What if..? - Anipoke edition

[R1ke]

I've been watching Marvel's What if..? episodes recently and was thinking how it could apply to the Pokemon anime. So are there any alternate scenarios you could come up with? Keep in mind this is more about changing one choice/situation and seeing how it could play out, rather than rewriting the whole series entirely.

I came up with a few earlier:

• What if Ash remained a frontier brain?
• What if Paul mastered Chimchar’s blaze ability?
• What if Guzma won the Alola league?

Also inb4 the what if Goh/journeys never existed post cause I know someone will suggest it

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

What if Journeys was actually well written?

 

[JinksChow]

What if Journeys was actually well written?

But regarding the topic at hand:

What if Ash didn't Oak everyone except Pikachu before heading to Hoenn? Or for that matter, before every time he heads to a new region?

 

[Jewel the Quaxly]

What if humans could understand pokemon?

What if Mairon was Ramos's granddaughter?

What if Ash's Aura abilities were implemented into the anime?

What if Pikachu had claustrophobia?

What if Ash had been zapped out of existence for an episode to see how he effected the lives of those around him?

What if Noivern went to Serena and Sylveon went to Ash?

What if Team Rocket quit Team Rocket for good?

What if the inside of the Poke ball is actually another dimension?

What if the Poke ball didn't exist?

What if Clemont had been the one to come up with the rotom-dex?

What if JN030 was just a fever dream from Pikachu eating too much ketchup?

What if Ash had come back for Pidgeot after OI?

What if Sceptile hadn't defeated Darkrai?

What if Ash's Quilava had evolved in Johto?

What if Raboot hadn't evolved?

What if Goh never caught Grookey or Sobble?

What if that Florges from XY wasn't misunderstood and really did want to take over the wetlands?

What if Madam X was an actual person, not a persona Officer Jenny?


...this is fun.

 

[SonansuMan]

What if Ash actually woke up on time?

What if James never met the Magikarp salesman?

What if the TR vs TP two-parter eventually aired?

What if Misty never shoved Ash or Brock out of Togepi's sight?

What if time consistently passed in the anime?

What if Iris caught Meowth?

What if Ash actually released Pikachu in Pikachu's Goodbye?

What if more than six Pokemon were allowed in a party?

What if the TRio successfully stole Pikachu?

What if Ash kept Aipom?

What if Ash was a Pokemon Ranger?

What if Jessie and James had a romance subplot in the anime?

What if Jessie and Wobbuffet actually stayed with Dr. White?

What if there was a modern day Pokemon war?

What if Lana actually caught Kyogre?

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

What if Ash won the Kalos League?

What if Ash and Serena’s kid became the protagonist of the anime? (I can dream!)

What if the anime ended after Kalos?

What if the SM anime never existed?

What if BW went as planned and ended up regarded as a top dog?

What if Ash wasn’t dense?

What if Torterra won a battle?

What if Team Rocket captured a Cramorant?

The What If game is both a blessing and a curse because it goes on forever

 

[PikachuSmasher]

What if Greninja stayed with Ash?
What if Ash wasn't so dense?
What if Gengar won?
What if Chloe got more focus?
What if Serena returns and crashes Google Servers?
What if Pikachu died in Diancie Movie?
What if this anime is all one large daydream of Ash?
What if there is a big boss in the anime that Ash will battle in the last episode?

 

[R1ke]

I like the ‘what if Ash actually woke up on time’ one, since it’s a simple thing that can actually change a lot.

My take on it is

Spoiler

• Ash would’ve chosen Squirtle instead, pretty sure they mentioned this.
• Obviously he wouldn’t have sunglasses squirtle and pikachu, Blastoise would probably become his ace instead. Maybe even more than Charizard.
• He wouldn’t have gotten close to Misty since Pikachu wouldn’t have fried her bike. Taking this one step further, he’d steamroll Brock due to the type advantage hence never bond with him.
• TR would be much less prominent, if not nonexistent and wouldn’t constantly follow Ash around.
• Ash likely wouldn’t have seen Ho-oh, so no implications there.
• Ash would’ve had an easier start since Squirtle would’ve been more obedient towards him than Pikachu. His team would be stronger overall due to Blastoise and he would’ve won more battles early on. I reckon Gary would’ve respected him more as well, since Pikachu wouldn’t have almost embarrassed him at Pallet town.
• Biggest change would be towards his gym battles. No TR disruptions means he battles Misty, Erika and Koga properly. Like I mentioned, Brock would’ve been much easier, Surge wouldn’t have the same stakes and Blaine would’ve likely been beaten on his first try. Then he might’ve battled Giovanni+Mewtwo himself, which would be his main challenge. I have to wonder how he’d get past this, maybe battle Giovanni’s actual team.
• I’m guessing this increased battle experience would’ve caused Charmeleon and Charizard to be obedient, so he’d use him more frequently.
• He would do wayy better in the indigo league - beating Richie and advancing to top 4 (maybe?). Maybe he could battle Gary and get his victory here instead.

Just realised he’d basically turn into Red lol. I’ll tackle a more interesting one next time (probs one of the ones I wrote earlier).

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

What if...

Brock caught Charmander instead?

Would Bulbasaur or Squirtle have stepped up to evolve and take the mantle of regional badass?

Would Ash have caught another fire type? A Growlithe, maybe?

Would Charmander evolve at all? If so, would Brock’s different style and experience make it more obedient?

Would Pikachu defeat Gary’s Blastoise instead?

 

[R1ke]

So this time I’ll try and write it like an actual episode. Consider this a continuation of the last one.

What if... Ash became a Frontier Brain?

Spoiler

• Episode starts with a montage of Ash collecting obtaining all the frontier symbols, ending at Brandon's. As usual, Scott gives him the plaque with all them and offers him a position as a frontier brain. This time, Ash accepts.
• In present day, he's outside and reflecting on his progress. He doesn't want to travel the world this time, but hopes to become a pokemon master under the battle frontier.
• A voice calls out to him - his travelling companion, Sawyer! In this timeline, Ash bumped into him when he went to Hoenn. Instead of moving to Kalos, Sawyer adventured with Ash around Hoenn. Compared to normal Sawyer, he's more confident and closer to Ash, respecting him but being on more equal footing.
• There's a celebration in Pallet town tonight about Ash's new position, which they both attend. Here we catch up with Gary, Oak, Delia (Gary has Venusaur now) and see Ash's full team (Blastoise, Arcanine, Pidgeot, Snorlax, Gengar, Tyranitar, Flygon, notably). We also learn about his adventures in Johto and Hoenn, coming runner-up and winning the leagues respectively.
• Scott and the other frontier brains are there too, with Brandon deciding to step down his position and have Ash replace him. He tells him that he wants to explore a distant region named Sinnoh, to research its myths relating to the Regi trio. Other brains (Anabel maybe) also mention a certain trainer, also from Sinnoh who'd recently defeated them. Ash is excited to here this.
• The next day, Ash and Sawyer are back again training inside the Battle Pyramid. They discuss said trainer, who's apparently also travelled through Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. They're interrupted by their guest, none other than Reggie himself, accompanied by Paul. He challenges Ash to claim his last symbol.
• Ash battles Reggie in 3v3, with Scott being the referee. Ash's up 3-1 (Tyranitar > Electivire, Blastoise -- Drapion, Flygon > Drapion) but Reggie's unfazed. He comments on his last pokemon - it's his strongest and possesses a special power. Now that he's scouted Ash's tactics and set up hazards, he's just getting started. Ash is excited and Reggie sends it out - Infernape! As he explains, he bonded with a Chimchar and captured it, mastering its Blaze ability.
• Infernape quickly sweeps Tyranitar and Flygon. Ash sends out Blastoise. Infernape activates blaze, pressuring Blastoise. Eventually it holds its own and activates its torrent ability. It braces itself with iron defense to catch flare blitz and unleashes a point-blank hydro pump. The battle ends in a draw, surprising everyone.
• Both parties are satisfied with the battle and promise to rematch. Paul is inspired by both trainers, wanting to grow strong himself and bond with his pokemon, so he too can battle Ash someday. Ash reaffirms his desire to become stronger via the battle frontier.

Hope you enjoyed this one, coming up with this stuff is pretty fun tbh. Ash not travelling to other regions also opens up so many possibilities.

 

[RetroPokeFan]

What if Ash decided to go straight to Galar instead of Cerise's lab? Would Goh meet up with Ash later on or would his life be very different?

What if Lysandre had been successful in creating a new world?

What if Ash had accepted Chairman Ross's deal?

What if Raihan or Lance somehow beat Leon?

What if Sophocles had moved away?

What if Pikachu had helped out and been Riolu's mentor?

What if Ash crossed paths with AU Ash?

What if the TRio chose to stay behind in Alola?

What if the Black and White anime had gone for an adaptation or new interpretation of the game's story?

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

What if Jessie had beaten James at the Alola League and made it to the Top 8? My guess is that it would have made the Top 8 battles a 2v2 instead of a 1v1, since it appears that the number of Pokemon allowed in each round were based on the minimum that all participants had, so if Jessie who had two Pokemon had made it to the Top 8, maybe we would have seen 2v2 battles earlier instead of having to wait till the Top 4. Here are the matchups I feel would have been the most likely if the Top 8 round had been 2v2:

Gladion vs Jessie

• Wobuffet vs Umbreon- Umbreon wins (this would have been kinda funny imo because Wobbuffet effectively can't do a thing here: Umbreon is immune to Mirror Coat due to it's type and knows two super-effective specially oriented attacks, so as long as it uses only those, Wobbuffet can't redirect any of the damage he takes. I think Jessie's reaction to this would be hilarious)
• Mimikyu vs Umbreon- Mimikyu wins
• Mimikyu vs Lycanroc- Lycanroc wins

Lana vs Guzma

• Primarina vs Scizor- Primarina wins
• Primarina vs Golisopod- Golisopod wins
• Sandy vs Golisopod- Golisopod wins (I actually think Sandy would have lasted a surprisingly long time in this battle if only so because of the sheer determination to avenge his friend, but in the end all that would have amounted to would be delaying the inevitable)

Kiawe vs Sophocles

• Marowak vs Togedemaru- draw (mainly because it would have created a neat balance, as Kiawe's Marowak would have walked away from the League with one win, one loss, and one draw)
• Charizard vs Vikavolt- Charizard wins

Ash vs Hau

• Pikachu vs Alolan Raichu- Pikachu wins (to be completely honest, I hate both this matchup and the result, but I just know that the anime would likely not have been able to resist the opportunity to humiliate Raichu for the gazillionth time had the occasion actually presented itself, so yeah...)
• Pikachu vs Decidueye- Decidueye wins
• Rowlet vs Decidueye- Rowlet wins

 

[Alola]

What if Ash kissed Serena back?

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

What if Ash kissed Serena back?

Didn’t he though?

 

[PikachuSmasher]

Didn’t he though?

Technically Yeah

 

[Alola]

Didn’t he though?

Oh, well I meant like what if he explicitly leaned back in and kissed her back after she did. That's different, and more along the lines of kissing some back, to me than receiving a kiss from someone.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

Oh, well I meant like what if he explicitly leaned back in and kissed her back after she did. That's different, and more along the lines of kissing some back, to me than receiving a kiss from someone.

But he did that too

 

[Greninjaman]

What if Lysandre was able to mind control Ash and Greninja?

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

What if Alain never participated in the Lumiose Conference?
What if Ash went to Galar to compete in its league instead of helping Professor Cerise?
What if Ash caught the Aura Sphere Riolu?

 

[thomaswiencek]

What if Team Rocket have tortured Ash's Greninja by electrocuting and exploding it to its incapacitation with Inkay's newly learned Thunderbolt upon Team Flare's defeat?