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ribarukirikaindenial · 2 years

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So, JN114 aired!

I liked those months of speculations ever since the news dropped w. Going from “so I guess Shinji will be back in the context of the tournament? That seems like a fair assumption” to “Okay, it feels less likely now but in what context is he going to show up? In Sinnoh? The trailer showed a lake” to “Wait, are they actually going to train together?” to “Wow, so they are going to train together? And in Kanto?” was fun. I liked how his role was kept unclear for a while and how we had time to think about it and speculate the more crumbs we got w (the only thing I got right was that the Gaburiasu was his)

Lots of thoughts about the ep below, this doesn’t really have a structure, these are just the long ramblings of a snst baka. Perhaps I’ll edit this to include all screencaps as ref eventually.

- Atsuhiro Tomioka is taking care of the screenplay for the episode and Masaaki Iwane is animating it. Tomioka was basically in charge of almost the entirety of eps involving Shinji and Satoshi in DP: their meeting and first battle (DP003), them getting lost together in the forest (DP006), their first gym battles at Kurogane Gym (DP015 and DP016), Shirona’s introduction (DP040), the tag battle (DP050-DP052), Reiji’s introduction and times involving him too (DP066, DP067, DP069), Hikozaru’s episodes and evolutions (DP081, DP163), Shinji VS Jindai (DP128), their full battles at Eichi Lake (DP131, DP132) and the league and their eventual parting (DP186-DP188)… so basically, pretty much everything lol. I think there are very few episodes with them in comparison that were not handled by Tomioka (like DP046, and DP118, and the beginning of the Sinnoh League), but that’s not much in the grand scheme of the series. So basically I was relieved seeing Tomioka’s name on the episode staff list w. It would have been a bit strange to see anyone else writing this reunion. This episode is handled by veteran staff who were there during DP and crafted the important beats of the rivalry. I feel like the writers had a clear vision of how Shinji’s character and his dynamics with Satoshi would be post DP, and I am glad they got around to it because they really went all out with the parallels and put so much care into this.

Iwane also often animated episodes with Shinji and Satoshi back in DP, and this man has been dropping hints for the past decade that Shinji is his favorite rival and that he sure would like to draw him again someday, and he carried the fandom on his back so I am glad he took care of their reunion as well. It’s what we deserve!

- I liked how Shigeru's appearance in 113 was already paving the way for Shinji’s return, by making parallels between the two rivalries. The way he talked about rivals helping each other and giving up one’s pride because it can get in the way was also a good indication, to me, of what we were going to get for snst. Also, it’s not the first time this kind of transition happens as there is a precedent in DP, with Shigeru appearing in DP045 and Shinji appearing right after him in DP046. And back then, it indicated the shift in rivalries as Shigeru wasn’t really this kind of character anymore (he had his own path to follow as a researcher), and Shinji was becoming this kind of existence (rival) for Satoshi. Not to mention the tag battle was also happening right after this, truly setting into motion the conflict between Shinji and Satoshi (and Satoshi getting Hikozaru on his team), so it’s just neat. Also it’s funny how this is the second time we have Satoshi’s rivals from past series appearing one after another but they still aren’t meeting w

- Shinji’s return is also paving the way for the appearance of Hop, in a way. They really didn’t have to advertise the two characters at the same time but I think it’s intentional. There is something to be said about how these two characters are probably the only “character who is a little brother and who look(ed) up to their older brother (and whose older brother is critical in their story)” in the franchise (and in their respective verses, because the same thing won’t necessarily happen with Hop in anpk). It’s such a popular trope, but I don’t recall any other character who has this kind of setting in their story in pkmn except for these two actually, so it’s interesting that there is a transition from a rival to another (Shigeru -> Shinji), and from a little brother to another little brother (Shinji -> Hop). A single loss against Jindai caused Reiji to quit the challenge entirely and witnessing that made Shinji hung up on the past, and fixate on trying to not be like his brother and achieve what he couldn’t do VS Dande who is standing at the top and remains undefeated, never lost once, and how that might affect his own lil bro in turn, etc. I have connected the two dots—

Now, will there be similarities between these siblings or not… (maybe Hop calls his brother “aniki” as well, like Shinji does with Reiji—)

- JN114 is airing on (almost) the same date as DP131, the first part of Shinji and Satoshi’s first full battle (which came out years ago on June 11, so this reunion on June 10 is basically happening for the anniversary of this episode), and I just think that’s a neat coincidence. That full battle was an important shift for snst, so I think it’s fitting that the reunion is happening now, too.

- I thought it was interesting how the title was already indicative of a shift in the dynamics by mentioning the word training. The only other one clearly framed as a training episode was Citron’s (Great Friendship Training), which is already saying a lot. With Citron, it was training with a close friend to get ready for an opponent that is Elite Four level. With Shinji, it’s training with a rival in preparation for confrontations with Champions. Most of all, the aim in both situations is to guide Satoshi along. Shinji isn’t there as an obstacle to overcome or as an opponent to beat, he is there because he is the most fitting to help Satoshi in his current position and I really like that. They don’t need the shackles of competition tying them down or a battle with pressure or high stakes for their reunion. They had enough pressure in DP and at this point, they don’t have anything to prove to each other anymore. So they need a different context and a different kind of battle, which doesn’t take place in a competitive and restrictive setting. I think this kind of battle is exactly what they need for their reunion and the next step of their dynamics, and it’s the best direction they could have taken for them imo. The fact that Shinji, of all characters, is framed as being the final push before the tournament, too… him specifically and not any other friend, or rival (who are obviously important as everyone had their own part in supporting Satoshi recently and encouraging him/lifting him up at specific points during his journey but it’s not framed as the final thing Satoshi needs, this reunion is happening right before the beginning of the M8 for a reason). In a way, It’s interesting how this encapsulates many things at once. Shinji is training together with Satoshi (like Citron did), he is supporting him (like everyone in Alola did) with his specific choice of team and this battle, and he acts like a guide and pushes him towards his next challenge (for a character who has lost his way as a trainer and who had to be humbled by Jindai during their battle, it’s interesting that he is now in a position where he is able to guide instead of being guided). He is in a very unique position and brings something specific to Satoshi that no one else can and accompanies him for the next step of his evolution as a trainer… It’s good. And the Citron and Shinji parallels make sense in retrospect since Citron is a Gym Leader and Shinji was offered a position as one, so this direction is intentional!

- The fact that the reunion is happening in Masara Town in Kanto!! I actually didn’t know what to expect for this, I was wondering where they would meet again… I thought they were going to meet again at Eichi Lake in Sinnoh because of the initial trailer (I think they did it on purpose to keep us wondering lol, a lot of people assumed that the place where Gaburiasu and Kairyu were battling was that lake). Eichi Lake would have been interesting on its own as it is a place that holds a lot of memories for them, but this choice is really much better and much more meaningful to me. The entirety of Shinji and Satoshi’s rivalry in DP took place in Sinnoh, which is Shinji’s home region. And for all Shinji kept to himself during the course of DP, Satoshi ended up knowing a lot about him, probably way more than Shinji intended, and was present several times in places which symbolize Shinji’s origin and starting line as a trainer — Satoshi literally went to Shinji’s house in Tobari City and met Reiji and he was watching him when Shinji challenged Jindai to a battle in Kissaki City. Jindai was the reason why Shinji was so hung on the past since he witnessed his brother's loss right at the beginning of his own journey as a trainer and it influenced his course of action from then on. And for all Satoshi reached out to Shinji during DP, Shinji actually doesn’t know that much about his past as a trainer. So the fact that their reunion is now happening in Kanto, Satoshi’s home region, restores a balance between them. Now it’s Shinji’s turn to come to the place which is Satoshi’s starting line as a trainer ;) It’s equality!

It also feels really special because hello, Masara Town is a place that was usually mostly visited by Satoshi’s traveling companions and friends such as the OS trio or the Alola group (and some of the companions never had the opportunity to go there). The only rival character who got to be there is Shigeru but Masara Town is literally his hometown as well (and he’s a childhood friend). So the fact that Shinji is in Masara Town, Satoshi’s origin and roots so to speak, and the place he always comes back to before setting off to travel again, is just… good :’) Shinji is slowly but surely finding his way in the nakama group… (and next time, they should go to Alola together methinks)

- Their first battle in DP003 happened at Nanakamado Hakase’s lab in Sinnoh and now their reunion battle is happening at Ookido Hakase’s lab in Kanto and with exactly the same rules as well (3 VS 3 with no substitutions). Shinji is also in a position similar to Shigeru’s at the end of AG: Satoshi and Shigeru battled at Ookido’s place in AG192 and Shigeru was his push towards his next challenge — Sinnoh, and more specifically Shinji since Shigeru had an Elekible during that battle, and Elekible ended up being Shinji’s ace and the last Pokemon he used during the Sinnoh League. Just like how Shinji is pushing him forward right now, with a team of the ace Pokemon of some of the Champions in the M8. Things really are coming full circle.

Not to mention that Shinji is actually acting like his brother in a way too, since Satoshi and Reiji trained together at Shinji’s place during the Tobari City arc, and now Shinji is training together with Satoshi at his town. Satoshi got to train with both brothers c: In both cases, Satoshi’s Pokemon got to master a move thanks to them.

- That moment when Shinji went all the way to Masara Town and also carefully prepared a team and brought along the ace Pokemon of Shirona, Daigo and Wataru as well, to help Satoshi prepare for his potential future opponents… Sounds pretty suspicious, if you ask me! Why are you, a rival, doing so much for your rival huh??? :/ I wonder when he got these Pokemon, he might have been preparing this special training regimen for a while because he just genuinely wanted to help Satoshi in his own way and also knew Satoshi would be able to climb to the highest ranks. That’s just how much he trusts him :)

In order:

Gyarados VS Lucario: I like this matchup because they both have Pokemon representing each other’s regions. Shinji has a Pokemon from Kanto, and Satoshi has one from Sinnoh. It’s like they are greeting each other’s regions this way. I think it also symbolizes their influence on each other and I like how it shows a balance. It’s equality, etc. (I wonder if he caught a Koiking first before evolving the ‘mon, because Koiking isn’t exactly the kind of Pokemon you’d imagine him getting in the early DP days.)

Gaburiasu VS Kairyuu: I like this one because it’s a dragon vs dragon confrontation c: Not only that, but they also have Pokemon representing their respective regions and Champions of said regions. Shirona in Sinnoh has a Gaburiasu, and Wataru in Kanto has a Kairyuu. And I like how Shinji has a Gaburiasu in the first place. I like thinking it shows Shirona’s influence on him and that it’s kind of an homage to her. He challenged her to a battle once (facing her very own Gaburiasu) and she accepted it, and she kept watching over him and Satoshi in DP. So it’s just neat that he has the same Pokemon as her now and that he went out of his way to raise one. Also noteworthy: they both got a win over each other in the Kanto vs Sinnoh matchups specifically. Satoshi won with a Lucario, and Shinji won with a Gaburiasu.

Metagross VS Gengar: I don’t have much to say about this one compared to the others, though it’s neat that Shinji has the same Pokemon as known ikemen Daigo and how he has a team that shows he traveled through many regions. By the time he and Satoshi met in Sinnoh, they had both traveled through the same regions (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn) so his team reflects that too. And I like how Shinji’s team has the same color palette as him mostly ww Color coordinating with his nakama-

It’s also interesting how despite both of them having their Elekible and Pikachu around, they don’t use them during the battle. Like there is this unspoken mutual agreement that they aren’t bringing out their respective aces for their battle if the other won’t. The fact that they are battling with Pokemon they never used against each other in DP before shows the beginning of a new chapter in their dynamics too (especially on Satoshi’s part). During DP, Satoshi made a point to specifically use his Sinnoh team during their full battle at the league (and that was the only league battle where he did so) because he had something he wanted to prove with this specific team after his loss at Eichi Lake. Now, it doesn’t have to be like that anymore and they aren’t bound by the past. And Shinji specifically asked him to use Pokemon that he would bring to the tournament, so it’s cool and thoughtful.

Random thoughts on Shinji:

It won’t be in order (lol).

- I actually really like that they kept it open and unsaid whether Shinji actually managed to beat Jindai or not. I think there were enough hints to make assumptions on what he’s been up to lately. The fact that he came to Ookido’s place might indicate that he was offered a Gym Leader position in Kanto, so he probably has been traveling to Kanto again. Perhaps he went through all the Battle Frontier there and got all the symbols. I just think it’s interesting that they specifically made a point not to bring up the Jindai thing. Maybe he finally defeated him, or maybe he didn’t. But at this point, perhaps it doesn’t really matter anymore? He was fixated on this because of his brother, his reason for challenging Jindai in DP128 was to “achieve what his brother couldn’t do” and he tried to not be like his brother and considered that the way he handled things was wrong after witnessing his loss. I do think that his mindset might have changed at the end of DP when he decided to challenge Jindai again (perhaps it wasn’t really about his brother anymore, and he wanted to check something for himself), but I like that he grew past this. It wasn’t really good for him to fixate on it and try and prove something for the reasons he had. He thought he really needed to do this, but maybe he doesn’t need to anymore and he is fully letting go of his old obsession. So the fact they didn’t mention Jindai shows that he is not defined by this anymore and that he wants to pursue other things for himself.

- I also really enjoyed the simple explanation on why Shinji wasn’t participating in the PWC. At first, I expected him to come back in the context of the tournament when his cameo was announced but I underestimated the fact that his Healing Era(™) had already started. I thought that was fitting of him to say that he doesn’t like festivities lol. I really like that he isn’t participating. Back in DP, he was entering different tournaments, with festive atmospheres, to power up his Pokemon. He participated in the tag battle and the Pokeringer tournaments to get stronger. Some characters and even the audience sometimes wondered why he was participating in them because festive stuff didn’t really seem like his thing even back then. And we know how the tag battle ended. He was fixated on strength and, again, it wasn’t necessarily good for him. He tried to get stronger and for what? In the long run, his fixation hurt him and others around him, and closed him off from others too, in a way (until he met Satoshi). He kind of clung on to a frustration that wasn’t really his own, he didn’t understand why his brother was not frustrated with his loss and went like “why aren’t YOU frustrated about it? if you won’t, I’ll be angry for you”, which yeah, lol. Not necessarily the best mindset. Now, he isn’t obsessing over strength anymore and it seems he has redefined what it means for him. Early DP Shinji would have wanted to take part in such a tournament to get stronger, but now he doesn’t really force himself anymore and seems to pursue strength in other ways, and focus on other interests like learning more about Pokemon. He didn’t really seem to have other interests in DP beyond training or taking rest from training, he was very focused on that. So, it’s all around really good stuff that he is looking at the world around him now. It really feels like he is pursuing things for himself now. The fact that Jindai wasn’t mentioned and that he isn’t participating in the tournament shows he is healing and moving on from his early mindset. And it’s not even like he isn’t invested in battling anymore, we saw he is still strong and holds well in battles. But it really feels like he was able to raise even higher as a person and as a trainer by not being so focused on strength anymore, the way Satoshi did in Alola. It feels even more fitting now that his cameo is happening right after the SM series too, because Alola really was the soothing and healing arc. Whatever happened to Satoshi in Alola and what he learned there, I think the same thing happened for Shinji and that he had an Alola-like arc of his own. Just Foils Things, etc.

- Something, something about the battle taking place next to a stream of water like their first full battle, how water is deep and serene and shows one’s reflection, and how they both used their battles against each other as a way to reflect, learn, think about each other and themselves. In both cases, Shinji really felt at peace and smiled after the battles (DP132, JN114), like he finally figured out what he wanted to do or found some answers to some questions. I enjoyed how the push was mutual in this battle. Shinji was symbolically the final push Satoshi needed before the M8 and in turn, Satoshi was the first push for Shinji as a potential future Gym Leader as Satoshi stood before him as his first Challenger. Satoshi represents his starting line before he heads for this direction (if he decides to take this path, which I think he will because he seems to put work into it). It is really That Deep. I like the thought that Shinji may have wanted this battle to figure things out for himself as well, because meeting Satoshi changed him so perhaps he thought that facing him again will bring him to new realizations, and that he could figure out through the battle against Satoshi if being a Gym Leader was something he could truly do. And I do think this battle is his way of thanking Satoshi, on top of helping him. Hence why he planned all of this ;)

- During the battle, he seemed to enjoy himself when Satoshi and his Pokemon got something out of the battle (when Lucario awakened a new move, for example), he took a very Gym Leader-like stance with his words, too… He was pushing Satoshi to bring out his full potential and his words had a sense of humbleness and strictness to me. He wasn’t putting himself above Satoshi but testing him the way a Gym Leader makes sure to prepare Challengers for the league. In a “if you want to go even higher, you need to get past me first” kind of way.

- I liked that he got offered a position as a Gym Leader and that he is taking the offer very seriously by seeking guidance. He was humbled by adults (Shirona, Jindai) several times before in DP even if he didn’t necessarily ask for it and now he goes out of his way to ask Ookido for help and genuinely wants to know more about Pokemon as a species. I wonder who offered him the position, but it implies that he is considered worthy enough of a candidate for this title. The thought of him considering the offer seriously shows that he is more interested in growing as a person and helping Challengers along the way to bring out their potential than pursuing strength for the sake of it. Gym Leaders have to be humble and guide others, after all. It is really an interesting position for him to be in, especially as a rival character since we never really got that before, and I think he figured out why he is together with his Pokemon and why he is battling. We got companion characters who were Gym Leaders before and they often insisted on the fact that being a Gym Leader means constant humility (especially Citron), and learning from your Challengers, not just teaching them. So, this kind of position for Shinji is especially intriguing. Moreover, I like how his own starter Pokemon (Dodaitosu) already had been in a mentor position before in DP, trying to help Satoshi’s newly evolved Hayashigame adjust to the evolution, so it implies that Shinji had the potential to be like that too, and that he learned from his Pokemon. I do understand what Shinji’s VA meant when he said in the interview “so he is in this kind of position now.” I felt like this was the missing piece to Shinji’s character. I thought “oh, so this is what his character was about all along.”

- I wonder if he got offered the Gym Leader position for Tokiwa City? I think it doesn’t have an official Gym Leader in the anime, at least it didn’t during the Battle Frontier. It would be interesting if he stayed in Kanto.

- It felt to me that Shinji came to Ookido’s place many times before, he didn’t seem out of place at all in the episode and seemed to know his way around too. Goukazaru didn’t seem surprised to see him either, and Shinji seemed to have some familiarity and closeness with him there, like he came to talk to him several times before… He spoke gently to him too ;; I think many things were implied with context cues there. Ookido even told him he was free to come by anytime, which was super sweet. He really is supportive and helping him in his growth and desire to learn. He wanted to surprise Satoshi and set up their meeting, he encouraged them to catch up… It’s just nice that Shinji is welcome to Ookido’s place anytime, that’s such an important place for Satoshi and he gets to be included there now. I like how Ookido was just smiling at the end, I am sure he knew what Shinji wanted to do and he got to see him succeed in doing that. And according to the after story art from anipoke PR, even after Satoshi left, he is still studying with Ookido at the lab and even taking notes which is nice to see. He really has a mentor of his own now (also more Shinji and Shigeru parallels because they both learned from Ookido at some point). He chose Kanto’s professor to go learn more about Pokemon (so he is symbolically leaving the nest of his own region and redefining what Kanto means for him — it’s not the place where he witnessed his brother’s loss anymore but a place for him to learn and grow), which gave him the opportunity to see Goukazaru again, and it was also a way for him to see Satoshi again so he could help for training (so three birds with one stone). The flowers in the opening meant “I am waiting for you” and “come here” among other things so it felt like he was waiting for this opportunity for a while.

- Just, all the moments of Growth(™). Shinji appeared really content and relaxed and it showed through the voice acting too, he sounded much more gentle in general. He told Elekible to go play with Pikachu and Sarunori (Pikachu and Elekible always got along way before their trainers did in DP lol, so I liked seeing them acknowledge each other), calls Pokemon partners, worries about their conditions, thanks them after being defeated in battle (the only one who got that before was Elekible in the Sinnoh League, so now it extends to the rest of his team). And he seems to walk around with Elekible a lot, too. This time when he leaves, he is not walking alone but with his Pokemon. It was also sweet seeing Shinji talking with Satoshi and Gou, just casually sitting on the grass and relaxing with their Pokemon around. I wish we could have seen more of them talking and catching up but it’s nice to see they can be like that around each other now. Just casual and soothing stuff.

- Gou and Shinji meeting was good! I liked the comic relief there (Gou finding him intimidating at first ww) and truly, the biggest tragedy of the episode was not having more comedy when Satoshi went to call his Pokemon for the battle and left Shinji and Gou alone for like, two minutes (it would have been funny to see Gou being like “oh no, are we gonna have to awkwardly stand around each other now or do I have to continue the conversation somehow, Satoshi come back pls-” or something but ww). And Gou eventually thinking Shinji is too cool ;) I do like that Gou realized during the battle that hey, Shinji’s team is weirdly similar to some other trainers that Satoshi might eventually face and that he actually brought it up after the battle and asked if it was really a coincidence. Gou knows a thing or two about rivals secretly helping you but not saying it out loud (he is fluent in Shigeru-speak now!). I liked that Shinji didn’t even try to deny it or anything, he just smiled. Actions over words in this case, and it felt very Shinji-like. This battle was his words of encouragement and support towards Satoshi, and I think Satoshi understood that. (And more Shinji and Shigeru parallels, because they are like: “if I openly admit out loud to my rival that I am trying to help him, I will d*e or something I guess??”)

Random thoughts on Satoshi: (Again, it won’t be in order lol).

- Satoshi finally called Shinji his rival and introduced him as such to Gou! Which is something I’ve been waiting for. (Long story short: he didn’t call him his rival until now.)

Basically, the writers put lots of work into the meta vs in universe terms to describe Shinji and Satoshi’s relationship, there are different perceptions and terms used depending on characters during the course of the show (and it’s something I find very interesting, they put lots of care into this in DP). I’ll keep this short because I could go on a lot about it and this could be a whole separate post in itself lol.

On a meta level, the dynamics was set up to be a rivalry and still is considered as such (the summary for JN114 refers to Shinji as Satoshi’s rival, the narrator calls him a rival in the cameo too). In DP, there were only three episodes involving the characters that mentioned the word “rival” in their titles: their first episode with their first battle and which set up their conflict and differences as trainers (DP003 - Rival Battle! Three VS Three!!), and two of their league episodes that would eventually conclude their story (DP186 - Rival Decisive Battle! Satoshi VS Shinji!! and DP188 - Conclusion of Rival Battle! Satoshi VS Shinji!!). So, the curtain opens by describing them as rivals and closes by using the same term. It comes full circle.

There were two recap episodes during DP that introduced Shinji as a rival (DP048 and DP120). His segment in DP048 introduced him as “a new rival” and was narrated by Satoshi, and DP120 had the usual anime narrator who referred to him as Satoshi’s rival who has a completely different stance towards Pokemon than him.

In universe though, it’s a rivalry that takes time to grow and settle itself as one as the characters meet, battle, and butt heads — it’s not taken for granted. It takes 96 episodes for a character in the show to bring up the word “rival” and say it out loud to describe Shinji and Satoshi, it didn’t happen before that moment (and it doesn’t even happen in an episode where the two characters are present together).

In DP096, Satoshi and his friends meet Shirona. Shirona mentioned meeting two trainers who are complete opposites in every single aspect to her grandmother, and it’s Shirona’s grandmother who is actually the first character in universe to refer to them as rivals (“Shirona told me about you and your rival”).

After this episode, the word rival comes up a bit more often by characters surrounding the rivalry, as if Shirona’s grandmother using that term was the trigger that allowed it to be actually said afterwards.

In DP128, Nozomi meets Shinji for the first time and asks who he is. Hikari tells her that he is Satoshi’s rival and that they always end up fighting when they meet. Suzuna points out that it seems to be something different from Nozomi and Hikari even if they are rivals as well (the anime often contrasted those two rivalries).

Afterwards, Reiji also brings up the word rival too before the beginning of their first full battle in DP131. He says that as rivals, they can find out about the other’s progress [through the full battle] and how strong he’s become so far, etc (he also said that they were meant to meet and that they are two sides of the same coin, so he describes them in many different ways, not just one).

After that, “rival” is brought up by the narrator during their league battle (“... the biggest rival confrontation in history will now begin” in DP186) as well as during their last episode together when he narrates their ending in DP188 (“The battle with the greatest rival, Shinji, is finally concluded”). So it’s something that took time to be built before earning the title of “the greatest” and I find it especially fitting that this is said during their closing scene, as if the narrator was looking back at their whole story while affirming that this was the greatest. So, all of these are instances of characters in universe (and the narrator, meta) around Shinji and Satoshi referring to them as such.

On the other hand, Satoshi’s perception of Shinji changes and grows with time. Since Shinji is unlike anyone Satoshi has ever met, there is a careful choice of words on the writers’ part as to how he thinks and talks about him. Initially, Satoshi considered Shinji as “someone I don’t want to lose to” and it is said multiple times so this is a pattern.

At the end of DP006 (the forest episode, where Satoshi loses his 1 VS 1 against Shinji), Satoshi says “I won’t lose to him, I definitely don’t want to lose to /him/” (that’s when he starts considering him as someone he doesn’t want to lose to).

In DP016, this comes up again when Satoshi is getting ready for his first gym battle and watches Shinji leave after they have an argument over battle strategies. Satoshi says that he doesn't want to lose to him specifically. In the first recap episode (DP048), Satoshi narrates the segment introducing Shinji as “the new rival”. As the segment starts, Satoshi’s words are (basically) “Other than Gym Leaders, there is someone else I don’t want to lose to no matter what: that’s Shinji” (so it’s written “rival” in the introduction segment, but Satoshi’s words are quite different).

In DP066, Satoshi talks to Reiji and says that he doesn’t agree with Shinji’s way of doing things and says, again, that he won’t lose to him. After that, Reiji says that he’d like to see Shinji and Satoshi battling, which makes Satoshi visibly slightly surprised and pause. That’s the last time Satoshi refers to someone he won’t lose to — a shift starts happening after meeting Reiji.

With time, words that were negative (“I won’t lose”) become a bit more positive: Satoshi starts saying “I’ll win!” way more in his encounters with Shinji, especially after Shirona’s grandmother describes them as rivals. Satoshi’s shift in words coincides with specific meetings, and it strikes me as intentional. And sure, at first he also wanted to win to prove himself and his methods (see DP131, that’s what he says before the first full battle, that winning against Shinji means making him acknowledge their methods), but I think it grew into a genuine competitive desire to win the more time went by (during the league, they both repeat several times that they’ll win against the other and it felt like something they said spontaneously because of how fired up they were in the competition).

And the more time went by, the more Satoshi thought about Shinji and tried to understand him. Satoshi later admits in DP186 that he spent a lot of time thinking about Shinji and the kind of strength he has, which in turn made him wonder about his own. Just, the way Satoshi figures out more about himself by thinking about him. It does feel significant that he described him as “a trainer who has a lot of things that I lack”, too (it sounds almost poetic coming from Satoshi).

With all this in mind, it does feel intentional that Satoshi actually never referred to Shinji as a rival during DP, despite the meta and other characters referring to them as such. I think it was a conscious choice on the writers’ part to have the characters totally dance around using that term to refer to each other. To me, it stands out even more because Satoshi sometimes goes “yay, everyone is rivals!” in other series (such as Best Wishes, which happens after DP), but since Shinji is different and that Satoshi clearly puts a lot of time trying to understand him and his perspective, he isn’t careless with his words for him specifically. I really like that, and it feels natural to me that Satoshi finally refers to him as a rival now, after everything that happened between them. Like, he had a lot of time to look back on his relationship with him, there was a distance between them for a while, and now that they are meeting again, that’s when he puts a word on what they actually were/are. I just really like how carefully crafted it all is… :’) (I like how they are the slowest of slowburns, they’ll be partners down the road and still be like “hmm, so what are we though” lol)

- I also like how Satoshi is now the one saying stuff like “don’t worry, he is always Like That” (re: Shinji’s intimidating stare lol).

Usually in DP, when Satoshi got pissed and said “smh, what’s up with that guy”, it was Takeshi who told him that “well, that’s how he usually is.” But now Satoshi just feels completely used to him, so he is in the position to casually say “yeah, that’s how he is'' (kind of like how he told Gou that Shigeru used to tease him too in the past). Satoshi just feels much more chill now! The way they actually banter now too, it was really cute how Satoshi made a pun during their battle (the “Kairyuuseigun”!) and how Shinji told him the pun was lame, and Satoshi thought it was good actually… Shinji and Satoshi joking around and having these kinds of comical scenes is just Good. Honestly, I liked how casual all their scenes were. Even their goodbye was casual and mirrors their last one in the league but it felt really different at the same time. Satoshi wants to battle Shinji again someday, and Shinji acknowledges it too. I think this time, they both know they’ll see each other again. Shinji is welcome anytime at Ookido’s place (and clearly wants to go back there too), so he is in this part of Satoshi’s life now!

- No thoughts, just the way Satoshi getting support from everyone in Alola mirrors the way he is getting support from everyone in Kanto. In JN112, he tells Kukui “I am glad I came to Alola” while staring at the sea at the end. It was a serene scene and he was alone with Kukui. In this episode, he is surrounded by Gou, Ookido and his Pokemon. And this time, when he says “I am glad I came”? He is staring at Shinji leaving when he says it. It happens right after Ookido tells him Shinji got an offer for a Gym Leader position, so I think at that moment, Satoshi fully understands the intentions behind the battle. So he says he is glad he came. And he adds that thanks to everyone, he is all fired up for the tournament. Shinji really is included in the big chain of love and support Satoshi is receiving… His help and support will probably be very valuable to Satoshi in his upcoming matches. I think it’s interesting that it’s almost a reference to the tag battle arc too and what it was supposed to be about (connecting hearts with people and Pokemon). Back then, they didn’t get along and didn’t work together well when they were actually teaming up. Now, Shinji will be absent and won’t actually be a tag partner but he’ll be there in some way, lifting up Satoshi thanks to his training. The whole episode emphasized teamwork. Goukazaru and other Pokemon who were released in the past helped Gengar (also a Pokemon who was abandoned in the past) learn a new move. Shinji helped Satoshi. Pokemon helping other Pokemon, and trainers helping other trainers, and all of them becoming closer through the experience. The atmosphere was full of warmth. I hope that Shinji, along with other characters, will be shown watching some of Satoshi’s battles, since he seems invested in his progress.

Basically, I really enjoyed everything. This is Shinji’s Healing Era and we are just living in it. This was the missing piece we needed after DP tbh.

Shinji and Reiji, two brothers, being humbled, facing their own immaturity and redefining their paths. Reiji taking on the path of raising Pokemon as a Breeder. Shinji heading on a path to raise Challengers as a Gym Leader.

Shinji and Satoshi, he was a rival, he was also a rival, what more can I say.

#comashipping #staticshipping

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