first time in DP): Magikarp salseman
- Feebas gets a better appearance than its only few-seconds-appearance in Hoenn
- Raichu is mentioned and we get to see one soon in DP 24
- game reference (B button cancel evolution in the games)

DP 23 - Bidoof
- Bidoof's first proper appearance
- First time gender difference is seen despite they didn't mention it

DP 28 - Drifloon
- Drifloon's first proper apperance
- Game location
- A legendary appear

DP 39 - the boat episode
- The first episode to focus on the Pokémon in DP
- The English version finally state that Aipom is female after the Japanese did it in BF
- Confirm Happiny is female to anyone that had doubts if the games' females only is also so in the anime
- Game items (they had Contest accessories there... I think)

DP 42 - Electrike
- Electrike and Manectric get a second appearance after their first and only in Hoenn
- The episode focus on Brock/James/Meowth who are usually the least focused on characters
- A breeder other than Brock appear which is very rare

DP 43 - Mismagius
- Focus on ALL the main characters and do a great job to remind us their dreams and how important to them they are
- Mismagius' first proper appearance

47 - Mira
- Game character
- The rarely seen Sandshrew and Abra appear

DP 57 - Bibarel
- Bibarel's first proper appearance
- A breeder other than Brock appear which is very rare
- Game item (which we might see again and will make this a not filler episode)

DP 58 - Probopass
- Probopass' first proper appearance
- Game location
- First time we see evolution caused by location

DP 59 - Luxray
- Luxray's first proper appearance
- Game item
- First time we see Thunder Fang and Charge Beam ?


10 real-fillers in over 80 episodes...
I can't see anything to complain about
Not all the episodes between Gyms/Contests are fillers
Even if Sinnoh will be the longest saga - I think it'll be the one with the least amount of fillers

Everything is well planned and gets build up (the trade, Chimchar, Paul, Zoey, the Ice Beam+Aqua Jet combination, and anything else...)
We get good character development (Dawn, Piplup, Chimchar, Zoey, Paul)

Most will agree that Paul is the best rival
Nando is interesting for being a rival to both heroes
Zoey/Kenny - a lot complain about them being boring friendly rivals but actually that was smart to give her supportive rivals since that's exactly what she need to be able to continue after her constant loses (in DP75 Jessie laugh at her again for the performance fails and she gets disappointed than Ash/Brock cheer her - if her rivals were like that she'd be crushed and won't be able to continue)

It looks like J and Team Galactic's plots are going to be much better than Magma/Aqua
We get much more three+ episodes arcs than before (DP 1-3: the beginning, DP 15-18: Oreburgh Gym, DP 30-32: Cheryl, DP 50-52/53: tag battles tournament and Chimchar's episode might count as part of this, DP 66-69: Veilstone Gym and Galactic, DP 75-79: Wallace Cup)

The writers don't forget things now like they did in the past
Dawn's spinning move in constantly used by both Ash and Dawn, Dawn's despression wasn't forgotten and was what lead us to the Wallace Cup and May's appearance, Buneary's love for Pikachu (compare to Skitty/Meowth...)


DP is really great and there's nothing to complain about
It can go on for 29545 episodes if they want - as long as stays so good
We should say thanks for DP instead of complain how "long" it is
I really hope Platinum won't destroy some of the writers' plans... as said everything is planned in DP and if Platinum really changes the last Gym Leader and Champion than all their plans for Volkner and Cynthia might be forced to change
 
JB88 said:
But what about the trip from Hearthome to Canalave (via Jubilife) then from Canalave to Snowpoint? That's another long leg.
Click to expand...

It is not really bad that it is long,but that the group is criss-crossing the country so much is an writing nightmare.
But still,may was in snowpoint,and traveled to the resort in one episode gap.
 
Piplup said:
(in DP75 Jessie laugh at her again for the performance fails and she gets disappointed than Ash/Brock cheer her
Click to expand...

Which is how rivals should work. Not that I don't like Nozomi and Kengo, but it's nice to have one rival that actually acts like one.

Piplup said:
- if her rivals were like that she'd be crushed and won't be able to continue)
Click to expand...

Then she shouldn't be in Contests if a little teasing hurts her feelings so much.
 
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