By 1998, Pokémon, had truly become a multi-platform
franchise, with games, toys, a TV show, a manga or two and (from 20th October 1996)
a trading card game (an idea of Tsunekazu Ishihara's). So when Pokémon arrived on
American shores in September 1998 it didn't come as a box of fire crackers by
releasing the games first then everything else, it arrived as a merchandise
atom bomb.
Well, that's the traditional narrative of the story
of Pokémon. But what really happened was that in the summer of 1998 Pokémon entered
the US as a tiny (almost unnoticeable) trickle - in the from of a VHS tape....
This embarrassing (in the "parents trying to be cool"
sense)15-minute promotional introduction to Pokémon made by
Nintendo was sent to a small number of people in the US (maybe subscribers
to Nintendo Power magazine?). Whether this
tape stirred enough interest to make kids watch the show can be debatable, but
one thing we do know is that almost no one had heard of this relic from
the Poképast - until some uploaded its footage onto YouTube over a decade
later. Because this tape pre-dates the official debut of of Pokémon in
the US (and the rest of the world) it has became a very valuable collector's
item (about $100 on eBay (in 2016)).
It wasn't until September when the VHS trickle became a torrent. The
English-dubbed version of the series (where all further translations were based
upon) first aired on syndicated US TV on the 7th (with the dramatic,
action-packed 'Battle Aboard the St Anne'. They began the series
properly with Episode 1 the next day.). Then, on the
28th, Pokémon Red and Bluewere released in
North America.
Now comes one of the biggest questions from the
subject of Pokémon entering the US -
Why was Pokémon Green never
released outside Japan? Why only Red and Blue?
Remember Missingno? Missingno was a glitch. Red and Green
were full of bugs and glitches, like Missingno.
The original Pokémon Blue (released
on 15th October 1996 through mail order through CoroCoro
Comic, then became available through general retail on 10th
October 1999) was the first "solitary version" game. The first of a
tradition where after the first pair is released a second stand alone version
of them is made where faults are fixed and new features (which the developers
thought about putting in the previous pair of games but had no time or
resources to put them in) are introduced. So, the original Pokémon Blue is
basically just like Pokémon Green, except with a few
aesthetic changes and (more importantly) less bugs. So when it came to
introducing Pokémon to the rest of the world
the obvious thing for Game Freak to do was to make a new Red version
(using the less buggy Blue version as a base) and localise those for
the foreign markets. That is why Pokémon Green never
crossed the Pacific. I hope this answer sorted out the confusion you had when
you first found out about the Blue/Green inconsistency.
Oh, and on a final note here, in the mist of localising it, the American
team doing so suggested changing the designs of the creatures. Tsunekazu Ishihara refused the idea (which
we're all thankful for).
Let's go back a bit and address a fundamental
difference between Japan and the West. Notice the fact that the TV series was
introduced first then the games. In Japan video games are a
big driver in generating culture, while in the US (and Western Europe) TV is
the main driver... or was, until Netflix took
over. In 2016 Westerners aren't that amazed when a successful video game
becomes a TV series because of the fact its an adaptation of a game,
but before 2000 it would be more of a surprise. But it wouldn't have been to
the Japanese, as they have been use to it for years. Mario, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Sonic have all become animes years
before Pokémon.
But in the West, people are surprised by
this fact, as they are use to video games been a spin-off of successful TV shows or movies. Maybe this fact is the reason why
when Pokémon arrived in the US the kids were exposed to the cartoon first, then
were exposed to the games.
But regardless of why it came out before that, the launch of Pokémon in
the US was a success. By September 1999 Nintendo of America reported that the
franchise had made them worldwide $5 billion. That was more than the whole
American video game industry made in the whole of 1998.
And people were worried that Pokémon was
"too Japanese" to be a success in America.
Can you believe that?
Apparently so. A few years before Pokémon the biggest
thing to come out of Japan to conquer American childhoods was the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Back then (in
1993) many people in the American toy industry were worried that Power
Rangers wasn't sophisticated enough for American kids and (as a
result) many turned down the offer of making toys for the franchise. Power
Rangers proved to be a hit with the kids and the few toy companies
that did buy a licence (plus its co-creators Bandai)
got very rich from it in the mid-1990s. When Pokémon became
the talking point in American toy business trade fairs in 1997, those toy
companies who turned down Power Rangers years ago
(learning (the hard way) that Japanese stuff can sell to American kids)
took the gamble. This is the main reason why Pokémon became
one of the most merchandise-heavy franchises of the 20th century. And with so
much merchandise in existence (from stationary to clothes) it was almost
impossible to avoid Pokémon in the late-1990s. In fact, (and
this is just speculation here) in the future the presence of the remains
of Pokémon merchandise (along with dead Tamagotchis and
CDs from AOL) can be used to date archaeological sites to the turn of the
millennium. Game Freak just couldn't keep up with with the increasing number of
merchandise that needed their approval....
"At first, there were between 10 and 20 new proposals for various products each week. We used to line them up on a large table in the meeting room..." - Tsunekazu Ishihara
It was that big, you ask? It sure was. I was there,
remember. I remember Pokémon toys taking up a whole aisle in a Glasgow
branch of Toys "R" Us. I remember them dominating
more than two pages in Argos catalogues (when I was still browsing
the toy section for reason I don't think need explaining). With those two
personal observations alone, I know that it was very clear for British parents
that the most-wanted thing for Christmas 1999 was Pokémon.
And there's more...
There was the fast food promotions (which include these gold-plated cards (I still have one of
them)... and those choking hazard Poke Balls that had to be recalled in
2000). The skits on SMTV Live (featuring a
rap so terrible that the crushing of its initiator by a 10-ton weight was
widely celebrated across the land (Everyone in Britain my age knows what I'm
talking about.)). The magazines. The card game tournaments. (The first world tournaments were held in
the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii from 1999 to 2001. This was before they became the pro events we are familiar with today.) Even all the presents I got on my 13th birthday (that
I can remember getting) were Pokémon stuff (a
ring-binder, some stationary, a digital watch and a VHS of the second
movie).
You want some official statistic proof? Here's my clincher. According
to this article from BBC News from November
2000 Pokémon was beating Lego in
toy sales. Lego! The toy that was voted by UK toy sellers as "Toy of
the [20th] Century" back in January that same year. That was
how BIGPokémon was then. Everything wasn't awesome for
Lego then. Only Harry Potter could save them.
I can go on telling you how big Pokémon was...
By November 1999, as Pokémon was
making inroads into Europe, Pokémon was
still pulling money out of American parents wallets. Especially in cinemas,
as this was when Pokémon the First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back was released in the US. At
this time (like in all crazes that dominate kids cultures) adults try to
scratch their heads what the heck it is. This clip from MSNBC in 1999 is an
example of this head scratching.
Pokémania MSNBC report from 1999
"Pokémania" (as they
called it then) was such a noticeable thing in the world that Time magazine
made it the main feature in the November 22nd 1999 issue. This issue is worth
reading if your curious how big Pokémon was
in the western world and how it reacted to it in this time period. A must find for any
Pokélogist. Even the cover says it all...
Time 22nd November 1999 issue
Note the explanation mark!
The whole feature can be read online here (courtesy of
the Wayback Machine). It includes an online exclusive interview with Satoshi Tajiri, a teenager
trying to explain the appeal of it, some cautious words from a psychologist and
a preview of Generation II. It even includes this review of
the first movie with a title that said it all.... The Man Who Doesn't Get It by Richard Corliss
"Start by picking up the palm-sized Nintendo Game Boy, insert the proper cartridge and switch it on. Soon, a creature with a lightning-bolt tail bounces through an animated sequence and pops a cute grin. You have just met Pikachu, the most popular of the Pokémon, a creature--part cherub and part thunder god--that is the most celebrated cartoon icon since Hello Kitty." - "Beware of the Pokemania" by Howard Chua-Eoan and Tim Larimer, Time magazine (22nd November 1999)
And on the subject of the cuteness
of Pokémon, lets take the opportunity
to discuss an answer to this question. Of all of the 150 original species
of Pokémon that existed then, how come the one that was
chosen by the community to be the mascot of the entire franchise was... an odd-looking yellow rodent players occasionally found in the
forests? Why a mammal (which is as big as a big rabbit) that could produce
shocking amounts of electricity ... that also happened to be very cute-looking.
How did a cute, cuddly less-threatening example from the inventory became an
icon of its age, immortalised as a balloon onMacy's
Thanksgiving Parade? Of course, I'm talking about.....
One answer is how players
first encountered the little fella - in the grass and tree areas of Kanto. An
environment you are exposed to as soon as you leave Pallet Town. But Pikachu
aren't that common (compared to other things likeRatatta and Pidgey)
so encountering a Pikachu will have more sticking power in the memory of
players than the common Pidgey. So when kids first playedRed and Greensome of them must have said "Have
you seen this electric rodent I found inViridian Forest?"
So very soon after the games' release Pikachu became quite famous as "that
electric rodent I found in Viridian" (I was lucky to catch one on one
of my few stabs atPokémon Red, so have an idea why fans would nominate
it as their icon by this factor alone.) But was this deliberate? Was this
social engineering in action or just an accident? I think it was an
accident.
Why? Because ofClefairy.
This pink possible alien featured predominately in the earliest media outside
the games, even becoming a lead character in the first ever Pokémon manga adaptation (the long-running Pokémon
Pocket Monstersby Kosaku Anakubo). It even nearly became Satoshi's first Pokémon in
the pilot episode of
the anime.But this was changed in
the last minute when it came clear (through focus groups) that more fans
related to Pikachu than Clefairy.
So why the change? Here's
my theory. Pikachu easily became the mascot of the franchise due to the great
(and somewhat contradictory) combination of power and cuteness. Pikachu's
bright yellow fur with patches of brown and red cheeks made the rabbit-sized
rodent easy to recognise at a distance, like a New York taxi cab, and (been a
primary colour) made him (Most pikachus we see in the media (especially Ash's)
are male (until a few years ago). Female pikachus have an indent in the tip of
their tails that make it look like a heart-shape.) appealing to young children.
The same logic can be applied to Clefairy.Been pink, Clefairy
could have easily have gained a young female following just by her looks alone
(Its hard to imagine a male Clefairy (admit it)). But Pikachu won out... how?
If you put them side-by-side they look kind-of similar....
A Clefairy and
a Pikachu together -
For a direct
comparison purposes only.
(I didn't make
this gif)
The only reason I could think of why Pikachu becamethemascot of the franchise is down to
power! While Clefairy (been a fairy-type) had menacing psychic powers, Pikachu had power that was more relatable in the real world - high-voltage electricity. Although psychic abilities are great and appeal to fantasy-junkies,
nothing beats raw electricity when it comes to the macho-imagination of boys.
To my understanding, girls would like Clefairy and Pikachu just by looks alone,
but the psychic powers (and theirmodern
transfixion of the colour pink) would skew their
love to Clefairy's favour. However, boys (despite saying otherwise) will
also find the two cute, but they would like Pikachu more because of
his awesome power that can be easily translated into the real world. There is
no need to imagine the damage Pikachu can cause, because it can be demonstrated
in the real world. Something that was easily demonstrated to a child when his
"idiot" friend gains aDarwin Award.
Electricity: Kitespublic
information film (1989)
You don't see any PIFs aboutScanners, further proving my
point.
That was how Pikachu became the No 1 Pokémon among fans. He is a massive destructive
force packaged in a small fur-ball of uber-cuteness any kid
would want to hug....
The aftermath
of an ill-prepared hug of a Pikachu
(here as a
warning for anyone who thinks of doing so).
A cuteness that,
according to Nick fromAt The Buzzer, could (in the
unlikely event of Pokémon
suddenly becoming real in our world) causethe
end of humanity. Oh, the things people with idle time think about....
All that was needed was
the vocal talent of Ikue
Ōtani in the anime and the creation of a kawaii icon was
complete.
Although, I feel
thatMeowthcould have easily been a rival
contender in that contest.
I mean, everyone
likes cats, just look how many they are on the internet.
Meowth takes over Robot Chicken's Twitter account (February 2015)
And
Meowth is not alone in this debate. Since Gen 1 a number of Pokémon have come into been that could
challenge Pikachu's role as mascot for the franchise. In September 2015Warrior13 on
the gaming websitesupercheats.com compiled this
top 10 of possible candidates.
But
be warned, with fame comes ridicule, as we will revisit Robot Chicken later.
[In June 2016a Japanese pollasking fans to rank
their favourite species of all the 720 Pokemon that existed at
that point of time revealed that Pikachu's time in the No 1 spot may
be over - the fan favourite was now Greninja.
Pikachu came fourth, afterArceusand Mew. But I
suspect the reason why was due to ninja fans looking for a new icon to
worship afterNarutoended.]
WhileDigimon andRoboponwere in its mist of saddle-riding
the Pokémon Ponyta, the franchise was entering its
second generation. Plans for a second generation have been around as soon
as Generation I proved to be a success. I mean, it would
have been a waste of time designing 100-odd new creatures if the kids didn't
take the original 151 critters into their hearts...
But actually, due to the rush to complete the first games back in 1996,
a second generation was kind of inedible. If you have an
original Pokémon Red,Green,
orBlue cartridge and
examined its code, you'll discover that the "Pokémon
index" inside these games had 190 entries. These 39 extra
"blank" entries (each containing aMissingno.) have
statistics entered in them. the only things missing were their actual names and
their sprites. What is interesting is that the stats are a perfect match of a
number of second gen species (except for the fact that they were all labelledbirdand normal types). This suggests that
the designs of much of these "new" Pokémon were in fact
near completion when the first games were in the finishing stages. This can
also explain how it was possible forTogepi(a second gen Pokémon) to appearthis early in the anime and
the factHo-oh(another second gen Pokémon) was seen by Ash in the very first episode!
Since then the appearance of next gen Pokémon have been delayed to much later
episodes in a generation story arc (or a movie).
Meanwhile, the news of existence of new
species of Pokémon was reaching fans outside Japan
through the internet. In 2016 we are use to the most recent news
from Japan reaching the West as fast as you can say "Gary
MotherF&*%in' Oak" ... and you can be guaranteed that someone had
translated it accurately and verified the facts (unlike some news sources). But
back in the late-1990s the internet was very different place (and I'm not
talking about just the slow connection
speeds). The was no YouTube. No Wikipedia (let). In fact it wasn't as
invasive as it is in the 2010s. In December 1999 (just a month after Gold
and Silver's release in Japan) only 248 million people in the world had
internet access (a far cry of the 3 billion we have at the time of
publication). And they weren't that many official websites as they are now.
Most information on Gen 2 available to fans at this time was (until Nintendo
announced it on their official channels) from fan-made websites - and they
aren't exactly the most accurate of sources (80-90% probably, if you want a
figure). And its form this situation that something kind of unique happened in
the fandom. With little to go on, fans outside Japan speculated about the names
and appearances of the new species, ending up inventing new names and facts in
the process. TheJWittz made a video about this unique time of internet myth
creation, which you can see here....
The Legend of
Pikablu - TheJWittz (2015)
Fakemon (as
these creations have become known) are still been made to this day.
We all know the story that Mewtwo is a
clone of Mewcommissioned by the (initially)
orange-suited power-hungrySvengali figure that
is Giovanni and
created with the cloning skills of Dr Fugi. But
how many of you know of thereal reason how Dr Fugigot involved in this project? Are you
aware of the extra10-minute
shortthat was added to the
start of the first movie after it's first release? Like me, you may have
already seen the first few minutes of it as an added extra on the film's first
VHS/DVD release in late-2000, the scene where the scientists find the Mew
fossil inGuyana. What happened
in the remaining seven minutes is (SPOILER ALERT) tragic.....
Dr Fugi's main motive to work on this
project was to aid his personal project to clone his dead daughter. It was like
what happened to Shou
Tucker in the 2003 version of the Fullmetal
Alchemistanime. He
had successfully made a copy of her conciousness (in the form of a
holographic cloud) inside a tube (I think he planned to make her body after
working out the kinks in the making of Mewtwo.). The interesting thing is that
in the labAmber(the dead daughter) and Mewtwo (in an
infant stage) communicated telepathically. During
their correspondence Amber showed Mewtwo the outside world through
her (child-like) memories. But during so her concious in a tube began to die in
the lab. As she began to fade from Mewtwo's mind Mewtwo started to cry. Been
the first time he ever cried he was puzzled by the liquid coming out of his
eyes. Amber said they were called tears and said....
"They say living beings only cry when their bodies are in
pain. Humans are the only ones who let out tears when their sad. ... Thank
you. Thank you for your tears. But please don't cry. You're living! Stay alive
okay? I'm sure it'll be fun."
Then she disappeared. But Mewtwo couldn't stop crying.
"The tears aren't stopping! What should I do? Answer me
Amber!"
That that was when his brainwaves spiked alerting the scientists.
Because it was too early for him to be awake, they induce deep sleep through a
tranquillizer. And during that sleep his memories of Amber were
"forgotten." But were they? During their first communication
Mewtwo wondered if he were a human or a Pokémon. Amber's comment about him
crying adds fuel to this question of his identity.So by the time he finally woke up
he was already confused about his purpose in life. But as the scientists
treated him as a "final product" of a long R&D session in
fossil genetic cloning, Mewtwo went ballistic and blew up the lab. Seeing the
destruction, Giovanni saw all he needed to see to know if his project was
a success. Very soon after the destruction of the lab he offers Mewtwo the
chance to learn ow to focus his power. He agreed and spent some time in a suit
of armour (as he did when he battled Gary). After a few weeks of this Mewtwo
still questioned his purpose in life, but Giovanni made the mistake of coming
clean and telling him that he was a "tool" made for his selfish
means. Mewtwo went ballistic again and ran away back to New Island and vowed to
take his revenge on humankind for his slavery and the supposed slavery of
all Pokémon. Then the opening titles roll.
Most of us who saw the first movie when it first came
out, we only saw from the partI
made bold above. In fact, (according to Takeshi Shudō)
the original plan was not to reveal Mewtwo until Ash reaches the island. The
prologue was not planned, but the hiatus of the TV series caused by
the exploding missiles incident forced the animators to make
them, as they originally planned to
hint Mewtwo's existence inthesethreeepisodes, which only
finally airedafterthe film premiered
(ouch). Although the original film was a good "fate of the world in
the balance" story for kids, I feel that the additional ten minutes added
more maturity and not-subtle foreshadowing in the story. Maybe the idea of
a reviving a dead child may have been considered "scary" for kids in
the late-1990s (years before the pandemic of superhero movies forced the
creation of the 12A/PG-12 rating). Despite the fact that (SPOILER
ALERT) in the finale of the film, Ash "dies" in the
crossfire in the battle between Mew and Mewtwo... and then is revived by the
tears of all the Pokémon present (clone and original). Did Mewtwo really
"forget" about Amber's words? There's something to think about. (More
so thanthe fan-theory that Team Rocket were actually
good guysand was trying to
stop Mewtwo themselves after he escaped, so that they can use him for their
"actual" purpose - defeat TeamsAqua,Magma,Galactic,Plasma, andFlare.)
With its plot featuring a very powerful Pokémon and a fate of the world in the
balance premise involving it (with some deep exploration of humanity's
relationship with nature and the environment),Mewtwo Strikes Backset the template for all future feature films.
The first episode aired on TV Tokyo at
7pm on Tuesday 1st April 1997 and began with the start screen we get when the
games are loaded - a battle between a Gengar and a Nidorino. This then transitions "live
action" revealing the battle is taking place in a stadium. This battle is
televised and is on in a TV in a small bedroom. In that bedroom we are
introduced to the 10-year-old Satoshi (or Ash Ketchum in the English dub (I explained
how he got his name back in the introduction.)). We know he is very
into Pokémon (in the same way the real Satoshi was into insects) just by
the fact his room is filled with Pokémon-themed stuff. He is fully-dressed
(gloves and everything) like he is ready to go... but his mother interrupts his monologue and reminds
him to go to bed. As he sleeps he dreams about himself been the owner of
one of the three starters. But in doing so, he throws his poke ball-shaped
alarm clock and breaks it. When he finally woke up (to the sound of the cockerel) he discovers he is late and runs
to Professor Oak's Lab (in his PJs). When he
arrives his rival Gary had just acquired his starter and was
about to head off (in a car?).
In the original games your rival (whoever he's called) is a bit of a
jerk. He has the relation with the Professor and he somehow always a few steps
ahead of you. So its no surprise that in the anime Okido Shigeru
(or Gary Oak as he is called in English) is
depicted as a cocky, privileged bastard (which is also why "Gary
F*&%in Oak" has become an internet meme).
Throughout the first few years of the series Gary was the bane of Ash's
existence. Been the grandson of the great Professor Oak, Gary naturally
developed some form of superior complex, making him think he is somewhat better
than other kids his age, including Ash. And his famous relation is something he
liked to boast about....
"It's good to have a grandfather in the Pokemon business, isn't it." - Gary Oak (from episode 1)
A brief note - according to the anime novelization by the show's main writer
at the time Takeshi Shudō, Gary Oak in the anime is not only
Prof Oak's grandson but also the grandnephew of the mayor of Pallet Town. His cheerleaders are in fact electoral
staff. So the next time you'll see Gary in this first series (the cheerleaders
disappear during the Orange Islands arc) or see a "Gary
F*&%in Oak" meme online, picture Freddy
Quimby from The Simpsons (another cartoon
mayor's nephew). Here's a visual aid I made to help you....
Back to the story. When finally faced with the choice of three poke
balls he discovers that they were all taken (Why were the empty poke balls
still on the table?). Ash was gutted, but Oak then remembered that he has
one Pokémon left, but was reserved about giving it to a new trainer....
"Think I should
warn you.There is a problem with this last one." - Prof Oak
"I have to have
a Pokemon." - Ash
Well... in that
case...." - Prof Oak (from episode 1)
Oak gave in and opened the poke ball.... resulting in a flashy-lightning
show that revealed the franchise's mascot - Pikachu. Their first meeting wasn't
harmonious (he shook him with a thunder-shock attack). A shockingly
funny start to the series.
Here's a thought. What if that alarm clock didn't get broken? What if
Ash woke up early and was able to select his first choice (Squirtle (Which Gary took)) instead of been lumbered with
Pikachu? It's an interesting thought. It's a question that is worth exploring
in revisionist fan-fiction. But its a question that get's more integrating when
you discover who Sam is in the fourth
movie. (I'm not going to tell you. Find out for yourself.)
After leaving the lab Ash is given a send off, where his mother
proceeded to embarrass him in front of a crowd (as all mothers do in such occasions).
After Pikachu refused to enter his poke ball and shocking the crowd after Ash's
mother described their relationship as "weird" (and the reminder to
wear clean "you-know-what" everyday), Ash's journey finally
began.....
And its here we are confronted with a truth our rosy retrospection cognitive bias has made us forget from
childhood - on his first day as a trainer Ash was a complete moron! He was
dragging a reluctant Pikachu along with him with a washing line. He didn't know
that Pokemon only spoke the syllables of their names (an anime-unique invention
- in the games the Pokemon speak with typical animal noises, which you might
have expected before watching the anime). And (because Pikachu refused to
listen to him) Ash's first ever attempt to catch a Pokemon (a Pidgey) was a disaster. It's very shocking,
compared to the Ash we know and love and travelling in Kalos in 2016. It will
even shock Ash himself if we were to show him a video of his first day as a
trainer.
But you have to remember that much of this early idiocy is because of
Gary "motherf*&^in" Oak. For a long time before their
journeys began Gary poked fun at Ash's "inferior" position, leading
to Ash to develop an inferiority complex and a will to beat Gary at his own
game. Also this is his first ever day as a trainer. He probably had little
experience before this catching and training Pokemon, so cut him some slack.
But we have to ask a few questions. If Ash was such a fan for Pokemon, how come
he didn't know about the language thing? Surely in this world they are
documentaries about Pokemon on TV (with a few where Professor Oak plays David Attenborough). I guess he didn't watch such
documentaries. I guess (knowing his nature) he preferred watching the battles.
But that's no excuse. He would have seen them in the wild outside his home (and
heard them speak). But all this is just speculation - created by the lack of
continuity. In the end of the day, Ash (on his first day as a trainer) was a
young idiot thrown into the deep end.
And (in the end) one final act of stupidity will change his fate forever
- when a rock he threw hit the head of a Spearow. That Spearow got mad (of course) and
because of their "jealousy toward's trained Pokemon" Spearow began
to target Pikachu. After Pikachu gave Spearow a shock, Spearow called out for
his/her friends and a chase ensues. Pikachu was attacked. Ash fended them off
to rescue him. He ran with Pikachu in his arms and jumped into a river,
where He was fished out by a red-haired girl.
Her name (in Japanese) is Kasumi. Her name comes form
"kasumisō" the name the Japanese give to the Gypsophila genus
of flowering plant. It's also a pun of the words "kasumi" (meaning
"mist") and "umi" (meaning "sea"), which is how
we get her English name - Misty. The name makes sense if you know these two
things about her - she loves the water (which is why she specialises in
water-types) and can get very angry very easily.
And we first saw this trait in her reaction to the state of Pikachu and
Ash's ignorance at that moment (which included a slap
in Ash's face, which 4Kids edited out in the English dub). After
suggesting getting Pikachu to a hospital, Ash (upon seeing the Spearow
flock approaching them) "borrows" her bicycle and rode into
the distance. But (as a thunderstorm began) they hit a bump and fall over. As
the flock come closer Ash begs Pikachu to return to his poke ball. But he still
refuses (despite his condition). What happens next has become legend. Ash stood
up and faced the flock to protect Pikachu and proclaims...
"Spearows, do you know who I am? I am Ash from the town of Pallet.I am destined to be the world's number one Pokemon Master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all! You hear me! ...... Come and get me!!!" - Ash Ketchum (to the Spearow flock, episode 1)
Inspired by his words, Pikachu leaped up into a bolt of lightning and
gave the flock a massive thunder-shock to remember. When the storm
cleared Ash and Pikachu looked at each other with loving eyes, and one of the
most iconic partnerships in history was made. Above them was a rainbow and
a golden bird that the Pokedex had "no
data" on. A cosmic blessing from the universe, most likely.... or a sign
that Ash has entered a coma.
In the next episode Ash runs into Viridian City with the still injured
Pikachu. As he entered Officer Jenny was announcing to citizens
through Tannoy on be on the look out for Pokemon
thieves. She mistakes Ash for said thief, until he provided his ID... and showed how bad Pikachu is. With the
help of Jenny's motorbike (which might need some work done, looking at its
exhaust) Ash is handbrake-turned into the Pokémon Center in front of Nurse Joy at the reception....
"We have a
driveway you know." - Nurse Joy (episode 2)
Pikachu was rushed into critical care. While he was getting treatment
Ash was in the waiting room thinking about his situation. He called his mother
to say he was okay. Although they say a lot at this exchange, the words that
sum up this conversation is these....
"Honey, you are growing up right before my eyes, spreading your wings and soaring like a Spearow." - Delia Ketchum
"I feel more like a fallen Pidgey." - Ash Ketchum (episode 2)
A minute later Prof Oak called Ash to confirm the news that he got to
Viridian City so soon after beginning his journey ... and that he lost
$1million to Gary for betting that Ash would catch a Pokemon by the time he
reached there. Right after Oak hung up Ash was confronted by an angry Misty and
her (now destroyed by the thunder-shock) bike. But she cooled down soon after
hearing of Pikachu's condition.
But as Pikachu was moved from critical care to a place to rest an
announcement was made on the public Tannoy.....
"Your attention please. Our Viridian City radar sensors have detected an aircraft belong to a gang of Pokemon thieves. If you have a Pokemon in your procession, you exercise extreme caution." - Officer Jenny (episode 2)
That said aircraft was a hot air balloon, and it was hovering over the
Pokemon Center. The thieves dropped two poke balls into the center through a
skylight, revealing an Ekens and and Koffing. A smoke screen engulfs the reception and
the thieves finally introduce themselves with their motto .... which we have
all heard a billion times since. I know they jazzed it up a bit a couple of
times over the years with new words and graphics, but its still the same
motto.But hay. It has become a habit that they have trouble breaking, after
doing it every week for the past 20 years. All they need is for someone to say
the trigger words "prepare" and "trouble."
Design-wise Jessie is a combination of an old girlfriend of Takeshi Shudōwhen he was at school
and Marjo from Time
Bokan, while James is a combination of Leonardo Medici Bundle from GoShogun(a
series Shudōhad written for previously) and Benten Kozō Kikunosuke from
the kabuki play Benten Kozō. There back stories are both
tragic and typical for villains. Jessie was the daughter of a high-ranking Team Rocket member, who disappeared when she was
about 5. Because of this most of her childhood was spent in a foster home that
was so financially poor that sometimes she had no choice but to eat snow. When she
was old enough she left home to study to be a nurse, before giving up because she
was no Chansey. James (on the other hand) was born
into a rich family, but had to run away when he discovered how Christian Grey she is. (Try to deny this
metaphor after watching this edition of PokeSins. I dare you.)
Both eventually meet as students
of Pokemon Tech (where they flunked) and
joined a bike gang, before (separately) joining Team Rocket. So with such devilish pedigree, you'll
imagine that these two are good at their job as Pokemon thieves ... and
you were right. They were terrorising Viridian City and had a cool
wanted poster ....
That was until that night when they encounter
Ash's Pikachu.
To begin with they didn't see him as anything
valuable.
"We're not interested in your electric rat." - Jessie (to Ash)
"We only seek rare and valuable Pokemon." - James (from
episode 2)
You heard them.
They didn't see Pikachu as a worthy prize back
then. So what changed their minds?
Well, we can assume that until that night they were undefeated crooks.
As the group try to defend the center's store of poke balls from
them (with embarrassing results), Ash takes Pikachu away from them
until the trio catch up with them at the reception. It was at this point a
dozen Pikachu (who were acting as the center's back-up generators) show up and
shock them - with Ash's Pikachu standing on top to proclaim his fine
health, asking Ash for "Pika Power." With the aid of the
dynamo on the ruins of Misty's bike, Pikachu got a power boost that increased
their hit power so much that Koffing began to release gas which ignited. The
building exploded. The trio were charred and frazzled floating away
dangling from their balloon as it glided across the moon.
"Great. A cat
losing to a mouse." - Jessie
"That Pikachu is
no ordinary Pikachu." - Meowth
"It's certainly
very rare. A perfect prize." - James
"Let's catch
it!" - Jessie
"Perhaps we
well." - Meowth (from episode 2)
And then their balloon develops a puncture and are "blasted
off" for the first time ever. And thus, the downfall of Team Rocket (and
the other crime syndicates) began. One imagines that Wile E. Coyote went through a similar moment
when he first saw the Road Runner. What would have happened to them if
they hadn't decided to hit the Viridian City Pokemon Center that night? Could
have they remained top agents, who didn't spend ever single penny on traps and
machines? Who knows.
For the next twoepisodes (in Viridian Forest) Ash catches his first wild
Pokemon (a Caterpie that later became a Butterfree) and Misty (after we find out
about her Entomophobia) witnesses a side to Ash that'll
become significant in the future - his selfless caring heart for his fellow
creatures. A side that'll later cause a lot of worry for his friends and loved
ones, looking at his record for risking his life.
By episode 5 Ash was in Pewter City to face his first ever gym leader. Called Takeshi in Japan (maybe
as a reference to chief show writer Takeshi Shudō), in English he is known as Brock - because he specialises in rock-types. Ash's first attempt to earn a gym
badge (as you may work out now) was a shambles. Brock's Onix proved too tough to beat for
Pikachu. When Onix was using bind on Pikachu, Ash (upon seeing his
extreme pain) couldn't bear it anymore and forfeited the match.
That night, feeling dejected, Ash meets a mysterious man named Flint, who decides to help him - by attaching
Pikachu to a small disused hydroelectric plant. The scheme was a surprising
success, when Pikachu overloaded the generator and lit the night sky with high
amounts of electric power. The next day Ash returns to the gym. Misty (been a
water-specialist) offered her Pokemon to use, but Ash refused the offer,
wanting the defeat Brock with his own team. The rematch began with Brock's Geodude knocking out Ash's Pidgeotto (which he caught in Viridian
Forest). Then Pikachu entered the ring. The charging session made sure that
Geodude was out, forcing Brock to call in Onix. Pikachu tries to shock Onix,
but it fails, damaging the gym instead. Onix binds Pikachu, but this time
Pikachu gave off a massive Thunderbolt attack, hurting Onix ... but it
wasn't enough to win. Pikachu was a bout to pass out. Brock offers to end the
match for his sake. Ash refuses. Then the sprinkler system was triggered (from
the previous attack) seriously hurting Onix (rock-types don't like
water).
And it is here we see for the first time a significant trait in Ash -
his sense of fairness. He recalls Pikachu. He had a lucky advantage with the
sprinklers, but he choose to stop the battle, because he wanted to earn his
badges by his own strength and strategy alone (much to Misty's disappointment).
That last bracket is a surprise, considering that a number of
badges Ash "earned" wasn't earned due to a battle with a gym leader.
A fact Misty would made light of in the early parts of the series. A
fact especially true when it came to Ash's second gym (two
episodes later) - the Cerulean City Gym, where we are confronted
by Misty's "sensational" sisters. Long
story short, the sisters were just giving away badges and were about to give
Ash one, until Misty entered the scene and challenged him for it (as she
was technically a gym leader of that gym). The battle
was interrupted by Team Rocket. Ash saved the day and was given
the badge as a thank you by Misty's sisters (to Misty's dismay!!!).
Back to Brock. Just as Ash was about the leave Pewter City, Brock ran to
him to give him the badge anyway - for his kindness towards Pokemon he showed
moments ago. Ash initially refuses it, but Brock's reason to do
so convinced him to take it. Afterwards Brock confesses his ambition to become
a Pokemon breeder - but
family commitments prevent him from leaving the gym. He gave him the
badge so that Ash can fulfil his dream. But then a development -
Flint appears to reveal that he is in fact Brock's dad. He had left the family
a while ago to become a trainer. While he was away, Brock's
Mum left for the same reason some time later (but in
the original English dub it was said that she died looking after the
family (a typical anime trope), but this decision by the dubbers would come
to embarrass them when (years later) she
appeared on screen pretty much alive and well. But some
English-speaking fans think that the woman on screen is Flint's new girlfriend
or second wife (to try to rationalise the error.)). Things didn't
turn out well for Flint, so that is why he is back. Now that Brock no
longer needed to stay home (to look after his nine younger siblings), he decided to travel
with Ash. And the classic trio we all love came to been.
A life of a gym leader is tough. According to one source gym leaders work on a "three
strike" system. Loss three matches in a row and your loss your gym leader
status.So imagine the stress that could cause. So its no surprise that
(according that same source) the stress is the reason
Misty and her sisters are running the gym (their parents ran away
because of the stress) and the reason Brock's mother
is regularly "on the game." That last bit is cited as the
cause of one of Brock's most noted character traits - he falls in love with
every pretty girl he sees (especially every Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy).
Despite the serious reasons for this, this trait has given us multiple bits of
comedy, usually ending with him been dragged away by Misty (initially).
For the next 200-odd episodes Ash (whether he liked it or not) had the
experienced hands of two gym leaders following him (although one of them may
had ulterior motives for doing so (guess which one)). Without Misty and Brock's
guidance, Ash may not have become the trainer we know him today and (according to this review) "probably still in
the forest throwing rocks at random monsters."
Of course they are some out there who are going to point out that this
is a kids TV show cliché and it reeks of the often mocked meme "friendship is magic." However, I have found
a piece of evidence that proves that this isn't unique to kids TV shows and
fairy tales involving creatures not from this world. It can be found in the
world of high-brow "modern" literature....
"When one is trying to do something beyond his known powers it is useless to seek the approval of friends. Friends are at their best in moments of defeat." - from Sexus by Henry Miller
Henry Miller could have written about Ash when he typewritten this back
in the 1940s. Who would have thought that it was possible to reference Henry
Miller in a blog post about Pokémon.
