Prematurely evolving a Pokémon leads to an unstable foundation, making it difficult to grow later.
This analysis was made by Gary, who, in the absence of the elder sister, was positioned as the reliable male mother of the team.
This setting is quite interesting, although it seems to have been abandoned after the first episode.
The later seasons of the original anime did not mention this setting at all.
However, Su Yi Huan personally believes that this is one of the few reliable settings in the first season.
Isn't the most typical example just Charizard?
Thinking back now, after Charmander evolved into Charmeleon, according to the timeline given in the anime.
It probably didn't even take half a month to evolve into Charizard.
Evolving into Charmeleon at level 16, then you evolve into Charizard at level 18, right?
This evolution speed is probably second only to Momo-nosuke, who evolved from a useless person to Kaido-level in a single night.
There are similar settings in the games as well.
Some Pokémon need to learn certain moves in their pre-evolution form.
In his previous life, Su Yi Huan caught a Growlithe and eagerly evolved it into Arcanine using a Fire Stone.
Then he discovered that this Arcanine couldn't learn new skills.
After checking, he found out.
Growth moves can only be learned by Growlithe!
…
In order to defeat Lieutenant Surge, Ash embarked on his first training session.
Gary noticed that Lieutenant Surge's Raichu's weakness was its unstable lower body, so he had Pikachu focus on training speed.
At the same time, Pikachu's Thunderbolt move was no longer powerful enough.
It had to master a stronger move—Thunder!
Well, in the original anime, Pikachu learned it while fighting Gary.
It's been dragged out by Su Yi Huan until now.
No way, after all, it's a mid-to-high-level move in the game.
Wouldn't it be a bit too much to learn it in the first gym?
With Gary's help, Pikachu successfully learned Quick Attack and Thunder.
Finally, it had the capital to fight Raichu.
"Still that baby look? You're completely clueless!"
The camera switched, and Ash and Pikachu had just entered the militaristic-looking Viridian Gym when they were once again teased and ridiculed by Wu Zhan Lang, who played Lieutenant Surge.
“Pfft～”
Xu Dong Dong looked at Su Yi Huan in confusion.
She thought this gangster actor was acting well, she didn't understand why Su Yi Huan couldn't help but laugh when he appeared.
Sigh, forget it.
Let's continue taking care of Squirtle.
…
After Pikachu learned Quick Attack, Raichu clearly couldn't keep up with its speed.
Under the enhanced special effects of Pikachu, it looked particularly heavy.
In the screen, the Wu Zhan Lang version of Lieutenant Surge gritted his teeth.
"Use Thunder!"
Lieutenant Surge, who was gradually becoming anxious, chose to use a large-scale move to launch a indiscriminate bombing.
"Go! Pikachu!"
Although Thunder has good power and attack range, it doesn't reach the level of a legendary Pokémon's carpet bombing.
Pikachu, with silver light coating its body, raced across the field, with lightning chasing after it like a ghost.
But it just couldn't hit!
Suddenly, Pikachu's short legs bent, changing direction and attacking Raichu.
"Raichu!?"
Raichu was caught off guard and was knocked away.
"Thunder!"
Ash excitedly shouted this move, which would become Pikachu's signature move in the future.
"Pika—chu!!!"
The shining electric light illuminated the entire venue.
"Oh oh oh—"
In the current era, at least in China, no one could match its visual effects. Coupled with the passionate BGM.
It made the countless teenagers in front of their home TVs feel incredibly passionate, their mouths forming a large "O".
In the end, Ash won his first ever gym challenge victory in a direct confrontation.
Lieutenant Surge also admitted that he had rushed things a bit.
Although he had received information from Joy.
Raichu was a Pikachu recently captured and evolved by Lieutenant Surge.
The five words "recently captured" were enough to show that Lieutenant Surge had not sent out his core combat power.
But so what?
Ash's growth was seen by the audience.
Especially many children who are about the same age as Ash.
They could all feel that, even though they couldn't compete with the gym leaders, who were the heads of their respective cities.
But the gap was indeed shrinking.
Most of the audience don't actually dislike the protagonists who start off ordinary, the key is that you do actually show some growth.
Some novel protagonists have been around for several chapters and haven't shown the readers any growth, they're still just a senior sister's simp.
…
Leaving Viridian City, Ash and his companions were going to take the luxurious cruise ship St. Anne to the next city.
However, at the end of this episode, the camera focused on the waiters.
Underneath the unremarkable waiter uniform, a letter mark was faintly visible—
R!
Many viewers’ expressions changed slightly.
They were certainly familiar with this letter from watching all this time.
The mark of Team Rocket!