Dad?

Started by Sirfetch’d October 17th, 2012 4:26 PM
  • 4414 views
  • 35 replies
Have you ever wondered where the dad is? In all but RSE the protagonist has only ever been seen with their mother. So where is dad? In RSE he is simply a Gym Leader, but he is nowhere to be seen in any other games. Do you think he is sometimes dead? Is he sometimes a leader in another region? Did the mom just get around? Why do you think the dad never appears?

60

#isthenumbersign

Age 29
Female
Cloud Nine
Seen January 28th, 2013
Posted November 26th, 2012
266 posts
10.6 Years
I've never thought about it tbh. It seems like the whole concept of family isn't all that important in Pokemon, at least not until Bianca's troubles in BW. I mean your mom doesn't even really care that you're going on a never-ending adventure. But yeah idk about the dad, once they started the games with just the mom I guess they never wanted to deviate from that I guess.

Sydian

fake your death.

Age 30
they/them
Georgia
Seen May 22nd, 2022
Posted November 29th, 2021
33,354 posts
15.2 Years
I never thought about it, really. I grew up in a single parent home and thought it was normal, so I never really blinked twice about missing a dad in the games since I didn't have one that lived with me. -shrug-
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I never thought about it, really. I grew up in a single parent home and thought it was normal, so I never really blinked twice about missing a dad in the games since I didn't have one that lived with me. -shrug-

I guess if you think about it, it is normal, but I just can't believe that he would only appear in one game. You think they would at least give some backstory about him.

LegendaryMohawk

Male
Mars
Seen June 6th, 2021
Posted July 12th, 2016
124 posts
14.3 Years
when I first started playing pokemon (started on red which was my brothers but got my own game on it when crystal was new out) I was young, the whole missing dad thing didn't even cross my mind until now...

So heres what I think happened: when the player was born the dad was already on a journey to catch 'em all but of course, wasn't as successful as the protagonist of the game and the news just never got to him. So he just doesn't know yet... and the mum doesn't want the kid to find out so hasn't told him anything and sent him on a journey before he gets older and realises his dad is missing.


Lord Varion

Guess who's back?

Age 28
Non-binary
Seen January 6th, 2015
Posted January 6th, 2015
2,642 posts
14.2 Years
this may sound dark, and un pokemon.
But I heard rumour of R/B/Y that you're dad died in a war in kanto.
It made some sense, the whole region is empty and lacks that certain element which made you believe life was brilliant. Lt.Surge mentions how electric pokemon helped him in a war, and all the citizens tend to be children, old people or criminals.

As for G/S/C, I haven't a clue.
But I believe there's some mention of your dad in Platinum when Barry's dad is mentioned also.
gone.

Olli

I am still bathing in a summer's afterglow

Male
Skyloft
Seen 6 Days Ago
Posted July 24th, 2021
2,583 posts
12.8 Years
I've thought about it a few times, but nothing that has really left me wondering. What I think is most likely would be if the dad was out on his own journey, since that's apparently the same thing with Ash from the anime's dad, and even Norman from Hoenn has been on his own journey before he settled down as a gym leader. So I guess it's just a common theme all over the Pokemon franchise.

As for your theory, Nintendork, it could very well be true, but I don't think it's very likely. The only person that ever mentions the war throughout the whole game is Lt. Surge, and he is a lieutenant after all, so it could've been another place than Kanto, although then again, it could be that most people just wanted to forget the war. I don't really think it's too dark for the first generation games, considering how many dark concepts and theories that are, just based around that region.
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93Aiwass

Getting Back into Pokemon

Age 35
Female
Boulder, Colorado
Seen December 22nd, 2012
Posted October 20th, 2012
101 posts
10.6 Years
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Since my parents were never there in my life, I have never really thought of it.

Love is the Law, Love under Will.

Some explanation on terms: Do what... & Love is... | 93 | Aiwass | Holy Guardian Angel
Getting back into Pokemon after 5 years of being out of it... this is going to be a hard learning curve...
Here is what I look like, in case you were curious.
Babalon is my mother, and she loves me.
I'm an initiate of a secret society... Hmm, do secret societies have websites?

C Payne

Hoenn in 3D!

Male
Va
Seen August 22nd, 2014
Posted October 10th, 2013
454 posts
11.7 Years
I've always wondered this too. It would have been nice to at least have some other appearances; maybe we'll get one next gen.
Don't you think Hoenn deserves to be at least this beautiful?

Source: http://pokemon-diamond.deviantart.com/art/Hoenn-BW-styled-map-251951922

93Aiwass

Getting Back into Pokemon

Age 35
Female
Boulder, Colorado
Seen December 22nd, 2012
Posted October 20th, 2012
101 posts
10.6 Years
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Maybe Brock's father is Ash's father too and we're just waiting for the big reveal? ;-P

"Ash, I am your father" - Brock's father

Love is the Law, Love under Will.

Some explanation on terms: Do what... & Love is... | 93 | Aiwass | Holy Guardian Angel
Getting back into Pokemon after 5 years of being out of it... this is going to be a hard learning curve...
Here is what I look like, in case you were curious.
Babalon is my mother, and she loves me.
I'm an initiate of a secret society... Hmm, do secret societies have websites?

Rivvon

Age 30
Female
USA
Seen 1 Day Ago
Posted January 30th, 2023
2,770 posts
16.1 Years
I think it's the same with the whole "police force/government" and "educational system" thing: it's there, somewhere, just not important enough to the plot to really bring up in-depth.


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Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best

Age 32
Male
London, UK
Seen September 29th, 2017
Posted July 12th, 2017
11,344 posts
19.1 Years
To be honest, I always thought he was just out at work in the PokeMart or Silph Co or whatever stereotypical big business was in the Pokemon region of choice. Whenever I turned off the game, I just assumed he came home for the day. Looking back on it, it's kinda cute, I guess. :D

Esper

California
Seen June 30th, 2018
Posted June 30th, 2018
To be honest, I always thought he was just out at work in the PokeMart or Silph Co or whatever stereotypical big business was in the Pokemon region of choice. Whenever I turned off the game, I just assumed he came home for the day. Looking back on it, it's kinda cute, I guess. :D
That's what I thought. Dad's at work. Mom's at home. "Traditional" and all that. After all, the games are made in Japan and if you're a salaryman then you're gonna be at work all the time.

93Aiwass

Getting Back into Pokemon

Age 35
Female
Boulder, Colorado
Seen December 22nd, 2012
Posted October 20th, 2012
101 posts
10.6 Years
I never thought much about this, but I'm guessing that the dad went off on his journey or he left home for business.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Well, on the way to Viridian City from Cinnabar, perhaps he made a stop in Pallet Town... :cheeky:

Love is the Law, Love under Will.

Some explanation on terms: Do what... & Love is... | 93 | Aiwass | Holy Guardian Angel
Getting back into Pokemon after 5 years of being out of it... this is going to be a hard learning curve...
Here is what I look like, in case you were curious.
Babalon is my mother, and she loves me.
I'm an initiate of a secret society... Hmm, do secret societies have websites?

Meganium

memento mori

she/her
Houston, TX
Seen February 1st, 2023
Posted February 1st, 2023
The thought of the protagonist's dad never crossed my mind when I played the games. I always assumed that either the dad is deceased, or is in some business trip outside the region. As Scarf mentioned, it can also be traditional. The dad can be at work most of the time.

disciplish

supreme meme machine

Male
under the rpt floorboards
Seen June 17th, 2020
Posted April 13th, 2020
880 posts
10.7 Years
Well, in the games, usually there is something that "Dad" bought in your room (i,e," A TV Dad gave me for my birthday" when looking at the TV in your room in BW). B'sides, I always thought he was out on his own adventure. Also, I believe in DPPt, Palmer was Barry's (Pearl/Rival) father- It may be possible the Protagonist's father has a similar role (I always thought that Caitlin's Butler/ Battle Castle Frontier Brain looked suspiciously like the protagonist for some reason).

In the anime, isn't it said that Giovanni dated Ash's mother? And with that, wouldn't there be (or has been) speculation about Ash being Giovanni son? With that, wouldn't that make Ash "Silver(?)"
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mikey

Age 30
Male
Seen 18 Hours Ago
Posted 4 Days Ago
6,227 posts
14.1 Years
I always assume he went off on his own journey somewhere.

I do want to see a game in the future have the dad be home and the mom absent, just to switch it up a bit.

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disciplish

supreme meme machine

Male
under the rpt floorboards
Seen June 17th, 2020
Posted April 13th, 2020
880 posts
10.7 Years
I always assume he went off on his own journey somewhere.

I do want to see a game in the future have the dad be home and the mom absent, just to switch it up a bit.
Well, that would be anti-traditional. Doesn't the mother always stay home (stereo-typically)? Maybe grandparents? The mother and father would be... gym leaders (double battle a la Tate & Liza in Gen III)? And they would be home at night-time, seeing now that there are different parts of the day.
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Female
The middle of nowhere?
Seen March 3rd, 2013
Posted October 22nd, 2012
16 posts
12.5 Years
Maybe all protagonists' dads are the same person 0.o
ohmygod thats terrifying

In my headcanon for BW/B2W2, I think that the dad was off working somewhere, like maybe in Castelia City as a clerk or something. As for the rest of the games besides RSE I'm not too sure about...
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Necrum

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Male
Portland, OR
Seen August 20th, 2019
Posted July 13th, 2017
5,080 posts
10.9 Years
Considering that Barry's dad is a very successful Trainer (Battle Tower Brain) I imagine that it's normal for males in the Pokemon world to continue battling, perhaps to raise money for their family, whom they never really get to see. Also, some mothers in games have also been trainers previously. Considering the world's general view on maternity, it would make sense that in the Pokemon World, women stay at home to care for the child until he/she can become a trainer too. Your father was probably never quite as successful (except in 3rd gen) and as such, you are probably aiming to surpass his legacy. At least, that's how I look at it.