>>38031012>it's an obvious example of gamefreak trying to design a flagship Pokemon for the franchise rather than a logical conclusion to the Froakie lineThat's fucking retarded and you know it because Greninja is the most logical conclusion to the Froakie line. If Gamefreak were so set into making a flagship design, they would've:
a)Chosen a more appealing base species other than frogs, which are extremely niche. Why do you think Dog/Fox/Wolf/Cat pokemon are so popular? Because they're based on animals everyone loves
b) Gone with an orthodox, risk-free design that could appeal to as many as possible without raising any eyebrows, kinda like the "Gallantoad" fake that /vp/ fawns over
Greninja had none of these. He was based on a niche animal that has deep thematic connection to japanese folklore, the same folklore that gives credence to the development of the Froakie line. No one thinks
>I'M GONNA MAKE A POKEMON THAT WRAPS ITS TONGUE AROUND ITSELF LIKE A SCARF!and assumes it will be regarded as cool or with universal appeal, yet they did it because it was a creative way to tie a physiological quirk from the base species into the theme at hand. A safer approach would've guaranteed an even bigger fandom. Even as it stands, the fact that Greninja became so popular is definitely a lightning in a bottle situation that will most likely not be replicated in many years.
