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Did you like Gary Oak as a rival or Pokémon researcher?
- Thread starter EmberFireTrainer
- Start date
AuraChannelerChris
Easygoing Luxray.
Neither, really.
As a rival, we barely got stuff out of him from Ash until at the last leg we found out they had these broken halves of a Poke Ball that was apparently deep to them, despite the fact we never found out about it prior. He was pretty static, being this guy making fun of Ash until they FINALLY fought each other...twice, I think. At the start and end of Johto.
As a researcher...he hardly exists. He got his PhD in record time.
I think he was written out like that to keep the Kanto callbacks to a minimum, because now apparently he wasn't that big of a deal in Ash's early childhood.
As a rival, we barely got stuff out of him from Ash until at the last leg we found out they had these broken halves of a Poke Ball that was apparently deep to them, despite the fact we never found out about it prior. He was pretty static, being this guy making fun of Ash until they FINALLY fought each other...twice, I think. At the start and end of Johto.
As a researcher...he hardly exists. He got his PhD in record time.
I think he was written out like that to keep the Kanto callbacks to a minimum, because now apparently he wasn't that big of a deal in Ash's early childhood.
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EmberFireTrainer
An anomaly
It was kind of random when Gary announced that he wanted to be a Pokémon researcher especially with hardly any hints if any. Even Ash was surprised by it lol.
Spider-Phoenix
#ChespinGang
The way I see, Gary was kind of inclined to follow the family business but resisted the idea tempted with the idea of getting even more prestige being a sucessful battler. Once he was knocked out earlier than Ash on Indigo League and then ultimately defeated on the Johto League, he figured battling might not be for him after all.
At least that's how I read it.
At least that's how I read it.
Leonhart
Imagineer
Spider-Phoenix said:
That's a rather strange train of thought for Shigeru in my view. I can see why him losing early in the Sekiei League might've hurt his pride, but he did very well in the Jouto League and was pretty much ahead of Satoshi as a trainer up until that point. Him giving up so easily would disappoint me.
SerenaRulez
Well-Known Member
Yeah I think that would have made his transition a lot smoother. Maybe the writing staff should have dropped hints about Gary wanting to become a researcher in the Umbreon episode from the middle of Johto League Champions.
Leonhart
Imagineer
SerenaRulez said:Maybe the writing staff should have dropped hints about Gary wanting to become a researcher in the Umbreon episode from the middle of Johto League Champions.
Either then or during the Pokemon Ride racing episode where Satoshi won the Gomazou egg. Perhaps even earlier than that like during Shigeru's return at the end of the Orange Archipelago arc.
EmberFireTrainer
An anomaly
I can definitely see how Gary was inclined to follow the family business and be a Pokémon researcher and follow in his grandfather's footsteps in being the next Professor Oak. That Gary chose to become a trainer as a way to gain prestige and make all of Pallet town proud and all that rather than doing so by becoming a Pokémon researcher from the start makes sense. I think Gary wanted to do his own thing, and eventually discover what his true passion of Pokémon was: studying and researching them.
His shift to become a Pokémon Researcher was sudden and surprising but the role actually suits him. He always seemed to know quite a bit about Pokémon even in Indigo League like in the episode "Dig those Digletts". So having a strong interest in studying Pokémon was no doubt always there.
Kuzehiko
That moment I found a lifetime treasure
He sucked as a rival when it came down to competing against Ash but he was also great at it given how he got one of the most delicious character development there is in the show. As a researcher he is just very cool but I still prefer him as a trainer.
Flashyspark
Well-Known Member
I didn't like that Gary had a change of heart about his goal because it seemed like he gave up being a normal trainer because he lost to Ash.
May be if there was better clues about him becoming a researcher before he lost at the Johto League it wouldn't have seemed that way.
May be if there was better clues about him becoming a researcher before he lost at the Johto League it wouldn't have seemed that way.
SerGoldenhandtheJust
Deluded Dreamer
Agreed it came out of nowhere. I wished they had him go on to just be the viridian gym leader as a closure for his arc
ChampioN One
The chosen One!
I really liked gary as a rival, I don't know why they made gary go the researchers route. I really liked his interaction with ash when he was ash's rival, but when he returned in Sinnoh gary kinda lacked that thing.
EmberFireTrainer
An anomaly
Yeah, Gary was definitely a lot more fun with his attitude. I also always found Ash and Gary's interactions to be quite entertaining when they were rivals.
EmberFireTrainer
An anomaly
What would his type specialty even be?
ChampioN One
The chosen One!
Well he doesn't specialize in a single type even in the games, so he doesn't necessarily have to specialize in a single types in the anime.
Lacuna
Goodnight
Blue as a Gym Leader doesn't specialize in any specific type, so probably nothing...
Something to note though is that in the Kanto games, the Viridian Gym is Ground-type — and the type that Gary has the most of is actually Ground, since he owns Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Golem. It's most definitely a coincidence though.
