Over the course of the Pokémon anime, there are many elements which fans may find a bit… familiar. One of the biggest examples of this has to do with Ash’s Fire-type Pokémon, as there’s a concerning pattern that emerges relating to the unusual way that Ash obtains his Fire-type starter Pokémon.

Ash’s first Fire-type starter Pokémon is, of course, Charmander, which he found abandoned and slowly dying in the rain. After learning that its owner had deliberately left it there and was laughing about its fate, Ash headed out into the storm to rescue Charmander. When Charmander’s original trainer returned to take it back the next day, Charmander refused, and instead became Ash’s Pokémon. It’s a fan-favorite episode, and Charmander curled under a leaf, desperately protecting its tail flame lives on in gif sets all across the internet.

It may come as little surprise, then, that the creators of the anime decided to come back to this well when it came time for Ash to receive Fire-type starters in the future.

Most of Ash’s Fire-Type Starters Were Abandoned

The Anime Has No Qualms with Recycling Ideas, and Sometimes, It Works

During Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Ash encounters a Chimchar which belongs to his rival, Paul. Paul is extremely harsh on Chimchar, and eventually abandons it when it fails to live up to his expectations. Ash is outraged, and when Paul refuses to take it back, Ash takes in Chimchar as his own Pokémon. Like Charmander, Chimchar took some time to adjust to its new life, and with Ash, was able to grow and evolve. While Charizard is known for its disobedience to Ash, Chimchar had some issues following instructions as well, although this was more due to entering a berserk-like state than willful disobedience.

In Pokémon Black and White, the anime pulled out the same trick again for Ash’s Tepig. Ash’s Tepig once belonged to a trainer named Shamus, who left it tied to a post after it lost in battle. Tepig’s mouth was tied shut so it wasn’t able to eat, and Ash ended up catching it and taking it in as one of his Pokémon as well. When they encountered Shamus later, he was extremely rude to Tepig, and Ash ended up embarrassing him in battle, with Tepig evolving into Pignite to secure the win.

For a series that’s gone on as long as Pokémon has, it’s natural that the writers would end up recycling some ideas, and when it comes to recycling ideas, it’s best to stick with the ones that you know already work. Charmander was a beloved member of Ash’s team, so using its general origin as a model for later Pokémon seems like an obvious choice. Arguably, their first attempt at redoing Charmander’s story arc with Chimchar was better than the original. Giving Chimchar a tie to Ash’s rival Paul made their rivalry personal in a way that only Gary really can compare.

While reusing ideas might strike viewers as “lazy,” Chimchar’s journey proves that an idea can be used again and still given an original spin, and that just because an idea has been done before doesn’t mean that it can’t be done better on a second try. The Pokémon anime has managed to perfect the tragic origin of Ash’s Fire-types, giving these Pokémon more depth than almost any other.