Pokemon Anime General Discussion

[precita]

It's good the Arceus game is getting featured, and Dawn is going to wind up in a whopping 8 cameos this series (if you include the previous 2-parters) which actually matches her return in BW. Also the last 2-parter with Dialga/Palkia was pretty fun too, with pokemon de-evolving and seeing alternate universe versions of Dawn, Ash, etc. We also got to Cynthia help out with the lore. A lot of people in the pokemon fandom had meltdowns over the group praying to Arceus, but I thought it was a well done touch.

Also next year is the 25th anniversary of the anime, I wonder if they'll skip over giving Misty or Brock a cameo this time since they appeared 4 times in SM. Kinda telling how the writers haven't bothered to have Misty appear at all this series so far despite Ash/Go being in Vermilion lab which is near Cerulean City. It's going to be a whopping 20 years since Misty was permanently removed from the anime next year, how time flies.

[SanPolo4389]

 

New overall preview for the next episodes. 

[precita]

Butch/Cassidy escaped DP purgatory along with Gary, so now May is the only character who never returned since the DP era. Well unless you count Paul too, but I don't know if the writers would actually bring back Paul at this point, but I guess we'll see.

It also seems like May's long absence in the series has a lot of people viewing her as the most forgettable female companion now, which is kinda understandable since she hasn't appeared in 14 years. It probably doesn't help the writers re-treaded her character arc and story beats with so many characters who came after her (like Dawn, then Serena, then Lillie to a lesser extent (fear of pokemon), and now Koharu/Chloe), that it makes May feel oddly redundant even though she pre-dated them all. There's only so many times you can watch a female trainer who starts off with no goal, has to get used to pokemon or battling, has no idea what she wants to do in life, starts off shy/insecure and then has to gain confidence over the series and looks up to Ash. Given the amount of disdain I see for her character online now on twitter, serebii, etc, I wouldn't be surprised if this is why AG barely has any references in the current saga, even when Elite 4 Drake appeared they refused to do a flashback.

I guess the Misty/original trio fans got what they wanted after all.

 

 

[SanPolo4389]

On 12/25/2021 at 8:36 PM, precita said:

It also seems like May's long absence in the series has a lot of people viewing her as the most forgettable female companion now, which is kinda understandable since she hasn't appeared in 14 years. It probably doesn't help the writers re-treaded her character arc and story beats with so many characters who came after her (like Dawn, then Serena, then Lillie to a lesser extent (fear of pokemon), and now Koharu/Chloe), that it makes May feel oddly redundant even though she pre-dated them all. There's only so many times you can watch a female trainer who starts off with no goal, has to get used to pokemon or battling, has no idea what she wants to do in life, starts off shy/insecure and then has to gain confidence over the series and looks up to Ash. Given the amount of disdain I see for her character online now on twitter, serebii, etc, I wouldn't be surprised if this is why AG barely has any references in the current saga, even when Elite 4 Drake appeared they refused to do a flashback.

Isn't also because May's jpn VA retired and they don't want to replace her with another one meaning they don't need to bring her back if that's the case?

I thought May is good character I don't see what people are complaining about?

[KHCast]

Question. Are the reboot films just gonna be the movies from now on? I assume that’s the case considering Sun and Moon and journeys have not received any anime films pertaining to them. Kinda sucks if that’s the case, cause I’m really not that interested in the reboot branch, with it being a alternate universe that resets everything, and leaves a lot of implications since ash hasn’t met certain people and Pokémon now, in tern resulting in certain events now not happening (both in the films pre reboot and anime)

[SanPolo4389]

On 12/28/2021 at 8:45 PM, KHCast said:

Question. Are the reboot films just gonna be the movies from now on? I assume that’s the case considering Sun and Moon and journeys have not received any anime films pertaining to them. Kinda sucks if that’s the case, cause I’m really not that interested in the reboot branch, with it being a alternate universe that resets everything, and leaves a lot of implications since ash hasn’t met certain people and Pokémon now, in tern resulting in certain events now not happening (both in the films pre reboot and anime)

I mean the reason I can think of that why they're doing them this way is because they don't want them attached to the current seasons and Ash (aside from some moments in ICY) acts the same way in the series.

[Eggman Fan]

thunder armor would be busted if it was real. I hit my Flying type with an Electric attack, and now they are god.

[SanPolo4389]

Soooo.....how about that new episode that finally had Serena return? I thought it was great seeing her again and giving Chloe advice.

And liked the short reunion she had with Ash. 

[precita]

It's going to be very awkward if every female companion returns for at least 1 episode this series besides May. Both Dawn and Iris have already appeared, Serena got an episode, the SM girls are getting visited when Alola is and Lillie will probably get some focus, and I'm sure Misty will get an episode before this arc ends. May got a flashback reference but we'll never see her in an episode again since her VA can't perform. For those who don't know about the issue, Dogasu wrote a nice article about it here:

https://dogasu.bulbagarden.net/features/miscellaneous/kaori_hiatus.html

I guess there's some sense of irony that May wound up doomed to never appear in the series again. Her last appearance was 14 years ago in 2008 during her DP cameo, so she already hasn't appeared in a decade and half whereas every other female companion has been getting multiple recent returns. Misty got 4 episodes in Sun/Moon and will probably appear once more this series, Dawn got 9 episodes in BW and now 8 episodes in Journey's, Iris finally got a return last year, Serena finally got a return, and the SM girls are visited during Alola episodes. Meanwhile May hasn't appeared outside of flashbacks since Obama was elected president of the United States.

 

[SanPolo4389]

Well........didn't see Alain come back, or Iris for the Master 8.

[Dejimon11]

Well looks like the leak was legit. Sucks that Paul isn’t in the masters 8. I get everybody in this is technically a champion but I would have swapped out Diantha for him. Also LOL that 2 people in this have a Charizard as their Ace.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

At this point I just want to see Ash's Charizard get the Mega Y treatment.

[Dejimon11]

That would require this franchise remembering that Mega Charizard Y exists. X pretty much is the main focus 

[precita]

Does anyone here know why May is so disliked these days? I keep seeing posts like this all over twitter:

 

If you look at the replies/comments you have a bunch of people agreeing. Does anyone know why Misty fans are still butt-hurt about May over 20 years later? I asked @Sonimanabout it before since he is a regular in the Pokemon fandom on twitter/tumblr/serebii/bulbagarden.

[Perkilator]

I still remember when the Pokémon Sun & Moon anime was first revealed and all the heat that went towards the art style.

No matter which way you slice it, I guess Pokémon can’t go a few minutes without heated internet debates.

[PaddyFancy]

I'd never thought I'd see the day there's be a Pokemon cartoon like this. Its pretty neat.

[SanPolo4389]

So……how about that newest episode with Alain?

[8ther]

Apparently in Japan people were upset that he lost so easily, I guess the hatred for the character was only really visceral in the west?

[Dejimon11]

People didn’t really hate Alain. To my understanding they loved him in the Mega Evolution specials. What people genuinely agreed on was that they hated about him was that he beat Ash in the league. Cause even people in Japan was were pissed off about that as well. 
 

 

[SanPolo4389]

So since the next battle with Iris vs Cynthia is coming up tomorrow, what did y'all think of the Lance vs Dianthia battle from last week?

[SanPolo4389]

Well glad they're finally doing the Arceus episodes.

[Dejimon11]

A bit late for this don’t you think? I’m glad it’s finally getting dubbed which I never thought would happen but still we should have gotten this by the time Arceus was coming out.

[KHCast]

The anime especially the dub seems to be very late to the party on this stuff. Like the current arc, at least where the dub is at, is still centered on Sword and Shield stuff

[precita]

Since Iris has been handled very well in Journey's and now feels like she has a completed character arc with Haxorus, a final battle with Ash, battling Cynthia to her last pokemon and becoming Unova Champion, is it safe to agree at this point Misty is now had the weakest character arc of all the original female companions?

To this day I have no idea what Misty's water pokemon goal was supposed to be, and I honestly don't think the writers know either. Besides that Misty hardly battled and she was barely in any tournaments or official battles, so it never felt like she had any great achievements like the other girls. Seeing her as a strong Gym leader is nice I suppose, but she never really got any climatic arc.

Also given Journey's is nearly over now I doubt she's getting a cameo, probably just a silent cameo watching Leon/Ash's battle. Surprised we went all 3 years of Journey's with no Misty return. Maybe the writers felt her SM cameos were enough.

 

[SanPolo4389]

 

Welp it happened.