Misty is one of the most recognisable characters in the Pokémonfranchise. She was Ash Ketchum's first companion in the anime, and one of the first Gym leaders you will battle in the video games. Misty wasn't some damsel in distress who needed saving every other episode, Misty could take care of herself, and she never took grief off of Ash or Team Rocket. Misty was also a skilledPokémon trainer, and she never let her friends down.
Having a strong female protagonist is a testament to how thePokémonfranchise was made to appeal to both boys and girls. BeforePokémon, kids TV shows (and more importantly, the toys they were made to promote) were split down gender lines. WithPokémon,the series could be enjoyed by both boys and girls. Pikachu was a cute animal, who could also fight against other cool monsters in battle. You could root for Ash Ketchum in his quest to be the best... like no one ever was, and you could also be a fan of Misty, who could go toe to toe with the boys in battle if she wanted.
Misty has existed since the earliest days of the franchise, and she has one of the most interesting (and disturbing) histories of anyPokémoncharacter. We are here today to look at one ofPokémon's most beloved characters. From the constant attention she received from older guys (both in fiction, and the real world), to the original intended outcome of her relationship with Ash. Here are the 15 Things You Didn't Know About Misty.
15. Her Wannabe Grandpa Is Actually A Pervert!
Many episodes of thePokémonanime had to be censored in order to be shown on American television. The most notorious of these was "Electric Soldier Porygon", as it made international news (before Pokémonwas even being considered for a Western release). This was due to a sequence of flashing lights during the episode, that caused children across Japan to suffer epileptic seizures.
Outside of "Electric Soldier Porygon", the most famous of the banned episodes was "Beauty and the Beach". When clips of this episode leaked online in the early days of the Internet, a lot of fans thought they were fake. During the episode, a beauty contest is held on the beach for girls. James of Team Rocket enters, and he wears a suit with a set of inflatable breasts. Of all of the banned episodes, "Beauty and the Beach" did eventually see an English release. The episode was heavily censored, and the run-time had to be cut down considerably.
During the English dub of the episode, Misty is accosted by a creepy old man, who claims that he wishes Misty was his granddaughter. In the original Japanese version of the episode, he tells her that he was thinking about "having fun" with her in eight years time. This old man is the first in a long line of creepy men who lust after the 10 year old Misty on this list.
14. Misty's Song
There once existed a musical stage show based onPokémon.It was calledPokemon Live!and it featured actors for the human characters, and people in mascot costumes for thePokémon. All of the cast were new, except for Maddie Blaustein, the voice of Meowth in the anime. She also provided the voice of Meowth for the live show.
Pokémon Live!only had a limited run, and no footage of the show was believed to exist. A copy of Pokémon Live!was uploaded online by its producer, Chris Mitchell, in 2012. This means that everyone can now enjoy the show.
Before the show was put on YouTube, the only way fans could experiencePokémon Live!was through a couple of its songs being released on otherPokémonmusic CD's. One of the tracks fromPokémon Live!was called "Misty's Song".
"Misty's Song" is a straight up ballad about how Misty is in love with Ash, but is too nervous to tell him. This song is considered prime material forPokémonshippers all over the world. Sadly for them, it is not considered canon.
13. She Was Ash's Longest Running Female Companion
Misty became Ash's companion during the 2nd episode of the show. She stayed by his side during his journeys through Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto. In the episode "Gotta Catch You Later!", Ash, Misty, and Brock go their separate ways. Ash would travel to Hoenn, Brock returned to Pewter City (though he would soon rejoin Ash), and Misty became the leader of the Cerulean City Gym.
Ever since journeying through Hoenn, Ash has had a number of different female companions. May was with him through Hoenn (and the Battle Frontier in Kanto), Dawn was with him in Sinnoh, Iris was with him in Unova, and most recently, Serena was with him in Kalos.
Of all of Ash's companions in Pokémon, Misty was thelongest runningof the girls that joined him. She was with him for 280 episodes. Brock is the longest running companion overall (as he also journeyed with Ash through the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions).
The people who have stayed with Ash the longest are actually Team Rocket, as they have been in almost every single episode of the show since the 2nd one.
12. She's Never Coming Back
Pokémonis going through a huge revival at the moment. The unprecedented success ofPokémon GOhas lead to a mainstream nostalgia wave for the original games, and early seasons of the anime. The rave reviews forPokémon Sun&Moonhave also led to a surge in popularity for the latest entries in the series.
With such a renewed interest in the early days ofPokémon,would it be possible for Misty and Brock to return to the anime, and join Ash on his latest journey?
Sadly, this will not be the case. According toMasamitsu Hidaka, a former director and storyboard artist on the show - Misty will never return as a main cast member.
While he stated that cameo appearances were fine, Misty would not become a full-time companion to Ash ever again. Her story is complete as far as the anime staff are concerned, and Ash needs new companions in order to keep the show fresh.
11. Misty's Marriage Proposal
Due to the increasing delays with the release ofPokémon Gold&Silverin Japan, thePokémonanime was forced to come up with a filler season to bridge the gap between the first two generations. The result of this was the Orange Islands season. After losing to Ritchie in the Indigo League, Ash Ketchum is tasked with picking up a mysterious item known as the GS Ball, from a place known as the Orange Archipelago. This led to a filler season, where Ash competed against four Gyms that focused more on completing tasks than battling (kind of like the Island Challenges in the recent Pokémon Sun&Moon).
In the episode "Misty Meets Her Match", Ash challenges the third of the Orange Islands Gyms. The leader of the Gym was named Rudy, and he had a serious crush on Misty. Throughout the episode, Misty has to choose between rooting for the oblivious Ash, or the charming Rudy. Ash defeats Rudy in battle, and before they all depart, Rudy asks Misty to stay on the Island with him. She refuses, and continues her journey with Ash.
That is what happened in the English dub. In the original Japanese version of the episode, Rudy asked the 1o year old Misty to marry him. It seems that thePokémonanime wasn't finished with inciting controversy - they wanted to add "child brides" to the list of stuff that would get the show into trouble.
10. The Fate Of Misty's Bike
The reason Misty tags along with Ash in the first place is because he was responsible for destroying her bike. In the first episode of the anime, Ash "borrows" Misty's bike, so that he can escape from the Spearow that are chasing him. Pikachu defeats the Spearow horde with a Thunder Shock attack, but also destroys Misty's bike in the process. The bike is left with Nurse Joy at the Viridian CityPokémon Center, and Ash & Misty begin their journey across Kanto.
In the episode "Gotta Catch Ya Later!", Ash and his friends return to Viridian City. When visiting thePokémon Center, the resident Nurse Joy reveals that Misty's bike had been fixed by the previous Nurse, and was good as new. Ash Ketchum's debt had finally been paid, and the two were free to part ways.
The Nurse Joy who fixed the bike is missing her calling in life. She took a bike that was essentially a piece of charred metal, and fixed it so that it looked brand new. If they ever create aPimp My Rideshow in thePokémonanime world, then she should be the first in line to become a host.
9. Misty's Original Purpose
Here is your regular reminder that Misty is 10 years old. In fact, all of Ash's female companions that came after Misty are also 10 years old. We should also remind you that there are a lot of creepy people working in the Japanese entertainment industry.
Masamitsu Hidaka was one of the directors and storyboard artists on thePokémonanime series. During an interviewin 2008, he was asked about the possibility of Misty's return to the show. One of the reasons given for Misty not coming back (outside of a possible one-off appearance), is due to her original purpose on the show. According to Hidaka, Misty's original purpose on the show was as eye candy for the boys in the audience. This is why Ash has changed female companions so many times over the years. The creators of the show like to change up the eye candy, so that the boys can have something to enjoy. Hidaka stated that girls are more customisable than boys, and you can put them into bathing suits (those were his exact words).
So yeah... the reason Misty, May, Dawn, Iris, and Serena were included on the show, was so that the kids at home can ogle their 10 year old bodies. Sorry for ruining Pokémonfor you.
8. Misty's SignaturePokémon
The one thing that mostPokémonfans can tell you about Misty is that she is a Water-typePokémon trainer. With that in mind, what is her signaturePokémon? Ash has Pikachu and Brock has Onix, so what about Misty?
When it comes to the anime, most people associate Misty with Psyduck. While she used her Starmie, Staryu, and Goldeen a lot in battle, Misty's Psyduck was more memorable than the others. Psyduck always seemed surprised about being called into battle... because he never was, he just showed up announced. Despite being dim-witted, Psyduck was one of the most powerfulPokémon on Misty's team (when he wanted to be).
In thePokémonvideo games, Misty's signaturePokémon is Starmie. A powerful Starmie has been on Misty's team in every one of her video game appearances. Depending on your choice of starterPokémon, Misty's Starmie might be one of the first big hurdles you will have to overcome inPokémon Red&Blue.Starmie is one of the most viablePokémon in the first generation of games, due to having partial Psychic-typing, and having access to great moves like Recover, Double Team, and Psychic. When playing the older games, it might be worth making Starmie your own signaturePokémon.
7. Misty's Voice
In the 4Kids dub of thePokémonanime, both Misty and Jessie were voiced byRachel Lillis. She held these roles from the first episode in 1998, until "Pasta La Vista" in 2006. This was due to the original voice cast of the show losing their jobs.
In 2006, the licence for dubbing thePokémonanime was coming up for renewal. The show was waning in popularity, soPokémon USA began looking for a different production company, who could dub and edit the show for less money. 4Kids Entertainment had held the rights since the show was first brought to America, and the voice cast appealed to the fans for help. In the end, the rights went to TAJ Productions, and the original cast were replaced with cheaper sound-a-likes.
Rachel Lillis was the first of the original recurring voice cast to return to the show, but not as Misty or Jessie. She voiced Maylene, the leader of the Veilstone City Gym in Sinnoh. She would later voice several minor characters, and some of the one-offPokémon that appeared in the show. Her final appearance to date was in a special episode of the anime that was meant to promote the 2008 release ofPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness.Rachel Lillis voiced Shinx and Sunflora in this episode.
6. Squirtle Almost Murdered Misty
Squirtle was theWater-type starter Pokémon for players in the Kanto region. Choosing Squirtle was a loose analogue to picking the "medium" difficulty in a regular video game. Bulbasaur will steamroll the first two Gyms, but his final evolution is not that strong (at least in the older games). Charmander will have a hard time with the first two Gyms, but his final evolution is very powerful. Squirtle is considered to be somewhere in the middle in terms of viability. The whole "Starter=difficulty" thing was dropped in later games, and players can now choose any starter they like, without having to worry about the long term ramifications.
Like all of the other Kanto starters, Squirtle found his way onto Ash's team. In the episode "Here Comes the Squirtle Squad", a group of sunglasses wearing Squirtle are manipulated by Meowth into believing that Ash & his friends are the bad guys. Ash is forced to battle one of the Squirtle squad. During the fight, a wild Goldeen injuries Pikachu. With Pikachu incapacitated, the Squirtle Squad kidnap Ash and his friends. Ash convinces the Squirtles to let him go and get medicine for Pikachu. Meowth translates the Squirtles threat to Ash - that if he doesn't come back by noon tomorrow, then the Squirtle Squad will dye Misty's hair purple.
That is what they said in the English dub. In the original Japanese version of the episode, the Squirtle Squad said they would murder Misty if Ash did not return. It seems that the Squirtle Squad are way more hardcore than anyone realised. They were willing to become killers based on Meowth's word alone.
5. Misty Loves Gen 2
In Japan, thePokémonfranchise started with the video games. It was due to the success ofPokémon Red&Bluethat the other adaptations were created. The original series of the anime was being created while the 2nd generation of games were still in their earliest stages of development. This is why severalPokémon that would not show up in the games untilPokémon Gold&Silverappeared firstin the anime. Ho-Oh guest starred in the first episode of the show, and Marill would appear as one of Tracey'sPokémon during the Orange Islands season.
The first ever 2nd generationPokémon to be owned by a trainer in any form ofPokémonmedia was Misty's Togepi. During the episode "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon", a mysteriousPokémon Egg was found. A tournament is held between Ash, Misty, Brock, and Meowth, over the ownership of the egg. Misty is the victor, and Togepi becomes herPokémon.
So what happened to Misty's Togepi? In the episode "A Togepi Miracle!", Misty underwent the same trauma that Ash (and the audience) went through in the episode where Butterfree leaves. Togepi evolves into Togetic, and is left behind by Misty so that it can protect other Togepi from harm.
4. The Punch Edits
The entirePokémonfranchise underwent numerous censorship in order to see a release in America. ThePokémonvideo games have had the Game Corner's removed due to European regulations concerning gambling. Clothes have been lengthened to make them less revealing. Cigarettes and guns have been taken out completely. Nazi symbolism was changed. Items from Japanese culture have been shoddily edited to make them more American. Both 4Kids and Game Freak had their work cut out for them when they brought thePokémonfranchise to the West.
Some of the earliest episodes of thePokémonanime had scenes censored that concerned Ash and Misty. The two did not get off to a good start, as Ash was responsible for destroying Misty's bike. Misty also took offence to the fact that Ash did not seem to care for his Pikachu. In the original Japanese versions of these episodes, Misty showed her displeasure by giving Ash the back of her hand. Misty smacks Ash right in the faceon several occasions.The actual scenes involving physical contact were cut out of the English dub of the episodes.
3. Misty The Gym Leader
After Ash, Misty, and Brock split up for the last time in the episode "Gotta Catch Ya Later!", Misty returned to the Cerulean City Gym. She has only made cameo appearances in episodes since then.
While Ash made his journey to Hoenn (followed quickly by Brock), Misty took control of the Cerulean City Gym from her valley girl sisters. In her last few appearances, she gave away her Togetic, and supported Ash when he battled in the Ever Grande Conference.
Misty's last physical appearance in thePokemonanime was in the episode "Cerulean Blues". It is during this episode that Misty overcomes her fear of Gyarados, and obtains one for herself. In the original Japanese version of the episode, it is revealed that Misty is not the official Gym leader yet, but is allowed to continue to act as one for the time being. In the English dub, it is stated that she has become the official leader of the Cerulean City Gym. This puts her in line with the video game version of Misty, who remains a Gym Leader well into thePokémon Gold&Silverera.
2. Misty And The Mistletoe
The cast of the English dub of thePokémonanime have appeared on several soundtracks made up of songs from the show. In 2001, a CD made up of original songs was released in time for the holiday season.Pokémon Christmas Bashis composed of Christmas themed songs, sung by the cast of thePokémonanime. If you want to indulge in some awfulPokémon/Christmas puns, then the whole CD can easily be found on the Internet.
One of the most infamous tracks on thePokémon Christmas Bash CD is called "Under the Mistletoe". The song is set during a Christmas party. All of the mainPokémoncast are enjoying the festivities, while ignoring the theological issues of celebrating Christmas in a worldthat doesn't seem to include Christianity. During this song, both Ash and Misty are secretly hoping to run into each other under the mistletoe. When the two cross paths under the mistletoe, Ash freaks out and runs off. This can be forgiven, as he was still 10 years old at this point (well, he's actually still 10 years old now according to the anime).
"Under the Mistletoe" is one of the few pieces ofPokémonmedia that implies that Ash has a crush on Misty. While many non-canon sources confirm that Misty has feelings for him (like "Misty's Song"), this is a rare occasion where Ash's mindset is explored.
1. Misty Almost Ended Up With Ash
When you consider that thePokémonfranchise has been going for over twenty years now, it might come as a surprise to learn that the series was planned to end at one point.
Pokémon Gold&Silverwere originally planned to be the final games in the series. The reason that those games had so much content, and were delayed so many times, was due to the developers wanting to end the series on a high note. The amount of cash that was being generated from the franchise ended up changing a few minds at Game Freak, and the series continues on to this day.
It seems that thePokémonanime may have also been planned to end with the first movie. A very early teaser trailer that was shown in Japan has leaked online in recent years. This trailer contains footage showing an older Misty, hanging around with a young girl. At the end of the trailer, a Pikachu is shown being given to the girl. None of this footage was ever shown again.
So what does this trailer snippet mean? Many fans take this as proof that Ash and Misty ended up together, and that Ash bequeathed his Pikachu onto his daughter. This would most likely have meant the end of thePokémonanime as we know it today. It is entirely possible that the series could have continued with new characters, or Ash could have carried on... with the audience knowing that he was destined to be with Misty in the end.
