Favorite Anime Exclusive Additions/Changes?

[Ignition]

Despite being an advertisement for them, the anime is infamous for adding, omitting, and changing aspects of their source material from the games. This includes characters, locations, Pokémon forms, plot points, and more. What are some of your favorites? Anything that isn’t a 1:1 to what the games offer is fine even if it’s based on an in game aspect. For example how Team Flare & Skull are intergrated differently from their in game portrayals despite having the same goals and motivations.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

I liked the way they made the Battle Frontier, even if they were gym battles under a different name. I like that they were spread out through Kanto and that you needed to defeat 6 of them until the final one was revealed iirc.

 

[RafaSceptile]

All series: Pokémon League Conferences

OS: The Whirl Cup, wish it was stablished as Misty's goal
AG: The adaptation of the Battle Frontier
DP: Paul as a rival, not as a character
BW: Operation Tempest
XY: The adaptation of the Team Flare arc minus Ash-Greninja
SM: The adaptation of Lusamine's character and Guzma's story
JN: Goh, he at least has a better friend-chemistry with Ash than previous companions

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

The concept of battling itself is a major point. Dodging, actual strategies, more flexibility, it's so much enjoyable to watch battles now

 

[Leonhart]

The Whirlpool Cup was a fun event that helped give Kasumi more screen-time. I'm actually surprised that it took the writers that long to give her that kind of exposure, and I wish that Takeshi had entered a similar multi-episode competition during Jouto.

 

[k6666]

The adaptation of contest , they make standard Pokémon beauty pegant to awesome battle system especially on DP love the contest just dislike that dawn never beat zoey

 

[Ragnarok4]

I must say that I love the contests, the showcases, the conferences, and the mere fact that there are many gyms to choose from in each region.

 

[wobbanut]

I love how the anime shaped how Wobbuffet is in the games. When they first had it in GSC it was exclusively found in a cave and was said to be shy and ashamed of its tail. Now because of how Wobbuffet has been with Team Rocket, its pokedex entry is much more upbeat and it looks so much more jolly in the games. Definitely Team Rocket's Wobbuffet had an influence.

 

[Ignition]

I love how the anime shaped how Wobbuffet is in the games. When they first had it in GSC it was exclusively found in a cave and was said to be shy and ashamed of its tail. Now because of how Wobbuffet has been with Team Rocket, its pokedex entry is much more upbeat and it looks so much more jolly in the games. Definitely Team Rocket's Wobbuffet had an influence.

I also generally like how the anime how the anime can impact other parts of the franchise like how in just HGSS, Red has Pikachu’s moveset during DP, his Espeon is replaced for Lapras, and there’s an Easter Egg for Togepi inside of Cerulean City’s Gym

 

[Red and Blue]

I like that the anime technically beat the games to coming up with a tropical location the form of the Orange Islands. The Orange Islands gym challenges were all pretty creative as well

 

[Dragonsoldier77]

I really love all the different pokemon profession and competition they have in the anime, like all the different kind of pokemon races. It makes the world feel livelier and make the pokemon and trainers less like battle bots. While in the game it felt like battling is the only thing that matters, since nearly everyone wants to fight you.

Though ironically contests are the exception, since it actually has the opposite effect in the anime where it becomes about battling again.

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

I also generally like how the anime how the anime can impact other parts of the franchise like how in just HGSS, Red has Pikachu’s moveset during DP, his Espeon is replaced for Lapras, and there’s an Easter Egg for Togepi inside of Cerulean City’s Gym

Wait what was the togepi Easter egg

 

[Ignition]

Wait what was the togepi Easter egg

If you take it to the Cerulean City Gym, it will start to cry. IIRC, I don’t think there’s any where else it will always do that.

 

[RafaSceptile]

Wait what was the togepi Easter egg

Apparently, if you take a Togepi to Cerulean Gym and talk to it, it will "suddenly begin crying softly."

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

If you take it to the Cerulean City Gym, it will start to cry. IIRC, I don’t think there’s any where else it will always do that.

Apparently, if you take a Togepi to Cerulean Gym and talk to it, it will "suddenly begin crying softly."

Okay that's pretty cool, surprised I didn't know this before lol

 

[Kuzehiko]

Contests in AG and DP.
They were great. Too bad they didn't last much time. I agree with people saying Battle Frontier. I also loved the Club Battles in BW. They were a good addition to help Iris develop her goal. The Pokemon summer school in DP was great as well, that's how a true Pokemom school should be done unlike in SM.
Also SM's idea to build up a regional league from zero was great but they executed it terribly and Journeys' WCS is a fantastic addition but I don't think E4 and regional champions should be allowed to participate on it as it destroys the already established>gym quest>Pokemon league>E4 and Champion league. It could have been executed so much better.

 

[SerenaRulez]

The Orange islands was the best anime addition that I can think of it because it gave us a lot of amazing episodes and a way for Ash to get redemption after his loss against Ritchie at the Indigo league.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

Two things anime did better- Adding battle rounds in contests and Orange islands arc was ell done.

 

[Sham]

Although I had some issues with the AF arc I did like how the anime showed Lusamine’s obsession with Nihilego being childlike was ultimately the reason why she was behaving the way she was in the Ultra space. Not to mention her willingly being captured to save her children.