Pokémon Adventures: Scarlet & Violet Chapter 8 Review - A Titan, a Champion, and an Angry Duck

After last chapter’s cliffhanger ending, we finally get to understand the mystery behind the World’s Most Aggressive Quaxly!

Keep in mind there will be spoilers for this chapter in this review. If that’s a concern, please make sure to check it out before continuing.

I was unreasonably shocked to learn that the scariest Quaxly known to mankind belonged to Nemona. First Partner Pokémon generally go to important characters in Pokémon Adventures, so it has me feeling that Nemona is going to have a bigger role than simply following Scarlet around. I’d assume that Quaxly hasn’t belonged to Nemona for long, given that it’s still in its first evolutionary stage and we know that Nemona is a Champion-ranked Trainer; another clue is that it didn’t recognize Arven from school, instead attacking him without hesitation. If Quaxly has already become very protective of Nemona, it shows that she has been a good Trainer to it. I hope Quaxly becomes more important to the plot later on, as it would be nice to see it meet Sprigatito and Fuecoco.

I know Scarlet tends to prioritize her own goals, but I was peeved to see her completely abandon Nemona at the top of the watchtower. We know she’s capable of kindness, as we’ve seen with the way she was introduced and her rescuing of Penny from Team Star, so it struck me as quite odd that she would leave Nemona passed out in a potentially dangerous place. Maybe Scarlet knew that Nemona’s Pokémon were strong enough to protect her, but it still crossed a line, especially after she used this all as an opportunity to collect the Gimmighoul Coins. I’d like to believe that she isn’t that harsh.

It was interesting that Scarlet’s sickliness in her battle with Katy hadn’t been caused by hunger, as she led everyone to believe. If Gimmighoul’s attack was enough to take out someone with as much energy as Nemona, it’s a surprise that Scarlet was able to withstand it enough to function (and win!) during a Gym battle. Gimmighoul is said to drain the life-force from humans with its attacks, and it’s funny to imagine Scarlet with more energy than Nemona. She seems to be pretty hardy, and it makes me wonder if her treasure hunting had led her to build up a tolerance to Pokémon attacks. We already know that she’s able to go days without eating, but is that something her own methods have made her adapt for, or did she learn how to do this somewhere else?

While I have been on the fence about Nemona’s portrayal in the manga so far, this was the chapter that made me care about her. I also just really enjoyed seeing her finally get to use her battling skills. We keep being told that Nemona likes to battle, but this is the first time she uses her knowledge in a fight. Not only that, but she’s the key to defeating Klawf and furthering Violet and Arven on their journey. I love that after Arven was so threatened by the idea of Nemona ruining their plans to fight the Titan Pokémon, she winds up being instrumental to their success. After seeing her chase and pester Scarlet for the last few chapters, it’s nice that she gets to take an active role in pushing the plot forward.

It was rewarding to finally see Violet and Arven succeed against a Titan Pokémon. Not just because they needed a win, but also because we now get to see the effect of the Herba Mystica on Miraidon. Violet’s instant elation at Miraidon’s new speed is contagious. I genuinely feel happy for him, which shows just how effective the authors are at making him such a likable protagonist. As frustrated as I was with Scarlet throughout this chapter, I did enjoy the scene with her at the end. I wouldn’t think that someone as cold as Scarlet would have much appreciation for art, so I liked that surprise.

This chapter was a lot of fun! I love that Nemona gets a chance to shine and be her own character instead of reacting to Scarlet’s antics as usual. I really hope it means her character keeps growing at this pace.

What were your thoughts on this chapter? How do you feel about Nemona’s portrayal at this point?