History WebAnimation / PokemonRusty

* DownerEnding: Now has [[DownerEnding/PokemonRusty its own page.]]

* DownerEnding: Episode 15 since [[spoiler:[[LaserGuidedKarma Rusty was arrested for being associated with his psychotic Beedrill, with the officers promising he's going to rot in jail forever, thus dashing his dreams of ever becoming a Pokémon Master]]. However, this trope is an ''inversion'' for everyone else in the story since Rusty being in jail would make everyone better off: Pokémon would no longer die meaninglessly under Rusty's poor handling, his parents could potentially visit and take back their ungrateful ass of a son, and people won't be harmed by Rusty's utter stupidity (causing a forest fire, running over a 10-year old kid, etc)]].
** Subverted, unfortunately for the world. Come Episode 16 onwards, where [[spoiler:Rusty is freed from prison by his golden Bidoof, which he decided to call "Peanut Butter". Peanut Butter is also shown to have god-like powers. With PB willing to do his every whim, Rusty has so far: broken out of jail and let a whole bunch of murderers free, robbed every trainer in Kanto of their badges (with their corpses being sealed in a blood-stained sack) and brutally murders Agatha of the Elite Four]]. Be afraid world. Be very afraid...
** Ultimately averted; [[spoiler: After Peanut Butter takes over the world and subjects humanity to his rule, LaResistance sends Rusty back in time using a Dialga to convince his past-self (since Rusty won't listen to anyone but himself) to work at his father's deli [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong so everything he did the entire series]] [[CosmicRetCon won't lead up to this moment]]. He succeeds, [[AllForNothing only to redo his entire adventure]] and repeat everything that happened. However, thanks to Past-Rusty not becoming LethallyStupid and creating incredible sandwiches, [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Peanut Butter learns the error of his ways]] and journeys with Past-Rusty and EV Trainer's Clefa across the stars after undoing everything he inflicted. [[LaserGuidedKarma He also imprisons Future-Rusty at his father's deli to make sandwiches for the rest of his life]].]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Pokémon or not, letting a child who knows next-to-nothing about caring for animals going out all by themselves is shown to be a terrible idea (let alone a child who [[SmallNameBigEgo has an ego the size of a small planet]]). As a result, Rusty's Pokémon either are killed due to improper handling and negligence, or end up hating his guts. Also, a lot of Rusty's ideas that might work in the games end up failing thanks to this. Such as sicking his Bidoof on a Team Rocket Grunt, who shows he can just shoot the poor beast in the head.
** The aforementioned shooting of a Bidoof also illustrates that unlike the games or anime, Team Rocket isn't going to agree to Pokémon battles or fight fair. They're an organized group of criminals who are not above killing animals they don't need or children who break into their base.
** For that matter, its also been noted several times throughout the series that Rusty essentially lives like a homeless person, as he claims that he sleeps in the woods and eats out of the garbage.
** Contrary to the games, Pokémon don't just get headbutted or set on fire without issue. Rusty's FastballSpecial gives the opponent's Rattata head trauma, Rusty's Pokémon die when he fights the Cinnibar gym leader too early (Vanillite melts and Venomoth is incinerated, both as a result of being exposed to Flamethrower), and so forth.

* TakeThat:
** EV Trainers and StopHavingFunGuys in general are mocked, as one tries to teach Rusty about breeding and EV training. He gets bored halfway through the explanation, and Team Rocket keeps stealing his Pokémon precisely because the EV Trainer breeds such perfect specimens. The song that accompanies his montage of teaching Rusty how to EV train his Pokémon lampshades this.
** There also seems to be some mocking of Pokémon Battle variations in "Battlehaus." Horde battles in particular; Battle Bart says they're not in the Battlehaus because he passionately considers them "cheap f**king trubbish*t."
** Pokémon who are considered lame get killed, such as Bidoofs, Zubats, Mr. Mime...
** ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' also gets bashed in "Battlehaus" when Rusty and Battle Bart enter a room with two people playing the game. Both completely skip out on it when the game's name is mentioned.

* ShoutOut:
** The EV Trainer names his newly-hatched Cleffa after [[Anime/CowboyBebop Faye Valentine]], whom he calls "the woman of my dreams."
** The music that plays in "Battlehaus" when Rusty is getting beat up by Battle Bart is the song "I Love it" by Music/IconaPop.
** The music that plays when Rusty enters the Herb shop in "Pokémon Documentary" is "Is This Love" by Music/BobMarley.
** In "The Elite Four", Rusty asks [[spoiler:Peanut Butter]] if they could go to [[UsefulNotes/McDonalds McDewgongs]].
* SmallTownBoredom: It's implied that the reason Rusty wanted to be a trainer is because he doesn't like living in Beige Town, which is so insignificant that it isn't even on the map, much to his father's annoyance. He also wants to avoid being in his parents' deli any longer.

** Pokémon or not, letting a child who knows next-to-nothing about caring for animals going out all by themselves is shown to be a terrible idea (let alone a child who [[SmallNameBigEgo has an ego the size of a small planet]]). As a result, Rusty's Pokémon either are killed due to improper handling and negligence, or end up hating his guts. Also, a lot of Rusty's ideas that might work in the games end up failing thanks to this. Such as sicking his Bidoof on a Team Rocket Grunt, who shows he can just shoot the poor beast in the head because.

** Pokémon or not, letting a child who knows next-to-nothing about caring for animals going out all by themselves is shown to be a terrible idea (let alone a child who [[SmallNameBigEgo has an ego the size of a small planet]]). Also, a lot of Rusty's ideas that might work in the games end up failing thanks to this. Such as sicking his Bidoof on a Team Rocket Grunt, who shows he can just shoot the poor beast in the head because, as he puts it, he's a criminal.

** The birth defect Bulbasaur, "Burbasaur", which is sickly green, can't vocalize properly, and has a festering boil on its back where its bulb is supposed to be. When Rusty tries to use it in a battle, it's level ''-2'' and the only attack it knows is "Organ Failure".

** The old man who informs Rusty about Hidden Machines, or [=HMs=], when you think about it. Rusty immediately decides to just give up and go home upon encountering a tree that was blocking his path. However, an old man shows up and tells Rusty that what he needs is an [=HM=] (which Rusty just so happens to already have on him, having bought some while at the mall). Unfortunately, now that Rusty knows about [=HMs=], he tries to unsuccessfully teach his Pokémon a few of them (including strength, fly, flash, and surf), which lead to the deaths of a few more of his Pokémon (and [[UpToEleven causing a forest fire in the process]]).

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Okay, the "hero" part is kinda stretching it, but [[spoiler:in "Legendaries", Rusty and Peanut Butter take a tour of the Safari Zone and see a poacher trying to kill an Arceus. Witnessing mankind's greed firsthand, Peanut Butter learns compassion... [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing but can only know four moves]]. Rusty, being Rusty of course, thinks that's boring. [[FaceHeelTurn Then Peanut Butter learns vengeance, kills the poacher, declares that the age of man ruling over Pokémon is over]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and makes Rusty his first slave when he tries to make Peanut Butter go back in his pokeball]]]].

** "Snorcrash", however, subverts this when Rusty remembers Team Rocket explaining Pokémon Centers from the previous episode and recalls them saying they were going to burn down the hospital. Knowing this, he opts to put his injured father into a Pokéball to keep him alive and then catches the severely injured Snorlax. He takes both to the Pokémon Center and gets them healed up of their injuries, including his father's ulcer. A lone moment of the SmartBall for an otherwise very dense character.

* BackToTheEarlyInstallment: [[spoiler:After the Bidocalypse, Rusty is sent back to the first episode to stop himself from ever going on his Pokemon journey. He succeeds, but ends up doing everything all over again and failing to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Even ''Team Rocket'' is horrified by how Rusty treats his Pokémon, referring to him as a "dumb monster" when they learn he throws away Pokémon who are injured and shoves multiple Pokémon into one Poké Ball. Subverted in a later episode when they recruit him, saying that "a black-hearted trainer like you always has a place at Team Rocket."

--->'''Rusty:''' Wow, you really deserve all of this.

* PrecisionF-Strike: Julian the EV Trainer gets one when [[spoiler: their attempt at restoring their reality fails due to Rusty's stupidity.]]
--> '''Julian:''' So you're the Rusty we already sent back in time? [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Then why. Are we all.]] [[SuddenlyShouting STILL F*CKED?]]

* KickTheDog: Rusty treats his Pokémon horribly and cares little for their well being. He forces numerous Bidoofs into a single Poké Ball and drowned a Zubat. Before he found out what a Pokémon Center was, he'd just been tossing away the Pokémon he got injured in battle and leaving them to die.

* ADogNamedDog: Averted for Rusty's Kakuna-Beedrill and one of his Bidoofs, respectively naming them "Pikachu" and "Pikachu Two" (or Pika Two). The former is named after Red's favorite Pokémon and the latter being a replacement for the Beedrill that was [[spoiler:thought to have been]] killed in a car fire. This, of course, causes confusion for people who ask.

* RealityEnsues:
** Pokémon or not, letting a child who knows next-to-nothing about caring for animals going out all by themselves is shown to be a terrible idea (let alone a child who [[SmallNameBigEgo has an ego the size of a small planet]]). Also, a lot of Rusty's ideas that might work in the games end up failing thanks to this. Such as sicking his Bidoof on a Team Rocket Grunt, who shows he can just shoot the poor beast in the head because, as he puts it, he's a criminal.
** For that matter, its also been noted several times throughout the series that Rusty essentially lives like a homeless person, as he claims that he sleeps in the woods and eats out of the garbage.
** Contrary to the games, Pokémon don't just get headbutted or set on fire without issue. Rusty's FastballSpecial gives the opponent's Rattata head trauma, Rusty's Pokémon die when he fights the Cinnibar gym leader too early (Vanillite melts and Venomoth is incinerated, both as a result of being exposed to Flamethrower), and so forth.

** Blaine. [[spoiler:After [[CurbstompBattle thoroughly handing Rusty his ass]], Rusty begins feeling that his dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master are dashed and that he should just return home and work in his parents' deli. Blaine's pity and giving a "badge" (a seashell) to Rusty causes him to renew his dreams and keep going, which leads to more Pokémon deaths at his hands]]. Had Blane done nothing Rusty would have headed home. Had Blane tried training him then Rusty might have even become competent.

* AnachronismStew: Either a variation of this or a fantastical case of MisplacedWildlife. The series clearly takes place in Kanto, but specifically uses sprites and backgrounds from the [[VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen third]] [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire generation]] games[[note]]excluding the sprites of the Pokémon themselves, which appear to be taken from the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series[[/note]]. This despite Pokémon from later generations appearing to be found in said region, such as Vanillite from [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Gen 5]] and (most especially) Bidoof from [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Gen 4]].

* TheJailBaitWait: After Team Rocket steals "Cleffaye Valentine," the EV Trainer sobs that he was going to marry her... when she came of age of course.

* SuddenlyVoiced: This implies Pokémon gain the ability to speak after they die and become ghosts. This is more or less canon in the games, as Marowak's ghost speaks to you before battling you.

* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: [[spoiler:The story ends with Peanut Butter realizing the error of his ways thanks to Past Rusty and deciding to undo all the terrible things he did, presumably hitting the ResetButton and bringing back to life all the people he killed. He also condemns the real Rusty to spend the rest of his life working at his father's deli, where he will never be able to harm another human of Pokémon. Peanut Butter and Past Rusty (the 'Good Rusty') then leave to have some adventures.]]

The original series ran for 15 episodes. For a long time, it was unclear as to whether or not the series had ended, given that there was no indication of it ending whatsoever. It was eventually revived with 5 more episodes airing from March 18, 2017 to May 20, 2017.

* AnachronismStew: In a way. The setting is based on ''[=FireRed=] and [=LeafGreen=]'', the third-generation remakes of the [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue original games]], but Pokémon from the later generations also make appearances, such as Vanillite from [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Gen 5]] and (most notably) Bidoof from [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Gen 4]].

* ItsAllAboutMe: Rusty's only concern is his dream to be a Pokémon Master. When Team Rocket captures him and plan to steal his Pokémon? He hands them over and begs them not to kill him without any prompting from them. His Vanillite, Venomoth and Cubone are killed in the battle with Blaine? He breaks down because he lost and didn't get a badge, not because of their deaths. "Ghost Tower" is the biggest offender. When the ghosts of his Pokémon come, he states, not assumes, they came to tell him not to feel bad even though he clearly doesn't. Even after they declare hate for him, he believes they all missed him.

** His first battle against a youngster's Rattata has Rusty one-shotting it with Kakuna's headbutt. That is, Rusty [[FastballSpecial throws Kakuna at Rattata like a baseball]] and calls it a headbutt. Even if it was cheating and beyond unorthodox, it's the only battle Rusty ever wins until [[spoiler: Peanut Butter]].