Do you like it when the writers break their own "rules" for the anime?

[Cybersai]

During the series, there were a lot of "rules" the writers set up about the series that we never thought would change. But do you like it when the writers decide to go against their own formula?

- Back in the early days trainers weren't meant to own legendaries. In AG, Brandon owns all three Regi's.

- We thought another character would never own an electric type with Pikachu on the team. This was broken when Dawn caught Pachirisu.

- We thought that Gyms would be the only long-running arc in the series and his traveling companions were not allowed to take too much spotlight away from Ash. This was broken in AG with May and then further in D/P with Dawn.

- We thought Ash would never lose to the same Gym/Brain twice...this was broken with Brandon.

- We thought Ash would always get all three starters thanks to Kanto and Johto, this was broken in Hoenn and again in Sinnoh.

- We thought Ash could never beat a legendary in battle. He does this twice by beating Articuno and Regice.

- We thought Jessie would never win a Contest and a ribbon. This was broken in D/P.

- We thought Ash would never own a team of almost fully evolved Pokemon, that he would forever battle with cute unevolved Pokemon. This was almost broken in AG with all his new captures evolving except for Corphish.

- We thought Ash would never agree to a trade, especially with a Pokemon who he had an attachment to as in Aipom, this was broken in D/P.



Are there any other examples of "rules" from the early days that were broken with the later series? And do you enjoy these changes?

 

[PDL]

I for one, welcome alot of the changes.

About legendaries in general, I'm actually rather glad that they're no longer deemed invincible because it's created a gigantic legendary bias where people assume that being a legendary means that you are invincible, even though in reality, even they have their limits. It really ticks me off when people bash any Pokémon just because it loses to someone people assume should have been massacared. Ash has now trained long and hard enough that he is able to tackle such imposing opponents.

 

[beast2025]

I enjoy the changes because it makes the show so much less predictable. I assumed Dawn would win the solaceon contest but she lost in the appeal round! hope they continue this new path!

 

[Misty]

Less predictability makes the show actually good. I can't see why anyone would disagree.

 

[Kasumi]

There never were any rules to begin with. It was all invention of the fandom, not the writers. That said, I'm seconding what Misty said above.

 

[Piplup]

It's good to see changes but some of these things is just stupid to call "rules"... things that some fans decide are "rules" aren't really things the writers intented us to think of as rules

- Back in the early days trainers weren't meant to own legendaries. In AG, Brandon owns all three Regi's.

It's not like any random trainer now owns legendaries
In both the early days and now legendaries are portayed as too powerful so they won't just give them to a main character or random trainers
But why wouldn't they give some to people like Brandon that is probably one of the best trainers and also is searching for them especially in ruins? and of course try to catch them in a fair way like any other Pokémon... if these legendaries are NOT important and must stay wild there's no reason not to do it
Pokémon like Lugia from the second movie just aren't supposed to get caught
But the Regi trio Brandon has probably aren't as important
They didn't say "NO ONE CAN CATCH ANY LEGENDARY!!!11" - that was just speculation that we won't get to see someone with them and as I said it's not like now we see every random trainer with a legendary
So they didn't really "break a rule"... but a stupid fan made rule

- We thought another character would never own an electric type with Pikachu on the team. This was broken when Dawn caught Pachirisu.

That's the must stupid of the fan made rules
How did people got to think so?
How much oppurtunities the writers got to give someone an electric type?
Misty - a WATER Pokémon trainer... is it really surprising she didn't get one? she could get Chinchou but Corsola fits her better
Brock - what an electric type do you think could fit him better than the ones he got?
Tracey - ...do I really need to say anything? only 3 Pokémon
TR - for them I'll agree it's logical the writers won't want to have an electric type because their goal is to get Pikachu- an electric type
May - her first three Pokémon really fits her more than any electric type and the rest of her Pokémon probably were to advertise the games
So no stupid rules about electric type... Dawn and Pachi fits each other so she got it

- We thought that Gyms would be the only long-running arc in the series and his traveling companions were not allowed to take too much spotlight away from Ash. This was broken in AG with May and then further in D/P with Dawn.

- We thought Ash would never own a team of almost fully evolved Pokemon, that he would forever battle with cute unevolved Pokemon. This was almost broken in AG with all his new captures evolving except for Corphish.

Since they finally got it that girls like Pokémon too from Crystal that was logical to do such a thing and add a second heroine...
I also thinks this explains why suddenly Ash's Pokémon evolve more- they give the cutes to the heroine and the cool/strong/evolved to the hero

- We thought Ash would never lose to the same Gym/Brain twice...this was broken with Brandon.

But that was a very special case
Not in any gym Ash has to battle legendary Pokémon
If you'll change "lose twice to the same gym leader" to the more accurate "lose twice to the same gym leader that use legendary Pokémon" I don't think you'll say that's really surprising
Also Brandon at least to me seems more like the "league" of BF and not just like the rest of the frontier brains - Ash had to collet 6 symbols to find out where the Battle Pyramid is
So Brandon should be described as a more than a "gym leader"

- We thought Ash would always get all three starters thanks to Kanto and Johto, this was broken in Hoenn and again in Sinnoh.

Since than Ash was the only hero that was logical to give him all three if they wanted us to see them
How much would we get to see Charmander/Squirtle if they were Misty/Brock's?
From AG we had two heroes so each of them got a starter but they didn't know what to do with the third and throwed it at Brock
They learned from the mistake of giving a starter to the sidekick and in DP gave the third starter to one of the two heroes instead

- We thought Ash could never beat a legendary in battle. He does this twice by beating Articuno and Regice.

Back than Ash was the stupid beginner trainer
When AG started Ash clearly changed into an experienced trainer and the "stupid beginner" was May
So the "old Ash" obviously won't be able to do it... but I can't see why the "new Ash" won't

- We thought Jessie would never win a Contest and a ribbon. This was broken in D/P.

That's the only thing I can agree on as a rule breaking... since Jessie participated at like... 6+ contests? and always lost so they made it seems like she's a joke in contests and not a real rival

- We thought Ash would never agree to a trade, especially with a Pokemon who he had an attachment to as in Aipom, this was broken in D/P.

Again like with the gym leader thing this is a special case
Ash didn't change at all about trades
Ash won't randomly trade his Pokémon like they were items since he likes them
But if this trade will make the Pokémon happy he'll obviously do it just like he gave up a lot of his Pokémon if he knew they'd be better that way

Less predictability makes the show actually good. I can't see why anyone would disagree.

There never were any rules to begin with. It was all invention of the fandom, not the writers. That said, I'm seconding what Misty said above.

Correct

 

[PDL]

That's the must stupid of the fan made rules
How did people got to think so?
How much oppurtunities the writers got to give someone an electric type?
Misty - a WATER Pokémon trainer... is it really surprising she didn't get one? she could get Chinchou but Corsola fits her better
Brock - what an electric type do you think could fit him better than the ones he got?
Tracey - ...do I really need to say anything? only 3 Pokémon
TR - for them I'll agree it's logical the writers won't want to have an electric type because their goal is to get Pikachu- an electric type
May - her first three Pokémon really fits her more than any electric type and the rest of her Pokémon probably were to advertise the games
So no stupid rules about electric type... Dawn and Pachi fits each other so she got it

Um, I'm pretty positive that none of the other main characters owned an electric type before because that would be encrouching on the mascot's main territory. I can easily imagine May getting a Mareep or Flaaffy, however, she didn't because it would do practically the same thing as Pikachu (and it promotes Jotho, something the writers didn't want to do at the time).

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with "fitting the character". It's possible for any character to catch any Pokémon.

 

[Piplup]

Um, I'm pretty positive that none of the other main characters owned an electric type before because that would be encrouching on the mascot's main territory.

Pachi proves another electric type won't steal spotlight from Pikachu

I can easily imagine May getting a Mareep or Flaaffy, however, she didn't because it would do practically the same thing as Pikachu

No... Pachi proves another electric type can be more than a Pikachu clone

(and it promotes Jotho, something the writers didn't want to do at the time).

That's the more accurate reason

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with "fitting the character".

Yes it does
Both May and Dawn as the heroines and girly girls they are got mostly cute Pokémon
Out of the starters Torchic was the most fitting to May and Piplup was the most fitting to Dawn
Most likely Dawn won't catch now a huge/ugly Pokémon since she fits with cute/little ones and is supposed to have such to appeal more to girls

It's possible for any character to catch any Pokémon.

Possible but not likely
It is possible for Ash to catch Magikarp.... is it likely to happen now? no
I just explained how it's not like the writers had many electric types that could fit Misty/Brock/May that much more than the ones they got so it's not like the writers intentually didn't give them electric types but they simply found others that seems better at least in their opinion

 

[PDL]

Pachi proves another electric type won't steal spotlight from Pikachu

No... Pachi proves another electric type can be more than a Pikachu clone

Well, NOW pachirisu proves it, but not THEN. Get your facts straight.

In case you didn't know or totally forgotten, the Pokémon anime isn't a story and character-driven anime like others. It also serves as a vechile to promote the games and other areas of the franchise. One way is to give the main characters Pokémon that are popular and marketable, these would be given to the main hero/heroines.

What other reason was May given a Bulbasaur in the first place? They aren't exactly native to hoenn, nor are they the cutest Pokémon ever (though the one given to May had a cute personality), and one was previously owned by Ash.

Both May and Dawn as the heroines and girly girls they are got mostly cute Pokémon
Out of the starters Torchic was the most fitting to May and Piplup was the most fitting to Dawn
Most likely Dawn won't catch now a huge/ugly Pokémon since she fits with cute/little ones and is supposed to have such to appeal more to girls

I distinctly remember the exact same thing being said about May early in her carrer. People just couldn't imagine her with a Combusken, much less a Blaziken, but low and behold, Torchic did evolve into them.

And it could be argued that Ambipom doesn't fit the "cute" image Dawn has.

 

[Piplup]

Well, NOW pachirisu proves it, but not THEN. Get your facts straight.

If they can make NOW an electric type that don't steal spotlight from Pikachu why they couldn't do it THEN?... especially since Pachi is Dawn's (the heroine) while Brock/Misty were sidekicks and if they had electric type it'd probably get even less screen time than Pachi

In case you didn't know or totally forgotten, the Pokémon anime isn't a story and character-driven anime like others. It also serves as a vechile to promote the games and other areas of the franchise. One way is to give the main characters Pokémon that are popular and marketable, these would be given to the main hero/heroines.

I know they use the anime to advertise... that's why I said May's first three were ones that fits her and the others were to advertise (though they fit her too)
Though it's wrong to say the Pokémon anime is nothing but advertisement... I hate when people act like the show doesn't have plot/character development because it does

What other reason was May given a Bulbasaur in the first place? They aren't exactly native to hoenn, nor are they the cutest Pokémon ever (though the one given to May had a cute personality), and one was previously owned by Ash.

Obviously a Bulbasaur caught exactly at the same day FRLG released was only to advertise the games
Though it was fitting for May since that one Bulbasaur was really cute
It's not like they randomly gave May something huge and ugly that don't fit her at all just to advertise

I distinctly remember the exact same thing being said about May early in her carrer. People just couldn't imagine her with a Combusken,

So they could imagine her with a Torchic that couldn't battle? she totally neglected it until it evolved... she used Beautifly Skitty and Bulbasaur before it in contests
It had to evolve to prove itself and Combusken is cute too

much less a Blaziken, but low and behold, Torchic did evolve into them.

Blaziken was for half episode and than another half episode... not really counts
If May didn't leave it'd probably stay Combusken
Combusken's evolution into Blaziken was as a last thing for May and also to have her first Pokémon reflect May's character development - May started as the "stupid beginner" that didn't even like Pokémon and fall at the appeal and crushed by Drew and eventually left the show as a top 4 at the Kanto GF that understood she better travel alone... the little Torchic that couldn't battle and now is a Blaziken that tied with Ash's Sceptile reflects May's development

And it could be argued that Ambipom doesn't fit the "cute" image Dawn has.

Ambipom is cute
I know anyone has their own view about what's "cute" but there are things that you must admit are at least supposed to be cute like Piplup Buneary etc even if you don't find them cute
Before the anime I thought Ambipom isn't cute but now I think it is


Anyway.... why did we get into that whole Pokémon fit character or not?
I simply said the obvious fact that the writers didn't intentually decided to not give other characters electric types because of Pikachu but they simply found other Pokémon better fitting these characters (and not any Pokémon is an avdertisment... Vulpix didn't advertise anything and I agree with the writers it fits Brock much more than a Magnemite for example)

 

[Dual]

- We thought Ash would always get all three starters thanks to Kanto and Johto, this was broken in Hoenn and again in Sinnoh.

You shouldn't really count Sinnoh out yet. They've only gone through two badges, but Ash already has two of Sinnoh's starter Pokemon. While I'll admit, the chances of him getting a Piplup aren't very high, (Since Dawn already has one.) but Sinnoh's still a long way from over, so the possibility is still there.

 

[The Big Al]

While not rules they were trends. It was nice to buck trends. It's really improved the story of the anime which was awful during Johto. Now, even fillers get people's attention.

 

[A Concerned Solomon]

I like all of them except for people catching legendaries - it knocks them down a peg or two in importance.

 

[Cybersai]

Well to be fair Noland didn't actually capture Articuno, he just battled with it as his friend. Brandon, the Pyramid King, is the only person to actually have legendaries inside Pokeballs.

I think it would be interesting to see if the Elite's have any legends. Would be awesome if Cynthia was able to command a legendary, if we see her again.

 

[cassius335]

Rayquasa. Got to be. To hell with whether or not it makes sense...

 

[Linkpre]

I think it's interesting to see these "rules" broken. It makes the cartoon alot more surprising, in my opinion.

 

[Ashfangirl17]

I like it, I like it a lot. It def makes things intresting and fun.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Brandon, the Pyramid King, is the only person to actually have legendaries inside Pokeballs.

Three words--Iron Mask Marauder. He caught Celebi in a pokeball (granted it was a special one, but it was still a pokeball).

 

[A Concerned Solomon]

Yeah, but even that was portrayed as screwing with forces which really shouldn't be played with. Nobody blinking at a guy using Regis is a long step down from "catch the birds and the whole world go asplode!"

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

That's only because IMM went power-mad with it. Celebi wasn't upholding any sort of balance--the forest dwellers just went nuts because it was an injustice in their eyes. They also freaked out in similar manner when Jesse broke one of the Crystal Bells, but nothing ultimately disasterous happened in that episode.

And it's canon that the Rockets have or at least had at one point Rayquaza, and I have yet to see any ill effects from that.

And either way, Celebi was in a pokeball, which is what I was replying to.