#oras chapter

[ruby3818]

Yamamoto posted three new teaser panels for Volume 64 ❤

This is it, this is what I waited years for! ;-;

[deoxyzena]

ORAS

Kicking off my 2022 Pokemon Special reviews with the infamous third remake chapter - Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. This review ventures into meta-analysis territory at times, but it is still largely a review. Keep in mind that this is all my personal opinion and interpretation of the chapter. That said, enjoy this stream of >1.5k words!

Some background info: I followed the monthly scanlations religiously in 2014-2015. I stopped around c10 because of how messy the plot was at that point. I had sky-high expectations due to RS being my absolute favorite at the time, and like many fans, I was disappointed with ORAS. However, after rereading both RS and ORAS this year, I’ve grown to think that ORAS is more emotionally fulfilling than RS and the other remake chapters due to being a “full circle” in many ways. It provides closure to several storylines from RS, FRLG, and Emerald, cementing the legacy of those chapters while also expanding their lore (albeit in a way that could have been better executed). 

What honestly drove my shift in opinion was our real world in the last few years, shaken by a pandemic and countless global tragedies. The constant anxiety that you and your loved ones may die, wanting to shield them from the pain of knowing, corrupt billionaires profiting off earnest labor and unethical experiments, exposure of all the horrific things done to Indigenous communities, and more. All of these elements were present in the ORAS chapter, although not explored in-depth due to the pacing flaws of modern Pokespe. Either way, ORAS picks up where XY (one of my favorite chapters) left off by incorporating elements from our real world in a way that leaves the story with a highly anxious tone and astronomical stakes. 

The underlying anxiety in ORAS was a different kind than in XY. In XY, the anxiety stemmed from the main 5 not being able to trust most adults, but at least they could trust each other, making a pact to always stick together. The RSE trio was the opposite. They have conflicting agendas throughout the chapter and are constantly physically apart. Sapphire and Emerald are mastering Mega Evolution, while Ruby is investigating Sky Pillar without having told her. Sapphire is led to believe that she is helping Devon fight off their protestors, but that was a lie fabricated by Ruby and enabled by Emerald. Sapphire gets transported away and (almost) stops Zinnia on her own, while Ruby and Emerald are fighting off a medley of foes (@ Archie and Maxie: I do not see it). The lack of transparency and communication between this trio serves a very different dynamic compared to that of the Johto trio, who are largely able to read each other’s minds and unspoken intentions in HGSS. Or the Kanto trio, who openly communicate their feelings with each other.

This seems like a negative thing, but keep in mind that Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are all established to have trouble opening up to others due to childhood trauma, especially Ruby, who is the most self-absorbed of the three (keep in mind self-absorbed ≠ selfish). Sapphire and Emerald have grown since the last time we saw them: Sapphire is less reactive and Emerald is more cooperative. Both feel more mature, while Ruby appears to be stuck in old habits. I personally don’t think this was a character writing flaw, though I initially did when I read it in 2014. Why was Ruby seemingly regressing? Since then, I've learned more about human psychology in the face of catastrophe, and how we tend to revert to old learned behaviors even if we know they're wrong. For example, here's a relevant excerpt from a book I've been reading: Catastrophe by Christopher J. Ferguson.

I now realize that Ruby’s actions were the most realistic out of the three. Him being the focus character solidifies the story for what it is: a terrifying, panic-inducing, extremely stressful event. That said, the three protagonists together make a complete unit: Ruby is the emotion, Sapphire the intuition, and Emerald the reasoning. You need all three to save the planet.

It is telling that the “big” trio moment in this chapter is simply them agreeing to work together to save the planet. In FRLG, the main trio unleashed their combined ultimate attack at the Trainer Tower. In HGSS, the trio clashed against the Rocket admins. But in ORAS, there is no big fight scene involving all 3 Hoenn dexholders in the same place at the same time. This notable absence speaks to the main conflict of this chapter being miscommunication and lack of transparency, which had a bigger emphasis in the story compared to the actual threat itself, the meteoroid. 

If I were to sum up what this chapter is to me - it would be a character study of different people, each with diverging histories and scars of their own, and how they deal with catastrophe. This story has emotional anxious people, people who blindly listen to authority, people who try to get everyone to work together, people who try to solve everything with money and technology, people who put the burden on their shoulders because family/tradition said so. It’s very reflective of the world we’ve lived in for the past few years.

As a final meta note, I love how the new added XY epilogue reveals that the events of ORAS caused people to turn to cults like Team Flare, adding yet another example of how human behavior manifests in the face of catastrophe. SwSh also acknowledged the urgency of the situation. ORAS has an established legacy in canon and a presence that feels more global compared to RS and many other chapters. It is a story of bonds and overcoming trauma and appreciating your loved ones in your final moments.

Alright, the main show is now over, and it is time for my award ceremony:

MVP award: Sapphire. Despite having reduced screen time and a bunch of other meta factors working against her, her extraordinary intuition, pragmatic mindset, and team player attitude despite her "drama" with Ruby made her the most valuable asset in the cast. My favorite moment was when she figured out within SECONDS that they had to Mega Evolve Rayquaza to stop the meteorite — all from using mere intuition. Her presence in this chapter is truly underrated.

RSE's best moment awards:

Ruby: stealing the scroll from Zinnia. I know Ruby had a lot of emotional moments in this chapter, but I liked the ones that showed off his cunning and calculating mind, which really highlights the multifaceted nature of his character. He gets his hands dirty in this chapter unlike in RS. When he gets in front of Steven and intercepts Goodra's limb, I actually got chills.

Sapphire: besides the Mega Evolution realization moment, the scene that starts her fight with Zinnia, where she shoves her into the water. Sapphire at this point is still siding with Devon Corp because she feels guilty about allowing them to take her Pokemon's life force. This reads as a callback to her own guilt about the Ruby/Salamence incident, which is explicitly referenced later in this fight. But this moment allows us a glimpse of Sapphire's trauma and her coping mechanism of being overly helpful despite the method clearly being wrong, just so she won't hurt or be a burden to anyone else.

Emerald: being the secure, smart king he is. Specifically, when Zinnia pokes fun at his height twice, he doesn’t violently react like he used to. In fact, Emerald being comfortable in his true physical self for the entire chapter was the best indicator of his character growth, which really shone through in this chapter. Honestly, Sapphire was the MVP to me but Emerald was the most consistent and reliable character in this chapter.

Best dynamic award: Ruby and Emerald. They had the most interaction in this chapter among the trio, and each interaction was gold. Ruby taking the lead and Emerald willingly going along (and vice versa at the very end) were good moments showcasing their growth as people - Ruby becoming more proactive and courageous, and Emerald listening to and trusting others. Standout moments for me:

(Emerald being the supportive best friend who goes along with your lies and hypes you up. How can you not love him?)

Of course, Ruby and Sapphire's relationship is the central point of this chapter. I adore Frantic. But here, I found myself appreciating them more as individual characters. I think Sapphire benefits much more from not being in Ruby's shadow or reduced to his love interest, because she is the Alpha and an action girl to the fullest. She was the model for a strong female character to me when I was younger, and she continues to be that for me now.

The best subplot award: Devon Corp causing the death of Aster at the Embedded Tower was the most interesting plot point and one of the heaviest in this manga. I wish this was the main plot if this wasn't a Pokemon product. I wish Rayquaza had stabbed Joseph Stone instead of Zinnia, tbh.

Best side characters award: Ultima and Briney. Much needed comic relief but also continuing their badassery from their debut chapters. I even named Ultima the MVP in my FRLG review from 2018. Besides Blue, of course.

Best random moment award: Red asking Blue which way to go + Saur looking exasperated. I don't know why I found this so funny, but I did. I absolutely love Red and Blue's friendship/dynamic - it is one of my favorites.

Final thoughts: ORAS still has many of the same issues I thought of when I first read it (issues I didn't address in this post because it's already been discussed countless times). But I've grown to appreciate what it offers and see things from another perspective. I cannot wait for the full volume release.

[brave-symphonia]

I love how Sapphire just reveals this. She doesn’t for one second hide the fact he was crying about how he didn’t want to be apart. I love them.

[cap-cavern]

Happy birthday, Sapphire!! I recolored these panels again and it took a while to make it, but I think it turned out decent. I had a lot of fun coloring these again, too!! <3

Official art = Satoshi Yamamoto.

Recolored by me.

Please, support the official release!

[theceoofrusa]

[mala-sadas]

what did you like/hate the most about the remake arcs?

Well, in all the remake arcs, I liked seeing the Dexholders being a little older - closer to my age, and a bit more mature. My favorite thing about FRLG is undoubtedly the subplot with Silver and Giovanni (I’m a sucker for familial bonds and conflicts). My favorite thing about HGSS is...pretty much everything with Crystal; she’s really great in that arc. My favorite thing about ORAS is...well, this is kind of an unpopular opinion, I feel, but I honestly really liked Zinnia and how she was used. She’s not exactly a sympathetic antagonist, like she was in the games, but she’s still has some valid concerns and you can kinda understand where she’s coming from, even if you don’t agree with what she’s doing about it (kinda like Lysandre and the rest of Team Flare in XY).

As for what I hate about them...that’s easy. In FRLG, the whole Deoxys thing is just...no. How they were created, their connection to Red, the two different entities and trying to remember which one is which...it’s just too contrived in my opinion. Plus, then there’s the Deoxys that appears for like 2 panels in ORAS - is that Entity One? Entity Two? A different Deoxys altogether? Who knows? Who cares? Kusaka doesn’t.

In HGSS, the pacing of the arc just feels off. We get two chapters of just Gold screwing around at the Pokéathlon, and then everything else from there is important plot point after important plot point. The quality of those plot points is also debatable, but quality aside, it’s just...so rushed. Like, for example, Silver gets the location of all the Plates from Morty and then he just...gets wild Sneasel and Weavile to retrieve them for him? And like, they kinda set up the idea that Arceus is gonna be the “final boss” of the arc and then...Suddenly Arceus. I know why it was rushed, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bother me.

In ORAS, it’s Archie and Maxie. I can accept that they were sent to the Distortion World instead of dying. I can accept the convoluted explanation for how they learned about Primal Reversion and Mega Evolution. I can accept how their personalities switched. What I can’t accept, however, is why the hell Kusaka went through all the trouble to bring them back and explain the reason for their being there and then make them disappear right before the final battle so that Blaise and Amber have to take control of the Primals! If you’re going to pull so many strings to make a character come back from the dead, use them to their fullest potential before you kill them off again! Instead, they just seem like a total waste of everyone’s time and energy - the fans who read and theorized about them, and the characters who had to deal with them.

...but, um, ORAS is still my favorite of the remake arcs, so there’s that.

[brave-symphonia]

I. I can tell I’m about to tear up with joy.

Thank god. I was pretty sure this is what Ruby had decided.

I absolutely love that he doesn’t want to be separated from her, so he’s not going alone, that way he knows he won’t lose her if things go wrong. Also, him mentioning that he wants to protect the Hoenn she loves gets to me. He’s saying he wants to protect the region SHE loves.

He wants to be with her until their last moments!!! I’m not going to be okay.

[brave-symphonia]

She got her voice back upon seeing Ruby in danger. I’m feeling really emotional. Just, this scene is making me really emotional.

And she abandons Rayquaza, the one thing preventing her from falling into the ocean to refuse to abandon Ruby.

Just this entire section just hits me with emotions.