With the holidays approaching, the Visual Companion is good for any Pokemon fan. Find out if it’s worth a look in the review.
The Pokemon Visual Companion is just what the doctor ordered for fans of the Pokemon TV series. The guide covers most of the important details/events over the course of the animated series. The book covers everything that a Pokemon Master will need to know like what it really means to be a Pokemon Trainer. Since the guide follows the animated series, it feels like a history lesson about Ash, our Pokemon trainer hero from the Johto region.
This is a great add-on for the animated series because it is written like a tabloid. What I mean by that is the guide hits on the important information in the Pokemon World such as “if Pokemon are from space” or “what legendary Pokemon are in each region.” It also feels like a brochure trying to get people to travel to the various Pokemon regions. The book also has that history lesson vibe to it in referencing the adventures of Ash Ketchum and his various gym battles.
As I just mentioned, the Visual Companion also relives some of Ash’s battles and his interaction with his traveling companions, such as fan favorites Misty and Brock. From Nurse Joy to May’s Father and Petalburg Gym Leader Norman, the guide hits on most of the main characters in each region. A Pokemon Master needs to know about the Gym Leaders and the different Pokemon League competitions. Good news, the guide does a great job showing how Ash earned his gym badges.
If you need to know what a Poketch is, the visual companion is there for you. If you needed to know how the different Pokeballs work, the companion is there. If you need to know how the Pokedex works, the guide is there. It also shows how in the animated series, Pokemon aren’t tools, except in the hands of the different Teams. (Rocket/etc) Also if you need to know how Ash caught his Squirtle or Heracross, you’ll see how and if friendship played a role. In most of Ash’s captures, befriending a Pokemon is the main reason Ash caught said Pokemon. The different forms of Pokemon as well as the different occupations, such as a Breeder or Pokemon Nurse, are detailed and fan favorites like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny are mentioned.
In terms of the Gym Battles, it looks like the guide has some insight into the mind of the Pokemon Trainer, or Ash in this case. Why a certain attack was used or a certain strategy was used is just some of the insight into the mind of the trainer. A subtitle of the Visual Companion should be “how Pokemon and trainers work together?” Friendship, kindness, nature, determination, and sportsmanship are the ideals every Pokemon master lives by.
The Pokemon Visual Companion has its highlights but also has some low lights. The issues are minor and don’t take away too much from the guide. In some instances, you need to be a true Pokemon fan to know, such as the info being wrong. The guide mentions Ash and his gym battles but the Order in the Johto region is wrong. He battles Bugsy before Whitney and it has Whitney first. Some of the images look blurry in the guide. They look like they’re just enlarged images from the TV series and you would think the Visual Companion would have near-perfect images. There are slight typos as well where a couple of Pokemon names are written upside down, above the image of the Pokemon.
Also, a couple of words do not have a space between them where minor editing would have prevented it. These things don’t hurt my opinion of the Visual Companion and fans of the Pokemon animated series will appreciate everything in the guide. The guide acts as a Pokemon history book and brings back the memories of Pokemon that old school fans grew up with. I’m giving the Pokemon Visual Companion an 8.5 out of 10 and since it’s a detailed guide of the animated series, it shouldn’t have any wrong info, no matter how little. Since the companion does have incorrect info, the review score is an appropriate result. For the record, how can you not like Squirtle? Like Gary Oak and Ash, Squirtle was my first choice too, and you never forget your first time!
Score 8.5
Score: 8.5 / 10
