Has the anime ever influenced how you feel about certain pokemon?

[Sprinter1988]

Basically, has the anime ever made you like a pokemon that you previously disliked, or has it made you hate a pokemon you previously liked? Or has there ever been a pokemon that you were pretty much indifferent towards, only for the anime to push you one way or the other?

For me there are two, one that led to liking a pokemon I disliked and one that led to hating a pokemon I was indifferent towards.

The first is Gliscor. I'll admit, the first time I saw Gliscor's in-game sprite I did not like it even a little bit. It was one of those situations where I took one look at it and wasn't sure it was even a pokemon. I was pretty indifferent to Gligar to begin with and this new evolution I really didn't like the look of at all.
Then Ash caught one of his own, it was an amazing addition to his team, I used mine one in a play through instead of just getting one for completing the pokedex and I was hooked, with Gliscor easily being one of my favourite pokemon ever.

Opposite to that is Oshawott. Simply put, when Black and White were first announced, I wasn't really a fan of any of the starters; I didn't know which one I was going to choose well in advance like so many other players and I had a strong suspicion that I would end up boxing whichever one I chose. Then I saw a promo where Ash had an Oshawott, so I thought "what the hell" and went with Oshawott. By the end of the play-through, Samurott had won me over and to this day is one of my favourite water types.
But because of the anime, the very reason I chose Oshawott in the first place, I can not stand to look at an Oshawott, I just... I can't. Even just thinking about that... thing... actually makes me a little bit angry and I want to punch it in its face. The anime has completely ruined Oshawott for me and it is such a huge shame because I like Samurott so much.

Anyway, those are my two. Anyone else?

 

[DatsRight]

Nearly ALL Team Rocket Pokemon gain my affection, I love an underdog. Meowth and Inkay are easily among my favourites, while in reversal, it's hard to not see Mimikyu as a sinister little demon instead of the pitiful sweetheart the games go for.

The anime also left me a bit jaded with Pikachu at first, but now I kinda like him. There's something about Ash's Pikachu that's endearing to me now that wasn't before, despite still being the pushed mascot for two more decades.

Sun/Moon's fourth episode easily left Rowlet an Alolan favourite, while Pikipek is perhaps my favourite regional bird.

 

[Satomine Night]

When I first saw Greninja (which was actually in Super Smash Bros., and not Pokémon X & Y), I thought it was just so...weird-looking. A blue, bipedal ninja frog? Really, Game Freak? And when I learned that the "scarf" around its neck is actually its tongue, my initial reaction was actually slight disgust, and my opinion of the ninja frog only decreased.

However, the anime's Ash-Greninja arc--the strong bond between Ash and his Greninja and the struggle they went through to Master the Bond Phenomenon--completely changed my opinion of the ninja frog. I still think it's rather weird-looking, but the anime utilized it so well and Ash's Greninja is just so awesome that it makes up for its weird appearance.

 

[KingMinun]

Roggenrola is one of the recent ones that springs to mind, I nothing'd it when I first played BW, but when I caught the dub episode where Ash caught it on the off chance, my opinion changed. So then in BW2 I used one on my team and enjoyed using Gigalith.

I always had a soft spot for Bulbasaur, it was my favourite starter, but the anime loved it even more, same goes for Turtwig.

On the other end of the scale, the anime made me love Pikachu, I absolutely adored it for years, then by the time AG arrived, I absolutely loathed it because of it being used so much in Johto. My love for Pikachu never returned, DP made it bearable again for me, but now I nothing it.

Finally, when Gold and Silver came out, I chose Cyndaquil, however, when Ash caught Chikorita, I started liking it a lot, eventually I used one in Crystal because of Ash's. And kept it as a Chikorita by making it hold the Everstone, same with Cyndaquil. But every time I see Chikorita, I always think of Ash's and have a soft spot for it.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

This isn't really liking of disliking a Pokemon, but when I first encountered a Buizel in B2W2 I was pretty shocked because it was one of the few Pokemon I'd never seen before playing a game, which I took to mean as it was very forgettable. However, I later discovered that Buizel was actually pretty memorable in the anime, since it was actually on Ash's team.

As for actual opinion changes, I'd have to go with Lucario. At first, I was pretty indifferent about it - hey, it's a fighting jackal thing, what gives? - but then I saw, not the Lucario movie, but the Iron Island two-parter in the Galactic Battles season of DP. Riley and his Lucario were absolutely awesome in both of the episodes, and it caused Riley to shoot up my favourite character list and Lucario to end up on my team when I got Platinum for Christmas.

 

[Zoruagible]

Didn't used to give a damn about Oshawott at all, I liked Dewott and Samurott but I thought Oshawott looked stupid. Ash's Oshawott made me love the species....... Chespin didn't change that for his species though, I still hate Chespin/Quilladin but love Chesnaught. Chespin was just a Oshawott rip off.

And Gliscor was okay..... but Ash's made my love for Gligar and Gliscor go up.
Ash's Snivy is also the reason why Snivy is my favorite of the Unova starters. It was an even tie between Tepig and Snivy before that.

Anime had absolutely no affect on my views on Sylveon though, still the only Eeveelution I don't like and despise. Even more so cause it prevented one of my favorite Kalos Pokemon, Pancham, from getting spotlight it deserved after Sylveon came into the picture.

And let's not forget about Team Rocket's Pokemon. Most of the Pokemon they're associated with like Carnivine, Inkay, Bewear, and Weezing I didn't like until I watched the anime........ their Best Wishes Pokemon? Nope. I never liked Woobat/Swoobat or Amoongus and I never will, those guys didn't have any personality at all to make me love them. They were drones.

 

[mystic9899]

didn't think much about the chikorita line at first, but i really loved ash's chikorita in the anime so i decided to go with it when HG/SS came out.

and, unfortunately, my mediocre view of chespin fell even lower when i saw it in the anime lol.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

I was indifferent to Lucario at first but I started to dislike it now due to the fact that how overrated it is and the way it gets alot of focus in the anime.

 

[Zephraxe]

Although I don't avidly watch the anime, it has changed my opinion about a certain Unova starter. Specifically, Snivy. Ash's Snivy's sassy attitude made me love the little grass snake, which I really didn't like much before. I did a playthrough of White 2 with Snivy not long after.

Hmm what else... Right! The three Regis. I always thought they were a bit cool from my first play throughs of Ruby and Sapphire years ago when they came out, but their appearance in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew only made me think more highly of them.

The only Pokémon I can think of right now that the anime has changed my opinion of negatively is Pikachu. It really is a cute little yellow mouse, but they've put the little sucker in so many situations that would have been impossible to overcome, yet somehow came out on top due to luck or the sheer stupidity of the other trainer, or a bit of both. *Cough*Tobias's Latios*Cough* I just don't have the respect for Pikachu I had when I was younger because of the anime.

 

[Wednesdayz]

I used to dislike Meowth at first, but TR's Meowth quickly changed my opinion of the Pokemon.

 

[Dephender]

Zuruggu, definitely. I initially wrote it off as uninteresting and dull in the games, but the anime made it extremely charming and likable and turned it into one of my most liked gen 5 Pokemon.

 

[Mrs. Oreo]

Well X&Y changed my thoughts on Froakie hee hee. I didn't used to like it much compared to Chespin and Fennekin when Gen 6 first began, but Ash's Froakie was so heroic and cool in the anime, which made me think highly of the species. :3

 

[Cat's Eye Draco]

I can't say as I cared for Hawlucha much at first. I liked its typing, but wasn't crazy about its design. It started to grow on me after its debut episode in XY, though, and I really enjoyed the personality they gave Ash's.

 

[Brian the Pine Tree]

I didn't care much for Hawlucha, Goodra or Stunfisk but the show made me like them.

 

[DarkLeviathan]

I used to dislike Tepig, then BW began and I gained new appreciation for the little hog. Same goes for Pignite and Emboar when Ash's Tepig evolved.

 

[Bguy7]

Yes. Before dawn and Piplup was a thing, I was neutral towards Piplup. Now because of the anime I hate Piplup. That thing annoyed me so much.

 

[zdbz_sn]

Any Pokemon owned by a Trainer that ends up prominently featured in the anime tends to influence how I feel about that Pokemon. So if you mention Charizard, I immediately think of Ash's Charizard. Same for Misty's Psyduck and Togepi, Lt. Surge's Raichu, Sir Aaron's Lucario, Dawn's Piplup, etc.

 

[The Great Butler]

I won't say "dislike", necessarily, but I've started to like plenty of Pokemon more after I saw them in the anime. The most recent example, even though we've only seen it in a preview so far, is Palossand.

 

[Ash-Pikachu]

I would be lying if I said it didn't. Pokémon such as Pikachu, Greninja, Swellow, Gliscor and Hawlucha have obtained my upmost respect based on their personality and how they were portrayed throughout the anime. Hawlucha received meager attention from me until after the anime had fleshed him out to be a luchador with many different sides to him (stoic contender to outright nursing a Noibat).Gliscor also had this interesting goofy affection to Ash while effectively proving that he grew a lot under Ash's care and this compelled me to raise a Gliscor in Pokémon Platinum when I likely wouldn't have initially. This newfound respect doesn't pertain to every pokemon within the anime, but it can.

 

[DarkLeviathan]

So if you mention Charizard, I immediately think of Ash's Charizard.

Given that Ash hasn't used Charizard since BW, I think Alain is more synonymous with Charizard now.