February 2012 "Pocket Monsters Special" Review Thread

[Eitarou]

The last Sho4 chapter of Pokemon Adventures is out. And with it, a new Pokemon is revealed for Black.

Here's a summary, from Coronis.

Spoiler

Just got this last issue of Grade 4, which has been running for 89 years. Certainly the end of an era for some. With the arrival of the new school year, no Shogakukan year grade magazineswill be carrying PokeSpecial, the first time since Mato went into hiatus before Satoshi took over. How time has flown.

Anyway, the content itself. Black gets 'munched' by the wild Munna (Musha), and for the first time experiences the hexagonal white vision, allowing to see things out of the ordinary. He spots what appears to be bird-footprints, and soon finds those of Rufflet (Brav) in the bushes. Seeing the crushed berries (and some stomped ones), Black realizes that the wild Rufflet was in the middle of feeding (it crushes berries with its talons before eating them), but then Bianca stepped into the grass and accidentally stomped on the berries it was about to eat. As a result, it chased down Bianca.

Black distracts Rufflet with some berries, and with Cheren, successfully brings Bianca home. Natrually, the two are scolded by Bianca's Dad, and that night, Black tells Cheren that he shall name the Rufflet Brav (after reading from a book that it will evolve into Braviary). Cheren is shocked that Black plans to capture the Pokemon, and Black says he can totally identify himself in Rufflet's strength, speed and determination, making it the perfect partner for him.

The next day, Black prepares a whole lot of Pokeballs and manages to encounter Rufflet again the bushes. He attempts capture right away, but natrually Rufflet smacks off or evades all the throws. It keeps diving down and attacking Black during the process (gets quite bloody actually, it scratches Black's forearm with its talons until it bleeds and smashes into Black's face, giving him a nosebleed), and Black announces his desire to conquer the league together with Rufflet.

Finally, Black turns to his aide, the Munna yesterday, and it helps Black attack Rufflet with Psychic, giving Black the chance to toss another Pokeball and finally catching the Rufflet. Cheren is surprised that Munna is helping Black, and Black explains that he offered to let it eat his dreams in exchange of its help in fighting Rufflet. Anyway, Black gets Rufflet offically, and Munna also offers to join the boy on his quest.

The flashback ends and Black muses about the importance of dreams. Yet, people like Team Plasma are trying to take them away from people, and he will not allow that. The final panel shows Black with his current four members, only that his Pignite has further evolved into an Emboar, meaning these two flashback chapters happen after the Mistralton/GLvsShadowTriad events.


Coronis~

RIP, Sho4. Hopefully a new magazine will pick Pokemon Adventures up.

 

[Dogasu]

From the looks of things, we're just going to have CoroCoro Ichiban! and Pokemon Fan for the time being.

This chapter really felt like it was written with the knowledge that it was going to be printed in the final issue of the magazine. Especially the ending, what with all the "follow your dreams" and "your dreams will never die" stuff and all.

How is Viz when it comes to censoring blood in this series? Because Black spends the second half of this chapter with a rather nasty looking stream of blood coming from his nose.

 

[Eitarou]

From the looks of things, we're just going to have CoroCoro Ichiban! and Pokemon Fan for the time being.

This chapter really felt like it was written with the knowledge that it was going to be printed in the final issue of the magazine. Especially the ending, what with all the "follow your dreams" and "your dreams will never die" stuff and all.

How is Viz when it comes to censoring blood in this series? Because Black spends the second half of this chapter with a rather nasty looking stream of blood coming from his nose.

The only other time we've someone with that much blood shown on their body was in the Ruby & Sapphire chapter.

Since Viz isn't translating that one, we'll have to wait and find out.

 

[Dogasu]

Here's my translation all the "dream stuff" from the end of the chapter I was talking about, by the way:

Black: "We can live as long as we have our dreams! Dreams are precious to us, whether we're a human or pokemon! I can't forgive that group that steals and tramples the dreams of others. I can't forgive them! We'll all defeat them!!"

 

[Eitarou]

Here's my translation all the "dream stuff" from the end of the chapter I was talking about, by the way:

Black: "We can live as long as we have our dreams! Dreams are precious to us, whether we're a human or pokemon! I can't forgive that group that steals and tramples the dreams of others. I can't forgive them! We'll all defeat them!!"

That kind of sentence makes me wonder if the final battle is going to start soon.

Hey, I was wondering...would it be possible to post a pic of his Emboar? I've been wanting to see how it looks.

 

[Dogasu]

Here ya go!

Spoiler

 

[Sweet Veil]

-I really like this scene. I liked seeing the back story on Black, Cheren, and Bel as well as Black's Musha and War. They were both very cute in the flashbacks, and seeing Black say something along the lines of "Come with me and you'll never starve." or something of that nature to Musha was cute. Little Bel was a treat in this chapter, seeing her father overreact to that tiny scratch that War gave her was hilarious. Little Cheren was great too, seeing him being beside himself on what to do over Musha biting Black and Bel being carried off by War was funny. I liked seeing that back story on Black going to the library and studying a lot which explains why he was so good with Aloe's library and museum. I think the main reason I liked this chapter so much is explains and patches up holes in the story, it explains how Black got War and Musha since at the beginning of BW Spe I thought it was really weird Black would have a Wargle right off the bat a evolved Pokemon and Munna as well but, seeing him have his first "Black" mind was nice. And Munna ultimately teaming up with him to catch his "starter" Washibon. At the end the crap about dreams and stuff was really fitting since he does have Munna, and that scene where he hugged War as a Washibon made me smile. Since I feel Poka Chao, Musha, Protoga, Janobii, Bubu, and Denchura have all been leagues more focused on and interesting then War it was a nice hurrah to War, he''s great battling wise but, it was nice to see more expansion on his personality and past since we got that from a lot of the group Pokemon. So, a job well done in my opinion. And, yeah not so cheerful about Chao evolving into an Embour I prefer Chaobuu over Embour but whatever it's only logical it would go to it's final form with it being the main Pokemon, regardless I'm happy for it. I wonder if Musha will evolve a part of me is hoping not because I prefer Musha's design over Musharna but, since it's named Musha that wouldn't be surprising. So, yeah solid chapter indeed.

Also RIP Grade 4

 

[Dogasu]

A lot happened in this month's CoroCoro Ichiban!:

Spoiler

• Black is sent inside the museum to fight the Plasma-Dan grunts who were sent inside to find the Dark Stone.
• The Dark Trinity decides that the only way to manage this battle is to take two Gym Leaders apiece.
• Hachiku basically defeats the Trinity by himself.
• The Kami trio appears and incapacitates the Gym Leaders, turning the battle in the Plasma-Dan's favor.
• Black's Charbu evolves into Emboar.
• N and Bubu-chan arrive at the Dragon Spiral Tower.

 

[Eitarou]

Spoiler

1) Tepig vs Snivy vs Oshawott.
2) Black, Bianca, and Cheren are introduced.
3) Tep is nicknamed.
4) Black meets Hiker Andy. (Volume 1)
5) Black meets White.
6) Black and White meet Team Plasma.
7) Black vs. N part 1. (Volume 2)
8) Black vs. N part 2.
9) Black, Bianca, and Cheren vs. Striaton Gym Leaders part 1.
10) Black, Bianca, and Cheren vs. Striaton Gym Leaders part 2. (Volume 3)
11) Black and White meet Fennel.
12) Black and White at Nacrene.
13) Black vs. Lenora part 1. (Volume 4)
14) Black vs. Lenora part 2.
15) Black and Burgh vs Team Plasma.
16) Pinwheel Forest and Black vs Janitor Geoff.
17) Tep vs Zorua. (volume 5)
18) Black vs Burgh part 1/ Bianca's stolen Pokemon.
19) Black vs Burgh part 2/ Bianca's Pokemon retrieval.
20) Black and White on Liberty Island.
21) Black and White in the Desert Resort.
22) White sets up the Pokemon Musical.
23) Musical starts.
24) White and N.
25) Black vs Elesa.
26) Marshal appears.
27) Marshal vs Alder.
28) Black teaches White about Pokemon battling.
29) Black vs Zorua.
30) Black and Cheren in the Cold Storage.
31) Black vs Clay part 1.
32) Black vs Clay part 2.
33) Black and Clay arrive in Mistralton/ Black vs Skyla part 1
34) Black vs Syla part 2/ Gym Leaders vs Shadow Triad part 1
36) Gym Leaders vs Shadow Triad part 2
37) Black has a flashback part 1
38) Black has a flashback part 2

???) White meets Shauntal

So, Gigi is still a Tepig. Unless she likes her men big, she's gonna be shocked to see Tep again.
And some pics.