Controversial opinions

[Greninjaman]

Because its already recurring.

Recurring Pokémon have been caught before.

 

[Greninjaman]

It's a recurring Pokemon for TRio though.

Oh.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Unpopular opinion: I'd have preferred Ash never get a Lucario at all if it meant that every other Pokémon is shifted to the background. This situation is worse than Ash-Greninja since eba that over saturation happened at the tail end of the saga. Whereas Riolu has been shoved down our throats ever since it hatched.

It’s such a pity that arguably Ash's most unique team of all time is suffering due to this. Poor farfetch'd would’ve grown stronger alone than it has with Ash.

Aces can be handled better: Infernape and Sceptile had drastically better handling and even Greninja before XYZ. But it’s pretty clear the writers can’t resist the temptation that is shoving Lucario down our throats. I'd rather some other Pokémon take Riolu's slot if it meant that other Pokémon even got LOOKED at. Literally everything in JN is secondary to Lucario (and Cinderace) right now.

Dragonite only gets focus as a living taxi service. Gengar is as sparse as Koharu (poor thing got abandoned a second time), and what's even a Farfetch'd? I’m sure the thing is scheming in the background to break the confines of its Pokeball and return to Galar.

 

[Alola]

It’s such a pity that arguably Ash's most unique team of all time is suffering due to this.

Unpopular opinion possibly...but I think his most unique team to date was his Alolan team.

He got:

• The Grass Starter, and the first Starter to be dual-typed in its base stage since Bulbasaur; doubled as having a regional flier somewhat
• The Fire Starter that fully evolved; as Ash's Starters tend to not fully evolve, this is notable
• An exceedingly rare form of Lycanroc
• A Mythical Pokémon (!) and the first Mythical Pokémon to be owned by a main character
• An Ultra Beast, which is essentially a definition of uniqueness

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

I'm not sure whether this counts as a controversial opinion so much as a tinfoil hat theory, but...

I get the feeling that the role that Ash's Riolu/Lucario is currently filling could have easily been filled by Kubfu. Think about it: Kubfu is an outright Legendary and it has two evolutions with special requirements, and the huge deal that the anime is currently making over Ash's Riolu would probably make a whole lot more narrative sense if it was a Kubfu instead, since that IS a Gen 8 Pokemon, and moreover, one that got its own little side story in SWSH. So yeah, I get the feeling that the role Riolu is currently in may have originally been intended for a Kubfu. Why this might have been changed, I have no idea, but possibilities include Lucario will be given its own special new form ala Ash-Greninja (because Mega Lucario is too obsolete from a marketing standpoint) and the writers wanted to take advantage of that by giving Ash a Pokemon fans have wanted him to get for years, or this is all actually foreshadowing for DP remakes. Or both.

 

[prog rocker]

My guess is that they planned Riolu's capture before Kubfu's creation, so they had to stick with that.

 

[pokepal_123]

I feel the writers have always been desperate to give Ash a Lucario but only now they have got the perfect exuse/opportunity to actually give him one.

With the way things are going, I think Lucario will be a permanent addition alongside Pikachu as I've said before, especially if it becomes an out-of-the ball mon as its looking so far. Also Lucario is a generationless mon and can be promoted forever.

 

[ii kanji]

With the way things are going, I think Lucario will be a permanent addition alongside Pikachu as I've said before, especially if it becomes an out-of-the ball mon as its looking so far. Also Lucario is a generationless mon and can be promoted forever.

 

[Daren]

I personally doubt Lucario is going to be permanent unless they stop replacing his team every gen, which I find very unlikely.

 

[FelipePR]

It’s such a pity that arguably Ash's most unique team of all time is suffering due to this. Poor farfetch'd would’ve grown stronger alone than it has with Ash.

It is a very Kanto team plus a professedly commercial Pokémon. And although I like the team, it is hardly unique.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Unpopular opinion possibly...but I think his most unique team to date was his Alolan team.

He got:

• The Grass Starter, and the first Starter to be dual-typed in its base stage since Bulbasaur; doubled as having a regional flier somewhat
• The Fire Starter that fully evolved; as Ash's Starters tend to not fully evolve, this is notable
• An exceedingly rare form of Lycanroc
• A Mythical Pokémon (!) and the first Mythical Pokémon to be owned by a main character
• An Ultra Beast, which is essentially a definition of uniqueness

It is a very Kanto team plus a professedly commercial Pokémon. And although I like the team, it is hardly unique.

Actually the interesting thing is I don’t disagree. While writing that post I was kind of sad that this is the first time Ash gets such powerful Pokémon early on and they’re treated like this. I do agree the Alola team is more unexpected and unique.

I didn’t give much conscious thought to “Which is Ash’s most unique team”. I wrote that impulsively, I’ll admit.

I'm not sure whether this counts as a controversial opinion so much as a tinfoil hat theory, but...

I get the feeling that the role that Ash's Riolu/Lucario is currently filling could have easily been filled by Kubfu. Think about it: Kubfu is an outright Legendary and it has two evolutions with special requirements, and the huge deal that the anime is currently making over Ash's Riolu would probably make a whole lot more narrative sense if it was a Kubfu instead, since that IS a Gen 8 Pokemon, and moreover, one that got its own little side story in SWSH. So yeah, I get the feeling that the role Riolu is currently in may have originally been intended for a Kubfu. Why this might have been changed, I have no idea, but possibilities include Lucario will be given its own special new form ala Ash-Greninja (because Mega Lucario is too obsolete from a marketing standpoint) and the writers wanted to take advantage of that by giving Ash a Pokemon fans have wanted him to get for years, or this is all actually foreshadowing for DP remakes. Or both.

I love this idea! I was partial to Ash catching a Kubfu already but he already has two fighting types... it’d have been perfect if the Lucario role had been given to Kubfu.

 

[pokepal_123]

I personally doubt Lucario is going to be permanent unless they stop replacing his team every gen, which I find very unlikely.

Except this team dosen't correspond to any single gen.

 

[Gligarman]

Not sure if this is even controversial but Go is clearly not straight and I approve!

 

[Alola]

Not sure if this is even controversial but Go is clearly not straight and I approve!

I want to point out though that just because a boy/man/etc. has effeminate qualities, that does not automatically dictate or define their orientation. With that being said, I am all for representation; I am a fan of Go's softer qualities compared to most male characters in the series.

 

[SinnohEevee]

Did the writers forget that Dragonite and Gengar are popular Pokemon that the fans always wished Ash had?

 

[Gligarman]

I want to point out though that just because a boy/man/etc. has effeminate qualities, that does not automatically dictate or define their orientation. With that being said, I am all for representation; I am a fan of Go's softer qualities compared to most male characters in the series.

Well I'm gay in real life and I certainly don't have any effeminate qualities and neither does my boyfriend. To be honest none of that occurred to me. I based it primarily off the fact that in the episode where he reunites with his friend it's played out romantically.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Did the writers forget that Dragonite and Gengar are popular Pokemon that the fans always wished Ash had?

I honestly don't recall fans wanting Ash to get a Dragonite or a Gengar prior to Journeys. The closest would be fans wishing that Ash had actually caught Haunter back in the original series instead of having it follow him around for an episode. I understand that fans are annoyed or disappointed that they haven't gotten as much focus and screentime. That's pretty understandable, but I don't recall fans wishing that Ash had caught these Pokemon for years like with Lucario.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

I honestly don't recall fans wanting Ash to get a Dragonite or a Gengar prior to Journeys. The closest would be fans wishing that Ash had actually caught Haunter back in the original series instead of having it follow him around for an episode. I understand that fans are annoyed or disappointed that they haven't gotten as much focus and screentime. That's pretty understandable, but I don't recall fans wishing that Ash had caught these Pokemon for years like with Lucario.

I mean, I can't vouch for Dragonite, but there are plenty of pre-Journeys fanfics that have Ash catching a Gengar, sometimes as the same Haunter from the OS, sometimes not, so one of those two at least had some people wanting Ash to catch. Granted, it isn't anywhere near the number of people who wanted Ash to get a Lucario, but it is there.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I mean, I can't vouch for Dragonite, but there are plenty of pre-Journeys fanfics that have Ash catching a Gengar, sometimes as the same Haunter from the OS, sometimes not, so one of those two at least had some people wanting Ash to catch. Granted, it isn't anywhere near the number of people who wanted Ash to get a Lucario, but it is there.

That doesn't surprise me too much. There are people who wanted Ash to actually catch and keep Haunter, but I think that is less to due with Gengar specifically and more so that it felt like a waste for Ash to not capture Haunter itself. Gengar is a popular Pokemon, but I don't think that fans wanted Ash to get it for that reason like with Lucario.

 

[FelipePR]

Well, I am not sure about what the Pokemon fans want, since "fans" is a wide concept, not a unit. Anyway, I am sure that Gengar and Dragonite are very popular Pokémon. Yet, not as much as Lucario.