jryan said:
very true.. but yet I never pictured Brock to have a Mudkip/Marshstomp, Ludicolo or Happiny. But I agree with you about the Happiny episode.
Yeah, but in a way, they made more sense than a Riolu would. Lotad was the runt of it's pack (or whatever you'd call a group of Lotad), and Brock helped it out. Lotad actually chose Brock instead of the other way around (As did Croagunk). The Mudkip was clearly more or less just the writers mixing it up, and giving all 3 main characters one of the starters. Ash got Treecko, May had Torchic, so the only thing left was Brock and Mudkip. Not to mention, Mudkip evolves into a part Ground-type, which fits well with Brock's Rock/Ground theme.
Happiny didn't make sense to me at first, but then if you think about it, Brock's always fawning over Nurse Joy (more than Jenny, as we see Joy more), he's always taking care of other Pokémon, and such. In a way, this makes Brock an equivalent to Nurse Joy, and so Happiny fits well with that.
InuMimi said:
I can see ash with a riolu considering he has a strong aura and can see it. but then again, if ash got one, he'd use it for a bit and then neglect it and it would never evolve/or it would evolve near the end of the last diamond/pearl season and we don't get to see lucario in action too much.
I don't think paul should get one. he'd abuse the poor thing until it evolved and then his lucario would be a real jerk. I don't like the idea of a mean lucario.
If Ash ever got a Riolu, he probably wouldn't so much neglect it as he wouldn't use it in battles as much as others. Then it'd probably evolve during some annoying battle where he has to prove how much he loves his Pokémon and blah blah blah. (I swear, I wish the show would grow up some and be a bit more intense..)
Now for Paul, however, I'm not sure. I think he'd be a good trainer for Riolu/Lucario. Just because Paul doesn't baby his Pokémon like Ash does doesn't mean he's a poor trainer. I actually prefer Paul's methods in the anime. It's true that if Riolu did evolve while under the possession of Paul, it would probably be rude like Paul, but that's just twice the greatness to me.
It's clear that Paul probably won't get one, simply due to it being a baby that evolves based on happiness. The only time we see happiness induced evolving Pokémon is when the trainer is some pathetic sap, which Paul is clearly not.