Will we ever see all 3 starters evolve in a region again?

[Cybersai]

I just realized that Hoenn was the only era where all 3 starters evolved at least once. By the end there was Sceptile, Blaziken and Marshtompt.

- In Kanto, of course only Charizard evolved.

- In Johto, only Bayleef evolved.

- In Sinnoh, we know Piplup will never evolve.

Therefore only one of the generations had all 3 starters evolve at least once. Do you think we'll ever see something like that happen again?

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

Maybe next region.

Or Jouto starters might evolve in this League, with Waninoko evolving during Battle Frontier.

 

[Clod]

There's nothing specifically stopping it from happening in the future.

But even if all the main characters' starters didn't evolve in DP, you have to admit they've all had a good balance of screen time. Three different recurring characters have the different Piplup evolutions, Turtwig and Grotle have had a lot of screen time and focus with Ash, Torterra has gotten focus through Paul and Ash will have one later, and Chimchar had a lot of focus, and will likely have plenty of focus as Infernape for the last gym and league.
Compared to Hoenn where Swampert had practically no screen time and May's Blaziken didn't evolve until last minute, they did much better.

 

[Hellion]

There's nothing specifically stopping it from happening in the future.

But even if all the main characters' starters didn't evolve in DP, you have to admit they've all had a good balance of screen time. Three different recurring characters have the different Piplup evolutions, Turtwig and Grotle have had a lot of screen time and focus with Ash, Torterra has gotten focus through Paul and Ash will have one later, and Chimchar had a lot of focus, and will likely have plenty of focus as Infernape for the last gym and league.
Compared to Hoenn where Swampert had practically no screen time and May's Blaziken didn't evolve until last minute, they did much better.

^I totally agree with this... all three starters in all three evvolution stages were featured during the saga up to this point (except for Infernape... 3 more weeks!!! ) What's much more alarming is that the only water starter who evolved was mudkip under Brock's care... In Hoenn, the writers loved the middle stages...

 

[Insanish Danish]

It's certainly possible. It's just that we won't know until it actually happens.

 

[Dogasu]

In Hoenn, the writers loved the middle stages...

I actually really liked that. The middle stages always get ignored, for whatever reason, so it was really nice to see the way the TV series handled the Houen starters. I feel like the pacing of their evolutions was the closest to "perfect" that we'll ever get.

 

[GreatLiver]

I mean in the past it's always been more a matter of like exposure. We would see one or two stages of a starter line, while the other stage or stages would get completely shafted. In Kanto we saw almost nothing of any of the middle stages, and not a whole lot of Blastoise or Venusaur. Johto was just Johto. Hoenn got better with the only stage we didn't see a good chunk of was Swampert, though it appeared like at the league and in fillers.

In DP with the other rivals having the Piplup stages we're really seeing all the starters and their evolutions throughout the saga, and I feel like that's more of what matters.

 

[Cybersai]

Compared to Hoenn where Swampert had practically no screen time and May's Blaziken didn't evolve until last minute, they did much better.

Swampert got a huge filler, "Abandon Ship," based on the shipwreck in Dewford Island, Morrisson had Swampert in the Hoenn League, and Tucker had Swampert in Battle Frontier.

Swampert did get 3 big roles back then, just not with any major character.

As for Blaziken, you have to remember we just had Harrisson's Blaziken in the Johto league, which was right before Hoenn. Then a character in Movie 7 also owned Blaziken. Then Blaziken gets two eps of screentime with May after.

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

Swampert got a huge filler, "Abandon Ship," based on the shipwreck in Dewford Island, Morrisson had Swampert in the Hoenn League, and Tucker had Swampert in Battle Frontier.

Swampert did get 3 big roles back then, just not with any major character.

As for Blaziken, you have to remember we just had Harrisson's Blaziken in the Johto league, which was right before Hoenn. Then a character in Movie 7 also owned Blaziken. Then Blaziken gets two eps of screentime with May after.

It's never enough screentime unless it belongs to a main character. That's what fandom believes, I presume.

 

[Hellion]

Swampert got a huge filler, "Abandon Ship," based on the shipwreck in Dewford Island, Morrisson had Swampert in the Hoenn League, and Tucker had Swampert in Battle Frontier.

Swampert did get 3 big roles back then, just not with any major character.

As for Blaziken, you have to remember we just had Harrisson's Blaziken in the Johto league, which was right before Hoenn. Then a character in Movie 7 also owned Blaziken. Then Blaziken gets two eps of screentime with May after.

First you complain that Monferno didn't get enough screentime by appearing in 7-8 episode, but you're actually defending the fact that Blaziken and Swampert appeared in 3-4 episodes each... You're contradicting yourself... make up your mind...

BTW, I wasn't saying the writers didn't a good job at pacing te evolutions in Hoenn, I just wish Sceptile and Blaziken got there a little sooner... but still after the league and the Grand Festival

 

[Cybersai]

I guess the writers felt having Brock's Marshtompt evolve again would be too soon, but it could evolve at the Gym when we see it again. I loved the fact that Onix evolved at the Gym, maybe when Brock returns to Pewter he'll see that he has a Swampert there.

Also, as funny as this sounds, Ash got both Sceptile and Infernape around the same episode count in their respective sagas.

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

I guess the writers felt having Brock's Marshtompt evolve again would be too soon, but it could evolve at the Gym when we see it again. I loved the fact that Onix evolved at the Gym, maybe when Brock returns to Pewter he'll see that he has a Swampert there.

Also, as funny as this sounds, Ash got both Sceptile and Infernape around the same episode count in their respective sagas.

Well, Takeshi's Isitsubuse didn't evolved under Jirō's care did he? I doubt Numacraw will evolve.

Yes, it does sound funny. You might put in the Trivia section of their pages on Bulbapedia, Scott.

 

[PlatinumDude]

I guess the writers felt having Brock's Marshtompt evolve again would be too soon, but it could evolve at the Gym when we see it again. I loved the fact that Onix evolved at the Gym, maybe when Brock returns to Pewter he'll see that he has a Swampert there.

Also, as funny as this sounds, Ash got both Sceptile and Infernape around the same episode count in their respective sagas.

1st statement: Yeah, that would sound good.

2nd statement: never noticed that.

 

[jinglejoe]

The writers were to lazy to evolve Marshtop in the Advanced Generation.

 

[Cybersai]

I agree with what Yamato-san used to say, it makes more sense for the starters to start off small, and then evolve over the course of a region. It fits in with both the games and the anime.

Shame the middle forms don't get as good treatment as they should.

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

I agree with what Yamato-san used to say, it makes more sense for the starters to start off small, and then evolve over the course of a region. It fits in with both the games and the anime.

Shame the middle forms don't get as good treatment as they should.

Nobody likes the middle forms. Except maybe Hoenn ones, but they weren't in-between first stage and final stage like others.

 

[Hellion]

I don't mind the middle forms... I think it just depends on the storyline and the different ways Infernape and Grotle are portrayed shows just that... Upon evolution, turtwig lost a lot of its speed and stuggled, so it had to adapt it's battle style and sorta learn to deal with it's new situation. In that case, it makes sense for the middle form to be featured, because plotwise, it brings something to the story... In Chimchar's case, he evolved, gained a fighting move, became stronger, end of story... So his middle form doesn't serve any purpose plotwise, so evolution is a good way to go and tie that character's unadressed plotlines, like his inability to control its Blaze ability, its abused past with Paul.

In Hoenn, it just felt like the starters (both Ash's and especially May's) took way too long to evolve in their final forms

 

[Cybersai]

In Hoenn, it just felt like the starters (both Ash's and especially May's) took way too long to evolve in their final forms

While I do agree I would have rathered have Sceptile a little earlier, the writers probably always intended May not to get Blaziken until her final episode. Seeing her starter evolve in the last episode was intended to be a farewell gift, I don't think they ever planned for her to have one when she was around as a regular.

 

[Lil Brother]

Which randomly makes me wonder: had it been the plan since day one to evolve Torchic? Did they always plan on Torchic doing a 360 in its personality and fighting ability to represent May's growth, or did they realize they just kind of wrote themselves into a corner with the thing?

I like to say I have the faith to believe thye had always planned on it, but who knows? There are obviously some departments in this show where they were just making it up as they went along.

Also, come to think of it... did Torchic ever compete in a Contest? (I really need to re-watch AG sometime.) Heh, it's kind of funny how differently Torchic and Piplup were treated.

 

[Thingamajig]

Also, come to think of it... did Torchic ever compete in a Contest?

... no, actually.

Beautifly was used in Slateport, and again in Fallarbor. Skitty was used in Verdanturf, and Bulbasaur was used in the one she lost. Torchic evolved into Combusken after that.