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Characters from the games that you feel GameFreak has forgotten or ignored.

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Discuss about characters from the core games that you feel GameFreak has forgotten or ignored.





I will start with arguably the most popular example of this and ironically will likely be forgotten by newer fans because of GameFreak's decision to remake ORAS based on Ruby & Sapphire over Emerald. The character I am talking about is Juan, the 8th Gym Leader of Sootopolis City.

140px-Emerald_Juan.png


This is a character I fear that many newer Pokemon fans of the games will forget because GameFreak themselves appear to have forgotten about this character which is kind of ironic actually as GameFreak practically never forgets a piece of their lore. Say all you want about GameFreak, they almost never forget a single detail of the lore they created so it's absolutely strange to see them forget a Gym Leader of all characters. Maybe they didn't forget him, they just didn't think he was that important and ignored his character but it's still so weird to not even see a reference or mentioning of this guy.

For those not familiar with the character, Juan is the 8th Gym Leader of Sootopolis City in the enhanced third version, Pokemon Emerald. He is Wallace's teacher and the original owner of the Sootopolis Gym and how their relationship is handled in the Pokemon Adventures manga is pretty interesting, implying that Wallace is actually the most powerful Pokemon trainer of Hoenn, not Steven Stone because Wallace defeated Champion Steven Stone at the Pokemon League but he didn't took up the mantle as Pokemon Champion yet due to certain circumstances, allowing Steven Stone to keep his title. When Wallace finally decided to take over as the new Pokemon Champion after Steven Stone retired, Juan agreed to take over as the 8th Gym Leader. Actually there is another reason why I'm mentioning Pokemon Adventures into this outside of the interesting portrayal here.

Tate_Liza_Juan_Wallace_ORAS_Adventures.png

Juan's appearance in Pokemon Adventures ORAS Chapter.

The other reason why I mentioned this is that even after all these years accumulating to a Hoenn remake with no Juan, Pokemon Adventures still shows fans that it still remembers Juan as a very important character from the Hoenn region in the ORAS adaptation. A few fans of this character that I know were very happy to see that Juan, although appears shortly, isn't forgotten by Pokemon Adventures when the ORAS chapter hit.

Although GameFreak probably didn't forget him, it's still odd to see GameFreak seemingly ignoring this character but if he ever did return, I feel like the best way for his return for now that's not reliant on another remake is through a Battle Tree full of Battle Legends representing different generations, Juan in full glorious 3D representing Hoenn.
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
I agree about Adan (Juan). He's been ignored after Emerald version, and while I understand why he wasn't the final Gym Leader in OR/AS since those games were always meant to be remakes of Ruby and Sapphire more than Emerald, I still feel like he deserved a cameo at the very least or some kind of role in Pokemon Contests like Lutia (Lisia) since the anime made him a Coordinator.
 

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
Agreed on Juan. Would’ve much preferred if he was the “staple” Water Type Trainer in Hoenn as I think he fits Champion more than Wallace

I also think the Striaton City Triplets are under appreciated. I know Cilan was on the main cast in the anime (with the other brothers showed up semi occasionally) and they have a subplot with their strength in the sequels via Memory Link but they don’t get nearly as much recognition as the other Gym Leaders.

Pretty much all of Team Flare bar Lysandre as they’re barely fleshed out. Malva especially as her morality is inconsistent across the franchise

Plumeria’s probably the biggest example of this. She appears 3 times in the story and she never gets to interact with Guzma. She barely interacts with you outside of typical antagonistic quips and we nothing of her backstory. Her team pre Title Defense is lackluster (yet another Zubat line user? Could’ve given her Alolan Grimer or Mareanie).
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Agreed on Juan. Would’ve much preferred if he was the “staple” Water Type Trainer in Hoenn as I think he fits Champion more than Wallace

I also think the Striaton City Triplets are under appreciated. I know Cilan was on the main cast in the anime (with the other brothers showed up semi occasionally) and they have a subplot with their strength in the sequels via Memory Link but they don’t get nearly as much recognition as the other Gym Leaders.

Pretty much all of Team Flare bar Lysandre as they’re barely fleshed out. Malva especially as her morality is inconsistent across the franchise

Plumeria’s probably the biggest example of this. She appears 3 times in the story and she never gets to interact with Guzma. She barely interacts with you outside of typical antagonistic quips and we nothing of her backstory. Her team pre Title Defense is lackluster (yet another Zubat line user? Could’ve given her Alolan Grimer or Mareanie).
Don't know about Juan being the Champion. The story of a student surpassing his teacher to new insane heights, that's quite a story worth further exploring in the games don't you think?
 

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
Don't know about Juan being the Champion. The story of a student surpassing his teacher to new insane heights, that's quite a story worth further exploring in the games don't you think?
They could just switch their roles. Never been a fan of Wallace so ideally anyone would be a better Champion (or just stick to Steven).
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
Ignition said:
I also think the Striaton City Triplets are under appreciated. I know Cilan was on the main cast in the anime (with the other brothers showed up semi occasionally) and they have a subplot with their strength in the sequels via Memory Link but they don’t get nearly as much recognition as the other Gym Leaders.

I always thought it was unfair that the siblings didn't get to visit N's Castle in Black and White when the other Gym Leaders went there to face off against the Seven Sages of the Plasma-dan. I remember thinking that it was because they were secretly the Dark Trinity (Shadow Triad).
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Speaking of characters, Pokemon are technically characters and there's this one particular Kanto starter Pokemon that's been ignored a lot by GameFreak until Let's Go or unless it's posing side by side with the other Kanto starters and that's Blastoise. I don't know if you guys realize this but I actually don't see GameFreak give a lot of love to Blastoise compare to Venusaur and Charizard. Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue version? That was not GameFreak's decision, that was the west's decision. Gary Oak/Blue and Blastoise? That's not GameFreak's decision either, that was the Pokemon Company's decision. If you look at it from GameFreak's point of view, the marketing they've done, the interviews, what they say are their favorite Pokemon, the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes and even in Let's Go where they give some love to Blastoise through the trainer Green but give Venusaur and Charizard to the legendary rivalry that is Red & Blue, GameFreak almost ignores Blastoise, treating it like it's the third wheel that it's actually kind of sad for Blastoise fans including myself as Blastoise is actually my favorite Kanto starter.
 

Tsukuyomi56

Sky High Knight
Basically almost of the main NPCs that debut in Johto, the poor region is the only one that does not have a notable NPC that can be an opponent in the Battle Tree (Red and Blue do not count as they debuted in Gen1). The last time Johto NPCs had a notable appearance was their Gym Leaders appearing in the PWT in BW2.
 

Redstar45

The Anime/Special's canon know it all.
Speaking of characters, Pokemon are technically characters and there's this one particular Kanto starter Pokemon that's been ignored a lot by GameFreak until Let's Go or unless it's posing side by side with the other Kanto starters and that's Blastoise. I don't know if you guys realize this but I actually don't see GameFreak give a lot of love to Blastoise compare to Venusaur and Charizard. Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue version? That was not GameFreak's decision, that was the west's decision. Gary Oak/Blue and Blastoise? That's not GameFreak's decision either, that was the Pokemon Company's decision. If you look at it from GameFreak's point of view, the marketing they've done, the interviews, what they say are their favorite Pokemon, the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes and even in Let's Go where they give some love to Blastoise through the trainer Green but give Venusaur and Charizard to the legendary rivalry that is Red & Blue, GameFreak almost ignores Blastoise, treating it like it's the third wheel that it's actually kind of sad for Blastoise fans including myself as Blastoise is actually my favorite Kanto starter.
Anime at time is allowed do it as not everything copy and paste the game and we have Pokemon origin following Satoshi tajri vision and red have lizardon in his team and masters show red own a lizardon too

Sorry i misread you my bad
 

RedJirachi

Veteran member
Ghost girl from Gen 6. That was a lot of effort for one character that never had a pay off.

There was a similar looking girl staring at a wall in another building too. Something about not being “the one” ??

I suspect that was less "we forgot" and more "an easter egg to entertain the fans"

I always thought it was unfair that the siblings didn't get to visit N's Castle in Black and White when the other Gym Leaders went there to face off against the Seven Sages of the Plasma-dan. I remember thinking that it was because they were secretly the Dark Trinity (Shadow Triad).

The actual reason had them just show up and interfere for some reason. No idea why it was there, it seemed only to disprove the popular theory. Of course, it's their flashback so if they were the Dark Trinity they could be lying

Along with Juan, they've generally forgotten about Charon. About the only meaingful thing about him, that being implied to have discovered and being friends with Rotom, was changed to Cyrus and Charon just became another villain with no redeeming features
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
Ohshi said:
Emma from post-game X/Y's Looker missions. I was really expecting her to come back with more importance in Z or X2/Y2...

I was surprised that Matiere (Emma) didn't show up with Handsome (Looker) in Sun/Moon in all honesty. Not that I minded Lila (Anabel), I'd just rather have seen Handsome with someone that we actually saw him with previously instead of Lila out of the blue.
 

PokemonKnight

#1 Sylveon Fan
Johto Pokemon in Johto. Nothing more tragic than playing second fiddle in your own region or not even appearing in your region!
 

RedJirachi

Veteran member
Johto Pokemon in Johto. Nothing more tragic than playing second fiddle in your own region or not even appearing in your region!
Totally with you on that.
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
shivaa said:
I would definitely say Emma too, I didn't know that we won't see her again and I was surprised and disapointed
I wonder if she'll ever come back

I hope she'll show up with Handsome (Looker) in the Shield and Sword games during the post-game since Handsome showing up in each new region is practically a pattern at this point, and I figure that he could bring her along. But even if that doesn't happen in Shield and Sword, there's always the inevitable X/Y remakes.
 
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