Are you ok with main characters not getting full teams?

Shoutmon

Shoutmon

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Since XY is coming to end and Clemont and Serena just have three Pokemon each other, I was wondering if this is for the best or not. In Best Wishes Iris only had 4 Pokemon and got a new one in her special and this trend continued on XY.

I personally think it's better. Iris and Serena's Pokemon are better than the Pokemon Misty and May had. Clemont and Cilan's Pokemon are better than the crap Brock had in Kanto,Johto and Hoenn too.
 
Hm on one hand it seems like Serena and Iris' team somewhat is too small but on the other hand I think Serena's team of 3 had better development and were better balanced in development compared to Mistys, Mays, and maybe Dawns teams. Clemont also had 4 Pokemon I think, including Dedenne, which I think might be the most or close to it that a 3rd wheel character has had and his team got poor development and focus imo.

I still think Serena will catch another Pokemon before she leaves and will end up with 4 as well.
 
I never expected Clemont or Serena to get full teams while in the cast anyway, so I'm not disappointed per se. It seems like a new trend that's becoming the norm ever since BW: that Ash's pals will have small teams.
 
I'm perfectly fine with that. Since most of Ash's friends don't have battle active goals, they don't really need a full team. Serena and Clemont's teams also benefit from having a smaller amount of Pokemon to focus on. That prevents them from fading into the background. Plus, when Misty had a full team, most of her Pokemon barely did anything to stand out. If they tried to give Cilan, Iris, Serena or Clemont full teams, the chances are pretty good that they'd struggle to stand out too. For characters without a battle active goal, three to four Pokemon for their teams is just fine.
 
I'm fine with Clemont's and Serena's team having just 3 Pokemon (Dedenne is Clemont's as well, but Bonnie takes command of him so, eh).

I did hope Serena would maybe get that Buneary or something along the lines, but this is okay. I like their personalities (poor Luxray doesn't get enough screen time though, at least it appears in the next one) and how Serena's and Clemont's Pokemon all seem to tie with one another (Maybe for just Chespin/Pancham and Sylveon/Bunnelby; Luxray and Braixen are just the main fighting partners that go together most of the time). Plus, Clemont's got Heliolisk and a few others back at the tower too.

I say Serena's team is better than May's team any day (I did like Blaziken though). I think all main PokeGirls have better partners than May honestly, but that's just me.
 
Iris and Serena's Pokemon are better than the ones that May had???? Can't agree with that one.

I do agree that developing each Pokemon is pretty important, but I do prefer to see at least close to full teams. What May and Dawn did I think required more variety because their goals included battling (at least some) and the way grand festivals were set up would require more Pokemon or risk getting pretty mundane and the team getting tired. I think the length of those series is part of what allowed for more development for their team. Even the smaller teams of Iris, Serena, Cilan, and Clemont still have issues with getting proper development, so I think it mostly is just how dedicated the writers are to mixing in development episodes and maybe just cutting a few Cotds. Also sometimes they spend too much time overdeveloping/shoving down our throat one Pokemon (Piplup, Axew, Oshawott, Chespin) when that time could be spent developing the rest o the team. I think they certainly could afford to allow the other characters to have more Pokemon, but again it just depends on what their goals are, and most importantly if they are going to get screen time.
 
sc190191 said:
Iris and Serena's Pokemon are better than the ones that May had???? Can't agree with that one.

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Yes? Their personalities were dry, the didn't interact with other Pokemon, no focus episodes besides their captures,the bond with their trainer was weak and it lacked variety( two kanto starters, really?). Her team was awful.
 
They've really restricted numbers this series haven't they? Remember in DP when Musashi and Kojiro had 3 pokemon apiece - 3!!

The raw numbers obviously do make a difference. It makes sense that the less pokemon there are to share screentime between, the more screentime each pokemon gets, especially when you look back at some of the full teams we've seen (Satoshi's Johto team, Kasumi's, Haruka's). there's no denying that the pokemon in XY are more than just attack machines.

However, I think DP did full teams well. I never felt that any of pokemon on the main cast (including TRio) were underexposed. I do miss slightly the vibrancy which having a lot more pokemon on the cast meant. I wonder if a change in thinking on the part of TPTB has contributed. Before DP there was no sense of every pokemon's story and personality mattering which now it does.
 
At the same time I prefer having a full team, at the same time I don't.
OS delivered a ton of Pokes for everyone on the cast, and yet most were underexposed, with honorable mentions like Goldeen, Staryu, Starmie, Onix, Geodude, Zubat (who was the only one that's capture was off-screen but was during the show's development), Politoed, and Lickitung. That's all I can think of.

Now if you compare it to XY, the MOST underexposed Pokemon are Luxray and Talonflame.

Bunnelby and Gourgeist were initially underexposed in the beginning, but have began to get more well developed throughout the series.

Also, it disappoints me that James only held on to one Pokemon that didn't even evolve. It probably wouldn't because of "A Conspiracy to Conquer!", but "Facing the Grand Design" gave it the excuse.

This series also has the lowest amount of Pokemon in the main characters' parties overall, with the grand number being only 16 (but 12 or 11 if you don't count either TR or Meowth). BW took it higher but I freaking hated the rotation and don't mind the low number.

The only party change necessary right now would be poor James, the guy hasn't gotten anything for a whopping 109 episodes as of XY112.

Hopefully, some changes happen.
 
If it meant that there would be more room for screen time and possible development for each main character's Pokémon, then yes, I am okay with that. And generally, that does seem to be the case, outside of Ash's party.

Quality should always take precedence over quantity.
 
I'd like to see James catch a second Pokemon. I am perfectly fine with the main characters in this series having smaller teams, it allows their team members to to have more screen time. If XY were to be a longer arc like DP, then I could see them having larger teams.
 
I guess I'm of the unpopular opinion in that I'm not really okay with it myself. Honestly, we've seen that it's possible for at least 2 main characters to have full teams at one time (Ash+May/Dawn. Can't remember how many Misty and Brock had off the top of my head though and don't feel like looking it up:p). But really, out of 3 total trainers, only seeing Ash get over 4 Pokemon after over 100 episodes (minus Iris's special episode Gible) from BW and now XY (unless someone gets a team change soon) is pretty disappointing for me. In BW Ash caught 5 Pokemon within the first 7 episodes and then ended up with 9 Unova mons total. Cilan only got 3 and Iris got 4; her 5th mon coming from a special episode. That's just ridiculous to me. If Ash can get 5 Pokemon in 7 episodes, Iris and Cilan should have been able to get at least 4 each by the halfway mark of the series. Now Serena only has 3 and Clemont only has 4. Hell, even Brock should have at least had 4 total after almost 200 episodes of DP imo.

And yeah, I know, quality over quantity. I agree with that. I'd obviously much rather less Pokemon and more characteristics and development, as opposed to more Pokemon that end up boring and unmemorable, so in a way I'm sort of okay with smaller teams. But with that being said, there shouldn't be a quality vs. quantity; we should be able to have both imo. It should be perfectly plausible for all Pokemon on the main cast to get nearly (I know Ash's will always get the most) the same level of screen time and development. Unfortunately, due to this show loving to mainly shove the more popular Pokemon down our throats, it's not very likely.

I hope in the Sun/Moon series (assuming it will exist), the new traveling companions (assuming they will exist) end up with larger teams than the past companions have.
 
I cannot say im ok with Ash traveling companions receiving small pokemon teams, even if bigger number would mean not all of them having chance to be properly fleshed out in personality.

This is not only illogical from story standpoint and careers Ash friends pursue, but also puts characters themselves in unnecessary restrictive position.

No matter how many pokemon they will have some will always be shafted. We can see that with smaller teams too like Clemont Luxray being shafted and so is Serena Panchasm in not being fleshed out enough. Cilan Stunfisk or Brock Sudowoodo receiving short end of stick despite having just 3 pokemon at one point. Even Ash who is predestined to get lot of attention snd focus have regularly at leat 2 pokemon neglected and underdeveloped in his team.
Sometime even more depending on saga.

So this wont be fixed by having main characters get small pokemon team being just excuse for writers either laziness or lack of competence.

But what will it do is depriving protagonists from variety of options they could choose from in their arsenal in making their stories more engaging and ways to be more active.

For example for pokemon breeder like Brock used to be is desired to have as much as variety as possible in pokemon he take cares of in attempts of raising them in healthy and beautiful creatures. Bringing their inner strength on surface. And less options you have limits on your potential for growth in understanding all kind of different pokemon species and how to extract their best qualities from inside out.

For trainers with battle active goal like Misty who are oriented toward entering tournaments battling various trainers and learning how to synchronize with specific type you wish to master and use them to full potential. Like water in her case its absolutely mandatory and recommendable to have as much versatility in her team and rich pool of options to choose from to have team ready for any task.

Same applies to Serena because more pokemon you have, there are better chances to go far in career she pursues like pokemon performance. In having enough pokemon on your disposal with all kind of shapes and colors to break routine and deliver with eacxh act something new and fresh.

Pokémon coordinatiors like May and Dawn are same having like Misty and Iris more or less battle oriented dreams to extent(even though there exists glaring differences in battling within their professions). With more pokemon they have meaning better chances to win competition and defeat others thanks to lot of various members in their arsenal to choose from. Etc, etc.

Pretty much unless we are dealing with someone who just wants to have few pokemon as their pets, for any serious career someone pursue having more pokemon can only help being benefit instead of hindrance.

For example sake with all i said above; i had no issues with Brock and Misty having full teams in Original series. Because regardless of who ws neglected or wasn't , more pokemon in their team gave them bigger variety and lot of interesting pokemon to choose from when battling, entering tournament, helping to stop villains or enraged pokemon. As well having that way members in their team adjusted to any danger they faced such as rescue missions, escaping from violent storms or natural disasters etc.

Sure some of their pokemon weren't fleshed out enough, but you could hardly pretend like none of their pokemon was able to stand out and be remembered fondly.

Like Misty Psyduck legendary for its comedy, Poliwhirl who is viewed as her best developed pokemon, Corsola which brought lot of variety in her team or Staryu with its agility and resistence still being talked about in battles it was used.
Or Brock Pineco and unexpected explosions , Onix morbid fear from wet surface and reliable pillar of strength and steadiness whenever someone had to be pulled out or stopped from harming others. Etc.

Liking new fresh changes being made for their teams.

p.s. Fun fact: Out of all Ash traveling companions Misty/Kasumi is one with biggest number(10 in total by now). Possibly even more if she got any new ones which is reasonable to assume in 10 years period of absence.
 
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Citron and Serena-wise I don't really care as they're not getting any active roles after XY anymore... However for Satoshi I'd say it's pretty disappointing.
Unless they give him a sixth Pokemon or Numelgon returns, it'll suck he hasn't got a full team this saga.
 
I'm cool with it as long as in the long run everyone and the Pokemon get their fair share of screentime and we see progress throughout the series. Plus just like everyone else I too want Ash to get his 6th Pokemon but it's still a mystery could be Goodra, Bergmite, or another one of Ash's Pokemon makes a comeback.
 
I'm really not too bothered by Serena and Clemont having less than six, but it's quite jarring for Ash to not get a sixth Pokémon after he's consistently done so from Johto onwards. Not the end of the world though.
With the way Noivern's been handled, it feels like Pokémon #6 anyway.
 
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I just want Ash to have a full team. He is the main character and the show revolves around him mostly.
 
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