History ANime / Pokemon

* AmbiguousGender: Averted with Ash's ''entire'' Unova team thus far: a Snivy which Ash eventually catches uses Attract on Pikachu successfully, meaning it's female. It also Attracts Oshawott and Tepig, making them male as well. Ash counters this strategy with Pidove, confirming it as female. This is also unique for being the first time Ash has had two confirmed female team members. [[spoiler:His Scraggy and Swadloon have also been confirmed male.]]

* ArtEvolution: Kind of a given since the show has [[LongRunners probably outlasted]] much of its original art staff. Specifically, compare Pikachu in [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/thumb/b/ba/Pikachu_loves_ketchup.png/225px-Pikachu_loves_ketchup.png this]] picture to [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/thumb/7/71/PikachuDP.png/180px-PikachuDP.png today]] -- he's lost some baby fat and gained a neck.
** Ash went through it a bit, too. He's a bit taller now.
*** Then he's going through puberty!

* DarkHorseVictory: No main character or primary rival has ever won a major TournamentArc. However, the series soon began to subvert this, starting with Robert of the Hoenn Grand Festival. Even then, all the other named characters to win tournaments were still minor characters at best, and were only introduced during that arc (Robert was a slight exception, having already been introduced in the second Contest to be featured in the anime). So far, the only true exception to this is [[spoiler:Zoey, Dawn's main rival, who wins the Sinnoh Grand Festival.]]

* DidNotDoTheResearch: The long journey to Vermillion City takes place (in part at least) on Route 24, according to Ash. Route 24 goes the opposite direction from Vermillion City in the game (though they do meet Bill two episodes later...).
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Legendary Pokémon are very prone to this in the movies. Moltres and Zapdos get captured by Lawrence III, Celebi gets [[TheCorruption stuffed in a Dark Ball]] by the Iron-Masked Marauder, Latios is caught and used to power the Defense Mechanism of Altomare [[spoiler:and dies saving the city from an incoming tsunami]]...

* EldritchAbomination: Toned down some from the games' Pokedex descriptions, but some of the Pokémon remain delightfully creepy. Giratina is the biggest example, especially when it's in the Reverse World.

* EvilRedheads: Jessie and Cassidy of Team Rocket, Shelly of Team Aqua, and Mars of Team Galactic.

** In Advanced Generation and Diamond and Pearl, Ash's and Dawn's ''Pokemon'', as well as Ash's main Pokemon from Kanto, could form their ''own'' respective [[FiveManBand Five Man Bands]]:
% Ash and his main Kanto Pokemon:
-->TheHero: Ash
-->TheLancer: Pikachu
-->TheBigGuy: Charizard
-->TheSmartGuy: Bulbasaur
-->TheChick: Squirtle
% Ash's Hoenn Pokemon:
-->TheHero: Pikachu
-->TheLancer: Sceptile
-->TheBigGuy: Swellow
-->TheSmartGuy: Corphish
-->TheChick: Torkoal
--> SixthRanger: Glalie, Donphan (in Battle Frontier)
--> EleventhHourRanger[=/=]TheChick: Aipom (in Battle Frontier)
% Ash's Sinnoh Pokemon:
-->TheHero: Infernape
-->TheLancer: Buizel
-->TheBigGuy: Torterra
-->TheSmartGuy: Staraptor
-->TheChick: Gliscor
-->SixthRanger: Gible
% Dawn's Pokemon:
-->TheHero: Piplup
-->TheLancer: Buneary
-->TheBigGuy: Mamoswine
-->TheSmartGuy: Pachirisu
-->TheChick: Quilavia
-->SixthRanger[=/=]TeamMom: Togekiss

* InterspeciesRomance: Tropius/Meganium, Golduck/Azumarill, Bulbasaur/Gloom etc. Breeding group is also not important (Lombre/Mawile. Lombre is in the Water 1 and Plant groups, while Mawile is in the Ground and Fairy. Marill/Elekid (A Water 1 and Ground and a No Eggs who evolves into one in the Humanshape)). There are also some Human/Pokémon examples (Ash/Pikachu, Ash/Bayleef, Ash/Aipom, Ash/Latias, Cassandra/Meowth, Harley's Cacturn/Jessie). Most of the love is one sided and on the human/Pokémon it's always on the Pokémon's side, except for [[TooKinkyToTorture Gardenia and her fetish]].

* MadeOfIron: Almost every named human character, especially Ash.

* TheMovie: Fifteen of them, the last two are actually [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo One for the price of two]].

* NeverSayDie: Dub only, naturally. Most notably, near the beginning of the series, when the Squirtle Squad kidnaps Misty -- they threaten to kill her in the Japanese version, and in the dub they threaten to [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment dye her hair purple]].

* NoSenseOfDirection: The Spiky-eared Pichu, as revealed in the fourth DP ending.
** Dawn is pretty bad with directions herself and her Piplup is even worse.
** It's not just Dawn. Ash and friends get lost a ''lot''.

* PartyInMyPocket: They're called "Pocket Monsters" for a reason.

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Averted with Ash's Sceptile, Totodile, Charizard, Snivy, and Scraggy and Brock's Steelix, played straight with Jessie's Arbok and Seviper and Trip's Servine. Generally (though [[DarkIsNotEvil not always]]), any Pokémon that looks scary or sinister is going to be featured [[{{WhatMeasureIsANonCute}} as a bad guy]].

* SecretTestOfCharacter: A few of the Gym Leaders do this, which makes sense as their job is to test trainers in a multitude of ways..

* TeamSpirit: The trio of Ash and his friends (quartet in AG).

* WidgetSeries: While not as over the top as other examples, this show contains a lot of very Japanese elements, such as references to their folklore, especially in earlier episodes. When the producers realised that ''Pokémon'' was a global phenomenon, they deliberately dialed this back.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: don't [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/7/7c/Sakura_and_Tomoyo_DP077.jpg these two]] [[CardcaptorSakura look familiar?]]

* DarkHorseVictory: no main character or primary rival has ever won a major TournamentArc. However, the series soon began to subvert this, starting with Robert of the Hoenn Grand Festival. Even then, all the other named characters to win tournaments were still minor characters at best, and were only introduced during that arc (Robert was a slight exception, having already been introduced in the second Contest to be featured in the anime). So far, the only true exception to this is [[spoiler:Zoey, Dawn's main rival, who wins the Sinnoh Grand Festival.]]

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Averted with Ash's Sceptile, Totodile, Charizard, Snivy, and Scraggy, played straight with Jessie's Arbok and Seviper and Trip's Servine. Generally (though [[DarkIsNotEvil not always]]), any Pokémon that looks scary or sinister is going to be featured [[{{WhatMeasureIsANonCute}} as a bad guy]].

*** Episodes 23 and 24 of ''Black and White'' features [[spoiler: the debut of Team Plasma and notably, Giovanni ''himself'' traveling to Unova.]] Uh oh...

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Averted with Ash's Sceptile, Charizard and Snivy, played straight with Jessie's Arbok and Seviper and Trip's Servine. Generally, any Pokémon that looks scary or sinister is going to be featured [[{{WhatMeasureIsANonCute}} as a bad guy]].

* LongRunners: Has been running almost nonstop since April 1997 in Japan, with almost 700 episodes and 13 (soon to be [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo 15]]) movies.

* [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo One Movie For The Price Of Two]]: The Victini movie is going to be split into two -- one for Reshiram and one for Zekrom.

* OverlyLongGag: Professor Westwood V's (a colleague of Professor Oak in "''The Evolution Solution''") constant apologies to his ancestors, [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals Westwood I-IV]].

** WordOfGod confirms that ''Black and White'' will be much shorter in comparison. [[AvertedTrope It shows when Ash has his first badge by episode 6]], compared to episode 15 in the ''Diamond and Pearl'' series.

* ParentService: For the ladies this show does have its fair share of Bishounen (in which James is one of the most known examples) and one could always wonder why Meowth has deranged fantasies about Giovanni. And for the guys: well, see HotMom and BuxomIsBetter for more details.

*** Partly true: No humans appear, so it's impossible to know who will catch what. But, it shows silhouettes ([[BeyondTheImpossible 3D Silhouettes, at that]]) of every Pokémon which will be met while this theme is used, so if you look, you can make them out. [[SubvertedTrope Reshiram is shown in the opening and loses its silhouette effect in the second episode, however, despite not being seen in the anime itself yet.]]

* ArtEvolution: Kind of a given since the show has [[LongRunners probably outlasted]] much of its original art staff. Specifically, compare Pikachu in [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/thumb/b/ba/Pikachu_loves_ketchup.png/225px-Pikachu_loves_ketchup.png this]] picture to [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/thumb/7/71/PikachuDP.png/180px-PikachuDP.png today]] -- he's lost some baby fat and gained a neck. Ash went through it a bit, too. He's a bit taller now.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Averted in "''Luvdisc is a Many Splendored Thing''." Luverin eventually reciprocates Caserin's affections for her.

* [=~What The Hell, Hero?~=]: During their match in the Hoenn League, Ash has been curbstomping Morrison, easily taking out his Girafarig and his Growlithe with Corphish alone. After Growlithe goes down, Ash gets mad, accusing Morrison of not caring about his Pokémon by not allowing them to do their best. Though this is all because Morrison didn't want to battle Ash in the first place.

* AntiClimax: Remember Harrison's Blaziken? Gave us one of the most intense fights in the entire series? Yeah, a Sceptile and a Swampert in the Hoenn League? Both knocked out pretty early in their respective battles, and not even by Ash's strongest Pokémon. Sceptile was knocked out in a BeamOWar with Ash's Glalie, and Morrison's Swampert was knocked out in a Focus Punch/Crabhammer CrossCounter with Ash's Corphish.

* AscendedExtra: In the original video games, Misty, Brock, Cilan and Iris are merely Gym Leaders that you [[BossBattle only encounter once to battle against]]. Here they become main characters.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Averted in ''Luvdisc is a Many Splendored Thing.'' Luverin eventually reciprocates Caserin's affections for her. Played straight, however, with Brock's [[RunningGag constant crushes on pretty girls.]]

* CookingDuel: In "''Hail to the Chef''", Rhoda and Rhonda face off against each other with their Mr. Mime and Sneasel, respectively, to see who's the best.

* CoolShades: The Sandile, now Krokorok, in ''Black and White'' has these.
** And long before that was the Squirtle Squad in the first season, with Ash's Squirtle having extra-cool shades to show that it was their leader.

* PutOnABus: The writers were really bad about this in the first two sagas. They stopped for a while but due to the aforementioned script recycling they did some of this in the current DP saga, most obviously with Ambipom. Seriously, ''ping pong??''
** Brock was put on one again at the end of DP, though not literally. A later special checks up on his progress.
** And despite going through the Kanto region again for the ''Battle Frontier'' season, ''not a single one'' of the characters of the day from the first season ever showed up or even got so much as a mention or cameo.
* RamenSlurp: May is seen doing this (with nearly ''[[BigEater 30]]'' bowls no less!) in her ImageSong ending.

# ''[[PokemonVictiniAndTheBlackWhiteHeroZekromReshiram Pokemon: Victini and the Black/White Hero Zekrom/Reshiram]]''

# ''PokemonVictiniAndTheBlackHeroZekrom'' and ''VictiniAndTheWhiteHeroReshiram''

* {{Facefault}}: Ash and the gang do this sometimes. Team Rocket does it more often, however.

* [=~Fail O'Suckyname~=]: Ash Ketchup, Tom Ato, Ann Chovi and Caesar Salad.

* FantasyKitchenSink: At various points we've had psychics, [[KiAttacks aura]], ghosts, HumongousMecha, Magic (albeit very little), HardLight Holograms, at least one superhero (albeit a aged {{Batman}} parody), ToonPhysics, WeirdScience, Cloning, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and a talking cat]]. And that's just the stuff that doesn't apply to the Pokémon themselves.

* IdenticalStranger: Several:
** Ash has two clones running around. Both were excuses for MarshmallowHell by their mothers.
** Jessie and James's unwanted-fiancee Jessiebelle.
** Team Righteous, a team from an old TV show that happen to look like Team Rocket.
** Max's clone is also called Max.
** Harley's grudge against May goes back to another girl he knew that happens to look like her.
*** Then again, he may have just been lying to earn Jessie's sympathy.
** Princess Salvia, TheOjou version of Dawn.

* MotivationOnAStick: In "Pokemon Food Fight", Ash and his friends plan to lure a sleepy Snorlax into moving up and over a mountain by luring it with an apple attached to the end of a pole with a string.
* TheMovie: Fifteen of them, the last two are actually [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo One for the price of two.]]

* CoolShades: The Sandile ([[spoiler:later Krokorok]]) in ''Black and White'' has these.

* InterspeciesRomance: Tropius/Meganium, Golduck/Azumarill, Bulbasaur/Gloom etc. Breeding group is also not important (Lombre/Mawile. Lombre is in the Water 1 and Plant groups, while Mawile is in the Ground and Fairy. Marril/Elekid (A Water 1 and Ground and a No Eggs who evolves into one in the Humanshape)). There are also some Human/Pokémon examples (Ash/Pikachu, Ash/Bayleef, Ash/Aipom, Ash/Latias, Cassandra/Meowth, Harley's Cacturn/Jessie). Most of the love is one sided and on the human/Pokémon it's always on the Pokémon's side, except for [[TooKinkyToTorture Gardenia and her fetish]].

* LongRunners: Assuming you watched 24 hours a day, it would take you (as of January 2010) ''8 days'' to watch every episode. And that's not counting commercials or the 13 (soon to be [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo 15]]) movies.

** In an very early episode, A battle comes down to Ash's Metapod (coccons capable only of hardening themselves to defend from attacks) and his opponent's. In the middle of this stalemate, the camera cuts to [[{{Fanservice}} Misty in a bathing suit]] getting some sun. Those must have been some really dedicated trainers to not notice ''a girl changing clothes right next to them''.

* TheMovie: We're up to thirteen of them as of now. Number 14 has already been announced.
** And there are TWO of them. [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo One movie for the price of two?]]

** Id: Ash
** Superego: Misty (Original Series), May (Advanced Generation Series), Dawn (Diamond and Pearl Series)
** Ego: Brock (Kanto, Johto through Sinnoh), Tracey (Orange Islands arc)

** And despite going through the Kanto region again for the ''Battle Frontier'' season, ''not a single one'' of the {{characters of the day}} from the first season ever showed up or even got so much as a mention or cameo.

* TheRival: Hey, the show wouldn't be fun without some conflict, right? And rivals are perfect for that! Ash has Gary and Paul, May has Drew and Harley, and Dawn has Zoey and Kenny (as well as Jessilina)...and those are just the rivals that would appear regularly at some point in the show's history...
** As of ''Black and White'', Ash now has Trip and Bianca.

* ContinuityCameo: Brendan, [[PocketMonsters Isamu Akai]], Lucas and Silver.

* AmbiguousGender: Averted with Ash's ''entire'' Unova team thus far: a Snivy which Ash eventually catches uses Attract on Pikachu successfully, meaning it's female. It also Attracts Oshawott and Tepig, making them male as well. Ash counters this strategy with Pidove, confirming it as female. This is also unique for being the first time Ash has had two confirmed female team members. [[spoiler: His Scraggy and Swadloon have also been confirmed male.]]

* AscendedMeme: Fans had been showing a dislike for the Generation V Water-type starter Oshawott ever since it and its fellow Unova starters were originally revealed. Of course the first episode of the BW saga, just had to have an Oshawott that did not react positively to being rejected for Snivy by Trip, and promptly began to stalk Ash around after he thought the little otter was cute. He ended up joining Ash alongside his obligatory generic Flying-type (Pidove) two episodes later.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Lots of times, but Team Rocket most obviously. Compare [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Ue-IJBCpU&feature=related their actually menacing first appearance]] with anything including them nowadays, or even anywhere as soon as six months after they first appeared.
** This seems to have come full circle as of Best Wishes, since they've [[TookALevelInBadass taken a level in badass]] to match their [[EvilMakeover Black Rocket uniforms]].

** Misty's Psyduck can't seem to do much but take up space. However, it's known for absolutely devastating anything hostile when it's headache gets too much for it to bear.
** Nando qualifies somewhat too. Take it from the top: he's a guy with long hair, long eyelashes, and he carries a harp. And most of his Pokémon look like easy opponents at first (particularly Roselia when it was a Budew). [[spoiler:Which is why you don't underestimate a Coordinator/Trainer who got into the Top 4 of the Sinnoh Grand Festival. He also makes into the top 64 of the Sinnoh League, which is a lot lower than other trainers but still good, if only because he ended up facing Ash early.]]

* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler:Paul challenges Pyramid King Brandon to a battle. The majority of Paul's Pokémon are knocked out in two hits by Brandon's three Regis.]]
** Another time, Ash takes out Gym Leader Watson's three Pokémon with one attack each by Pikachu, before they get a chance to attack, thanks to an accidental power-up (which, ironically, Wattson was responsible for).
** A second Sinnoh example: Paul vs. Cynthia (the ''League Champion''). Four attacks by Garchomp, four of Paul's Pokémon knocked out, match over.
*** This also happens whenever Ash takes on a member of a given region's Elite Four, like Lorelei/Prima or Drake. CharacterDevelopment then kicks in as Ash learns from his defeats.
*** To be sure, Paul's Torterra managed to bring Garchomp to its knees in pain. Ash never gets that far.
**** IIRC, Ash never got to face Cynthia (or even a Garchomp) in a battle. And his Torterra has been suffering TheWorfEffect ever since reaching that stage.
** [[spoiler:Barry's battle with Paul at the Sinnoh League. Barry didn't beat a single one of his Pokémon, and his Skarmory went out in one hit in mere seconds.]]
** What about going back to Kanto? Sabrina doesn't simply curbstomp Ash and Pikachu: she brutalizes Pikachu, humiliates it, shrinks Ash and his friends to the size of dolls, humiliates him, and both physically and emotionally ravages the team as a whole...'''THREE TIMES'''!!
*** ...[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything You're talking]] [[MindRape about the]] [[FetishFuel battle, right?]]
** [[spoiler:In the same vein as his first full battle against Paul and his battle with Tobias, Ash's battle against Trip in episode 10 of BW ends in Ash's defeat with his opponent only losing two Pokémon.]]
** Ash vs. Flint deserves a special mentioning. Flint's Infernape utterly destroys Ash's Buizel and Infernape in one move a pop. It then flexes its muscles a bit against Pikachu before it casually overpowers the mouse's Volt Tackle with ''Thunder Punch'' and wins handily. Damn.

** Barry, the rival from the fourth generation, got pretty good screentime as well; enough to be Ash's secondary rival in DP, behind Paul.

** In the original series:
*** TheHero: Ash
*** TheLancer: Pikachu
*** TheBigGuy: Misty
*** TheSmartGuy: Brock
*** TheChick: Togepi
** In Advanced Generation:
*** TheHero: Ash
*** TheLancer: Pikachu
*** TheBigGuy: Brock
*** TagalongKid: Max (also shares TheSmartGuy role with Brock)
*** TheChick: May
** In Diamond and Pearl:
*** TheHero: Ash
*** TheLancer: Pikachu
*** TheBigGuy: Piplup
*** TheSmartGuy: Brock
*** TheChick: Dawn
*** SixthRanger: Croagunk
** To a lesser degree, in Best Wishes:
*** TheHero: Ash
*** TheLancer: Pikachu
*** TheBigGuy: Iris
*** TheSmartGuy: Cilan
*** TheChick: Axew

** Ash and his main Kanto Pokemon:
*** TheHero: Ash
*** TheLancer: Pikachu
*** TheBigGuy: Charizard
*** TheSmartGuy: Bulbasaur
*** TheChick: Squirtle
** Ash's Hoenn Pokemon:
*** TheHero: Pikachu
*** TheLancer: Sceptile
*** TheBigGuy: Swellow
*** TheSmartGuy: Corphish
*** TheChick: Torkoal
*** SixthRanger: Glalie (Donphan in Battle Frontier)
** Ash's Sinnoh Pokemon:
*** TheHero: Infernape
*** TheLancer: Buizel
*** TheBigGuy: Torterra
*** TheSmartGuy: Staraptor
*** TheChick: Gliscor
*** SixthRanger: Gible
** Dawn's Pokemon:
*** TheHero: Piplup
*** TheLancer: Buneary
*** TheBigGuy: Mamoswine
*** TheSmartGuy: Pachirisu
*** TheChick: Quilavia
*** SixthRanger[=/=]TeamMom: Togekiss

** Also, inverted hard with the Orange Islands episode where Ash and Charizard finally bond. Charizard gets caught in an Ice Beam and frozen solid. With his tail-flame, [[LifeMeter indicating his health]], running low, Ash spends all night rubbing him to keep him warm. [[FridgeLogic Why he didn't just put him in a Pokéball and brought him to the nearest Pokécenter is beyond me, though...]]
*** Perhaps it's so the two can have some bonding time in where Charizard just wouldn't go rampant and would have to stay still and listen given his condition.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Team Rocket sides with Ash several times, their transformations into good guys seeming permanent in the second movie, yet they continue to become Ash's enemies again and again and try to steal Pikachu.

* JokerImmunity: Team Rocket. They've survived falls into gorges and over waterfalls, gotten out of impossible situations (ie: Trapped under a rock cave with no way out), nearly been drowned at least twice, even escaped from jail. (Take particular note of the time a boulder falls on James and sends him falling into the ravine, which should have killed him by both falling and being crushed, yet when we next see him he is completely unharmed) Nothing seems to kill them, even during two falls (one in the episode ''Haunter Versus Kadabra'', and the other [[spoiler: in the second movie when they seemingly sacrifice themselves to help Ash save the world]]) that they themselves are sure will be their deaths. The only exception is when Jessie and James get eaten in the movie ''Lucario and the Mystery of Mew''. [[FirstLawOfResurrection Guess what happens next]], especially since the protagonists suffer the same fate.
** It's not just Jessie, James, and Meowth. Mewtwo blows up a lab and [[KilledOffForReal kills the scientists that created him]]. Yet Giovanni survives an explosion of the same magnutide, and quite unharmed as evidenced in the episode in which the explosion is also seen.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: don't [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/7/7c/Sakura_and_Tomoyo_DP077.jpg these two]] [[CardcaptorSakura look familiar?]]
* LeanAndMean: Jessie, Jupiter and Saturn.

** In Max's debut, he kept calling Ash '''Alf''' three times.
* MysteriousParent: Ash's father, obviously. Dawn's too. We don't know either of their dads!

* {{Ondo}}: Do-do-dogaasu, Do-doga-do!

* ParentalAbandonment: Possibly — Ash and friends roam the countryside without adult supervision, after all.
** Also, Brock's parents abandoned him and his numerous siblings at least twice. The second known occasion, they ''went on holiday without them'', 'stealing' Brock's Ludicolo in the process.
** Apparently, one of the Japanese producers confirmed that Ash's father is a Pokémon trainer on his own journey, and that there are currently no plans to feature him but he'll show up if the plot needs him.

* ABoyAndHisX: Pretty much a lot of the characters, and their Pokemon(all of them), Ash and Pikachu (the page image no less) though are a prominent example in that its the ONLY pokemon Ash never leaves behind with Prof. Oak ([[PutOnABus or he decides to release-so they can train or some sort of nonsense the plot demands]]) when going to new regions.

* AnimationBump: Several battles are much better animated than others. If you see Masaaki Iwane as the animation director, expect a damn good looking episode.

* {{Darwinist}}

* ChaosArchitecture: The Pokémon world has long been Earth with new names for places and slight changes to Japan based areas, filled with supernatural creatures (and in the anime, name-dropping real world places didn't stop in gen 1). The first episode of Black and White however, [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/b/b6/Unova_world_map.png at last shows a map of the Pokémon world]], and it looks ''nothing'' like Earth.

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