Pokemon 5th Generation: What do you hope for next?

[Rex Kamex]

That is an interesting ideal to have two guys and two girls in the group since it would be a fair balance.

Yeah, I've hoped for that for a while. The only thing I'd find odd with it is that Ash, the mainest of the main characters (even if Dawn was the main girl, which I'd want, I'd probably want Ash to get a little bit more spotlight since he was around from the beginning), would be traveling with one guy and two girls. But oh well... Viewers would probably just see two guys and two girls.

I'm not sure if they would have the fifth generation girl there since that would be she would have to be something other than a Coordinator. I know a lot of people would like this, but that would mean that they would have to introduce a new competition. I still don't think that they'll do that with the Pokeathlon and they've spent an equal amount of time on doing Gyms and Contest that I don't know if they'll be able to incorporate a third goal in the main cast.

I think the show's big enough and long enough to include a third goal, although it really depends on what it is. Perhaps the goal doesn't isn't something that requires going to places to collect a token in order to participate in a big tournament though.

To be clear, I'm not sure what that new goal would be. Even if the games don't introduce a new goal, the anime writers/producers could possibly find something for the 5th gen girl to do. (Although it'd be easier to just make her another coordinator, but I don't want to replacements to do the same thing as previous members, even though that's already happened.)

 

[NinjaJack]

You know it seems like Dawn really is the star of the show these days. Is that on purpose? It seems like Ash is always playing second banana to Dawn's dreams

 

[CyberCubed]

You know it seems like Dawn really is the star of the show these days. Is that on purpose? It seems like Ash is always playing second banana to Dawn's dreams

At the beginning of DP it seemed that way, but as it progressed Ash started getting his usual screentime.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

I...feel like we've all had this conversation before. The core tropes of this continuity aren't going anywhere. The actual good story and character stories go to Pokémon Special, this has been established for quite some time.



Now, I could unveil a big ol' huge plot and character driven series that would have nothing to do with the current canon, but I don't think that has anything to do with what this thread is asking. Over all I'd just like to see Shinji and his brother return, a battle with the Gold and Silver character, more Team [X] driven episodes, and a rivalry for Takeshi. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl dropped the ball by not developing rivalries between the main three and the three Galaxy commanders, and then rivalries for both Satoshi and Shinji with the leader. Entire episodes could have easily been taken up by having meetings between Hikari and her commander rival or Takeshi and his commander rival. Confrontations could be had, and then in the grand finalé of the Team storyline, final battles.


Next Prefecture (yay for using a term other than 'region') I'd like to see (depending on if there are any commanders) rivalries for the main trio and the Team's commanders. I'd like to see Takeshi also take part in a running storyline and develop a hard-hitter for battle. I'd like to see Shinji and his brother travelling the land, too. Also, battles with the Elite Four and Champion, as well as a look into how the different E4's work amongst such closely-linked lands.


Will I get any of that? Hell no I won't.

 

[RonDrakenfan17]

At the beginning of DP it seemed that way, but as it progressed Ash started getting his usual screentime.

That's cuz were getting to the league part.
Once the Grand Festival is over Dawn will have nothing to do unless she gets filler episodes. But most of the focouse will go to Ash cuz the league will be on him and his rivals. Plus he has to train his Pokemon before that time, so yah makes sense
Two guys with two girls? Only if they get rid of Brock and replace him with a fifth Generation guy, I'd be fine for that. I don't know if that will happen, if contests are in fact done with next Generation wonder what newbie girl could do? New Quest or shoved into the background like Misty once was?

 

[Rex Kamex]

I don't know if that will happen, if contests are in fact done with next Generation wonder what newbie girl could do? New Quest or shoved into the background like Misty once was?

I highly doubt they'd bring in a game protagonist just to shove her into the background.

Next Prefecture (yay for using a term other than 'region')

Yay for using a term other than "season"...

 

[CyberCubed]

They just announced there will be a new saga after DP ends in the current adverts in Japan. Nothing else is known about it though.

Oh well, here's to another endless loop! The next 4 years will be yet another reboot, with yet another new newbie girl, and the borefest that is Brock returning.

You know sometimes I ask myself why I watched Pokemon as long as I did. Most other people stopped watching a long time ago, yet I watched consistently all the way to about halfway through DP before I started losing interest. Yes, I even watched all those dreadful Johto fillers back in their original run on KidsWB back in 2001-2003.

It sickens me what the show has become. Every generation feels like a slap in the face to what came before it. (Again excluding Johto, which was lackluster compared to Kanto/Orange Islands).

Now the anime will go on to at least 2013...how absurd. Pokemon is going to be one of those shows that go on for 20-30 years with decayed characters.

People who were 10 back when Kanto was airing in 1998 are now like 22+ year old adults. How sad is if it that your life flies before you eyes based on Pokemon?

The Pokemon anime is a curse. Sometimes I wish I never got into it in the first place.

 

[Raika]

To be honest, I hope for a Pokemon series focusing on a NEW TRAINER. Like, no Ash whatsoever. But we all know that will only happen when hell freezes over. Or of course, they could animate Pokemon Special. But that'll never happen either.

A more realistic hope would be that, instead of the female being a coordinator like May and Dawn, perhaps she could be a trainer? She could challenge gyms and everything and Ash could be like a mentor or something while still challenging the gyms as well. If they really want contests so badly, then get rid of Brock and put in ANOTHER new character in his place instead. Perhaps a male coordinator? We've seen male coordinators in the show, and two of them were recurring characters (Drew and Harley; can't remember if there were any in D&P.) and I think it would be a nice change.

 

[Linkpre]

They just announced there will be a new saga after DP ends in the current adverts in Japan. Nothing else is known about it though.

Oh well, here's to another endless loop! The next 4 years will be yet another reboot, with yet another new newbie girl, and the borefest that is Brock returning.

You know sometimes I ask myself why I watched Pokemon as long as I did. Most other people stopped watching a long time ago, yet I watched consistently all the way to about halfway through DP before I started losing interest. Yes, I even watched all those dreadful Johto fillers back in their original run on KidsWB back in 2001-2003.

It sickens me what the show has become. Every generation feels like a slap in the face to what came before it. (Again excluding Johto, which was lackluster compared to Kanto/Orange Islands).

Now the anime will go on to at least 2013...how absurd. Pokemon is going to be one of those shows that go on for 20-30 years with decayed characters.

People who were 10 back when Kanto was airing in 1998 are now like 22+ year old adults. How sad is if it that your life flies before you eyes based on Pokemon?

The Pokemon anime is a curse. Sometimes I wish I never got into it in the first place.

I'd say just drop the show for a while. I think it's obvious Ash, Pikachu and Brock are gonna be going 'round the Pokemon world forever. It'll be 2020 and they'll be in the 'GOGO' region with New Girl No. 10.

 

[cohenmarioman]

They just announced there will be a new saga after DP ends in the current adverts in Japan. Nothing else is known about it though.

Oh well, here's to another endless loop! The next 4 years will be yet another reboot, with yet another new newbie girl, and the borefest that is Brock returning.

You know sometimes I ask myself why I watched Pokemon as long as I did. Most other people stopped watching a long time ago, yet I watched consistently all the way to about halfway through DP before I started losing interest. Yes, I even watched all those dreadful Johto fillers back in their original run on KidsWB back in 2001-2003.

It sickens me what the show has become. Every generation feels like a slap in the face to what came before it. (Again excluding Johto, which was lackluster compared to Kanto/Orange Islands).

Now the anime will go on to at least 2013...how absurd. Pokemon is going to be one of those shows that go on for 20-30 years with decayed characters.

People who were 10 back when Kanto was airing in 1998 are now like 22+ year old adults. How sad is if it that your life flies before you eyes based on Pokemon?

The Pokemon anime is a curse. Sometimes I wish I never got into it in the first place.

You know, if they did something like Yugioh and Digimon and Sentai, and just start anew with new everything, I do not think you would feel so down. You know, when DP first aired, I thought it was going to be just that, a new trainer, and only her. But then Ash appeared, and I got feelings to not watch Pokemon again. And you know what, I rarely do watch Pokemon unless I have been told the episode is supposed to be great.

 

[CyberCubed]

That's my point. The problem is the old universe with Ash, Team Rocket and Brock is STILL going. That means its essentially the same show, and we still see older characters appear from time to time and Ash's older Pokemon.

If they did a true fresh start with all-new characters and no ties to Ash or any old character, I would feel like it was a, "new show" and would not feel as compelled to watch it if I didn't like it. I'd just say, "Well I liked the Ash Pokemon series, not the new one."

The problem is they won't drop Ash and thus its all one big continuity every generation.

 

[Dogasu]

Next Prefecture (yay for using a term other than 'region')

Eh, "region" is more accurate. The real-world Kanto region, on which video game Kanto is based, is made up of several prefectures. Same with Kansai (Jouto) and Kyushu (Houen). Hokkaido (Shin'ou) is the only region to be made up of only one prefecture.

Oh well, here's to another endless loop! The next 4 years will be yet another reboot, with yet another new newbie girl, and the borefest that is Brock returning.

Why are you acting so surprised? This show being on an endless loop was made obvious when Satoshi lost the Jouto League.

The fact that you're apparently only just now realizing that shows that you really haven't been paying attention.

The idea of the show being in a loop is only a problem if you view it as one.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Eh, "region" is more accurate. The real-world Kanto region, on which video game Kanto is based, is made up of several prefectures. Same with Kansai (Jouto) and Kyushu (Houen). Hokkaido (Shin'ou) is the only region to be made up of only one prefecture.

Yeah, I remember reading about those bases. I thought I'd give 'Prefecture' a try, considering how the lands are so close to Japanese prefectures. Considering how the lands must work, I'd think 'Prefecture' would be more of an accurate description in terms of government, but I'm no expert on the subject (as oppose to you...who actually lives in Japan).

 

[CyberCubed]

Why are you acting so surprised? This show being on an endless loop was made obvious when Satoshi lost the Jouto League.

The fact that you're apparently only just now realizing that shows that you really haven't been paying attention.

The idea of the show being in a loop is only a problem if you view it as one.

I'd argue the endless loop argument wasn't obvious until DP started. When AG started it felt NEW and FRESH. Ash and Brock had gotten new clothes for the first time, May (and to a lesser extent Max) were the first new major characters, Contests were NEW, Ash wasn't getting all the starters anymore, and it honestly felt like something different.

Then comes DP, resets everything, replaces one coordinator with another coordinator, and aside from some nice new characters like Paul and Pokehunter J, feels almost like its re-treading the same ground I already saw before.

And what's worse, here we are on the brink of the 5th gen doing the same thing again! What reason is there to care about any of the new characters anymore? I already can't stomach Brock anymore and can barely tolerate Ash being resetted, let alone the new characters.

When DP started in 2006 I asked myself, "Should I really bother to care about Dawn when I know she's just going to leave in 4 years?" And here we are, about to see just that.

How do you do it, Dogasu? Have you never gotten burnt out or wanted to quit following the franchise? I've been around as long as you have and I finally feel as if I'm at the end of my rope.

 

[Mad Mod 49]

To be honest, I hope for a Pokemon series focusing on a NEW TRAINER. Like, no Ash whatsoever. But we all know that will only happen when hell freezes over.

Or of course, they could animate Pokemon Special. But that'll never happen either.

Lord, an animated Pokemon Special would be a dream come true, but I'm not getting my hopes up, especially since it wouldn't be profitable to start an anime starting with Generation 1; the anime is only around to advertise the current generation.

A more realistic hope would be that, instead of the female being a coordinator like May and Dawn, perhaps she could be a trainer? She could challenge gyms and everything and Ash could be like a mentor or something while still challenging the gyms as well.

Er, this suggestion started out pretty good but you kinda lost me at Ash being a mentor. I'm sick of him mentoring the newbie females; it's pretty sexist IMO (Ash never had anyone to mentor him when he was a newbie after all, why do the girls need one? Why can't they learn the ropes by themselves like most trainers?)

And you know what, I rarely do watch Pokemon unless I have been told the episode is supposed to be great.

Again, EXACTLY. This is what I do and what I'll most likely continue to do in the future. If an episode is apparently unusually well-done, in spite of the terrible Ash, Brock, and Team Rocket, I'll watch it. For example, I have hopes for the Grand Festival episodes coming up (though apparently the finals has Dawn against Zoey. Zoey had better win, since it would make no sense whatsoever if Dawn wins. May, a much better coordinator, never won a Grand Festival, yet Dawn does? )

Why are you acting so surprised? This show being on an endless loop was made obvious when Satoshi lost the Jouto League.

The fact that you're apparently only just now realizing that shows that you really haven't been paying attention.

I have to agree. Don't get me wrong, CyberCubed, I feel your pain. But during Johto (even before Ash lost the league tournament), I realized that the show and characters were headed for a formulamatic fate. Even the movies, despite still great animation, became more lackluster after the third (the danger level was all over the place in the first three movies, but in the rest it's limited to the climax, making the overall films less interesting as a result.) I accepted the anime's fate a long time ago and, although I hate it, I still enjoy talking about it; it doesn't pain me that much.

When AG started it felt NEW and FRESH. Ash and Brock had gotten new clothes for the first time, May (and to a lesser extent Max) were the first new major characters, Contests were NEW, Ash wasn't getting all the starters anymore, and it honestly felt like something different.

Then comes DP, resets everything, replaces one coordinator with another coordinator, and aside from some nice new characters like Paul and Pokehunter J, feels almost like its re-treading the same ground I already saw before.

I can sort of see where you're coming from here. May and Max were cool characters to follow, and the Contests progressively got better and better (I didn't really care that much for them at first, especially when green-haired Gary-clone Drew was around, but after the brilliance of Harley was introduced, the Contests became more interesting. Practically the only episodes I bothered watching in the Battle Frontier arc were the Contest episodes.)

However, AG still wasn't all that much of an improvement over Johto. It WAS better than Johto (and Sinnoh for that matter), but still weighed down by formulamatic filler episodes. New clothes or Pokemon aside, Ash was now officially boring, with the writers' idea of "maturity" being a character defined solely by his nicey-nice love for Pokemon and his passionate love for battles. Brock also became completely pointless, and Team Rocket were only occasionally entertaining.

And don't get me started on how Team Aqua/Team Magma and the Frontier Brains were handled. Team Aqua/Team Magma barely showed up and were resolved in a two-parter that both fans and non-fans of the anime alike agree was horrible. And the Frontier Brains, who were supposed to be some of the most amazingly powerful trainers in the world, were made into basically Gym Leaders who usually just lasted an episode or two with the exception of Brandon (who was NOT supposed to be the leader; Anabel was, but here she was just a twit who was also yet ANOTHER character with pointless, unrequited "feelings" for Ash.)

How do you do it, Dogasu? Have you never gotten burnt out or wanted to quit following the franchise? I've been around as long as you have and I finally feel as if I'm at the end of my rope.

He's the resident obsessive Pokemon otaku; it's his job. (And I mean that in a respectful way, Dogasu, I really do! )

 

[CyberCubed]

I agree that overall, the original freshness of the show ended after Orange Islands. Kanto and Orange are the only sagas where you can watch every single episode, even the bad ones, and still get some type of enjoyment out of it. They're the only two sagas worth watching from start to finish.

I guess the problem is now, its really only worth it to watch the most important or best eps of every saga, and skip the rest. And that bugs me because I shouldn't have to do that.

 

[Mad Mod 49]

I agree that overall, the original freshness of the show ended after Orange Islands. Kanto and Orange are the only sagas where you can watch every single episode, even the bad ones, and still get some type of enjoyment out of it. They're the only two sagas worth watching from start to finish.

Yeah. Some say "only season 1" is good/the best/freshest, but I'd say it, Orange Islands, and even some of Johto up to Azalea Town were all equally interesting. Really, the point when the show was doomed is obvious to me. It's when the GS Ball plot that was building up through the entire Orange Islands and start of Johto just...fizzled out. All for the sake of a mediocre movie. After that, no big, continous plotlines were really done for the show. Just random connected episodes here and there (like Contest episodes, Team Aqua/Magma or Team Galactic, that one weird summer school storyline from mid-Sinnoh, etc) and none of those were enough to really hold one's interest for an entire series. While I still wouldn't like the show going on this long, I wonder if it somehow would have remained more engaging if the GS Ball plotline got to evolve, and more lengthy, deeper plotlines were allowed to exist......

 

[CyberCubed]

Yeah. Some say "only season 1" is good/the best/freshest, but I'd say it, Orange Islands, and even some of Johto up to Azalea Town were all equally interesting. Really, the point when the show was doomed is obvious to me. It's when the GS Ball plot that was building up through the entire Orange Islands and start of Johto just...fizzled out.

I'd say right after the Goldenrod Gym is when Johto went downhill. The very beginning of Johto was actually fairly decent, but it went to hell after the initial 30 or so episodes.

To be honest I think it majorly has to do with Ash's Kanto starters splitting up. Charizard and Squirtle leave in early Johto, followed by the GS ball being abandoned, and that's around the time the tedious fillers started coming in full force.

Granted Ash's Kanto Pokemon leaving isn't a big deal anymore as we know they could come back, but seeing it happen for the first time was strange. Remember how people used to say, "Why did Ash get rid of his awesome Charizard?" and things along those lines? We originally thought it was another Pidgeot situation, thank god the writers weren't that stupid with Charizard/Squirtle.

And then there is Misty. Goodness, where to begin about Misty? She went from being one of the most entertaining characters in the show to the least entertaining. In most of those Johto eps you don't even notice that Misty's there at all. It's like the writers forgot she existed! People used to talk about how Togepi killed Misty's character or how Togepi, "drained away Misty's personality," and my god, they are right.

Granted the tail-end of Johto had some nice episodes, and I'd recommend a few of the better arcs at the tail-end.

While I still wouldn't like the show going on this long, I wonder if it somehow would have remained more engaging if the GS Ball plotline got to evolve, and more lengthy, deeper plotlines were allowed to exist......

The problem is the show still shouldn't be on this long even if it was consistently good. What show follows the same protagonist for 650+ episodes? Why is a show that started when we were KIDS....still going on now that most of us are in our 20's?

We'll be like 50 years old someday and Ash will still be traveling in Generation 15 with girl #12. Its utterly ridiculous.

Pokemon should not become like Simpsons. Pokemon should not be following the same protagonist for 20 years!

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Why should it not? I don't espicially care for the current animeverse, however it still makes money and has dedicated fans. Why is this bothering you when you can do what every other person, like myself, has done and just let go? Things have changed and the purpose of the animeverse has changed. The anime has always been a tool for pushing the games and the series you actually love from childhood ended. Pokémon ended when Satoshi left for Hôen. Any chance of having anything from the early half of the series wrap up dissappeared then and there.

 

[Marvin Tikvah]

Ash never had anyone to mentor him when he was a newbie after all, why do the girls need one? Why can't they learn the ropes by themselves like most trainers?

Ash was such an awful beginner he needed two mentors to even survive his first journey. You didn't honestly think Misty and Brock were letting him headbutt everything in his path right?

Zoey had better win, since it would make no sense whatsoever if Dawn wins. May, a much better coordinator, never won a Grand Festival, yet Dawn does? )

So a trainer that was raised by a master coordinator and had her eyes set on becoming one is less qualified to win a championship than a trainer who was using her journey as an excuse to travel the world and had no clue what attacks existed?

K then.