Chit-Chat: Pokémon General DCC

[Glameow]

They're so epic lined up like that. I'd love for someone to do a sketch like that for me and my friends

 

[Hikamaru]

I've never read the manga at all, but that's likely because you'll never see it be a big business outside of Japan. #japanissuperior

 

[Rebellion.]

I beg to differ, I see the PokeSpecial manga in both bookstores by me and even Target. It's a same that the Electric Tale of Pikachu lost traction

 

[pkmin3033]

I've seen a few volumes of the Pokemon manga at Waterstones, although I've never had any inclination to buy it...they're always missing volumes and I can just read it online like everyone else does if I really want to anyway

I'm not sure if I want to try reading it...manga typically fails to keep my attention for very long for some reason. Plus there's just so much of it now. xD

 

[Gligar]

One thing I don't get. Ash's Pikachu gets stronger in battle, but in another battle, he battle likes a beginner pokemon. Like after Kanto, Orange Islands, Johto, Hoen, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos he's still not a really good trainer. 0-0

 

[pkmin3033]

Ah yes, the infamous reset factor. Ash periodically loses all the experience and knowledge (although not his memories, oddly) that he gained in the previous season for the sake of the next...because otherwise he'd power through the whole region and win the league with ease. Pikachu suffers the same fate, being the only Pokemon Ash takes with him on each of his journeys.

It doesn't make much sense, except from a writing standpoint - they probably think it'd make boring viewing if Ash didn't suffer soul-crushing losses constantly despite the fact that he could be a Champion in three different regions by now...the Battle Frontier is way, waaaaay harder than the Elite Four, and he overcame that. Anime =/= sense.

 

[Pendraflare]

Yep, that can kinda relate to the opening of the Unova League, which I heard things about being absolutely disastrous when Ash lost to a trainer who had never battled before. And then that same trainer defeated him again only a few episodes later.

 

[Brendino]

That episode was one of the few I've watched in the last couple of years, and that battle was a frustrating one to watch. Not only were Pikachu's Electric-based attacks temporarily disabled due to Zekrom (which still seemed like a plot device specifically for the upcoming battle), but the Snivy he battled already knew moves like Leaf Tornado, despite that being its first match.

I understand why Ash and Pikachu always regress when heading off to a new region, but it does seem a bit insulting to anyone who has watched the show for a number of years.

 

[Pendraflare]

That's kinda right - I remember reading lots of angry comments on TV Tropes about that battle and why it just made no sense at all, and with the second one Pikachu had its electric attacks back so that should have gone in Ash's favor.

 

[pkmin3033]

Yeah, that didn't start the B/W saga off very well, and it put me right off the show again. Especially considering how well Ash had progressed as a trainer and a character overall in the DP series - it took a Darkrai to beat him down. He managed to knock out a Latios with Pikachu, and suddenly this Pikachu can't even beat a Snivy that's never battled before? Even for the reset factor that's insulting...

 

[Powerserge]

Maybe each season takes place in an AU? haha

 

[Hiatus]

Since Ash isn't replacing his Pikachu like he does with every other of his Pokémon whenever he enters a new region and whatnot, I suppose it's understandable as to why they would have this Pikachu forget all strategies, tactics, and so forth; otherwise, things would likely have been a piece of cake in its eyes. Though, I do agree that it doesn't seem too reasonable; wish they'd think of something else as alternative.

 

[Brendino]

And what's more frustrating is that the alternative was right there with Oshawott, but they waited until the third episode to have it join Ash. At least Oshawott losing to Snivy would've made Ash look unlucky, rather than he and Pikachu being downright embarrassed by a rookie.

 

[pkmin3033]

I'm all for showing Ash he still has a lot to learn, but it really needs to be done by someone who is clearly better than he is to be effective. I was quite happy to see Gary come back and put Ash in his place with his Electivire after he won the Battle Frontier, for example.

It wouldn't have killed them to introduce an experienced character early - Alder would have been perfect for this I think - to beat Ash down and inspire him to new heights, rather than taking a thoroughly unlikeable rookie and having him do it.

 

[Pendraflare]

That was probably not something expected, seeing Gary come out of nowhere and then beat him with something not Hoenn-native. But we don't get to see him as much in the later episodes of the anime, so they might have wanted to give him a quick appearance there.

And Alder does appear in the Unova series, with an unusual appearance though.

 

[pkmin3033]

He was the perfect person to put Ash in his place and inspire him to keep going; I loved that he showed up again! His odd appearance in Sinnoh now and again was nice as well~

I was quite disappointed by Alder's pointless anime appearance...but then, I didn't like BW in general, it felt like such a huge step backwards. He was just an example, though...really, anyone other than Trip would have been sufficient.

 

[moon]

I like Unova :3 The games were refreshing, after Sinnoh's mashup of everything that came before.

 

[Hikamaru]

I like Unova :3 The games were refreshing, after Sinnoh's mashup of everything that came before.

True. It pretty much changed how I viewed Pokemon forever given Black & White broke the mold so much, like an entirely new region with no older Pokemon, and it introduced one of the biggest breakthroughs to competitive play in the form of Hidden Abilities.

And the of course the story is definitely something considered dark for a game targeted towards kids. Pendraflare would be agreeing with what I was saying here.

 

[Ice1]

I really liked BW's story, and I am now playing through B2 for the first time, and loving it. I don't think I have ever not enjoyed a main series pokemon game.

 

[pkmin3033]

I didn't mind Black 2, but Black nearly put me off the franchise. Training was a chore, early route Pokemon selection was truly awful, and the random encounter rate was ridiculously broken...amongst other things that made it unbelievably tedious to slog through. It broke the mold alright, but I wouldn't say that was a positive thing in this case. I've always enjoyed Pokemon games, but I can't honestly think of anything positive to say about Black. Black 2, sure, but not Black. It wasn't so much the softcore reboot aspect that offended me as it was the lack of effort that seemed to have gone into it.

I don't see why people get so excited about the plot, either. It was no darker or deeper than Platinum's, and I didn't see anything particularly special about it...but then, this is probably the expectations thing coming into play again. I'd been told by a lot of people before I got Black that it had a "proper" story in it, so naturally I played it expecting a proper story, not the same old thing just in a slightly different order to make it look fresh and exciting, which it most definitely was not. I've tried to see it, but I just...don't see it.

When I said "BW" earlier I was referring to Best Wishes specifically though, even if I didn't like the original fifth gen games either. I don't dislike the fifth generation as a whole - Black 2 more than made up for Black's numerous flaws and shortcomings - but it had a very rocky, unfortunate, and downright lazy start, in my opinion. But I guess I'm in the minority here...as usual. xD