Anyone else think the show originally intended the Kanto starters to be split between the trio?

[PineapplePizza]

-Charmander felt so obvious like it was intended to be given to Brock the ending feels like a last minute executive mandate

-Had Brock been given Charmander and Ash had already gotten Bulbasaur it would make sense for Misty to be given Squirtle the Water starter

-Even though Ash’s first choice in the first episode was Squirtle when he first meets an actual Bulbasaur he gushes over it in a way he really didn’t with Charmander and Squirtle.


Of course they actually use the idea of distributing the starters between Ash and traveling companions in Hoen and again in Kalos but I think it would have been interesting here (would Bulbasaur have gotten more love from fans? Would Charmander ever evolve under Brock?( I could see it maybe evolving into Charmeleon by Johto)

 

[Kintaro]

Eh, not really. It was the first series so it made sense for Ash to get all the starters. I don't think they planned for Brock to ever get Charmander even though he cared for it.

In Johto though they should have let Misty get Totodile, since Ash barely did anything with it. Misty got screwed out of getting a starter and an Eevee in her entire run.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

Eh, not really. It was the first series so it made sense for Ash to get all the starters. I don't think they planned for Brock to ever get Charmander even though he cared for it.

In Johto though they should have let Misty get Totodile, since Ash barely did anything with it. Misty got screwed out of getting a starter and an Eevee in her entire run.

I dont think they planned to share the starters and glad it didn't happened, otherwise those two starters would either be stale like there other pokemon or be known as gag members.

As for totodile, it's fate was sealed when it turned into a gag pokemon, giving it to misty would have damaged it more since she hardly did anything in that region and totodile did take part in the league and one gym battle, all the pokegirls that had starters have an active goal. As for eevee the most screwed out of not getting it was ash especially with a potential espeon to match gary's umbreon and a cool rivalry with it.

 

[Moonlight Starlight]

In Johto though they should have let Misty get Totodile, since Ash barely did anything with it. Misty got screwed out of getting a starter and an Eevee in her entire run.

I think Marina would been the better choice to have Totodile.Giving more spotlight and battle.

 

[Kintaro]

That's why I don't mind for Totodile, it was a gag pokemon. It was only ever used in 1 Gym battle (Whitney), and its role in the league was overshadowed by Squirtle so not much would even change if Ash didn't get it. Misty getting Totodile with Psyduck would have been fine, Ash used Bayleef and Cyndaquil the most in Johto.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

I think Marina would been the better choice to have Totodile.Giving more spotlight and battle.

You mean crystal from games right? I dont think she even xisted back then she came one or two years later as a player character when another game was released. Had she been around from the first johto game maybe she would be the main pokegirl in johto region

 

[Moonlight Starlight]

You mean crystal from games right? I dont think she even xisted back then she came one or two years later as a player character when another game was released. Had she been around from the first johto game maybe she would be the main pokegirl in johto region

She was put on Pokemon Chronicles and she did have a starter Pokemon that's a Totodile and her Totodile did evolve.

 

[GarchompTheAssassin]

Maybe there was something for Brock/Charmander since he was the one who saved it but I didn't really see anything between Misty and Squirtle (except for Misty's water connection)

Was probably better it turned out the way it did though

 

[Kutie Pie]

Charmander probably could've gone to Brock, but he let Ash have him, and he ended up getting Vulpix to compensate. I think Misty showed interest in one of the Squirtle, but she probably was turned off by the idea when they were accosted by the Squirtle Squad, and shortly afterward she ended up getting Horsea and a Psyduck. Makes for interesting "what if"s, but I think ultimately they came out of it for the better under Ash's care.

 

[Redstar45]

Yeah i am agree with that but kantou starter scew up the jouho one later

 

[shoz999]

I'm pretty sure that was always the plan to have Ash have all three starters. Although it would've been fairly interesting to see Ash, Gary and the female protagonist Green each have separate starters but because the female protagonist was never finalized and Charizard was probably the most coolest-looking Pokemon among children, it just made a lot of sense for Ash to have all three starters. The real question we should be asking is why did they decided to separate the starters to Ash, May and Brock by Advance Generation, changing up the formula.

 

[Prof. SALTY]

I'm pretty sure that was always the plan to have Ash have all three starters. Although it would've been fairly interesting to see Ash, Gary and the female protagonist Green each have separate starters but because the female protagonist was never finalized and Charizard was probably the most coolest-looking Pokemon among children, it just made a lot of sense for Ash to have all three starters. The real question we should be asking is why did they decided to separate the starters to Ash, May and Brock by Advance Generation, changing up the formula.

Because even by Johto, the formula was stale.

Brock was the only one with any sort of experience in helping sick people (being a pseudo parent would mean a lot of illnesses amongst his siblings) so it made sense that he care for Charmander. I don't think it was ever intended for him. Squirtle had no links to Misty at all apart from her specialty either.

 

[Redstar45]

it would've been fairly interesting to see Ash, Gary and the female

actually my friend Fang-tang is doing that in his fan manga and well Satoshi/Ash still going have the three starter Pokemon (with his bulbasaur evolved into a Ivysaur) and Shigur/Gary getting his blastoise later and female player already did have full evolved Venusaur at start of the story.
I can't help wonder if blue would travel with Ash and brock not misty has red & green had programs at start and shudö had stayed fateful to the classic pocket monsters game stuff during production of the pocket monsters.

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

No.

Brock and Misty were concieved as support characters and nothing more than that. Ash was always meant to be the main character. Probably, back in the day they didn't know the series would run as long as it's running so they probably wanted to give Ash all starters so fans of any of them wouldn't feel like his/her favorite was left out.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Interesting topic. Admittedly at first especially in Kanto i didn't thought of prospect of Misty and Brock being given starters. Especially because Ash was more favored and presented to us viewers as driving force of pokemon anime. However looking back in retrospective way Brock cared about Charmander confronting Damian as well gave away possibility of being just as suitable owner for Charmander as Ash could have been. Granted under Brock care Charmander wouldn't receive same amount of focus but to be fair it wasn't necessarily needed if this pokemon under Brock care was used in enough creative way to compensate for smaller spotlight.

In Misty regard she was from start portrayed as person who adores and is attracted by everything related to sea, ocean and creatures living in it being marine type. And she showed peculiar interest in Squirtle as interesting water specie, however there didn't exist there that kind of interaction and connection between them like it used to be between Brock and Charmnder to even imply possibility of Squirtle going to her. Although there were interesting scenes between them when Squirtle took her as hostage threatening to dye her hair, it was not enough to justify different outcome.

Now in Johto Totodile is a whole another story. Misty fell in love with Totodile on first sight, and given she has much more knowledge and agenda connected to water specie, it made lot of sense that Totodile was given to her instead. If anything based on Poliwhirl treatment in Johto series ending up fairly well developed, or decent Corsola screen time despite coming late to party. Compared to Totodile pretty bad track record and focus under Ash ownership throughout Johto series.

I feel Totodile would've benefit better if it went to Misty instead when looking at wider picture.

Spoiler: explanation

Sure in Johto saga Misty received much less focus than Ash, however her increased proactivity in 5th season(many people forget that Misty wasn't treated same through whole Johto, being just as Ash and Brock neglected in some of seasons but not all) as well greater conection to water pokemon implies that Totodile focus might have been utilized more proficiently.

Because when taking everything in account, due to Misty being active gym leader and aspiring water master her water pokemon are trained and are battling frequently compared to amount of activity happening at Oaks ranch in that regard(much much more). So i imagine Totodile would than receive more battle experience and possibly even evolve. Based on how incredibly powerful Misty Gyarados is(even more so in mega form )but Staryu as well, it certainly supports this theory.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

I think starters should be reserved only to ash or the pokegirls with active goal, we have already seen the fate of starters like mudkip, chespin and popplio when they were given to third wheel characters, they were either stale pokemon or gag pokemon.Atleast with ash and girls they will get proper screentime and some development.

 

[Jeal]

No. The plan has always been for them to be Ash's. The writers would not give a different treatment to the starters. Ash having the three starters resembles Red's team, too.
If they had planned to give Ash just a starter then he would have got the starter in the first episode and captured Pikachu in Viridian Forest.

You mean crystal from games right? I dont think she even xisted back then she came one or two years later as a player character when another game was released. Had she been around from the first johto game maybe she would be the main pokegirl in johto region

Yeah, but I have sure the writers knew about her back then. It was so unfair to Crystal, Hilda, Rosa, Selene(and Blue).

 

[Prof. SALTY]

No. The plan has always been for them to be Ash's. The writers would not give a different treatment to the starters. Ash having the three starters resembles Red's team, too.
If they had planned to give Ash just a starter then he would have got the starter in the first episode and captured Pikachu in Viridian Forest.

Red's team didn't exist at the time. The anime was made before gen 2 was a thing. Thanks to delays in development a few pokemon like Ho-oh and Togepi made it in before the games but Red definitely didn't exist as the NPC at Mt. Silver that he became.

 

[Jeal]

Red's team didn't exist at the time. The anime was made before gen 2 was a thing. Thanks to delays in development a few pokemon like Ho-oh and Togepi made it in before the games but Red definitely didn't exist as the NPC at Mt. Silver that he became.

Fair enough. But it was the best choice giving the starters to Ash.

 

[Red and Blue]

Honestly I think Charmander would have been wasted on Brock. Due to him not battling as much as Ash it might not have even evolved.

The only correction I would make with the Damian episode would be to have Ash bond and worry about Charmander