DynoStretch
This Space For Rent
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2011
- Messages
- 199
- Reaction score
- 132
No that title isn't the beginning of a Seinfeld joke.
Something I've been thinking about from the earlier seasons was Ash's Charizard, and how horribly he was handled. I've wanted to talk to some intelligent people about it, but at the time I was still posting on Serebii's forum. Now that I'm here I thought I'd discuss my thoughts.
Charizard's disobedience was one of the strangest parts of the original Kanto saga. His character started innocently enough as Charmander. He was probably the gentlest and sweetest of the team, as shown in the Giant Pokemon Island episode where he would often try to help Pikachu stop the fights between the two more aggressive starters. Then came his evolution and bam, instantly he becomes an absolute prick and tries to make Ash into rotisserie.
Things got worse in the very next episode, the infamous Paras episode where Charmeleon was not only an ass, but he was casted as the outright villain of the episode. Even Team Rocket seemed less evil in comparison. I was hoping they'd focus the episode on why Charmeleon was like this or what he could do to rectify it, but they just stuck to the Paras plot, only explaining Charmeleon's problem as "his trainer needs experience".
So I'm assuming this means that Charmeleon didn't respect Ash as a trainer, oh well I guess that makes se-
HANG ON A SECOND!
So Charmeleon is showing disrespect for Ash, despite the fact that he helped save the lizard's life?! That he defended Charmander back when Damian was insulting him?? And this is the thanks Ash gets for it? Way to show your gratitude there Charmeleon. Hell, in the fossil episode he just lounges around in a dire moment when Ash and Pikachu were about to killed by Kabutops, not even giving a care. How the hell is this the same Charmander from before? As a Charizard, he seemed to be a lot more calm and nice, saving Ash from Aerodactyl, and not really attacking him as aggressively as before, but it was still aggravating.
Even worse, there was never really any actual reason I could find for Charizard's attitude. Why didn't he respect Ash? Was there an actual excuse other then "He was an ungrateful bastard and doesn't respect the guy who saved him."?
Was it just a contrived excuse to show how evil it is to let your Pokemon evolve back in Kanto (is it only okay to evolve your Pokemon if you're going to do it to make the world a better place like that Paras girl was?)?
Was there a reason why it had to be Charmander and not say, Bulbasaur who was always mistrusting, or Squirtle who was a former gangster?
But one of my biggest problems with Charizard's character was how it seemed Ash had no way to fix the problem. Every time he tried to use Charizard it would either sleep or try to kill him. Ash would often get berated for Charizard being disobedient, and yet no one seemed to want to do or say anything to help him. It's pretty clear he was in over his head with Charizard, maybe he could had gotten some advice from people like Misty, Brock or Professor Oak, but instead everyone just parrots "NEEDZ MOAR TRAINING" over and over, despite it being pretty clear that Charizard was too stubborn for Ash to even try to train.
I'm reminded of Oak's comments on Ash after he lost the Indigo League, saying he might had done better if he wasn't so sure of his himself and trained his Charizard properly. Um, Oak, buddy? It might have helped if you actually offered some practical advice for Ash other then vague philosophical crap. Even Lorelei of the Elite Four gave him a hard time about Charizard, and yet again didn't give any actual advice.
Heck, when Charizard finally was put under control, what did it take to do it? Oh right, Ash had to save his life, again.
It was only then when Charizard finally remembered everything Ash did for him. It finally happened, but far too late after Blaine and Indigo, and not too long after that, Ash was pressured into releasing him.
So what is your guy's thoughts on Charizard? Do you think the writers handled him well? Do you think he should had become obedient earlier? Do you think his attitude was due to Ash being a poor trainer or just the lizard being an asshole? Let's hear it.
Something I've been thinking about from the earlier seasons was Ash's Charizard, and how horribly he was handled. I've wanted to talk to some intelligent people about it, but at the time I was still posting on Serebii's forum. Now that I'm here I thought I'd discuss my thoughts.
Charizard's disobedience was one of the strangest parts of the original Kanto saga. His character started innocently enough as Charmander. He was probably the gentlest and sweetest of the team, as shown in the Giant Pokemon Island episode where he would often try to help Pikachu stop the fights between the two more aggressive starters. Then came his evolution and bam, instantly he becomes an absolute prick and tries to make Ash into rotisserie.
Things got worse in the very next episode, the infamous Paras episode where Charmeleon was not only an ass, but he was casted as the outright villain of the episode. Even Team Rocket seemed less evil in comparison. I was hoping they'd focus the episode on why Charmeleon was like this or what he could do to rectify it, but they just stuck to the Paras plot, only explaining Charmeleon's problem as "his trainer needs experience".
So I'm assuming this means that Charmeleon didn't respect Ash as a trainer, oh well I guess that makes se-
HANG ON A SECOND!
So Charmeleon is showing disrespect for Ash, despite the fact that he helped save the lizard's life?! That he defended Charmander back when Damian was insulting him?? And this is the thanks Ash gets for it? Way to show your gratitude there Charmeleon. Hell, in the fossil episode he just lounges around in a dire moment when Ash and Pikachu were about to killed by Kabutops, not even giving a care. How the hell is this the same Charmander from before? As a Charizard, he seemed to be a lot more calm and nice, saving Ash from Aerodactyl, and not really attacking him as aggressively as before, but it was still aggravating.
Even worse, there was never really any actual reason I could find for Charizard's attitude. Why didn't he respect Ash? Was there an actual excuse other then "He was an ungrateful bastard and doesn't respect the guy who saved him."?
Was it just a contrived excuse to show how evil it is to let your Pokemon evolve back in Kanto (is it only okay to evolve your Pokemon if you're going to do it to make the world a better place like that Paras girl was?)?
Was there a reason why it had to be Charmander and not say, Bulbasaur who was always mistrusting, or Squirtle who was a former gangster?
But one of my biggest problems with Charizard's character was how it seemed Ash had no way to fix the problem. Every time he tried to use Charizard it would either sleep or try to kill him. Ash would often get berated for Charizard being disobedient, and yet no one seemed to want to do or say anything to help him. It's pretty clear he was in over his head with Charizard, maybe he could had gotten some advice from people like Misty, Brock or Professor Oak, but instead everyone just parrots "NEEDZ MOAR TRAINING" over and over, despite it being pretty clear that Charizard was too stubborn for Ash to even try to train.
I'm reminded of Oak's comments on Ash after he lost the Indigo League, saying he might had done better if he wasn't so sure of his himself and trained his Charizard properly. Um, Oak, buddy? It might have helped if you actually offered some practical advice for Ash other then vague philosophical crap. Even Lorelei of the Elite Four gave him a hard time about Charizard, and yet again didn't give any actual advice.
Heck, when Charizard finally was put under control, what did it take to do it? Oh right, Ash had to save his life, again.
It was only then when Charizard finally remembered everything Ash did for him. It finally happened, but far too late after Blaine and Indigo, and not too long after that, Ash was pressured into releasing him.
So what is your guy's thoughts on Charizard? Do you think the writers handled him well? Do you think he should had become obedient earlier? Do you think his attitude was due to Ash being a poor trainer or just the lizard being an asshole? Let's hear it.
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