Why Pokémon Chronicles Didn't Work (And How It Can Be Fixed)

Hello again everyone: I've been contemplating doing this for a while, and now I've finally worked out how. In the past, I've made a couple recaps on Pokémon Chronicles while detailing how it didn't pay off as an extension of the franchise. Now, with time having passed and much better spinoffs having seen release; it's time to finally examine in detail why Pokémon Chronicles didn't work, and explore how it can be fixed.

1. Haphazard characterization

On paper, the idea of focusing on different characters other than ones in the main series isn't inherently a bad one; as more recent spinoffs such as Origins, Generations and the Detective Pikachu movie have shown. Unfortunately, whether or not it's the Legend of Thunder or most of the subsequent episodes that followed; the way the characters were written effectively nullified that appeal. I've argued before that introducing another character isn't the same as establishing them; and that replacing one character with another doesn't always solve the problem; it can just as often create a different one. The solution is simple-if you're using existing characters; build on their existing and pre-established characterization instead of just jettisoning it. Conversely, if you're introducing new characters; make sure to establish them. Contrary to popular belief, they're not the same thing.

2. Inconsistent approach to the source material

This ties into the previous point: while taking some creative license isn't a deterrent in itself for an anime (both Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon vary significantly from their manga in many aspects), the resulting changes should still make your output able to be enjoyed on its own merit. I have argued this before, and it bears arguing again that this spinoff's inability to decide whether it wants to be its own thing or adhere to the already-established canon actually does more harm than good as a spinoff. People who want a standalone story aren't going to know what's going on, and people who want a different take on Pokémon aren't going to like the creative liberties taken with the source material. The solution here is twofold- if you want to make a standalone story set in the same fictional universe; you need to make sure it can accomplish that goal. Even though the Detective Pikachu followup is still in limbo (partly due to pandemic, partly due to WB changing up leadership), that still presents a great example: though it's tailor-made for fans like me, even if you never played the 3DS game; you could still understand that Tim's goal is to find out what happened to his dad and enjoy it as a neo-noir detective story. If you want to adhere to what the existing canon has done, you need to keep the details consistent. There's a reason why I cited "Training Daze" as the episode I disliked the most: even though Team Rocket may not be my favorite characters (that honor goes to the professors), I cannot defend how that episode handled them. It's telling that each subsequent depiction has gone back to the previously-established backstory (Jessie being an orphan in Foster care, James running away from his arranged marriage, Meowth being a stray in Hollywood).

3. Lackluster animation and production values

This is one of the more noticeable issues with Chronicles, but it always seemed like it was lacking in production value; and even looked worse than the main series in most given days. The Christmas specials were spared, largely due to already being made and repackaged for this spinoff; but for the most part; it looked more like one of the anime's imitators than part of the same fictional universe. Later spinoffs had the time and money to make their stories work; and were explicitly treated as distinct in the case of Origins; Generations and now Evolutions. Even the Strongest Mega Evolution, for all the issues I had with it; at least looked better than this. So, that solution is already in place.

4. Mishandling potentially good stories

Even in stories that had potential, the few ones I kind of liked and might consider reviewing in the near future have a litany of issues. There are times when the best ideas can be ruined by poor execution; with The Legend of Thunder not really dropping the ball so much as hurling it into the coach's windshield. I can understand that sometimes you have to take ideas as they come; but other times your script needs more rewrites. I've spent the last decade or so not posting anything until it's ready; but most of this spinoff feels like they submitted their first drafts as final drafts before punching out for the day. Sorry to any fans of this spinoff; but I don't consider whoever Misty might have dated to be as important to her character as how she earned her sisters' respect. Even if some details did become part of the main anime's canon (Misty's post as Cerulean gym leader; Brock's mother Lola returning after her absence); most of them are such a mess that I've argued that the details are apocryphal. I will address this more in the next couple points; but this is an issue I've had with Chronicles for ages.

5. A Horrendous English dub

I've never been one to engage in the whole "subbing VS dubbing" discourse. Short of using the subs to introduce myself to a new series or keep up with existing ones; I believe an English dub should be able to stand on its own. Like any adaptation, it's no good if it can't do that. Regrettably, this is one of those cases. It's the worst kind of dub that not only fails to be enjoyable on its own merit; but also exacerbates issues from the original JP dub. An associate of mine actually went to so far to compare it to the 4Kids One Piece of the Pokémon franchise- Harsh. Warranted to be sure, but the point still stands. Sadly, there's not much that can be done about that; and it's tellingly one of the few bits of content that hasn't been given a US DVD release or made available for download/streaming officially. This leads to my final point on why this didn't work; and how it can be fixed.

6. Mismanaging the premise 

All the reasons I cited can be tied into this last point about why this spinoff fundamentally did not work as an adaptation of Pokémon. While spinoffs focusing on different characters or aspects of the franchise are not a bad idea on paper; the execution of this one is like said paper being shredded and burned in a mix of kerosene and lighter fluid. When Misty has Gyarados as her ace in many of the games and other adaptations; I can't really suspend disbelief about her being scared about a mishap as an infant. I may like Ritchie and Casey fine; but I don't think those characters were the best options to focus on; nor to make a case for spinoffs focusing on other characters at all. For better recent examples, Generations and Evolutions found ways of keeping the player characters out of focus while letting ones like Cynthia, Green and the Kimono Girls advance the story. In particular, "The Scoop" deliberately kept it ambiguous whether or not it was Brendan or May in the spacesuit during the engagement with Rayquaza and Deoxys. In the Detective Pikachu movie, it was also consciously made ambiguous whether it was Ash or Red in the stadium cameo; with the credits referring to the role as "Male Pokémon Trainer." My favorite episode of Origins was the Giovanni segment, and I wouldn't object to a story about him in the vein of Joker or Cruella; with him as an antihero or outright villain protagonist. When the stories weren't being inconsistent, they were simply just a mess. They didn't feel like extensions of the fictional universe so much as being a square peg fitted into a round hole- with a sledgehammer. 

One key example I can give about a series that is good at making distinctive spinoffs to explore its fictional universe through a different lens is Star Wars. Both the Tartakovsky and Filoni versions of Clone Wars (as well as Rebels, Resistance and The Bad Batch) focused on the camaraderie of the heroes. Rogue One played more like a war movie than a space opera. Solo had elements of both a heist caper and a space western, with The Mandalorian going all in on the latter aspect. The Book of Boba Fett continued that concept while also having elements of a crime drama; and the Obi-Wan event series definitely looks to further bridge the gap between the dark times of Revenge of the Sith and the fantasy of the original trilogy. There's even the Visions anime anthology; which I intend to look at after I finish it.

My point is that if you're going to do a spinoff of this nature, you need to do more than just focus on other characters. You need to make your stories and production values the best quality they can be, to respect the material you've been given; and to be consistent with how you use the characters you do focus on. Instead of Misty's toddler troubles with Gyarados, I usually portray her with elements from Electric Tale of Pikachu in her character; with shades of Lara Croft in both personality and looks (the wetsuit in the EN release especially; given the more revealing JP one was partially due to the fact the artist previously drew adult manga stories. No, I am not making that up.). I'm skeptical about Journeys and the series a whole shifting focus to Goh; but I will state that I do like his character, and the upcoming Scarlet and Violet should have an interesting impact on what comes next. 

Though Chronicles may have been a failure, it doesn't mean the concept it was suggesting is beyond help. Maybe it failed so later stories such as Origins and Detective Pikachu could succeed. When I started this blog a decade ago, it wasn't just to complain about problems I had with certain stories- it was also to find solutions whenever possible. My suggestions aren't always the same as others (be way more likely and useful that Team Rocket is phased out rather than Ash); but I want to keep expanding on this topic. As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the original anime as of this Friday; I will review more material throughout the year, including my full reviews of the Sinnoh remakes and Pokémon Legends Arceus. I may even go into more detail about the points I mentioned in this post; I just need to figure out how I could approach that. I will see you all again soon, take care everyone.