Why does Haunter kept disappearing in Episode 23 Indigo League

[cloa513]

I could understand that Haunter may have no understanding of Pokemon battles having virtually done it but just disappearing without fooling around doesn't feel in character Was it ever explained anywhere?

 

[MusicalMeloetta]

I could understand that Haunter may have no understanding of Pokemon battles having virtually done it but just disappearing without fooling around doesn't feel in character Was it ever explained anywhere?

No I don't think so. I think Haunter was just trying to play around with Ash.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

I could understand that Haunter may have no understanding of Pokemon battles having virtually done it but just disappearing without fooling around doesn't feel in character Was it ever explained anywhere?

Haunter was technically never caught by Ash. We never see him catch him with a poke ball and thus is still a wild pokemon. Yes he befriended Haunter and the others, but still never owned him. The three also just didn't want to do anything, but joke around.

Much like much of the original series, they don't explain a lot and even some cases, is retconned completely out. Such as Brock's mom dyeing, but she came back in Battle Frontier and thus has to retcon some of the episode. And while Sabrina and Ash both say Ash caught it, there was never a poke ball or a scene of Ash catching it. I think it is just one of those things they didn't care to fix because it was a children's show and never knew it would blow up and still be well known 20+ years later.

In most cases, the reason is, Haunter was never Ash's Pokemon. Ash assumed Haunter would help because he asked, but instead just went with him. Haunter never had to listen to Ash because he was not it's trainer. This is Ash's naivety that plagued the first series.

 

[Sweet Serenity]

The Haunter in that episode was simply a wild Haunter that Ash befriended rather than captured and loved to joke around. Obviously, a wild Pokémon that is your friend isn't the same as one that is captured and therefore won't listen to you.