The original Pokemon anime is beloved for many reasons, one element being the cast. Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu are some of anime’s most iconic heroes, and over the course of their journey, they meet all sorts of Trainers. Many of these people, Trainers or otherwise, would also travel with Ash and become his lifelong friends.
However, there were some traveling companions, whether they were around for the majority of the season or only traveled with Ash for a little while, that were not as beloved as other characters. In fact, though these characters are good-natured, they can often be irritating. Some of these characters do lose these annoying streaks, though unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Brock’s Sudowoodo Could Be Clingy as a Bonsly
The Rock-type Became Much Calmer After Evolving
Bonsly, a baby Pokémon introduced in Generation IV, is actually not a Grass-type. The Bonsai Pokémon is a mischievous Rock-type with an appearance similar to that of a plant. However, if one tries to pour water on this “tree”, it will run away. Upon evolving, Bonsly will transform into Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokémon. Sudowoodo does not like to fight, so it tries to look as tree-like as possible in order to avoid a battle.
In the Kanto region, Brock finds a Bonsly all alone, crying as it was hungry and no one was around to take care of it. Thus, Brock took on the role of Bonsly’s caretaker, even being his only companion upon arriving in Sinnoh. As it was a baby, Bonsly was very needy and often cried, though its clingy behavior could certainly be stressful at times. Thankfully, the Rock-type became much more relaxed upon evolving, and even acted as an older sibling to Brock’s Happiny.
Many Fans Criticize Chloe’s Overall Lack of Character Development
Chloe Did Begin To Gain Confidence Thanks to Eevee
Like Serena and May before her, Chloe was introduced as someone who was unsure about what she wanted to do in life. Unlike her predecessors, however, Chloe initially tried to only have a realistic mindset, causing her to come across as aloof or even cold. It was also shown that, in the past, Chloe was not especially fond of Pokémon. In fact, she was even unkind to her family’s Yamper when it was first adopted, though Chloe came to regret these actions after the canine Pokémon ran away.
Chloe began to break out of her shell for good, thanks to an Eevee that left Pokémon researchers puzzled, as she would not evolve. With Eevee by her side as her partner Pokémon, Chloe was able to become a true Trainer, and even started a career as a Pokémon Performer. Overall, Chloe has received mixed reviews among fans, as many find it irritating that she did not receive very much character development. Though her personality at the start of her debut was rather frustrating, Chloe later became a much more relaxed and friendly individual.
Max Can Be Quite the Know-It-All
May’s Brother Often Criticizes Trainers Despite Not Being One
Unlike his sister, who once felt immense pressure from others to become a Trainer like their father, Max dreams of the day he can begin his Trainer journey. In order to prepare for the day he is old enough to become a Trainer, Max spends a good amount of his time reading anything he can find about Pokémon. Because of his book-smarts, Max knows a lot about Pokémon as well as battle tactics, though only in theory instead of actual practice. He gets the chance to learn more about Pokémon thanks to May, who looks after him in place of their parents during their adventures.
Max is a kindhearted boy, but unfortunately he can be quite snobbish about what he has learned. In fact, he will even criticize Ash about his choices during battle, even though Max has yet to become a Trainer. Despite this behavior, Max truly looks up to Ash and is one of his sister’s biggest supporters. Brock even acted as a sort of mentor to Max, teaching him more about real-world experiences with Pokémon.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Barry Always Rushes Into Everything
This Rival Character Is Legendary for His Impatience
In Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, and Pokémon Platinum, the player character is quickly introduced to a noisy boy next door who dreams of becoming a Trainer. That boy is Barry, the player character’s future rival, who is often noted by non-player characters to be impatient and unable to sit still. One of Barry’s famous sayings is that he will “fine” someone if they arrive later than he to the next destination. Part of why he wants to be a Trainer so badly is because of his father, Palmer, one of the Frontier Brains of Sinnoh.
As seen in the anime, Barry retains the same personality he has in the games, though he is somehow even more hyperactive. The energetic young Trainer is not only one of Ash’s rivals in the Sinnoh region, but a minor traveling companion, as seen for a short period of time. However, Barry’s anime counterpart is even more impatient and short-tempered, getting upset easily over minimal things. His behavior can be so out of order that his partner Pokémon, Empoleon, is often shown to be embarrassed by its Trainer.
Goh Does Not Consider the Importance of Befriending Pokémon
A Trainer Who Cares More About Catching Than Actually Training
Often regarded by fans and critics alike for being the characterization of Pokémon GO, Pokémon Trainer Goh acts as the secondary protagonist of Pokémon Journeys: The Series. While Ash dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master, Goh’s dreams are less focused on his experience as a battler and more about what Pokémon he is able to catch. In fact, Goh dreams of catching every known Pokémon in the world. His grand dream, aside from completing the National Pokédex, is to catch the Mythical Pokémon Mew and have it be his partner Pokémon.
While completing the National Pokédex is an incredible goal, Goh disregards the importance of becoming better friends with the Pokémon he catches. In fact, early on, he is so adamant about catching Mew first that he hurts the feeling of a Scorbunny who wished to become his first partner Pokémon. Though Goh later agreed to do so, Cinderace, along with a couple of other Pokémon, would be the only members of his large roster that Goh took the time to know. In comparison, Ash, who was not as focused about completing his Pokédex, instead took the time to get to know every Pokémon he caught, earning the Trainer respect from fans and other characters alike.
Pokémon
- Release Date
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1997 – 2023
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- Writers
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
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Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
