Anime Does the Pokemon story ever advance?

[Demon]

Pokemon cartoons and movies have been going on for a very long time. But with all the movies and stuff about it out, it seems like nothing really advances in the stories in such a way that you need to "follow" it, so you end up with little reason to watch many of the movies in the first place - or the cartoons.

Is there suppose to be an order to the cartoons, or anything else in Pokemon?

 

[Rasputin]

uh, yes

how could you possibly understand any of the storyline of gold/silver without having played red/blue first? wouldn't make any sense. "OH HEY TRAINER RED I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE BUT I'M GONNA FIGHT YOU ANYWAYS"

also pokemon white/black has some references to diamond/pearl, proving that they are chronological and exist in the same universe

 

[Demon]

how could you possibly understand any of the storyline of gold/silver without having played red/blue first? wouldn't make any sense. "OH HEY TRAINER RED I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE BUT I'M GONNA FIGHT YOU ANYWAYS"

Works for every other game.

I mean, how much do you have to know trainer Red? Just because there is backstory, doesn't mean that you need that backstory... because honestly, compared to other fictional media, the backstory is just a plus.

 

[Sultan]

Pokemon follows that Nintendo game story formula. You know? How it's the same shit in every game?
Mario = peach is kidnapped, Bowser is bad, beat Bowser, save princess.
Pokemon = Get pokemon, catch pokemon, get badges, stop team X, beat league = profit.

I only watched two Pokemon movies a long time ago, so I wouldn't know about the anime or movies.

 

[Rasputin]

Works for every other game.

I mean, how much do you have to know trainer Red? Just because there is backstory, doesn't mean that you need that backstory... because honestly, compared to other fictional media, the backstory is just a plus.

it's a video game genius. obviously you don't NEED the storyline to play the game. you asked if there is an order to the storyline, and I'm showing that there clearly is. the order of the storyline takes place in the order the games were released. end of story.

 

[Martel]

The short answer to the question is "no".

The anime arcs follow EXACTLY the same storyline - Ash travels around with his generic companions, meets one-off characters and Pokemon, stops the evil team from getting their hands on the Legendary of the region, sends Team Rocket blasting into the sky in a life-threatening spectacular explosion EVERY SINGLE EPISODE, eventually gets every Gym Badge (usually after losing multiple times to at least one of the leaders), gets to the Pokemon League, then promptly loses it, making the entire journey pointless. He then sets out again, leaving all of his Pokemon except for his overpowered Pikachu behind him.

Even the movies are the same - overpowered Legendary/ugly fox creature goes beserk or is misunderstood, Ash and co. charge in to put everything right.

If you've seen one episode or movie, you've practically seen them all. Once upon time, when this franchise was fresh and original and not filled to the brim with crap designs, the running gags and brilliant dialogue made the anime worth watching, but that stopped after the Johto arc, really.

The only games that link together in terms of story - if you can call it a story - are the first and second generation. Just because later games are released after the games doesn't mean that they follow them chronologically.

 

[Linnaete]

I don't know what is in store for the 5th generation, but lately each generation have just recycled the basic template for the anime series every time. As Martel said, the basic gist of the plot is Ash and his companions reach a new region with their usual Nurse Joys, Officer Jennys and an abundance of generic, samey one-episode characters and a host of new and old Pokémon. They beat Team Rocket, foil an evil team (or another branch of Team Rocket), catch new Pokémon, go to gyms, tackle random problems, meet legendaries, face the league, the end.

I have not watched a single episode of Pokémon for years now because I've always seen it as being mere recycling of a fourteen year old idea that has become overly stale and predictable now. Maybe if the 5th generation spices things up may it interest me a bit again, but for now I doubt that the newer episodes contain anything conceptually new, bar the odd gimmicks such as the Pokémon coordinator beauty thingy contests that the female main characters now embark upon.

 

[Kei]

it's a video game genius. obviously you don't NEED the storyline to play the game. you asked if there is an order to the storyline, and I'm showing that there clearly is. the order of the storyline takes place in the order the games were released. end of story.

He was asked about the cartoon. Although, regarding the game, Playing Gold/silver before playing red/blue wouldn't really make a big difference... because basically --- "OH HEY TRAINER RED I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE BUT I'M GONNA FIGHT YOU ANYWAYS" --- Pokemon is really just like that. <_<

Anyway back to cartoon part, no. Reason is exactly what Flonne said

The anime arcs follow EXACTLY the same storyline - Ash travels around with his generic companions, meets one-off characters and Pokemon, stops the evil team from getting their hands on the Legendary of the region, sends Team Rocket blasting into the sky in a life-threatening spectacular explosion EVERY SINGLE EPISODE, eventually gets every Gym Badge (usually after losing multiple times to at least one of the leaders), gets to the Pokemon League, then promptly loses it, making the entire journey pointless. He then sets out again, leaving all of his Pokemon except for his overpowered Pikachu behind him.

Pokemon always went in useless circles, it doesn't have any meaning to it anymore. Not to mention the repetitive routine of his fights with Team Rocket.