Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

Pokémon: 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

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Ash remains the focus in Pokémon, but there are a number of occasions where Gary proves his worth and that he’s maybe more worthy of being the lead.

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Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

Pokémon is truly an extraordinary case of a video game that’s been able to evolve into an expansive multimedia franchise that’s been overwhelming its competition for decades. The core basics of Pokémon remain unchanged, but the series continues to grow and welcome in new audiences. The Pokémon anime has found a fandom that’s as large as the one for the video games and Ash Ketchum is a lovable protagonist that anchors the series.

The Pokémon anime is seen through Ash’s eyes, but his rival Gary is an important character who is present from the very first episode. Ash remains the focus in Pokémon, but there are a number of occasions where Gary proves his worth and that he’s maybe more worthy of being the main character.

10 He’s Filled Out More Of His Pokédex

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

It’s incredible how Pokémon’s original 151 creatures have expanded to nearly 1000 unique Pokémon at this point. It’s far from necessary to capture as many Pokémon as possible and some trainers get by on a very select roster. Only a fraction of Gary’s Pokémon are shown in the anime, but it’s revealed that he’s captured more than 200 Pokémon with over 60 different species in the lot.

This total is during the earlier seasons of the anime, so it’s likely that this count also drastically increases. It exhibits a discipline with the creatures that Ash lacks with his Pokédex.

9 He Can Put His Trainer Days Behind For Other Pokémon Efforts

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

Gary and Ash both begin as Pokémon Trainers, which is a path that Ash remains on to this day. There’s nothing wrong with this focus, but Gary goes through an exciting change where he effectively retires as a trainer and takes up a life as a Pokémon researcher, much like his grandfather, Professor Oak.

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Gary studies under Professor Rowan in the Diamond and Pearl anime. He develops an expertise in Fossil Pokémon and he even helps resurrect an ancient Aerodactyl from Old Amber and helps preserve it for the future.

8 He Helps Ash’s Pokémon Evolve

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

There’s a friendly level of competition that exists between Gary and Ash, but there are several occasions where Gary actively helps Ash’s Pokémon, which is something that’s not exactly reciprocated.

It’s one thing for Gary to assist Ash’s Pokémon when in a battle, but during the Diamond and Pearl anime Gary goes out of his way to give Ash and his Gligar a Razor Fang. This ultimately leads to the evolution of Ash’s Sinnoh Pokémon into a Gliscor, which becomes an even larger asset for Ash in battle.

7 He Exhibits The Most Maturity And Emotional Growth

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

The characters in the Pokémon anime don’t physically age, but the series has gone on for so long that it’s easy to see how certain characters have changed over time. The degree of growth that Gary experiences outweighs what Ash goes through and it extends beyond just his Pokémon skills.

Gary is willing to work together with Ash when there’s a larger problem at stake, whereas Ash still hesitates over such an alliance. Gary understands that petty rivalries have a time and a place and it shows how far he’s come from the earlier days of mocking Ash through graffiti.

6 He Pushes His Pokémon To Their Final Evolutionary Forms

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

What makes Pokémon so interesting is that there are countless strategies on how to win in battle and be a successful trainer. Understanding the evolutionary process of different Pokémon can be the deciding factor in battle sometimes. Many of Ash’s Pokémon evolve, but it often feels like it’s through luck or coincidence.

Gary on the other hand has a roster of Pokémon that features many of their final evolved forms, like Nidoking, Golem, Blastoise, and Dodrio. It shows a calculated understanding of how to get the most out of his Pokémon.

5 He Learns And Improves From His Mistakes

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

When Pokémon begins Ash is definitely intimidated by Gary’s ability as a trainer, but as the series goes on there’s more of a balanced scale between the wins and losses that they share with one another. Gary beats Ash in some important battles, but Ash performs better during the big Pokémon tournaments.

However, Gary places in the Top 32 in the Indigo Plateau Conference and then ranks in the Silver Conference’s Top 16. He improves from these losses and learns from them rather than focus on the sting of defeat.

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4 He Strives For Beyond What’s Necessary

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

The Pokémon world is full of goals for trainers to accomplish, but it’s possible to succeed without doing everything that’s necessary. Some Pokémon trainers are able to skirt by as they do the bare minimum, but Gary is someone that always pushes himself to go beyond expectations. He wants to prove just how confident he is in his Pokémon skills.

Gary earns more Gym Badges than what’s necessary and he faces off against Viridian City’s Giovanni when it’s totally unnecessary. Gary gets humbled by Giovanni’s Mewtwo, but it’s still important that Gary pushes himself like this.

3 He’s Sage And Poetic

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

Since Ash is Pokémon’s main character it’s easy to get lost in his personality or perspective. Ash views Gary as a bully and a brute, so it’s hard to imagine the rival as a tender soul, but this is exactly what’s revealed in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. Ash’s new companion, Dawn, gets her first taste of Gary and she’s stunned by his poetic demeanor.

Dawn sees lots of Professor Oak in Gary and it’s one of the first times that the anime reflects Gary’s transition into a role that’s similar to his grandfather.

2 He Has The More Enviable Krabby

Pokémon 10 Times Gary Oak Was A Better Protagonist Than Ash

Krabby is a Pokémon that’s common to the Kanto region and it’s one of the first creatures to get captured by both Gary and Ash. Ash is still jealous of Gary at this point in the anime and so it strikes Ash’s pride when he learns that Gary’s Krabby is practically twice the size of his own.

Ash still gets tons of use out of his Krabby, but it does seem oddly appropriate that Gary’s catch is just more ideal. This may seem superficial, but it’s still an area that earns Gary serious bragging rights over Ash.

1 He Knows How To Cultivate A Public Persona

Gary and Ash have different strategies when it comes to their approach to Pokémon training, especially during the start of their journey. One major discrepancy between the two characters is that Gary has a major support team that roots for him and falls into a dark sadness over his losses. Ash has companions like Brock and Misty that join him on his adventures, but Gary literally has a team of cheerleaders that publicly throw adoration at him.

It’s not only a little intimidating to Ash, but it makes crowds think even more highly of Gary.

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/pokemon-gary-oak-better-protagonist-sh/

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