Unpopular Thoughts about the Main Character's Pokemon?

[Mythical-Moonlight]

For every Protagonist who has ever been on this show, From Ash's Charizard to Goh's Grookey, almost everyone has at least one Pokemon that whether you love or hate them, you've probably got something to say about them.

So what are some of your most Unpopular Opinions on the some of the Main Character's (Ash and his Companions and Team Rocket's) Pokemon?


For example here are some of mine:

- As much as I love Ash's Sceptile, I feel like his win against Darkrai gets really overblown. A lot of people forget that other Pokemon like Gible also played part in weakening Darkrai so it was easier for Sceptile to get that win against him


- Giving Misty Togepi was the biggest mistake of the OS as it started the trend of the Cutesy Shoulder/Lap Mon while also pushing Misty more and more into the background.

- I don't think Rowlet's battle against Decidueye was that bad. I dislike the way Hau was handled but the battle itself was fine. I didn't mind Rowlet's sleeping gag either

- James' Morpeko is by far the Worst Pokemon that has belonged to a main character thus far. It's just an unpleasant jerk with next to no redeeming qualities imo

 

[DatsRight]

- James' Morpeko is by far the Worst Pokemon that has belonged to a main character thus far. It's just an unpleasant jerk with next to no redeeming qualities imo

I admit I'm not really set on the new tendency of giving TR Pokemon that are abusive and disloyal for petty reasons. It worked with Mimikyu as a one off since it worked off Jessie's ego and temper and was more a stroppy problem child around her in particular, Morpeko's one note 'feed me or I beat you' persona generally makes James a bit too sympathetic, especially given his heartwarming bonds with his other Pokemon, even his similarly (but accidentally) harmful ones. Doesn't help that Morpeko is pretty much Bewear esque in that its gag makes it mostly unstoppable, meaning seldom a comeuppance to balance its jerky persona (again Bewear worked because it wasn't a jerk, just a weird overprotective mother).

I feel like that also extends a bit too much into the protagonists' Pokemon too at times really. I think the anime enables the Pokemon to act like abusive petty tools a bit too often. I get the deal is they are pets and volatile creatures that work differently from humans, but they're still regularly treated as sentient characters that are smart enough to know better, affecting their likeability scale. I feel like accountability for being a jerk should extend to them as well as the human characters, but generally only Pokemon officially butt monkeys get a comeuppance or humbling (eg. Oshawott, Meowth).

- Giving Misty Togepi was the biggest mistake of the OS as it started the trend of the Cutesy Shoulder/Lap Mon while also pushing Misty more and more into the background.

I don't mind the shoulder/lap mon in concept (heck Pikachu is one), it's just a lot of them, particularly the girls', tend to be limited to that one purpose, being cutesy babies that get little development. Lillie at least did SOMETHING with Snowy, but I struggle to list a lot of other dynamic examples (though most of them were still an improvement of Togepi).

I don't hate the likes of Axew, Sandy or Shaymin or feel they hindered their trainers' development, but I do look at them and resent they didn't let them actually do much meaningful just because they were designated 'babies'. Same for the comic relief mon. They could very easily have that light hearted role AND be key players.

- I don't think Rowlet's battle against Decidueye was that bad. I dislike the way Hau was handled but the battle itself was fine. I didn't mind Rowlet's sleeping gag either

Really, I thought it was a bit cruel to Hau (especially since he didn't really get a bone throw afterwards) but I didn't think it was that harmful to the battle either. At least Ash wasn't disqualified this time round.

 

[Kuzehiko]

Tracey did nothing wrong.

 

[Pikachu979]

I don’t exactly know how popular/unpopular this opinion is but I feel Dawn’s piplup should have evolved into an Empoleon and pachirisu should have been her Pokémon that she kept out.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Lucario is overrated and shouldn't have joined Ash's team

 

[SatoSereFan224888]

Not a fan of Serena having Delphox. I think Braixen was a much better fit for her.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

Serena’s Pancham is the best character in the show ever

 

[DigitalTrainer]

They should not have given Goh Grookey. It should have gone to Ash and it could have learned to channel it's troublemaking personality into batting, it could have given Ash better Galar rep, it could made things more balanced with how the writers treated the characters, epecially after giving Goh Eternatus and Suicune.

speaking of, Goh has no business owning legendaries rn. Suicune maybe after how ever long it took Ash to finally when a league, and he's just flat out not a worthy trainer for Eternatus

I like Sirfetched and Dracovish, but the overlapping types bother me to no end, especially since i'm 99% sure they're not giving him any new Pokemon and it seems like it predetermines what kind of trainers Ash will be facing in the PWC (Dragon, Electric, Fighting, Dragon, Dragon, Dragon)

 

[Mythical-Moonlight]

Tracey did nothing wrong.

That's true but I think you're in the wrong thread

 

[DatsRight]

I don't have any problem with main characters capturing mythical/legendary Pokemon, mostly because captures in the anime are usually effortless or story revolved in the first place. While this naturally offers other issues to Goh's goal arc that don't seem to be rectified often enough, I don't think the fact he got a legendary was an issue in itself.

Shaymin, Meltan and Suicune were all fine ideas on paper that could have made a fun twist as part of the main group. The bigger issue is how little that was utilised AFTER they were captured. Only Meltan got something of a worthy focus.

Granted I am happy with them being underplayed captures over them being overhyped as trainer cred for the protagonists.

 

[Mythical-Moonlight]

They should not have given Goh Grookey. It should have gone to Ash and it could have learned to channel it's troublemaking personality into batting, it could have given Ash better Galar rep, it could made things more balanced with how the writers treated the characters, epecially after giving Goh Eternatus and Suicune.

speaking of, Goh has no business owning legendaries rn. Suicune maybe after how ever long it took Ash to finally when a league, and he's just flat out not a worthy trainer for Eternatus

I like Sirfetched and Dracovish, but the overlapping types bother me to no end, especially since i'm 99% sure they're not giving him any new Pokemon and it seems like it predetermines what kind of trainers Ash will be facing in the PWC (Dragon, Electric, Fighting, Dragon, Dragon, Dragon)

Ash's Team in Journeys was meant to foreshadow all the kinds of opponents he'd be facing in PWC

Fighting Specialists, Electric Specialists, and especially Dragon Specialists

Grookey had no place in Ash's Team since there's really no notable Grass Type Specialists that he could fight in the PWC

 

[DigitalTrainer]

Ash's Team in Journeys was meant to foreshadow all the kinds of opponents he'd be facing in PWC

Fighting Specialists, Electric Specialists, and especially Dragon Specialists

Grookey had no place in Ash's Team since there's really no notable Grass Type Specialists that he could fight in the PWC

Which is incredibly lazy writing on the people in charges part. Talk about boring, stagnant and repetitive for Ash's journey to being the strongest trainer in the world.

 

[Gingertail24]

I admit I'm not really set on the new tendency of giving TR Pokemon that are abusive and disloyal for petty reasons. It worked with Mimikyu as a one off since it worked off Jessie's ego and temper and was more a stroppy problem child around her in particular, Morpeko's one note 'feed me or I beat you' persona generally makes James a bit too sympathetic, especially given his heartwarming bonds with his other Pokemon, even his similarly (but accidentally) harmful ones. Doesn't help that Morpeko is pretty much Bewear esque in that its gag makes it mostly unstoppable, meaning seldom a comeuppance to balance its jerky persona (again Bewear worked because it wasn't a jerk, just a weird overprotective mother).

I feel like that also extends a bit too much into the protagonists' Pokemon too at times really. I think the anime enables the Pokemon to act like abusive petty tools a bit too often. I get the deal is they are pets and volatile creatures that work differently from humans, but they're still regularly treated as sentient characters that are smart enough to know better, affecting their likeability scale. I feel like accountability for being a jerk should extend to them as well as the human characters, but generally only Pokemon officially butt monkeys get a comeuppance or humbling (eg. Oshawott, Meowth).


I don't mind the shoulder/lap mon in concept (heck Pikachu is one), it's just a lot of them, particularly the girls', tend to be limited to that one purpose, being cutesy babies that get little development. Lillie at least did SOMETHING with Snowy, but I struggle to list a lot of other dynamic examples (though most of them were still an improvement of Togepi).

I don't hate the likes of Axew, Sandy or Shaymin or feel they hindered their trainers' development, but I do look at them and resent they didn't let them actually do much meaningful just because they were designated 'babies'. Same for the comic relief mon. They could very easily have that light hearted role AND be key players.


Really, I thought it was a bit cruel to Hau (especially since he didn't really get a bone throw afterwards) but I didn't think it was that harmful to the battle either. At least Ash wasn't disqualified this time round.

Yeah the whole pokemon sentience thing was always ambiguous in the anime. They are treated as animals and can act volatile etc, but the show Alamo makes a point that they are intelligent and sentient enough to know right and wrong. This starts the whole debate whether pokemon can evil or not? They depict Meowth as, but is it because he can talk. That doesnt mean much, as it doesn't feel show he is more intelligent than say Pikachu, who clearly is shown having morality. There is is also the evil malamar. But then there are also pokemon who are treated as wild animals and aren't at fault. Idk it's just weird
Pokemon who have trainers like poachers, are they just at fault too? Shouldn't they be?

 

[Gingertail24]

They should not have given Goh Grookey. It should have gone to Ash and it could have learned to channel it's troublemaking personality into batting, it could have given Ash better Galar rep, it could made things more balanced with how the writers treated the characters, epecially after giving Goh Eternatus and Suicune.

speaking of, Goh has no business owning legendaries rn. Suicune maybe after how ever long it took Ash to finally when a league, and he's just flat out not a worthy trainer for Eternatus

I like Sirfetched and Dracovish, but the overlapping types bother me to no end, especially since i'm 99% sure they're not giving him any new Pokemon and it seems like it predetermines what kind of trainers Ash will be facing in the PWC (Dragon, Electric, Fighting, Dragon, Dragon, Dragon)

The grookey and suicune opinion is a very popular take lol

 

[Sham]

This is not unpopular or an opinion but Ash’s entire JN sucks

 

[Gingertail24]

This is not unpopular or an opinion but Ash’s entire JN sucks

Meh, I like sirfetch and Dragonite. They just need more attention

 

[Gingertail24]

Lucario is overrated and shouldn't have joined Ash's team

Just wish they gave it a better personality then mainly "stoic and cool". Say what you want about Cameron, but I absolutely loved his riolu/Lucario personality

 

[Trillion]

i preferred goh's cinderace as a raboot

 

[Litleonid]

Ash's Lucario is nowhere near as much of a screentime hogger as people make him out to be. I do agree though that he should have had a different personality other than stoic and cool, but easily flustered.

Sobble's evolutions really feel unearned because we didn't see any on screen development. As a Sobble, most of the time he just sat around as a shoulder warmer crying or hiding. As a Drizzile, he spent the entire time moping in a cave rather than tackling his depression over not being an Inteleon, then evolves despite literally doing nothing.

 

[Gingertail24]

Ash's Lucario is nowhere near as much of a screentime hogger as people make him out to be. I do agree though that he should have had a different personality other than stoic and cool, but easily flustered.

Sobble's evolutions really feel unearned because we didn't see any on screen development. As a Sobble, most of the time he just sat around as a shoulder warmer crying or hiding. As a Drizzile, he spent the entire time moping in a cave rather than tackling his depression over not being an Inteleon, then evolves despite literally doing nothing.

Pretty sure most people agree Inteleon had by far one of the worst evolution in the anime. Probably the worst imo