Head-scratching moments

This threads about moments in the Anime that don't make you rant so much as make you got "Huh?" when you think about it.

For one: how are Ash, May or Dawn able to be Trainers when they don't seem to have even the bare basis down when they start? You'd think they'd be better educated before being sent into the world yet Dawn forgets to unshrink the Poke Ball and May shows how she hardly knows how Pokemon Evolution works. I fear to think how they'd managed without meeting Ash. If the Professors were remotely smart enough, they'd have them take a test so they know said basics.

I also wonder how the Poke Ball comes back to the Trainer when it's throw. Wouldn't it be more practical to thrust it out forth and let the Pokemon come out?

Anyone else got a headscratching moment to share?

There was an AG episode called "Like a Meowth to a Flame" that takes place right before the Hoenn League starts. Team Rocket steals the flame from a Moltres that it used to light the big torch, so Ash moon jumps into their balloon and takes it back. How Ash managed to jump into their balloon has always bothered me...

When I think about the made-up language and symbols, they may as well use Japanese since that'd be no different aside from being an actual language. I don't think international fans are going to mind that much. It just make me scratch me head and ask "why?"

matt0044 said:

When I think about the made-up language and symbols, they may as well use Japanese since that'd be no different aside from being an actual language. I don't think international fans are going to mind that much. It just make me scratch me head and ask "why?"

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It's not a head scratcher though. The made-up language is because pokemon is dubbed into so many other countries they were having to edit out the Japanese text so the series remained consistent. For example if a pokemon's name comes up and it's clearly written in japanese and you can read it, then you'll know the name they're saying is completely different to the name written down, it breaks the immersion and becomes one of the actual headscratcher moments for the viewer. The language they use in pokemon though can be very easily translated and it seems to be a butchered english meets japanese, they interchange between the two. It's actually a very understandable and clever method of avoiding localization issues. You can even translate it yourself: http://kyotounivpoke.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-120.html

Saying that it did cause a headscratcher. In the dubbed versions of "To Catch a Rotom" during the scene where Prof Oak's live caster comes up it's actually left the title in the raw Japanese. Which makes you wonder if the dub team genuinely couldn't be bothered to change it or it was overlooked. It's a mystery \o/

Pumpkaboo said:

For example if a pokemon's name comes up and it's clearly written in japanese and you can read it, then you'll know the name they're saying is completely different to the name written down, it breaks the immersion and becomes one of the actual headscratcher moments for the viewer.

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But... most English viewers of Pokemon wouldn't know how to read Japanese so those made-up symbols may as well be Japanese characters. No need to edit anything. Those ignorant to the actual language can see it as the Pokemon world's language.

What I asking is... what's the actual point?

matt0044 said:

But... most English viewers of Pokemon wouldn't know how to read Japanese so those made-up symbols may as well be Japanese characters. No need to edit anything. Those ignorant to the actual language can see it as the Pokemon world's language.

What I asking is... what's the actual point?

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Well the point is exactly what I said. The series is dubbed into many different languages and there's a vast difference between showing Japanese text on the screen to showing a made-up language. Whether you can read it or not doesn't matter, it's about making the series globally accessible.

In some countries, not particularly the US but it used to be true back in the 4kids days, especially in places like Korea and Israel, you weren't really allowed to broadcast kids shows with other languages slapped in there for legal reasons. As strange as it might sound to us, that's just how it is.

matt0044 said:

For one: how are Ash, May or Dawn able to be Trainers when they don't seem to have even the bare basis down when they start? You'd think they'd be better educated before being sent into the world yet Dawn forgets to unshrink the Poke Ball and May shows how she hardly knows how Pokemon Evolution works. I fear to think how they'd managed without meeting Ash. If the Professors were remotely smart enough, they'd have them take a test so they know said basics.

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I guess they wanted to show how vastly inexperienced new trainers are? Donno, that stuff irked me as it should be pretty common knowledge. I guess the most obvious head scratcher is why the heck does Ash keep falling for the antics of Team Rocket?!

A couple of major 'head-scratchers' in the anime for me are:

*When Ash's Pikachu (or any of his other Pokémon) loses to an opponent with an obvious type disadvantage, even if Ash called out an advantageous attack to be used on said opponent. This kind of thing seemed to happen a lot in the Unova run.

*When certain attacks have an effect on Pokémon that would otherwise be immune to them, such as Pikachu using Thunder/Thunderbolt on Raymond's Pokémon in the first movie, knocking them all out, including a Golem, which is immune to Electric attacks in the games.

*When Pokémon are referred to by a wrong name without realization of the mistake, such as Corey's (again, from the first movie) Pidgeot being called a Pidgeotto.

Definitely when Ash battled Brock the second time. It looked like because of the sprinklers, Onyx was taking damage from thundershock. Yet if you use rain dance in the games, it doesn't make ground types weak to electric. It just makes electric attacks more accurate.

Have to say, that jump was pretty bizarre. Reminds me of Domino in Mewtwo Returns.

Whatever happened to Pierce and during the end of Meteonite mission? I get that the episodes were canceled but that doesn't make the plot-holes any less maddening. Was Pierce a double agent for Team Plasma? Did he die (not likely)? Was the Meteonite retrieved?

I think the entire anime was a head-scratcher for me. XD

I never did get how Pikachu was able to beat that ground type with an electric type move. Just... no

Also, how the moves in game don't really match up with the moves in the anime. If I remember correctly, Watson's Manectric (I think I spelt it right, don't really feel like checking) used Thunder Wave on a pokemon and it ended up actually damaging the opponent. No, all Thunder Wave does is paralyze the opponent. The horror... D:

I wonder how Paul manage to evolve his Electabuzz and Magmar into Electivire & Magmortar without trading !Same goes to Trip's Conkeldurr !
If they trade them to evolve then how they still keeping them.
Worst part is , The Writer made Trade evolution official in BW without even explanning How Trip got a freaking Conkedurr.

Famon said:

I wonder how Paul manage to evolve his Electabuzz and Magmar into Electivire & Magmortar without trading !Same goes to Trip's Conkeldurr !
If they trade them to evolve then how they still keeping them.
Worst part is , The Writer made Trade evolution official in BW without even explanning How Trip got a freaking Conkedurr.

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Trip could have traded someone just so Gurdurr would evolve, and then just traded back. At least, that's how I do it with the games.

Which brings up the question, how in the world to pokemon know that they're being traded and evolve? What causes the evolution? Is their heart just affected in the right way that they evolve? The mysteries...

Trade evolutions can easily occur in the anime. You could simply let a Trainer hold your Machoke for a minute and you'll receive a Machamp when the Trainer returns it to you. I dont know how trade evolutions function but I'm guessing that they occur when the Pokémon absorbs the holder's aura. Maybe after they absorb an unfamiliar aura, something in their DNA triggers the evolution. It's a strange process haha.

Pokemon x and y episode 11:
The moment when they are looking for a bamboo leaf for pangoro.
Me:Ash!! Y u no use fletching?!!

My head scratcher moment was how Paul apparently went through the other regions and competed in the leagues in a really short amount of time before coming back to compete in the Sinnoh league.

Oh, and also, this always made me double take..
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmgj3cDcZU1qb6t7zo1_500.jpg

Anyone seen the Elesa episode of BW? When they're entering her Gym, they go on a roller-coaster, but even though it has loops, Pikachu and Axew are on Ash's and Iris's shoulders. Did I miss something? How is that at all safe?

Slayr231 said:

Trip could have traded someone just so Gurdurr would evolve, and then just traded back. At least, that's how I do it with the games.

Which brings up the question, how in the world to pokemon know that they're being traded and evolve? What causes the evolution? Is their heart just affected in the right way that they evolve? The mysteries...

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I think with Shelment and Karrablast, their Dex entries explain their evolution being triggered by an electrical charge. Perhaps that's how Trade evolution work.

Otter Mii-kun said:

A couple of major 'head-scratchers' in the anime for me are:

*When Ash's Pikachu (or any of his other Pokémon) loses to an opponent with an obvious type disadvantage, even if Ash called out an advantageous attack to be used on said opponent. This kind of thing seemed to happen a lot in the Unova run.

*When certain attacks have an effect on Pokémon that would otherwise be immune to them, such as Pikachu using Thunder/Thunderbolt on Raymond's Pokémon in the first movie, knocking them all out, including a Golem, which is immune to Electric attacks in the games.

Click to expand...

This and furthermore, how Ash's Pikachu has not become the experienced veteran of a Pokemon, after five generations of battles and travels. That goes for Ash, too - it bothers me that he still shows incompetence as a trainer... maybe it's just me, but that's the reason I've stopped watching the anime. It feels like Ash and his Pikachu have developed little to none over all these years; it's hard to root for the same character that maintains the exact same goals and attitude.

To sum up what I said, I guess the biggest head-scratcher for me is the lack of development, despite ALL of these adventures, battles and journeys that would normally be enough worthy experiences to have made Ash a master trainer already.