The Depth and Mysteriousness of Gen I/II

[abluesman100]

I feel like the Kanto/Johto storyline is the most fascinating in the whole series, but this fact is almost always overlooked. The story is very subtle, and requires piecing together; it isn't very apparent.

Gen I and II revolve around the conflict between Team Rocket and a man named Mr. Fuji. The existence of Fuji and the Pokemon Lab explain why a significant amount of Kanto Pokemon are the result of human meddling or are genetic abominations; Porygon, Omanyte, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Mewtwo etc. Fuji is a very wealthy man due to his research, and owns a mansion. Fuji and Giovanni seem to have some sort of business relationship. Giovanni sends Fuji to find Mew in the Faraway Island, but it gives birth to Mewtwo. Mewtwo destroys the Pokemon mansion, leaving nothing but scraps of journal entries, and flees to Cerulean Cave.

Fuji renounces his past and vows to dedicate his life to protecting Pokemon. He moves to Lavender Town. He gets caught up in the whole Marowak killing fiasco, and Red ends up rescuing him. Mr. Fuji gives Red the Poke Flute as a token of gratitude.

Having been acquainted with Mr. Fuji, when Red visits the Pokemon Mansion later in the game, there is a picture of him. Red exclaims: "Dr. Fuji?!?!" There is also a picture of Fuji and Blaine smiling. Fuji also seems to have owned the key to Blaines gym.

After Defeating Blaine, Red must battle the final gym leader, Giovanni, also the leader of Team Rocket. Giovanni is a man who is obsessed with harnessing the power of Pokemon. After the project with Fuji fails and Team Rocket descends into pointless Pokemon abuse eventually falling apart in Kanto, he turns his operations to the Sevii islands.

After Red defeats those Team Rockets in the Sevii islands, a few of them go on to Johto and attempt to take over the Radio tower. They then mess with the magikarp and cause the Red Gyarados to appear.

In the end only one Team Rocket is left in Kanto, and he is defeated by Gold.

[Mr Cat Dog]

I guess I'd never thought of the storyline of Gen I/II in such illustrious terms, but it all makes sense, when you put it that way! (That being said, I am highly suggestible... if you'd strung together any old conspiracy theory, I'd still have bought it.) To be fair to the other generations, however, Team Rocket is the only evil team to span two generations, let alone three or four. It makes sense that their backstory would have more detail than that of Magma or Aqua or Galactic (I GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME, TOUJOURS!) or Plasma or any other new team that'll come along. But, even still, it is impressive as to the amount of detail that went into this.

[Sydian]

Galactica (I GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME, TOUJOURS!)

This isn't Battlestar Galactica, Jon! It's just Galactic! lol

Anyway, I think Team Rocket was probably the best team, with Team Plasma behind them. They're the only two teams that actually made sense and didn't seem evil for the sake of being evil. Unless you wanna analyze dialog...then Team Rocket's dialog sucks. lol But anyway, the story behind them is actually devious and something to be feared. Not saying flooding, droughts, and dimensional...space time continuum...umm, what were Team Galactic trying to do? ...Nevermind. I'm not saying that's all not scary, but Team Rocket were just meticulous and clever. The others...not so much. But even that being said, Gen I and II are usually looked at as having the most basic plotline, and in a sense, it's kind of true. But that's only because the games aren't full of all the bull crap explanations and the nonsense things, so it's like a disguise. It only seems basic.

I HOPE THAT MADE SENSE.

[User ID]

Never thought of the story line like this. Very interesting...
May I should replay the first generation games.

[The Zororoaster]

Nice job putting all the pieces together. The story is certainly a lot more interesting than "WATER BE BAD, MAKE MORE LAND" or (visa versa). And since you're counting the Seveii Islands as Gen 1, don't forget about Giovanni's interesting past in the Toho Falls flashback!

I find that Generation 1 and 2 in general have a lot of interesting mythology that can be pieced together by picking up on clues and reading things. It's super cool.

[Teddy-Pain]

Also Giovanni is coming back in the new Pokemon games. I wonder what we'll learn about him.

[Mega McChicken]

I think the best part of the Gen 1 storyline was that it wasn't very detailed like the new games are. It left so much to the imagination.

[XtinaIsMeLuvinWWE]

Kudos for piecing it all together like that, I would never have thought of it in that way I suppose it is all a lot deeper than I realised

[Jorgomli]

Oooo I like this. It makes sense from what I've seen.

My only fear is that when Giovanni comes back, it'll be because "Ohhhh, I'm good now ^-^." ):

Btw, I'm back now, :D. I'll usually be around, chillin' in Metal/Color Gen forum :D

[Plasmette]

It defiantly has alot of subtle plots. If looks thin at first, but then after some digging, its probably the darkest point in the series.

I read somewhere about Ditto being a failed Mew clone.

They both can learn transform, they both can learn any move, (Both to a certain exitent, though), they're both Pink, have the same shiny form. But the biggest selling point for me was that many Ditto can be found where Mewtwo was created.

[giradialkia]

Yeah, I always knew the depth of the story of Gen I/II, it's just that it wasn't exactly communicated to such an extent. Certainly not in Red/Blue, anyway; FrLg could have been so much better if this deep story was addressed, but nope. At least there was a reference to Fuji in Emerald on Faraway Island, that was pretty cool.

[SooperTrooper]

That's a pretty impressive puzzle you put together there. It was a good read. I miss the simplicity, yet overall complexity of the generation I / II games. There was so much imagining to be done, and you basically made the story yourself. I think the newer games turn me off now because it's so complex, and all I want to do is catch Pokemon and find out the mysteries behind the Pokemon.

Just as a side note, I've always wanted to know what that man and his Machop were building in Vermilion City.

[Rivvon]

Originally Posted by giradialkia

Yeah, I always knew the depth of the story of Gen I/II, it's just that it wasn't exactly communicated to such an extent.

I completely agree with this. Gen 1 (and gen 2 to a certain extent) had a very deep story that was left around in vague bits and pieces.


As for the story abluesman100 provided, it is pieced together very well; however, I have one disagreement with it.
It's the whole idea that Fuji and Team Rocket were working together at one point. I have never really been sold on this idea. Team Rocket did kidnap Fuji in Lavender Town, but I remember a grunt saying that it was because Fuji was trying to stop them from going into the Tower, not because of any past relation they may have had. And considering the grunts' levels of intelligence in those games, well...it's highly improbable that they were lying.
It's not that it's impossible for them to have been working together at one point--it's just that there's no proof to make that connection (forget the movie and manga and any other media for a second here; remember, the main series games are in a separate continuity from everything else ever).
Honestly, I'd say Fuji found Mew and the second Mew (Mewtwo) on his own, and in his attempt to research for the betterment of humanity, ended up going too far, thus creating Mewtwo.


Still, I agree with you. Gen 1 (and 2) had this unique charm in that its plot is there, and it's quite deep and thought-provoking, but it's also so vaguely hinted at that it's almost impossible to know exactly what happened.
In a way that makes sense, though; I'm sure Fuji doesn't want anyone to know exactly what happened. He probably wants to forget, and make sure no one else ever knows.

[Teddy-Pain]

How funny would it be if Giovanni was actually Ash's dad?

[Pokemon Trainer UV]

Wow, that was a pretty good read! I never really thought about the first story of Pokemon that way... it's really cool.

[Pretor54]

Just as a side note, I've always wanted to know what that man and his Machop were building in Vermilion City.

^This doubt...again...I want answers!
On another note, I hadn't think of it this way before. My first game was Crystal, so I have a sort of excuse.
Anyway, thanks. Fanfic awaits you.

[DukeofEarls]

It reminds me a bit of the Ocarina of Time story for Zelda as well. I prefer its ambiguity and simplicity to the arguably more impressive theatrics of Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess. The current Pokemon games, great as they are, are very cookie-cutter imo... The original series felt so much more vast and mysterious without as linear a story.


Then again, nostalgia tints my glasses a nice shade of rose, hehe