Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum is a fictional character in the Pokémon line of game products. The trainer Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, known as Satoshi (サトシ) in the original Japanese and based on the character from the original games (most probably the same person), is the main character of the Pokémon anime, the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, and the Ash & Pikachu manga. Like Red of Pokémon Adventures, he is loosely based on the protagonist of 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 (and similarly, Gary and Shigeru (named for Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of many other Nintendo franchises such as Mario and Zelda) for Pokémon Blue). The surname Ketchum is a pun on the phrase "catch'em". It is possible that he was given this surname to match the number of mouth movements in the anime (Satoshi has 2 more syllabes than Ash), so as to make redubbing easier.
Ash is a typical shounen hero: very excitable, empathic, sometimes focused to the point of distraction, and clever when it comes to his obsessive interest (Pokémon training, in this case) though often clueless in other areas. He's also extremely confident and valiant, but slightly arrogant and very persistent.
Like most shonen protagonists, he is on a great quest; in this case, Ash seeks to become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world. 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. He is first accompanied by Misty and Brock, and later on by Tracey Sketchit during the Orange Islands saga, and May and Max in Advanced Generation.
Ash is the only person who has seen Ho-Oh, a Legendary Pokémon that allegedly disappeared from the world for three centuries.
His lifelong rival is Gary Oak who is the same age as Ash. When he became ten years old, he was to receive his first Pokémon. He overslept and by the time he arrived at Professor Oak's Laboratory, all the starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) had been taken and he had to start with a Pikachu instead. His Pikachu has the particular characteristic of hating Poké Balls so it always tags along with Ash. Because of Pikachu's powerful electric attacks, Ash is the frequent target of Team Rocket's plans of stealing Pokémon for their own interests.
In the fandom, there are two main sources of debate surrounding Ash. The first is in where his romantic issues lie. Shipping is a common theme seen in the fandom, and it is hard to miss the obvious hints towards Misty having a crush on Ash during the first few seasons of the show. Ironically, Ash failed to notice this (though there were some rare hints of jealousy on his part during the Orange Islands arc), and it is generally agreed that he is more interested in his Pokémon than in girls. Since Advance Generation, however, the fandom has been divided as to whether Misty still fancies Ash, and whether Ash has begun to notice any girls. In addition, while PokéShipping (the most common fan term for a romance between Ash and Misty) previously had little major competition, primarily because no other female character had significant role in the series, Misty's removal from the main cast and the inclusion of May has given rise to the concept of AdvanceShipping (a romance between Ash and May). As yet, neither of these "ship" has been confirmed or denied, nor have those involving Ash (or Misty or May) and various minor characters. However, it is important to note that, due to the nature of the show, romance has never played a large part, and the question of who will end up with who is much stronger in the fandom than in the show.
Ash's mother is Delia Ketchum, (or Hanako in Japan.) She is caring, though strongwilled, and oftentimes pesters Ash to change his underwear every day; a gag runs throughout the series. However, the identity of Ash's father is the second biggest source of debate in the fandom. Many possibilities have been brought up, and while a number of familiar faces have been suggested, the general view is that he hasn't been seen yet, and is either a travelling trainer or dead. For some time, it was widely speculated that Ash's father may in fact be Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket. The speculations were based on the non-canonical musical Pokémon Live!, in which it was revealed that Delia had a relationship with Giovanni while they were younger. Some people still believe that it could be Giovanni, because while it may be a big rip-off of Star Wars, it presents the best storyline opportunities. The second most popular speculation was that Professor Oak was Ash's father, based largely on the fact that Oak frequently travels with Delia and tends to support Ash rather than his own grandson Gary in tournaments. However, even among those who believe there is currently a romance between Oak and Delia, most do not believe Oak is actually Ash's father, but instead that the romance began some time after Ash's birth.
It should be noted that for a small time Ash had been turned into a Pikachu by a Pokémon sorceress by accident near the end of an episode. The girl made a spell that was supposed to let the receiver see into the mind of a Pokémon. Ash was eager to be first, since he and his Pikachu helped gather most of the ingredients over the course of the episode; the spell, however, went wrong and he became a Pokémon instead. This Pikachu version of Ash (nicknamed "Satochu" by Japanese fans) had messed-up hair (similar to the human Ash) and his trademark hat. His eyes and voice (he was still capable of speech) stayed exactly the same. The next episode, which took place four days later, showed Ash still as a Pikachu, but he reverted back to his human self before the plot started.
Satoshi is voiced by Rika Matsumoto in the original, while Ash is voiced by Veronica Taylor in the English version.
swiss cheese
As a Pokémon trainer, Ash carries six Pokémon with him that forms his team's active roster. However, due to the anime being 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 allowed 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. An even looser definition of Ash's team allows for Pokémon that are caught by other regular characters. However, only the first is discussed here. Template:Spoiler
Ash's Pokémon
These are the Pokémon that Ash is currently carrying around with him in the Battle Frontier:
| Pikachu | Pikachu | Pikachu was the first Pokémon that Ash obtained, and the only one that has always been with Ash in every adventure. Preferring not to stay in its Poké Ball, the two found friendship together. Pikachu is considered to be one of Ash's most powerful Pokémon, second only to Charizard, and is noted to be exceptionally powerful for its species. Attacks: Thundershock, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Volt Tackle, Quick Attack, Agility, Iron Tail, Double-Edge, Leer. |
| Donphan | Phanpy - Donphan | Phanpy is the youngest Pokémon on Ash's team, though its power makes up for his lack of experience. Ash left Phanpy at Professor Oak's lab before travelling to Hoenn, but it returned to his party after his adventures in Hoenn. 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 Phanpy evolved into Donphan in order to defeat it. Attacks: Rollout, Take Down, Hidden Power, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, Defense Curl. |
| Swellow | Taillow - Swellow | Taillow was the first Pokémon that Ash caught in Hoenn. 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. Attacks: Peck, Aerial Ace, Wing Attack, Quick Attack, Double Team. |
| Sceptile | Treecko - Grovyle - Sceptile | From capturing it as a Treecko, it has been one of the elder Pokémon in Ash's Hoenn team. Treecko tended to be a loner (much like Charizard at times), preferring its moments of solitude up atop a tree over the company of the rest of its team. A notable feature is a twig from the tree it used to live in in Petalburg Forest. It often carries the twig around and puts it in its mouth as a sign of defiance to oppenents. After evolving into Grovyle, its first act was to use Leaf Blade to slice off a larger twig from a nearby tree. During a rematch against a wild Tropius, Grovyle defeated the Pokémon but later found out that 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 again into Sceptile to protect it, making it the second Stage 2 Pokémon Ash has, after Charizard. However, after evolving into Sceptile, it stops being able to use attacks due to mental shocks caused by its rejection of love from Meganium as well as it's evolution. It took several episodes for Sceptile to awaken and be able to fight with its true power. Sceptile is a tough fighter, and the second warrior Pokémon on Ash's team. As such, it often puts its integrity on the line in every battle. Sceptile is self-dependent, and always stands to the side enjoying solitude when all the other Pokémon are out of their Poké Balls. Attacks: Pound, Bullet Seed, Quick Attack, Leaf Blade, Slam. |
| Corphish | Corphish | Ash caught Corphish on Dewford Island while training for his rematch against Brawly. Corphish is unaware of its own strength, and consequently often unintentionally hurts people as a sign of affection. Corphish is also short-tempered, often trying to instigate a fight when peaceful solutions exist. Attacks: Crabhammer, Bubblebeam, Bubble, Harden, Dig, Vicegrip. |
bleu cheese
As Ash can only carry six Pokémon around at once, he often leaves his Pokémon with Tracey and Professor Oak. The scriptwriters have adoted this as a device to get Ash new Pokémon without having to lose his old ones. These Pokémon even get an appearance 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.
Kanto Pokémon
| Bulbasaur | Bulbasaur | Bulbasaur is one of the most senior Pokémon on Ash's team. It is a leader and mediator, preferring peaceful resolutions to conflicts over fighting. Bulbasaur has spent equal time alongside Ash as well as in Pallet Town, where its mediation skills keeps the peace between the many Pokémon that reside there. May's Bulbasaur apparently has a crush on Ash's Bulbasaur and the feeling appears to be mutual. Attacks: Tackle, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder, Razor Leaf, Solarbeam, Whirlwind. |
| Kingler | Krabby - Kingler | Krabby was the second Pokémon that Ash caught without any effort. It was also the seventh Pokémon he caught overall, 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. Kingler isn't used very often, but has always served faithfully when called upon. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, Kingler is seen "shaking claws" with Corphish as a sign of friendship. Attacks: Crabhammer, Vicegrip, Leer, Water Gun, Bubble, Hyper Beam, Stomp. |
| Muk | Muk | Muk went to Professor Oak on the day Ash caught it since Poké Balls can't contain its smell. Muk is still very affectionate towards both Ash and Professor Oak, and is often seen smothering Professor Oak, and most recently Professor Birch. Attacks: Sludge, Body Slam, Sludge Bomb. |
| Tauros | Tauros | Ash has a herd of 30 Tauros at the lab, which were unintentionally caught while attempting to capture other Pokémon in the Safari Zone. However, the episode of their capture was banned in English-speaking countries, and as a result, they seem to just magically appear. Ash has called one Tauros to battle on a couple of occasions (most notably, it was instrumental in his Orange League championship victory), but they otherwise spend most of the time at the lab. Attacks: Tackle, Fissure, Take Down. |
Orange Islands Pokémon
| Snorlax | 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 the rest of his adventures in the Orange Islands, but on returning to Pallet Town, he decided to leave Snorlax with Professor Oak because he could not afford to keep feeding it. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, May's Munchlax and his Snorlax got to be friends. Attacks: Headbutt, Mega Punch, Hyper Beam, Body Slam, Rest, Ice Punch, Surf |
Johto Pokémon
| Heracross | 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 would try unsuccessfully to suck the sap out of the bulb on Bulbasaur's back. Heracross was later sent to the lab on Professor Oak's request. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, Heracross is seen shaking hands with Grovyle as a sign of friendship. Attacks: Horn Attack, Tackle, Endure, Megahorn, Flash, Take Down, Fury Attack. |
| Bayleef | Chikorita - Bayleef | Chikorita was a stubborn 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. 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. Attacks: Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Body Slam, Sweet Scent, Tackle. |
| Cynaquil | 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. Ash used Cyndaquil in Johto, but left it with Professor Oak before journeying to Hoenn. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, Cyndaquil and Torkoal got to be friends. Attacks: Tackle, Flamethrower, Swift, Quick Attack, Smokescreen. |
| Totodile | 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, leading to fights. Ash used Totodile in Johto, but left it with Professor Oak before journeying to Hoenn. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, Totodile and Glalie got to be friends. Attacks: Water Gun, Scary Face, Bite, Skull Bash, Headbutt, Slash. |
| Noctowl | 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 the only Pokémon able to effectively battle 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. After Ash's adventures in Hoenn, Noctowl and Swellow got to be friends. Attacks: Hypnosis, Foresight, Tackle, Confusion, Gust, Peck. |
Hoenn Pokémon
| Torkoal | Torkoal | Ash caught Torkoal 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 and got to be friends with Cyndaquil. Attacks: Flamethrower, Iron Defense, Overheat, Body Slam. |
| Glalie | Snorunt - Glalie | While on Izabe Island, Ash caught a Snorunt with a very michievous nature. Snorunt often freezes objects for no reason. However, it has a bad aim, and so its Ice Beam attack usually fails in battles. Ash kept working at it until Snorunt evolved into Glalie and perfected its Ice Beam. Glalie only appeared in the Hoenn League Tournament, as Ash left it at Professor Oak's lab as soon as he returned from Hoenn and got to be friends with Totodile. Attacks: Icy Wind, Ice Beam, Double Team, Tackle, Headbutt. |
Pokémon Ash has in training to be called upon at any time
For various reasons, Ash has Pokémon of his with Liza of the Charicific Valley and one with Officer Jenny and the Squirtle Squad. Of course, like the Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab, these two Pokémon can be called by Ash at any time via phone calls.
At the Charicific Valley
| Charizard | Charmander - Charmeleon - Charizard | Ash 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. Ash took Charmander to a Pokémon Center to recover from prolonged exposure to the elements and ill-tempered 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 competely. Soon after the first evolution, Charmeleon evolved again to become Charizard. If anything, its 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 stayed up all night to care for him, finally earning his respect. From this point, Charizard served faithfully as Ash's most powerful Pokémon, becoming even more powerful than Pikachu, even after Ash let him train himself among other strong Charizard at the Charicific Valley. Charizard has a habit of finding his way back to Ash in time to help out with some of his toughest and most memorable battles. Charizard is one of the two warrior Pokémon Ash has used so far, enjoying solitude sometimes, and is by far the most powerful Fire-type Pokémon Ash has ever had, also being able to use Dragon-type attacks. Charizard is also unique in that he is the only non-Legendary Pokémon in the series to ever defeat a Legendary Pokémon, Articuno, in a one on one battle in the Battle Frontier. Attacks: Flamethrower, Seismic Toss, Dragon Rage, Whirlwind, Rage, Dragonbreath, Skull Bash, Leer, Ember, Fire Spin, Overheat, Tackle, Take Down. |
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| Squirtle | Squirtle | Having been abandoned by another trainer, when Ash first saw Squirtle, it was the leader of a group called the "Squirtle Squad". When 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. However, after seeing his 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. It's been rumored that Ash's Squirtle may come back in the Battle Facilities to meet May's Squirtle. Attacks: Bubble, Withdraw, Skull Bash, Water Gun, Hydro Pump. |
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For various reasons, Ash has left behind many of the Pokémon that he has captured. Unlike the Pokémon at the lab or Charizard and Squirtle, these can not 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.
Kanto Losses
| Raticate | Raticate | Ash traded his Butterfree for a Raticate. However, he soon realised that this was a mistake and traded back. Attacks: Super Fang. |
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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. Ash was forced to let it go during the Butterfree mating season. Attacks; As Caterpie: Tackle, String Shot; as Metapod: Tackle, Harden; as Butterfree: Tackle, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Whirlwind. |
| Haunter | Haunter | Haunter originally followed Ash as part of a plan to defeat Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader. However, Haunter mysteriously disappeared while Ash demanded rematch after rematch. It is Haunter, ironically, that leads to Ash winning the badge by default. After the battle, Haunter stayed with Sabrina, ending its short tenure with Ash. Attacks: Lick. (Note: it is disputed whether Ash actually caught Haunter. He at least befriended it though.) |
| Primeape | Primeape | As a wild Mankey, it had once stolen Ash's hat, though it had already evolved by the time Ash caught it. 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. Attacks: Thrash, Scratch, Mega Kick, Seismic Toss. |
| Pidgeot | 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. Shortly after Ash returned to Pallet Town, Pidgeotto evolved into a Pidgeot. However, it left Ash's team on the same day to defend a group of Pidgey and Pidgeotto from a group of Spearow and Fearow that was terrorizing them. Attacks: Peck, Wing Attack, Whirlwind. |
Orange Islands Losses
| Lapras | 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 helping him 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. Attacks: Ice Beam, Water Gun. |
Johto Losses
| Beedrill | Beedrill | Ash caught Beedrill as part of a bug-catching competition in Johto. With Ash winning the competition, he received Beedrill to keep, and promptly gave it away to Casey, who has an affection for yellow striped Pokémon. Casey uses it as one of her three main Pokémon. |
| Seaking | Seaking | Ash caught Seaking at the Seaking Contest Episode. He used it only once. He lost the contest, which Misty won after a fierce battle. No one knows where the Seakings from the contest are now; they have probably been released. |
| Larvitar | Larvitar | After Ash got his eighth Johto badge, Professor Elm asked him to return a Larvitar to its home at Mt. Silver, prior to entering the Silver Conference. Larvitar is distrustful of humans, initially only opening up to Ash and Pikachu. Attacks: Harden, Screech, Hidden Power. (Note: it is disputed whether Ash actually caught Larvitar. He at least befriended it though.) |
Rivals
Throughout the Kanto and Johto sagas, Ash had a strong rivallry with Gary Oak. They had been rivals for most of their lives and so this naturally transferred to them being rivals as trainers. However, Gary spent the entire Kanto saga on step ahead of Ash. Ash eventually finished the Indigo League Tournament one round above Gary, though they did not get to battle.
After travelling around the Orange Islands, Ash met Gary in Pallet Town. There, he was beaten in battle by Gary, restoring the rivalry. 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 and Gary decided to become a researcher ending his Pokémon Journey - and effectively the rivalry. However, it was noted that they would still always be rivals in some way.
As such, Ash has had no clear rival throughout Advance Generation however during the tournament itself Ash had a rival named Morrison.
In Fandon, Ash is made as a arch-rival for Tai Kamiya of Digimon.