Remember that dreadful trend with pokemon fan were they did pixel over in pillow shade?
But yes pillow shade can work in some cased but you mostly want to stay clear if it. I think pokemon has a love hate relationship with pixel art. Some times it works other times does not. I still face plam when I see pokemon black and white's "animation"....
I think the one series I remember for there nack of pillow shading is harvest moon.