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Was Misty poorly handled and developed in the Pokemon anime compared to later female leads?




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precita



Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 44
PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2025 8:39 pm Reply with quote
I've been rewatching the original seasons and notice how Misty gets sidelined most of the time. Any time she tries to battle or do something epic, Psyduck would come out interrupting her for the usual gag.

Outside of that most eps focus on Ash and the random filler characters they meet in every ep, so Misty and Brock are largely just treated as exposition characters commenting on whatever is happening. Most of her pokemon are underused too, and it feels like if you don't care about shipping half the appeal to her character is lost. You'd think 275 episodes would be enough to develop her but eh

Misty wasn't a beginning trainer like most of the other female companions, when she's introduced she already co-owns a Gym with her sisters and had 3 pokemon (Staryu, Starmie and Goldeen). But you wouldn't know that from the way she was portrayed.

Early rookie Kanto Ash nearly beats her as early as the 7th episode (he was on the verge of winning had TR not bust through the wall), and he only used Butterfree/Pidgeotto and didn't even have the Kanto starters yet. If he had Bulbasaur or Pikachu wanted to battle, he probably would have won easier. And then after that, Misty loses in the Giselle episode to a Graveler, and doesn't really battle much for rest of the season without Psyduck popping out of its ball to get a headache. In Orange Islands I think her only major trainer battle is the Golduck episode against Marina. Then after that there's not much in Johto till she gets Poliwhirl/Corsola.

Anyone find it weird Misty was treated as inexperienced? Half her team couldn't even battle properly unless under special conditions (Togepi, Psyduck, Goldeen, Horsea), or were underused (Starmie), etc. I know the writers didn't want her to upstage Ash, but they gave her one of the worst battle track records imagineable till the tail-end of her run.

I think the writers just didn't care. When you stop to think of it, there are only very few episodes that actually focus on Misty herself in each season she was in. For the rest of the eps she was basically sidelined with Brock.
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josephsnyder



Joined: 31 Mar 2025
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:46 am Reply with quote
Quote:
I've been rewatching the original seasons and notice how Misty gets sidelined most of the time. Any time she tries to battle or do something epic, Psyduck would come out interrupting her for the usual gag.

Outside of that most eps focus on Ash and the random filler characters they meet in every ep, so Misty and Brock are largely just treated as exposition characters commenting on whatever is happening. Most of her pokemon are underused too, and it feels like if you don't care about shipping half the appeal to her character is lost. You'd think 275 episodes would be enough to develop her but eh
brawl stars online
Misty wasn't a beginning trainer like most of the other female companions, when she's introduced she already co-owns a Gym with her sisters and had 3 pokemon (Staryu, Starmie and Goldeen). But you wouldn't know that from the way she was portrayed.

I think Chloe takes the spot. She started off really strong but fell off when she was relegated to being just the Eevee girl.

Misty might not have done as much compared to other later companions but as others point out she makes up for it by having a strong personality and great chemistry with Ash and Brock.[/quote]
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precita



Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 44
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2025 5:34 pm Reply with quote
Well yeah I wasn't counting Koharu/Chloe.

Misty did have great chemistry with Ash/Brock of course, but sadly her role diminished with each passing season she was on the show. After a while Ash and Misty didn't even argue anymore and then Misty just held Togepi and barely had a role unless they made a filler ep about water Pokemon.
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Errinundra
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Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 6620
Location: Melbourne, Oz
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2025 10:16 pm Reply with quote
Locking thread for soapboxing.

@Precita. You've raised the same issue multiple times before.
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