This is honestly frustrating to look at. It takes a respected, well-written character and reduces her to nothing more than shock value. Cynthia isn’t just another random trainer—you’re talking about one of the most composed, intelligent champions in the entire series, and the art completely ignores that in favor of a cheap “gotcha” scenario.
The paneling feels like it’s trying way too hard to escalate without actually saying anything meaningful. There’s no story, no clever subversion, no commentary—just escalation for escalation’s sake. Instead of tension or drama, it comes off as lazy and indulgent, like the goal was to provoke reactions rather than create something thoughtful or interesting.
What makes it worse is that the technical skill is clearly there. The anatomy, the posing, the polish—someone put real effort into this. And that’s exactly why it’s annoying. All that talent, wasted on an idea that flattens a complex character into a prop. It’s not bold, it’s not edgy, it’s just uninspired.
If you’re going to do a dark or subversive take on Pokémon, at least have something to say. This doesn’t challenge the source material or reinterpret it—it just strips it of what made it compelling in the first place. Disappointing, honestly.
