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What are the themes in each arc of Pokespe?

BenLee really not taken

Hey everyone, Bhrjr here.
So we know how every arc of Pokespe has slight distinction from others, where even tones would vary greatly. So what are the main concepts of focus in each arc? For example, I could say XY arc’s theme was “cruelty of society”
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
I feel like themes for the general arcs are a bit harder to nail down, rather you should go by the characters story themselves.

However I would say the Diamond & Pearl + Platinum arcs had to deal the theme of "completeness", friendship, teamwork which their Pokedex Holder titles symbolize. Remember that little speech Cyrus gave to describe Dia's friendship with Platinum and Pearl as being complete, covering each other's weaknesses? If you think about it further this makes their Pokedex Holder titles of emotion, willpower and knowledge far more sense. Emotion, Willpower and Knowledge honestly seems very odd alone as "skills" or "talents" but together as a group, they build off each others strengths and cover each others weaknesses, becoming stronger together. Their actual "talent" or "skill" as Pokedex Holders is actually teamwork which is what emotion, willpower and knowledge symbolize together.
 
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Xadhoom

Xerbian Mutant
what are the main concepts of focus in each arc?

RGB - Don't think it had any.

Yellow - The cruelty of humankind represented and argued for by Lance, and the good of humankind represented and argued for by Yellow.

GSC - Personal identity, most clearly in the "what are their special skills" scene, and preceded by Gold identifying his unique perspective of what Pokemon to make him one of the then-five Pokedex Owners.

RS - 1, love. Both Norman's fatherly love for Ruby leading him to take the fall before the Association, the protags' obvious mention, and Courtney spelling it out to him. 2, harmony between opposing elements, and the need for an outside mediator/balancer. Both the human and Pokemon red-blue pairs, really, with a lot of people playing the Rayquaza role for Ruby & Sapphire.

FRLG - Family. Both Green, Blue, and Giovanni are driven by theirs.

Emerald - 1, Love, as a continuation of RS's theme. Emerald's proclamation of the kind of people he cares about is the climax of his character growth during it. 2, family like FRLG. The arc ends on Emerald having a found family, many new friends and non-blood siblings, spelled out by the Latis.

DPP - Again a clash between the good and bad of humanity, Diamond and Pearl and Platinum explicitly representing secular virtues.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
RGB - Don't think it had any.

Yellow - The cruelty of humankind represented and argued for by Lance, and the good of humankind represented and argued for by Yellow.

GSC - Personal identity, most clearly in the "what are their special skills" scene, and preceded by Gold identifying his unique perspective of what Pokemon to make him one of the then-five Pokedex Owners.

RS - 1, love. Both Norman's fatherly love for Ruby leading him to take the fall before the Association, the protags' obvious mention, and Courtney spelling it out to him. 2, harmony between opposing elements, and the need for an outside mediator/balancer. Both the human and Pokemon red-blue pairs, really, with a lot of people playing the Rayquaza role for Ruby & Sapphire.

FRLG - Family. Both Green, Blue, and Giovanni are driven by theirs.

Emerald - 1, Love, as a continuation of RS's theme. Emerald's proclamation of the kind of people he cares about is the climax of his character growth during it. 2, family like FRLG. The arc ends on Emerald having a found family, many new friends and non-blood siblings, spelled out by the Latis.

DPP - Again a clash between the good and bad of humanity, Diamond and Pearl and Platinum explicitly representing secular virtues.
For me, the RGB story arc's themes are...
  • The most basic of any Pokemon medium, Adventure.
  • However I'd say the themes for the case of almost exclusively the RGB story arc and specifically Red as the main character, it would have to be fighting for himself and others.
  • Proving how friendly and good-hearted Pokemon are to humans. A common element I feel like a lot of people forget in the RGB story arc is how humans and Pokemon have become suspicious of each other, usually due to the actions of Team Rocket.
  • Fighting against all odds knowing the risks and disadvantages he's involved with.
  • Honestly I'd say Red is a far more interesting character then people say, it's just that he's the "least-interesting", as in by comparison to other Pokemon Adventure characters.
 

Xadhoom

Xerbian Mutant
I'd say Red is a far more interesting character then people say
He re-heally is. The whole fanfic "red is oblivious like a standard shonen hero" thing has exaggerated how one-dimensional he is.

For one, while Blue and Silver has the trait more stressed, Red is as willing to steal for a good cause as they are.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Black & White - The theme is basically...
"You said you have a dream. That dream. Make it come true! Make your wonderful dream a reality, and it will become your truth/ideal. If anyone can, it's you!" - N, Black & White Games

The thing is not just about the trainers having dreams but also sharing those dreams with their Pokemon and eventually asking, do your Pokemon actually share the same dream with you or do they have their own individual wishes that they yearn for. By extension another theme of Black & White is also doing what's best for your Pokemon, listening to what they are "saying". In fact that's why Reshiram recognized Black as a worthy partner because Black was finally able to listen to his Pokemon's voices. Not only that but White herself thanked N which for the first time, you can see a shocked look on his face that he was able to help someone listen to there Pokemon's voices.

There's also of course ideals & truth. N was raised in an idealized setting for almost his entire life and for the first time in his life, his "ideals" came into conflict with Black's truth, that these tools to "use" Pokemon may actually be tools to help Pokemon.
 

BenLee really not taken

Hey everyone, Bhrjr here.
RGB - Don't think it had any.

Yellow - The cruelty of humankind represented and argued for by Lance, and the good of humankind represented and argued for by Yellow.

GSC - Personal identity, most clearly in the "what are their special skills" scene, and preceded by Gold identifying his unique perspective of what Pokemon to make him one of the then-five Pokedex Owners.

RS - 1, love. Both Norman's fatherly love for Ruby leading him to take the fall before the Association, the protags' obvious mention, and Courtney spelling it out to him. 2, harmony between opposing elements, and the need for an outside mediator/balancer. Both the human and Pokemon red-blue pairs, really, with a lot of people playing the Rayquaza role for Ruby & Sapphire.

FRLG - Family. Both Green, Blue, and Giovanni are driven by theirs.

Emerald - 1, Love, as a continuation of RS's theme. Emerald's proclamation of the kind of people he cares about is the climax of his character growth during it. 2, family like FRLG. The arc ends on Emerald having a found family, many new friends and non-blood siblings, spelled out by the Latis.

DPP - Again a clash between the good and bad of humanity, Diamond and Pearl and Platinum explicitly representing secular virtues.
I also thought Archie and Maxie also contributed to harmony between opposing elements, when they are straight opposite rivals at first just like Ruby and Sapphire, but comes to work very closely together at the end.
Next, on FRLG, Red and Deoxys may also contribute on the “family connection”
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
I also thought Archie and Maxie also contributed to harmony between opposing elements, when they are straight opposite rivals at first just like Ruby and Sapphire, but comes to work very closely together at the end.
Next, on FRLG, Red and Deoxys may also contribute on the “family connection”
Another thing that I thought Maxie & Archie symbolized is power, more specifically. Do you control power... or does power control you and the manga takes it in a literal form. When they are nearing their goal, Maxie & Archie are so obsessed with power that they betray their own teams due to the orbs influence. In fact, I would probably say that would be the most shocking betrayal in the Pokemon series. Later it's revealed that the true villains of Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire is mind-blowingly Groudon & Kyogre, the beings of power that Maxie & Archie sought to control now control them. The worst part is that even after Maxie & Archie have been separated from the orbs, their still obsessed with Groudon & Kyogre's power and don't care if they might get controlled. It's at this point you really can't tell if that these are their actual personalities or if they are affected by Groudon & Kyogre's influence, especially what happens later in the Emerald arc.
 
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