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Is there a certain pattern to Ash’s captures?

srebak

Beginning Trainer
Honestly I have been taking notice of this possibility and here’s a little bit of why

Most of Ash’s grass-type Pokémon are stoic and protective and will do anything to prove their merit and strength in battle

Most of Ash’s Fire-type Pokémon are those who have been hurt and/or mistreated by someone in someway at some point and long to prove just how strong that they are, most likely to prove to everyone, themselves included, that they are not weak or worthless.

And finally

Most of the Water-type Pokémon that Ash has are those who either have a history of troublemaking or have the makings of a troublemaker to a certain degree, thus justifying their need for someone like Ash to keep them under control and to redirect their energy into something more constructive

Any thoughts...?
 

JustAStatistic

Super Casual Trainer
Any patterns that might have existed pre-Journeys are basically nil now. In Alola, he didn't get the "regional bird", and now in Journeys, he doesn't have a single starter from the latest games.

I don't know if I'd call your thoughts "patterns". Your Fire-type pattern doesn't apply to Talonflame or Torkoal for example.
 

Red and Blue

Well-Known Member
I'd say in Gens 1-5 there was a set pattern to his team. But starting with Gen 6 it has started to break down little by little that come Journeys it practically doesn't exist anymore.

The only constancy is that he always has his Pikachu with him
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
There was at one point, although things started changing around XY: even though Satoshi caught the regional bird and a Starter as usual, he also got wildcards like Luchabull, Numelgon, and Onvern, and it was the first saga where he didn't capture a Grass-type. Personally, I don't mind patterns, but I'm somewhat relieved that he hasn't captured a regional bird Pokemon since Kalos.
 

Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
I think the so called patterns are just coincidences. Cyndaquil was never mistreated or had a painful past, Incineroar might have been homeless but it always had Stoutland to teach it and look out for it as a Litten and it was still pretty happy with its friend, and Bayleef was extremely affectionate especially towards Ash. Totodile also wasn’t much of a troublemaker, just a highly energetic Pokémon that caused mishaps due to it being too excited to notice what it was doing. Ash could always control Totodile and it never caused any mischief on purpose.
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
Cyndaquil was never mistreated or had a painful past
I suppose not, although one could argue that if Yuji had captured Hinoarashi instead in EP141, he likely would've abused it since he seemed unpleasant and mean, as shown when he commanded his Sandpan to keep battling even when it was clear that it was exhausted. Yuji was essentially a prototype Shinji.
 

STICKTOPIA

Well-Known Member
Whatever patterns that were there before are a thing of the past
 

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
They clearly stuck with the Fire/Water/Grass/Flying/Wild Card order of captures up until XY. Only other pattern (especially in recent years) is they choose the most marketable Pokémon more often than not
 

nickdt

Well-Known Member
If there were patterns, they don't exist anymore.

The only pattern i can see holding up to eternity is Ash not getting another Electric type, since that conflicts with Pikachu being the mascot.

Until XY there was a clear pattern in which Pokemon he would get, however, the order would differ.

For example: From Hoenn until Kalos (So Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova), he always got the regional bird first, while the starter came second (And yes, i don't count Aipom in Sinnoh since it was caught in the previous series), while in XY, he got his starter before his regional bird (Still in back-to-back episodes, but even so). XY destroyed other patterns as well - Ash didn't get a Grass type and fully evolved his entire regional team (Pikachu doesn't count) and another pattern that got destroyed is that a Pokemon who defeated his fully evolved form in base form, fully evolved itself. And yet another pattern - the regional bird gets a win in a league before evolution
SM further destroyed patterns. Lets go with the pattern that started with Johto
3 starters (Johto) 1 starter (Sceptile - Grass) 2 Starters (Torterra - Grass and Infernape - Fire, with the Fire starter being his main), 3 starters (Unova) 1 starter (Greninja - Water). With this pattern, Ash was in line to get all three starters in Alola. Another pattern was destroyed is the regional bird, which he didn't get and he got legendaries (Poipole/Naganadel, Buzzwole, Pheromosa and Stakataka) and a mythical.
 

TheCrazyMaster

Well-Known Member
I'd say there's been a pattern with the sets of starters that he catches.
OS: Two full sets of starters
AG: One starter
DP: Two starters
BW: One full set of starters
XY: One starter
SM: Two starters
JN: No starters (assuming Journey's is just for gen 8)

Wonder what they'll do when gen 11 comes along...
 
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