Weddingbells
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Pikachu needs a dang character arc already.
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Not really? He's been around for 20+ years and he's never leavingPikachu needs a dang character arc already.
I disagree. Just because a character has been on the cast for a long time doesn't mean that they can't change or develop and grow as a person. Pikachu is just as prominent of a character as Ash or Team Rocket is and it's honestly a little bizarre to see that Pikachu has been completely stagnant as a character since OI. Pikachu getting a character arc doesn't necessarily mean it will translate to him getting more focus over his teammates or that it will ruin any potential development for other pokemon.Not really? He's been around for 20+ years and he's never leaving
He's the last Pokemon who needs a character arc imo
But what exactly can they really do with him tho?I disagree. Just because a character has been on the cast for a long time doesn't mean that they can't change or develop and grow as a person. Pikachu is just as prominent of a character as Ash or Team Rocket is and it's honestly a little bizarre to see that Pikachu has been completely stagnant as a character since OI. Pikachu getting a character arc doesn't necessarily mean it will translate to him getting more focus over his teammates or that it will ruin any potential development for other pokemon.
I don't think it would be that hard. There are numerous paths they can take to give Pikachu a proper character arc and honestly, the stuff listed really weren't arcs so much as they were one off episodes that never impacted Pikachu beyond said episode or are just...not really arcs at all. A character arc often takes place over multiple episodes, and for Pikachu, they can just keep it in the background, so he doesn't overshadow any other Pokemon.He's been on the cast for so long it would be hard to give him something that hasn't already been done before?
There are so many paths you can take him. They just gave him a backstory in this saga. Besides I seriously doubt he has been here for 20+ years and that is the best ideas for "arcs" they can give himBut what exactly can they really do with him tho?
He's been on the cast for so long it would be hard to give him something that hasn't already been done before?
Give Pikachu a rival? They already tried it with Trip's Serperior
Pikachu leaving Ash? "Pikachu's Goodbye"
Giving Pikachu a Love Interest? Already done in SuMo (and debatably Buneary as well)
Pikachu feeling overshadowed by another Pokemon? Already done with Riolu (which everybody hated btw)
Problem is that whenever they try to develop Pikachu it usually lasts one episode.
I think this a result of it's Mascot status
I agree that the relationship doesn't really feel genuine(honestly, I've never really cared for the Pink Butterfree), but I don't think it's fair to call her that because she acted uninterested in him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain she never acted outwardly antagonistic toward him. Maybe a little miffed or dismissive, but I'd hardly call that deserving of being called that. Sorry if this seems super nit-picky and not really related to the post itself, but I've personally never been a fan of the b-word and have never once been unbothered by its usage.She was B!tch to him and was completely uninterested in him until he saved her from TR's clutches
I agree but this is a thread about the PokemonMay needs to come back.
I agree but I don't think a single one of these are unpopular ( except journey ash being worst, tho many people agree the lack of interaction hurts this team)Ash’s Rowlet shouldn’t have had dozing off be its main character trait. Sleeping during that battle against Hau was dumb writing.
Journeys is Ash’s worst team. They extremely lack in character interaction and development, due to them all being fully evolved.
Dawn should have kept Ambipom instead of sending it away to make space for Togekiss. Worst release of a main character’s Pokémon.
Iris should have caught Deino.
Lana should have caught Dewpider. Sandy the Eevee was also completely pointless.
Ash’s Turtwig should have never evolved.
I definitely think Journeys being Ash's worst team is the most "unpopular" opinion. They lack interaction and they seem so OP in battle, just look at how Dracovish single-handedly destroyed Iris' Dragonite. Ash's Dragonite until last week also mostly went undefeated.I agree but I don't think a single one of these are unpopular ( except journey ash being worst, tho many people agree the lack of interaction hurts this team)
Indeed, in Ash his 2nd Orange Island Gym challenge.View attachment 158331This one is quite old - someone even mentioned this in current thread. Given how whole Charizard's disobedience was handled in original series, it is hard to blame anyone not to particularly like him as a character and seeing him more like a jerk.
That view is completely reasonable, but my unpopular opinion is that we have visual clues that Charizard's jerkiness was much more purposeful, controlled and had reasonable limits to overall harm. He had clear rules and limits in mind. Which adds layers to character, even though the most important bit of being little spoiled, definitely over-confident and arrogant with lacking true self-love and self-respect remains.
The defining moment
When Charizard evolves to face Aerodactyl, Ash is quickly (as we all remember) reminded of the fact that it was not because of saving him. But this also serves as sort of lampshading, because literally one minute later after Jigglypuff starts singing we see Charizard putting quite an effort to literally save Ash and succeeding.
Given whole aerial situation, this was obviously not an accidental outcome, not something that Charizard could have done just unintentionally.
This is not single occasion, because in Party Panic episode at the beginning of Orange Islands saga,similar thing happens, when Charizard is unwilling to save Pikachu at first, but being enraged by TRio after that, he not only destroys their baloon, but also saves Pikachu. And then wreaks havoc with Pikachu still on his back.
Remembering these episodes vividly when they aired, I was also baffled what to think about Charizard as character. He seemed more like narrative tool of displaying this Pokémon who was set as benchmark of coolness and power as deus ex machina. Will Ash dare to use him? When and why? What shenanigans will Charizard use this time? Will he ever start to listen? When that will be? Will Ash then finally win the league?
But those bits, since they are purposefully shown, but actually never commented on (if I remember correctly, Ash never comments on how Charizard in the end indeed saved his life), left many things to oversimplification. Because many people usually remember those scenes by accompanying dialogue.
This is a little bit of shame, because IMHO it is far more interesting to think about Charizard disobedience as something he has usually under the control and does not allow it to go to unreasonable or even horrifying outcomes.
The whole RESPECT problem is obviously there and is narrative theme of Charizard's character as CARE is for Infernape. But that does not mean, even Charizard having great problems with respect (in regards to Ash, even himself, other Pokémon too), that he absolutely does not care. He obviously does, at least little bit.
Another supporting bits for this view are listening to Ash in match against Magmar, crying in first movie after Ash's death, crucial help in Naval Manoeuvres episode (at least if you do not think that Charizard's flamethrower shapes ice into sledges by default) and finally in Charizard Chills, when he gives Ash mean look as his first battle against Pollywrath is no going well and that marks the first time his disobedience and jerkiness is not under the control, it has clearly different visual tone and turning point of him losing the match quickly follows. Which ultimately ends in him beginning to listen in said episode.