This is certainly a treat. We finally have an animated series that focuses on a different area of the Pokémon franchise. The Trading Card Game. Countless times we have watched Ash battle and win countless battles (often coming up short in certain league battles, up until in recent years!) but this time we’re focusing on a real-world setting in Pokémon Path To The Peak!
Our story begins with a thirteen-year-old girl named Ava, who moved to a new town and had trouble making friends in her new school. Then one day, Ava got a hand-crafted Pikachu with a mysterious message that read TM 10, she then meets a young boy named Joshua, who is part of the Pokémon TCG Fan Club. Together, Ava and her partner Oddish are pulled into an incredible world of Pokémon!
It was a nostalgic feeling to watch someone enjoy playing the Pokémon TCG. This brought back sweet memories of growing up with the series when it first hit the US. Path to the Peak is a well-thought-out story with a familiar vibe that most fans would recognize with other card-themed (and board game-themed) anime. While it is a safe reminder that the elements in this web series are for entertainment purposes. What I’m referring to are expectations for the show to have a better message than to follow your heart to victory. It is a show about teamwork and friendship, the traditional Pokémon story formula (and certain criteria for Shonen titles) that has won fans over.
It was a great idea for the show to introduce the game in a school setting, it was a clever nod to The Pokémon Company’s partnership with the American Association of School Librarians (the program is currently on pause). One of the other endearing qualities of the new series was the cast of characters that were introduced, Ava was a protagonist who felt more relatable to newer players, she wasn’t written to be like most main characters. Joshua was a character that won me over, a fan who loved playing the game and had positive energy no matter what situation he was in. Celestine, however, wasn’t much of a memorable character. Her character fell into the trope of a Bad Girl/Rival, who dueled against the protagonist and then became her best friend. Aside from that minor gripe, the characters served their purpose in the competitive game setup.
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Speaking of Competitive Games, Path to the Peak gives the TCG a fun, well-animated approach to the card game, The final episode was an example of this observation, with Ava preparing to take on her final opponent with her newly evolved partner, Bellossum. The battles mixed with the familiarity of the anime and video games, giving it a humble tribute to Pokémon and the Pokémon TCG Championship. It hit me right in the feels when Ava described her mom’s cards as ancient. The humor was spot-on and made me cringe at the same time. Also, kudos to the team for making Pikachu look like the villain. That moment was just hilarious.
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Final Grade:
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