What If Pichu Was Ash Ketchum Starter Pokemon Instead Of Pikachu?

[Bartmanhomer]

Hello everybody. I just thought of something about a certain Pokemon that may or may not changed the whole Pokemon anime series. What if Pichu was Ash Ketchum Starter Pokemon instead of Pikachu. Yes I'm aware that Pichu is a generation 2 Pokemon and yes I'm aware that Pichu is from the Johto region. So what if Professor Oak gives Ash a Pichu that was from the Johto region and so many turn of events might have changed a bit during the anime series. Pichu will eventually evolved into Pikachu and events might say the same way. Also it will open the doors from starting both the Kanto region and Johto region as well. So what are your thoughts on this what if question to see how the Pokemon anime series will played out?

[Tvtyrant]

It would be a shocking change, but a small one.

[Lord Raziere]

It would change absolutely nothing. Ash would still inexplicably beat ground types with a small electric rat, the first pokedex is one number bigger, and it becomes pointless the moment Pichu evolves.

[Bartmanhomer]

It would be a shocking change, but a small one.

I would love to hear more thoughts about your explanation please. :smile:

[Mando Knight]

It would be a shocking change, but a small one.

Puns aside, Ash's Pikachu has a plot-based power level anyway, so a Pichu in his place probably wouldn't alter the narrative much.

[Durkoala]

Alternately, Ash dies in the second episode because pichu isn't strong enough to defend him against the flock of spearow.:smallbiggrin:

[Kitten Champion]

I suppose if you wanted to you could make an arc wherein Pichu's evolution to Pikachu signifies their friendship being established. That exact idea has been done numerous times in the anime.

Otherwise yeah, in general it's not really important with a show as formulaic as the 22 year-old Pokemon anime is. At most it could've changed the marketing/mascot character for the franchise, assuming they really wanted Pichu in that role.

[Kantaki]

Alternately, Ash dies in the second episode because pichu isn't strong enough to defend him against the flock of spearow.:smallbiggrin:

Definitely this.
The good news* is whoever replaces him is a improvement.:smallamused:

*not that Ash biting it is bad news exactly...:smalltongue:

[Celestia]

Maybe then he'll have a Pikachu that knows Nasty Plot, but knowing Ash's battling style, probably not. Otherwise, there would be no change.

[Traab]

In truth, you could give ash a bidoof and aside from sound effects and the move list, the general outcome would be the same, ash stomps all over pokemon that should crush his bidoof through the heart of the cards, team rocket is obsessed with this magical bidoof and constantly gets blown up trying to steal it, and gary spends most of the first season or two calling ash a loser baby.

[Legato Endless]

Baby Pokémon get introduced much sooner and prove less controversial if more hated by a minority due to increased early prominence.

The Vermillion Gym proves much more iconic, with Surge's Raichu Pikachu being the first anime introduction of the character in its duel with Pichu. It becomes an overnight sensation.

Surge becomes a reoccurring character from the fan reaction to his partner and gets a series of spinoff OVAs exploring his past in the great off screen war.

[Lord Raziere]

In truth, you could give ash a bidoof and aside from sound effects and the move list, the general outcome would be the same, ash stomps all over pokemon that should crush his bidoof through the heart of the cards, team rocket is obsessed with this magical bidoof and constantly gets blown up trying to steal it, and gary spends most of the first season or two calling ash a loser baby.

Pretty much.

Hell, give him a magikarp, won't make any difference. anyone who thinks that Ash would die because of a change in pokemon is doing some really wishful caustic internet critic thinking, and wishing for his death? Dude, he is nowhere near offensive enough to warrant that, he is slightly dumb, can't win a league and an average character, but he isn't horrible and hateable.

and even if he did die, it'd make no difference. anime pokemon world is full of clones of people who inexplicably come out of nowhere for the sake of plot, like the Joys, the Jennys, Jessiebelle, and of course Ash's own clone, Ritchie Getem. I guarantee you, Ash would just be replaced by Ritchie Getem and he'd do everything pretty much like Ash would. hardly a solution to that if you hate Ash.

[GloatingSwine]

Ash did die.

He went greyscale like Optimus Prime and everything.

Didn't stick, of course. But it never sticks to Optimus either.

[Lord Raziere]

Ash did die.

He went greyscale like Optimus Prime and everything.

Didn't stick, of course. But it never sticks to Optimus either.

Well then it ain't really death ain't it? You don't know if he was actually dead or just encased in a stone shell that he couldn't speak from.

[Aotrs Commander]

Ash did die.

He went greyscale like Optimus Prime and everything.

Didn't stick, of course. But it never sticks to Optimus either.

Ash has died, like, half a dozen times, and he just walks it off, because he's Ash [Freak]ing Ketchum.



I mean, we are talking about the guy who Thunder Armour. Just... Thunder Armour.

Thunder.

Armour.


Death never stood a chance.

TIME doesn't even apparently work on him, and you'd think Time would have a particular axe to grind, the amount of times Ash has personally kicked the timestream in the shins.

[Lord Raziere]

Ash has died, like, half a dozen times, and he just walks it off, because he's Ash [Freak]ing Ketchum.



I mean, we are talking about the guy who Thunder Armour. Just... Thunder Armour.

Thunder.

Armour.


Death never stood a chance.

TIME doesn't even apparently work on him, and you'd think Time would have a particular axe to grind, the amount of times Ash has personally kicked the timestream in the shins.

no wonder his greatest most consistent foes are a trio of people who can't seem to die, who seem to conjure crazy inventions and plans out of nowhere, and magically fool people with paper thin disguises. Ash and Team Rocket are both reality warpers.

[137beth]

If Ash's Pikachu can one-shot ground pokemon with electric moves, I'm pretty sure Pichu could do the same. Or Magikarp with Splash. Ash doesn't follow the rules, and changing his starter pokemon wouldn't change that.

[Traab]

If Ash's Pikachu can one-shot ground pokemon with electric moves, I'm pretty sure Pichu could do the same. Or Magikarp with Splash. Ash doesn't follow the rules, and changing his starter pokemon wouldn't change that.

Give him an oddish and watch him take down Magmar with ease!

[Bartmanhomer]

If Ash's Pikachu can one-shot ground pokemon with electric moves, I'm pretty sure Pichu could do the same. Or Magikarp with Splash. Ash doesn't follow the rules, and changing his starter pokemon wouldn't change that.

I believe what you're describing is called anime logic. Something that doesn't make any sense by rationality and reasoning only works in anime.

[Lord Raziere]

I believe what you're describing is called anime logic. Something that doesn't make any sense by rationality and reasoning only works in anime.

Exactly. That is what the Pokemon anime runs on. Give Ash a Wobuffet as his starter and watch that Wobuffet be the only one of its kind to have an offensive move. Give him a Delibird and watch as its only uses Present but somehow crits and takes out the enemy pokemon every time. Give him an Unown and watch it actually be useful. Give him a Magikarp and he will defeat things with Splash somehow! His protagonistic aura of victory is too strong for mere pokemon to overcome, only the power of corporate executives extending his journey another region because they want more money can defeat it!

[Kitten Champion]

If we go by the game's logic it's still pretty irrelevant. Pichu evolves quickly, and then you have Pikachu again.

If we go by the game's logic, Pikachu would've been tossed aside in the digital trash bin and 90% of the show would be breeding perfect IV shiny meta Pokemon with a Ditto.

[Lord Raziere]

If we go by the game's logic it's still pretty irrelevant. Pichu evolves quickly, and then you have Pikachu again.

If we go by the game's logic, Pikachu would've been tossed aside in the digital trash bin and 90% of the show would be breeding perfect IV shiny meta Pokemon with a Ditto.

Thank god for anime logic. :smallbiggrin:

though I do have an idea: a pokemon series that starts with a selfish trainer attempting to breed his pokemon to be super-powerful and two of the pokemon are in love with each other but are forced apart by their trainers breeding machinations, so they decide to escape from this trainers day care in each others arms and make their own life away from him!

[Anonymouswizard]

In truth, you could give ash a bidoof and aside from sound effects and the move list, the general outcome would be the same, ash stomps all over pokemon that should crush his bidoof through the heart of the cards, team rocket is obsessed with this magical bidoof and constantly gets blown up trying to steal it, and gary spends most of the first season or two calling ash a loser baby.

This. In practice Ash's Pikachu is a Zapdos in mouse form, you could give him a Magikarp, a Rattata, or Mewtwo as a starter, and the result would be 100% the same.

Although, as Manly Guys doing Manly Things showed us, Magikarp is an amazing starter.

[Eldan]

Exactly. That is what the Pokemon anime runs on. Give Ash a Wobuffet as his starter and watch that Wobuffet be the only one of its kind to have an offensive move. Give him a Delibird and watch as its only uses Present but somehow crits and takes out the enemy pokemon every time. Give him an Unown and watch it actually be useful. Give him a Magikarp and he will defeat things with Splash somehow! His protagonistic aura of victory is too strong for mere pokemon to overcome, only the power of corporate executives extending his journey another region because they want more money can defeat it!

That just brings this to mind:
https://i.imgur.com/SCJbCHY.jpg

Aww Ninjad. But I have pics.

[137beth]

Although, as Manly Guys doing Manly Things showed us, Magikarp is an amazing starter.

Not if you want your parents to be proud of you (http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/comic/does-this-get-to-count-as-one-pokemon):smalltongue:

[Lacco]

Although, as Manly Guys doing Manly Things showed us, Magikarp is an amazing starter.

Awww. Now I can add "a montage of Ash hitting other pokemon with Pikachu ...with "Eye of the Tiger" blasting in the background into my list of "to see before I die" list.

[Bartmanhomer]

Anime logic can do just about everything in anime. :cool:

[Summer Lamb]

I dont want to belive in this but??? its sound like ture...
It would be a shocking change, i guess:smallyuk:

[Aotrs Commander]

I dont want to belive in this but??? its sound like ture...
It would be a shocking change, i guess:smallyuk:

TVtyrant made that joke in the second post; you're a little late.

[Velaryon]

It would be a shocking change, but a small one.

I see what you did there.

Anyway, as others have said, Ash's Pikachu does not operate according to regular Pokémon rules, so we can only assume if it were a Pichu it would be written in much the same way.

Given how strong Ash's Pikachu is, are we sure it's not Arceus in disguise, just bumming around with Ash out of boredom?

[Traab]

I see what you did there.

Anyway, as others have said, Ash's Pikachu does not operate according to regular Pokémon rules, so we can only assume if it were a Pichu it would be written in much the same way.

Given how strong Ash's Pikachu is, are we sure it's not Arceus in disguise, just bumming around with Ash out of boredom?

Didnt ash face arcerus in one of the movies where he saves the nation/continent/world and everyone just forgets?

[Anonymouswizard]

Didnt ash face arcerus in one of the movies where he saves the nation/continent/world and everyone just forgets?

Do you think you could narrow it down from every other Pokémon movie?

Uh, I mean every other in the 'half of them' sense, not 'rest of them' sense.

[Lord Raziere]

Didnt ash face arcerus in one of the movies where he saves the nation/continent/world and everyone just forgets?

In the same way you face a natural disaster, I guess.... that movie is crazy. Ash had to go back in time to fix what caused him to go angry in the first place, turns out some evil advisor guy of some guy who promised to return his important jewel thing made of tablets who betrayed both Arceus and the chosen one, while all three of the Sinnoh legendary team had to hold him off, as in Dialga, Palkia and Giratina.

the whole movie was more about "quick we need to do this thing to make sure poke-god loves humanity again, we, the deities of time, space and anti-matter will hold him off as long as we can, YOU go figure out what actually happened and fix it so that he doesn't destroy this place in a fit of collective punishment!" than Ash facing him head on.

but technically no one forgot since people DID carve Ash and his pikachu being there in the ruins after that time jaunt. its just that archaeologists will never discover it and give him any attention in the modern day. because eternal pokemon stasis reasons.

[Aotrs Commander]

That was the best Pokémon movie.

(My favourtie part was realising that Arceus had co-incidently given away all the plates which would have impaired electrcial attacks and the Pikachu zapping him and seemingly doing more halm than the legendaries.)

Class.

I mean it was even part of a trilogy. DP was the best region. XY came close, but the flaws just robbed it of the same edge.

...

I still have a load of movie to catch up on, but there is so much of Naruto still left to go...!

[Lord Raziere]

That was the best Pokémon movie.

(My favourtie part was realising that Arceus had co-incidently given away all the plates which would have impaired electrcial attacks and the Pikachu zapping him and seemingly doing more halm than the legendaries.)

Class.

I mean it was even part of a trilogy. DP was the best region. XY came close, but the flaws just robbed it of the same edge.

...

I still have a load of movie to catch up on, but there is so much of Naruto still left to go...!

I know right, I still want to catch up on all of pokemon even if its insane of me to try, yet I've somehow gotten to the Diamond Pearl episodes. why am I crazy, Aotrs. Why. Why do I keep wanting to to try and be completionist with the pokemon anime series? even though I haven't gotten around watching Pokemon DP for like, months? a year? more?

[Velaryon]

Didnt ash face arcerus in one of the movies where he saves the nation/continent/world and everyone just forgets?

I have no idea, I gave up on the anime a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago. As in, I'm not sure they had added the Generation 2 Pokémon into the mix yet, other than Misty's Togepi.

Anyway, I'll take that as a "yes, we're sure it's not Arceus," in which case I guess we're back to him being a disguised Zapdos or something.

[Lord Raziere]

Anyway, I'll take that as a "yes, we're sure it's not Arceus," in which case I guess we're back to him being a disguised Zapdos or something.

Zapdos doesn't know transform, and there is no costume or technology in all of pokemon to make a Zapdos fit into a Pikachu form.

the only legendary pokemon that can transform is Mew. now there are two movies with Mew in them, with no indication that they're the same one. so there could be a third Mew disguised as a Pikachu, but Mew themselves are shown to be incredibly playful with a short attention span, easily distracted by toys and other things while important things are happening, so a Mew would have to be very focused on maintaining the facade and resist the temptation to transform into something else or solve things with different moves.

and even then a Mew would not be able to break through ground type immunity.

I'm sorry, but there is no logical explanation for Pikachu. it is simply a narrative anomaly. seek no greater sense.

[Celestia]

Zapdos doesn't know transform, and there is no costume or technology in all of pokemon to make a Zapdos fit into a Pikachu form.

the only legendary pokemon that can transform is Mew. now there are two movies with Mew in them, with no indication that they're the same one. so there could be a third Mew disguised as a Pikachu, but Mew themselves are shown to be incredibly playful with a short attention span, easily distracted by toys and other things while important things are happening, so a Mew would have to be very focused on maintaining the facade and resist the temptation to transform into something else or solve things with different moves.

and even then a Mew would not be able to break through ground type immunity.

I'm sorry, but there is no logical explanation for Pikachu. it is simply a narrative anomaly. seek no greater sense.
It used a Secret Power that came out looking like Thunder Shock. *nod*

...Yes, I know that move didn't exist until Gen III and couldn't look like Thunder Shock until Gen VI. But it still works.

[Bohandas]

In truth, you could give ash a bidoof and aside from sound effects and the move list, the general outcome would be the same, ash stomps all over pokemon that should crush his bidoof through the heart of the cards

Except whenever he's in a championship

[Lord Raziere]

It used a Secret Power that came out looking like Thunder Shock. *nod*

...Yes, I know that move didn't exist until Gen III and couldn't look like Thunder Shock until Gen VI. But it still works.

Ah but remember, Prof Oak had to have caught Pikachu with that Pokeball. tell me, whats more likely: that Prof. Oak somehow caught a random low level Pikachu with a rare Scrappy-esque ability for electric types? or that against all odds, he somehow caught a mythical pokemon that just so happened to be in a pikachu form, with a normal pokeball within a reasonable amount of time to not be suspicious, with little to no breakouts of a pokeball, a secret Mew which proceeded to not win the first match against Onix?

not to mention that Pikachu would be a really big jerk not to reveal to Ash that they're a Mew after the first few world-shaking disasters happened to let him know that, hey, he is here to help go full power to make sure the world is saved.

and to top it all off, Pikachu WAS CLONED in Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu had a Pikatwo to face, because there was a machine made by Mewtwo, to scan DNA and near-instantly produce functional living pokemon.. the same kind of machine, that made Mewtwo himself. so Pikachu can't be a secret Mew or other legendary, because that machine would've detected that and made THAT pokemon instead of an actual clone Pikachu. DNA. Clone. Proof.

[Anonymouswizard]

and to top it all off, Pikachu WAS CLONED in Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu had a Pikatwo to face, because there was a machine made by Mewtwo, to scan DNA and near-instantly produce functional living pokemon.. the same kind of machine, that made Mewtwo himself. so Pikachu can't be a secret Mew or other legendary, because that machine would've detected that and made THAT pokemon instead of an actual clone Pikachu. DNA. Clone. Proof.

Look, the solution is simple. Ash's mew was cloned, and the mew also decided to hide the fact that it's a Mew(two?) and transformed into a Pikachu.

The second Mewtwo from a later movie? It's just the clone of Ash's Mew deciding that it doesn't want to hide anymore, and so turns into the form of Mewtwo (unknown to anybody it actually looks like a Mew with a smiley face on it's head).

[137beth]

Ah but remember, Prof Oak had to have caught Pikachu with that Pokeball. tell me, whats more likely: that Prof. Oak somehow caught a random low level Pikachu with a rare Scrappy-esque ability for electric types? or that against all odds, he somehow caught a mythical pokemon that just so happened to be in a pikachu form, with a normal pokeball within a reasonable amount of time to not be suspicious, with little to no breakouts of a pokeball, a secret Mew which proceeded to not win the first match against Onix?

Well, obviously what happened is that Oak caught a real Pikachu. However, before he could give them to Ash, a Mew came, stole the pokeball with the real Pikachu, and shapeshifted into a voltorb to fool Oak into thinking they were a pokeball.

That still doesn't explain why Mew apparently "loses" on the rare occasion when Pikachu actually loses, or why Mew has never revealed their true form to Ash in more than 1000 episodes.

[The Glyphstone]

Well, obviously what happened is that Oak caught a real Pikachu. However, before he could give them to Ash, a Mew came, stole the pokeball with the real Pikachu, and shapeshifted into a voltorb to fool Oak into thinking they were a pokeball.

That still doesn't explain why Mew apparently "loses" on the rare occasion when Pikachu actually loses, or why Mew has never revealed their true form to Ash in more than 1000 episodes.

It has the nature 'Troll'.

[Kitten Champion]

My theory is the Pokemon anime is stuck in an eternal time-loop, one which stops just before Ash's 11th birthday. The only one cognizant of it is Pikachu, who's been working on breaking the loops.

This is why Pikachu can't let Ash win anything substantive, it's his version of Madoka becoming a Magical Girl. He needs him out there constantly looking for some way to free them all from this hellish torment.

It's also why he refuses to go into the Pokeball, he's been in there for waaaaaaaay too long in the eons of the loops we never saw.

[Traab]

Except whenever he's in a championship

Good point. Aside from the orange league, has he ever actually won a tournament? Even that wasnt a tournament so much as a right to fight the head trainer of the league after going through the other gym battles so it probably doesnt count.

[Lord Raziere]

Look, the solution is simple. Ash's mew was cloned, and the mew also decided to hide the fact that it's a Mew(two?) and transformed into a Pikachu.

The second Mewtwo from a later movie? It's just the clone of Ash's Mew deciding that it doesn't want to hide anymore, and so turns into the form of Mewtwo (unknown to anybody it actually looks like a Mew with a smiley face on it's head).


Well, obviously what happened is that Oak caught a real Pikachu. However, before he could give them to Ash, a Mew came, stole the pokeball with the real Pikachu, and shapeshifted into a voltorb to fool Oak into thinking they were a pokeball.

That still doesn't explain why Mew apparently "loses" on the rare occasion when Pikachu actually loses, or why Mew has never revealed their true form to Ash in more than 1000 episodes.

This seems to be getting increasingly implausible. :smalltongue:

Okay, so Mewtwo somehow made a machine that perfectly clones Mews (something which has never happened in all of pokemon ever, because Mewtwo and Dittoes are both failed clones of Mew) that just so happened to clone a Mew down to their specific brain matter that makes them a unique being to the point where their clone ALSO decides to permanently prank the world by becoming a pikachu. so Mewtwo was in fact surrounded by THREE Mews, two of which are prankster jerks who decided to not reveal their true powers and help save the world from Mewtwo when he was explicitly bent on wiping out all of humanity and pokemon not on his own island, without either Mew or Mewtwo there realizing that two other Mews were there, right, real plausible.

and if hypothetical Ash-troll PikaMew shapeshifted into a Voltorb, it wouldn't work to be disguised as a pokeball, because voltorb are clearly bigger than pokeballs, because they are the size of like beach balls and basketballs while pokeballs only grow as large as like a baseball. when Pikachu was clearly shown to be released from a pokeball with a lightning sticker on it, which Mew cannot fake.

that and Ditto has been shown to automatically snap back to their original form when defeated. so a PikaMew if they got defeated would also morph back into their true form as well, as shown in Pummelo. so, Pikachu can't be a PikaMew, cause you can't fake that.

that and Pikachu learns Volt Tackle, which a move unique to Pikachu that Mew cannot learn. as well as the fact that Pikachu knows Quick Attack, which Mew also cannot learn.

and then there is all the psychic pokemon that Ash encounters that could y'know read minds and even if Mew could block them from doing that, a psychic type would know that Pikachu would not be able to defend against their mind being read. Sabrina would at least be able to tell. and then there is the fact that even if you capture a Ditto in a different form, the pokedex still registers the pokemon as a ditto in the database, so the Pokedex can tell if something is transformed. and even if the Pokedex has no data on Mew, it would clearly show that and wouldn't throw up Pikachu.