Favorite Anime Group

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Each new saga, we're left with a new set of traveling companions for Ash. Which of the 5 groups did you find the most enjoyable?

OS(Kanto and Johto): Ash, Brock, and Misty
OS(Orange Islands): Ash, Misty, and Tracy
AG(Hoenn): Ash, Brock, May, and Max
DP(Sinnoh): Ash, Brock, and Dawn
BW(Unova): Ash, Iris, and Cilan
XY(Kalos): Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie

 

[Sakuraa]

I voted for the XY group. I know the series isn't over yet, but I love their interactions with each other and they feel sort of like a family to me. I also liked the groups from OS-DP, but I dunno, they didn't seem as close. BW is my least favorite group, as I found the interactions between the characters to be terrible and boring. They just felt like 3 people traveling together for no reason.

Going back to my preference for the XY group, I'd also like to state that this is the first group in which I like every single character. Ash is smart and entertaining again, Serena is nice and funny sometimes, and Clemont and Bonnie are adorable and hilarious. Other groups either had at least one person I didn't like or just didn't care much for.

 

[Mareepy]

I voted for the XY group. The series is only at its start, but the interaction among the group is dynamic already, escpecially in Clemont's Gym episode and the Rhyhorn Racing episode.

A team with great dynamics and only at its start, meaning great potential. I have high expectation for this group.

 

[Sutekh]

Ash, Brock and Dawn without a doubt.

 

[Muur]

I liked Ash, Brock and Dawn because they had an interesting dynamic but the new one with Serena could overtake. Little too early for that one though, so Dawn's it is.

 

[Pokemaster97]

I chose the XY group. Their chemistry is just so genuine and refreshing from those we've seen in the past. I really look forward to see where the writers are going to take this group.

 

[Maya Oak]

It's too soon for me to tell about Serena and company so I voted Dawn and Brock with Ash.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

We had many unique group combinations and traveling partners Ash traveled with. Bringing us moments of joy, irritation, sadness feeling sorry for them and action.

But when i think about spontaneous fun interactions, lot of clash, caring moments and moral support traveling companions expressed for themselves. Or when i look at dynamics which contained lot of banter, humor and genuine friendship evoking journy of pokemon and growth between friends in most natural, amusing manner main cast which instantly springs to my mind is Ash, Misty and Brock.

They were cornerstone on which anime was built and developed. Introduced to us world of pokemon and to this day i can't but not to like their friendship and close bond they build around themselves.

Ash naivety, impulsive behavior and stubborn attitude not wanting to listen to his friends and do things on his own getting into clash. Misty temperament and fiery tendencies mixed with playful sarcasm coming up with various pranks, while showing herself to be sensible, caring and unselfish managed to perfectly pull out from Ash his best having healthy and filled with spice rivalry at times, funny clashing scenes and source of inspiration they drew from themselves by lot of care, understanding and devoted support they showed to each other. All holded together with Brock who was absolutely hilarious and vibrant as character being supposedly most wise and intelligent group member while having himself issues to deal with finer things in life looking for consolidation among his friends when getting into trouble with girls etc. producing natural, unforced and enjoyable dynamic between characters.

If there was any group of traveling companions which succeeded in capturing message of pokemon being about friends which are there for each other, help themselves to move forward or give backbone on which you can rely when feeling down having fun laughing, talking about their dreams and issues comforting themselves and giving motivation not to give up while arguing or being annoyed at each other flaws sometimes only stengthening on realism of relationship it was original trio in my mind.

Another thing which i really enjoyed and largely appreciated about this cast was constant evolution and building on chemistry established before with ties between themselves becoming even more solidified as time went on growing more attached to each other. Still coming up with various sarcastic jabs and moments of anger trying to outplay themselves like friends would sometime do out of endearment or sometime getting in friction. Llike Ash and Brock squabbling over catching pokemon, Misty criticizing Brock about girls and passivity pushing him to be more subtle, or in Ash being irritated by her flirty nature and passion toward cute things getting into clash when getting lost, competing for same thing or teasing themselves over flaws like stubborness, appetite etc.

But in more mature, deeper way as evidenced through their joiurney through Kanto and Johto, showing lot of dedication and solidarity whenever one of them was in danger being there to give each other shoulder to rely on(especially noticeable whenever they were separated from each other by wild pokemon like Ursaring or due to TR explosions, when Brock got sick or when Ash had crushing defeats with his two friends being first to be there by his side helping him to stand up on his feet).

Culminating with one of most emotional and tearful goodbyes, if not the saddest one we get when traveling companions having to leave Ash. Bursting with sadness, strong attachment present between themselves ending heartbroken of having to go separate ways after many adventures they went through with interactions containing lot of comedy, sarcasm and emotion. More than any other group Ash traveled with had in my opinion.

I have many fond memories of this three and im hoping that at least one more time we see them rejoined on one last journey together in advancing dreeams and tying loose ends. Being interesting to see how would long time buddies which are more familiarized with each other qiurks, more mature and closer function nowadays.

 

[Lillie]

Ash, Dawn, and Brock because Ash and Dawn were close and did almost everything together since they were co-stars. While Brock was in the background for most of the series, I didn't really mind much since the Ash and Dawn chemistry kept me interested.

 

[weeaboo_girl84]

I'd say the AG group was my favourite because I enjoyed their interactions with each other and I thought May and Max were great characters, and Brock was still good back then.

The XY group is also okay but I'm going to give it more time before I call it my favourite.

 

[Alola]

It's between the original group and the latest group for me~

Both have such great interactions, dynamics and personalities.

 

[Nick102]

It's between the original group and the latest group for me~

Both have such great interactions, dynamics and personalities.

I agree. The original classic group of Ash, Misty, and Brock is the one I grew up with and the one that made me love Pokémon, but I have to admit that the current group of X & Y has been the most appealing for me since the one in Hoenn, even if neither Misty or Brock are in the group at all. I think what really helps is the fact that Serena is the first female companion to actually have any sort of established history with Ash before the original series. Plus I do find Clemont to be pretty cool since he's like a geeky techno whiz, and I like that he has Bonnie as a cute little sister.

The Orange Islands group was never really all that different from the original group for me, except that Tracey was obviously a temporary stand-in for Brock.

Before X & Y, the Advanced Generation group had been my 2nd favorite group in the series. It was the first time the cast really changed for me, but I was more than open to it because of being something new and different, and even when Misty was replaced with May and eventually Dawn in Diamond & Pearl, Brock was the one that still stayed in and kept a familiar feeling going with the series. The one thing that kind of took me out of it though was having a bunch of episodes focused on May competing in Pokémon Contests as part of her character, which is an aspect of the Gen 3 games that I never really cared about. Of course this also carried over to Dawn in Diamond & Pearl, and by then I was starting to lose interest in the series, so it's because of that that Hoenn and Sinnoh probably aren't my favorite groups in the anime.

Not much I can say about Iris and Cilan. Neither of them were very interesting to me.

 

[LavenderTownGhost]

Aww, no love for Tracey. xD

My favorite was his AG group. Save for Max... But I thought Ash, Brock, and May went really well together. Lots of good chemistry, I think.