Are you Paul?
- Thread starter jbwest31
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I definitely think Paul was meant to represent the competitive portion of the fandom as well as those who dislike Ash in the anime. I actually posted this theory on bulbagarden last year so I hope it's okay if I repost it here.
Originally I thought Paul was loosely based off the character Silver from the generation 2 games. However the more I started taking note of Paul's characteristics and viewpoints, the more I started to notice that his character actually reflects many of the complaints and criticisms we the viewers often have about Ash and the series as a whole. For example the way Paul berated Ash for his inept battling skills and weak Pokemon more or less mirrored the sentiments a lot of us had/have about the character and the focus of the show.
And before you say that you're not like Paul at all, well I hate to break it to ya but if you play any of the Pokemon games then chances are you share many similarities with Paul, at least on paper. Think about it. What's the difference between the way Paul neglects his Pokemon while training them in the anime and way you do in the games? I mean do you honestly make a conscious effort to heal your Pokemon EVERY single time they fall low on HP? Do you avoid using abilities, items and moves such as Blaze, Toxic Orb and Explosion that can be useful in battle even though by all means they are hurting your Pokemon? Do you really care about that Charmeleon that you're grinding in order to have your very own Charizard at your disposal? Would you have any qualms with releasing a Pokemon you just caught or hatched in favor of a stronger Pokemon with better IV's? Probably not, which is fine because it's not necessary to be sentimental towards a bunch of sprites that you're ultimately just using to aid you in your conquest in a fictional world. Don't get me wrong I doubt that the writers were trying to shame us by having Paul represent us. I merely think they were trying to show us what a trainer would be like if they had the mindset of your typical Pokemon gamer. Even more so if you're into the competitive scene.
Ash on the other hand is pretty much on the polar opposite to Paul in every aspect. Which is why I think the writers and the audience were having an indirect conversation whenever these two lashed out against each other about their opposing viewpoints and personalities. Anyway perhaps I'm over-analyzing a children's anime show, but this is just a theory that popped up in my head recently. Hope you enjoyed
Originally I thought Paul was loosely based off the character Silver from the generation 2 games. However the more I started taking note of Paul's characteristics and viewpoints, the more I started to notice that his character actually reflects many of the complaints and criticisms we the viewers often have about Ash and the series as a whole. For example the way Paul berated Ash for his inept battling skills and weak Pokemon more or less mirrored the sentiments a lot of us had/have about the character and the focus of the show.
And before you say that you're not like Paul at all, well I hate to break it to ya but if you play any of the Pokemon games then chances are you share many similarities with Paul, at least on paper. Think about it. What's the difference between the way Paul neglects his Pokemon while training them in the anime and way you do in the games? I mean do you honestly make a conscious effort to heal your Pokemon EVERY single time they fall low on HP? Do you avoid using abilities, items and moves such as Blaze, Toxic Orb and Explosion that can be useful in battle even though by all means they are hurting your Pokemon? Do you really care about that Charmeleon that you're grinding in order to have your very own Charizard at your disposal? Would you have any qualms with releasing a Pokemon you just caught or hatched in favor of a stronger Pokemon with better IV's? Probably not, which is fine because it's not necessary to be sentimental towards a bunch of sprites that you're ultimately just using to aid you in your conquest in a fictional world. Don't get me wrong I doubt that the writers were trying to shame us by having Paul represent us. I merely think they were trying to show us what a trainer would be like if they had the mindset of your typical Pokemon gamer. Even more so if you're into the competitive scene.
Ash on the other hand is pretty much on the polar opposite to Paul in every aspect. Which is why I think the writers and the audience were having an indirect conversation whenever these two lashed out against each other about their opposing viewpoints and personalities. Anyway perhaps I'm over-analyzing a children's anime show, but this is just a theory that popped up in my head recently. Hope you enjoyed
