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[Raonak]

Really enjoyed kanto arc because it was so fresh, and orange islands, because he actually won. Johto was cool despite the fillers. Charizard returning was fucking awesome.

Stopped watching once hoenn started. misty replacement annoyed me, and the kid was the worst. Ash starting off with only pikachu meant it was the perfect time to bailout.

Pokemon anime was soo good when I was young. but it's very hard to watch now. new voices, changed artstyle. god awful writing (yeah... kids show :/) and knowing he's never gonna win a pokemon leauge. and he's just gonna get rid of his partners and pokemon come next series.

 

[Cybersai]

Stopped watching once hoenn started. misty replacement annoyed me, and the kid was the worst. Ash starting off with only pikachu meant it was the perfect time to bailout.

So you bailout when the show actually got interesting again? The Hoenn saga was the turning point of the anime actually getting enjoyable again, and May develops much better than Misty overtime.

 

[Raonak]

So you bailout when the show actually got interesting again? The Hoenn saga was the turning point of the anime actually getting enjoyable again, and May develops much better than Misty overtime.

imo, hoenn was where it started turning to shit. Though that has to do with me growing out of it. the saving grace of pokemon was the nostalgia. And Hoenn was pretty much a soft-reboot. cutting all the nostalgic ties with kanto and johto.

The pokemon anime is a childrens show. and without the childhood nostalgia it's extremely apperent. It's quite dull and formulaic. can't watch an episode without facepalming constantly.

 

[Cybersai]

imo, hoenn was where it started turning to shit. Though that has to do with me growing out of it. the saving grace of pokemon was the nostalgia. And Hoenn was pretty much a soft-reboot. cutting all the nostalgic ties with kanto and johto.

If you didn't watch much of it, how would you know? And it didn't cut off ties, the Hoenn arc was a direct sequel to the original series with a more mature Ash, Brock returning, a better handled female lead and improvements all around.

In fact the whole original intention of the Hoenn arc was to make up for all the complaints about the Johto saga. The show doesn't get a reboot until Best Wishes.

 

[JoeM86]

So, I just watched the Ash vs Tobias battle. Damn, that was pretty good. Anyone wanna key me in on the best battles the series has to offer? DP or BW, please. If they have Infernape or Charizard in them, even better

EDIT: Man, Ash turned his hat backwards and everything. Hadn't seen that in a minute.

Watch the three episodes before that. It's a 3 part episode with Ash battling his Sinnoh rival

 

[Cybersai]

Watch the three episodes before that. It's a 3 part episode with Ash battling his Sinnoh rival

I'd also recommend watching any of the Ash/Paul battles in Sinnoh, there were at least 3-4 of them if I remember correctly.

I'd also recommend watching May Vs. Drew and Dawn Vs. Zoey in the Grand Festivals, they were the highlights for their battles.

 

[JoeM86]

I'd also recommend watching any of the Ash/Paul battles in Sinnoh, there were at least 3-4 of them if I remember correctly.

I'd also recommend watching May Vs. Drew and Dawn Vs. Zoey in the Grand Festivals, they were the highlights for their battles.

Ash's Unova Gym battles are pretty cool, barring the first one too. Elesa's has Ash do something stupid, but ends with a decent battle. The Unova League had some decent ones too, once you get over the fact that Ash lost to an utter moron

The episode Charizard returns has a fantastic Charizard VS Dragonite battle, as well.

 

[Cybersai]

Ash's Unova Gym battles are pretty cool, barring the first one too. Elesa's has Ash do something stupid, but ends with a decent battle. The Unova League had some decent ones too, once you get over the fact that Ash lost to an utter moron

The episode Charizard returns has a fantastic Charizard VS Dragonite battle, as well.

I think the battles started improving for the first time in late Johto when they switched to digital animation for the first time. That's why the Johto league was so impressive at the time, and the battles continued to improve through AG and into DP.

 

[JoeM86]

I think the battles started improving for the first time in late Johto when they switched to digital animation for the first time. That's why the Johto league was so impressive at the time, and the battles continued to improve through AG and into DP.

I agree with that. People often say the animation was better back in the day, but it was so static. I rewatched a few episodes within Pokémon Smash from Indigo, Orange and early Johto and the battles were mostly just so static. All you need to do is compare the battle of Charizard VS Poliwrath in Charizard Chills to its reanimated version in the Flames of a Red-Hot Reunion episode.

Hell, there was one episode where Poliwhirl used the same attack animation four times in the same episode. While there are stock animations still to this day, they aren't that overused.

 

[Kokonoe]

lol....

 

[Raonak]

If you didn't watch much of it, how would you know? And it didn't cut off ties, the Hoenn arc was a direct sequel to the original series with a more mature Ash, Brock returning, a better handled female lead and improvements all around.

In fact the whole original intention of the Hoenn arc was to make up for all the complaints about the Johto saga. The show doesn't get a reboot until Best Wishes.

I stopped early in hoenn, then years later watched a few episodes. also caught a couple of DP episodes. which were a bit better due to may and that dumb fucking kid not existing anymore.but seemed like it got even more childish?

Kanto-orange-johto felt like a connected arc. Hoenn was a soft-reboot imo. new outfits. new rival. new companions. ash completely abandoning all his old pokemon minus pikachu. new team rocket theme song. and TR also abandoning their pokemon. content nonsense (which amplified by hatred of may)

 

[JoeM86]

I stopped early in hoenn, then years later watched a few episodes. also caught a couple of DP episodes. which were a bit better due to may and that dumb fucking kid not existing anymore.but seemed like it got even more childish?

Kanto-orange-johto felt like a connected arc. Hoenn was a soft-reboot imo. new outfits. new rival. new companions. ash completely abandoning all his old pokemon minus pikachu. new team rocket theme song. and TR also abandoning their pokemon. content nonsense (which amplified by hatred of may)

It really hasn't got more childish, it's just that you've got older.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Honestly I thought the new voice acting got better after DP. It's when they stopped pretending to be TAS voice acting and did their own thing.

Also I think "well-shaped Pikachu" > round Pikachu because it has actual shape.

And might as well plug it in that Pokemon XY bonanza is coming very soon~

I stopped early in hoenn, then years later watched a few episodes. also caught a couple of DP episodes. which were a bit better due to may and that dumb fucking kid not existing anymore.but seemed like it got even more childish?

Kanto-orange-johto felt like a connected arc. Hoenn was a soft-reboot imo. new outfits. new rival. new companions. ash completely abandoning all his old pokemon minus pikachu. new team rocket theme song. and TR also abandoning their pokemon. content nonsense (which amplified by hatred of may)

It's been childish even before.

imo, hoenn was where it started turning to shit. Though that has to do with me growing out of it. the saving grace of pokemon was the nostalgia. And Hoenn was pretty much a soft-reboot. cutting all the nostalgic ties with kanto and johto.

The pokemon anime is a childrens show. and without the childhood nostalgia it's extremely apperent. It's quite dull and formulaic. can't watch an episode without facepalming constantly.

Man imagine all the children today not having that "childhood nostalgia" (tm)

Also not really, Pokemon (games) don't rely on nostalgia to be good while the anime has been pretty subpar regardless.

 

[Cybersai]

I stopped early in hoenn, then years later watched a few episodes. also caught a couple of DP episodes. which were a bit better due to may and that dumb fucking kid not existing anymore.but seemed like it got even more childish?

What on earth are you talking about? The Hoenn group has some of the best chemistry of all the group dynamics and it was May's popularity that convinced the writers to axe Misty from the show entirely instead of reviving her character. May is the reason people actually enjoyed the anime again after how poorly handled Misty was in Johto. The Contest episodes were the most popular addition to the series when they first appeared.

So people like you complain the show is boring and repeititve, yet when the writers try to do new things you sit there butt-hurt over things not being like they were during Johto? Its your loss, especially since Hoenn/Sinnoh are much better than Johto.

 

[LordGouda]

What on earth are you talking about? The Hoenn group has some of the best chemistry of all the group dynamics and it was May's popularity that convinced the writers to axe Misty from the show entirely instead of reviving her character. May is the reason people actually enjoyed the anime again after how poorly handled Misty was in Johto. The Contest episodes were the most popular addition to the series when they first appeared.

So people like you complain the show is boring and repeititve, yet when the writers try to do new things you sit there butt-hurt over things not being like they were during Johto? Its your loss, especially since Hoenn/Sinnoh are much better than Johto.

Funny story about Misty.... the story board writer, I think it was, said they didn't know what to do with Misty. They also thought she was boring and only had her in because it was to bring in the little girls to watch the show. When they figured she was getting too stale for them, they had a choice between Team Rocket and Misty... let's say the rest is history.

 

[Davey Cakes]

1998 was quite a year. I watched Pokemon from the beginning when it was on UPN at 8:30am (or 3:30pm). Since I was home schooled and started at 9:00, it worked out perfectly.

Then after the hiatus, it began again with the rest of season 1 on the WB, with the episode after Charmander evolved. I woke up at 6:30am for that.

I pretty much watched up until the Orange Islands, where I basically quit around the second gym or so. The change from Brock to Tracey seriously rubbed me the wrong way and that was certainly the beginning of the end. When I learned that Brock was back for the Johto League, I watched again for a few episodes only to fall off it again and for good.

Back then I also watched Pokemon: The First Movie. None of the movies after that.

Interestingly enough, I still play Pokemon games to this day. After the original games I did play Silver, Sapphire, Leaf Green, Diamond, and White. Also enjoyed titles like Pokemon Pinball GBC and GBA. So really, I've been into the franchise for years, though I will admit my fatigue is at an all time high after completing Pokemon White.

To learn that the show hasn't changed much after 12 years is, in a way, heartbreaking. It's like they never let Ash become the Master we all wanted him to be. Knowing that the writers keep him perpetually at the age of 10 is disturbing to me. Knowing that he starts anew in every region is bothersome, especially when some of his first Pokemon like Squirtle and Bulbasaur never got a chance to evolve (I know that Bulbasaur refused to evolve, but there's no reason why that couldn't have changed at some point, maybe due to necessity). Also, I caught one of the more recent episodes not too long ago just for a bit and I was disgusted that the original Team Rocket isn't only still around but they're up to the same hijinks they were before (for the most part anyway; I can't say fully since I don't watch the show).

Never mind the biggest issue at all, that Ash has never beaten the Elite Four or even officially contested with them in any region. That's crazy. All this time and they only throw Ash a bone with lesser competitions and not the big ones that we all experience in the games.

So, again, heartbreaking is a good term. This is a show that I adored in the first season, and it's what got me into the franchise in general. It's been 15 years since the series started here in America and Ash is still fucking 10-years-old and a loser. A travesty indeed.

Of course, I'm probably just being dramatic.

 

[Kard8p3]

Did you say

?

Funny thing is I just finished watching that, and I had the exact same thought

 

[Black Republican]

Ash's ideal party:
Charizard

Charizard spit that hot fire

 

[zeopower6]

To learn that the show hasn't changed much after 12 years is, in a way, heartbreaking. It's like they never let Ash become the Master we all wanted him to be. Knowing that the writers keep him perpetually at the age of 10 is disturbing to me. Knowing that he starts anew in every region is bothersome, especially when some of his first Pokemon like Squirtle and Bulbasaur never got a chance to evolve (I know that Bulbasaur refused to evolve, but there's no reason why that couldn't have changed at some point, maybe due to necessity). Also, I caught one of the more recent episodes not too long ago just for a bit and I was disgusted that the original Team Rocket isn't only still around but they're up to the same hijinks they were before (for the most part anyway; I can't say fully since I don't watch the show).

Never mind the biggest issue at all, that Ash has never beaten the Elite Four or even officially contested with them in any region. That's crazy. All this time and they only throw Ash a bone with lesser competitions and not the big ones that we all experience in the games.

I always found it kind of odd that they wrote lyrics like "I'm born to be a winner, born to be a champion" but Ash has never really made it that far, lol. These Japanese writers just don't want to give him a chance at the Elite Four... jeez.

Some of his Pokemon just don't evolve. I guess for the most part, they want to keep his team relatively balanced. I find his Water starters usually don't evolve at all while the Fire/Grass ones almost always get to their final form at least. Squirtle didn't evolve because he's got the Squirtle Squad! We can't have a Wartortle in charge.

Team Rocket actually became rather competent and weren't complete idiots for the beginning of Best Wishes/Black and White, so you missed out on them actually kicking ass. However, they got a little less competent after

Spoiler

Giovanni almost destroyed Unova

.

I'm guessing that their reason for keeping him away from the Elite Four is that once he gets there, he'll probably kick ass which would end his Pokemon journey. (though really now why can't he just beat all the different Elite Fours?)

 

[Davey Cakes]

Beating multiple Elite Fours isn't some far fetched idea. Anyone who played the games as early as Gold/Silver could do it.

This is why it's bothersome why the show hasn't thrown Ash a bone in this regard. I guess it's because they just don't want him to be ultimate.

 

[zeopower6]

Beating multiple Elite Fours isn't some far fetched idea. Anyone who played the games as early as Gold/Silver could do it.

This is why it's bothersome why the show hasn't thrown Ash a bone in this regard. I guess it's because they just don't want him to be ultimate.

Well, it was noted that apparently the writers feel that it'd be the end of Ash's journey (and maybe the anime) if he ever makes it to the 'end'. :/ However, they've introduced stuff like the Champion League and all that that could prolong his journey even after beating the Elite Four and becoming Champion. I get why they probably want to keep him powered down though... if he becomes too overpowered, he won't be as easy to 'reset' each time a new region is announced.

 

[SougoXIII]

Team Rocket actually became rather competent and weren't complete idiots for the beginning of Best Wishes/Black and White, so you missed out on them actually kicking ass. However, they got a little less competent after

Spoiler

Giovanni almost destroyed Unova

.

That's the reason I found Team Rocket to be the worst part of the Best Wishes season. TR was never about being edgy and cool. Their charms lies in the fact that they're incompetent morons (which they kinda have to be, considering their job is to steal other people's pokemon) Heck, many of their highlights involved them actually do something good despite their role as the 'bad guys.' Having them suddenly turned all dark and edgy just screamed 'try hards!' to me.

I'm guessing that their reason for keeping him away from the Elite Four is that once he gets there, he'll probably kick ass which would end his Pokemon journey. (though really now why can't he just beat all the different Elite Fours?)

I think the reason for this is because in the anime, you can only challenge the Elite Four of your Hometown. So if Ash's from Kanto, he can only challenge the Kanto's Elite Four which make his participant in the other region's League laughably pointless.

 

[Cybersai]

Ash's regression/static growth is obviously one of the major flaws of the show. I do hope he's concluded eventually though.

The people who are going on about Misty or Brock are the ones who don't understand how the show works. Neither character really functioned for the show after about the first Johto season. Once Ash became an experienced trainer neither one was particularly needed.

Just look at how boring Brock was in the DP saga. He was literally there for no reason at all.

 

[Deleted member 13876]

I think the reason for this is because in the anime, you can only challenge the Elite Four of your Hometown.

That's racist.

 

[Cybersai]

Damn, where'd that guy go who was whining about Misty being replaced? I love explaining to people why this had to be done for the show to continue.

 

[Volotaire]

So I decided to carry on where I left off, which was the end of Diamond and Pearl Galactic Battles.

Went on to Wikipedia to search which had the most episodes for region and was surprised at the DP series, about 200! So much filler. Didn't count Johto & Kanto + Orange or Hoenn + Frontier, but how long it took to get to from start to an end of of a competition.

Anyway I've moved onto to Sinnoh league victors at last, and I was generally surprised at the quality of the episode with Flint and Volken.

Spoiler

The reveal that the guy in the bar was the pokemon poacher was sweet, an actual surprise for once, and a realistic battle where Ash has no chance against the Elite Four member but Pikachu gives the fight more than Ash's other Pokemon seem grounded in reality. The follow up with Team Rocket and the lighthouse was insane but satisfying; it was a great 2 episodes.