Controversial opinions

[EscLucy]

Like I really liked the Ash vs Olympia double battle in XY, but since then, I haven't seen one that really wowed me.

That battle was amazing! The aesthetics were soooooo good, also Olympia's voice actor was very dramatic which was great. But yeah totally agree, there hasn't been a battle where I'm focusing on it completely and being "wow'ed" every second of it.

 

[HiroHunter]

I feel like Ash or Brock should had gotten Togepi and not Misty.
(If this was used before sorry.)

 

[Hellomello]

SUPER controversial opinion: I always felt Paul's treatment of Chimchar strengthened the rivalry's overall message.

A rivalry ending with Paul getting acknowledged as another side of the same coin as Ash just feels much more satisfying to me than a rivalry ending with Paul getting punished; but I guess that's where I differ from a lot of people.

Also, I never could understand people who hate the rivalry just because of how Paul treated Chimchar. It's clear that the show never really wanted anyone to believe that Paul's treatment of it was acceptable, hence why it made a point to tell us that Paul doesn't treat the rest of his team the same way as he did Chimchar first before telling us his training method was alright.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

I feel like Ash or Brock should had gotten Togepi and not Misty.
(If this was used before sorry.)

This reminded me: They should remember the relationship between Brock and Charizard, and Meowth and Togepi.

 

[HiroHunter]

This reminded me: They should remember the relationship between Brock and Charizard, and Meowth and Togepi.

The two reasons I hated that Misty got Togepi is becauce:
1. She did nothing to take care of the egg.
2. She did nothing with Togepi.

 

[Huikyeong]

The two reasons I hated that Misty got Togepi is becauce:
1. She did nothing to take care of the egg.
2. She did nothing with Togepi.

that and i thought it was kind of weird she got it because most of her pokemon were water types

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

If trials do appear in Gen 8, the anime needs to think harder about its implementation. They have been poorly executed and there hasn't been much problem solving which I was looking forward to seeing in the anime especially with Ash's new drawing which could show off more of his personality e.g. a goofy look in a hard puzzle and the sense of achievement.

Note that Gyms don't have puzzles in the anime, either, so it's kinda the same thing with trials: just cutting to the chase right away.

The two reasons I hated that Misty got Togepi is becauce:
1. She did nothing to take care of the egg.
2. She did nothing with Togepi.

While I think Misty was the best original main character to receive Togepi, I too dislike how she just shoved Ash and Brock aside when the Egg was hatching. Ash, who had found the Egg, and Brock, who had taken care of it, shoved aside by Misty, who had done nothing, nothing to take care of the Egg. And this selfish act was the reason why Togepi got imprinted to her and decided to go with her, instead of either person who had had any kind of part in taking care of it as an Egg. She really was a jerk in season 1, wasn't she?

Oh, and I also agree that Misty did pretty much nothing with Togepi. That was as far as her character development pretty much went until the end of Johto. I think some people's reason for preferring Misty over other Pokégirls is because they let their nostalgia blind them of the blandness of her character. She didn't have any kind of clear goals, an issue which the later Pokégirls (except for Iris) fixed big time.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

. She didn't have any kind of clear goals, an issue which the later Pokégirls (except for Iris) fixed big time.

That's the problem with "Type Master" as a goal in the anime, it doesn't have enough structure to it. They only get scattered, semi-random things related to them, and don't even always catch the type of Pokemon they want to master, even though I think it could actually kinda make sense if it had some kind of logic to it

Ex: A Fire-type Trainer has a Water or Ground type to keep fires under control, a Trainer with aggressive Dragon-types has a Pokemon that's good at calming others, a Fighting-type Trainer has a Pokemon that can help heal the others after vigorous training... Stuff like that. Basically, if the Trainer has some specific need, it'd make sense if they catch a different Pokemon to help with that need.

Ash's ultimate Pokemon Master goal is kinda vague too, but at least you know that at the minimum, it requires defeating Gyms and winning Leagues.

 

[Huikyeong]

I'd like to see new goals such as Pokemon referee or Pokemon move tutor or something.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

I'd like to see new goals such as Pokemon referee or Pokemon move tutor or something.

Move tutoring would actually be really interesting because if they did it, it might make them address a problem I've noticed in the anime for a while:

A lot of the movepools either suck, or get stale after a while.

Pikachu hasn't had anything new since early Unova, and Electro Ball doesn't even seem to have its special effect in the anime, so I honestly have no idea how strong it's supposed to be. Also, Quick Attack gets used head-on too much and sometimes it seems like it does too much damage. (Like vs Misty's Gyarados, it looked way too strong) It'd make more sense as a dodging/maneuvering skill, or something to quickly get cheap shots in while the opponent is caught off guard.

Like, even freaking Ash-Greninja has a garbage movepool that's only any good specifically because Ash-Greninja is so strong that it can do a ton of crazy stuff with it.

I'm pretty sure Rowlet still only has 3 moves, not counting Z-Moves, Lycanroc is still using Rock Throw, Snivy's movepool never changed at all... these are only some examples.

 

[Hidden Mew]

This reminded me: They should remember the relationship between Brock and Charizard, and Meowth and Togepi.

I wasn't surprised that they didn't focus on the connection Brock seemingly had with Charmander during its capture episode, but I was surprised that they never brought up Meowth bonding with Togepi. Granted, it was rather sudden how it became so attached to Togepi in half an episode, but they made a big deal about it and Meowth crying as he was dragged off made the situation feel pretty sad. But then he pretty much doesn't react any differently towards Togepi for the rest of the series.

I also think it would have been better if Ash or Brock got Togepi. I don't know if they would have shown it battling with Ash, but it might have been able to actually learn how to battle at least. It would have been a good fit for Brock given that raising Pokemon is part of being a Pokemon Breeder. Since they were just using Togepi to further hint at the second generation, I can see why they just had Misty carry it around for the rest of the series, but it did nothing. Aside from one flashback, we didn't see Misty trying to train Togepi or teach it any attacks. They always tried to say that Togepi was too young to learn any attacks, but that reasoning really doesn't work when other baby Pokemon like Phanpy and Larvitar were able to use attacks right after being born. Misty cared about Togepi, but it isn't a good sign of her skills as a trainer and being given a rare Pokemon just because she pushed Ash and Brock away while it was hatching wasn't the best reasoning either.

I'm not sure if this is controversial per say, but I'll mention it here just in case. I have quite a few issues with the whole Aether Paradise arc, but the biggest one is just how they try to take Lillie's video game storyline and put it in the anime without changing it to fit her anime characterization. The best example is the whole Z-powered form outfit. In the games, that is significant because we hadn't seen Lillie wearing any other outfits. She was emotionally abused by her mother so much that she was too nervous to wear anything else. That's why it was an important moment. They threw that term for a bit of fanservice, but it feels so hallow when the context isn't the same. This is also why I think at least a good portion of anime Lillie's popularity comes from the popularity of her video game counterpart.

I have mixed feelings on how they handled her relationship with her mother too. They kept showing Lillie being upset at her mother for being busy and she wasn't even sure that she even loved her anymore, but honestly, anime Lusamine never came off as a terrible parent. She wasn't perfect obviously. Gladion did have a good point on how she just blindly accepted Faba's report and didn't seemingly react to Lillie suddenly not being able to touch Pokemon, but unlike her video game counterpart, she actually loved her kids and didn't emotionally abuse them. Even when Gladion called her out, she immediately apologized to Lillie after they saved her from Faba, was enraged over the idea that Faba was trying to endanger Lillie again when he was trying to summon an Ultra Beast and basically sacrificed herself to save Gladion. Yet Lillie kept acting like Lusamine was the worst because she treats her like a baby and is always busy with work. That really doesn't work. It's why Lillie shouting out that she hates her mother fell flat. That would have been a fantastic moment for video game Lillie, but for anime Lillie, it falls flat. Her first example of her mother's selfishness was when she evolved her Clefable when Lillie thought it was much cuter as a Clefairy, despite how Clefable is Lusamine's Pokemon and it's her decision on how to raise her Pokemon in the first place. Needless to say, it was strange to find myself defending Lusamine throughout this arc.

With that being said, if the anime wanted to give Lusamine a better relationship with her children, at least they made her into a completely different character practically. I wish US/UM had done that too, but then they also followed the games with Faba being forgiven way too easily.

 

[Huikyeong]

Pikachu hasn't had anything new since early Unova, and Electro Ball doesn't even seem to have its special effect in the anime, so I honestly have no idea how strong it's supposed to be.

speaking of electro ball, I hated that they replaced volt tackle with electro ball. why replace Pikachu's signature move for...this?

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

I would rather have a story about the two unknown trainers from Pallet Town and them quitting and unquitting than, an Origins 2.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

speaking of electro ball, I hated that they replaced volt tackle with electro ball. why replace Pikachu's signature move for...this?

I know they kept harping on Volt Tackle's recoil downside, but I feel like there's no real reason Ash and Pikachu couldn't have made some kind of strategy or training to lower the recoil damage. All the other bent rules in the anime, and all the increased room for creativity, but this is a rule they insist on sticking by, just so it can constantly bite Pikachu in the ass and help justify replacing it?

If anything, they should replace Quick Attack. There are a lot of situations where Pikachu seems fast enough without it, and like I've said before, Ash is often too straightforward when ordering Quick Attack.

Plus, if Ash just came up with a variation on Volt Tackle where you lower the power in exchange for more speed, that would basically be very similar to Quick Attack without actually using the move slot.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Admittedly, I've been okay with Electro Ball for awhile, but I was upset that it replaced Volt Tackle too. I would have been fine with Pikachu forgetting Quick Attack, but then it would have three Electric type moves, which would be a bit too much.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

I would get rid of Quick Attack and Electro Ball, bring Volt Tackle back, use the anime's looser rules to train around the recoil and make a variant that's similar to Quick Attack anyway, then use the fourth slot for something like Light Screen or Grass Knot...

Maybe even Return, since Pikachu at this point has probably transcended the normal friendship scale and can use it at like six billion base power.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I wish US/UM had done that too, but then they also followed the games with Faba being forgiven way too easily.

I think many people don't understand how Faba's punishment was actually quite effective in the games: the man is all about going up the ranks, so putting him on the lowest possible rank is basically a "Fate Worse Than Death", an utter and total humiliation. To me, it wasa perfectly good way for him to get his comeuppance. As for the anime, Faba was seeking Lusamine's approval, so him having rejected of this approval and getting the exact opposite was also something that I can easily see teaching him a bit of humility.

speaking of electro ball, I hated that they replaced volt tackle with electro ball. why replace Pikachu's signature move for...this?

I know they kept harping on Volt Tackle's recoil downside, but I feel like there's no real reason Ash and Pikachu couldn't have made some kind of strategy or training to lower the recoil damage. All the other bent rules in the anime, and all the increased room for creativity, but this is a rule they insist on sticking by, just so it can constantly bite Pikachu in the ass and help justify replacing it?

If anything, they should replace Quick Attack. There are a lot of situations where Pikachu seems fast enough without it, and like I've said before, Ash is often too straightforward when ordering Quick Attack.

Plus, if Ash just came up with a variation on Volt Tackle where you lower the power in exchange for more speed, that would basically be very similar to Quick Attack without actually using the move slot.

Admittedly, I've been okay with Electro Ball for awhile, but I was upset that it replaced Volt Tackle too. I would have been fine with Pikachu forgetting Quick Attack, but then it would have three Electric type moves, which would be a bit too much.

I would get rid of Quick Attack and Electro Ball, bring Volt Tackle back, use the anime's looser rules to train around the recoil and make a variant that's similar to Quick Attack anyway, then use the fourth slot for something like Light Screen or Grass Knot...


Maybe even Return, since Pikachu at this point has probably transcended the normal friendship scale and can use it at like six billion base power.

My theory for Pikachu learning Electro Ball over Volt Tackle has always since it was learned been that since Pikachu was the only non-Generation V Pokémon (aside from Meowth, obviously) that couldn't be left out of the series during the period when Unova was all about native species, they wanted to at least give him a Generation V move to make him at least a bit more "Unova-ish". As for why Volt Tackle, I see it being the result of a simple process of elimination; Thunderbolt is too iconic to be removed, Quick Attack is there to display Pikachu's speed, and Iron Tail is a good non-Electric-type attacking move for him. And since then, Electro Ball has stayed as the most visible legacy of the Best Wishes series, and, to be honest, I don't mind Pikachu losing Volt Tackle over it at all.

 

[CaptainBuggles]

My theory for Pikachu learning Electro Ball over Volt Tackle has always since it was learned been that since Pikachu was the only non-Generation V Pokémon (aside from Meowth, obviously) that couldn't be left out of the series during the period when Unova was all about native species, they wanted to at least give him a Generation V move to make him at least a bit more "Unova-ish". As for why Volt Tackle, I see it being the result of a simple process of elimination; Thunderbolt is too iconic to be removed, Quick Attack is there to display Pikachu's speed, and Iron Tail is a good non-Electric-type attacking move for him. And since then, Electro Ball has stayed as the most visible legacy of the Best Wishes series, and, to be honest, I don't mind Pikachu losing Volt Tackle over it at all.

I get that, but given that the anime never mentions Electro Ball's special effect, it ends up feeling kind of redundant next to Thunderbolt as a ranged electric attack. At least with Volt Tackle, it's still an electric move but has a totally different purpose and execution to it.

The main difference I see is that Electro Ball seems to be more of a "solid" sometimes before it detonates

But overall, it seems like they don't do enough with the concept of its properties being different to Thunderbolt, hence why it feels redundant to me.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I get that, but given that the anime never mentions Electro Ball's special effect, it ends up feeling kind of redundant next to Thunderbolt as a ranged electric attack. At least with Volt Tackle, it's still an electric move but has a totally different purpose and execution to it.

The main difference I see is that Electro Ball seems to be more of a "solid" sometimes before it detonates

But overall, it seems like they don't do enough with the concept of its properties being different to Thunderbolt, hence why it feels redundant to me.

I can understand what you mean, and if you indeed see that as a redundant thing, it's perfectly fine. If I were you, I'd probably blame it on the same writers who chose to "reboot" Ash in Unova and made him unrealistically forget all the experiences he had gathered in previous regions.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I think many people don't understand how Faba's punishment was actually quite effective in the games: the man is all about going up the ranks, so putting him on the lowest possible rank is basically a "Fate Worse Than Death", an utter and total humiliation. To me, it wasa perfectly good way for him to get his comeuppance. As for the anime, Faba was seeking Lusamine's approval, so him having rejected of this approval and getting the exact opposite was also something that I can easily see teaching him a bit of humility.

While I can see how the punishment works, I just felt it wasn't a fitting punishment for his actions. I didn't mind it so much in Sun/Moon, but in US/UM, he allowed Team Rainbow Rocket to take over Aether Paradise. He endangered Lusamine and the Alola region, if not the world itself, by allowing Giovanni and the other leaders control. Getting to the lowest rank possible is humiliation for him, but it still seems too light of a punishment for what he did.

It's even worse in the anime. Because Lusamine wasn't the villain, they made Faba even more blatantly evil to make up for that. He erased Lillie's memories, which contributed to her fear of not being able to touch Pokemon, stole Type: Null from Gladion, attempted to erase Lillie's memories again in order to avoid being caught for doing it the first time, stole Cosmog in order to use its powers to open the Ultra Wormhole and his actions directly led to Lusamine being captured and possessed by that Ultra Beast. Despite all this, he suddenly apologizes when he had no regret for his actions, he's forgiven far too easily and he just works under Wicke. Granted, I think it can be tricky to handle forgiveness/redemption for villains in general, but Faba really didn't deserve it. I was really hoping he'd be sent to jail instead in the anime, but apparently not.