The Pokémon Anime always talks about how true power comes from friendships and how a Pokémon is worth more than just its raw power level. Or at least, that’s often the case, but Ash’s loss to Tobias upset the script, ruining one of the show’s defining lessons for kids.
Even more than games, anime has always emphasized the importance of befriending one’s Pokémon. That’s part of the reason why Ash never catches that many Pokémon; he can only have real relationships with so many people at once, so he usually ends up with a fairly small group of very loyal Pokémon in each region. Ash and Pikachu’s friendship has allowed them to get through some truly incredible situations, while Ash’s bond with his Greninja is so strong that the two can truly bond. position using the “Link Phenomenon” found only in the anime. Ash and his Pokémon’s shared desire to win is a powerful motivator that not all trainers have.
Ash’s defeat to Tobias’ legendary team destroys Pokémon’s greatest lesson
During the Lily of the Valley Conference, the major tournament of the Sinnoh region in the anime, Ash finds himself up against his regional rival, Paul. Paul hasn’t been nice to his Pokémon and regularly discards those that don’t fit his bar—that’s even how Ash got his Chimchar. This being their final battle, Ash finally comes out on top with Infernape’s help, proving his methods of raising Pokémon are superior and that friendships really matter. Ash then advances to the next round, where he is confronted by the mysterious Tobias. Tobias’ first Pokémon is Darkrai, and the second is Latios. While he presumably had six Pokémon, the remaining four were never seen, because he mopped the floor with Ash in the semi-final using only those two Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, then won the battle. won in finals and tournaments.
Tobias doesn’t have much of a personality description, so it’s hard to say if he treats his Pokémon well or not. Either way, he certainly doesn’t have a close relationship like Ash did with his Pokémon in Sinnoh. Having Ash defeat Paul with friendship, only to lose instantly to someone using what any casual fan of the series would consider a “strong Pokémon”, undermines the message. It leaves viewers with the feeling that a trainer’s relationship with their Pokémon will ultimately never be enough to bridge the gap between certain Pokémon’s strengths. While that’s good for maintaining the aura of rarity and power around Legendary Pokémon, it really proves that Paul, not Ash, was right. For the record, when Ash finally won the Alola tournament, that was when he was using Mythical Melmetal – which only seemed to further prove the Legend’s power.
Ash’s loss to Tobias undermined his victory over Paul
Fan Pokémon At the time, and even now, it can be quite bitter about Ash losing to Tobias, because it’s so unfair. Ash was in a good position to take it all, and his victory over Paul was an extremely satisfying bonus to a long storyline. However, there Tro lost to a character never seen again who basically “cheated” him using a team of Legends that went against everything Pokémon tried to teach its viewers.
