Pokemon: The Series or what I refer to as "Pokeani" is often a point of contention among Pokemon fans in general. It has its fans, but is also the main source of a lot of pot shots for the last 20+ years. The way it sometimes disregards the game's rules, the sheer amount of episodes, it's extremely formulatic in a way that will annoy anyone over the age of 5. Before side series like Origins existed, it was an insult how Pokemon's only animated adaption was...this. I actually knew someone in real life who actively disliked Pokemon because his only exposure was the anime!

If it wasn't obvious, I agree with a lot of the criticisms. There's a reason why I stopped following the anime 11 years ago, and have no intention of catching up. The filler is awful and abundant. The Johto seasons were 160 episodes - over 100 episodes of nothing... Sinnoh was 191 episodes, and the gaps in-between each the Gym battles was 31 episodes between Gardenia and Maylene and 52 episodes between Candice and Volkner. (And Sinnoh was a season I loved.) When I would rewatch arcs I missed, I had to use Bulbapedia's summaries to figure out which were worth watching. I also think the 4Kids dub is revered solely for nostalgia reasons (the TPCI voice actors weren't that bad), because similar dubs like Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, and Yu-Gi-Oh were considered unfair butchering. (I say this, but the dub canon is what I refer to. Hey, finding subs in the 00s was hard.)

But I also think the intensity of these criticisms are unfair. This is still a children's anime, and in the early-mid 00s I talked to one too many people in real life who thought that if anime in general has a more "mature" reputation than Western cartoons (not true anymore with the rise of adult animation), then Pokemon should be too. But maybe the issue is that maybe Pokeani isn't for you. If you're expecting it to be similar to a Shounen or "real" anime, it's not for you. It's a different canon to the manga and games, Ash and Red are two different characters. That's arguably why a soft reset is done on Ash every few seasons; I disagree with it, but while it's natural there's going to be viewers who followed it since day one, not everyone started with Kanto/RBY as their first region. I think the anime peaked during Hoenn, and Sinnoh was an improved version of its formula. Some of its interpretations of game characters or events were creative, and the contest arcs had a decent amount of character depth and good interactions.

I spent a lot of my tween and teen years watching the original season up to Sinnoh, and I do consider it a big hallmark of my adolescence. Ultimately, Pokeani is something I think about positively. If only there was some kind of Pokeani Kai or an episode guide of which episodes are straight to the point...oh well. (If this does exist, please tell me!) But even if I dislike filler, not all of it was bad. I watched a lot of reruns frequently, and I find a lot of the one-off Characters of the Day (CoTD) across the seasons I watched memorable. Let me tell you about them.

_{Note: Characters who appear in more than one episode are counted in this. Even if they aren't "CoTDs" by definition, they're still incredibly minor in the grand scheme of things.}

Wendy

• Who are they?: Human Resources at Team Rocket
• What episode(s)?: Dues and Don'ts (EP231)
• Why are they memorable?:
  I'm going to start this off with the fact that I fucking hate the Johto seasons. And I'm not the only one. I initially chalked this opinion up to being a "me problem" - Johto aired during a shitty time in my childhood, and I just didn't care to sit through it. How could that have happened when the games are good? It's mostly filler and the routine of getting all 8 badges takes twice as many episodes as Kanto. The GS Ball subplot never had a resolution. Brock and Misty become more one-note, and - bless Team Rocket - they really tried to make up for this with their antics, but it didn't. It's even more formulatic than normal; Ash meets CoTD, Brock drops spaghetti, Team Rocket does the usual. Reading opinions online tell me Master Quest was a lot better, but I just wasn't invested in it to care.

  I do like some episodes, and on the subject of CoTDs Wendy was the second or third who came to mind. Dues and Don'ts is a run-of-the-mill episode that highlights everything I hate about Johto. It's fucked up how even Team Rocket manages to be annoying when they're the characters with the most depth in Pokeani. Unintentionally, that depth is explored in this otherwise shitty episode. Wendy and Jessie knew each other as recruits, and has a petty grudge to this day over how Jessie never paid her back for a smoothie. By the end of the episode, Wendy gets paid back, but Jessie doesn't remember this incident. She doesn't even like fruit smoothies!

  ...Hey, I thought it had potential to be funny. Poor Wendy, she should've been in an episode (or season) that's actually good.

Temacu

• Who are they?: Lovesick daughter of a Pokemon researcher
• What episode(s)?: The Heartbreak of Brock (EP198)
• Why are they memorable?:
  Brock has a reputation of being a complete loser when it came to girls. Which is weird if you think about it - there's plenty about him to like. He's not particularly bad looking or unlikable, he's a great Pokemon Breeder, a good cook, and basically raised his siblings by himself! Not to armchair analyze, but I wonder if having two deadbeat parents is why Brock is so prone to dropping spaghetti any time he sees a 6/10 girl. There are a few exceptions to this, though. Lucy finds him cute, and there's a mutual interest with Holly until they went separate ways. Temacu is an interesting case because she becomes infatuated with Brock immediately after meeting him, she drops spaghetti and starts talking about marriage. But he is rightfully weirded out by it!

  "How's it feel, Brock? After chasing after so many girls for so long, you finally have a girl whose chasing after you for a change." Misty remarks. Haha, very true! (I always wondered if Misty was jealous when she did the ear-pulling bit every episode.) Seeing Brock get a taste of his own medicine is cathartic to watch, even though he doesn't learn his lesson... Misty projects a bit and tries to convince Brock that Temacu is his only chance for love, even though he's REALLY not interested! "She's your only hope! Force yourself to like her!" - Jesus fucking Christ Misty, keep your femcel-ass advice to yourself...

  But wait...as expected, Team Rocket comes in to steal Pokemon and a battle ensues. Instead of getting some Pokemon, Temacu is accidentally kidnapped instead. Temacu ends up becoming infautated with James immediately afterward. Wait, what's going on? "Maybe you can be my new fiancée!" Cue a PTSD flashback of the sadistic dominatrix James' horrible parents wanted him to marry. The guy really can't catch a break... But they play along because if James "marries" Temacu, he gets easy access to her father's Pokemon. Jessie and James (in a paper-thin disguise, as usual) meet Temacu's father and claim that they saved her from Team Rocket to win brownie points.

  However, Misty catches on and its quickly revealed that Temacu's charming "fiancée" and "maid of honor" really is Team Rocket. At the end of the episode, Temacu's father reveals that they attended a family member's wedding recently, and she's been obsessed with getting married ever since. By then, Brock changes his mind and confesses that he finally feels the same way - Except now Temacu is in love with her doctor, who immediately accepts her proposal.

  Now THIS is a funny Johto episode!

Kelly

• Who are they?: Coordinator, daughter of Lilycove's Pokeblock store owner
• What episode(s)?: Pokeblock, Stock, and Berry (EP364) and Lessons in Lilycove (EP365)
• Why are they memorable?:
  Kelly is the reason I extended this page to characters who technically appear in more than one episode. I will never not praise how contests are handled in Pokeani - I always found them something to do when I was bored in the game, but in the anime it was where some of the best and most memorable anime-exclusive major characters (Drew, Soledad, Harley, Zoey, Ursula, etc.) came from.

  To be frank, Kelly is mostly memorable to me because she was the second half of an incredibly hipster ship I had as a teenager. I mentioned Contestshipping before, and it is the most popular and obvious option for May. But uh, I wasn't about that het nonsense. Minamoshipping (yes, I'm namedropping it so search engines can pick up a result that isn't a forum discussion from 2005) was my personal underdog. There was a miniscule amount of fanart on Japanese fansites, and some not-too-great English fics. I have patrician taste, as always. It wasn't meant to be (in fanon) though... If you wanted to pair May with a girl, she had more screen time and positive interactions with Misty and Dawn. (Misty is probably straight though, if you ask me...) But maybe I want to make my life difficult and ship a major character with a minor one! Ever thought of that?

  _{Possible unpopular opinion: I thought the method to make Pokeblocks in the game was much more fun than Poffins. Boo, fuck Poffins. This episode was also a cute introduction to them in the Pokeani-verse.}

Tokin

• Who are they?: Some kid's kleptomaniac Linoone
• What episode(s)?: Showdown at Linoone (EP386)
• Why are they memorable?:
  To be frank, I don't find this episode memorable in itself. This one-off Pokemon sticks out to me because back when I lurked forums (without partcipating... smart move, I know), I found a user who claimed his boyfriend was a Linoone named Tokin. Hey, I'm not going to judge. Whether its a human/human couple, a Pokemon/Pokemon couple, a human/Pokemon couple, or real life human and the Pokemon tulpa in his head... Love is love, I see no difference. It's just a very niche and specific character, honestly...
  

  I decided to rewatch this episode just to see if I had anything specific to say about Tokin. No, not really. This episode is "harmless" filler, it's not terrible but you won't miss anything by skipping it. I guess it is an interesting attempt at trying to adapt Pokemon abilities in the anime canon; Tokin's Pickup ability is the whole point of this episode, since he stole one of May's Pokeballs.

  I guess he steals hearts, too!

  

Brodie

• Who are they?: Team Magma grunt, "Man With a Thousand Faces", "Phantom Thief"
• What episode(s)?: Unfair Weather Friends (EP357) and The Ribbon Cup Caper (EP393)
• Why are they memorable?:
  An artist I idolized had a self-insert Magma grunt OC and shipped her with him. I initially thought he was an OC (can you blame me?), but it turns out this really is a canon character! I can't find the fanart anymore, but this artist later on moved on to liking Brandon and Paul. (Has a type, clearly...) Damn, poor Brodie... Ditched for characters who have more screen time.

  I never cared for Team Magma and Aqua. I liked RSE for the Pokemon and the game itself, and the anime seasons for the newly-introduced contest arcs. The villains are arguably the most mid next to Team Flare. I always thought Brodie's design and role in Team Magma was a bit too unique to be designated to CoTD, maybe he would've been better off as a game NPC... Having a Ditto for a partner Pokemon was pretty cool, and it suits him too - Brodie is known as "The Man With A Thousand Faces", to the point he spent his entire debut episode disguised as a female employee at the Weather Institute (the beginning subtly implied something was up when Brock had no interest in 'her'). He also flies off on a jet pack at the end. Get this guy his own side series!

  In Brodie's second appearance, Officer Jenny informs the twerps that after Team Magma and Aqua dissolved, Brodie has become a Phantom Thief. Damn, we got an untold behind-the-scenes story here! I actually appreciate how we get to see the life of a former grunt. This episode was pretty decent too, we follow the twerps and Officer Jenny try to play detective and get the Ribbon Cup back by trying to scope out who/what Brodie has disguised himself as next. Brodie had the makings of a great recurring minor villain, but of course we don't see him again after he hands over the Ribbon Cup...only for Team Rocket to steal it. Maybe Brodie should've just joined Giovanni instead.

  For a short time when I was 17, I tried to play the Sims with recreated Pokemon characters. Brodie lived in the same neighborhood as Kris, Lyra, Silver and Red, Green/Blue, and Leaf, but I can't tell you what went on with that because my save file was randomly wiped. His AU life lasted just as long as his life in canon...

Hunter J

• Who are they?: Pokemon Bounty Hunter
• What episode(s)?: Mutiny in the Bounty! (EP486), A Secret Sphere of Influence! (EP502), Ill-Will Hunting! (EP511), Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Part 1 (EP537), Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Part 2 (EP538), Pillars of Friendship! (EP595), Unlocking the Red Chain of Events! (EP616), The Needs of the Three! (EP617)
• Why are they memorable?:
  Woah! This is the most recurring character on this list - Now you know this is someone special. That's one of the many reasons why Sinnoh is so great. (Hey, it's my website and I can be as biased as I want.)

  Admittedly, I'm not as big on villains as I used to be. But J is cool, and deserved to appear as often as she did (8 episodes is both nothing and a lot in Pokeani standards). J is a ruthless Pokemon Bounty Hunter with no regard for life, not even her henchmen. Her first appearance is one hell of an entrance - she flies in on a Salamence, binds a CoTD with her Ariados' web, and petrifies said CoTD's Gardevoir to take with her. Yep, that's her thing, she can turn Pokemon in literal trophies and proceedes to do this to Ash's Pikachu. Later on in the series, J appears again to capture a Riolu and Regigigas (both fail, and the client for the latter bails). J also was enlisted by Cyrus of Team Galactic. She drops a bomb in Lake Valor and captures the Lake Trio.

  J was just too badass for this continuity. Why? Because she straight up fucking dies in her last appearance. No, not on screen...this is Pokeani, remember. You have to show, not tell. And Pokeani's way of showing one of the most evil villains never appearing again is having her airship shot down by Mesprit's Future Sight, falling into a lake, and exploding. Holy shit!!! No kill like overkill.

  Hunter J serves the role I wish Brodie got to have in Hoenn. She also would've made a fantastic gameverse character - it's almost an insult that she's not. I'm surprised she's not considered a Fandom Sexywoman. (She's someone's type.)

Lila

• Who are they?: Retired Coordinator, Poke Stylist, Johanna's rival
• What episode(s)?: Battling the Generation Gap! (EP561)
• Why are they memorable?:
  I'm a twerp apologist, but as I got older I always wondered about the lives of the adult characters. (Team Rocket are apparently 25 in the sub, but they sure don't act it...) The focus of most of the main series is on 10-13 year olds, so adults are usually either parents, professors, gym leaders, elites, friendly rivals, villains, etc. Which is fine, but even if I don't expect Game Freak to shift gears to focus on their periphery demographic, the fact that I outgrew the protagonists in the games was on the list of reasons why I slowly lost interest.

  This episode became one of my favorites the moment I watched it for this reason. It was an interesting peak into Johanna's youth to find out about her past rival and learn about both of them. We already know that Dawn wants to be a coordinator to follow Johanna's footsteps (she won the Ribbon Cup and Grand Festival after all), but here we find out her winning streak was broken by Lila 20 years ago. Lila is also a former coordinator, but her battle with Johanna made her wonder if contests was what she really wanted to do... She later was offered to study abroad (yep, at 10 - this is the world of autistic savants and child prodigies, after all) to become a Poke Stylist, and now has a shop in Celestic Town.

  Another thing I inferred is that having children too young seems to be a problem across all Pokemon regions. It's noted that this is Lila's "first contest appearance in 20 years", making her and Johanna around 30 now. Meaning Johanna had Dawn when she was 20... And like Delia, there's no father in sight. Meanwhile, her friend Lila still has a career and no deadbeat husband or kids to prematurely kick out of the house. Just like real life...

Angie

• Who are they?: Ash's rival at the Summer Academy, caretaker at the Solaceon Daycare
• What episode(s)?: Camping It Up! (EP554), Up Close and Personable! (EP555), Ghoul Daze! (EP556), One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team! (EP557), If the Scarf Fits, Wear It! (EP564)
• Why are they memorable?:
  I already mentioned Angie the first time I wrote something about Pokeani. Angie is in a similar camp to Kelly - not a CoTD, but her only appearance was in the Pokemon Summer Academy arc and one other episode later. This arc caught me by surprise when I watched it via reruns because of how much I enjoyed it - I feel the exact same way after rewatching it. It's an example of what I consider to be Pokeani at its best. Yeah, the Summer Academy is an anime-exclusive location so it can be considered filler, but I enjoyed the character interactions and various antics.

  Angie's first interaction with Ash starts on the wrong foot - Professor Rowan wants all the students to use a rental Pokemon, but they both reach for the same Pokeball. "There's nothing ruder than a guy who ignores 'ladies first'!" "Wait... You mean to tell me you're a girl?" Smooth move, Ashy boy... We later find out that Angie hasn't started her journey yet because her parents work at a daycare that's constantly busy. They spend a lot of time together during the arc, and Angie develops a crush on Ash after he saves her from the ghost girl in Ghoul Daze.

  And honestly? I think they would've made a good match. They're similiar enough to get along (Ash has a one-track mind...), and Angie was competitive enough to give Ash a challenge. I liked their banter and how their rivalry developed over the four episodes. Even Angie's parents know and tease the prospect! But it sadly wasn't meant to be... Not only is Ash an oblivious dunce, but Angie never appeared after she was left in charge of her parent's daycare.

Holly

• Who are they?: Brock's partner in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition
• What episode(s)?: Tag! We're It...! (EP516), Glory Blaze! (EP517), Smells Like Team Spirit! (EP518)
• Why are they memorable?:
  Hey, another short arc character! I mentioned Holly earlier, but I wanted to order this by region so I didn't touch on her until much later. (I realize most of them are Sinnoh, in hindsight...) Despite Brock being a serial spaghetti dropper, there were some exceptions to that rule. The story between him and Holly is an interesting one, IMO...

  The twerps decide to join the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition. Brock's number gets matched up with Holly, and is predictably infatuated. Holly immediately turns him down, because she's "just not interested in younger men" (how old is Holly? I'm going to assume 16-17 so this won't be weird...). Later on in the episode, Holly is so impressed with Brock's technique with his Sudowoodo during the tag battle... hm. In the second episode, Brock hits on the city's Nurse Joy, while Holly watches disapprovingly. She later notices Brock was volunteering to help Nurse Joy when the Pokecenter was busy...he wasn't just flirting! Glory Blaze! also takes place during Paul's asshole era, so Holly also witnesses Brock lecture Paul about his harsh treatment towards Chimchar.

  You guessed it: Holly changes her tune by the end of this mini-arc. But she ends up losing against Ash and Paul. We find out from Nurse Joy that Holly was so upset about losing, she left so she could train to be the tag team partner Brock deserves. Brock finally had a chance for something mutual...but it was ruined. Dating in the Pokemon world must suck. You meet the perfect person organically, only for them to disappear the next day. The twerps don't appear to use Poke-smartphones or consistent internet access, so I'm sure if Holly posted a missed connections personal it would just get lost in the void. Damn. I feel bad for both of them. This is totally a worth a fix-it fic...but not by me.

And there you have it. I might go back and add more some other time, but my biases are clear (Johto sucks, Sinnoh rules) and I enjoyed going back to rewatch choice episodes for this.