ThePokémonanime certainly made a splash when it debuted, and the original seasons are often looked back upon quite fondly, both by those with nostalgia and even those without. However, when it comes to discussions of the anime’s absolute peak, there’s only one era that I (and many fans) look back on, and that’s theDiamond and Pearlera.
The originalPokémonanime is well loved, especially by me, but it does have its problems. Battles can be wild and unpredictable, as the anime was far less close to the games at that time, which ironically made them less interesting to watch. Ash often obtained badges without having to battle for them, usually as a reward for saving the day. Ash is also a fairly inept Pokémon trainer at first, and that shows through in instances likehis Charizard’s disobedience. These factors combined can give the appearance of Ash bumbling his way into the League Championship, as if he didn’t properly deserve it.
Pokémon’s Sinnoh Era Struck the Right Balance
Diamond and Pearl Got Ash Right
For the first four generations of thePokémonanime, each one leads directly into the next. TheBlack and Whiteera represented something of a soft reboot for the series, however, soDiamond and Pearlstands out as being sort of a “finale” for the first half of the series. This alone makes it stand out, but there’s far more to theDiamond and Pearlthan just the end of an era. The Sinnoh region brought with it new threats, new characters, and new formats, while being much less filler-dense than either the original series orRuby and Sapphire.
One aspect which was critical was how Ash was portrayed.With so much experience under his belt by this point, Ash is a far more competent Pokémon battler and trainer inDiamond and Pearl. His badges are pretty much all legitimately earned, andAsh is able to stand on his own in the Pokémon League’s championship, even against incredibly difficult opponents. Ash is shown to still be exceptionally compassionate, taking in Paul’s Chimchar after he abandons it, and raising it to be an incredibly powerful Pokémon. Ash overall shines in this series–he’s arguably at his best.
Ash is also able to use all the experience he’s gained to help newcomer trainer Dawn, who is just starting her journey. He helps her learn to train Pokémon, and eventually to compete in Pokémon Contests, a format Ash himself only had a little experience with. Whereas in the original series, Ash is the one often getting advice from Brock and Misty, he’s now the one giving that advice, showing how much his character has grown already since the early days. Ash’s battle skills are also still improving, even as he starts over again in a new region.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl has the Best Cast
The Sinnoh Region’s Characters Stand Out
Of all the series, theDiamond and Pearlcast are among my favorites. First, there’s Brock, who’s still around, but while Brock made very little character progress throughout most of the series, that’s not the case in Sinnoh. Brock realizes here that his real dream is to be a Pokémon Doctor, and this motivates him to enter school and learn formally.Dawn works well as the newbie trainer, and has a great relationship with Ash, almost like brother and sister. Dawn also brings in Piplup, who often functions as comedic relief and does a bit better job at it than some predecessor Pokémon.
Then, of course, there’s Ash’s greatest rival of all time, Paul.Paul is introduced as quite a jerk, pushing his Pokémon too hard and abandoning them when they don’t measure up to his high expectations. The series definitely sets Paul up to be easily disliked, and this puts a lot riding on his matches with Ash. This all culminates in their face-off during the League Championship, which is often considered one of the best battles in the entire anime. It certainly has a lot riding on it, as it’s about more than just who gets a trophy; it’s a competition between two different styles of training, proving ultimately which is best.
Sinnoh also has many other memorable characters, like the beautiful champion Cynthia, who ends up becoming something of a mentor to Ash, and she would be one of his final opponents much later on inJourneys. The villains are also among the best the series has seen, such as Team Galactic and Cyrus, whose nihilistic mission is to create a new world in his own image. There’s also Pokémon Hunter J, a mercenary and poacher with some advanced technology who steals Pokémon far more effectively than Team Rocket could ever dream of. This is also where Looker, a recurring detective character, is first introduced.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Doesn’t Forget the Past
The Series Still Makes Use of Continuity with Previous Seasons
AfterDiamond and Pearl, the anime started to reinvent itself each generation, so that there were very few ties between the different series that Ash went on. However,Diamond and Pearlsees Ash calling upon his stored Pokémon in the championship, making use of familiar characters like Heracross and Sceptile. It’s always great to see Ash’s old Pokémon come back to help him out in the tournaments, and it only makes sense to utilize them.Since Ash doesn’t do that again from this point onward, though, the Sinnoh Conference is Ash’s most diverse team to date.
Because of its excellent characters, high-quality battles, and willingness to use continuity, the Sinnoh era of the anime is without a doubt one of its best, and quite possibly the absolute best. While it does still have its own issues, the series is overall some of the greatest Pokémon animation seen to date, and it certainly represents Ash very well. For many fans, Sinnoh’s version of Ash is the definitive version, the one they’re most likely to think of.PokémonDiamond and Pearlis Ash’s first big peak, and for that it’ll always be remembered.
