Astonishing Pokémon Contests Reveal Ash's Unforgettable Partners Beyond Brock and Misty

Pokémon Misty and Brock, popular companions in the anime alongside Ash, did not have many opportunities to develop as characters. However, later companions of Ash managed to avoid this fate due to the introduction of Pokémon Contests in the franchise.

Pokémon Contests were first introduced in Ruby and Sapphire as an alternative to the main gameplay of battling for badges. These contests provided a non-combat way of evaluating a Pokémon's skills, which attracted many potential players. While players still had to battle for badges to progress through the story, the contest mechanic had a surprising amount of complexity, and collecting ribbons from contests became a significant aspect for fans. As a result, the anime placed a strong emphasis on this new mechanic.

May and Dawn Shine As Pokémon Coordinators

In the anime, May (and later Dawn) took on the role of exploring the world of Pokémon Contests. This decision made sense as she was a new character and needed to have her own goal. Misty aimed to become a "Water-Type Master," and Brock dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Breeder, but these aspirations were vague. It was challenging to depict their progress towards their goals, whereas Ash consistently earned badges as a representation of his advancement. On the other hand, Pokémon Contests and the ribbons they awarded served as a fantastic counterpart to Ash's badges and battles. Additionally, the trainers, known as Coordinators in the anime, would dress up with their Pokémon, providing an opportunity for the new characters to try on special outfits.

This focus on progress was significant for the character development of May and Dawn. Furthermore, they each had their own rivals and counterparts, similar to Ash. Suddenly, these characters could carry not only an episode but also entire story arcs dedicated to their personal goals, something that Misty and Brock were unable to do. The contests also promoted training by encouraging showy moves and coordinated routines, giving the characters something to focus on even when a contest was not taking place. Moreover, participating in contests did not hinder their pursuit of collecting badges.

The End of Pokémon Contests

Regrettably, Contests were eliminated from the Black and White games, being replaced by a "musical" mechanic that many fans considered inferior. Consequently, Ash's subsequent female companion, the future Pokémon Champion Iris, was tasked with becoming a master of Dragon-type Pokémon, which didn't quite pan out for her and her character development. Contests only recently made a comeback in the games, with notable modifications, in the remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. However, they never played a significant role in the anime again.

Regardless of personal opinions on Contests in the games, their inclusion greatly enhanced the Pokémon anime, making May and Dawn the most captivating companions Ash ever had.