Wowww... Completely out of context, but Struggle Bug, Sand Attack, Scald and Hidden Power is enough for the "Wimpod"-phase if it ever did get captured.
I'm confused. Did you really think that I meant Wimpod would lack moves if it was caught by Ash.
Because while a moveset you described might be useful for a different type of Pokemon, it would not be AS useful for Wimpod, its a combination of things that makes it problematic.
Not saying Wimpod couldn't defeat a hypothetical Mudbray or maybe an Espurr, but I highly doubt the end goal of it all will have weak Pokemon for Wimpod to handle.
Take the Kalos League, if Ash had Wimpod, it wouldn't likely get a win, unless it was conveniently a weak Pokemon or very unevolved Pokemon.
Wimpod just isn't useful, long term for Ash and that's the point, it might be a relatively useful Pokemon in the beginning, maybe they could make Ash's Wimpod super powerful like they do with the Happiny line, I suppose, but just a Wimpod I don't think work's long term as Dewpider would more comfortably work especially given its ability and better movepool
Actually, it does matter.
No it doesn't. Both Barry and Ash had Staraptor, hell even Reggie had one, the only reason it WOULD matter is Guzma was Ash's rival.
If Ash can have Pokemon that a gym leader has (Turtwig), Ash could easily have one that a recurring character can have.
The writers don't like Ash sharing a Pokemon with other significant characters. It's obvious historically. Ash never got a Meganium because Casey and Jackson both had one. He didn't get a Sceptile until BF because Tyson had one. Paul had both Torterra and Gliscor, and both of them conveniently disappeared once Ash's Pokemon evolved. Same with Bianca's Pignite evolving so both she and Ash didn't have Pignite.
1. Just because there are some examples of this being the case, but Guzma isn't a rival (at the moment) so it doesn't matter. Ash having Charizard didn't stop Trevor or Alain from having one, yes Ash didn't use HIS Charizard, but they didn't HAVE to give them to Alain/Trevor as well as Kiawe and his Charizard (though I guess that's excusable for being a ride Pokemon) Ash and Paul both had Torterra, even if Paul didn't use his the point is Paul having Torterra never stopped Ash from having, the point is Paul having a Gliscor didn't prevent Ash from evolving his Gligar.
Unless you think Guzma will have a MAJOR role within the anime, I'm not seeing any legitimate reason to prevent Ash from having one, ESPECIALLY when he's had Pokemon that match Gym leaders. Clay had a Palpitoad, Winona had a Swellow, Ash may very well have a Lycanroc while battling Olivia.
Why is it that gym leaders are irrelevant, but it matters so much in regards to Guzma?
If anything Guzma is more like Alexa, and it didn't stop Ash from getting Noivern.
Could both Ash and Guzma have a Golisopod? Sure. Patterns are meant to be broken, after all, and the writers have been breaking a lot of patterns lately. But I tend to believe a pattern will continue until there's some reason to suggest it will be broken. And one episode involving Ash bonding with a Pokemon isn't enough for me.
Given that I'm not sure why Guzma is such an important character, I kind of disagree, with the whole pattern.
Especially when we're dealing with a generation with relatively few Pokemon to begin with, that literally the writers may either have to choose between Dewpider and Wimpod if Ash is going to get a water type Z-move, and I almost feel like Dewpider is MORE likely to go to Lana in the end, since that was her ace in the games, sure its Popplio now, but that's because they weren't giving Popplio to Ash. And I have a hard time imagining the characters ONLY having one Pokemon while Ash has up to six.
Hell Kiawe at least technically has two.
As for Hala, the game doesn't go out of its way to suggest that Crabrawler is Hala's favorite Pokemon like it does with Golisopod and Guzma. It's not just an ace, it's his signature Pokemon. I find it hard to believe the writers would just change his signature Pokemon like that just so Ash could have a Golisopod.
The anime does change things, to fit whatever narrative they want. The principal is "THEY CAN" even if ultimately 'THEY DON'T" I'm just saying if they feel so uncomfortable about giving Ash and Guzma the same Pokemon for whatever reason they can give either one different Pokemon, while with Guzma it could be his favorite Pokemon, just not a Pokemon he uses.
Maybe even a story of Guzma's Golisopod having died before we're introduced to him. Who knows I would love to see a story of Guzma being a "good" character long enough to help Ash with his own Golisopod, kind of like Ash's Grotle and Paul's Torterra, but its a temporary truce to help Ash with his own Golisopod only to turn on them at the end or something similar like that to be chased off with either a bug or water z move (maybe normal)