Counters to the Black, Red, and Blue,

[Charaxes]

We all know one of the major subplots in the Pokemon games are the criminal organizations, and have gotten major exposure in the cards, anime, manga, and other genres. But for every criminal, there is a counter beyond the misc trainer(s).

Here are the suspects, their protocols, and prominent agents if applicable.

The Global Police: The main rival to the criminal organizations of the series. In protocol, they are one more of reaction than proactive when dealing with the organizations and often are seen clean up the aftermath and then take precautions. However, the organization have attempted operations on a Pokemon matter, but when human criminals are involved, containing the damage is priority than apprehension.

Anime:

Protocol: The most prominent exposure for the organization in the series as they do take a reactive stance, although some of their agents, the Officer Jennies have been proactive in various missions. The organization's Pokemon preserving stance has arrived on various missions (the Gulpin invasion), their presence in various high profile places (the protocols for La Rousse City, the Safari Zone) and places for precaution (Aqua's infiltration of Devon, which failed anyway) and have Pokemon to assist these endeavors.

Structure: Despite the fact their exposure, they have not been referred to by name and no command structure beyond the various Jennies with their decorations on their uniforms. Another distinction is their rivals in the Rockets, (their main adversity) they often do rely on freelancers to assist and wrap up the damage (the twerp trio, Lance, Professor Jacuzzi).

Agents: Officer Jenny, subordiante male agents, freelancers.

Pokemon: Growlithe primarily, but recently more Grass Pokemon, Tangela, Meganium, Parasect, Jumpluff, and others, Wobbuffet, Gastly, Pidgeot and traditionals, like the Spinarak in "Spinarak Attack!" and the Squitle Squad.

Manga:

In Special, hardly any prescene at all, so unless that's changed, N/A.

Video Games:

In R/B/Y, the Global Police's name is refered by an agent in Cerulean City and never refered by that name again.

Protocol: Their reactionary status is particularly obvious as they clean up the aftermath of the criminals, and become one of precaution. (the guarding of Silph and the Kanto Radio Tower in G/S/C). Most agents are not Pokemon trainers but they have been known to in the Johto region. In the Hoenn region, their role is surprisingly missing.

Agents: more faceless, although Officer Jenny (as a promotion from Yellow) makes an appearance.

Pokemon: Growlithe, Squirtle from Officer Jenny in Yellow (given to you), and Pokemon Stadium 2 is irrevelant given the random factor.

Pokemon G-Man: Not much is known about the G-Men. An anime invention, and working outside the scope of the Global Police and act independantly as they essentially function one of the Global Police's goals: stopping Pokemon exploiters like Team Rocket. Their scope is far and deep with their infilrations.

Protocols: Based from Lance's protocols with Team Rocket and the Lake of Rage operation, the protocol seems to be one of infilration and essentially become a gremlin, as well as transmitting infomation to his superiors or the Global Police for backup. However, eventually, the pretense will drop and extraction is necessary. In Lance's case, self extraction for he is capable with his powerful Pokemon and he has discretion to exact this.

Structure: Unknown. Lance operates on his own rules and that implies "get results" line of thinking and his prescence by itself means they have connections as Lance himself, a superstar in the Pokemon world, into their ranks. Since agents are on their own, they have to be strong enough to extract themselves if issues get out of hand and use proper discretion, as given in Lance's example. One can assume the G-Men have similar agents and if no command structure is given, then the enemy can't interograte that out of the captured agents. Plus G-Men is a take from the American slang "G-Men", meaning government agents, that could mean the Johto/Kanto government are taking secretive proactive roles into the crime problem in their countrysides.

Agents: Other than Lance, unknown but there is always the possibility of ones in Team Rocket, Team Aqua, Magma...

Pokemon: to correspond with the danger, the agents must have powerful Pokemon to extract out of danger should it arise. Lance is proof of this.

If there are other such organizations, this shall update, but are or can the Global Police a strong force to stop the Rockets or do the G-Men do all the work? What of analysis of their success rates, prescene, protocols of both organizations in solving the crime problems from the shores of Johto/Kanto and beyond?

Compare the groups and analyze their use and effectiveness.

 

[kohei]

I'll like to add that in Pokemon Special, the gym leaders sort of act as an counter to the evil organisations, although not always, like the Global Police.

 

[Charaxes]

I'll like to add that in Pokemon Special, the gym leaders sort of act as an counter to the evil organisations, although not always, like the Global Police.

You do make a vaild point, as Giovanni in Special said he couldn't transfer the bio engineered Pokemon up the northern ways because of the good Gym Leaders, so he had to find another route to transport. It worked as Brock and Misty were ignorant of the Rockets, although Erika was the only one knowledgable of them and had plans of her own. You're right in that they'll act when they need to, not because they have to, although Erika's preemptive strike in R/B, makes me think different. Of course, one thing that undoes the Gym Leader argument is that they can be corrupt as Special proved profusely in the R/B/Y arc.

And that corruption hits the Elite Four level with Karen and Will and their Execution affilations with the Neo Rockets and even the Mask of Ice was a Gym Leader: Pryce in the contiuning G/S/C arc. Although Pryce, it was more personal gain, not like the monentary issues the original Rockets had.

However, in the case of Blaine, and later Surge and Sabrina, they did redeem themselves against their former employers so it's not a stretch as it could be but the element of corruption will always exist. Lance's stab at eco terrorism notwithstanding.

One thing that is missing in the R/S/E arc, is that there isn't a corrupt GL as such. So obviously better screen tests, better honor system all around. Which is an interesting fact to note. Of course Magma/Aqua is the main threat, but they didn't have the system to help them like the Rockets had.

 

[Alter Ego]

Gym leaders going corrupt? O_O Man, I should really get my hands on those Special's, or the plot at least.

Anyhow, I think I might have a group that could be added to the list, namely; The pok?mon rangers. They probably haven't made an appearance in the anime, but by what I gather from the games they're a group of trainers that use their pok?mon to protect and preserve nature. That's what they claim anyway, in effect they just harass you when you're trying to get to move around (claiming that they mistook you for a criminal). Well, I heard that that particular organization will be starring in a new pok?mon game (due to be released some time after Diamond/Pearl) named after them so there will probably be more actual information on them to come. What I do know however is that they primarily use grass type pok?mon; Gloom, Weepinbell, Vileplume, Victreebell, Exceggcute, Exeggutor, and Breloom are the ones I can recall straight off.

Anyhow, it seems to me like the criminal organizations tend to be far better organized than their opponents. As far as I can tell the Global Police agents usually arrive to the scene too late and then just thwiddle their thumbs, leaving the actual solving of the cases to freelancers and vigilantees (e.g. Ash & co, main characters in the games, Lance in G/S/C at the Lake of Rage).

 

[.::Tsunami::.]

Gym leaders going corrupt? O_O Man, I should really get my hands on those Special's, or the plot at least.

Anyhow, I think I might have a group that could be added to the list, namely; The pok?mon rangers. They probably haven't made an appearance in the anime, but by what I gather from the games they're a group of trainers that use their pok?mon to protect and preserve nature. That's what they claim anyway, in effect they just harass you when you're trying to get to move around (claiming that they mistook you for a criminal). Well, I heard that that particular organization will be starring in a new pok?mon game (due to be released some time after Diamond/Pearl) named after them so there will probably be more actual information on them to come. What I do know however is that they primarily use grass type pok?mon; Gloom, Weepinbell, Vileplume, Victreebell, Exceggcute, Exeggutor, and Breloom are the ones I can recall straight off.

Anyhow, it seems to me like the criminal organizations tend to be far better organized than their opponents. As far as I can tell the Global Police agents usually arrive to the scene too late and then just thwiddle their thumbs, leaving the actual solving of the cases to freelancers and vigilantees (e.g. Ash & co, main characters in the games, Lance in G/S/C at the Lake of Rage).

yeah just what i was about to say

 

[Charaxes]

Anyhow, I think I might have a group that could be added to the list, namely; The pok?mon rangers. They probably haven't made an appearance in the anime, but by what I gather from the games they're a group of trainers that use their pok?mon to protect and preserve nature. That's what they claim anyway, in effect they just harass you when you're trying to get to move around (claiming that they mistook you for a criminal). Well, I heard that that particular organization will be starring in a new pok?mon game (due to be released some time after Diamond/Pearl) named after them so there will probably be more actual information on them to come.

Interesting point, Alter. I believe the Rangers did make an appearence in the anime, the finale of the Larvitar arc, "Mother of All Battles" and served as an extra patrol. But I view the Rangers as a separate entity and see them in an ecology role and maintain the habitats rather than actively pursue poachers or get involved in man's world, and as such have a microcosm to their role: guard their zones and no further and anything else, pass on to the Global Police or the proper authorities but while the Rangers have an excuse to stay in their respective zones and their own passive roles, the Police certainly don't and should be active.

Although is the Global Police's passivity a sign of the times with law enforcement being so passive with the major US, although I'm not sure about Japan's police and their effectiveness rate. Or Interpol's as they seem to be the Global Police's inspiration if anything.

 

[Alter Ego]

Johnny-chan; how many pointless remarks are you aiming to make? Honestly, if you don't have anything to say on a subject then don't post at all. Agreeing with everyone on everything isn't helping the discussion in any way so please try to post some actual content for a change. This seems to me just like that empty praise you gave a certain person's movesets a while back in the GB Strategies & Movesets forum, it's not helping anything and as such it's basically spam. <_<

Dark Weezing; True enough, they do seem to be something of an isolationist organization. I mean, sure they report things, but only if it's outside their own territory. As for the global police...well, that always annoyed me actually. I mean, tracking down criminals should be their job, so why are they just sitting on their hands when things are actually happening? Taking some game examples;

In G/S/C; the situation at the Lake of Rage (Already mentioned it but meh...), thwarting the Rocket plot is left to Lance and the protagonist. They didn't even come around to wrap up the aftermath.

The capture of the Radio Tower; there are two officers nearby yet they don't pay any attention to it. Heck, even Picknicker Liz was more attentive, giving me a call as she did, and that's kind of disturbing.

R/S/E:

I don't think that Team Magma/Aqua were met with even token resistance at any point during the game. It does beg the question wether they're making a political statement or just being lazy about it.

Although in the games, the main character isn't really without fault either; I mean, he/she walks waltzes right onto other people's property and steals whatever he/she pleases, which is basically everything that can be collected by means of the 'A' button.

 

[Charaxes]

Thank you, Alter, I just felt like "what is the point of addressing this (blank)?"

Anyway.

I think with the games, the point of the Global Police's lack of involvement, is a matter of mechanics, as so you could interact and be involved in the subplot but still, an untrained civilian dealing with a major criminal organization? God, think of the lawsuits from that in the real world.

I think with Officer Jenny, and the anime, they do have more of a proactive ness lately (the Gulpin operation) but they have a tarnished image, although the other organizations have suffered in some measures as well. In "Dues and Don't", the Talent Scout for Team Rocket admitted that the Global Police or police in general have been cracking down on them, forcing to see a shortage of agents. It's a nice verbal reference to the Police's effectiveness but yes, actions are louder than words and another to see for ourselves their success rate.

With Aqua/Magma, the Police weren't there at all in the games, but Hoenn seems to be a stable region, nothing of the high crime or corruption on the mainland. So maybe they didn't need to do anything as they seem to be stretched out with their paucity of agents with their patrols in G/S/C. I don't know anything about their role in FR/LG yet but I doubt that will change. But I guess with the Magma/Aqua's political statement and their unlikely success of their goals, the Police decided not to waste the manpower, I suppose.

Makes me wonder, why make a counter to the criminal orgs, if you don't use it?

You're right about the main character, just assume you have property rights because it's there. Is Nintendo teaching us to be kleptos or what? Heheh.