PokeAni Missed Opportunities

[Navin]

Why not? If he's going to protect his kids from harm, he better be a lot more athletic. Besides, it's one of those things we have come to accept in the Pokémon World. Just like how some superheroes don't really need an origin story to understand why they are doing it.

It made sense in the beginning since Clemont wanted to gain confidence/become brave/be a heroe/etc, that he would eventually help out Blaziken Mask, realize it is his father, and then one day succeed him. But...it just ended up with Meyer being a superhero.

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Also, as I wrote in Anime Polls. The PTSD arc of Goodra should have gone to Greninja. Maybe Ash jumping off a skyscraper to save Pikachu reminded Froakie of something that he saw. The pain-sharing aspect of their synchro could be Ash feeling Greninja's mental scars. Could have been actually compelling, instead of Ash conveniently owning the next incarnation of the Chosen Amphibious One of PokeFrance (though it randomly has a ninja village in the middle of it). Greninja becoming the savior and staying as Kalos protector would have been a fitting end to this arc.

Why am I not writing this show?

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

It made sense in the beginning since Clemont wanted to gain confidence/become brave/be a heroe/etc, that he would eventually help out Blaziken Mask, realize it is his father, and then one day succeed him. But...it just ended up with Meyer being a superhero.

==============

Also, as I wrote in Anime Polls. The PTSD arc of Goodra should have gone to Greninja. Maybe Ash jumping off a skyscraper to save Pikachu reminded Froakie of something that he saw. The pain-sharing aspect of their synchro could be Ash feeling Greninja's mental scars. Could have been actually compelling, instead of Ash conveniently owning the next incarnation of the Chosen Amphibious One of PokeFrance (though it randomly has a ninja village in the middle of it). Greninja becoming the savior and staying as Kalos protector would have been a fitting end to this arc.

Why am I not writing this show?

Pfft XD

And I agree. If they chose to introduce Ash-Greninja, they could've at least given him some backstory. Ash-Greninja actually became one of the things that put me off the anime because I found it so stupid that they introduced a random form for a Pokemon with no context except Chosen One Ex Machina, which had been the thing that had previously put me off other parts of the anime.

 

[AnimePsyclone]

Masssive missed opportunity is Ash and Wulfric being related.
Mew: What about Ash’s Pikachu actually wears Ash’s hat? It would make sense for the 100 million volt thunderbolt thing.
... Good point?
Ash needs to catch a legendary, and I think it will be Marshadow.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Masssive missed opportunity is Ash and Wulfric being related.

I have absolutely no idea why this is even a missed opportunity.

 

[ThePokemonmaster11]

Ash beating Alain, period.

 

[matt0044]

It's a darn shame that Janine could've appeared in Johto. Hell, I kinda wish Misty changed her hair-do to correspond with her game counterpart at the time.

 

[Sprinter1988]

Black 2/White 2 introduced the World Tournament, giving the anime writers a silver platter on which to bring back old characters and old pokemon. Instead they made the Decolore Islands.

Hoenn had many grass and water types, new and old, such as Tropius, Nuzleaf, Breloom, Bellossom, Milotic, Sealeo, Azumarill and Lanturn, all of whom could have been great members for May's team. Instead they gave her Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

May spent an episode looking after an injured Swablu and it was about to join her team when it decided to go off and rejoin its flock.

Iris as Ash's rival. I think that this could have been a good way to go. Forget her "you're such a kid" line, give her Axew and Zweilous in her debut episode and as she goes along she gets Druddigon, Archen and Lairon while evolving her team. She catches a Lapras to get over her fear of ice types. At the league, Iris and Ash get to the final round, Ash using Charizard, Snorlax, Sceptile, Glalie, Samurott and Krookodile, Iris using Haxorus, Hydreigon, Druddigon, Archeops, Aggron and Lapras.

Bianca not getting a Munna/Musharna on her team. I know the writers didn't really want to make her a competent battler in any way shape or form, but come on, Musharna's like her signature pokemon!

 

[matt0044]

Instead they gave her Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

I've actually always pondered why she got two Kanto Starters when Max could've gotten one to at least protect him with TR's shenanigans. Hell, it'd actually be a cool form of character development for him as they build up to the finale.

Bianca not getting a Munna/Musharna on her team. I know the writers didn't really want to make her a competent battler in any way shape or form, but come on, Musharna's like her signature pokemon!

Well, I guess it was suppose to be Fennel's signature Pokemon.

I also never got why Bianca couldn't be a ditz yet also grow as a battler. Like maybe make her a female Ash of sorts where her scatterbrained personality results in bursts of weird genius. They actually did that with Emboar grabbing the pillars of a Conkeldurr to use it against their foe.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Bianca is better than Ash.

She actually managed to beat Trip much earlier than he did in a one-on-one. This is a very rare instance a real in-game character not part of the main group beats an anime character.

 

[matt0044]

She actually managed to beat Trip much earlier than he did in a one-on-one.

Which brings us to Ash vs. Trip. I get they didn't do much with their rivalry aside from Trip being a meany pants but really? That's their final battle? A one sided match where Serperior goes all Homer Simpson on Pikachu and gets knocked down by an attack or two?

Yeesh, Cameron and Ash at least has something of a two parter! Yeah, I'm actually giving the least bit of credit to Mr. "I though the UNOVA league was in Johto!" A brand new low.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Which brings us to Ash vs. Trip. I get they didn't do much with their rivalry aside from Trip being a meany pants but really? That's their final battle? A one sided match where Serperior goes all Homer Simpson on Pikachu and gets knocked down by an attack or two?

Everybody loved Unova in the games.

Nobody liked Unova in the anime.

 

[satopi]

Missed opportunities:
-Serena's career causing more harm than good for her friendships with her "rivals". The fashion industry is a cut throat career that's hard to build up and here we have Serena who was almost flawless as a novice.

-Alan being a fugitive had he stuck through with Lysandre and Team Flare.

-Ash and Dawn/Prof Kukui/Gary being related.

-More details on Paul's backstory on why he's the way he is

-Meowth keeping his Nyagitator ability

-AZ & Floette being mentioned or spoken of when they talked about the war

 

[matt0044]

I honestly think that AZ would've made for a pretty darn unique companion. I mean, hey, Ash would have a fellow immortal to relate to.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

I honestly think that AZ would've made for a pretty darn unique companion. I mean, hey, Ash would have a fellow immortal to relate to.

That... would be quite enjoyable, actually.

Ash: hey, why are you so tall?
AZ: well... I'm immortal.
Ash: no way! I'm immortal too!
AZ: hmm... so what did you do to end up like that? Did you murder a bunch of people? Use a big weapon? Try to bring a Pokemon back to life?
Ash: I saw a bird thing!
AZ: .....

 

[matt0044]

That... would be quite enjoyable, actually.

Ash: hey, why are you so tall?
AZ: well... I'm immortal.
Ash: no way! I'm immortal too!
AZ: hmm... so what did you do to end up like that? Did you murder a bunch of people? Use a big weapon? Try to bring a Pokemon back to life?
Ash: I saw a bird thing!
AZ: .....

Now that would've made for some funny fanart.

But really, I feel like the Anime could've taken AZ and made him into something greater than his scant appearance in the games. I know Ash is meant to have companions roughly his age but it'd shake things up to have an old fogie with them, especially with his backstory.

 

[Janovy]

Iris not being Ash's rival.

I loved her as a companion, but I think she had the perfect sort of friendship with Ash that could have made a great rivalry.

Better than Trip, in any case.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

Iris not being Ash's rival.

I loved her as a companion, but I think she had the perfect sort of friendship with Ash that could have made a great rivalry.

Better than Trip, in any case.

Not only that, but we could've gotten Hilda as the companion... remind me again why they chose not to use her?

 

[Janovy]

Not only that, but we could've gotten Hilda as the companion... remind me again why they chose not to use her?

Probably because there was no legit goal they could have given her.

The female protagonist based on the game heroine always gets some sort of "legit" goal that is less vague and more clearly defined "Contests/Performances". Perhaps the writers had no legit goal for Hilda and giving her the type-master goal could have been seen as underwhelming?

Though, seeing how they specifically invented Performances for Serena, perhaps they could have done something for Hilda too?

 

[matt0044]

Though, seeing how they specifically invented Performances for Serena, perhaps they could have done something for Hilda too?

Maybe make her a rival, similar to how some games have the unselected PC as your rival.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

Maybe make her a rival, similar to how some games have the unselected PC as your rival.

Or maybe they could've done an obvious thing... Musicals. Or they could've even gone and done a more tomboyish route and had Pokemon-ified American Football. Or even made her aim to be the White Tree Hollow/Black2 equivalent champion. Or even something that they made up themselves! There were so many possibilities that they could've had with Hilda, but for some reason they just flat-out dropped her.