Ash’s biggest screw-ups in BW Season 1

[Paulisthebest]

Episode 1 where Ash and his Pikachu lost to Trip with a fresh Snivy. I mean seriously, even without eletric attacks, Snivy should've been toast.

That one Quick Attack should have murdered it.

 

[jcogginsa]

i'd say it's the not weakening it thing

personally, i would have loved to see them bring in a new main character but keep ash on as a brock like character

Let me see if I understand you because it does sound like a good idea, so please correct me if I interpret your words wrongs;

Now, we keep Ash in the "group" bring in a new character potentially a new/rookie trainer and have Ash serve as a mentor to the new trainer. Like Brock was a breeder but with skills of a Gym Leader he knew how to give Ash sound advice on taking care of Pokemon AND battling with them.

Though with Ash taking the place of mentor not only does he maintain his "maturity", skill, knowledge of a trainer from the experience of many competitions and whatnot he can help the new main trainer on his bid as a rising Pokemon trainer.

Is that what you mean?

yes, you've got it on the nose

 

[Gryphon Turboclaw]

Since Ash suddenly seemed aware of Type-Effectiveness, why didn't he use Roggenrola against Elesa's Emolga? It's Rock-Type attacks would have done a lot of good against Emolga. And, it could resist Emolga's flying attacks. Even if Roggenrola would fall to Attract to lead into to Ash using Pikachu, it would still be a nice display on his part. Alternatively, the writers could've revealed Boldore/Roggenrola as female [since if I'm not mistake n its gender is currently unknown] and have possibly defeat Emolga.

It's really odd how Ash had a smart moment picking Palpitoad, then had sort of a derp moment not preparing a backup, and then had a double derp moment picking Snivy, weak to Flying attacks and forgetting that it's female, all in one episode.

You make a real good point on all accounts. If I remember didn't he forget that Emolga was a Flying-type? Or was it that he picked Snivy and forgot that it was weak to Flying moves?.

I'll say this much; I'd never seen Ash this grossly *or* inexcusably unprepared for a gym battle since his first Pewter battle, back when he was first starting out, with only the Celadon battle really coming close in my mind(and there, he was ticked off at being unceremoniously denied at the front door *and* being manipulated by JJ&M, neither of which would have helped matters). Going into a 3v3 with just *two* ready pokemon (Pikachu and Palpitoad) when he has more than that on hand may very well be a new low for him, indeed.

That match in a sense reminded me of his first match with Brawly being completely out of character in that he was too overly confident and the writing for that was so bad that it was painfully obvious to the audience. In this match he was too confident in his faith in Palpitoad, but really I wouldn't call it faith just abuse in a sense. I mean he could clearly see that it was tired after taking out Zebstrika but kept it in anyway not to mention depending on it to take out 3 Pokemon on its own. .

That said, Brave the Wave can simply be chalked up to Ash being surprised at Brawly's *seemingly* laid back attitude after the disappointment of not getting his gym battle right away, combined with Ash applying one of Misty's criticisms of him to that situation(and consequentially setting aside one of the very strengths of his training style that Ash himself had demonstrated to Pryce back in late Johto).

End result:
-----1: Ash underestimates Brawly and ends up losing 2-1(Makuhita's possibly timely evolution may very well have been just the exclamation point, though Brawly himself later implies to Hariyama that Ash might have pulled out the win had the boy not lost his head).
-----2: Afterwards, however, Ash comes to understand both Brawly and himself better, and ultimately backs away from his bout of negative character development and gets back on track to becoming the balanced sort of trainer that he needs to be(at least until DP, when things fell apart for him piecemeal).

True, if Roggenrola did take Snivy's place we'd see its gender and it take out Emolga with Stone Edge or something. Then even with Strudy it would be knocked out by the numerous Tackles from her final Pokemon. Tynamo could have been the one that made it evolve.

However, as the anime proves; the louder and more desperate you scream your Pokemon's name when its in a tight spot, the more powerful move it learns or it evolves.

Sadly, the writers seem to have gotten it into their heads that all Ash really needs at the end of the day is hot blood and love for his pokemon...which is a catastrophic decline from Advanced or even DP(where this particular decline actually got started in the first place).

 

[Paulisthebest]

First up, Latios is on the list of 6 Pokemon that I would like to have on my dream team. Just saying its amazing!

More to the point, very good explanations on what you said. Brawly was like a small sting of episodes put in to probably show viewers the importance of seeing that sometimes things or people that we least expect can teach us some of the most important lessons in life. This case being not too serious all of the time can bear as many results as being serious but with a more "relaxing" way of growing closer with your Pokemon and stronger at the same time.

Sadly, that match will forever be remembered as one of Ash's poorest performances. That was really embarrassing for anyone who has been a fan since the start seeing Ash reduced to that. If you asked me he made Bel look sane (I may have said that in another post, but its worth going back to). He was lucky to have Pikachu if not its a good chance he would have lost. Palpitoad too bad it only has 3 moves even now, but either way it will be interesting seeing it learn a new move. My bets are going on it evolving near league time and learning more moves, but that's another discussion for another time.

I know him being reduced to TR cross-dressing to battle Ericka was sad. Indirectly, he was the cause of the gym catching fire but he notes that before Misty yells at him to help put out the fire. Pewter City was acceptable in terms of that being his first gym match.

Oh yes, the writers have squeezed the juice out of that lemon on him relying on closeness to his Pokemon more than training them himself. Its sad like Misty winning with Psyduck when it gets a headache in a "Gohan-like" fit of power due to pain (or in Gohan's case extreme emotion).

 

[Gengarzilla]

Trusting Meowth, need I say more?

 

[fawfulmark2]

let's just write up the entire 2 part Elesa episode.

I absolutely feel him standing for Bianca was the right thing to do, but since he also put his own dream on the line, it would have made more sense that that the fate of it all was in the hands of Pikachu, who is(essentially) his strongest poke.

as for the actual gym battle....I sat through it, and I was literally just saying "....are you fucking kidding me?"

 

[Catilena1890]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy, sooo much to point out, but most of you have pointed it out already. However, I am shocked none of you pointed out this little fact as a flaw:

Ash is paying attention to pokemon typing.

He hasn't tried to apply beneficial type matchups since early on in the Kanto league. When he DID focus solely on "Water beats fire beats grass beats water", he failed epically, and only started winning when he chose his favorites. All that has gone out the window, and now he almost exclusively relies on the type of his pokemon to win. I mean yeah, he DID pull out at least one pokemon that had an advantage against the Gym Leader in every match he's ever fought, but after that he would grab the first pokeball on his belt and throw it and fought with whatever came out, ending the match with a come-from-behind victory using a pokemon WEAK to the gym leaders type, or newly evolved.

That's probably what irks me more than anything in Best Wishes. Ash is TRYING to be a smart trainer. Max would approve of the bullcrap type advantage stuff Ash is pulling now, but I certainly don't. Between catching everything that moves and studying the Type Table, among other things Ash has completely deteriorated as a character. From the Indigo League to the Sinnoh League, while he did change in character significantly, Ash has had ONE consistancy that BW broke, and that is:

Leaving his old team behind, finding wild pokemon and helping them, and catching them IF THEY CHOOSE TO BE CAUGHT, and then raising them to be all they can be, putting the finishing touches when he fills his party.

All we've seen is Ash leaving his Sinnoh pokemon behind. Now, he's done a 180 in the episode formulas. He rarely helps a pokemon for the sake of helping it because it is the right thing to do, and he takes every chance he can to catch a new teammate. "OH LOOK A HERPADERP! BETTER CATCH IT! POKEBALL GOOOOOOO!!!!!" is pretty much his mindset.

I don't care how many badges Ash as won. He could realize the dream Mismagius showed him in Malice in Wonderland and have every badge in the world. He is not, nor will he ever be, ready for the Unova League until he knocks off this "Which of my pokemon would have the best type over my opponents? Hmm...." crap.

The Nimbasa battle is a perfect example of this. Seeing him come out with Palpitoad didn't surprise me so much as running out to get Snivy did. That is not him being unprepared, that is the primary setup to Ash being Ash. I whole-heartedly expected him to bring out Tranquil to have an Aerial match with Emolga, and then ending the battle with Oshafail or Tepig. Instead, we got "GROUND WEAKENS ELECTRICITY! GRASS RESIST ELECTRICITY! FLYING WEAKENS GRASS!" shoved down our throats.

/endrant.