Which of Goh’s Starters got done the dirtiest writing wise?

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

He’s even practicing new moves (like liquidation)

The off screen development and such is a huge problem. We've never actively seen any of them actually training or anything, but suddenly Inteleon pops up with Liquidation. Its an issue that doesn't just extend to the starters though. Off screen development is another issue that's plagued this series, such as Ash bouncing back from that losing streak.

 

[Kurolegacy]

The off screen development and such is a huge problem. We've never actively seen any of them actually training or anything, but suddenly Inteleon pops up with Liquidation. Its an issue that doesn't just extend to the starters though. Off screen development is another issue that's plagued this series, such as Ash bouncing back from that losing streak.

What’s worse is that the offscreen development like that only serves to shine a spotlight on forgotten onscreen development from it. Like, what ever happened to U-Turn that it learned as a Sobble which had been there as a means of adapting to its timid nature? It seemed like that was given to it so that it could battle in spite of its timidity but then was promptly forgotten since it was just evolved during its next spotlight and shoved away until it evolved again.

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

If Grookey does end up evolving all the way into Rillaboom, I'll let it slide so long as we see Grookey get actual onscreen development across ALL of its evolutionary stages, but unfortunately Journeys's track record admittedly doesn't have me feeling very optimistic, so I'm bracing myself for another Drizzile.

Anyway, if Grookey does end up evolving all the way it will just further cement my feelings that it would have been much better if the Galar starters had just been distributed among Ash, Goh, and Chole rather than dumping all of them onto Goh.

You just know people are going to blame Ash for why some of his starters don't evolve.

Despite Bulbasaur, Squirtle, The Johto Trio, The Unova Trio, and Rowlet doing so much with Ash they never evolved.

All Goh has to do is breathe and his Pokémon will evolve regardless of whatever they're doing.

It makes it come off as if it's Ash's fault somehow that his Starters don't evolve

 

[Enzo]

All Goh has to do is breathe and his Pokémon will evolve regardless of whatever they're doing.

Which is another part of Goh's goal that I detest: the kid wins without even trying. Any new Pokémon, no matter how they were obtained, configures as success for him, so even when he sits on his ass all day and his Pokémon evolve by their own merits without an ounce of help from him (his 3 Dustox, his 4 Flabebé, Cinderace and Inteleon), he still wins.

I actually even remembered now: he didn't actually even saw Sobble evolving into Drizzile, he only knew it evolved because the Pokédex alerted him. Who knows how long it would've taken for him to know that if the Pokédex hadn't told him? So he also wins without even realizing he's winning.

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

Exactly that. The thing is, I don't really think they wanted to do anything with Sobble to begin with tbh. It spent 26 (!!!!!!) eps without doing anything besides crying and disappearing. There's nothing to convice they had any sort of plans for it besides sitting on Goh's soulder and having that unfunny gag. Frankly? I have a theory that what's currently happening with Grookey (as in, being a shoulder mon with no arcs and just a ~cutesy~ gag) was supossed to be Sobble's intended fate before the fandom decided Inteleon is the new IT Girl.

Then, they realized they had to have an Inteleon on the main cast asap at all costs, and when they realized Goh's Sobble was already on the cast... bam. A super rushed evolution but a spy lizard being on the hands of a protagonist. I know that there's a lot of speculation and not a lot of facts here, but that's my analysis/theory about it

Hmm.... I just saw this post on Twitter and it made me think about this post you made @Enzo you might've actually been onto to something there

https://twitter.com/Mootmonthly/status/1468568865743511560?t=xvnP83DoAkKN-_oBZoztCg&s=19


So apparently Grookey was supposed to be the 2nd Starter caught by Goh not Sobble.

Apparently it came from this Interview. Does anyone here know how to translate?
https://twitter.com/Mootmonthly/status/1468569336713469952?t=muez3XuRtclNnub4XtLdIw&s=19

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

Weird things is, Goh caught Sobble relatively early in the series.

I doubt popularity reasons had a part in it.

So I Wonder what caused the Switch between Sobble and Grookey?

 

[Unireon]

Easy question.

The monkey line is very unpopular.

Though, someone pointed out that the source didn't mention the green gremlin.

 

[Enzo]

Easy question.

The monkey line is very unpopular.

Though, someone pointed out that the source didn't mention the green gremlin.

I frankly don't see Grookey and it's line as not popular, they just aren't on the levels of Scorbunny's and, especially, Sobble's.

I don't see people hating on it unlike some other starters. I just think the fandom sort of considers it forgetable.

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

Easy question.

The monkey line is very unpopular.

Though, someone pointed out that the source didn't mention the green gremlin.

Someone also mentioned the source saying that originally Sobble was supposed to go to Ash while Goh got the other 2 starters but this was changed when they decided to give Ash a Riolu in place of a Starter

I dunno how true that is (it's probably false) but I can definitely believe they initially had different plans given how they baited the idea of Ash catching Sobble early on combined with the weird manner of how Sobble's evolutions were handled (Sobble training offscreen and Goh had next to no involvement in his evolution to Drizzile)

 

[Unireon]

They did troll us with that Special Preview, and I am still not willing to forgive that.

I wanted Satoshi to get Messon since the Galar Starters got revealed.

Gou and his signature 'Hands-off Approach'; it is negligent and for the Pokemon, hard to believe.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Yeah, that clickbait marketing was pretty bad and I still hate the fact that Ash did not get Sobble. Sobble has been handled so poorly under Goh.

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

I was talking to a friend about this and we were thinking about how Just based on their personalities and the way they're marketed, If Galar had it's own season that had been written like DP or XY I can predict that the Galar starters would've probably been written like this:

Scorbunny would've been Ash's Ace this series
Cinderace is literally treated/hyped like Lucario and Greninja in terms of Marketing and would've hogged most screentime away from the rest of Ash's Team. (And out of all 3 of the Starters the Scorbunny line fits Ash the most personality wise)

Sobble would've gone to the Female companion. It is paired up Gloria in a lot of merchandise and she has an Inteleon in Masters.
Plus it gives off a similar vein as Popplio and Fenniken were it's neither the Shillmon Starter nor the Obnoxious Comedy relief starter.
It would be... Well honestly probably nothing else would've really changed much regarding Sobble.
The way It's evolutions would be handled would've depended entirely on what Gloria's hypothetical motivation would've been

Grookey would've been the unevolved comedy relief of the show maybe forming a Rivalry with some other Galar pokemon. And being the star of multiple filler episodes. It would've either gone to the Male Companion (probably Milo) or it would've been Ash's

 

[Eevee800]

I would say Grookey. Despite it appearing each episode since its capture, it does NOTHING.

 

[Rainbow-Rain]

I would say Grookey. Despite it appearing each episode since its capture, it does NOTHING.

How the fuck has it gone almost an entire year without using a single move?

Even Togepi was secretly using Metronome behind the scenes

 

[Eevee800]

How the fuck has it gone almost an entire year without using a single move?

Even Togepi was secretly using Metronome behind the scenes

I KNOW RIGHT LOL. It is crazy. I think it will evolve and then learn a move. Or or it doesn't learn a move at all

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

It’s directly going to change into Gigantamax Rillaboom and the first ever move it uses will be G-Max Drum Solo. You heard it here first!

 

[Eevee800]

It’s directly going to change into Gigantamax Rillaboom and the first ever move it uses will be G-Max Drum Solo. You heard it here first!

You wish lol! I wouldnt be surprised if that happend tbh

 

[Unireon]

I still insist that Satoshi should have got Messon, Inteleon ended up being so popular.

Despite that implying it'd receive the Gekkouga treatment.

The green gremlin does one thing....
Cause mayhem and annoy both characters and the audience alike.
And to make it even worse, it is a Karma Houdini.

 

[Eevee800]

I still insist that Satoshi should have got Messon, Inteleon ended up being so popular.

Despite that implying it'd receive the Gekkouga treatment.

The green gremlin does one thing....
Cause mayhem and annoy both characters and the audience alike.
And to make it even worse, it is a Karma Houdini.

You think so? Idk if Inteleon would be better off with Satoshi tbh..

 

[Unireon]

You think so? Idk if Inteleon would be better off with Satoshi tbh..

And I doubt that it'd get an even worse treatment under Satoshi than the mess they ended up doing by giving it to Gou.