Ash Ketchum

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Ash Ketchum
Ash as seen in Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl.
Japanese name	Satoshi (サトシ, Satoshi?)
Voice actor(s) (English)	Veronica Taylor (Season 1-8)[1] Sarah Natochenny (Season 9+/Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea/Dialga vs. Palkia) Kayzie Rogers (The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon)[2]
Voice actor(s) (Japanese)	Rica Matsumoto[3]
First appearances
Game	Pokémon Puzzle League
Anime episode	"Pokémon, I Choose You!"
In-Universe Information
Occupation	Roaming Pokémon trainer

Ash Ketchum is the protagonist of the anime Pokémon. There are also incarnations of him in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the Pocket Monsters Zensho manga, and the Ash & Pikachu manga. He is loosely based on the protagonist of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue.

The names "Ash" and "Satoshi" (as in the creator of the Pokémon franchise, Satoshi Tajiri) were default choices for names in Pokémon Red. The surname "Ketchum" is a pun on Pokémon's slogan, "Gotta catch 'em all!"

[edit] Personality

Ash as seen in Pokémon.

Ash as seen in Pokémon: Advanced Generation.

Ash is a typical shōnen hero: very excitable, courageous, empathic, sometimes focused to the point of distraction, and clever when it comes to his obsessive interest; in his case, Pokémon training, though often clueless in other areas. He is also extremely valiant, he can be confident to the point where he is arrogant and is known for being very stubborn. He has quite the reckless streak, which has lead him to troublesome situations and even near death. In the episode, "Battling the Enemy Within", Ash gets himself possessed by an ancient evil king's spirit, because he just could not resist messing with the ancient artifacts.^[4] In the Pokémon: The First Movie, he runs into the path of a pair of psychic attacks fired by Mewtwo and Mew, and is turned to stone, but then brought back to life by the Pokémon's tears. Most fans have considered that Ash was killed by the blast as a character in the movie had previously said that the Pokémon's tears bring back "lives lost".;^[5] Despite this, Ash also shows impressive stamina, having on several occasions been hit by Pokémon attacks without suffering any lasting harm, such as having his Charizard breathe fire on him,^[6] though such events are usually used for comedic effect.

Ash was ten years old at the beginning of the series. In the episode "The Battle Of The Badge", Ash says that it was a whole year since he, Pikachu, and Misty first came to Viridian City, meaning that he would be 11 at that time. Also in the short called Pikachu & Pichu in the third movie, (Ash said it was the day he met Pikachu) his age at that time would logically be around 12. Thus it can be logically deduced that at the end of each adventure through a region or challenge, Ash ages 1 year. At this point he is 15 when he enters Shinou.

[edit] Dreams and destiny

Like most shōnen protagonists, Ash is on a great quest; he seeks to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master.^[7] In pursuit of this end, he travels around the world, battling Gym Leaders and entering in Pokémon League competitions, similar to the protagonists of the Pokémon video games. Throughout the anime series, he has battled several members of the Elite Four, but has yet to defeat one.

Ash also seems to have connections to Legendary Pokémon. In Pokémon: The Movie 2000, it's revealed that Ash is the Chosen One to help Lugia save the world and the Pokémon, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno.^[8] The most notable connection is that he is the only living person known to have seen Ho-Oh, a Legendary Pokémon that allegedly disappeared from the world three centuries ago.^[9] In Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Ash's aura is said to so closely resemble the aura of the Sir Aaron, a legendary hero, that Aaron's Lucario mistakes him for its master.

[edit] Pokémon

Ash strongly considers all of his Pokémon to be his friends. As a Pokémon trainer, Ash carries six Pokémon with him that form his team's active roster. However, due to the anime not strictly conforming to the video games, there are Pokémon that are on Ash's team that have not been formally caught by Ash. This often allows Ash to be accompanied by more than six Pokémon, especially since Pikachu, the only permanent member of his active roster, never stays in a Poké Ball.

[edit] On hand

These are the Pokémon that Ash is currently carrying around with him in Sinnoh. The first two are ones that he has with him at the beginning of his adventure. Just like Hoenn, Ash only intended to bring Pikachu, but Aipom snuck on the ship to Sinnoh.

Ash and Pikachu together in the pilot episode, "Pokémon, I Choose You!"

• Pikachu (Starter Pokémon)

Ash considers his best friend to be his Pikachu. In the first episode, Pikachu disliked him, and shows it by shocking him frequently. It still shocks him to wake him up in emergencies or when he is accidentally in the way of an electric attack. His Pikachu has the particular characteristic of hating Poké Balls so it always tags along with Ash. At the end of first episode, the two of them become best friends.^[10] Pikachu was the first Pokémon that Ash obtained, and the only one that has always been with him. After losing to Lt. Surge's Raichu, Pikachu decides not to evolve. Pikachu is often considered to be exceptionally powerful for its species, which makes it a consistent target for Team Rocket. Shortly before his first gym battle in Hoenn, Ash taught Pikachu the attack Iron Tail initially for use against the gym leader's Rock-type Pokémon, though it has proven very useful in many battles since then. In the Battle Frontier, it learned to use Volt Tackle, which has also become one of its signature attacks. Pikachu is also Ash's second Pokémon to have defeated a Legendary Pokémon, having defeated Pyramid King Brandon's Regice in Ash's third battle against him.

• Aipom

Ash obtained an Aipom in the episode "Channeling the Battle Zone". Ash met Aipom in a mountain where it worshiped a giant Slaking and stole Ash's hat, mirroring what Mankey did to Ash before he captured it in the first season. However, after Ash found the Aipom, he quickly befriended it. Ash gave the Aipom his hat but it gave it back. It then follows Ash and turns up at the Grand Festival, where it steals his hat again. Near the end of the Grand Festival, Ash battles the Aipom and captures it. Like Bayleef before it, Aipom became jealous of Pikachu. Aipom is also occasionally seen on Ash's shoulder. Ash and Aipom show a very strong bond. Like when he left for Hoenn, Ash wanted to start his journey again for Sinnoh and so left behind all of his Pokémon with the exception of Pikachu, but Aipom stowed away on the ship. So Ash welcomed Aipom into his Sinnoh squad. It travels with him for the end of the Battle Frontier saga and so far the beginning of the Sinnoh saga. After watching May battle in the Grand Festival, Aipom seems to taken an interest in Pokémon Contests. When Ash decided to use it in a contest in Sinnoh, it pulled off a dazzling show, but didn't make it to the final round.

• Starly → Mukubird

Ash captured Starly at the end of Diamond and Pearl episode #2. Aipom accidentally attacked Starly in the forest after they crashed in midair. Aipom won with Focus Punch and Ash threw the Poké Ball and captured it, making Starly Ash's first Sinnoh Pokémon. This is quite similar to his capture of Taillow as his first Pokémon in Hoenn. Ash was excited to catch the Pokémon, although he felt sad after remembering Pikachu wasn't with him, as it had been stolen and lost by Team Rocket. It later evolved into Mukubird in a battle against Team Rocket.

• Turtwig

Ash captured Turtwig at the end of Diamond and Pearl episode #5, "Gettin' Twiggy With it!". A wild Turtwig rescues Pikachu from Team Rocket, but when Ash finds Pikachu with Turtwig, Dawn tries to catch it with Piplup, which causes a Razor Leaf aimed at Piplup to unintentionally hit an Oddish. The Oddish then puts Ash and Pikachu asleep with Sleep Powder, but Turtwig flees, and carries Pikachu to a safe place. Trying to get Pikachu back, Ash meets up with the Turtwig and then befriends it. After Ash rescues it from Team Rocket, Turtwig grows attached to him and wants to battle him. Accepting the challenge, Pikachu and Turtwig face off, Pikachu ends up winning by slamming Turtwig against a tree using Iron Tail, and finishing the fight with a Thunderbolt. Ash then throws a Poké Ball and captures it. Turtwig shows some characteristics of James' grass Pokémon, because Turtwig bites Ash's head in the episode "Forest of Hesitation! Shinji Again!". It also has some characteristics of Ash's Bulbasaur, due to the fact that it helps solve problems between other Pokémon.

[edit] With Professor Oak

As Ash can only carry six Pokémon around at once, he often leaves his Pokémon with Tracey and Professor Oak (this is similar to the video games, in which extra Pokémon are stored in a computer). The scriptwriters have adopted this as a device to get Ash new Pokémon without having to lose his old ones. These Pokémon even appear in the episodes of Pokémon Chronicles that are set at the laboratory, and Ash always visits them when he is between regions. Ash also has the ability to call any of them over to him with just one phone call to Professor Oak.

• Bulbasaur

Ash received Bulbasaur as his fourth Pokémon from a girl named Melanie who watched over several Grass-type Pokémon in a reserve. Since then, it has been on Ash's team throughout the entire Kanto and Orange Islands sagas, and part of the Johto saga, helping out with various Gym battles. It is a leader and mediator, preferring peaceful resolutions to conflicts over fighting. It had a chance to evolve in the Kanto saga, but it chose not to until it was ready and succeeded in staying a Bulbasaur. Later in the Johto saga, Prof. Oak needed it to help mediate the rivalry between the Grass-type Pokémon at his lab, so Ash sent it over. Its mediation skills still keep the peace between the many Pokémon that reside in Professor Oak's lab. May's Bulbasaur apparently has a crush on Ash's Bulbasaur, and the feeling appears mutual. Bulbasaur's last appearance was in a battle against Brandon.

• Krabby → Kingler

In order to show Misty and Brock he could properly catch more Pokémon, Ash found Krabby on a nearby beach and caught it without any effort. It was also the sixth Pokémon he caught overall and the seventh he had, making it the first Pokémon to stay at the lab. Krabby remained in Pallet Town until the first match of the Indigo League championships, where it evolved into a Kingler in its first battle. At the same time, it won the first round all by itself, defeating an Exeggutor, a Seadra, and a Golbat. It wasn't used again until the Johto saga, where he was called upon in the Whirl Cup. Kingler easily knocked out Misty's Poliwhirl, but lost to Psyduck. Kingler was not able to battle in the Johto League, as it received an injury from a Voltorb. Kingler is known to be a very jolly and friendly Pokémon, seen "shaking claws" with fellow crustacean Corphish as a sign of friendship when Ash returned to Pallet Town after the Hoenn League.

• Muk

While exploring a problem in a local power plant in Kanto, Ash captured a Muk, who was a leader of a group of Grimer. Then, he sent it to Professor Oak the moment he caught it, since its Poké Ball couldn't contain its smell. Ash has called upon his Muk in the Indigo League, where it helped him win the fourth round. It also helped out battle Gary's Blastoise in the Johto League, but Ash recalled it before it was defeated by Blastoise. Later in the match, it lost to Gary's Scizor. Muk is still very affectionate towards both Ash and Professor Oak, and is often seen smothering Professor Oak, Tracey, and most recently Professor Birch.

• Tauros x30

After unintentionally catching an entire herd of 30 Tauros in Kanto's Safari Zone, Ash ends up sending them all to Prof. Oak, much to the Professor's dismay. However, the episode of their capture was banned in English-speaking countries, and as a result, they seem to just magically appear. In the Orange League, Ash used a certain Tauros to help defeat Drake, and then used the same Tauros later on in Johto for a Tauros race. Then, it was used in the Johto League in Ash's battle against Gary. Ash also brought Tauros back to his team temporarily for the battle against Anabel at the Battle Tower. Ash's Tauros have been known to be somewhat the rebels of the group; they destroyed a wall in Professor Oak's lab once. It is believed by some fans that the Tauros Ash has used is the leader of the herd, although it is often wondered if Ash does use the same one each time.

• Snorlax

During his travels in the Orange Islands, Ash came across a large orchard that was under attack by a Snorlax with a ravenous appetite, which had stripped several islands bare of plant life in less than a day. Ash, with the help of Jigglypuff, eventually managed to stop the monster and catch it. Ash kept it in his team for most of the remainder of his adventures in the Orange Islands, but when he arrived at Pummelo Island for the Orange League finals, Snorlax's sleeping patterns proved it unreliable for the upcoming battle and he sent it to Professor Oak's lab in exchange for one of his Tauros. In Johto, Snorlax was used in a sumo contest, and later against the Pokémon of the final Gym Leader Clair. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, May's Munchlax and his Snorlax got to be friends. Ash temporarily brought Snorlax back to his team for the battles against Gary and Harrison at the Silver competition, and Greta at the Battle Arena.

• Heracross

Heracross was the first Pokémon that Ash caught in Johto. Its most notable feature is in its nature to try and suck the sap out of nearby trees. As a result, when both Heracross and Bulbasaur are called upon, Heracross tries unsuccessfully to suck the sap out of the bulb on Bulbasaur's back. Heracross was later sent to the Lab at Professor Oak's request. Ash temporarily brought Heracross back to his team for the battle against Gary in the Johto League, and then later against Spenser at the Battle Palace, where it promptly attempted to suck the sap from Spenser's Venusaur.

• Chikorita → Bayleef

Chikorita was a stubborn, yet brave, Pokémon. Ash protected it from a sudden snowstorm, and Chikorita joined Ash some time after. Chikorita was jealous of Pikachu, seeing it as a rival for Ash's attention. It usually kisses up to Ash when called upon. When it evolved into Bayleef, it initially had trouble adjusting to its larger size. However, Bayleef remained an integral part of Ash's team. Bayleef uses several unconventional attacks, such as using Vine Whip to jump into the air. Ash left it at Professor Oak's lab after travelling around Johto.

• Cyndaquil

When Ash and a rival trainer were trying to capture a young Cyndaquil, Ash was forced to protect it, and he did so with a Poké Ball. At first, Cyndaquil had trouble using its Flamethrower and needed to charge up between attacks. After getting some training with Ash, it can now use its Flamethrower right away. Ash used Cyndaquil in Johto, but left it with Professor Oak before journeying to Hoenn. Cyndaquil also has a habit of falling asleep at certain times.

• Totodile

When Ash and Misty attempted to catch a Totodile that appeared out of the water, they both threw their Lure Balls at it. Unsure of which Lure Ball had caught Totodile, they battled each other for the Pokémon. Ash won and Misty's Lure Ball was later used to catch Corsola. Totodile is a carefree and relaxed Pokémon, often dancing whenever summoned. It also likes to entertain other Pokémon with its water tricks. However, Totodile's antics have annoyed several other Pokémon. Ash used Totodile in Johto, but left it with Professor Oak before journeying to Hoenn.

• Noctowl

Ash's Noctowl is the only Shiny Pokémon to have a regular part in the series. It is also unique among the team as it is Ketchum's only Pokémon able to effectively use Normal attacks against Ghost Pokémon and use Psychic-type attacks. Smart and cunning, Noctowl had since grown to be one of the senior members of the team. Ash used Noctowl in Johto, but left it with Professor Oak before journeying to Hoenn.

• Phanpy → Donphan

After winning a Pokémon race in Johto, Ash received an egg, which later hatched into a Phanpy. This Pokémon is the youngest member on Ash's team, though its power makes up for its lack of experience. Ash used Phanpy in the Johto Pokémon League, and left it at Professor Oak's lab before travelling to Hoenn. However, when Ash returned after competing in the Hoenn League, he discovered that it felt left out and wanted to be part of Ash's current party. Since then, it has shown signs that it is growing up beyond the young Pokémon seen in Johto. Phanpy battled a Team Rocket mecha, and evolved into Donphan in order to defeat it. However, despite its newfound size and power, Donphan still has the personality of a playful young child, sometimes to the dismay of smaller Pokémon that it attempts to play with. Despite its childish nature and the fact that it wants to play with Pokémon that are smaller than it, Ash has used Donphan in a number of battles, including his Battle Frontier match with Pike Queen Lucy and her Seviper. To start off fresh in Sinnoh, Ash left Donphan at Oak's Lab.

• Taillow → Swellow

Taillow was the first Pokémon that Ash caught in Hoenn, and was leader of a large flock that resided in Petalburg Forest. Being unable to defeat the stubborn Taillow, Ash captured it, and has mainly used it to search the sky or puncture Team Rocket's hot-air balloons. It later evolved into Swellow during the PokéRinger Contest against James and Dustox. Its most notable appearance was in Ash's sixth Gym Battle where it had to face a Shiny Swellow that knew Aerial Ace. After a lot of practice shortly after, Ash's Swellow mastered the move as well. Swellow has also been able to withstand electric attacks that would normally harm it severely, either because of great stamina or simply extreme determination. It is also well known for its staying power in major battles, often being able to defeat multiple opponents despite taking huge amounts of damage. Swellow was also one of Ash's six Pokémon to compete in the Hoenn League. Coupled with its impressive speed and admirable aerial maneuvers, Swellow is considered to be one of Ash's strongest and most valuable team members to date. Since Ash wanted make fresh start in Sinnoh, he left Swellow at Oak's lab.

• Treecko → Grovyle → Sceptile

Since Ash captured it as a Treecko, it has been one of the eldest Pokémon in Ash's Hoenn team. Treecko tended to be a loner, preferring its moments of solitude up atop a tree to the company of the rest of its team. Surprisingly, Treecko didn't know any actual Grass attacks when it joined Ash's team, but Ash later taught it Bullet Seed. A notable feature is a twig from the tree it used to live in Petalburg Forest. It often carries the twig around and puts it in its mouth as a sign of defiance to opponents. After evolving into Grovyle during a battle with a trainer's Loudred, its first act was to use its new Leaf Blade attack to slice off a larger twig from a nearby tree. Grovyle helped Ash defeat Norman and his Slaking for his fifth Hoenn Badge, and was another one of the six Pokémon he used in the Hoenn League. Then, during a rematch against a wild Tropius in the Battle Frontier saga, Grovyle defeated the Pokémon but later found out that Nurse Joy's Meganium, whom it had a crush on, was in love with the wild Tropius. This crushed Grovyle's spirit but when Team Rocket attacked Meganium, it evolved into Sceptile to protect it, making it the fourth Stage 2 Pokémon Ash has had, after Butterfree, Charizard and Pidgeot. This evolution, and its rejection of love from Meganium, caused mental shocks that prevented Sceptile from being able to use its attacks. Luckily, a few episodes later, Ash and co. met Spenser of the Battle Palace. His involvement enabled Sceptile to regain its full strength, and during their battle for the Spirit Symbol, it was revealed that Sceptile could use the Solarbeam technique, which it used to defeat Spenser's Claydol. Sceptile has since become one of Ash's most powerful Pokémon, even strong enough to hold it's own in battle against certain Legendary Pokémon. Ash also left Sceptile at Oak's Lab on his way to Sinnoh.

• Corphish

Ash captured Corphish on Dewford Island while training for his second Hoenn League badge. Besides being jealous when a Pokémon evolves, Corphish has proven to be a very dependable Pokémon on Ash's Team. Corphish's Bubblebeam has gone through some color changes throughout the season of Pokémon. Ash left Corphish and all his other Pokémon except Aipom and Pikachu at Oak's so he could have a fresh start in Sinnoh.

• Torkoal

Ash caught his Torkoal in Hoenn shortly after battling the one that belonged to Flannery. Initially, Torkoal appears as if it has a problem in its self-esteem, as it often cries or blows smoke in a show of affection. Sometimes, it will cry for no reason whatsoever. Ash left Torkoal at Professor Oak's lab after travelling around Hoenn. It later reappeared in the Battle Frontier saga in a battle against Brandon's Registeel. It put up a very tough fight and almost won, but it lost. It hasn't been seen with Ash since.

• Snorunt → Glalie

While on Izabe Island, Ash caught a Snorunt with a very mischievous nature. Snorunt often froze objects for no reason, or as a prank, and in its first appearance, it stole Ash's badges. However, it had bad aim, so its Ice Beam attack usually failed in battle. Ash kept working at it until Snorunt evolved into Glalie and perfected its Ice Beam with some encouragement from Robert at the Grand Festival. Glalie only appeared in the Ever Grande Conference Tournament, as Ash left it at Professor Oak's lab as soon as he returned from Hoenn.

[edit] In training

Pokémon that Ash has left in different locations during his adventures in the Johto region. These, like the Pokémon he has at Professor Oak's lab, can be called upon at any time.

Screenshot featuring Charizard and Articuno in Episode 413, "The Symbol of Life".

• Charmander → Charmeleon → Charizard

Ash, Misty and Brock found a Charmander sitting on a rock in the wilderness. Charmander had initially belonged to another trainer, who had abandoned it on a rock in the pouring rain where its flame was dying out, believing it to be a weak Pokémon. Ash took Charmander to a Pokémon Center to recover from prolonged exposure to the elements and an ill-tempered flock of Spearow. After recovering, Charmander eventually rejected his old trainer for Ash. At this stage, it was a very happy and very loyal Pokémon. Yet, for some reason, when it evolved into a Charmeleon, it underwent a severe attitude change, only wanting to fight strong opponents, and dismissing Ash completely (this is similar to a feature of the Pokémon video game series, in which high-level Pokémon occasionally disobey the player's commands if the player doesn't have the right gym badges).

Soon after the first evolution, Charmeleon evolved into Charizard to chase and battle an Aerodactyl that had taunted it and captured Ash. If anything, Charizard's defiant attitude got even worse, eventually causing Ash to lose in the Indigo League. However, when Charizard was critically injured in a battle against a powerful Poliwrath, Ash selflessly stayed up all night to care for him, finally earning his respect. From this point, Charizard served faithfully as Ash's most powerful Pokémon, even after Ash left it to train itself among other strong Charizard at the Charicific Valley. Charizard has a habit of finding its way back to Ash in time to help out with some of his toughest and most memorable battles.

Charizard is one of the stage two Pokémon Ash has used so far, and is by far the most powerful Fire Pokémon Ash has ever had, also being able to use Dragon attacks. Its signature finishing move in battle is the use of Seismic Toss, and very few Pokémon have ever been able to escape it. Charizard is also unique in that he is one of only two non-Legendary Pokémon in the series to ever defeat a Legendary Pokémon, Articuno, in a one on one battle in the Battle Factory with Noland. This battle gave Charizard the chance to use one of the most powerful Fire-type attacks of all, Overheat. Before it left to train in the Charicific Valley Charizard was a senior member of Ash's team, often sleeping in the sun and enjoying solitude while the other Pokémon were having fun.

Notably, whenever Charizard does come back to Ash, it uses its Flamethrower on him. A rivalry with Tracey's elderly Scyther was briefly touched upon during the Orange Islands saga. Charizard, along with Squirtle and Bulbasaur, made a return in Ash's rematch against Brandon, the leader of the Battle Pyramid.

Squirtle as featured in the Pokémon anime.

• Squirtle

Having been abandoned by another trainer, when Ash first saw Squirtle, it was the tough leader of a rogue group called the “Squirtle Squad”, comprised abused and abandoned Squirtle who committed acts of mischief. Initially distrustful of humans, Squirtle was moved when he saw how much Ash cared for Pikachu. After the Squirtle Squad saved a nearby town from a forest fire, Squirtle joined Ash on his adventures while its fellow squad members formed the town's fire department. Later, in the Orange Islands, Squirtle met its match in a firefighting Wartortle, but the two Pokémon later became friendly rivals. In Johto, Squirtle reunited with its former comrades, and after seeing its squad members in bad shape due to lack of leadership, Squirtle returned to the Squirtle Squad. It later returned to Ash's side to help him in the Silver Conference, but left to once again lead the Squirtle Squad when the tournament concluded. Following the Conference, Squirtle was absent from the series until the fourth-to-last episode of Advanced Battle, when it returned to Ash (alongside Charizard and Bulbasaur) for his third and final match at the Battle Pyramid. Notably, Squirtle and its fellow squad members wear sunglasses. Squirtle only wears its sunglasses if getting into certain fights, or being heroic in some way. Squirtle has also been seen wearing the sunglasses when he and Ash, Misty, and Tracey's Pokémon encounter Elekid in the "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure" animated short.

[edit] Released

For various reasons, Ash has left behind many of the Pokémon that he has captured. Unlike the Pokémon at the lab, Charizard or Squirtle, these cannot be reclaimed with a phone call. Ash has promised to return to a number of the Pokémon he left, but has failed to reclaim any as yet. However, some of them have been featured in the 10th opening of Pocket Monsters, suggesting that he'll be seeing them again.

• Caterpie → Metapod → Butterfree

The first Pokémon that Ash ever catches is a Caterpie. It is also the Pokémon that he caught without any effort. It evolved into a Metapod the following day. Metapod is next seen about a week later, when it was involved in a Pokémon Battle against another Metapod where the only attack that either could use was Harden. Soon after, it evolves into Butterfree, making it the first Stage 2 Pokémon Ash ever had at the time. Butterfree's main use is its arsenal of status-affecting moves. During his time on the St. Anne, Ash trade Butterfree for a Raticate but traded for it back later. Ash let it go during the Butterfree mating season along with its mate, a pink Butterfree, making it the first Pokémon Ash has released into the wild. Notably, it now wears a yellow scarf that Brock gave it before it left. It is possible that Ash will see it again sometime in the future as it is seen on one of the Japanese openings.

• Pidgeotto → Pidgeot

The second Pokémon that Ash captured was a Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto proved to be most useful to Ash outside of battle, often attacking the hot air balloons Team Rocket often attacks or escapes in, or using its Gust attack to blow away James' Koffing's/Weezing's Smokescreen. Shortly after Ash returned to Pallet Town, Pidgeotto evolved into a Pidgeot to protect a group of Pidgey and Pidgeotto from a group of Spearow and Fearow that was terrorizing them. Ash then left it there to act as their guardian. Ash told Pidgeot that he would come back after he was done in the Orange Islands, and even remembered having it in Johto, but since then, the Pokémon has never appeared outside of scenes in the various Japanese openings and endings, until the tenth Japanese opening, "Spurt!", alongside many of Ash's other Pokémon.

• Raticate

Ash traded his Butterfree for a Raticate in the S.S. Anne. Soon after he regretted the trade and traded the Raticate back.

• Primeape

As a wild Mankey, it had once stolen Ash's hat, though it had already evolved into Primeape by the time Ash caught it by using his Charmander's powerful Rage attack. Primeape's short tenure with Ash ended when it was given to another trainer so that Primeape could take part in the P-1 competitions, but it reappeared in the tenth Japanese opening, "Spurt!", alongside many of his other Pokémon.

Lapras carrying Ash, Tracey, and Misty

• Lapras

Ash found a lost baby Lapras when he first arrived in the Orange Islands. Having missed the ferry to the next island, and with the Lapras' pod already far away, Ash takes the Lapras with him, using it as the group's primary transportation around the islands, as well as in the contests and battles against the Orange Crew. Shortly after Ash won the Orange League Championship, Ash found the Lapras' pod, and returned it to its family. Lapras returned once since its departure, by which time it had gained the leadership of the pod thanks to its bravery. When Ash did see Lapras, he almost didn't recognize it, and was surprised that it had grown so much. Lapras reappeared in the tenth Japanese opening, "Spurt!", alongside many of Ash's other Pokémon.

• Beedrill

Ash caught a Beedrill in an episode during the Johto region. However, he gave it to Casey, a trainer who favored Yellow and Black striped Pokemon (After her favorite Baseball Team- The Electabuzz).

[edit] Befriended

Ash has befriended, but not formally captured a few Pokémon throughout his journey. Some of them have been featured in the 10th opening of Pocket Monsters, suggesting that he'll be seeing them again.

• Haunter, Gastly, Gengar

Ash met Gastly, Haunter and Gengar in the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town. They played with Ash after he had been trapped under a chandelier. However after Ash returned to his body, Haunter agreed to join Ash's team to battle Sabrina's Psychic Pokémon. Once it got to Saffron City, it disappeared but eventually returned to battle. However it was much more interested in joking about and immobilized Sabrina's Kadabra, making Ash decide to leave it with her.

• Larvitar

After Ash got his eighth Johto badge, Professor Elm asked him to return a Larvitar to its home at Mount Silver, prior to entering the Silver Conference. Larvitar is distrustful of humans, initially only opening up to Ash and Pikachu. It now lives with its mother, a Tyranitar. Both reappeared in the tenth opening, "Spurt!", alongside several of Ash's other Pokémon. Ash had hatched Larvitar out of an egg. Ash used it to battle once, in "Address Unown!".

[edit] Relationships

[edit] Friends

During his journey, Ash is joined by Misty, Brock, Tracey, May, Max, and Dawn, and he considers them to be his best friends. He is currently traveling with Brock and Dawn in the Shinnoh region. Throughout the entire series, Ash meets and befriends many different people during his journey, many of whom only appear once in the series.

[edit] Family

Ash's mother is Delia Ketchum (or Hanako in Japan). She is a caring, though strong-willed woman, and (in the English dub) often pesters Ash to change his underwear every day, a gag that runs throughout the early episodes of the series. Much speculation exists about the identity of Ash's father, which is officially unknown. One reference to him exists in the Pokémon anime. During a phone conversation between Ash and his mother in the second episode, she states her amazement that he got from Pallet Town to Viridian City so fast. "It took your father four days to get there when he started Pokémon training", she says. "He'll be so proud!" In the Pokémon Live! stage show, which is not a part of the official anime canon, it is stated that Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket had a teenage relationship with Delia, though someone else is Ash's father. Delia has a Mr. Mime named "Mimie" that performs household chores.

[edit] Foes

The evil group of Team Rocket is Ash's greatest foe, particually Jessie, James, and Meowth. They are rare occasions when they work together like near the end of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.^[11] Ever since the second episode, the three of them have always tried to steal Ash's Pikachu and have always failed.^[12] Butch and Cassidy are also Team Rocket members and foes of Ash.

Even though he is not a personal enemy of Ash but only an enemy due to his fued with May, Harley could be considered an enemy of Ash and his friends especially during the Kajinoki contest in which he plotted evil mischief against the whole group so they would not be able to help May whom was the central target of the scheme. Ash has made numerous rivals in the course of the series, some throughout a region, others in Pokémon Competitions.

[edit] Rivals

[edit] Major rivals

Throughout the Kanto and Johto sagas, Ash had an arch-rivalry with Gary Oak.^[13] Gary spent the entire Kanto saga one step ahead of Ash, usually turning him down and mocking his skills as a Pokémon trainer whenever they met. Yet over the Johto saga, Gary came to respect Ash and appeared much more mature when they finally met in a tournament. Ash went on to beat Gary's Blastoise with his Charizard. Afterwards, Gary decided to become a researcher ending his Pokémon Journey and effectively ending the rivalry. Although they are now friends, it was noted that they would still always be rivals in some way.^[14]

In the Sinnoh region, Ash meets an arrogant, uncaring young trainer named Paul, who quickly becomes Ash's new rival.^[15] Paul wants to acquire powerful Pokémon and releases any Pokémon he deems weak.

[edit] Other rivals

While traveling, Ash has made a number of friendly rivals. These trainers include Richie, and Casey. During Pokémon tornaments, Ash's friendly rivals were Harrison, Jackson (also known as Vincent) from the Legend of Thunder special, Morrison, and Tyson. Ash also faced Richie in the Indigo League.

[edit] Notes and references

1. ^ Pokémon IMDb . URL accessed August 15, 2006
2. ^ The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon TV.com . URL accessed August 15, 2006
3. ^ Poketto monsutâ IMDb . URL accessed August 15, 2006
4. ^ Battling the Enemy Within Serebii.net. URL accessed on November 14, 2006
5. ^ Mewtwo Strikes Back Serebii.net. URL accessed on November 14, 2006
6. ^ Great Bowls of Fire Serebii.net. URL accessed on November 15, 2006
7. ^ Pokémon - I Choose You! Pokémon Elite 2000. URL accessed on November 15, 2006
8. ^ The Power of One Serebii.net. URL accessed on November 15, 2006
9. ^ A Ghost of A Chance Pokémon Dream. URL accessed on November 15, 2006
10. ^ Pokémon, I Choose You! on Serebii.net
11. ^ The Power of One Serebii.net . URL accessed October 15, 2006.
12. ^
13. ^ Pokémon Red and Blue manual, in-game introduction and pilot of the anime
14. ^ Johto Photo Finish Serebii.net. URL accessed on November 15, 2006
15. ^ When Pokémon Worlds Collide Serebii.net. URL accessed on November 15, 2006