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Did Gen II have a different vibe compared to everything that came after?

Briankelly130

Well-Known Member
I don't know if it's due to nostalgia or if because Gold/Silver was released during the Pokemon Extravaganza but I always feel like Gold/Silver hits differently compared to everything after it. It's like it legitimately felt like a sequel to Gen I as opposed to all the others which just stand on their own. Because of that, it feels like a legit continuation of your original journey, even if you do play as a new character. Like, characters make reference to Red/Blue, you meet old characters and you even get to explore Kanto even if it is slimmed down.

Even the non-game stuff had a similar feel. Both the anime and the Pokemon Adventures manga have this feeling of being direct continuations of what we've just seen rather than fresh new takes. For the anime, it would be the last arc with Ash, Brock, and Misty and would be the last time that Ash goes into a new region without giving up all his Pokemon except Pikachu. You even get to see returning characters like Richie and Todd and while the returning character thing would happen again, usually it's relegated to Brock and Misty. The plot even acts as a continuation of the Orange Islands since Ash still has the GS Ball for the first part.

Same with Adventures. While Adventures is kind of known for having a much more flowing continuity with its characters, I still think the transition from the Yellow arc to the GSC Arc feels like a continuation. You have Silver who's working with Blue, you have Red who has his own sub-plot in Mt. Silver, Yellow is actively part of the plot for a bit and then there's the huge tournament between the Kanto and Johto leaders. Even plot points brought up in previous arcs are resolved here like the Blaine/Mewtwo stuff and when it ends and the Ruby/Sapphire arc begins, you can definitely feel that cut between the two storylines.

I do wish that we'd have more connections like we had with Kanto/Johto. I mean, unless I'm missing something, there's no reason they literally can't link Galar, Kalos, and Paldea together (although Paldea would probably lead to a "Southern Kalos" which we haven't seen yet). And while we see some cameos, they always feel empty, except maybe for Looker and Anabel in Sun/Moon.

I guess because every generation and every region feels very standalone, everything can sometimes feel hollow because it's a Pokemon world that rarely ever connects. I'd love to see more of those connections and get to experience that "Where are they now?" feeling from previous characters.
 

Luthor

Well-Known Member
I don't know if it's due to nostalgia or if because Gold/Silver was released during the Pokemon Extravaganza but I always feel like Gold/Silver hits differently compared to everything after it. It's like it legitimately felt like a sequel to Gen I as opposed to all the others which just stand on their own. Because of that, it feels like a legit continuation of your original journey, even if you do play as a new character. Like, characters make reference to Red/Blue, you meet old characters and you even get to explore Kanto even if it is slimmed down.

Even the non-game stuff had a similar feel. Both the anime and the Pokemon Adventures manga have this feeling of being direct continuations of what we've just seen rather than fresh new takes. For the anime, it would be the last arc with Ash, Brock, and Misty and would be the last time that Ash goes into a new region without giving up all his Pokemon except Pikachu. You even get to see returning characters like Richie and Todd and while the returning character thing would happen again, usually it's relegated to Brock and Misty. The plot even acts as a continuation of the Orange Islands since Ash still has the GS Ball for the first part.

Same with Adventures. While Adventures is kind of known for having a much more flowing continuity with its characters, I still think the transition from the Yellow arc to the GSC Arc feels like a continuation. You have Silver who's working with Blue, you have Red who has his own sub-plot in Mt. Silver, Yellow is actively part of the plot for a bit and then there's the huge tournament between the Kanto and Johto leaders. Even plot points brought up in previous arcs are resolved here like the Blaine/Mewtwo stuff and when it ends and the Ruby/Sapphire arc begins, you can definitely feel that cut between the two storylines.

I do wish that we'd have more connections like we had with Kanto/Johto. I mean, unless I'm missing something, there's no reason they literally can't link Galar, Kalos, and Paldea together (although Paldea would probably lead to a "Southern Kalos" which we haven't seen yet). And while we see some cameos, they always feel empty, except maybe for Looker and Anabel in Sun/Moon.

I guess because every generation and every region feels very standalone, everything can sometimes feel hollow because it's a Pokemon world that rarely ever connects. I'd love to see more of those connections and get to experience that "Where are they now?" feeling from previous characters.

They are more linked that most other games certainly given both are accessible in the same game and thus it's easier to find more connections. Also both being based on areas of Japan (instead of being based on whole countries) it's a lot easier to link them thematically. That being said there cross-gen references even to this day https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_cross-generational_references .
 
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