Ranking the Grand Festivals and Why

[Nickelback4Ever]

Feeling Contest Nostalgic. All the forums seem to rate the leagues but never the Grand Festivals (I know we only had three though). I am so tempted to put in the Master Class, since Serena also is a coordinator now, yet out of fairness I won't.

My order: Ranking them from Greatest to Least (ironically) by how they appeared.

1. Hoenn GF- May's development was truly fantastic. Harley deceiving her was an interesting plot, because it was so deep for this show to that kind of deception like never before. Drew's concern also was interesting. May had a heart, hence why she forgave Harley. I never looked at May as naive (except probably after this in the Safron contest yet she quickly snapped out of it). Harley was such a petty villain and I was here for it. Drew also worked his ass off. It was also the first Grand Festival ever so that's something.

Pros: Beautifly, Skitty, Combusken, and Bulbasaur all got to shine. Drew had some great appeals. Robert helped Ash. Harley was hilarious.
Cons: Munchlax wasn't used. (Though do we use all caught pokemon when we challenge the Elite Four? No). May vs Anthony not being seen as well as Drew vs Robert

2. Kanto Grand Festival: So much character development. MAY BEAT DREW FINALLY. It was so realistic showing Drew getting jealous of May then congratulating her when she beat him fair and square. Soledad also was a good rival who should have been introduced earlier. Seeing May cry after her loss to Soledad was heartbreaking. It is so underrated actually. May was so close to winning. Harley was good, yet he was not great as his first GF, which adds more to May being knowledgeable of the profession and his character.

Pros: Harley's Octillery, and Wigglytuff. Soledad's Lapras, May beating Drew. Aipom's capture and foreshadowing. May's emotion.

Cons: Not enough Harley. May and Soledad's battle should not have been rushed. Probably could have been one episode longer.

3. Sinnoh GF: I think Dawn is a stronger character than May and had a much stronger arc. Grand Festival wise, was not an overall fan of how it was written. Loved the appeal with Buneary and Cyndaquil, as well as Ursula's Eevee evolution. Loved seeing Zoey's team evolved. I also loved Dawn trying the Ice Chandelier combo against Ursula. Jessie being Top 4 had me excited, yet she did not get the proper focus she deserved. Dawn vs Jessie- a fight between two main characters, yet, their battle is rushed. Undeserved.

Pros: Zoey vs Nando; Dawn and Ursula's appeal, I appreciated Kenny's first round loss as showing how hard the business can be, Jessie being in Top 4, DAWN MAKING TOP 2. Zoey winning after we've seen her hard work all season.

Cons: Togekiss not getting enough screentime prior, Jessie being treated with not as much respect as well as Dawn, Dawn's double battle with Pachi and Piplup being a still-screen, Dawn beating Ursula 3 times as her biggest achievement.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Can't decide.

 

[ii kanji]

Dawn vs Jessie- a fight between two main characters, yet, their battle is rushed.

Rushed?! Try skipped!! DP GF was the disappointment of my fudging life!!!

Agree with your ranking and reasoning (more or less) btw. In all honesty they are ranked for me on the basis of "least bad", which is a crying shame given how enjoyable the preceding contest arcs were themselves.

I recently rewatched the BF GF and it was just horribly paced and difficult to watch. It gets points only for the genuinely emotional and real moment when Haruka cries. Can't remember Hoenn GF at all so it kind of wins by default.

:-/

 

[Kairyu]

May vs Drew at the Kanto GF is the best contest battle in the entire anime and it's not even close. Also, the Harley battle wasn't half bad either. So Kanto GF wins this on the battles alone.

 

[Nickelback4Ever]

Can't decide.

I recommend starting with the pros and cons. haha

Rushed?! Try skipped!! DP GF was the disappointment of my fudging life!!!

Same. Seriously. We literally spent years watching Jessie and Dawn collect their ribbons. We deserved a decent battle. Buneary also barely got battle action all throughout Dawn's contest arc. She should of had time to truly shine.

In all honesty they are ranked for me on the basis of "least bad", which is a crying shame given how enjoyable the preceding contest arcs were themselves.

This puzzled me too. Dawn's contest arc in particular was brilliant and so-well done. You would think the writers would have gone ALL out to make it spectacular. Yet, Ambipom probably would not have been released if they kept this in mind. That's my main issue with Kenny being knocked out first round. Given his team, Dawn and him could have had an epic battle indeed. He probably would have brought a lot of intensity.

It would have been awesome: Top 16-Dawn vs Ursula; Top 8-Dawn vs Kenny; Top 4: Dawn vs Jessie; Top 2: Dawn vs Zoey (each dedicated a full episode). Nando vs Zoey would have had some room.

It's a joke Pachi and Piplup had won Dawn a battle and we didn't see it. Reminds me when Ash's Snorlax got a victory in the Sinnoh League which we did not see....

I recently rewatched the BF GF and it was just horribly paced and difficult to watch. It gets points only for the genuinely emotional and real moment when Haruka cries.

I agree. There was great drama (between Shuu and Haruka in terms of competition) and Haruka's cry has got to be one of the most vulnerable moments in Pokemon. It even rivals Serena's cry after her first loss. I think its only overshadowed by that because of Serena's infamous haircut. I can't deny that was deep as well.

Can't remember Hoenn GF at all so it kind of wins by default.

You won't be disappointed. A lot of drama and deception for the very first GF. A good story of karma and hard work. Could have used another episode as well, and it has its bad sides, yet still good.

May vs Drew at the Kanto GF is the best contest battle in the entire anime and it's not even close.

True. Other battles that rival it for me are Dawn vs May, and Dawn vs Ursula (part 2); as well as Nando vs Zoey. We should have had a lot more epic contest battles. JESSIE SHOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE. I dug her battle with Ursula in the Daybreak Contest, though albeit short.

So Kanto GF wins this on the battles alone.

Battles yes. I can see that. May beat two rivals who had lastly beaten her. Harley got that one win last time they met and she never beat Drew.

I wonder how different things would have played out if she used Bulbasaur, Beautifly, and Skitty? It was so weird not to see them that arc. They were May's aces as well it seemed, and Bulbasaur being left at Oak's threw me because the FR/LG remakes were out and you would think Squirtle and Bulbasaur would be double the promotion? At least May's got a Venasaur now anyways...She did not leave any of them out during The Wallace Cup which I loved.

 

[Sakuraa]

Sinnoh's easily. Nearly all of the battles were beautiful and had some of the best combinations ever seen in any battle. Best if all, Zoey won it, which was the only thing I wanted from it.

 

[SamurottMan]

I think Sinnoh wins hands down. According to the poll as well.

Yes, it does edge out the previous because of the better animation quality, but overall, I think Sinnoh GF was more interesting to me.

Zoey VS Nando was truly breathtaking. Dawn VS Ursula had be on the edge of my seat even though the episode titles had spoiled the final battle.

The last battle between Dawn and Zoey was very impressive as well. It went on for almost the entire episode. Both sides had amazing counter moves and strategy. Zoey was prepared af, but Dawn didn't give up either.
Not only that, but the battle was a climax of Dawn and Zoey's rivalry, the spark of excitement that I didn't see during May's rival battles at her GFs.
Also, using their first and most recent Pokemon was a nice touch from the writers.

Downside is Jessie's last battle being rushed, but at least she wasn't made a complete joke and was allowed a Top4 finish which is already something huge for any TR fan, because frankly we all got used to disappointment when it comes to TR and major comps.

And most importantly. BEST APPEAL ROUND EVER: I'll give a recap:
- Ursula's Eeveelution performance. Imagine how bad it could've gone, realistically thinking.
- Dawn's huge ice slide
- Jessilina's costume change
- Zoey literally walking on water

- Kenny flopping and Nando doing his predictable shtick.

 

[Silktree]

Kanto's, easily. May winning against two rivals and still realizing that she is outclassed by others is about as good as these otherwise weak story arcs get.

Ugh at Dawn using Togekiss for her last battle. She deserved to lose.

 

[ii kanji]

I have a real & serious question (which I also had back in 2010): why were any of you invested in that Nozomi (Zoey) vs Naoshi (Nando) battle? I literally could not have cared less about Naoshi and I was really only interested in Nozomi from the viewpoint of her relationship with Hikari. I was pissed that this battle got almost a whole episode over the other battle between the two female regulars of the series!

 

[Cresselia92]

I have a real & serious question (which I also had back in 2010): why were any of you invested in that Nozomi (Zoey) vs Naoshi (Nando) battle? I literally could not have cared less about Naoshi and I was really only interested in Nozomi from the viewpoint of her relationship with Hikari. I was pissed that this battle got almost a whole episode over the other battle between the two female regulars of the series!

Because it was a really stunning match, both visually speaking and in terms of performance of both the Coordinators.

It did an excellent job in showcasing the skills of Zoey, Nando and their Pokémon, which were in perfect sync throughout all the battle. I especially loved the duet with Kricketune and Lopunny. They fitted so well, especially with the whole song and dance motif.

Don't get me wrong, though. I was mad as well that the match between Jessie and Dawn was cut short, and I wish it got an episode dedicated entirely to it. However, I'm not blaming the match between Zoey and Nando for that. I blame the poor choice of the writers of wanting to skip that battle in almost all its entirety.

 

[SamurottMan]

Because it was a really stunning match, both visually speaking and in terms of performance of both the Coordinators.

It did an excellent job in showcasing the skills of Zoey, Nando and their Pokémon, which were in perfect sync throughout all the battle. I especially loved the duet with Kricketune and Lopunny. They fitted so well, especially with the whole song and dance motif.

Don't get me wrong, though. I was mad as well that the match between Jessie and Dawn was cut short, and I wish it got an episode dedicated entirely to it. However, I'm not blaming the match between Zoey and Nando for that. I blame the poor choice of the writers of wanting to skip that battle in almost all its entirety.

Yes, Cresselia92 sums it up.

For me it was the overall match, the visuals, the reaction of the crowd, Dawn's reaction.

Rarely we witness a good match like this that doesn't have some plot package building up to it.

 

[Mikuri]

The Sinnoh Grand Festival is easily the best and I'll explain why I think so. I like the other two as well but they're just not as good as the Sinnoh one. Prepare yourselves because this one is going to be looong.

HOENN
I didn't like how May was completely clueless during the whole Hoenn Grand Festival. The only thing she knew when she entered the tournament was that Coordinators were allowed to switch Pokémon between rounds, something which she learned in Rubello Town (remember, Coordinators in Hoenn enter one Pokémon for both the Performance Stage and the Battle Stage). She received a rule book upon signing up and she handed it to Brock (talk about being focused on your goal) who read the rules to her. When he mentioned that the Battle Stage would use the Double Battle style, May was like "oh, okay" like she had participated in several two-on-two Contest Battles before.

The tournament began and there were two rounds dedicated to performances. In the first one Coordinators should display one single move while in the second they could deliver a full performance. May chose Beautifly for the first round (a smart move to use her ace since only 64 out of 247 contestants would move on to the next round) and its Silver Wind was beautiful as always and she deserved the score she earned. In her second performance, however, she should have been eliminated. May went with Skitty as per Harley's suggestion (I won't discuss how May should trust her guts instead of listening to others in her Grand Festival and I think any Coordinator with five Contest Ribbons should know better, as Drew pointed out to her) and what she delivered was a lackluster performance. May used Assist so many times to show the charms of her other Pokémon instead of Skitty's. The poor kitten even got confused while performing and someway somehow May managed to save the act by creating an ice fortress with Blizzard, which was quite impressive but shouldn't have advanced her to the Battle Stage.

But this gets ignored all the time because HEY Dawn shouldn't have defeated Ursula a third time right? Nonsense. The battles were okay I guess. May suddenly being a pro in Double Battles was strange but our running skills magically improve when an angry dog is trying to bite our asses so yeah. The battles were good for Advanced Generation's standards but they were a tad too short. So to summarize May basically stumbled upon the Hoenn Grand Festival knowing very little about the event of her dreams and got to advance to the Battle Stage with a shitty performance only to have rushed battles with her rivals.

The good:

• Drew's amazing performance with Masquerain (still one of the best performances ever);
• Robert coming all the way from the Slateport Contest to kick Drew's ass again (always someone better executed right);
• Caroline coming to cheer her daughter on;
• Harley is too precious.

The bad:

• Noobish May and her lackluster campaign;
• Anthony's little plot to give Ash something to do because apparently he couldn't just sit and watch his friend;
• Two episodes dedicated to performances and only one for the battles, which felt rushed;
• Snorunt evolving into Glalie was unnecessary here (on the plus side, it gave more screentime to Robert).

KANTO
The Kanto Grand Festival was much better than the Hoenn one, but it had its downsides. Again, there were two rounds dedicated to the performances, and this time there were also two stadiums. It was ridiculous how some of the performances were evaluated by Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy while in the other stadium the Coordinators got their scores from three Nurse Joys holding paperboards (!!!). The Contest Committee awards a golden trophy to the winning Coordinator but cannot afford a second desk for the judges.

For May's second Pokémon Contest arc, the writers had a better understanding on what to do and how they wanted performances and battles to look like, and the Grand Festival greatly benefited from it. Drew's performance with Absol was the best of the bunch (he's always so competent), but as a result it made little sense to see Drew scolding Absol so harshly. Not only because the performance was great, but I felt it was very out of character for Drew to treat a Pokémon like that (almost like Paul). They explained Drew's madness was due to May's growth as a Coordinator, and while this is a decent enough reason, it's something that I really wish we could have seen before the Grand Festival.

The last time Drew competed in the same Pokémon Contest as May was in the Rubello Contest I mentioned earlier. Long ago in Hoenn. In his appearances in Kanto, Drew had been shown relaxing in a resort and he also helped the twerps in foiling Harley's evil plan, who had made an alliance with Team Rocket to prevent May from obtaining her fifth Ribbon. Drew was fine with May getting into the Grand Festival, he wasn't nervous to have her as a potential rival who could steal away the Ribbon Cup from his hands. I think this soap opera drama the writers injected into the Grand Festival would have had more weight if they had presented Drew nervous about how competent May had become sooner.

The pace of this Grand Festival was better, with the Battle Stage starting in the second half of the second episode. The battles weren't rushed this time, but I wasn't too thrilled to see Harley's Cacturne being knocked out so soon, and that battle wasn't much of a Contest Battle. May spammed attacks, Harley had Wigglytuff DoubleSlapping the living shit out of May's Pokémon, and the battle was lacking some dazzling techniques. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't pretty. Thankfully, May's battle with Drew more than makes up for it. It had some nice combinations and May's Pokémon as well as Drew's were working in perfect sync, too bad what started as a Double Battle ended up as a one-on-one, but it was still good even though Combusken learned a new move to save May's ass. Absol was great the entire time, and that battle (coupled with Drew's earlier performance) made me appreciate the Disaster Pokémon so much more.

May's battle with Solidad, as short as it was, did a fantastic job! It presented Solidad as this experienced Coordinator who deserved to win the Ribbon Cup (she waited for May's attacks just to dance around them, literally) and May as a person whose travels with Ash had influenced her battle style, which would later be used as the reason to write her out of the show. Brilliant. I just didn't like to see May crying after the battle ended. I know the writers tried to draw some parallels between May and Drew (who cried after losing to Solidad in his very first Pokémon Contest). The difference here is that Drew cried in his debut as a Coordinator while May cried with ten Ribbons worth of experience.

Overall I liked the Kanto Grand Festival very much. I think Solidad is the best "character introduced to win" (see Tyson, Tobias, Virgil...) and I liked that she was friends with Drew, Harley, and even Brock before meeting May. The writers did a good job with her. They also did a good job with providing Ash something to do in the form of Aipom, which would later be traded to Dawn because of its passion for Pokémon Contests that was introduced right here.

The good:

• Vivian as a special guest judge;
• The Battle Stage starting sooner;
• Introduction of Aipom's love of Pokémon Contests;
• Introduction of May's reason for leaving Ash.

The bad:

• "Grand Festibol" appearing on the scoreboard (I died);
• Two stadiums and one of them with too many Nurse Joys;
• Drew being a jerk to Absol;
• May crying after her loss.

SINNOH
The Sinnoh Grand Festival was fabulous and I have no major complaints. I was glad the writers decided to drop that round in which Coordinators were allowed to use a single move only. Having just one round in which they can deliver a full performance is better and follows the standard Pokémon Contest structure that works so well. Also, the Double Performances introduced in the Diamond & Pearl series were a great addition and I was happy the Grand Festival had them. I liked to see two Pokémon performing together and to this day I think it's a shame we only had two Pokémon Contests following the format before the Grand Festival, but at the same time it made Double Performances something rare and unique so it's fine.

Although Zoey's performance bothered me a little (seeing her standing on a vortex of water was so unreal), the rest of the performances were all incredibly fitting to the Coordinators who were delivering them. I liked how Jessilina ripped off her old dress to reveal her new one and even if Nando going for a music-themed performance was expected, it suits him and it was good to see him with an Altaria. Ursula's trick of evolving her two Eevee felt like she took some calculated risks and they paid off, but the same cannot be said for poor Kenny who had an early elimination. Dawn managed to show off her Pokémon having fun and while that roller coaster looked gigantic, if there's one person who could pull off such a monumental ice structure that person was Dawn. She had multiple performances throughout the saga to back that up.

The Battle Stage impressed me from start to finish. The very first battle had Ursula and her Pokémon going all Mummy on us (that combination of Scary Face and Sandstorm was a sight to see) and from that point onward things just got better. The semifinal match between Zoey and Nando and the final battle between Dawn and Zoey were splendid. These two battles are among my favorite battles in the anime (and no I'm not talking exclusively about Contest Battles, I'm including Ash's battles in the various Leagues as well). You could see how much the writers had managed to differentiate Contest Battles from regular battles. We often criticize the writers for their ability to screw things up but we have to give credit when credit is due, and I think they did a fantastic job when adapting Pokémon Contests from the games to the anime, and they evolved over time. It was beautiful to see their evolution.

Like everyone else, I wasn't happy to see Dawn's battle with Jessilina in the semifinals being cut short, but what can you do? The Sinnoh Grand Festival was allowed four episodes while the battle between Ash and Paul in in the Lily of the Valley Conference lasted three episodes. The duration of the entire Battle Stage of the Grand Festival corresponds to just one battle of the Pokémon League Conference. The writers did the best they could here. We should be grateful we got to see Jessilina growing from someone who thought James and Meowth were bribing the judges for her to win into a full-fledged, talented Coordinator with her own style being recognized and admired by Fantina. Compare that to what we got with her Performer campaign in the XY series.

And more than the previous two Grand Festivals did to May, or the several Pokémon League Conferences to Ash, or the Pokémon Showcase Master Class to Serena, the Sinnoh Grand Festival showed how much Dawn had developed as a person and a Trainer. Dawn started her journey as a cheerful and hopeful girl, dreaming to attain the same prestigious title her mother holds, but her energetic personality shifted to a melancholic one after she lost two Pokémon Contests in a row without making it to the Battle Stage. This crushed Dawn's spirits and made her doubt herself. It took some time and encouragement from her friends for her to realize she could be a good Coordinator, and after winning the Wallace Cup she changed her approach towards Pokémon Contests. Instead of lying in bed mourning her losses, Dawn was determined to rise above each and every one of them. She lost many times trying to get the fifth Ribbon she needed to get into the Grand Festival but her willingness never wavered. She became a more grounded person, she went from "why am I failing at this" to "we're going to practice a whole lot more, we'll try again, and this time we're going to win" and this was beautiful. There were moments where Dawn wanted to call her mom, and after Johanna wisely told her to rely on her friends and Pokémon, there were still moments of Dawn holding her mom's Ribbon to somehow get the strength her mom has, and when Dawn's campaign ended here, she returned said Ribbon to Johanna. It was nicely done.

The good:

• Fantina as a special guest judge;
• The Double Performance format;
• The epic combinations (and by that I mean dictionary epic, not Internet slang epic);
• Dawn returning the Ribbon she received when she started off to her mom (very symbolic of her growth).

The bad:

• Dawn's battle with Jessilina being cut short;
• Being the last we saw of Pokémon Contests in the anime.

OH SHIT
This looks gigantic. I myself would be discouraged reading that. If anyone reads it, please leave a message at my profile just so I know. haha

 

[danh19]

sinnoh was by the best written to make it stand out as it's own thing separate from the league with some brilliant moments for dawn's development as a character

 

[Nickelback4Ever]

I didn't like how May was completely clueless during the whole Hoenn Grand Festival. The only thing she knew when she entered the tournament was that Coordinators were allowed to switch Pokémon between rounds, something which she learned in Rubello Town

She was still fresh though. It was hard to expect May to be an expert when she still was a bundle of nerves. Yet that was a writer thing, in my opinion. We saw how competent she became once she left.

The poor kitten even got confused while performing and someway somehow May managed to save the act by creating an ice fortress with Blizzard, which was quite impressive but shouldn't have advanced her to the Battle Stage.

It felt like the judges gave May a pass for being new yet still figuring out a way to come out of a messy situation. The good part is, May did come in last place for that round which was realistic. However, it would have been nice had they not had May pass on the skin of her teeth so many times during her run on the show. The stakes were always high and risky, which got old after while. However, here, it was nice to see her make it through. I'm not so hard on May her first Grand Festival because she was deceived for having a forgiving heart, something that can be seen in the real world. Dance, Acting, Music are all tough businesses with a bunch of cutthroat people who take things too seriously sometimes. Example: Harley. Still a great character though.

But this gets ignored all the time because HEY Dawn shouldn't have defeated Ursula a third time right? Nonsense.

While I'll admit every time Dawn did beat Ursula was unique and different, and Ursula did push Dawn as a rival and I personally liked her, I was more upset at the fact that Dawn beating Ursula for a third time was her biggest feat in her GF, especially considering how rushed her and Jessie's match was. Dawn had the arc of the century, but that wasn't reflected in how the writers gave her battles in her first GF. Considering that may have been the last we've seen of contests, she should have at least battled Kenny as well. Togekiss and Mamoswine vs Empoleon/Breloom/Machoke(or Machamp)/Alakazam could have been one awesome match.

our running skills magically improve when an angry dog is trying to bite our asses

True. I like this quote a lot actually. I also loved how May stepped up her game against Harley. She knew being his friend was long gone (I like to act like the 3rd deception never happened).

Drew's amazing performance with Masquerain (still one of the best performances ever);

True. That's one thing I will say, Drew's performances always were elegant or smooth. He would fit in great with DP contests. What I wouldn't give to see Drew vs Dawn/Zoey/Nando all battles would be epic and intriguing I feel.

Noobish May and her lackluster campaign;

Damn, you really are not a May fan, ey? lol For a noob (with occasional Mary-sueish wins, May did more good than bad. Top 8 for a Grand Festival in which you were deceived 60% of the time is quite impressive. May doesn't get enough credit. I personally love Dawn more, but May opened up doors for this show. She gets overlooked quite often sadly.

I felt it was very out of character for Drew to treat a Pokémon like that (almost like Paul). They explained Drew's madness was due to May's growth as a Coordinator, and while this is a decent enough reason, it's something that I really wish we could have seen before the Grand Festival.

Agreed. Completely. It was very out of the blue. As a contestshipper it made me a bit upset, yet I liked how Soledad peeped Drew's reasoning.

think this soap opera drama the writers injected into the Grand Festival would have had more weight if they had presented Drew nervous about how competent May had become sooner.

Seriously. Perhaps at the beginning of the second arc? Maybe once their race for Arcanine happened. It would have been awesome if one captured it.

I wasn't too thrilled to see Harley's Cacturne being knocked out so soon, and that battle wasn't much of a Contest Battle. May spammed attacks, Harley had Wigglytuff DoubleSlapping the living shit out of May's Pokémon, and the battle was lacking some dazzling techniques. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't pretty.

Definitely an example of how contest battles were back then (although May vs Drew which was Amazing was the next episode lol)

With Cacturne being Harley's starter, you would think it would hold up the most fight. Munchlax and Eevee deserved better.

it was still good even though Combusken learned a new move to save May's ass

An awesome new move. Combusken being May's starter as well should have made quick work of Absol, especially being fighting versus dark-yet contest battles are a crapshoot. Anyone can win. Serena could probably win against anyone if she had the right combinations.

May's battle with Solidad, as short as it was, did a fantastic job! It presented Solidad as this experienced Coordinator who deserved to win the Ribbon Cup (she waited for May's attacks just to dance around them, literally) and May as a person whose travels with Ash had influenced her battle style, which would later be used as the reason to write her out of the show. Brilliant. I just didn't like to see May crying after the battle ended. I know the writers tried to draw some parallels between May and Drew (who cried after losing to Solidad in his very first Pokémon Contest). The difference here is that Drew cried in his debut as a Coordinator while May cried with ten Ribbons worth of experience.

Soledad literally is one of the best characters to be in the anime. I wish she could have came in much sooner and that May vs Soledad was much longer.

I disagree about May's cry though. She was so close, her emotions were understandable. Same reasons why athletes cry when losing the World Cup or The Olympics. Rounds like that only come around every so often.

I think Solidad is the best "character introduced to win" (see Tyson, Tobias, Virgil...)

Seriously. Her and Zoey. Thinking back I kind wish they made Katie win the Hoenn League. She probably is the only League rival who wasn't annoying. Her team and strategy were also awesome. Yet back to contests....

The very first battle had Ursula and her Pokémon going all Mummy on us (that combination of Scary Face and Sandstorm was a sight to see) and from that point onward things just got better.

I loved that part. The battle was good. Very good. Yet, that should not have been Dawn's last highlight of her contest career. There are full battles where there are losses (Ash vs Tobias/Alain and May vs Drew (Hoenn GF) and there are full battles that are wins (May vs Drew Kanto GF; Dawn vs Ursula (Several Times); Iris vs Ash (first Don Battle) Ash vs Sawyer Kalos League). Dawn last full battle win was Urusla. Dawn could've battled and beat Ursula 5 times if she perhaps beat Kenny, maybe Nando, and got a full battle with Jessie in addition. It was her Grand Festival, not Zoey's. But I will get to that....

These two battles are among my favorite battles in the anime (and no I'm not talking exclusively about Contest Battles, I'm including Ash's battles in the various Leagues as well).

I agree. Mine as well. Well, tbh Zoey vs Dawn was hard to watch, not because Dawn lost, but because even though very close, you could blatantly see how far ahead Zoey was than Dawn as a coordinator still. It was not done on the par of May vs Drew Hoenn GF or Ash vs Alain (that battle makes me mad but Ash kicked ass). Zoey vs Nando was a highlight of Dawn's GF but it was HER Grand Festival. She deserved better.

We often criticize the writers for their ability to screw things up but we have to give credit when credit is due, and I think they did a fantastic job when adapting Pokémon Contests from the games to the anime, and they evolved over time. It was beautiful to see their evolution.

They did. It would have been AMAZING if they let Dawn and Kenny battle one last time. That could've made this Grand Festival great. They didn't though, so I gotta move on...

Jessilina growing from someone who thought James and Meowth were bribing the judges for her to win into a full-fledged, talented Coordinator with her own style being recognized and admired by Fantina. Compare that to what we got with her Performer campaign in the XY series.

I'm still proud of Jessie's performer arc in XY, but I know what you mean. It's interesting you look at Jessie and Misty getting recognition as coordinator and Gym Leader respectively by official standards and reputation. I like that. It actually helps ease the wound. If we looked at all the characters like that, then it would make them all legit trainers technically.

Ash has Frontier Brain status and respect from Cynthia, even without ever winning a League. HUGE.

the Sinnoh Grand Festival showed how much Dawn had developed as a person and a Trainer

I agree. Completely. Dawn is one of my favs. She changed this show for the better, which is exactly why she deserved the Grand Festival of a lifetime. Considering the next episode after the Sinnoh GF was one about Meowth and Glameow/Purugly (two of my fav pokemon tbh) still was reaching. It was unnecessary. Dawn should've gotten 5 episodes at least and Jessie one full battle. Sinnoh GF could've gone (with Dawn still as runner up):
Dawn vs Kenny
Jessie vs Ursula
Dawn vs Jessie
Dawn vs Nando (very unlikely considering they barely interacted but no biggie)
Dawn vs Zoey

It's Dawn's arc. lol