Why do you think Wally was absent in the anime?

[Silktree]

I'm sure that it didn't even occur to them to use Wally as a traveling companion. They didn't want to replace Brock at that point, and a fourth character could only work as a bonus with little development, which is the kind of role Max had.

Wally wouldn't have joined the cast even if Max hadn't existed.

 

[HumanDawn]

They could have done that, but I think that it would have lost too much of its impact since his sister's Purrloin had been gone for years and during that time, evolved to the point where it didn't remember them, or at least that's the impression I got. Giving him just a one off episode would have been really weird. It kind of made sense to do that with Cheren since he had already become a Gym Leader and they skipped everything about his storyline from B/W anyway, but without Team Plasma stealing his sister's Purrloin years before, I don't think it would have been as effective. Plus, with the way that arc was handled, I think just giving him an episode to cover his backstory and getting Purrloin back would have stood out like a sore thumb.

Ohh I didn't know Purrloin was kidnapped for years and then evolved. I just assumed Purrloin was kidnapped before Hugh started his journey. They could have changed it a bit with making Purrloin get lost and for Hugh to recognize it from some distinct feature it had, but I agree that it would lose a lot of impact and have to be dumbed down quite a bit.[/QUOTE]

That would be awesome since he's a pretty cool character. Not one of my favorite rivals, although he's far better than the bland Brendan/May rivals, but Wally certainly does deserve more attention and it would be cool to see him in the anime.

Yeah, I feel the same. He had a nice character arc which left me wanting to see more of him. I haven't read any Pokemon manga so I don't know much about how he was used, but I heard good things.

To me, Masato only exists to help along Haruka. Teasing Haruka to get on her nerves, getting in trouble to make her worried, running to her whenever he gets scared so she can be a caring older sister...he was basically an easy way to elicit reactions out of Haruka so we could see what kind of character she is. I'm sure there are people who felt that Kenji was just a poor imitation of Takeshi and so they introduced a little brother character to make sure nobody thought the same thing about Haruka and Kasumi.

And since Masato's around, then, sadly, there's no room for Mitsuru.

Satoshi could have teased May and Mitsuru could have filled the same roles, just why bother making a new character to fill the same things? For the sake of a brother and sister relationship?

I'm sure that it didn't even occur to them to use Wally as a traveling companion. They didn't want to replace Brock at that point, and a fourth character could only work as a bonus with little development, which is the kind of role Max had.

Wally wouldn't have joined the cast even if Max hadn't existed.

Even if it didn't occur to them or they didn't decide to use him as a traveling companion, it's still weird how he wasn't adapted.

 

[Garren]

Let's be honest, Wally was such a one-note character in the original Ruby and Sapphire (and barely more in ORAS, although having a cool theme and Mega Evolution makes him stand out slightly), I wouldn't be surprised if the staff just forgot about him.

All the episodes with Max bonding with a Pokemon, including the Jirachi Movie, were some of my favorite episodes of Hoenn, so I'm glad they went with him in the end. I personally hope he comes back to promote ORAS---have him grown up to be a Trainer (I feel like they can get away with having young kids grow up despite the static continuity), and wanting to prove himself to Ash. Give him Gallade, of course, tying into the stellar Ralts episode, and maybe the rest of his team reference other Pokemon he was shown bonding with...one of his dad's Pokemon, Breloom, Mightyena, etc.

 

[HumanDawn]

Let's be honest, Wally was such a one-note character in the original Ruby and Sapphire (and barely more in ORAS, although having a cool theme and Mega Evolution makes him stand out slightly), I wouldn't be surprised if the staff just forgot about him.

I am being honest. Even if he didn't appear as much as the other rivals, I don't think that makes him a one note character. The fact he's the rival you face just before the league shows he was made to be at least somewhat important, and I know the Special manga adapted him and made him more involved in things. He's even rematchable in ORAS, which is more than what May/Brendan got in the end of the game. That was such a weird battle, I'd have made it in the entrance of Victory Road.

All the episodes with Max bonding with a Pokemon, including the Jirachi Movie, were some of my favorite episodes of Hoenn, so I'm glad they went with him in the end. I personally hope he comes back to promote ORAS---have him grown up to be a Trainer (I feel like they can get away with having young kids grow up despite the static continuity), and wanting to prove himself to Ash. Give him Gallade, of course, tying into the stellar Ralts episode, and maybe the rest of his team reference other Pokemon he was shown bonding with...one of his dad's Pokemon, Breloom, Mightyena, etc.

I liked those episodes too, although I don't think I really cared about the bonding with Jirachi. Are you saying Wally couldn't have filled in the same role? How would Max promote ORAS? That's a big stretch, because Max is 7 years old and would need 3 years to go out on a journey and quite some time to have a good team, it wouldn't make sense to age Max and not age Ash and I don't think the writers want to age anyone. It would just be jarring and annoying when Wally could be used.

 

[Garren]

Well, as in a character from Hoenn returning using Hoenn Pokemon.

Yes, I know Wally is actually from ORAS, but from the perspective of fans of the show, I think bringing Max back and having him live up to his "goal"...following in Ash's and his father's footsteps and becoming a strong Trainer, would be much more meaningful, and way neater than simply adapting Wally who never had any importance to the show prior.

As for the aging up issue, who cares really? Max is no longer on the cast, so I feel they can easily age him up...not by any specific amount, just slightly older looking...and it wouldn't bother me. All the other characters that left Ash have been shown to advance in some form, not exactly in age, but in their goals, I think Max should as well even if it slightly flubs the idea that the show is perpetually within the same timeframe.

 

[HumanDawn]

Well, as in a character from Hoenn returning using Hoenn Pokemon.

That could work.

Yes, I know Wally is actually from ORAS, but from the perspective of fans of the show, I think bringing Max back and having him live up to his "goal"...following in Ash's and his father's footsteps and becoming a strong Trainer, would be much more meaningful, and way neater than simply adapting Wally who never had any importance to the show prior.

Ahh, I get you, but they could use Wally in the Mega Evolution acts some way too, being in Hoenn. Max being in the acts would be... out of place?

As for the aging up issue, who cares really? Max is no longer on the cast, so I feel they can easily age him up...not by any specific amount, just slightly older looking...and it wouldn't bother me. All the other characters that left Ash have been shown to advance in some form, not exactly in age, but in their goals, I think Max should as well even if it slightly flubs the idea that the show is perpetually within the same timeframe.

It might not bother you and while the show and the timeframe doesn't make a lot of sense I'd rather they don't screw it up further. Max can't be a trainer unless he becomes a 10 year old no matter how much older looking he becomes, so him battling Ash would be weird and while it would be cool I don't see it happening now.

 

[Garren]

Ahh, I get you, but they could use Wally in the Mega Evolution acts some way too, being in Hoenn. Max being in the acts would be... out of place?

Oh of course, I think we could get Wally in the Mega Evolution Acts, and still have Max in the main show, as he wouldn't fit into Mega Evolution Act III. It'd be somewhat redundant, but it would satisfy those looking for connections with the games, and those who simply want the anime to be entertaining in and of itself, which I fall into the latter.

 

[Muur]

I'd be more than for Wally cameoing in the mega spin off. Put in Brenden too maybe.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Regarding Wally looking back.
I think manga did especially creative job with his adaptation in pokemon adventures showcasing willingness and strength of human spirit in not letting any obstacles, handicap and restrictions stand on your way of following dreams and finding path in life in which you want to invest yourself and move forward.

Resulting in lot of tries, devoted training and working on improving Wally health, shape and stength earning Norman respect and admiration.

Something like that could have been adapted in Hoenn series giving Wally role of Ash rival perhaps. Coming of as irrelevant, not meant to be taken as serious competition. With his encounters with main cast bringing more harm than good in sense of giving Ash challenge as valuable trainer against who he could learn new things and become better prepared for league.

Representing burden for group whenever he appears and starts experiencing pain and limitations of his weak health and lung problems making Ash and other go panick trying to find adequate medical help in such situations.

Just to later witness during late Hoenn Wally blossoming from sickly, weak boy in stronger, more confident and capable person and trainer defeating Ash in late Hoenn and making him realize how wrong he was in understimating his power asnd resiliance. Serving as wake up call and inducement in training harder for Hoenn league, their eventual encounter again and Battle Frontier challenge afterwards. With Wally presence teaching Ash important lesson of never judging opponent by his/her appearance and exterior keeping in mind their fighting spirit.

Because one of biggest flaws AG series had imo was lack of rivals for Ash, on going conflict, hurdle and challenge forcing him to question his own skills and battle tactics . Helping to become more complete and sophisticated battler because of that.

Ash still did managed to improve without it in Hoenn, but final result still felt incomplete imo regading his journey and development there in having vectoir through which he would be taught humbleness, respect and modesty with Ash arrogance and overconfidence showing to be one of his bigger flaws in Hoenn.

Presence of Wally with baggage he represents to him and others about himself due to poor physical condition could have fulfilled that role in helping Ash advance forward pretty good imo.

p.s. I agree with others who say how Max should receive in person return as well being one of few ones who never got this. Being left in ungrateful position wuth no progression of dreams made. But to be fair hes not the only one.
Cilan got no signs of coming closer toward dream leaving future cimpletely open. Misty while improved as trainer in Cerulean didn't overcome any task bringing her closer toward becoming water master(one of them is winning Whirl Cup) reaching E4 strength.
Dawn got no update in BW as coordinator. etc.

Problem is that once main character is replaced in pokemon he just becomes buried in past never coming back aside from one follow up appearance since continuity and consistent plot isnt priority sadly.

I would also like to use this opportunity to wish everyone who celebrate Merry Christmas! and all the best for holidays.

 

[SammyW27]

I imagine the producers felt his story was too dramatic or downbeat for the Show, or too unimportant. Plus, he wasn't a very good/interesting characters to begin with (there's a reason you didn't hear about him as much as the other Rivals).

Now that he's been given more personality & depth in ORAS, it would be neat for him to be animated somehow, but I fear it's too little, too late :-(

 

[technickal]

I think Wally already got a pseudo-counterpart in Max, especially with the Ralts and all.

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

I personally think that the reason Wally never appeared is because in the original Gen 3 games, his role was barely significant compared to other characters, which still doesn't excuse the fact that Steven Stone was only in a single episode and all his other appearances in the game never being tied in with the anime.

Although the anime has a bad habit of completely ignoring rivals, like Silver and Hugh, and preferring to use elements from their characters (like how Paul is based on Silver) or making new characters from scratch (Drew, Stephan, etc.) in their place. The only rivals that made appearances were Gary, Barry, Bianca, and the X/Y "rivals", and even then, with the exception of Gary, most of them made either late debuts or very minimal appearances. Bianca barely existed in the anime and Cheren was only limited to two episodes as his BW2 gym leader self with almost no connection to his game self at all.

The anime has always been known for taking "creative liberties" with things from the game, this being one such example.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

I'm actually quite disappointed that Wally has never had an anime appearance, even a cameo. I really liked the precious child in ORAS and I'm kinda disappointed they haven't even done anything to promote ORAS so far using him. They showed off Steven Stone and Rayquaza in Mega Evolutions Act II, though we haven't seen any signs of Wally ever appearing. It wouldn't be out of the question to put him into Mega Evolution Act III so not only we get Wally, but they could show off Mega Gallade as well.

I do wish though he was a big part of the AG saga and he was made a permanent rival for Ash. It would've been nice if he kept encountering Ash, only to lose to him. It could have served to build up the over confident streak Ash had during AG, until Drake corrected that. If they did use Wally in AG, it would have been nice if they had him defeat Ash in the league in the end, instead of Tyson. I still hope that someday the precious child appears while ORAS is still relevant.

 

[Aarav]

I don't why but Wally reminds me of Armin from Attack on titan. Means both are physically weak but mentally strong.

 

[Handy Man]

It would be sick if Wally made his debut in Journeys as one of Ash’s newest rivals.

 

[Venomaid]

I think Wally already got a pseudo-counterpart in Max, especially with the Ralts and all.

So you're saying that they ignored Wally just because they gave Max that Ralts episode 2 years into the Advanced Generation series? That seems like a real big stretch since a lot of important places where Wally appeared in the games had already appeared in the show by that point, yet the writers did nothing with Wally even before the Ralts episode was written.

 

[Yami-no-Game]

So you're saying that they ignored Wally just because they gave Max that Ralts episode 2 years into the Advanced Generation series? That seems like a real big stretch since a lot of important places where Wally appeared in the games had already appeared in the show by that point, yet the writers did nothing with Wally even before the Ralts episode was written.

Plus that Ralts that Max bonded with only appeared in a single episode so it makes no sense that the writers would think that was enough to cover Wally's whole existence and never have him show up just because of that one episode.

I always thought Drew was our Wally substitute because of his green hair and Roselia but that's pretty much all they had in common isn't it? Their backstories were complete opposites.

 

[DynamicFusion]

I think Wally has a good chance to appear in Journeys, I really liked that chap in the games.

 

[Galactic_V]

I believe the reason Mitsuru was not in AG is both from what Dogasu said 6 years ago (this thread is six years old!), and because OLM simply decided to not use him. I mean, the anime's always been known to not stick to the games very closely, with a lot of game characters not being featured as an example (some of them relegated to one-time appearances, like Daigo in AG and Cheren in BW).

Of course Mitsuru could've appeared as a COTD (or a recurring character) back then, but the producers decided not to use him.

 

[$Emperor]

Wally was probably.......aging with Gallade. BUT he did make an appearance in the Pokemon card series Cosmic Eclipse. He is bigger than Gallade on the card............