10 Ways Pokémon Battles Are Completely Different In The Anime
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In the games, Pokémon battles are your typical RPG turn-based style of fighting, but in the anime, they play out differently. Here’s 10 differences.
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The Pokémon games have been some of the most successful RPGs of all time. On top of the appeal of catching all the various, unique, and sometimes crazy creatures the Pokémon world has to offer, another main part of these games is the battles between trainers.
In the games, Pokémon battles are your typical RPG turn-based style of fighting, but in the anime, they play out differently. There’s a lot of various factors and elements to the anime’s battles that are never really present in how the games present them, which can sometimes be head-scratching, but at times also make the anime’s battles feel more real. Here are 10 ways Pokémon battles can differ from the famed RPG.
10 There’s Sometimes A Referee
Pokémon battles can happen anywhere, and that’s something the games and anime share. While a battle between two trainers out in the wild is left to the trainers to abide by the rules, official battles for gyms and the Pokémon League are overseen by a judge or referee.
Watching the battle for themselves, these officials can call the end of a battle if one Pokémon cannot keep going. They even sometimes call a match if a Pokémon is under a status ailment like “Sleep” and decide they are unable to continue battling.
9 There Are No Items Used During Battles
In the Pokémon games, various items can be used to enhance a Pokémon’s battling abilities, cure status ailments, or recover them to full health, much like other RPGs like it. In the anime, however, the use of these kinds of items is prohibited.
While some Pokémon are allowed to wear accessoriesーsuch as Ash’s Krookodile or Tyson’s Meowthーthey aren’t allowed to use or wear anything that could give them an unfair edge in battle.
8 There’s No Move Use Limit (PP)
There’s a certain amount of times a move can be used in the Pokémon games’ battles, each move having only a certain amount of points that can be usedーknown as PP. After all the points for every move are used, the only thing the Pokémon cannot do anything more. However, there’s no such limit to moves in the anime.
Since things like HP and PP aren’t really factors in the anime, Pokémon can use whatever move they have pretty much infinitely until they’re knocked out. Sometimes there are moves a trainer can use to inhibit the opponent’s Pokémonーlike using Throat Chop as a way of dealing with sound-based moves or even Flamethrowerーbut there’s no risk of depleting the ability to use a move.
7 Battling In Real-Time
Since battling in the Pokémon is turn-based, that probably wouldn’t fly in the anime where the battles have to feel more energetic. As such, the battles in the anime have more of a real-time flow to them, and this helps the anime’s trainer battles have more life to them.
Admittedly though, the trainers do still wait for their opponent to finish their orders before shouting theirs, but it’s not in the same vein as the games. This real-time vibe also allows the anime’s trainers to be tested in tight situations and come up with a quick move.
6 “Dodge It!” Is Basically A Pokémon Move
One cliché of the Pokémon that fans are always quick to point out is the overabundance of the phrase, “Dodge it!” Regardless of the move or how accurate it’s supposed to be in the gameーsuch as Swiftーusing this move can make a Pokémon dodge the attack.
On the one hand, this move makes sense, allowing a trainer to try and play a factor in their Pokémon evading an attack. On the other hand, some battles can boil down to attacking and dodging.
5 Pokémon Get Fatigued
Obviously, Pokémon are supposed to be living creatures, and just like humans, they can become fatigued and exhausted. In the games, the only factor that plays into is either their HP or if they’ve got a status ailment, which can be restored with items.
In the anime, a Pokémon needs rest now and then and can’t continuously battle forever. Doing so increases the chances of losing. Sometimes this can be a case-by-case basis (such as if one Pokémon is leagues stronger than the opponent’s team and can take them out effortlessly). However, Pokémon are not machines and have physical limits too.
4 Different Kinds Of Strategy
In both the games and the anime, there are strategies a trainer can use to win. This can come down to using type advantages or a Pokémon’s strengths and abilities to their full advantageーhowever, this can take on a much different dimension in the anime.
Since there are many more factors present in the anime’s battles, strategies can be much different from what can be done in the games. These include having one Pokémon ride on top of another on the ground or in the air, combing multiple moves, or even ridiculous strategies that only ever happen once.
3 Evolution & Level Doesn’t Equal Strength
Evolution and gaining levels aren’t just for a Pokémon to achieve a brand new look, but also a natural and sometimes essential piece to a Pokémon’s growth. This is especially in the games where evolving increases their potential stats to new heights. However, this isn’t always necessary in the anime.
While evolving a Pokémon does also make them stronger as it does in the games, any Pokémon can essentially become strong if they train hard enough, to the point where they can even take on their evolved form with ease. Levels are also not really present in the anime, so leveling up doesn’t really mean much eitherーotherwise, Pikachu would’ve been at level 100.
2 The Battlefield Is A Factor
Since the anime gives the Pokémon battles a more three-dimensional feeling to them, more factors are present than just the trainers and their Pokémon to consider. This includes the battlefield where it all takes place.
While the games sometimes only attribute this to weather or the effects of specific moves, the anime can have the Pokémon do things like tear up the field and use it as part of their strategy. This can even extend to the natural resources, not just the weather, but also things like bodies that a Pokémon can swim or hide in.
1 Type Advantages Aren’t That Important
One of the biggest elements to battles in the Pokémon games is typing, using the right type advantage for that “super effective” hit, plus figuring out the right type matchup isn’t difficult. Although it plays a role in the anime, it’s not nearly as important as it is in the games.
In the anime, types can give a trainer an advantage in battle, but they don’t mean that the trainer and Pokémon will automatically win. There have even been times where typing is pretty much either ignored or defiedーthe best example being when Pikachu was able to hit ground-types with electric attacksーanother challenge that can be overcome if a Pokémon tries hard enough.
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