Controversial opinions

[Rockapheller]

It would be very neat if Ash actually for once released all his Pokémon in a region instead of Oak'ing them.
Rowlet could go back to its foster family, Lycanroc could be left with Kukui just like the old days, and Torracat could end up like Pidgeot, protecting a group of Pokémon just like Stoutland used to protect it. I can't come up with a certain closing scenario with Melmetal though.

 

[Almonds]

Ash releasing Greninja makes perfect sense given Greninja's personality and his life story from when he was a Froakie.

 

[Daenerys]

Ash releasing Greninja makes perfect sense given Greninja's personality and his life story from when he was a Froakie.

I think most of the people who had an issue with his release were more upset about the fact that he was released at all, not so much about the in-universe justification for it. But I'm anti-Greninja all the way, so him leaving was a godsend to me.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I think most of the people who had an issue with his release were more upset about the fact that he was released at all, not so much about the in-universe justification for it. But I'm anti-Greninja all the way, so him leaving was a godsend to me.

Nice to meet someone else who's not a Greninja fan. I'm personally just neutral towards it, though, and much prefer the Fennekin family.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I couldn’t really care less about the released or not dilemma. I personally prefer Pokémon getting released/in training these days since it actually is modem plot relevant than rotting in Oak's lab. And if by some miracle the Pokémon needs to be called back, the writers are very much capable of creating a justification, so no, being Oaked is not the only way to appear later. A Pokemon can be 'released' now and return later if the plot calls for it.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Other than BW, Satoshi's league performance makes perfect sense.

Kanto: Top 16
Orange: Champion (minor league with no tournament)
Johto: Top 8
Hoenn: Top 8 (defeated by the champion)
Kanto BF: Champion (a competition with no tournament)
Sinnoh: Top 4 (defeated by the champion)
Isshu: Top 8
Kalos: Runner up
Alola: Champion (newly found league with actual tournament)
Galar: Champion?

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Plus...

Kanto: Top 16

Loss because lack of experience and enough dedication to training his Pokémon, especially Charizard.

Johto: Top 8

Improvement to his last tournament performance because of having gained more experience, lost to a Pokémon he's never battled against before. Also helped to inspire him to travel to Hoenn.

 

[Daenerys]

I couldn’t really care less about the released or not dilemma. I personally prefer Pokémon getting released/in training these days since it actually is modem plot relevant than rotting in Oak's lab. And if by some miracle the Pokémon needs to be called back, the writers are very much capable of creating a justification, so no, being Oaked is not the only way to appear later. A Pokemon can be 'released' now and return later if the plot calls for it.

Personally, I just think that Pokemon getting sent to Oak's prison lab is the most convenient way to get rid of Ash's Pokemon since it means that we're more likely to see those Pokemon again as cameos every once in a while like we did during Ash's most recent trip to Kanto.

 

[Blaine.]

I loved Ash's Battles against Cameron and Trip in the pokemon league

 

[Johtohfiller]

Other than BW, Satoshi's league performance makes perfect sense.

Kanto: Top 16
Orange: Champion (minor league with no tournament)
Johto: Top 8
Hoenn: Top 8 (defeated by the champion)
Kanto BF: Champion (a competition with no tournament)
Sinnoh: Top 4 (defeated by the champion)
Isshu: Top 8
Kalos: Runner up
Alola: Champion (newly found league with actual tournament)
Galar: Champion?

To add to this I've always been annoyed with fans treating his League placings as a strict win/lose and acting like his improvements over time don't count.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

Even then, Unova could've been salvaged if the situation felt like it actually made sense. After all, how he places also depends on the overall strength of his competition. Sinnoh or even Hoenn Ash could probably go back in time and wipe the floor with the Kanto League, because those competitors didn't come off as very strong. So if the situation was that the opponent was somewhat better than Paul, but not Tobias level, and Ash just got unlucky in when he had to face them, it would've made more sense. More time has passed, it's a new region, people probably know more about Pokemon now. There's a huge gap between Paul and Tobias where you still could logically fit someone that can beat Ash fairly, at the skill level he actually should've been for that League.

But instead of a Johto or Hoenn style loss, where Ash tried his best but the competition was just a little bit better, we get a weird loss where Ash hardly feels like he's at his best and the competition hardly feels 'better' at all, they just feel like they got lucky and managed to get unfairly rewarded for their ignorance.

 

[OniCornwalis]

I’ve got two unpopular opinions here;

Dawn is better than Serena in every way, from their character growth to their personality to their interactions with others to their goals and rivals.

Aside from Sawyer, both Ash’s and Serena’s rivals in Kalos were terribly done. Also, Gladion is Ash’s best rival since Paul.

 

[HiroHunter]

I’ve got two unpopular opinions here;

Dawn is better than Serena in every way, from their character growth to their personality to their interactions with others to their goals and rivals.

Aside from Sawyer, both Ash’s and Serena’s rivals in Kalos were terribly done. Also, Gladion is Ash’s best rival since Paul.

One you posted the same thing in your last post.
And two how is Gladion best rival?

 

[OniCornwalis]

One you posted the same thing in your last post.
And two how is Gladion best rival?

I meant to delete the first post, but it stuck around for some reason. I deleted it now.

Gladion is the best rival since Paul because we’ve seen all of his Pokémon having some kind of personality, and he’s shown a lot of character growth over the course of the series, going from a very secluded and distant person to someone who’s willing to have more fun and be around other people. He’s also very emotional and multifaceted, such as his love for his Pokémon and family, and he’s a very strong trainer. Rivals such as Alain and Sawyer only had some of these qualities, which is why they weren’t as good.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Even then, Unova could've been salvaged if the situation felt like it actually made sense. After all, how he places also depends on the overall strength of his competition. Sinnoh or even Hoenn Ash could probably go back in time and wipe the floor with the Kanto League, because those competitors didn't come off as very strong. So if the situation was that the opponent was somewhat better than Paul, but not Tobias level, and Ash just got unlucky in when he had to face them, it would've made more sense. More time has passed, it's a new region, people probably know more about Pokemon now. There's a huge gap between Paul and Tobias where you still could logically fit someone that can beat Ash fairly, at the skill level he actually should've been for that League.

But instead of a Johto or Hoenn style loss, where Ash tried his best but the competition was just a little bit better, we get a weird loss where Ash hardly feels like he's at his best and the competition hardly feels 'better' at all, they just feel like they got lucky and managed to get unfairly rewarded for their ignorance.

It's just absolutely baffling to me why they created Virgil as a character to win the tournament if he wasn't going to be the one to defeat Ash. He seemed like the perfect guy for that! But instead, Ash loses to a kid who didn't know to bring six Pokémon to a Full Battle, and was awarded of this ignorant mistake with his Pokémon evolving and him winning the battle. That just wasn't fair.

I've heard a theory that this loss could've been meant as a moment of Ash tasting his own medicine, since he won many major battles in Unova by his Pokémon evolving mid-match. But even that theory acknowledged the fact that this idea made no sense. Especially when you had Virgil right there for all that time.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

It's just absolutely baffling to me why they created Virgil as a character to win the tournament if he wasn't going to be the one to defeat Ash. He seemed liked the perfect guy for that! But instead, Ash loses to a kid who didn't know to bring six Pokémon to a Full Battle, and was awarded of this ignorant mistake with his Pokémon evolving and and him winning the battle. That just wasn't fair.

I've heard a theory that this loss could've been meant as a moment of Ash tasting his own medicine, since he won many major battles in Unova by his Pokémon evolving mid-match. But even that theory acknowledged the fact that this idea made no sense. Especially when you had Virgil right there for all that time.

I'm probably just reading into it too much because of my disappointment, but it even comes across as sort of insulting to Ash. As if the narrative somehow lost faith in him. Like implying "Ha, after all this time, Ash isn't even good enough to lose believably and honorably to this guy! He has to lose in a completely unsatisfying way to some dummy around his age because that's how lame he suddenly is this time around, lmao what a moron"

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I'm probably just reading into it too much because of my disappointment, but it even comes across as sort of insulting to Ash. As if the narrative somehow lost faith in him. Like implying "Ha, after all this time, Ash isn't even good enough to lose believably and honorably to this guy! He has to lose in a completely unsatisfying way to some dummy around his age because that's how lame he suddenly is this time around, lmao what a moron"

I don't remember who it was, but I recall one YouTuber once saying that he liked Cameron because he was a bumbling goof like Ash, or something like that.

 

[Blaine.]

I honestly think Cameron won fairly. Sure he didn't have the "required" 6 pokemon, however, he still had a good team. And if we take a look at Ash's team, Pikachu, Boldore, Snivy, Oshawott, Pignite, and Unfezant, compared to Camerons Riolu/Lucario, Swanna, Samurott, Hydreigon, and Ferrothorn, I would honestly say Cameron had a better team.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

And if we take a look at Ash's team, Pikachu, Boldore, Snivy, Oshawott, Pignite, and Unfezant, compared to Camerons Riolu/Lucario, Swanna, Samurott, Hydreigon, and Ferrothorn, I would honestly say Cameron had a better team.

Pardon me if the details are wrong since I haven’t watched the battle, but didn’t Cameron literally use Ferroothorn against Pignite and Swanna against Pikachu?

 

[Blaine.]

Yeah, but we have also seen Ash do stupid matchups and win.