Thread: How do you think Togepi would have been handled if Ash raised it instead?

I think it would have evolved quickly and received 80% less screentime. It probably would have gotten stronger faster but Togepi is a Pokemon that is cutest as a baby so I don't think it would have worked out in Ash's team. He wouldn't have given the time and care to it that Misty could and did.

Well, it would have been less annoying and would have done more than sit around and look cute...

I'm sorry, but all I'm getting from what people are saying is that Ash is a battle-hungry, forcing Pokemon to battle type of guy. I'm not sure when he got Paul syndrome and I'm not sure when we started to enter such an era where guys can't be motherly. Apparently, Ash isn't in touch with his feminine side or his maternal side enough to have ever cared for Pokemon or to have cross-dressed. The writers could do a bit if Ash were to have Togepi. Not in the ways that you guys would like, but it is plausible. No one mentioned in late Johto when Ash obtained a Larvitar egg. He was against Larvitar battling at different points in the episodes where Larvitar was showcased. There is no real definition of cute and as it is, isn't anything baby deciphered just as that? Sounds rather short-minded to assume that Togepi is a baby, it is cute, Ash will be horrible to it, and Misty is a female with motherly tendencies (...there's no way to teach people to parent, but it's in our behavior).

Ash keeping Togepi in a ball? Looking at it in a different perspectives: Ash is a ten year old who is on a journey with dangerous people (Team Rocket), dangerous Pokemon, and dangerous traveling. Remember when he was caved in snow? During the special where he had gone ahead and kept his Pokemon in Pokeballs because he knew they could at least keep safe in there? Misty hardly has Togepi in a Pokeball and Togepi usually gets caught into some sort of danger. So, it's OK to expose Togepi when it will be better kept in a Pokeball than to have Ash who apparently isn't motherly enough to handle Togepi? Part of being a trainer is to experience different Pokemon and having Togepi would have helped Ash develop in different areas. No, he wouldn't be all that great, but then again, we are talking about a 10 year old boy who is expected to automatically mature.

Back into reference with Larvitar, Ash never forced him to battle unless he wanted to. Larvitar battled only when he needed to and so did Togepi. That was their purpose. If Ash was going to battle a gym leader then he wouldn't always throw out his new, fresh Pokemon. He gave time and consideration (hard to believe, right?). I mean, look at Gliscor. During his pre-evolution, Ash didn't have him battle immediately. Instead, he had Gligar watch his battles and only sometimes battle other Pokemon. But that was when and if Gligar wanted to. Ash wouldn't force Togepi into battle if Togepi didn't want to. Then again, Pokemon are meant to battle (that's the objective, isn't it?), but Ash would respect which ways is done best for his Pokemon. Sure, he didn't notice at first that Aipom would do better in contests than battles. That's part of growing up - other people are around to suggest/criticize. So, he traded Aipom (contest battle-orientated) with Buizel (more regular battle-orientated).

Here are the possibilities that I've chosen:
- Ash gives Togepi to someone better suited
- Togepi helps out with his team and is a fellow teammate (getting help/advice from Brock/Misty (though, Misty didn't act so motherly about Ash and thought he wasn't handling Larvitar right))
- Ash proves to Paul that friendship is key and KOs Paul's Pokemon with Togepi since Togepi requires a good amount of friendship/happiness to grow/evolve. Most likely with low levels of frustration and/or high levels of return. (<- This is just for LOLs)
- Ash has Togepi just for the sake of continuing franchise.

Seriously though, Ash isn't a battle-hungry, money-greedy, beat-up-pokemon-in-battles type of guy.
Despite what certain people would make you think.
In fact, if he was that way, Togepi would soften his heart. <3
Maybe.
There could be a splatter of blood involved.

Originally Posted by EmmySCx

I'm sorry, but all I'm getting from what people are saying is that Ash is a battle-hungry, forcing Pokemon to battle type of guy. I'm not sure when he got Paul syndrome and I'm not sure when we started to enter such an era where guys can't be motherly. Apparently, Ash isn't in touch with his feminine side or his maternal side enough to have ever cared for Pokemon or to have cross-dressed. The writers could do a bit if Ash were to have Togepi. Not in the ways that you guys would like, but it is plausible. No one mentioned in late Johto when Ash obtained a Larvitar egg. He was against Larvitar battling at different points in the episodes where Larvitar was showcased. There is no real definition of cute and as it is, isn't anything baby deciphered just as that? Sounds rather short-minded to assume that Togepi is a baby, it is cute, Ash will be horrible to it, and Misty is a female with motherly tendencies (...there's no way to teach people to parent, but it's in our behavior).

Ash keeping Togepi in a ball? Looking at it in a different perspectives: Ash is a ten year old who is on a journey with dangerous people (Team Rocket), dangerous Pokemon, and dangerous traveling. Remember when he was caved in snow? During the special where he had gone ahead and kept his Pokemon in Pokeballs because he knew they could at least keep safe in there? Misty hardly has Togepi in a Pokeball and Togepi usually gets caught into some sort of danger. So, it's OK to expose Togepi when it will be better kept in a Pokeball than to have Ash who apparently isn't motherly enough to handle Togepi? Part of being a trainer is to experience different Pokemon and having Togepi would have helped Ash develop in different areas. No, he wouldn't be all that great, but then again, we are talking about a 10 year old boy who is expected to automatically mature.

Back into reference with Larvitar, Ash never forced him to battle unless he wanted to. Larvitar battled only when he needed to and so did Togepi. That was their purpose. If Ash was going to battle a gym leader then he wouldn't always throw out his new, fresh Pokemon. He gave time and consideration (hard to believe, right?). I mean, look at Gliscor. During his pre-evolution, Ash didn't have him battle immediately. Instead, he had Gligar watch his battles and only sometimes battle other Pokemon. But that was when and if Gligar wanted to. Ash wouldn't force Togepi into battle if Togepi didn't want to. Then again, Pokemon are meant to battle (that's the objective, isn't it?), but Ash would respect which ways is done best for his Pokemon. Sure, he didn't notice at first that Aipom would do better in contests than battles. That's part of growing up - other people are around to suggest/criticize. So, he traded Aipom (contest battle-orientated) with Buizel (more regular battle-orientated).

Here are the possibilities that I've chosen:
- Ash gives Togepi to someone better suited
- Togepi helps out with his team and is a fellow teammate (getting help/advice from Brock/Misty (though, Misty didn't act so motherly about Ash and thought he wasn't handling Larvitar right))
- Ash proves to Paul that friendship is key and KOs Paul's Pokemon with Togepi since Togepi requires a good amount of friendship/happiness to grow/evolve. Most likely with low levels of frustration and/or high levels of return. (<- This is just for LOLs)
- Ash has Togepi just for the sake of continuing franchise.

Seriously though, Ash isn't a battle-hungry, money-greedy, beat-up-pokemon-in-battles type of guy.
Despite what certain people would make you think.
In fact, if he was that way, Togepi would soften his heart. <3
Maybe.
There could be a splatter of blood involved.

Very good points, to be honest I've never really thought about how Togepi would have turned out under Ash's care. IMO 2 things may have happened; Togepi would forever be in Stage 1 for promotional reasons like most of Ash's team or it would have been a good battler given time to grow and develop.

Seriously, I never did like Togepi mainly because Misty never did anything with it, to me she was a mother like figure I can't like but just carrying it around all of the time and occasionally trying to teach it an attack (even Brock points out in one episode that Togepi should at least know some moves by now...thinking back it may have been Tracy that pointed that out I forget).

Its one of that "what might have been" cases with this Pokemon, as a kid I was ticked that Misty got it since Ash did find it, Brock taking care of it seemed to be the right choice I mean seriously back in Kanto, Ash was one of the last people I'd expect to take care of an egg carrying a Pokemon correctly.

Togepi was Misty's reason for existence after OI. By the time Johto came around she was only staying because the writers had no new pokegirl to promote so she held togepi. Besides from a couple of throway fillers and psyduck DEMing his way past kingler in the whirl cup Misty was completely replaceable in Johto. So yeah if Ash got Togepi Misty would have become DP brock only with a temper.

I pretty much agree with those who are of opinion how Togepi should have evolved in Johto. It would give Misty another battle ready pokemon, and make it more useful fitting with promotion of second generation. Although from marketing standpoint i can understand writers hesitation, being often against evolving mascots since they deem them as "more cute and marketable" to fulfill purpose of bringing more customers toward it.

I still really can't picture Ash with Togepi at all, starting to pamper it becoming father type of character. Togepi appeared somewhere in middle of Kanto when Ash was all hotblooded often arguing with others, and having usually very little patience toward anything. We can see that with disagreements with Pikachu or Charizard example not knowing to eavesdrop ,and not really showing predispositions to be type of person which is willing to invest lot of effort and time in taking care of baby pokemon which just got hatched.

Something which is required for Togepi development since it evolves through happiness, with Misty being more patient and strong willed than Ash really was. Which payed of in end evolving in strong Togetic becoming very attached to each other.

Some may say it was stereotypical from writers side to play usual card of babies being under mother wing, but character personality also played big role in it. And from start as Horsea example showed, Misty knew how to take care of fragile small pokemon, giving them time they necessitate.

We also need to keep in mind how Ash already had Pikachu as mascot which is kept outside the ball, and carrying around two pokemon which are 90% of time outside the ball wouldn't be only silly but highly impractical too.
There is no way writers would keep Togepi in pokeball if it went to Ash, defeating its purpose of foreshadowing Gold and Silver and becoming active mascot during second gen.

As for being more engaged into battles? Maybe it would be,maybe it wouldn't. Misty tried to teach Togepi to battle but all attempts ended up futile, with egg pokemon simply being way too small and fragile to be of much use in full fledged battles.
Writers back than generally weren't particularly good at handling pokemon babies properly. I don't need to mention poor Phanphy who didn't got nearly enough focus and development in Johto, having to look for his chance in Battle Frontier to get redemption when writing improved already.

So i still think Togepi going to Misty was best choice, regardless of poor treatment it got.

Originally Posted by pokemonsquared

Togepi was Misty's reason for existence after OI. By the time Johto came around she was only staying because the writers had no new pokegirl to promote so she held togepi. Besides from a couple of throway fillers and psyduck DEMing his way past kingler in the whirl cup Misty was completely replaceable in Johto. So yeah if Ash got Togepi Misty would have become DP brock only with a temper.

Except Misty received the most development in Johto out of all sagas she was in. She battled more, had more focus episodes, pokemon team got enriched with new evolutions and captures along with water master career starting to be taken somewhere. She also still helped Ash along with Brock serving as mentor(though much less compared to Kanto)and provided humor, tension and moral support injecting most chemistry among cast.

So i fail to see how her purpose in Johto was just to "hold Togepi" .

p.s. Lack of new girl wasn't reason behind stay either, because Misty was originally intended to stay permanently in main cast, until ratings dropped when fad started to die out in mid Johto. Resulting in mr. Shudo(rest in peace) deciding to add some change at said character expense.