Ash's old Pokemon at Oak's lab, how should the writers handle them now?

[Cybersai]

After 10 years Ash has built up quite a collection of Pokemon. However, since Ash gets new Pokemon every region, it gives less of a chance for the old ones to return for a couple of battles. While it doesn't seem like Ash is going to use his old Pokemon in DP until the end of the journey, how should the writers go about bringing his old ones back when that time comes, for either the league or an Elite 4 arc?

The writers have been good about bringing back Ash's old Pokemon, so far every one of them has come back after the season they were caught in aside from the Johto roster. My big fear is that the writers are just going to phase out some of Ash's older Pokemon and leave them at the lab never to be used again, and as said most people hate that since Ash's old Pokemon deserve to be used again. Hopefully this is not the direction the writers plan, and he will use his old ones again at some point.

But let's look at his storage Pokemon:

Bulbasaur
Squirtle
Charizard
Snorlax
Kingler
Muk
Tauros
Heracross
Donphan
Sceptile
Swellow
Corphish
Torkoal
Glalie
Bayleef
Cyndaquil
Totodile
Noctowl

That's 18 old Pokemon Ash has in reserve waiting to be used again. I put the 4 Johto Pokemon on the bottom, those 4 are the only ones that haven't been used again since their saga ended. The Hoenn team is up in the air at the moment, but since Ash hasn't used old Pokemon yet in DP we have to still wait.


Anyway, how should Ash bring back his old Pokemon? Poor Kingler and Muk haven't had a battle since Johto either, even though Muk did appear again in the Hoso's and smothered Birch in the Pallet eps after Hoenn.

These 18 Pokemon + his 5 new DP pokemon + Pikachu means Ash has 24 Pokemon in total.

Can the writers possibly have Ash use all 24 of his Pokemon for either the league or an Elite 4 arc at the end of Sinnoh?

 

[Piplup]

Ash never said anything about a "fresh start" when he came to Sinnoh (and Aipom destroyed any intentions... doesn't matter it was traded- it was already used for Gyms/Contests by Ash) so I believe he'll use some olds

The writers are also clearly learning from mistakes and trying to fix things so I expect to see most of the ngelected ones return at least once to do at least one little battle if not more and even to the team like Phanpy in BF

Some of the speculations for a Misty apperance are for a water Pokémon tournament (and don't mention Wallace- that was simply a Contest with a water field... not a water types only battles tournament)
In that case I'd like to see Ash use all his water types and let Totodile to shine more than the others as a little redeeming

I'd also love to see similar fire and grass tournaments where Ash again use all his Poké from that type and focus on neglected one more

Other than that we might see one or two return for a specific battle like a Gym or something but I know that's unlikely

I'm sure Ash is going to win the league this time and for such an important thing the writers probably will give more episodes than the past leagues... which means more battles and more time to let more Poké participate
I hope he'll use all/most of them in the league (but of course the focus and the hopefully final battle of Ash/Paul should be the Sinnoh team)

Same for the Elite Four and the new Battle Frontier
For the BF maybe even let Ash take one or two of the old Poké back to his team like he did with Phanpy in BF
I really hope for GSC remakes and that Ash takes Cyndaquil and Totodile for the BF and let them redeem themselves and possibly evolve them (I think at least Quilava should happen if not more than that)

And for beginning of next generation I hope he actually take one of his olds with him in addition to Pika (I don't count Aipom... it's much more a Sinnoh Poké than BF one) than later return it Oak to make place for new one

Oh and Glalie also didn't return after its saga (it didn't appear in BF at all... and was captured at the end of Hoenn) so it'd be nice to see it again in Sinnoh... maybe it'll be in a Frosslas episode or something like that

 

[Mooites]

Im thinking Ash will use all of his Pokemon in the final tournament thing hes in. And of course, Pikachu will be the one to come through in the end.

For now, dont count on any return appearances. We havent even gotten Misty yet, let alone someone like Corphish

 

[Cybersai]

Well I kind of figure that similar to Hoenn Ash won't start using his older Pokemon again till the end of the arc.

I remember in the Roark eps, Dawn told Ash he should use some of his older Pokemon for the rematch, but Ash said he'd rather stick with the Pokemon he has.

I think the rest of the Gyms will be just his DP team, and the league will be the first possibility of him using his older Pokemon again, if not that, then whatever comes after like the Elite 4 arc.

But as I said, Ash has 24 Pokemon now. That's a lot of Pokemon to try and give screentime too, and that's where the writers really have to plan something out so they all get good screentime for a battle or two.

 

[Mooites]

well, with the ever changing fanbase, theyre just gonna showcase the new pokemon until they feel nostalgic. or the end, whichever comes first.

 

[Yash]

He'll probably re-use Charizard, Snorlax, Heracross, Donphan, Sceptile, Swellow, and Corphish by the time the League comes around. If we see a Battle Frontier/Elite Four arc, I'm sure he'll call upon more.

The Johto Pokemon really need some extra spotlight. I can understand excluding Noctowl as it's not like Ash is in short supply of Flying-types, but Bayleef, Cyndaquil, and Totodile should return. Especially if they re-visit Johto at some point, he could just bring back his Johto team and maybe catch an extra Pokemon in Johto.

 

[Duckgon Z]

Well this saga, since Ash may be battling the E4, we just might see all of Ash's storage Pokemon+his Sinnoh team and Pikachu. The Sinnoh E4 has about 30 Pokemon all together, and since I don't see the Kanto starters and Pikachu taking out 30 Elite Pokemon in a short timespan without being tired, everyone's got a good shot to come back.

 

[Piplup]

I remember in the Roark eps, Dawn told Ash he should use some of his older Pokemon for the rematch, but Ash said he'd rather stick with the Pokemon he has.

He didn't say that
He said the Poké he already used and lost want to prove themselves (which is the same reasom why he almost always use the same team in a Gym after he lose)

 

[Mooites]

He didn't say that
He said the Poké he already used and lost want to prove themselves (which is the same reasom why he almost always use the same team in a Gym after he lose)

Um... no. Scott's right, he wanted to use his current team to deal with it.

 

[Piplup]

Um... no. Scott's right, he wanted to use his current team to deal with it.

To let them prove themselves after their lose
Ash never said anything about a fresh start for Sinnoh and as said Aipom destroyed any intention to do this

 

[Duckgon Z]

To let them prove themselves after their lose
Ash never said anything about a fresh start for Sinnoh and as said Aipom destroyed any intention to do this

But Aipom had a 4th Gen evolution to show of, that's why he got Aipom in BF, to trade for Ash's 4th Gen Water type and to evolve into her 4th Gen form. And he was going to start fresh, that's why he dumped his Pokemon there. Unless you has a next gen evo (like Aipom did) or is Pikachu, you stay with Oak. I mean he won't be bringing someone like...Corphish per say, to 5thGenLand unless the writers know he has a 5th Gen evolution.

 

[Ash6K]

I don't know when Ash will use his past pokemon (maybe Elite 4 arc/Sinnoh BF arc, whichever of the two if there is any), but when he does, I'm thinking that the writers will rely on the Kanto trio, Snorlax, Heracross, Tauros, Donphan, Sceptile, Swellow, Glalie, Corphish...the stronger pokemon in Ash's arsenal at Oak's.

As for Muk, Kingler, and Torkoal, they may have some battles too since. As for the Johto pokemon...who knows how the writers will handle them. Either they can be redeemed or not.

 

[Piplup]

But Aipom had a 4th Gen evolution to show of, that's why he got Aipom in BF, to trade for Ash's 4th Gen Water type and to evolve into her 4th Gen form. And he was going to start fresh, that's why he dumped his Pokemon there. Unless you has a next gen evo (like Aipom did) or is Pikachu, you stay with Oak. I mean he won't be bringing someone like...Corphish per say, to 5thGenLand unless the writers know he has a 5th Gen evolution.

That doesn't change the fact Ash never said he won't use his old ones in Sinnoh... and doesn't change the fact he didn't come only with Pika and started fresh but actually took Aipom with him and used it for Gyms
So Ash can use his old ones during Sinnoh or at least the league (and I'm sure he'll use them for E4 and BF)

And you can't know- Ash might take Pika+random old one to 5th gen region... and eventually Oak it to make place for new Poké (or possibly just let it stay as part of the team- Sudowoodo isn't new and they let Bonsly evolve and stay... ONE old Poké that won't evolve into new one in the whole group can't hurt)

 

[empoleon dynamite]

How can you call Aipom an old one when he had it for about 15 episodes before Sinnoh?

 

[Piplup]

I know that but Ash went only with Pika and than Aipom came and made it so Ash didn't "start fresh only with Pika and new captures"
And Ash never even said he plans to do that again
So I just explain he CAN use his old Poké during Sinnoh... if he'll do it or not we can't know but it's possible

 

[Nando]

You will never see Ash use Muk again. Mark my words.

It had no purpose in ever existing in his collection at the outset besides fueling the "gotta catch 'em all" attitude of the day, was ignored for all the time it was on standby, and now is all but forgotten save for the hugging joke since he Oaked it.

Kingler probably will fall to the same fate.

 

[Cybersai]

You will never see Ash use Muk again. Mark my words.

Kingler probably will fall to the same fate.

I fail to see how you would come to that conclusion.

Ash has used Muk a number of times in the show, we just didn't see it used in Battle Frontier, the only time during AG when Ash used old Pokemon. The only reason why its been awhile now is because Ash hasn't used any old Pokemon in DP yet, so we have to wait till the next league or filler arc.

Muk was used in the Indigo league, in a mid-Orange Islands filler "The Mystery Menace", to battle Team Rocket in the Orange Island finale, and again in the Johto league Vs. Gary. It also played a role in one of those Oak hoso specials by pounding on Butch/Cassidy and smothered Birch after Hoenn. We've seen Muk used in a number of episodes.

Muk is a unique type just like all those other Donphan/Gliscor/Glalie type Pokemon, it can be used again easily and probably will be.

Kingler just conflicts with Ash's other water types, but there's always a possibility we'll see it used again too.

I even think Ash's Johto starters have a chance to be used again, despite their lack of popularity. So Kingler and Muk still have a chance.

 

[Mooites]

Ash's Johto starters are much to weak for this day and age. We saw them in action at the Silver Conference and it was pitiful. Johto was what, 4 years? 4 years of training and they all lost. The most painful was Bayleef vs. Blastoise. It lost in one hit! All the Pokemon Ash is facing now are much to strong for that. Gary even told Ash how things are so much tougher in Sinnoh. yeah, good luck to the one-hit KO'd.

 

[Pokemaster Justin]

Shouldn't that tell you something if Johto was 4 years and Ash's Pokemon still sucked? Fact of the matter is Ash isn't a good trainer - I mean he loves and cares for his Pokemon, but you never actually see him raising/training Pokemon - I didn't catch much of Hoenn/Shinnoh so if it's changed then good...but I never saw him really train his Pokemon.

The Johto starters can come back and easily be strong again if the writers wanted them to be.

I at least think we'll see Totodile again.

 

[Mooites]

I dont.

And Ash does train his Pokemon... a bit. Well, now its all "special training". Good god PUSA, why is every form of training "special"? anybody notice how they always call it that?