A Double Dilemma (344)

[BlueV2]

I don't see why Ash didin't force the issue that the battle wasn't over. Considering how he went through a lot to get some matches, he was a real wuss on this one.

It's a city full of the family fanatics...not a snowball's chance in hell they were going to let him go on. Still, just let her have the one victory...she has a diffrent path from what Satoshi has...so the challenges are going to be diffrent.

[Yellow]

I have a feeling that I'm going to hate May after this episode. I can't believe she basically cheated against Ash and didn't even say it was un-fair.

[Chris]

Oh for god's sake. He's not overcompetetive like you guys make him out to be. She didn't cheat. She only won because the judge was overbiased of Haruka. The match wasn't an official one. He knows Haruka doesn't get that many victories so it was best to let her be happy about her training for once. Get over it, people. :|

[Geodude]

I have a feeling that I'm going to hate May after this episode. I can't believe she basically cheated against Ash and didn't even say it was un-fair.

What's so hard to believe? If he did, it would have been his word vs the word of an angry mob of fanboys. The smart move was to keep his mouth shut.

[Hales]

Okay I just want to laugh here... I feel really sorry for Edward Elric...

In point form (not that I've seen this episode)

-Ash didn't get beaten because Taillow was still able to fight
-May 'wins'
-Mob goes nuts because they're Norman fans
-Ash - well he's got a humongous headache from screaming fans so it's kind of hard for him to put to much of a fight

Plus didn't TR butt in not long after that battle?

When I first read the summary I thought it was unfair, but I love hearing the opinions of other people who've seen it in Japanese and I except their word.

Plus it's only an anime so you know *shrug*

[Geodude]

I feel really sorry for Edward Elric...

What about me? I'm on his side...

*feels neglected*

[Hales]

What about me? I'm on his side...

*feels neglected*

I'm sorry Geodude... I feel bad for you too!

Now don't give me the guilt trip... you are totally not neglected... heck don't I ask you many stupid questions?

[The Big Al]

I have a feeling that I'm going to hate May after this episode. I can't believe she basically cheated against Ash and didn't even say it was un-fair.

That match shouldn't even have occured in the first place. May should have known better. Ash was tired, his Pokemon were tired, and crowd would sooner tear him apart than let him win. Real trainers (a co-ordinators) know you don't kick another trainer when they're down. They've shown that throughout the series and then throw it out the window to give her a mega-cheap win. That's the number one reason I don't like May and I don't like this episode.

[frednmethod]

Sure, the match was unfair, but that wasn't because of May, it was because of the mob.

[Geodude]

Yeah the battle wasn't May's idea, it was the crowd's. They wanted to see the daughter of their favorite Gym Leader in action.

[The Big Al]

I think Ash and May should have been smart enough to decline. They should have known it would be unfair and that any judging would be biased. Maybe Brock should have judged as he had no real preference over one or the other. Still, I think May should have been declared the loser for having her Pokemon attack the opposing trainer instead of the opposing Pokemon. That was one of the cheapest is not THE cheapest battle in Pokemon history. That battle was Ash's but that blasted crowd couldn't be mature enough to let it run it's course.

[Nameless]

I think Ash and May should have been smart enough to decline. They should have known it would be unfair and that any judging would be biased. Maybe Brock should have judged as he had no real preference over one or the other. Still, I think May should have been declared the loser for having her Pokemon attack the opposing trainer instead of the opposing Pokemon. That was one of the cheapest is not THE cheapest battle in Pokemon history. That battle was Ash's but that blasted crowd couldn't be mature enough to let it run it's course.

With all those fanatic fans? They would get teared apart by the mob.

[Chris]

I think Ash and May should have been smart enough to decline. They should have known it would be unfair and that any judging would be biased. Maybe Brock should have judged as he had no real preference over one or the other. Still, I think May should have been declared the loser for having her Pokemon attack the opposing trainer instead of the opposing Pokemon. That was one of the cheapest is not THE cheapest battle in Pokemon history. That battle was Ash's but that blasted crowd couldn't be mature enough to let it run it's course.

Get.over.it.

You know Satoshi was gonna win. We knew he was gonna win. He knew he was gonna win. He's not overcompetetive. Leave it be. He was being mature about it and letting them think what they want. You can't change someone's opinion if they're completely biased. It's not like the battle had any significant effect.

For christ's sake, calm down and get over it. So she won; big deal. She's not bragging about it. It hasn't been brought up since it happened. No worries about it.

[The Big Al]

This episode's moral
Discetrion is the better part of valor and important to not looking like you need to be covered in A1.

Still -1/10
I hate mobs, cheap battles, and nutcase fans, you don't agree with me, deal.

[Geodude]

If May had directly TOLD Torchic to include Ash in the attack, you might have a case. But she did not.

[Chatsy]

May couldn't have turned down the battle against Ash.
She had her Dad's honor to think about. What wouldn't the mob think about her, and her dad, if she turned down a battle? Besides, May was so worked up over all that ego boosting-ness from the mob, that she just wanted to prove herself. And the more the crowd cheered, the more she got worked up. Pretty much similar to when Ash gets overconfident.
And Ash couldn't exactly turn down the battle either. He had his own honor to think about. He battled, and won, against numerous of trainers, and if he turned down a battle against May, then he would've been labeled as a frightened trainer, who doesn't dare to battle against the daughter of the Petalburg city's gym leader.
The fact that the crowd prefered to lie to themselves, and only make things happen to their likings, is just not something you can do about.
May didn't control the crowd. May had nothing to do with their obsessions. And May couldn't help that she, a young naive girl, ended up believing what the crowd said. She isn't exactly the pessimistic type. Not in these kind of occasions anyway.
But if you have to blame anyone for this infair battle, then blame the mob.

[The Big Al]

I hate the mob mentality. It drains the intellegence out of otherwise reasonable people.

[frednmethod]

I hate the mob mentality.

Yeah, mob-psychology is one of the worst things you can get yourself into, but there pretty much nothing you can do about it, even if you are normally reasonable. Hence the loss of Ash.

And like Geodude said, May never commanded Torchic to attack Ash, it just happened. Ash was mature enough to not let May down infront of the mob. Good judgement and overall funny episode.

[Chris]

Plus in case any of you who are still flaming Haruka for that one, assuming she was at fault for Satoshi losing, just remember that Taillow saw the huge Ember fireball and flew up before the attack hit it, making Satoshi the new target. >_>

[The Big Al]

The wall of flame would have gone right past Tailow and BBQ'ed Ash anyway. I don't see why he didn't dodge. He was like a deer caught in head lights.