Pokemon Scarlet and Violet anime (MODS' UPDATE 23/08/2022)

[Eitarou]

None of us have any clue what role these characters will play or how they'll play. And people should stop acting like the writers are obligated to portray every Rival exactly as they are in the games. If Gym Leaders can be Ash's companions, then so can a Rival.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Yeah I have no idea why people think rivals will suddenly be main characters when that has never happened in the series before. The fact that these characters are rivals makes it unlikely for them to be any more than recurring characters.

That's such a weird logic to go by when they've broken traditions plenty of times before. Even before Journeys, the idea that Ash would get to the finals or actually win a game related region League would have been seen as laughably impossible, or at least something that the writers would not be interested in actually doing. Each new series tends to try out new ideas or concepts. The idea of having rivals as part of the main cast might not be likely, but I don't think that means it's impossible for them to do it now, especially with the logic that it never happened before and we don't know what Ash will do in Paldea either.

Considering that we don't know these characters' roles in the games, their personalities or their storylines, it's still possible that they could become traveling companions. Despite the games coming out in just a few months, we still don't know much about them, the new Pokemon or the new characters, so I don't really see the point in dismissing this possibility just because they've never done it before.

 

[RileyXY1]

That's such a weird logic to go by when they've broken traditions plenty of times before. Even before Journeys, the idea that Ash would get to the finals or actually win a game related region League would have been seen as laughably impossible, or at least something that the writers would not be interested in actually doing. Each new series tends to try out new ideas or concepts. The idea of having rivals as part of the main cast might not be likely, but I don't think that means it's impossible for them to do it now, especially with the logic that it never happened before and we don't know what Ash will do in Paldea either.

Considering that we don't know these characters' roles in the games, their personalities or their storylines, it's still possible that they could become traveling companions. Despite the games coming out in just a few months, we still don't know much about them, the new Pokemon or the new characters, so I don't really see the point in dismissing this possibility just because they've never done it before.

They've never done it because they don't want companions that have the same goals as Ash, as that would make the anime boring.

 

[Hidden Mew]

They've never done it because they don't want companions that have the same goals as Ash, as that would make the anime boring.

I think that you overlooked my point about how we don't know what Ash will do in Paldea. As much as I would want a return of the Gym challenge in the anime, that's far from a guarantee, especially when there are three storylines in the games. Ash could easily be doing one of the other storylines while one of the rivals does the Gym battles instead, even though it would still feel out of character for Ash to not want to do Gym battles too like how he had no interest in or reaction to Galar Gyms. It could easily be the reverse where Ash does Gym battles to get to the Champion rank and the rivals do one of the other storylines. Or the anime could do something completely different. It's hard to say for sure at this point due to a combination of knowing little about the games and the anime usually doing its own thing regardless of what is in the games anyway.

Yes, at least part of the reason why rivals weren't in the main cast before was because they have the same goal as Ash and that would have required them to battle each Gym Leader twice. It wouldn't necessarily make the anime boring, but it would stall the pacing considerably to have Gym battles take twice as long. However, we don't know if all of the rivals are going to be going after the Gyms, what their personalities are or what roles they play in the storyline. I'm not saying that it's a guarantee that these rivals are going to be in the main cast, but I do think it's kind of ridiculous to claim that it won't happen because it never happened before in the history of the anime when we don't know much about them and more importantly, the anime has had no problem breaking traditions in the past.

 

[Eitarou]

If goals are the issue, then the answer is simple (for the most part): have them do something else. SV has three stories, so have Ash do one, and have someone else do the others. Also, why do game Rivals always have to do Gyms? Arven for example is bad at battling but likes cooking, so he could easily be the new Brock.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

If they could make up an entire thing thats not even in the games for Serena in X and Y they can easily have them do the other stories for this.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

They've never done it because they don't want companions that have the same goals as Ash, as that would make the anime boring.

In game rivals don’t have their goals adapted 1:1 always. Hop isn't in the PWC right now.

 

[DuskAstral]

They are not going to become his traveling companions. Rivals never become traveling companions.

I have never written anywhere that they will become Satoshi's companions.
Read more carefully.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Technically, its wrong to say rivals never become companions. May and Serena both act as a rival in their games, though both were companions for Ash. They're not a major one, but they are technically rivals.

 

[DuskAstral]

Technically, its wrong to say rivals never become companions. May and Serena both act as a rival in their games, though both were companions for Ash. They're not a major one, but they are technically rivals.

That's different.
Although in games they have the status of rivals, in anime they do not have the same goal as Satoshi, so it was not a problem for them to accompany him.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

That's different.
Although in games they have the status of rivals, in anime they do not have the same goal as Satoshi, so it was not a problem for them to accompany him.

So couldn't they just... do that here too? they could change these rivals goals from gyms (If they even all care about the gyms which I suspect only Nemona will), to something new. Like they did with Serena (Not May sense technically Contests were a sub goal in gen 3)

 

[Eitarou]

They can. Hell, they've done the reverse. Tierno and Trevor never show interest in Gym battles in the games, yet they're League-worthy in the anime.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

That's different.
Although in games they have the status of rivals, in anime they do not have the same goal as Satoshi, so it was not a problem for them to accompany him.

Not really in the context of what we're talking about. This is about rivals never being compaions, which is technically wrong.They can be rivals in the game, but that doesn't mean they have to be in the anime, considering May and Serena did become companions instead of rivals for Ash. They don't even have to have the same goal as Ash.

 

[Sai]

It's a bit different. For example in the games Marnie is not playable and just a rival character, so she was like that in the show. All rivals from the recent games like Hau and Gladion in SM, Tierno/Trevor/Shauna in XY, Bianca in BW, Barry in DP and of course Gary all had the same type of roles as rivals instead of companions.

May, Dawn and Serena are playable female protagonists first and rivals second, so it's not really the same thing. When people think of the R/S rival they think of Wally, when people think of the DP rival they think of Barry, etc.

 

[snowmint]

Goh is probably going away when scarlet and violet games come out?

 

[DuskAstral]

Goh is probably going away when scarlet and violet games come out?

Not necessarily.
There is a chance he might stay.

Reasons why it can be:

• is an exclusive character
• was named the protagonist (Satoshi's other companions did not receive such an honor)
• his second target (catch all pokémon) increases his chances of staying
• The Project Mew expedition will take place in JN, so there is no reason he should not be able to accompany Satoshi anymore

 

[Silktree]

It's still called the Pocket Monsters series for a reason. There is no such thing as a Scarlet and Violet series, even if the main setting turns out to be Paldea.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Mootmonthly/status/1554427597827854337

 

[RileyXY1]

It's still called the Pocket Monsters series for a reason. There is no such thing as a Scarlet and Violet series, even if the main setting turns out to be Paldea.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Mootmonthly/status/1554427597827854337

So, they'll just keep Journeys going forever, only adding the new regions into the rotation?

 

[Sai]

That's not anime merch, there has no been no official merch for the next series yet. We always see pokemon drawn in anime style but not necessarily for the show.

 

[SlyGecko]

Not necessarily.
There is a chance he might stay.

Reasons why it can be:

• is an exclusive character
• was named the protagonist (Satoshi's other companions did not receive such an honor)
• his second target (catch all pokémon) increases his chances of staying
• The Project Mew expedition will take place in JN, so there is no reason he should not be able to accompany Satoshi anymore

None of those points are actually good reasons for Goh to stay.
1. There have been anime exclusive characters that have left after traveling with Ash.
2. Dawn was also the protagonist of DP and she still left when her time was over.
3. That goal isn't interesting enough for him to stick around. Besides, that goal was just the dumb reason he came up with to catch Mew because he no actually idea on how to find Mew.
4. There would be really no reason for him to constantly travel with Ash after the expedition. Why constantly travel with Ash, when you can travel with someone who has the same goal as you, catch Mew.