• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

Overused Story Lines

Anything with pokemon poaching and pokemon reserved. Let them catch rare pokes will ya
 
Ash and friends meet someone who uses the Pokémon of the Day in their job in some unusual way. Team Rocket get wind of this, and think they could make money doing the same thing, and try to steal the Pokémon.

I'm probably exaggerating, but in my head, this was the entirety of Johto.
 
There's always that one kid out of a group of students that disrespects the twerps with a vague reason or for no reason at all. Some examples of this include A Bout with Sprout!, Gonna Rule the School! and Teaching the Student Teacher!.

Also, the leader of the Trubbish Squad in Here Comes the Trubbish Squad! was the only one to continue disrespecting Ash after the others gained respect for him, even though he began respecting him a few seconds after.
 
I'm a little surprised that there's yet to be a mention of 'the TRio disband for an episode and then come to the realisation that they can't stand to be without each other' story that they tend to use at least once per series. Granted, they're usually good episodes anyway, but there still tends to be a few sarcastic comments whenever one of these is announced!
"Meowth has been fired by Team Rocket? Pfft, he'll go back to them at the end of the episode. So predictable!"
 
Before BW, there always used to be an episode where Brock took care of an injured or sick Pokemon. I guess we didn't realize at the time, but the writers were foreshadowing Brock to become a doctor since the beginning of the series. :p
 
Overused/cliched story lines in the past:

1): The group meets up with a performer (usually an older female COTD) with the pokemon of the week. Brock (and in some occassions, one of the group's pokemon) fall in love with the girl and the pokemon, respectively. TRio eventually comes in to steal the pokemon in the middle of that performance. Brock usually stalls the audience until Ash and co. save that pokemon from TRio and return back to the stage. The performer and the pokemon turn Brock and that other pokemon down in the end.

2): Ash encounters a pokemon in the wild that has been causing him and the rest of his pokemon grief. That pokemon eventually makes its way in the Pokemon Center as Ash prepares to heal his own pokemon. That pokemon and Ash continue to feud with one another until TRio arrives. Ash and that wild pokemon are trapped in the middle of a snowstorm and eventually befriend one another, working together to stop TRio. Ash eventually battles and catches that pokemon.

3): Ash and at least one of his friends are paired up together in a tag battle. Their pokemon initially do not cooperate with one another, and the pair loses. Ash and that friend argues for a good portion of the episode. Ash and the friend would participate in another tag battle, and eventually win.

4): Ash and co. find a COTD whose pokemon has been stolen by TRio (usually in a daycare or pokemon training scam). Ash and co. work together with that COTD to retrieve that pokemon back from TRio.

5): Ash and co., TRio, and/or their pokemon reluctantly or unwillingly participate in a film.
 
How about at the beginning of every single region Ash and Pikachu have some sort of problem that affects Pikachu. They meet a random girl that travels with him throughout the region. Moments later, a random guy that does.

This "Pokemon Cliche" list just goes on and on and on (and everybody is rushing!)
 
Here's another:

- Ash helps a weak Pokemon of another trainer to battle to evolve. First was the infamous Paras ep in Kanto, then there was that Slakoth ep in mid-Hoenn, then they did it again with Burmy in the Cheryl eps in DP.
 
1. TRio breaking up- We all know they will end up back together...
2. Abusive Past for Fire Starters- While I like the idea, it rarely has a true effect on the Pokemon (exception being Chimchar). It just serves as the backstory for Ash catching it and that's all.
3. Pokemon not evolving- I can understand it with Pikachu, but everyone else no....
 
Here's another one:

Ash and friends meet up with a COTD they haven't seen in a while, and once again help out one of their Pokemon like they did with the original episode. They did it with Duplica, Sakura, Nicholai...

Also:

Ash and friends decide to participate in a competition. We saw that one a lot in Johto, and it's even happened since then as well.
 
In the early seasons, they reused the storyline of Togepi getting lost or jumping out of Misty's arms a lot and them having to find it.

The writing for Togepi was so awful that the only thing they could think to do with it is reuse its Metronome gag or have it get lost with Misty trying to find it every 30 or so episodes. It was also apparently the only way they could get Misty to do something, lol.
 
Are storylines and gags the same thing? Cause' there are some gags I dislike.

Well if its not part of a storyline, like Brock's flirting or Wobbufett popping out, its a gag.

I would count Jigglypuff/Snubbull, etc. as storylines though, more than gags.
 
In the early seasons, they reused the storyline of Togepi getting lost or jumping out of Misty's arms a lot and them having to find it.

The writing for Togepi was so awful that the only thing they could think to do with it is reuse its Metronome gag or have it get lost with Misty trying to find it every 30 or so episodes. It was also apparently the only way they could get Misty to do something, lol.

:) When I was younger I always liked Togepi's antics. I remember with all my friends (who were mostly girls) favorite Pokemon being Togepi ^^; so what I'm trying to say is, maybe the target audience enjoyed it a lot more, then by say if we look back on it.
 
Blaze, specifically the 8th gym. Using its power to evolve and save the other Pokémon from TR was mastery enough. We did not need to see Infernape go beserk again.
 
:) When I was younger I always liked Togepi's antics. I remember with all my friends (who were mostly girls) favorite Pokemon being Togepi ^^; so what I'm trying to say is, maybe the target audience enjoyed it a lot more, then by say if we look back on it.

I think the original appeal of Togepi is it was the very first NEW Pokemon (other than Ho-oh) we saw, so it seemed exciting because we never thought there would be more than 151 pokemon back then.

Now that we're used to tons of new pokemon every gen, Togepi's original appeal as the infamous "152nd pokemon" is lost. Now in retrospect its just a dull baby pokemon that sat in Misty's arms doing nothing for 200 episodes.

Happiny was a much better handled baby pokemon, and was a lot funnier. I also thought Happiny's strength was overused, but slightly.
 
I think the original appeal of Togepi is it was the very first NEW Pokemon (other than Ho-oh) we saw, so it seemed exciting because we never thought there would be more than 151 pokemon back then.

Now that we're used to tons of new pokemon every gen, Togepi's original appeal as the infamous "152nd pokemon" is lost. Now in retrospect its just a dull baby pokemon that sat in Misty's arms doing nothing for 200 episodes.

Happiny was a much better handled baby pokemon, and was a lot funnier. I also thought Happiny's strength was overused, but slightly.

Well true ^^; I'm just trying to look back at when I was a kid. Even though, I still find Togepi cute. I think it might be nostalgia or something =/
 
A lot of the dislike for Togepi started in Johto because all it did was sit in Misty's arms, aside from the above mentioned, "Togepi gets lost" storyline.

Such horrible writing. I really wish Togepi evolved in Johto rather than in Hoenn, it might have saved the pokemon for me.

Everytime when Togepi got lost it would always be solved the same way to. It would befriend a wild Pokemon or Pikachu would go in after it.
 
Ash and co. meets trainer X with Pokemon X, TR plots to steal Pokemon X but manages to be saved by Trainer X and Ash and co.

That's the majority of the filler episodes.
 
Please note: The thread is from 13 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
Back
Top Bottom