Playing as a canon Player Character

[Champion Red]

Just curious, do you guys ever play through a game as one of the canon protagonists? For example, I'm currently playing through FireRed as Red, and I'm planning to have my team be Charizard, Pikachu, Lapras, Snorlax, Dragonite and Mewtwo (Lapras, Snorlax and Dragonite will probably be switched out throughout the playthrough for different pokemon depending on what I have and what I need to use, for example Jolteon, Pidgeot, Gengar, Legendary Birds, Kabutops and Aerodactyl). The playthrough is mainly based off Origins, but you can see how it could easily become Red's team in HGSS. Basically, do you guys ever try this, and if so, how do you make your team?

 

[Team Gaara]

That'd be pretty hard to do. We've pretty much only got Brendan/May (who never evolve their starter), Lyra/Ethan (who only seem to have Marill), Dawn/Lucas (who have only 3 Pokemon), Nate and Rosa (also don't have a full team and have an unevolved starter when you meet them), and Serena/Calem (who'd have the exact same team you'd use against them). Otherwise, there isn't really a canon team to build from, other than Red's in HGSSGSC.

 

[Champion Red]

That'd be pretty hard to do. We've pretty much only got Brendan/May (who never evolve their starter), Lyra/Ethan (who only seem to have Marill), Dawn/Lucas (who have only 3 Pokemon), Nate and Rosa (also don't have a full team and have an unevolved starter when you meet them), and Serena/Calem (who'd have the exact same team you'd use against them). Otherwise, there isn't really a canon team to build from, other than Red's in HGSSGSC.

That's part of the fun of it, you can mix and match gift pokemon, pokemon their counterparts have, and pokemon they have in-game

 

[Life]

Not a video game character, but I once played through Hoenn with Ash's AG team. I don't think I made it past Victory Road.

Using two un-evolved Pokemon is not the easiest thing to do. Also, having to beat the first three gyms with only a Grovyle and a Swellow ain't that easy either, especially when it came to those damn Magnemite. .-.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

As you know from the thread I posted, I've been playing through FireRed but also have a planned playthrough of HeartGold soon.

 

[BlackButterfree]

Depends which canon you follow. For years, I've wanted to do a playthrough of Platinum with Dawn's team from Pokémon Adventures (Empoleon, Rapidash, Lopunny, Cherrim, Froslass and Pachirisu, with all being female except for Rapidash and all having Pokérus) which I'll probably do in the Sinnoh remakes.

I also want Ash's (Red's) original team from the anime (Raichu, Butterfree, Pidgeot, Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise)

 

[BettyN]

I've done playthroughs as canon characters, but as Gym Leaders and Elite Four members, not player characters. I've done runs as Lance, Lorelei, Clair, and Karen in both RBY and GSC. I'd love to see a game where you actually played as a Gym Leader or Elite Four member instead of a generic avatar.

 

[glow]

Before Yellow came out, I tried playing through Red using the same team Ash had at the time (Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, etc...). Had to box my starter early on and make other such compromises before I realized it wasn't worth it and restarted. When Yellow did eventually come out, I actually took countermeasures to make my team as different from Ash's as possible, like trading the starter Pikachu to my Red version to evolve and trade back, using Fearow instead of Pidgeotto, letting Squirtle and Bulbasaur evolve, things like that. That was the last time I tried such a venture.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

I've been playing through FireRed as Red, then I'm gonna battle myself, sort of when I play through HeartGold as Lyra with a team based off my idea thread for in-game event and canonical Pokemon, then migrate Red's Pokemon all the way to either X or a Z or any game that has customizable characters, then Red will use a mix of canonical in-game Pokemon in Kalos and the Pokemon from FireRed

 

[Aulos]

I don't really believe in canon protagonists in this series. Not even Red, because Leaf is my Indigo League champion, so I couldn't care less about what they say Red's team is supposed to be. =P

 

[Champion Red]

I've been playing through FireRed as Red, then I'm gonna battle myself, sort of when I play through HeartGold as Lyra with a team based off my idea thread for in-game event and canonical Pokemon, then migrate Red's Pokemon all the way to either X or a Z or any game that has customizable characters, then Red will use a mix of canonical in-game Pokemon in Kalos and the Pokemon from FireRed

That sounds like fun, I'd do that if I actually owned a system that could play FireRed, I just play on an emulator I could see Red using a Tyrantrum definitely.

 

[BettyN]

Before Yellow came out, I tried playing through Red using the same team Ash had at the time (Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, etc...). Had to box my starter early on and make other such compromises before I realized it wasn't worth it and restarted. When Yellow did eventually come out, I actually took countermeasures to make my team as different from Ash's as possible, like trading the starter Pikachu to my Red version to evolve and trade back, using Fearow instead of Pidgeotto, letting Squirtle and Bulbasaur evolve, things like that. That was the last time I tried such a venture.

Suffice to say, an Ash-based team isn't really the most practical one in the games. While Bulbasaur and Squirtle can get away with not evolving in the anime (which plays by different rules than the games), they'll only be hopelessly outclassed and underpowered in the games. The same also goes for Pikachu if the Light Ball isn't available. It could still be fun if you're up to the challenge, though.

I don't really believe in canon protagonists in this series. Not even Red, because Leaf is my Indigo League champion, so I couldn't care less about what they say Red's team is supposed to be. =P

:thumbup: :thumbup:

While giving Red a canon team worked in the original GSC, back when Yellow was the newest installment of Gen 1 (where he was the only protagonist, there wasn't any starter choice, and all Kanto starters were available without trading), in HGSS it didn't do anything but fly in the face of FRLG, where you had a choice in protagonists, let alone starters. If Red is the "canon" protagonist with Charmander as his "canon" starter (as some people insist around here), does that mean that someone who plays as Leaf and picks Squirtle is playing the game "wrong"? Give me a break!

It gets even more ridiculous when people try to establish "canon" protagonists for Gens 2 and later, especially since, 9 times out of 10, they pick the male. And, they either erase the girls completely, or saddle them with the weakest starter (ie. Chikorita, Piplup, Snivy, Fennekin, etc.) and send them off to do contests or some other lesser "girly" activity. What is this, 1954?

Suffice to say, there's a reason why I make canon teams based on Gym Leaders/Elite Four members instead of player characters. It's pretty fun, and I recommend trying it sometime.

 

[Aulos]

I don't really believe in canon protagonists in this series. Not even Red, because Leaf is my Indigo League champion, so I couldn't care less about what they say Red's team is supposed to be. =P

:thumbup: :thumbup:

While giving Red a canon team worked in the original GSC, back when Yellow was the newest installment of Gen 1 (where he was the only protagonist, there wasn't any starter choice, and all Kanto starters were available without trading), in HGSS it didn't do anything but fly in the face of FRLG, where you had a choice in protagonists, let alone starters. If Red is the "canon" protagonist with Charmander as his "canon" starter (as some people insist around here), does that mean that someone who plays as Leaf and picks Squirtle is playing the game "wrong"? Give me a break!

It gets even more ridiculous when people try to establish "canon" protagonists for Gens 2 and later, especially since, 9 times out of 10, they pick the male. And, they either erase the girls completely, or saddle them with the weakest starter (ie. Chikorita, Piplup, Snivy, Fennekin, etc.) and send them off to do contests or some other lesser "girly" activity. What is this, 1954?

Suffice to say, there's a reason why I make canon teams based on Gym Leaders/Elite Four members instead of player characters. It's pretty fun, and I recommend trying it sometime.

Yes, thank you. I can not express how taken back I was at Leaf's complete and total omission from HG/SS. Combined with the random replacing of the original Generation II female protagonist, it all just rubbed me in the wrongest way possible.

Red isn't 'canon' for me... And I started with Pokemon Red back in 1999. It was really cool to see him in G/S/C, but when FR/LG added the originally intended selectable female protagonist, Red was no longer the lone Indigo Plateau Champion. As I grew up with Generation I, I'm sure there are plenty that grew up with Generation III, and FR/LG was their first time playing through Kanto, and they selected Leaf... And then they get to playing through HG/SS, and that moment at the end of the game will be ruined at least a little bit for them. "...Red? But I played Leaf. Leaf was my Kanto character. Meh."

 

[BettyN]

I'm sure there are plenty that grew up with Generation III, and FR/LG was their first time playing through Kanto, and they selected Leaf... And then they get to playing through HG/SS, and that moment at the end of the game will be ruined at least a little bit for them. "...Red? But I played Leaf. Leaf was my Kanto character. Meh."

Exactly. One reason Red worked in the original GSC is because anyone who owned Yellow probably had a similar-looking team on their cartridge. Unevolved Pikachu? Check. All three starters? Check. Snorlax? Check. An Eeveelution? Check. Even Red's GSC sprite was literally a recolor of his Yellow sprite, and since he was the only protagonist in that game, everybody could recognize him as "their" Indigo League Champion. It really made you feel like you were the "true" Hero of Kanto.

That neutrality is ruined in the remakes, where the Final Battle's still based on Yellow, even though HGSS are supposed to be sequels to FRLG (which had two protagonists and didn't incorporate anything from Yellow). I can only imagine how someone who first played through Kanto as Leaf must've felt when they saw a completely different person at the end of Mt. Silver, learning that they weren't the "real" Champion of Kanto, after all. What a downer ending.

At the very least, HGSS should've had version-exclusive Final Battles (ie. Red in HeartGold and Leaf in SoulSilver) or had it based on whether you were playing as Ethan or Lyra. Ideally, they should've taken advantage of Dual Slot Mode, and had whoever was at the end of Mt. Silver literally be your character from FRLG, right down to the name and starter. That way, nobody is unfairly favored over another.

 

[Boshi234]

I don't generally have teams based on the player characters canon team on what game they appear because that sounds difficult and I don't dwell much on whether or not my player character should have a specific starter Pokémon on well obviously the start of the game and yes I used (still play the GBA game though) the canon player character Red in the Game Boy and the 3rd Gen games since the other characters canonical appearances are somewhat vague. But otherwise it sounds like it would be fun to have a team based on the player character's canon team, but the hard part is that I already finished the game in FireRed I can't without cheats or trading get Squirtle or Bulbasaur but on Platinum it is easy since I have the three Sinnoh starter Pokémon, anyhow it would be good to play X or Y with Red's team from HeartGold & SoulSilver which I would need a Pichu, Eevee, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur and a Munchlax (I think he had a Lapras but Eevee is a better choice to me). Having a team based from a character's team from one of the many Pokémon manga or the anime sounds like a good idea but it would require to trade Pokémon or use cheats/hack the game.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

Suffice to say, an Ash-based team isn't really the most practical one in the games. While Bulbasaur and Squirtle can get away with not evolving in the anime (which plays by different rules than the games), they'll only be hopelessly outclassed and underpowered in the games. The same also goes for Pikachu if the Light Ball isn't available. It could still be fun if you're up to the challenge, though.

I don't really believe in canon protagonists in this series. Not even Red, because Leaf is my Indigo League champion, so I couldn't care less about what they say Red's team is supposed to be. =P

:thumbup: :thumbup:

While giving Red a canon team worked in the original GSC, back when Yellow was the newest installment of Gen 1 (where he was the only protagonist, there wasn't any starter choice, and all Kanto starters were available without trading), in HGSS it didn't do anything but fly in the face of FRLG, where you had a choice in protagonists, let alone starters. If Red is the "canon" protagonist with Charmander as his "canon" starter (as some people insist around here), does that mean that someone who plays as Leaf and picks Squirtle is playing the game "wrong"? Give me a break!

It gets even more ridiculous when people try to establish "canon" protagonists for Gens 2 and later, especially since, 9 times out of 10, they pick the male. And, they either erase the girls completely, or saddle them with the weakest starter (ie. Chikorita, Piplup, Snivy, Fennekin, etc.) and send them off to do contests or some other lesser "girly" activity. What is this, 1954?

Suffice to say, there's a reason why I make canon teams based on Gym Leaders/Elite Four members instead of player characters. It's pretty fun, and I recommend trying it sometime.

Hey I only got up to the 6th gym and skipped the 2nd gym to just get to Lilycove City in Sapphire to do contests as May. I never did the Pokemon League, I just beat every Master Rank Contest there was. xD

 

[Champion Red]

I completely agree, a Dual Slot mode for HG/SS would have been amazing. We all have our opinions, I personally like having a hard canon that I stick to throughout the games, but others do things differently, and that would have been a great feature. If they ever do anything with Red, or any protagonists again, there should be some form of feature like that.

 

[BettyN]

I completely agree, a Dual Slot mode for HG/SS would have been amazing.

Glad that you agree with me about HGSS having a Dual Slot Mode. I'm guessing that they didn't do it because HGSS came out at a time when Nintendo was starting to push the DSi (which didn't have a GBA slot), and FRLG, themselves, were already half a decade old and starting to become hard to find in stores.

(This is also probably why HGSS included the Kanto and Hoenn starters, Mewtwo, the Legendary Birds, and the Weather Trio. They were starting to phase out the GBA games and make it so you could obtain every non-Event Pokémon without an older DS and RSE/FRLG/Colosseum/XD.)

I personally like having a hard canon that I stick to throughout the games, but others do things differently, and that would have been a great feature. If they ever do anything with Red, or any protagonists again, there should be some form of feature like that.

I like having a hard canon, too, but that just doesn't work with any protagonist besides Red in Yellow. You have to decide whether it's the boy or the girl and what starter they picked, and either way, you have to show bias and unfairly leave someone out. With GSC, it was easy to work around this issue because Yellow (the most recent version of Gen 1 at the time) only had one protagonist and one starter and gave you all three of the "normal" starters later on, so you could create a canon protagonist with a canon team without showing much bias. (Hence, the reason why Red had an Espeon instead of Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon and why Blue's team completely lacked a starter of any kind. Their teams had to be as neutral and unbiased as possible.)

 

[EmpoleonProd]

Glad that you agree with me about HGSS having a Dual Slot Mode. I'm guessing that they didn't do it because HGSS came out at a time when Nintendo was starting to push the DSi (which didn't have a GBA slot), and FRLG, themselves, were already half a decade old and starting to become hard to find in stores.

(This is also probably why HGSS included the Kanto and Hoenn starters, Mewtwo, the Legendary Birds, and the Weather Trio. They were starting to phase out the GBA games and make it so you could obtain every non-Event Pokémon without an older DS and RSE/FRLG/Colosseum/XD.)

I personally like having a hard canon that I stick to throughout the games, but others do things differently, and that would have been a great feature. If they ever do anything with Red, or any protagonists again, there should be some form of feature like that.

I like having a hard canon, too, but that just doesn't work with any protagonist besides Red in Yellow. You have to decide whether it's the boy or the girl and what starter they picked, and either way, you have to show bias and unfairly leave someone out. With GSC, it was easy to work around this issue because Yellow (the most recent version of Gen 1 at the time) only had one protagonist and one starter and gave you all three of the "normal" starters later on, so you could create a canon protagonist with a canon team without showing much bias. (Hence, the reason why Red had an Espeon instead of Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon and why Blue's team completely lacked a starter of any kind. Their teams had to be as neutral and unbiased as possible.)

The Dual Slot mention reminded me of something. Now, feel free to mention the feature, I feel like it was something-link, but something in BW2 let you battle Cheren and Bianca with their teams from one of YOUR BW1 games, and that was cool too, because it gave a canon character the team that existed along with YOUR BW1 hero, which truly made it feel like a sequel.

Crap now I'm getting amazing brainstorms and ideas and I might end up rambling, and this is so off-topic, but what if you apprenticed a Youngster or something in a game, helped THEM build their team, had them follow you around and had them catch their own Pokemon etc. Then, in a sequel game, you could link it with that game and that Youngster ends up becoming an Ace Trainer that your hero in the sequel faces with a leveled-up verison of their team? Sorry that's really off-topic, but it would be amazing what kind of capabilities we could have by linking games up like that.

 

[Champion Red]

Glad that you agree with me about HGSS having a Dual Slot Mode. I'm guessing that they didn't do it because HGSS came out at a time when Nintendo was starting to push the DSi (which didn't have a GBA slot), and FRLG, themselves, were already half a decade old and starting to become hard to find in stores.

(This is also probably why HGSS included the Kanto and Hoenn starters, Mewtwo, the Legendary Birds, and the Weather Trio. They were starting to phase out the GBA games and make it so you could obtain every non-Event Pokémon without an older DS and RSE/FRLG/Colosseum/XD.)

I personally like having a hard canon that I stick to throughout the games, but others do things differently, and that would have been a great feature. If they ever do anything with Red, or any protagonists again, there should be some form of feature like that.

I like having a hard canon, too, but that just doesn't work with any protagonist besides Red in Yellow. You have to decide whether it's the boy or the girl and what starter they picked, and either way, you have to show bias and unfairly leave someone out. With GSC, it was easy to work around this issue because Yellow (the most recent version of Gen 1 at the time) only had one protagonist and one starter and gave you all three of the "normal" starters later on, so you could create a canon protagonist with a canon team without showing much bias. (Hence, the reason why Red had an Espeon instead of Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon and why Blue's team completely lacked a starter of any kind. Their teams had to be as neutral and unbiased as possible.)

That's why I LOVE the Bill multiverse theory. I can have my canon of Red with Charmander, Gold with Typhlosion, May with Torchic, Dawn with Piplup, Hilbert/Nate with Samurott/Emboar and Serena with Delphox, plus all my other canons like Leaf being Red's sister, without contradicting people who have Leaf as their Kanto champion, or choose Pikachu over Charmander, or disregard remakes as canon, its awesome