Is 10 too young to embark on a Pokemon journey?

[Hyzenthlay]

Looking back on the anime, ten is too young in my mind! Aren't all those mothers who send their children to travel the region alone worried? I mean, certain Pokemon can be dangerous! For example, in episode 4 Challenge of the Samurai, the three are nearly killed by beedrill! I just don't think it would be safe.

 

[.:batto:.]

i think 12 years old would be much more realistic. or even 16. i mean c'mon. ash taking on a criminal organisation at 10 years old?

 

[Green Stache]

I never knew they were 10 until one episode and I was like 'wut'. They do look a lot older then 10 years old, and I don't really think a 10 year old would actually be able to just travel around an entire 'country' on foot, traveling the ocean and not being able to swim, bags with tons of stuff in it and yeah.. Dangerous crime roaming around. But eh, I guess Game Freak just wanted to aim it for those ages, it doesn't bother me at all, just not very realistic. :P

 

[Darkrai666]

Yeah..It's really unrealistic..I mean Sure Ash starts at 10 but he looks like he's atleast 15 and they act a lot more mature then they're ages so 10 shouldn't really be the correct age to start your OC..Make it something like 13 or 14

 

[KorpiklaaniVodka]

Yes. What kind of fool would let their 10 year old go on a journey?

 

[bobandbill]

Carrying stuff: As Kyrul said, you go on a journey you have to carry all supplies with you. Food, water, batteries, warm clothes, sleeping bag etc. I don't think a standard 10 year old has the physical strength to carry that stuff. The most they'd manage would be a backpack for day journeys? So you're either travelling routes between cities and maybe sleeping one night in the wilderness, I don't see long term travelling as viable for a 10yo. If a user here goes camping a lot and thinks they would have been able to do it alone at 10, let us know

There's a potential explanation for this - items aren't heavy because they're stored in Pokeballs or the like. After all, in the games you often find items in Pokeballs, and it's not much of a stretch to say that if they can store creatures in them then items can fit too.

How often is it stated that 10 year olds usually go out to start journeys, for the record? In the anime I suppose it's more established, but in the games:
- RBY has this
- GSC - you start by just doing an errand and turn out to be getting on so well with your starter you go out on an adventure
- RSE - get a Pokemon only because it's an emergency, go to beat up rival, turns out you are bonding well with your pokemon so yadda yadda.
- DPPT - only get Pokemon because you found them left behind, or in Pt's case you were going to run have an adventure because your friend (apparently stupidly according to the professor) said so and so you could get Pokemon
- BW - more like RBY, but your character along with your rival seem older than 10.

For that matter, anyone have data for sure on what ages protagonists were?

Also of note, you see a lot of trainers in the games clearly younger than 10 in routes/forests battling you, but on the flip side they do not seem to be going on an adventure, but rather just being out with their Pokemon.

 

[Peachi3xx]

I started watching Pokémon when I was 7 or so..

It might not be realistic for a 10 year old to travel in the Pokéverse but the anime/manga was directed to children. I think they did an amazing job inspiring and empowering the youth. Whether it was to leave for a long journey or just a family vacation, it gave children courage. (If a 10 year old can do it, so can I!)

So even if I look back and think they were too young, they're teaching the next generation. I think pokémon's a great role model, how bout you?

 

[Rai]

Yes. I have always thought that ten years old was way too young to go off and explore the world by yourself. I think that 18 would be a better age because by then you should have more world experience and should be able to take care of yourself. That is the same age you graduate high school and are an "adult" so I think it would be much more suitable. It would be like the equivalent of going off to college.

 

[BlueMudkipz]

Well it seems like its kinda a peaceful world, but there is Team Rocket ect. but i mean yeah, it is too young. Id think 15 or 16 would be about right :) ~blu

 

[Shrew]

I would compare Gamefreak's decision to make the main protagonists 10 years old to what many shonen anime has done. Very young characters like Goku and Naruto, just to name some very iconic characters, are able to change the world despite their young age, and the younger audience can relate. To make a comparison back to video games, we have Earthbound featuring young protagonists.

So our heroes being 10 years old isn't something exceptionally new.

Although I'm not very knowledgeable about fan fiction, I think you have the liberties to change something like the age trainers can begin their journey. Black/White had starting trainers at age 16, and if your fan fiction takes place in a different region, this wouldn't break any canon. If it takes place in a pre-existing region, then giving an in-story explanation for how the tradition changed or why there's a special exception would work.

Artistically, I think the in-game characters look at least 12-14.

 

[joycerodgridue]

Well i guess we all agree that none of us could ever have gone on adventure on our own when we were 10 like all the daring and courageous pokemon trainers.

 

[Ace.]

10 seems a bit too young. I mean in the anime Ash doesn't act 10 or look 10 at all and he knows quite a bit for a 10 year old. Traveling an entire region with not much knowledge and Pokemon would be a bit weird. Also I don't know how old Ash's companions are but it would be weird if Ash is like 10 and Cilan is like 16 or something.

 

[Aeroblast]

As much as I would like to stop using this cliche, I'll just have to use it: "It's just a game"

As frustrating as it is to hear that phrase on a debate like this, you'll probably hear it from me very often because, what else you can you say? The rules of the Pokemon does not apply to the rules in real life. Maybe the kids in the Pokemon world mature earlier, maybe the Pokemon "world" is much smaller than it looks... It's useless to talk about this, but I guess it's a debate so I just can't stop myself from going on and on.

 

[BurningLanguages]

Haha I sometimes laugh at the idea of a 10 year-old embarking on a quest to who-knows-where :P. But to answer the question, I think it's unrealistic in our day and age for the reason of the fan base. The only people playing Pokemon live in modern, developed parts of the world (where sending off 10 year-old hitch-hikers is a serious offense) I believe. So even if there are places in the world where this idea isn't as radical, I doubt that Pokemon would be available to them.

So to put it simply, with the crowd that Nintendo attracts, the idea of a young kid going out on his own is crazy.

 

[Kevin121]

Yeah its too young but hey its fan fiction

 

[Rentoray]

Yeah, agree with you. Their dialogue were as if they are older than 10 year old. But however, i feel ten year old is great to start a adventure.

 

[NyxShooter]

10 looks too early, I think that you should have at least 14 and up, because it provides a better perspective about teenage life, and its casual for a teenage to have a lot of drama, so drama would be a good aspect to have in a fan fiction as well.