Differences between the games and anime

[CDrayan]

I decided to post a table of differences between the games and anime. Most are very obvious or nitpicky, but I'll post them anyway.



Heroes
Games (origin of stories): You name your character.
Anime: Ash Ketchum, and Gym Leaders Misty and Brock. In Hoenn, Misty is replaced by May and Max.

Brock and Misty
Games: Two Kanto Gym Leaders who appeared early, but not again.
Anime: Major allies of Ash.

Rival
Games: You pick the name of the rival in all but RSE.
Anime: Gary Oak.

Kanto rival's sister, Daisy Oak.
Games: Appeared in RBY, GSC, and FRLG. In the latter two, she'll groom one of your Pokémon for free. In FRLG, she'll also tell you how much one of your Pokémon likes you.
Anime: Not mentioned. Presumably, Gary is an only child. Daisy Oak is not to be confused with Misty's sister, whose name is also Daisy.

Father
Games: Mentioned while looking at a Super NES display in Celadon Dept. Store.
Anime: Mentioned early, and not again. Apparently dead.

Pokedex
Games: Records info on Pokemon seen or caught, though full info is obtained by catching. The main point of the journey.
Anime: Pokedex already has full info, and is just used to identify a Pokemon.

Silph Co.
Games: The main character must enter Silph Co. and defeat Team Rocket's plan, by exploring the place and finding Giovanni. You are rewarded with the Master Ball.
Anime: Not mentioned.

Rocket Hideout
Games: Rocket Game Corner in Celadon. Team Rocket must be run out of it.
Anime: Somewhere between Pallet Town and Viridian City, until Mewtwo destroyed it. Whereabouts of the current headquarters are unknown. Ash doesn't even go within seeing distance of the HQ.

Do the characters go to school?
Games: Instead of regular grade schools, there are specialized Pokemon Trainer's schools.
Anime: Not stated, but in the manga "Electric Tale of Pikachu," Gary says that Pokemon trainers automatically drop out.

Team Rocket's disbanding
Games: After defeating Giovanni in his Gym, he runs off after saying he has disbanded Team Rocket.
Anime: Team Rocket does not disband.

Feel free to post any additions or corrections.

 

[TK n Happy Ness]

Do the characters go to school?
Games: Instead of regular grade schools, there are specialized Pokemon Trainer's schools.
Anime: Not stated, but in the manga "Electric Tale of Pikachu," Gary says that Pokemon trainers automatically drop out.

He doesn't exactly say that. He says that Trainers on their journeys are exempt from school, however in the following issue, Ash says he only gets a short leave of absence. Besides, there are schools in the anime too. Pokemon Tech for Kanto, Earl's Pokemon Academy for Johto, and the school in Rustboro City for Hoenn.

 

[*Colette*]

In the games levels and types of pokemon are important. In the anime nobody cares. Flying-type pokemon beats rock-type or grass-type pokemon wins against flying-type. The same story is about evolutions: little Squirtle/Skitty/Caterpie wins against evolved pokemon. I know, the show is for the youngest fans and they have fun, so I don't feel angry.

 

[Trainer Lisa]

Pokemon Master

Games: You become a Pokemon Master when you beat the Elite Four and/or have caught all Pokemon.

Anime: They never said what the qualifications were for becoming one, so all we can do is just follow what Ash does (getting badges, competing in leagues) until we find out what else is required.

 

[ImJessieTR]

Pokemon Master

Games: You become a Pokemon Master when you beat the Elite Four and/or have caught all Pokemon.

Anime: They never said what the qualifications were for becoming one, so all we can do is just follow what Ash does (getting badges, competing in leagues) until we find out what else is required.

LOL. Who says it has to be different? Until he actually manages it, another definition isn't required.

 

[Doctor Oak]

In the games levels and types of pokemon are important. In the anime nobody cares. Flying-type pokemon beats rock-type or grass-type pokemon wins against flying-type.

Actually, in the anime world (more often than not), type problems can be over-come with realistic physics, physics you cannot translate into a game where the programming is rigid, water attacks > fire pokemon etc.

For example, in Pikachu vs Treecko in the ep Ash catches it, Treecko's resistance to electric attacks works because it's tail feeds the electricity into the ground, ie: earthing it. As soon as the tail is off the ground, BLAM. Same with the Pellipper that steel winged the ground to protect itself from Pikachu's thunderbolt. As soon as the wing left the ground, there was nothing protecting it and BLAM.

There have been some occassions where it's clear the writers simply didn't take types into account, like Pikachu koing a Golem in one thunderbolt in the First Movie intro or Houndoom using Shadow Ball on Skitty in the Pacifidlog contest. Overall, however, types are just as important as they are in the games but there are realistic work-arounds thanks to the real-world physics the anime can inhabit.