Few things that have changed since start of anime

[Shinx3000]

I can't think of much now, but I assume there is a few things, but some things I feel have altered since the start of the anime (not storyline, but some things):

"Gotta catch em all" has definatly gone, the original theory of catching one of every pokemon probably won't happen

Misty probably not returning, but even though she said she would when Ash/Brock and Misty departed in "Hoenn Alone" episode

TR voices, I preferred their older voices over newer ones, they sounded a slight bit lower in original series.

I can't think of anymore now, but what things do you think have changed since start?

 

[Argy]

Haruka, Hikari, and Takeshi's Pokémon, and of course all of Satoshi's, have been given distinct personalities and get respectable amounts of screen time, even if they're just hanging around in the background.

And I could never see Satoshi catching a Pokémon now and having it immediately Oaked (such as Kentaros, Krab, etc.).

And of course, Kojiro doesn't crossdress anymore.

 

[Mooites]

Well, I think the show lost a lot of its humorous and lightheartedness. (is that even a word?)

For example, compare "Pokemon Fashion Flash" to "Whatever obnoxiously long title the Riolu ep had". The new series is much more damatic and action filled. Which is good if you like that kind of stuff, but I prefer the humorous side.

Thats anouther thing. None of the titles have the word "Pokemon" in them anymore D: well, unless you count when it's "Pokemon Ranger"

And yes, almost all of the voices have changes. For better or for worse, its your opinion.

The anime is also much more based on the games than it was in the past. Were now running into NPCs and Team Galactic, but in the original series, the whole Team Rocket subplot was avoided.

 

[Snake Bandage]

The one thing that comes to my head is that Jessie's outright nuts now. She was always a little off her rocker, but at first she mostly came off as psychotically aggressive. Now it's more like... aggressively psychotic.

I watched some old episodes in the last few days, as well as the Love and Youth Hoso, and she was really a lot more levelheaded before. I think she started changing near the end of Johto.

 

[Cybersai]

Misty probably not returning, but even though she said she would when Ash/Brock and Misty departed in "Hoenn Alone" episode

Hasn't that been obvious? I don't understand why you're bringing it up now though, 6 years and 330+ episodes since her departure.

Back when Johto was ending for the first time, it was fairly obvious the original trio was being split up for good. When Hoenn was starting, and Contests were being brought into the anime and May was getting more attention than any of Ash's travel companions at that point, it was fairly obvious the show was moving in a new direction.

The writers decided to split the show up between Ash and the female protagonist of the games, that way you have both a boy and girl who compete in tournaments, actually have rivalries, and have a storyline.

Misty was just a supporting character ala Brock from the beginning of the series. There is honestly nothing about her as a character that's more important to the show than the other two girls or even Brock.

Why people thought the writers considered her more important than just one of Ash's former travel companions, I'll have no idea. And if a certain Weedle responds to this, I beg of all of you to not reply and turn this into a wall of text.

 

[Adamant]

For example, compare "Pokemon Fashion Flash" to "Whatever obnoxiously long title the Riolu ep had". The new series is much more damatic and action filled. Which is good if you like that kind of stuff, but I prefer the humorous side.

The Riolu episode is hardly representative of the series' current tone. Use something, anything, else for your comparison, and you'll get a wildly different result.

 

[TheArsenalRisen]

The Riolu episode is hardly representative of the series' current tone. Use something, anything, else for your comparison, and you'll get a wildly different result.

"Pokemon Fashion Flash" > "Crossing Paths"
"Don't Touch that 'Dile!" > "Pika and Goliath"
"Hocus Pokemon" > "A Strategy With A Smile"

 

[ShadowDeeps]

Well, I think the show lost a lot of its humorous and lightheartedness. (is that even a word?)

For example, compare "Pokemon Fashion Flash" to "Whatever obnoxiously long title the Riolu ep had". The new series is much more damatic and action filled. Which is good if you like that kind of stuff, but I prefer the humorous side.

"Pokémon I Choose You!", "Bye Bye Butterfree", "Pikachu's Goodbye", "Snow Way Out", and a number of other Kanto episodes justify for me that the series was definitively dramatic in its inception, just that it was intermingled with humor. And all of the episodes have action one way to another. At the height of it, though, I do feel there was a good deal of drama and action. If anything else, the newer episodes are a catalyst for a reservoir of repeated themes, points, messages, and humor from what I can tell (and repetition can be a good or bad thing depending upon opinion). The older and newer episodes call to somewhat different natures, whilst still keeping the same themes.

The one thing that comes to my head is that Jessie's outright nuts now. She was always a little off her rocker, but at first she mostly came off as psychotically aggressive. Now it's more like... aggressively psychotic.

I watched some old episodes in the last few days, as well as the Love and Youth Hoso, and she was really a lot more levelheaded before. I think she started changing near the end of Johto.

Meowth's character has been similarly trounced in my eyes. I don't see the sharp but funny Pokémon (or rather, character) that I saw in the beginning of the series now but just someone who can't help but reiterate a plethora of glancing, inane, and similar ideas to please Giovanni. It's funny to a point, but it's more irking than it is funny for me now. Being so quick to judge and not having doubt seems to escape the nature of all of the characters one way to the other (as those things are rather human).

As for the series itself at large, much has changed over the years. In the beginning the show more or less had a wandering and somewhat aimless tone to it... probably because that's how the writers were feeling. It was unpredictable to a degree. Whether one chalks that up to an effective thing or something to chide is, too, a matter of opinion (if one wishes to contest coherency on that forefront, I suppose). Now the series tends to be more methodical, in a way (perhaps to a predictable and contrived point... at least, to me), frequently repeating itself with new characters and concepts, as well as being different in many ways - I would say that ultimately, the things the writers and the fans want (and consider imperative) are a might bit divergent. Take Brock - initially, he was much more quiet, reserved, and less.... boisterous. He seemed to want to fulfill his goal of becoming an ever better Pokémon breeder. Now, he has more or less degenerated to a background character for me due to his level of redundancy (I just don't find his uncontrollable desire for a girlfriend to be funny past the first few times it was shown). He, like Jessie, James, and Meowth, just sort of was imbibed into the background. I feel that way about other characters as well. I just feel that if context and general demands don't call for it, that the characters don't serve much of a potent purpose continuing their old tendencies. I also don't like how Gym battles and contests have stolen so much interest amongst the characters. It's rather wear and tear.

That's not to say I detest any of the four characters, just that I feel they're much better off doing different things despite that the things they do are for the sheer sake of humor. And I feel Jiggly Puff was one of the few characters (along with Psyduck and Wobbuffett, to some degree), now that I mull over it, who was both repetitive and funny at once - but the writers seemed to have disregarded Jiggly Puff now. But yes, the series has changed to quite an extent (animation also comes to mind, and as to be expected, it has improved largely over the course of the series, which is of course a good thing)..... whether then nostalgia of the older episodes or the newer episodes are better (which, for some, may hold nostalgia of their own..... eventually.... not for me, but just to add), depends upon the views of many.

 

[Kasumi]

I'd have to agree that the sense of humor and comedy in the series have changed a lot. For me, it used to be quite funny back in the Kanto days. Now, in DP, while the series have been great so far, comedy has been toned down quite a lot, though it has been decreasing since Orange Islands.

As for the art style (keep in mind I'm talking about character design, not animation), it also changed a lot. I like more the way characters were drawn back in the original series, as well as their expressions.

There's one great thing about the latest episodes: I love how we're getting a bit closer to the games. Having characters like Jun, Mira, Riley, Team Galactic and all the Sinnoh Elite Four members is quite awesome, in my opinion. (And before someone jumps saying we had Elite Four members in the previous seasons, yes, I am aware of that. But we haven't had all of each region's E4 in their respective seasons.)

 

[Cybersai]

The main characters definitely changed over the years, for better or worse.

I agree that Jessie is more psychotic now, James always seems to be scared of her, and Meowth is more interested in pleasing "da boss" rather than being sensitive.

Brock's interaction with girls is definitely more crazed and flamboyant than how it was done originally.

And Ash pretty much lost a lot of his Kanto denseness and acts more mature and reserved now. You don't really see Ash do as many crazy things anymore as he used to. Likewise Ash doesn't make as much of a fool out of himself as he used to.

 

[Gligarman]

I missed the majority of the anime between Kanto and Sinnoh so I've been playing catch up for the last year. I have to say that I too have noticed several changes throughout the series. Rewatching Kanto and then watching Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh at the same time is interesting.

One thing I've noticed is that the characters are friendlier to the Pokemon. In Kanto they treat them as tools even though they say that they're friends. You would get these episodes where they would mention something like "Bulbasaur never likes to back down" when we almost never see Bulbasaur or any of the Pokemon unless they're being used. You'll never hear a line like "Say goodbye to your freedom" ever again. Ash said that just before catching Pidgeotto. I actually recall a hilarious moment in "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon" where Ash, Squirtle, and Team Rocket fall into a cavern and Squirtle just barely pulls iteself out of the boulders and the first thing Brock and Misty do is talk about how they have to dig out Ash. Squirtle could have been half dead and they just ignored it. I like the fact that now they frequently interact with all of their Pokemon at the same time.

Another major change that occurred in Johto, as mentioned by Dogasu, is that Ash actually started training his Pokemon as oppose to just getting lucky. It's nice to see that he actually earns his badges because I think fans got really frustrated with the fact that several of them were just given to him. I remember freaking out when I was a kid when Ash beat Geodude and Onix in the Pewter City episode because as we all know that would never EVER work in the game.

A pleasant change I noticed in Hoenn was that Ash didn't acquire all of the Hoenn starters. That was a nice change of pace because I think people got annoyed with the Johto starters because they seemed like mere replacements for the Kanto starters. I also like that he doesn't get rid of his Pokemon. That always frustrated me because he tended to get rid of them when they were at their prime. I think I prefer Oaking.

I think overall the show has changed for the better and hopefully I'll finally be able to see the entire series in the next few months.