shoz999
Back when Tigers used to smoke.
So before I start this topic I just want to make it clear that just because "Favorite" is in the title, I don't think this is a poll thread because unlike other "Favorite" threads where you simply say what's your favorite and maybe give a small explanation, these are mysteries that require a bit more dissection on why we just think they are so compelling to us.
So with that being said. What is your favorite mystery of the Pokemon series? Solved or unsolved? Doesn't matter! Either way is good! I just hope you explain why the mystery is so compelling!
I'll kick things off with my favorite mystery from the Pokemon Adventures manga, who is the Mask of Ice? Don't worry no spoilers here. This mystery makes up a huge chunk of Pokemon Adventures GSC but one thing I couldn't quite figure out is why the heck do I like this villain so much and it really didn't hit me until I watched JoJo's Bizarre Adventures Diamond is Unbreakable which featured an mysterious antagonist that seems relatively small and normal but has far more disturbing traits that the Mask of Ice does not have. In fact, it would be correct to say that these two villains have almost nothing in common but it was through that Sherlock Holmes-like villain that it finally hit me why I like the Mask of Ice so much. I believe the reason why he's unlike any other Pokemon villain is the mystery involved.
Most Pokemon villains in-general often revolve around a mystery of what their plan is, often involving some legendary Pokemon originally thought to be a myth. This is seen in the games, the Adventures manga, the anime, pretty common formula for most Pokemon villains. I believe what makes the Mask of Ice so compelling as a Pokemon villain, at least to me, is that not only the main characters but practically every important character you can think of from the Johto and Kanto region are on a manhunt for a villain whose identity they don't even know with practically no clues to work with early on. This manhunt to look for clues, anything they could find to discover the Mask of Ice's identity and his whereabouts makes up a good chunk of Pokemon Journey in Pokemon Adventures GSC and it's what also makes the Mask of Ice so interesting as a villain. It's not just his plan that's a mystery, he himself is a giant mystery since Gen 1 actually and when he makes his entrance in Gen 2, he makes quite the spooky entrance, almost like a ghost-like figure in the dark Ilex Forest which I just thought perfectly captured the tone of the Ilex Forest from the games because it was a dark isolated place that you always felt like you were being watched.
To be honest, as unique of a Pokemon villain the Mask of Ice is, he's something we've seen a lot already in villains from the detective genre, a hard-boiled detective chasing after a mysterious thief, a serial killer or a masked vigilante over the course of the entire story. The Mask of Ice is nothing really new and yet it's these very same tropes and characteristics that makes him a compelling character, seeing the mystery of this intimidating and cerebral villain from different point of views, including a few characters who have high personal stakes against him since Gen 1, with great execution. The thing is some Pokemon Adventure fans who got into this chapter probably already have a good idea who the Mask of Ice is before it was revealed, including myself. However even the "right" answer that people had in mind doesn't quite fit, it actually conflicts with some of the villains characteristics enough that even the correct answer seems questionable at the time, leading to more questions than answers and that's what makes the Mask of Ice even more compelling because none of the guesses are that obvious. Outside of one other villain, I honestly think the Mask of Ice is perhaps the only Pokemon villain that's mostly compelling in how so many characters are on a manhunt for this guy, trying to discover his identity and not mostly compelling for what his villainous plan is. He's the type of villain you often see in Detective films that I hope we one day see in a Pokemon game. The idea of solving the mystery of a villain's identity and going after him as the main focus of the plot sounds pretty thrilling for a Pokemon game don't you think?
So with that being said. What is your favorite mystery of the Pokemon series? Solved or unsolved? Doesn't matter! Either way is good! I just hope you explain why the mystery is so compelling!
I'll kick things off with my favorite mystery from the Pokemon Adventures manga, who is the Mask of Ice? Don't worry no spoilers here. This mystery makes up a huge chunk of Pokemon Adventures GSC but one thing I couldn't quite figure out is why the heck do I like this villain so much and it really didn't hit me until I watched JoJo's Bizarre Adventures Diamond is Unbreakable which featured an mysterious antagonist that seems relatively small and normal but has far more disturbing traits that the Mask of Ice does not have. In fact, it would be correct to say that these two villains have almost nothing in common but it was through that Sherlock Holmes-like villain that it finally hit me why I like the Mask of Ice so much. I believe the reason why he's unlike any other Pokemon villain is the mystery involved.
Most Pokemon villains in-general often revolve around a mystery of what their plan is, often involving some legendary Pokemon originally thought to be a myth. This is seen in the games, the Adventures manga, the anime, pretty common formula for most Pokemon villains. I believe what makes the Mask of Ice so compelling as a Pokemon villain, at least to me, is that not only the main characters but practically every important character you can think of from the Johto and Kanto region are on a manhunt for a villain whose identity they don't even know with practically no clues to work with early on. This manhunt to look for clues, anything they could find to discover the Mask of Ice's identity and his whereabouts makes up a good chunk of Pokemon Journey in Pokemon Adventures GSC and it's what also makes the Mask of Ice so interesting as a villain. It's not just his plan that's a mystery, he himself is a giant mystery since Gen 1 actually and when he makes his entrance in Gen 2, he makes quite the spooky entrance, almost like a ghost-like figure in the dark Ilex Forest which I just thought perfectly captured the tone of the Ilex Forest from the games because it was a dark isolated place that you always felt like you were being watched.
To be honest, as unique of a Pokemon villain the Mask of Ice is, he's something we've seen a lot already in villains from the detective genre, a hard-boiled detective chasing after a mysterious thief, a serial killer or a masked vigilante over the course of the entire story. The Mask of Ice is nothing really new and yet it's these very same tropes and characteristics that makes him a compelling character, seeing the mystery of this intimidating and cerebral villain from different point of views, including a few characters who have high personal stakes against him since Gen 1, with great execution. The thing is some Pokemon Adventure fans who got into this chapter probably already have a good idea who the Mask of Ice is before it was revealed, including myself. However even the "right" answer that people had in mind doesn't quite fit, it actually conflicts with some of the villains characteristics enough that even the correct answer seems questionable at the time, leading to more questions than answers and that's what makes the Mask of Ice even more compelling because none of the guesses are that obvious. Outside of one other villain, I honestly think the Mask of Ice is perhaps the only Pokemon villain that's mostly compelling in how so many characters are on a manhunt for this guy, trying to discover his identity and not mostly compelling for what his villainous plan is. He's the type of villain you often see in Detective films that I hope we one day see in a Pokemon game. The idea of solving the mystery of a villain's identity and going after him as the main focus of the plot sounds pretty thrilling for a Pokemon game don't you think?