I'd like to start by saying that I don't want this post to offensive or racial, and that I hope people can be adult about this topic.

Ever since I started watching Pokemon I've always wondered if Brock is supposed to be black. Of course, back then I didn't know that it was imported from Japan, or any of the other in depth details about the show. I just knew I liked the show. So naturally (being American) I assumed Brock was black. But since I now know the show is from Japan, it seems unlikely (but then again, what the heck do I know) that they would intend for Brock to be of a different ethnic group then the other characters. However, Pokemon does have a world market and so maybe they did...see my confusion? Regardless, it is quite evident that Brock has darker skin then Ash, Misty, and quite frankly all the other people we see in the Pokemon world.

Are there different ethnic groups in Japan, some with dark skin? If so, then a character with darker skin is just as natural in Japan as it is in America. I'm afraid I'm pretty ignorant about the world around me.

Although it could be as simple as he's simply shaded darker cause he looks better that way. Considering some characters have blue and green hair it could simply be a case of aesthetic coloring.

But I like the idea of brock being either "black" or "of a different ethnic group" from the rest of the cast. It adds a nice touch of diversity. Cartoons are often very homogenous, and i find it despressing when I see a cartoon that have years and years worth of episodes, hundreds and hundreds of people met, and all of them are the same race.

Just some thoughts.