Waiting for the Johto seasons to be uploaded with subtitles, I started watching Pokémon Sun & Moon and, honestly, I’m loving it. I can understand that some people were a bit disappointed by the graphic after X&Y, but it’s not worst or better, it’s just different.
That aside, I currently watched four episodes and I fell in love with them all. I’m going to make some analysis at some point, but now I mostly want to talk about the Mokurō/Rowlet’s catch (in Episode 962/SM004 モクロー登場！アローラでポケモンゲットだぜ！！ It’s Mokuroh! Catching Pokémon in Alola!!).
How pure can a person be? I would suggest you to use our boy Satoshi/Ash as your yardstick.
He really wanted to catch a Pokémon, as usually excited about the new unexplored region he’s visiting. He whished to catch Mokurō, so he followed it to its nest, where it was surrouned by its nakama/friends. Once he sees this, even though Mokurō saves him and Pikachu from the Rocket-dan/Team Rocket, he still decides to go back, feeling a bit sad, because he doesn’t want it to be separated from its kazoku/family.
However, Mokurō knew that his place was not there anymore. He met Satoshi and was sure about it at that point.
And when it goes back to Satoshi, encouraged by Dodekabashi/Toucannon, he almost does not believe what’s happening. He asks Mokurō if it really wants to go with him and when it assents, our boy is in raptures.
Once he’s sure his new Pokémon, his new nakama, actually wants to leave his family and start a journey with him, only when he’s certain of that, he stops pretending, he stops feeling sad and admits he really wanted Mokurō to join them too. And he captures it.
Mao/Mallow is absolutely right, even if she doesn’t know that: this is how Satoshi has captured Pokémon since the beginning. He did get some Pokémon only by fighting them (mostly in the first seasons) and not by befriending them, but it’s rare.
That’s because he considers them to be friends, allies, partners, not only means to an end. So he wants to be sure they’re happy with him, that they really want to fight for him. This is the purest thing ever.
I bet this is the start of an amazing friendship.
