EeveeLv99 said:
I'm surprised though that they changed Lenora. People need to get over it. Look at Whimsicott, it has dark skin, semi-exclusive to Black version, it's abilities are Prankster and Infiltrator, and it is based on cotton. Is it racist? No, It's OU.
Yes, I agree that it is strange as to why they changed Lenora's design, but I want to point out two important concepts at play here. One is cultural significance. The way something or someone appears and is perceived here is not the same as elsewhere. This is not the first time Pokemon has been altered for other countries (Just look at Season 1, Beauty and the Beach & Safari Zone episodes, etc.).
But second and more importantly, this character, as WPM said, is the FIRST major black character in Pokemon. Brock has darker skin too, but may be viewed by audiences as more of an Asian character. I didn't see Whimsicott as you saw it, nor did I see Jynx as a problem, but Lenora is different because she is a person, and a gym leader too! The Japanese were only being sensitive in the depiction of another race. And because, like we said, she is one of the ONLY darker-skinned characters in a global franchise, her image must be dealt with carefully.
Also to be commended is Pokemon's choice in Iris as the main heroine in the show. She's the first girl of darker skin and not just from the same model as Misty, May and Dawn. I was pretty annoyed when people started picking on Iris based solely on her first released image. But it shows that Pokemon sees racial integration as something worth the risk of fan reaction. Now if the Pokemon games would allow us to pick a skin tone, that would really impress me and I'm sure, millions of fans worldwide.
P.S. If you're interested, here's an interesting interview that WPM did with former Pokemon director, Masamitsu Hidaka, that discusses the racial reason behind replacing Brock with Tracey during the Orange Islands Series. Just search for "Brock" and you will find it. I don't agree with their reasoning here, but I'm just glad they decided to bring Brock back! Thanks for reading!
http://pokebeach.com/2008/07/second-pokemon-interview-with-masamitsu-hidaka-many-interesting-points