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Controversial opinions

Greninja vs Charizard was just Creator's Pet vs Creator's Pet and in the end the bigger Creator's Pet won out
As I said before: Greninja's downfall was the fact that both ''Ash is not allowed to win'' and ''Charizard is the ultimate Pokémon and can be nothing less than that'' syndromes plagued the narrative at the same time, and Greninja could break both (at the same time to boot) by defeating Charizard and giving Ash the win, so the poor frog had to be put down by the higher ups/writers.

It was just unfortunate circumstances for Greninja, really.
 
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I honestly think ranking the power of each of Ash’s Pokemon has become ridiculously absurd, all thanks to the PWC.
A Champion’s Pokemon can be taken out by an inexperienced Dracovish, yet some of Ash’s top Pokemon couldn’t even compete with the E4 in Sinnoh.
In anything, it’s a clear sign Ash has gotten much better at training, but with everything else, it just means some of his older Pokemon would potentially be a lot stronger under the current Ash. So, I really think there’s a lot of room to debate the Pokemon anywhere from the top three to twenty if you think about it. Personally, I thought Snivy was pretty strong, but we all know what Unova Ash was like.
 
I honestly think ranking the power of each of Ash’s Pokemon has become ridiculously absurd, all thanks to the PWC.
A Champion’s Pokemon can be taken out by an inexperienced Dracovish, yet some of Ash’s top Pokemon couldn’t even compete with the E4 in Sinnoh.
In anything, it’s a clear sign Ash has gotten much better at training, but with everything else, it just means some of his older Pokemon would potentially be a lot stronger under the current Ash. So, I really think there’s a lot of room to debate the Pokemon anywhere from the top three to twenty if you think about it. Personally, I thought Snivy was pretty strong, but we all know what Unova Ash was like.
to be fair, Dracovish managed to take out Dragonite only because Iris was not expecting Dracovish to pull off an ice type move, after Dragonite went down, Iris noticed her mistake and decided to take out Dracovish from afar instead of getting closer again.
 
to be fair, Dracovish managed to take out Dragonite only because Iris was not expecting Dracovish to pull off an ice type move, after Dragonite went down, Iris noticed her mistake and decided to take out Dracovish from afar instead of getting closer again.
Also like,,, Ash probably has the only Dracovish in existence and she obviously had never met one before, so, it's absolutely reasonable she just didn't knew what it could possibly do, hence her not expecting it knowing Ice Fang and having that crazy powerful bite force.
 
I honestly think ranking the power of each of Ash’s Pokemon has become ridiculously absurd, all thanks to the PWC.
A Champion’s Pokemon can be taken out by an inexperienced Dracovish, yet some of Ash’s top Pokemon couldn’t even compete with the E4 in Sinnoh.
In anything, it’s a clear sign Ash has gotten much better at training, but with everything else, it just means some of his older Pokemon would potentially be a lot stronger under the current Ash. So, I really think there’s a lot of room to debate the Pokemon anywhere from the top three to twenty if you think about it. Personally, I thought Snivy was pretty strong, but we all know what Unova Ash was like.
THIS. This actually why I never felt that these rankings of Ash's Pokémon were ever truly... ''fair''. Because not only is Ash evolving as a trainer as time goes on (well, I know that BW Ash was... something that happened, but my point still stands), but it's also cuz we just.. never see these Pokémon actually doing much when their series ends (at least up until DP, that is), so really: How much better would, say, Torkoal's, Boldore's and Unfezant's general perfomances would be like if they were to be under the most recent Ash's care? Is it still fair to compare them with Ash's more recent teams, or any of Ash's older mons, even the ones considered the best, as in: Charizard, Sceptile, etc, considering that these more recent teams were trained by a ''better'' Ash? I don't think the answer to strenght ranking is as simple/clear as we make it out to be.
 
That has always happened every series. Ash’s Pokemon take a tremendous amount of damage in battle and keep going and managed to withstand attacks that would be super effective against them. I still remember how Ash’s Grovyle managed to defeat an Altaria with Leaf Blade. Remember Altaria is dragon/flying so a grass attack should do negative 4x damage against it. Yet somehow that Leaf Blade KO’d it when realistically the damage should have been minimal.

Arguably I’d say the older seasons were far worse about this overall because back then his Pokémon didn’t even get power ups or special attacks to justify it, they were strong just because they were owned by Ash.
 
I think in order to fully enjoy the anime at times, you just have to accept that the show itself is never taking the games’ logic seriously.
If every match-up was decided by the type advantage, like we have 80% of the time in competitive, then the anime would have been beyond boring within its combat because it would become predictable for each battle between two Pokemon, or extremely tedious with all the switching.

And in comparison, whilst I wasn’t involved with the S&M anime when it was airing (I didn’t watch for like seven months, then did a marathon for it before the league, and it was quite good) I wasn’t mad at the Soak-Gate against Hapu. I’ve just come to expect it from the show.
 
If every match-up was decided by the type advantage, like we have 80% of the time in competitive, then the anime would have been beyond boring within its combat because it would become predictable for each battle between two Pokemon, or extremely tedious with all the switching.
The anime itself made a reference to this matter, actually, when Ash and co. met Skyla in Mistralton City and dismissed Skyla's simple logic of assuming the winner of each match-up solely depends on type advantages of the offered Pokémon, while Ash and Cilan tried to prove otherwise as soon as they were involved.
 
The anime itself made a reference to this matter, actually, when Ash and co. met Skyla in Mistralton City and dismissed Skyla's simple logic of assuming the winner of each match-up solely depends on type advantages of the offered Pokémon, while Ash and Cilan tried to prove otherwise as soon as they were involved.
Skyla’s logic was flawed as fundamentally as her battle style. You can’t dismiss entire battles due to typings and then smugly announce your Swanna can shrug off electric attacks. As soon as Stunfisk’s attack did so little, her whole ideology should have crumbled.
 
Skyla’s logic was flawed as fundamentally as her battle style. You can’t dismiss entire battles due to typings and then smugly announce your Swanna can shrug off electric attacks. As soon as Stunfisk’s attack did so little, her whole ideology should have crumbled.
Not to mention she ignores movesets. Krookodile had 2 moves that were SE against Swoobat and it was kinda BS that it lost. Then again, Unfezant NEEDED those victories!
 
All this type advantage defiance talk reminded me of a really spicy hot take of mine: a not insignificant part of me would have liked for Virgil's Eevee to beat Cameron's Lucario instead of Flareon. Hey, if that redonkulous jackal was allowed to beat a fully evolved Flying-type as a Riolu then it should have gotten a taste of its own medicine as karma :p
 
I believe that TR are the most important part of the anime. Over the years, especially during D&P, I would always see people complaining about TR interrupting a battle, and that alone served as a reason for them to be cast aside. However, as stated above, I genuinely think they’re integral to the show.

This part isn’t agreed upon, but my personal two least favourite series, as of now, are B&W and Journeys, and they share a common denominator - TR aren’t present throughout the show. Coincidence?
(I understand Journeys had some unfortunate circumstances with James’ VA)

In a way, TR act as the much needed conflict within the episodes, especially the fillers, allowing the gang’s team to come out and participate within scenes. They drew out their companions. For example, we got to see Grotle learn Rock Climb against TR, or witness another team member display their unique attributes against them - TR are present to help establish common themes. What many consider Joureny’s biggest issue (lack of developing moments for Pokemon), TR’s absent has been an issue within that as well. No TR = lack of Pokemon involvement = lack of connection with said team member.

Their character traits are just as important. Over time, I actually find TR more interesting than Ash, at least from their personalities.
They have more diverse traits (greed, vegenfulness, pride, determination, etc.) compared to other characters, which gives a much needed break between the lines and helps keeps things fresh. Being honest, it truly is incredible how every protagonist in the show is blessed with being cheerful, and kind in some way or another, without any sort of negative aspect. TR, being the odd-balls, are a change of pace and develop more themes within the episode.
But, they’re not to the point where they’re unlovable. They can show more layers when they care for others - Infernape, S&M gang, Pikachu, Ditto, etc.
In part, TR serve as actual people of the anime. They have parts that are good, and bad, like any of us - they’re relatable, which gives each episode more interest in their own business, even though you know they’re going to lose (99.9% of the time). All the more they lose, all the more you want to see them do better each time, which keeps me interested. Or, the more they fail, the expanding ways they can do it again next time
Even then, these help make them funny too. Whether it’s driven by their objective to capture a Pokemon, the device they use, the disguise they obscure themselves with, their endeavours are filled with their 100% conviction - more attachment giving more humour when it’s foiled.
Like, it’s when they start getting arrogant when their machine absorbs Thunderbolt, only to see their faces and dialogue when a simple Bubble breaks apart their scheme.

Fillers are kind of the foundation to make the anime better. If they weren’t there, the less time would be given to showing off the characters, and the more were established with them, the more they feel like companions - S&M ending made me shed a tear.
But, lot of fillers, that lack TR, genuinely make me bored. And, it could be due to the reasons above, lack of conflict to show off the new Pokemon/CotD, lack of humour, or general lack of tone shifting (where every character is sickly sweet, making everyone too alike, closing off ideas and themes with the plot).
So, TR, to me, are important to the anime, and cannot be forgotten. They provide the boost to set-up themes and ideas within each setting
 
I believe that TR are the most important part of the anime. Over the years, especially during D&P, I would always see people complaining about TR interrupting a battle, and that alone served as a reason for them to be cast aside. However, as stated above, I genuinely think they’re integral to the show.
I'd like to add that in Kanto I think they were intended to give us a glimpse at the more cyncial part of the world.

Ash wasn't exactly living a golden life back then (absentee father, disrespected by his companions) but the TRio all came from pretty miserable backstories that explain why they're criminals. James grew up rich but ran away at a young age and became homeless, Jessie's mother died at a young age, Meowth was abandoned and had to raise himself on the streets.
I believe the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga added a plot element that Jessie and James had previously enter the Pokémon league and lost early on. If so I think that's just thematically perfect.

This element was lessened later on as the world became a lot friendlier (so to speak) around the OI and onward, though.

Something else I'd never really thought of until I saw it pointed out elsewhere--I believe on TvTropes--is that they had a mirror of Ash in that both groups were in a sisyphean struggle--the TRio can never get Pikachu and get rich anymore than Ash could win a league and become a Master. That sort of collapsed after Sun/Moon though and was almost certainly not intended.
 
Origins!Red's non-Charizard Pokemon are so weak and poorly trained that they seriously make Ash's Unfezant look like Swellow, Torkoal look like Infernape, and Torterra look like Snorlax. Say whatever you want about those guys, but at least none of them have ever been OHKO'd by a resisted non-STAB attack coming off of a weak offensive stat.

At least if the comments are anything to go by, more and more people are starting to realize how flawed Origins really was writing-wise.
 
This came up in another thread but I figured I should answer it here since it seems more fitting.

I don't wanna see Paul in the PWC. Ever. In no circumstance. And I say this as someone who has Paul as one of my fav characters in the Pokémon anime.

Just... why? The entire Paul plot line was already finished in DP with a extremely good finale and to this day is one of the best written story lines of the entire anime. Everything about his and Ash's rivalry was already solved, and done brilliantly at that. Frankly, I think Paul is one of the best written characters of this anime and is one of the very few lucky ones who actually got a fully completed story line and I see no reason to reopen this door that has been closed for the longest time and ended in such a high note.

The only reasoning to bring him back would be to create cheap nostalgia and viewbait to get people to come back to watch JN. And honestly: this writting team is so bad, but so incompetent at their jobs, that they would absolutely obliterate Paul's character and I rather not see them butchering one of the best character arcs and story line this anime has ever gotten.
 
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That whole thing is hilarious.
Jolteon is an awful choice for fighting Rhyhorn but still loses in the dumbest way possible, and the way it's shown is just amazing: Jolteon colliding with the ball and stopping, the health bar draining like mad, then once the attack dissipates Jolteon suddenly regains forward momentum, then seems to lose it a split second later, and thuds to the ground.
Chuck Jones couldn't have scripted it better for maximum hilarity.

Origins!Red's non-Charizard Pokemon are so weak and poorly trained that they seriously make Ash's Unfezant look like Swellow, Torkoal look like Infernape, and Torterra look like Snorlax. Say whatever you want about those guys, but at least none of them have ever been OHKO'd by a resisted non-STAB attack coming off of a weak offensive stat.

At least if the comments are anything to go by, more and more people are starting to realize how flawed Origins really was writing-wise.
I suspect part of Origins strong reception was that it was a Pokémon animation not based off the main anime, which has always been controversial in the game fanbase. We're getting those pretty often now though so it doesn't stand out that way anymore.

This came up in another thread but I figured I should answer it here since it seems more fitting.

I don't wanna see Paul in the PWC. Ever. In no circumstance. And I say this as someone who has Paul as one of my fav characters in the Pokémon anime.
This goes on to be harsher than I would but yeah, Paul's rivalry with Ash had a conclusion and dragging him back wouldn't add anything, just like having Gary come back to defeat Ash after Brandon was silly.
If old rivals return it should be one Ash didn't already overcome.
 
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