How can you see Blue (Green), Kanto's female protagonist, be adapted into the anime?

[shoz999]

So for those not familiar with Pokemon's history, Kanto has a female protagonist in the name of Blue or in the west, Green due to rival Blue Oak in the west and Green Oak in Japan. I will be referring to the fem protag as Blue and the rival as Green. Blue made her first official appearance in a strategy guide released in the 90s which has sparked speculation if GameFreak originally had plans for a female playable character in the Gen 1 games but was scrapped due to memory limitations. This speculation grew stronger when she was introduced in the Pokemon Adventures manga alongside Red and Green Oak, made her official game debut as the female playable character in the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes and returned as one of the three strongest Pokemon trainers you can battle alongside Red & Green Oak in the LGPE remakes.

With that being said, most fans probably know her well from the Adventures manga which was her first major debut and she proved to be a popular character. This character never appeared in the anime but there has been speculation if the unnamed lass in the Pokemon opening is Blue and later on in the LGPE remakes, there are several hints throughout the game that has made connections to her and Amber from Mewtwo Strikes Back, suggesting that Blue is the little girl who died and is the cause of Mewtwo's grief.

So with that being said. How would Blue (Green in the west), Kanto's very own female protagonist, be adapted into the anime?

Some things to note is that the anime is a very different continuity from it's game and manga counterpart that Blue would be in many ways a clean slate. There are however two consistent details of Blue featured in the games and manga that would almost likely make it into the anime. In an interview with Ken Sugimori, he pointed out that when designing a starter Pokemon, they think what personalities they might have and the three most common ones are serious, cool and funny. As people have pointed out, Red matches Bulbasaur's personality of a serious caring guy, Green Oak matches Charmander's personality of a cool in-your-face guy and Blue of the games and manga matches Squirtle's personality of the funny one. Considering how these personalities can also be seen reflected into Ash and Gary, one can reasonably assume that Blue's potential anime counterpart would be the funny one similar to anime's Dawn. Another quality that both the games and manga have in introducing Blue is often portrayed having a mysterious charm to her. Although not as strongly tied to game design, it's still worth to note.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Maybe she could be a recurring character/rival sometime in the future

 

[Leonhart]

Assuming that the writers would want to showcase her now after not adapting her character in the past twenty years, I suppose that they could have her appear as an opponent for Satoshi in a future episode involving a tournament in Kanto for example. I doubt that she'd be a recurring character however, because like I said if the writers couldn't be bothered to make her important before, the odds of them changing their minds now just seem quite slim to me.

 

[Zoruagible]

The ideal way would be making her the Bulbasaur trainer we never saw from long ago, making her a seasoned battler like Ash and a fitting rival. Having not participated in the Indigo League as the Viridian Gym was the only shot of getting her eighth in time for the League but you know.... Giovanni and his hax stopped everyone from winning. Leaf winded up going to a different region afterwards, explaining why she didn't appear in Johto. But now she shows up in ___ determined to win and take the title of champion she's always sought after!

I don't think Leaf would be main rival material, but she'd be a good secondary rival like Hau, Stephan, Bianca, Casey, etc

 

[Ubermuk]

She should have shown up during the Battle Frontier saga in place of one of the many characters of the day that we got instead. Or maybe during Sun & Moon since that's when we had a few episodes that were obviously made to pander to Kanto nostalgia...

 

[Prof. SALTY]

Similar to Lyra would work. A few episodes with a special event all the characters plan to attend would work I feel

 

[Leonhart]

Similar to Lyra would work. A few episodes with a special event all the characters plan to attend would work I feel

I think that a mini-arc focusing on her would be fine. She deserves at least a couple of episodes since she's been missing-in-action. Frankly, I really wish that she had appeared in OS as one of the other two trainers that left Masara Town at the beginning of the series since her design was seen in some of the early Ken Sugimori artwork for Red and Green versions, which meant that the writers could've adapted her character early on in the anime.

 

[shoz999]

For me personally, I think they should legitimately turn her into a main rival of a series. Honestly I'd be pretty disappointed if the anime downgrades her to a secondary rival role with minimal storytelling because that doesn't really fit her character of both the games and manga. Behind that sweet face that teases and jokes is a legitimately OP trainer who can challenge the Pokemon Champion, which I suppose is fitting because in both canons, the theme of her team is that looks can be very deceiving. If I were to downscale it to the anime's level of how it portrays the strength of trainers at the age of 10, I believe she should be portrayed stronger than even Paul. She should be the kind of trainer that would absolutely surprise Paul, a competitive trainer who believes he's seen everything. Not only that but fans have always wanted a female character taking the lead rival role and who better than Blue herself?

On another note, I wonder what Blue would be called in the anime? Ash and Gary are called Satoshi and Shigeru in the Japanese version of the anime, named after game developers.

 

[BabaVanga]

I'd LOVE to see her in anime in any form, especially if she had some of her Adventures charm to her. I could see her as Ash's rival or recurring character (and maybe childhood friend too, I hope they don't consider that backstory exclusive to Serena).

I'd be cool if she kept most of her game team (except Victreebel, just give her Vileplume or replace Blastoise with Venusaur and give her some other Water-type, like Golduck or Cloyster or Lapras).

 

[shoz999]

I'd LOVE to see her in anime in any form, especially if she had some of her Adventures charm to her. I could see her as Ash's rival or recurring character (and maybe childhood friend too, I hope they don't consider that backstory exclusive to Serena).

I'd be cool if she kept most of her game team (except Victreebel, just give her Vileplume or replace Blastoise with Venusaur and give her some other Water-type, like Golduck or Cloyster or Lapras).

I'd love to see an episode where we see Ash, Gary and Blue's anime counterpart altogether at Pallet Town, maybe some big childhood reunion. Ash and Gary would be the guys who would shake hands and that's it, you know keep it cool. Put Blue's anime counterpart in there, she'd be the one who place her arms over both of their shoulders, pull them in closer and give both of them altogether a big hug lol. Ash is like it's good to see you but Gary is thinking, "You're ruining my character..."

 

[Prof. SALTY]

On another note, I wonder what Blue would be called in the anime? Ash and Gary are called Satoshi and Shigeru in the Japanese version of the anime, named after game developers.

Atsuko after Atsuko Nishida would be fitting

 

[shoz999]

Atsuko after Atsuko Nishida would be fitting

That's a really good pick. She's one of the earlier GameFreak employees before the Pokemon series began. For those who don't know, she designed a lot of popular Pokemon including Pikachu.

 

[Sham]

Tbh I never had expectations for her to appear in the anime when the games even refuse to acknowledge her until the remakes of FRLG (bare minimum) and then finally again in the recent Let’s Go. Meanwhile Red and Blue have appeared in almost every generation. Also to avoid confusion I just call Blue her and refer to her as Leaf since that’s what she was known as prior to Let’s Go.

 

[shoz999]

Tbh I never had expectations for her to appear in the anime when the games even refuse to acknowledge her until the remakes of FRLG (bare minimum) and then finally again in the recent Let’s Go. Meanwhile Red and Blue have appeared in almost every generation.

Okay. What about this then? A butterfly effect that could change the Pokemon series forever. What if Blue had appeared in the Gen 1 games to begin with and those in charge of the anime had to find a way to put not a female rival of the games but a female protagonist of the games somehow into the anime along with Ash of course, that this would be the first real time they'd have to think how can they adapt a major female character into the anime that is one of the main characters of the games? Into the anime, at the very start that helped launched the Pokemon craze and popularize characters that barely had any story or lore to them in the games at the time, Brock and Misty for example. Out of all the Pokemon characters, I believe it is female protagonist Blue who would have the biggest butterfly effect on the Pokemon series had she appeared in the anime to begin with. Like literally if she had appeared from the start, the Indigo League anime could've looked very different then the one we know.

 

[Sham]

Okay. What about this then? A butterfly effect that could change the Pokemon series forever. What if Blue had appeared in the Gen 1 games to begin with and those in charge of the anime had to find a way to put not a female rival of the games but a female protagonist of the games somehow into the anime along with Ash of course, that this would be the first real time they'd have to think how can they adapt a major female character into the anime that is one of the main characters of the games? Into the anime at the very start that helped launched the Pokemon craze and popularize characters that barely had any story or lore to them at the time, Brock and Misty. Out of all the Pokemon characters, I believe it is female protagonist Blue who would have the biggest butterfly effect on the Pokemon series had she appeared in the anime to begin with.

I fear they’d run into the problem of not having something to do for her. She could either do the Gym challenge with Ash (boring) or have an anime only goal (something they’d fail at 15 years or so later). Misty being thrown in was probably the best decision from a writing stand point despite her being kinda stagnant. I suppose they could of just slapped Misty’s personality on her however to create the same group dynamic. I’m more interested in Kris being adapted into the anime than Leaf and no I don’t count Chronicles.

 

[brtnvm]

I fear they’d run into the problem of not having something to do for her. She could either do the Gym challenge with Ash (boring) or have an anime only goal (something they’d fail at 15 years or so later). Misty being thrown in was probably the best decision from a writing stand point despite her being kinda stagnant. I suppose they could of just slapped Misty’s personality on her however to create the same group dynamic. I’m more interested in Kris being adapted into the anime than Leaf and no I don’t count Chronicles.

Why don't you count Chronicles? Kris(Marina) made an appearance not just there but also in one of the movies as a cameo. She has a defined personality and she ACTUALLY exists as a character opposed to Leaf.
Anyways, I think Leaf could be introduced as a "Serena" character for Gary.

 

[Sham]

Why don't you count Chronicles? Kris(Marina) made an appearance not just there but also in one of the movies as a cameo. She has a defined personality and she ACTUALLY exists as a character opposed to Leaf.
Anyways, I think Leaf could be introduced as a "Serena" character for Gary.

Because she wasn't introducted in the main series. When I say "the anime" I'm focusing on the main series anime that features Ash and Pikachu.

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

I've always envisioned her appearing in an endgame arc of the anime set up to be Ash's main partner

 

[Leonhart]

Why don't you count Chronicles? Kris(Marina) made an appearance not just there but also in one of the movies as a cameo. She has a defined personality and she ACTUALLY exists as a character opposed to Leaf.
Anyways, I think Leaf could be introduced as a "Serena" character for Gary.

I'd personally hate to see her become a love interest for Shigeru or any other character if that's what you meant by "Serena character". I'd want Blue to be similar to her manga counterpart in terms of personality instead of her being rendered as a typical "waifu" character.

 

[shoz999]

I've always envisioned her appearing in an endgame arc of the anime set up to be Ash's main partner

I'd personally hate to see her become a love interest for Shigeru or any other character if that's what you meant by "Serena character". I'd want Blue to be similar to her manga counterpart in terms of personality instead of her being rendered as a typical "waifu" character.

I can see a romance happening but not in the way most shippers would imagine since this is Blue were talking about lol. If one wants to imagine Ash having a relationship with Blue, try to picture the personality of Fire Emblem's playful Anna as a ten-year old girl, only without the greed. For starters, Blue isn't patient like Serena of the anime. She's the kind of girl who will strike first because she realizes Ash is dense as heck and figures the only way to get him on a date is to trick him into one. That's how I'd imagine it anyway.

I'd also imagine their date isn't the traditional lovey dovey romance you'd expect with Serena of the anime but rather something more childish and chaotic that would make one hell of a fun episode that even people who hate shipping would have no choice but to call her best girl. For example, Blue would be the girl to piss off a bunch of big mean looking trainers on purpose and those mean looking trainers would chase the two all across town, Ash trying to process if this is what a first date should be while Blue is having a hell of a fun time. Or another example, Ash accidentally trips Blue and she pretends to be dead causing Ash to panic. At the very last minute, Blue playfully acts like a ghost saying, "Booo! I'm going to haunt you!", scaring the heck out of Ash while Blue gets a laugh out of it. Basically Ash dating Blue would be dating a troublesome prankster that's not going to hold back lol, kind of like Ash's Squirtle actually lol. In fact, if you really wanted to be faithful to the character of the games and manga for an anime adaptation, Blue shouldn't blush one bit. She's a girl who is in control of her emotions, perfect for the role of a prankster. In fact I think the shocking twist here for Pokemon fans who are not familiar with her character of the games and manga is that Ash is the one who blushes slightly even though he's dense as heck. After describing what I think a date should be with Blue, this sounds more like a comedic adventure than a romance right lol? The kind that would make one hell of a fun episode because it trolls against fan's expectations on what a "date" should be but in a fun way.