Ash redirects here. For the item attached to Ho-Oh, see Sacred Ash. For the ash found at the foot of Mt. Chimney, see volcanic ash.

Ash Ketchum サトシSatoshi
Ash Ketchum in the Sun & Moon series
Age	10
Gender	Male
Birthday	May 22*
Eye color	Brown
Hair color	Black
Hometown	Pallet Town
Region	Kanto
Relatives	Delia, Unnamed father (EP002), Unnamed grandfather (EP002) (Japanese version only) (anime) Mother (manga)
Trainer class	Trainer
Game counterpart	Red
Anime debut	Pokémon – I Choose You!
English voice actor	Veronica Taylor (EP001–AG145) Sarah Natochenny (AG146-present) (MoMP re-dub)
Japanese voice actor	Rica Matsumoto
Manga counterpart(s)	Red, Red, Red, Red, Ash Ketchum, Satoshi, Shu

Ash Ketchum (Japanese: サトシSatoshi) is the main character of the Pokémon anime. He is also the main character of various manga based on the anime, including The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Ash & Pikachu, and Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl.

He is a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town whose goal is to become a Pokémon Master. He shares his Japanese name with the creator of the Pokémonfranchise, Satoshi Tajiri. His English surname is a pun of the English motto, “Gotta catch ’em all!.”

In the anime

History

At some point in his early life, Ash went on a field trip in a rainy forest and got lost. Scared to the point of tears, he was forced to hide in a hollow tree trunk. A group of local Pokémon joined him and cheered him up, which was partially what motivated him to become a Pokémon Trainer.

Ash also enrolled in Professor Oak‘s Pokémon Summer Camp when he was young. One day, another camper named Serena got lost in the forest and wounded her leg after getting startled by a Poliwag. Ash, who was looking for the Poliwag, came to her rescue and wrapped a handkerchief around the wounded knee to brace it. He then helped her up and guided her out of the forest.

At some point before starting their journeys, Ash was friends with Gary Oak until they both fished out a Poké Ball on both their lines. After arguing about who would keep it, they broke it in two, each keeping one half as a reminder of that day.

Original series

Ash trying to keep Pikachu safe

Years later, Ash began his Pokémon journey at the age of 10 as a warm-hearted and well-intentioned but stubborn, rash, and amateur Pokémon Trainer. He was forced to accept a stubbornPikachu from Professor Oak as his starter Pokémon because he woke up late on the day he was set to get his first Pokémon. He was determined to achieve his goal and when Pikachu saw that he was willing to compromise his own safety to keep it safe, the two of them formed an extremely strong bond that has been noticed and remarked upon by many characters in the anime. This unbreakable friendship would set his course for the future.

From that point, Ash still had a lot to learn about becoming a Trainer. The first Pokémon he caught was caught by luck, as he knew absolutely nothing about battling, and he was hesitant to admit when he was wrong. His journey was made even more complicated due to the presence of Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, who, after witnessing Pikachu’s power, made it their primary objective to steal Pikachu for their boss, Giovanni.

Ash did not go on this journey alone; as soon after he left Pallet Town, he met Misty, who followed him on the pretense that he owed her a bike (which Ash ‘borrowed’ to save Pikachu, and which the Electric Mouse destroyed whilst protecting Ash). Ash then met Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, whom he fought and lost to. In his rematch, Ash nearly defeated Brock, but refused to give the final blow due to the intervention of Brock’s younger siblings. Touched by Ash’s kindness to Pokémon and with the return of his estranged father, Flint, Brock decided to go with Ash and pursue his dream of being the world’s best Pokémon Breeder. Shortly afterwards, Ash reached the Cerulean Gym and was shocked to learn that Misty was one of its Gym Leaders. After Ash earned his Cascade Badge, he continued his journey with Misty, who dreamt to be the world’s greatest Water Pokémon Master.

Many of Ash’s first Gym Badges were given to him merely out of gratitude for his assistance, rather than claiming an actual victory in battle over the Gym Leaders. Of his first five Gym battles, only his victory over Lt. Surge was an actual victory. Every time he thought he was doing well, he would somehow cross paths with his childhood rival, Gary Oak. Gary always reminded Ash that he was always a step behind. By the time Ash had caught his seventh Pokémon, Gary had caught more than forty. Ash’s troubles were not made any easier when his Charizard grew too powerful and refused to listen to him until Ash could prove himself to him.

Over time, Ash’s dedication to his goal paid off. After earning his first eight Badges, Ash went on to compete in the Indigo Plateau Conference, advancing to the fifth round – one further than Gary – and ending up in the Top 16.

Following Ash’s defeat in the Indigo League, Professor Oak asked him to travel to Valencia Island in the Orange Archipelago to retrieve the GS Ball from a Pokémon Professor named Ivy. While in the Orange Archipelago, Ash learned of the Orange Crew, an elite group of Trainers not unlike Gym Leaders, that provided challenges for Trainers to overcome in the Orange League. After Brock decided to stay with Professor Ivy and help her with her work, Ash and Misty were joined by an enthusiastic Pokémon watcher named Tracey Sketchit. Ash, Misty, and Tracey traversed the Orange Islands on the back of a lost Lapras. Ash caught the Lapras during this time. He eventually defeated the four members of the Orange Crew and finally won the Orange League by triumphing over the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader, Drake. Before leaving the Orange Archipelago, Ash managed to find his Lapras’s pod and released it back into the wild. Upon returning to Pallet Town, Ash discovered that Brock had returned due to some unknown incident that left the aspiring Pokémon Breeder in dread of even hearing Professor Ivy’s name. Meanwhile, Tracey stayed at Professor Oak’s laboratory as Professor Oak’s assistant, and Brock rejoined Ash and Misty. After his victory in the Orange League, Ash encountered Gary again, and after being defeated in a one-on-one battle, he learned that his rival had been training hard in order to participate in the Silver Conference in Johto.

Excited at the prospect of meeting new Pokémon and facing Gary again, Ash and friends left for the Johto region to collect eight Badges from the Gym Leaders in the Johto region and compete in the Johto Pokémon League. Much like his travels through Kanto, Ash, Misty, and Brock impacted the many people and Pokémon they met along the way (one of them being Kurt, to whom Ash delivered the GS Ball). In the middle of his travels, they visited the Whirl Islands, and, along with Ritchie, helped save Silver, a child Lugia, and its parent, from the evil machinations of Team Rocket. Ash, along with Misty, competed in the Whirl Cup, with Ash placing in the Top 8. He was defeated by Misty in a 3-on-3; Misty ended up losing in the next round.

Ash encountered Gary occasionally in Johto, and, while they were still rivals, Gary seemed to view Ash with slightly more respect than before. Ash’s growth of character was evident throughout this story arc as he continued to think more and more about his Pokémon and less and less about himself. After earning eight Johto Gym Badges, Ash entered the Silver Conference with Gary. Finally, the two rivals battled in the tournament in a Full Battle. Although it was a close battle, Ash emerged victorious against his rival for the first time in his career as a Pokémon Trainer, marking one of the biggest turning points in said career. After the battle, Gary and Ash departed on good terms with each other, finally overcoming their boyhood animosity and recognizing each other as equals. Ash’s journey through Kanto and Johto came to an end when he was forced to split up with Brock and Misty when the two of them received messages to return home.

Advanced Generation series

After hearing about a distant region called Hoenn from Harrison, the opponent he lost to in the Silver Conference, Ash decided to journey there and take only Pikachu with him this time. In Hoenn, Ash met a girl named May and her brother, Max, who he later learned were Norman‘s (the Petalburg City Gym Leader) children, and both of whom decided to join Ash on his travels. Shortly after the three companions left Petalburg City, Brock rejoined the group when he saved them from a flock of angry Taillow and their leader. From that point onward, Ash journeyed through Hoenn with one old friend and two new friends, collecting Gym Badges in much the same fashion as before. Once May set her sights on becoming a Top Coordinator, Ash supported her whenever he could while maintaining his focus on winning Badges. During these journeys, Ash and his friends ended up being entwined in the plots of the region’s two rivaling villainous teams, Team Aqua and Team Magma, with Pikachu actually getting possessed by Groudon in the summit of their conflict. Thanks to Team Rocket‘s (unintentional) help, they helped save the entire Hoenn region.

While Ash had no major recurring rival in Hoenn, he did encounter certain Trainers multiple times and formed friendly rivalries with them. One such friend was Morrison, who was very similar to and just as competitive as Ash and was first introduced close to the end of the group’s travels in Hoenn. Just like the Indigo Plateau and Silver Conferences, Ash did not win the Ever Grande Conference, but he came very close before losing to Tyson, who went on to win the tournament. After parting ways with May, Max, and Brock, Ash returned to Pallet Town. As he passed through Viridian City on his way back home, he met Scott and Agathaand learned about the Battle Frontier in Kanto. He decided to take on the Battle Frontier and was surprised but happy to learn that Brock, May, and Max would join him on this adventure as well. Eventually, Ash conquered the seven Frontier Brains and was offered the opportunity to become a Frontier Brain himself, but declined in favor of continuing his Pokémon journey.

Diamond & Pearl series

Ash in the Wallace Cup

Following Ash’s victory over the Battle Frontier, May set her sights on Pokémon Contests in the Johto region and traveled there while Max returned home to Petalburg City in Hoenn. After encountering and battling his old rival, Gary (who has now become a Pokémon researcher), and learning of a new region with new Pokémon, Ash decided to leave for the Sinnoh region to earn the Gym Badges available there. Like before, he took only Pikachu with him at first, but brought his Aipom along when she snuck onto the ship Ash was leaving on. While Brock did not accompany Ash to Sinnoh, he did travel with him through Sinnoh like he had for Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. This time, they were accompanied by another aspiring Pokémon Coordinator named Dawn. Like he did for May, Ash enthusiastically supported Dawn in her endeavors to become a Top Coordinator just as she supported him in his Gym battles.

While traveling through Sinnoh, Ash formed a heated rivalry with a Trainer named Paul. Throughout Ash’s journey, Paul would constantly put him down and the two often argued over their nearly opposite training styles. While Paul was harsh, distant, and sometimes plain cruel to his Pokémon, Ash insisted that the best way to raise Pokémon was through patience, caring, and friendship. Their rivalry came to a head after they competed in a Tag Battle Tournament together, when Paul released his Chimchar after it failed to meet his expectations. Ash then decided to take in the Chimp Pokémon and promised to make it strong using his own philosophy. Although Ash always considered himself on par with him Paul often bested him in battles as his own Pokémon were very powerful (He only kept Pokémon that were naturally very strong). Ash’s Pokémon, while strong in their own right, were not yet equals. This came to a devastating defeat at Lake Acuity for Ash, losing a Full Battle while only knocking out two of Paul’s Pokémon. Ash recognised that he had to take Paul more seriously and cautiously in future.

Ash in the Hearthome Collection

While in Sinnoh, Ash competed in two Pokémon Contests – once in Jubilife City and a second time in the Wallace Cup upon Wallace‘s recommendation. He also competed against several Pokémon Stylists in the Hearthome Collection fashion show in Arriving in Style!, where he ended up in third place, winning the Unique Award for his original performance.

As Ash and his friends journeyed through Sinnoh, they ended up becoming heavily involved with legends of Sinnoh, with Ash being personally chosen by Azelf of the Lake guardians. Along with Cynthia, Looker and Team Rocket, they faced off against Pokémon Hunter J as well as the evil Team Galactic. Thanks to their efforts, the Sinnoh region was spared from Cyrus‘s insane scheme.

Ash eventually obtained all of the Sinnoh Gym Badges he needed to enter Sinnoh’s Pokémon League Conference. During his battles in the Lily of the Valley Conference, he managed to advance to the Top 4. For the second time since meeting Paul (the first being in a PokéRinger tournament during which Ash’s Staravia evolved into a Staraptorand defeated Paul’s Honchkrow), Ash managed to defeat his bitter rival, using Infernape (who had evolved from the Chimchar Paul abandoned) to deal the finishing blow. This confirmed Ash’s beliefs in how to raise Pokémon, showing that though he took his time and raised his Pokémon with care and friendship they achieved the same results as Paul’s methods. This caused Paul to finally acknowledge Ash as a Trainer of some merit, thus ending their arguments. Ash later fought against Tobias, becoming the only known Trainer to defeat his Darkrai. Although Ash ultimately lost the battle, he was not overly upset as he was closer to his Pokémon than ever before. At the conclusion of the Diamond & Pearl series, Ash, Dawn, and Brock split up and went their separate ways, with Brock confirming that he would not be joining Ash on his travels to Unova as he decided to pursue his new dream of being a Pokémon doctor.

Best Wishes series

In the Best Wishes series, Ash traveled with Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum on a trip to the Unova region. After losing in a battle to Trip and seeing the power of the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom, Ash became interested in traveling Unova to meet new Pokémon, as well as new friends. In Unova, he brought along only his Pikachu as he did in Hoenn.

Soon after he started his journey, Ash met Iris, a wild girl who is (as he later learns) a possible successor of the Opelucid City Gym and wishes to be a Dragon Master, and Cilan, one of the Striaton Gym Leaders, who aspires to be the world’s greatest Pokémon Connoisseur. After Ash earns their interest by telling Iris of his encounter with Zekrom, and battling Cilan for the Trio Badge, the three decide to travel together. During his time in Unova, along with his quest for the Badges, the three friends also competed in the local competitions Club Battle, Clubsplosion, and Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup. Despite battling quite well, Ash failed to win any of the tournaments and managed to be the runner-up of two of the three. Despite these mishaps, he was not upset to see his friends win the competitions instead of him.

As they journeyed, Ash and friends ended up again being caught up in Team Rocket’s new plot, which was personally being supervised by Giovanni. This time, Team Rocket planned to take over the world using a Meloetta that Ash befriended to unleash the power of the Forces of Nature. Thanks to Cynthia and Ridley, Ash and his friends managed to thwart Team Rocket’s evil plot.

After managing to obtain eight Unova Gym Badges, Ash was allowed to participate in the Vertress Conference along with his current and some new rivals. In the preliminary round, Ash battled Trip one-on-one, defeating him for the first time and ending their rivalry. Ash also defeated his friend and rival, Stephan, in the tournament. He then battled one of his newer rivals, Cameron, where he lost in A Unova League Evolution!, ending in the Top 8 of the Vertress Conference.

After the Conference, the three friends decided to check out some ruins that Professor Juniper‘s father, Cedric Juniper discovered, and on the way, they met with a strange young man named N. They soon became entwined in the plots of Ghetsis, Colress, and Team Plasma as they sought to take over the world using Reshiram‘s power. Ash and his friends, along with Looker, the Team Rocket trio, Professor Cedric, as well as N, Anthea and Concordia, managed to foil Plasma’s evil scheme.

As their adventures started coming to a close, Ash and his friends decided to take the long way back to Kanto by sailing on a series of luxury liners through a chain of islands called the Decolore Islands. On the way, Ash met Alexa, a Pokémon Journalist, from whom he learnt of the Kalos region. Soon after they reach Kanto, Ash split up with Iris and Cilan, who wished to go in separate directions to follow their own dreams.

XY series

Ash as a Baron at the Battle Chateau

In the XY series, Ash traveled to the Kalos region with Alexa, first visiting Lumiose City in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!, where he parted ways with the journalist and tried to challenge the Lumiose Gym at Prism Tower. He was forcibly ejected from the tower when the computerized security system, later revealed to be the Clembot, found out that he didn’t have any Kalos Badges. He was rescued by Clemont and Bonnie, who started to travel with him after he calmed down a rampaging Garchomp at the top of Prism Tower with the assistance of a brave Froakie. After the incident was resolved, the Froakie allowed itself to be captured by Ash. In Battling on Thin Ice!, Ash won his first Kalos Badge, the Bug Badge, after defeating the Santalune Gym Leader, Viola.

The group was joined by Serena, who still remembered Ash rescuing her in her childhood and decided to start her own journey to reunite with him, although he initially did not remember the two of them meeting. Ash and Serena learn that Clemont was actually the Lumiose Gym Leader, who was exiled from his own Gym by his own invention. They help Clemont face Clembot, and after the issue was resolved, the two boys promised to battle after Ash fulfilled the original conditions set by Clembot (even if it was no longer necessary), to earn four Badges. With that, the group set off on their journey again. During their travels, they occasionally met the ninja boy Sanpei, whose presence always led to a progress in Froakie’s (and later Frogadier‘s and Greninja‘s) strength. The four Trainers later attended Professor Sycamore‘s Pokémon Summer Camp, where they met the trio of Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor, with whom the group started a friendly rivalry with. In Ash’s case, his rivalry would mainly be with Trevor and Tierno as Serena and Shauna pursued Pokemon Showcases.

As they traveled, the group started to learn the secrets of Mega Evolution after meeting Professor Sycamore, Diantha, and Gurkinn, as well as briefly travelling with Korrina. During their journey, Ash caught a lost and traumatized Goomy, which he raised into a Sliggoo, and later, a powerful Goodra. After earning his fourth Gym Badge, Ash eventually faced Clemont in their promised Gym Battle, and won with Goodra’s help, gaining his fifth Badge. Later, Ash and friends come across Goodra’s old home, where they discovered it was taken over by a Florges and her companions. After saving Goodra’s swamp from Team Rocket while simultaneously solving the issue concerning Florges, Ash left Goodra in the wetlands so it could act as the protector of its swamp and the Pokémon living in it. Sometime afterwards, when Ash reached Laverre City to challenge the Gym, he made a new rival in Sawyer, a novice trainer hailing from Hoenn. Along the way, Ash would also support Serena in her quest to become Kalos Queen, and gave her some helpful advice when she eventually lost, telling her that losing is simply another step towards victory.

Later in their journeys, Ash and friends reached Anistar City and, together with Professor Sycamore, they met the Psychic Gym Leader, Olympia. She revealed his Frogadier’s past as a Froakie from before meeting Ash and a glimpse of Frogadier’s, his friend’s, Sycamore’s, Team Rocket’s, and his own fate, indicating that they will all play a vital role in Kalos’s future. Ash challenged her to a Double Battle, which he won using Frogadier and Talonflame.

Shortly after, the group came across a mysterious Pokémon, dubbed Squishy by Bonnie, who was being pursued relentlessly by the villainous organization, Team Flare, prompting the group to put it under their own protective custody. Some time afterwards, Ash and his friends got involved in a conflict in Sanpei’s home town, which led to Frogadier evolving into Greninja, as well as unlocking a Bond Phenomenon.

Later on, Ash met up with Alain, who became intrigued by Greninja’s Bond Phenomenon and requested to battle Ash. Ash put up a decent fight, but eventually lost. Afterwards, Clemont vowed to help Ash master Greninja’s new form, creating a device for that sole purpose. When Ash later on had a rematch with Alain, he and Greninja did significantly better and even gained the edge after Greninja transformed, but Ash eventually passed out from exhaustion from using the form. Having a dream in which Greninja leaves him, he woke up and resolves to fully master the form.

Later on, Ash and his friends were informed by Diantha that Team Flare had been experimenting on a remote island, and they were told about the Legendary Pokémon Zygarde. When Bonnie told Diantha about Greninja’s Bond Phenomenon, the Champion requested another match with Ash. In a stark contrast to his past battles against Elite Four members and Champions, Ash and Greninja put up a great fight, with Greninja eventually reaching it’s final transformation but not perfecting it. However, before the battle could be finished, Ash passed out again.

Ash later on had another rematch with Sawyer, but he lost when Greninja failed to transform. This seemed to leave Ash doubtful of his ability to master the transformation. Ash’s confidence was shaken further after brutally losing to Wulfric, the Snowbelle Gym Leader, who told Ash he didn’t fully trust his Pokémon, which meant that he would be destined for failure. After seeing how badly Greninja got hurt during their battle and blaming himself for the loss, a depressed Ash left the Pokémon Center, into the cold night. The next day Serena met up with him and confronted him with how different from before he was, but Ash yelled at her out of depression. Before Serena left, she angrily threw snowballs in his face and told him that the way he was acting was the exact opposite of the Ash she had grown to care for. This caused Ash to realize that he was going about his depression the wrong way. Trying to get back on his feet, he then left further into the forest until a snowstorm forced him to hide in a cave, while a group of wild Pokémon watched on. This reminded

Ash of one of his early field trips, when he was forced to hide in a tree trunk in a rainy forest. Ash then let the Pokémon join him in the cave, but left whan he saw a group of Spewpa, were almost falling off a tree over a cliff due to the storm. Ash nearly fell off the cliff helping them, but was saved by Greninja. When one Spewpa fell off anyway, Ash and Greninja fully synchronised their feelings and used the Bond Phenomenon to save it. Ash then made amends with Greninja. Afterwards Ash returned to his friends and thanked Serena, telling her that without her he wouldn’t have been able to get out of his depression and apologized for yelling at her. Greninja then gave its Pokéball to Ash, just as it had done back when it was a Froakie, and Ash and Greninja then vowed to start all over again. He then defeated Wulfric in a rematch, even after Wulfric Mega Evolved his Abomasnow. He then thanked his Pokémon and friends for helping him get this far, but reminded them that their greatest challenge was still to come, but that they would face it together.

Ash managed to earn eight Kalos Gym Badges, therefore qualifying for participation in the Lumiose Conference. Following several notable victories including a narrow victory in the semifinals against Sawyer, Ash managed to reach the finals of the Conference, marking his first appearance in the finals of a Pokémon League; his opponent was Alain. On the night before the final battle, he and his friends learned more about the Ash-Greninja transformation. The finals of the Lumiose Conference began with a courageous battle between Ash’s Pikachu and Alain’s Tyranitar, in which the former emerged victorious. Ash gained an early advantage in the battle, retaining three of his Pokémon compared to Alain’s two. However, Alain eventually managed to defeat Ash, using his Mega Evolved Charizard in a fierce battle with Ash’s Greninja as Ash-Greninja. This battle ultimately concluded the Lumiose Conference. Ash showed great sincerity and principle following the battle, shaking Alain’s hand regardless of the result.

Ash and his Pokémon captured by Team Flare

However, during the closing ceremony of the conference, Team Flare began their final operation, using the power of the blue Zygarde Core “Z2” to cause vines to destroy parts of Lumiose City. Ash and Alain worked together in an attempt to fight off the vines, but Ash was ultimately betrayed by Alain, who was told by Celosiathat Lysandre had ordered Ash to be captured. As such, Alain made no attempt to aid Ash when he and Pikachu got knocked out from Celosia’s Drapion’s Confuse Ray as he is taken captive with Greninja being held captive as well for Team Flare plans and all of his other Pokémon were taken as hostages for both of them at the top of Prism Tower unconscious until Ash woke up noticing the restrains on him then try to get out of them before seeing Greninja unconscious then Pikachu wakes up asking if him and the others are alright with Pikachu responding while the others were still out unconscious at the time. When Lysandre revealed his evil plans to Alain, Ash came to realize that Alain never meant to betray anyone and he did this to help Mairin and her Chespie. Then, Lysandre used Team Flare’s Mega Evolution energy ray to control Ash and Greninja, but they broke free due to Pikachu calling out to him and their Bond Phenomenon. After they broke free, Ash nearly collapsed from using his energy, but Alain showed up to grab him before he did and thanked him for the words he said to bring him into his senses. Ash’s other Pokémon were then freed when Alain’s Charizard used Dragon Claw on the contraptions that were keeping them trapped. The duo then battled Lysandre, and although they were able to defeat his Pyroar early in the battle, Lysandre’s Mega Gyarados was powerful enough to defeat several of Ash’s Pokémon in succession. Ash and Alain were eventually helped by Malva, who claimed that the two of them had inspired her to fight for a better future. When Lysandre rebuffed her, Ash instead lectured him on how everyone has their own tomorrow, and how Lysandre had no right to take that away from them by destroying the world. Lysandre merely called Ash naive. Ash, Alain and Malva were finally able to deafet Lysandre but he told them he’s not done yet and falls of Prism Tower. When he heard about the Megalith and that Mairin Chespin is inside of it he did everything in his power to stop it and he accompany Alain to go and get Chespie out of it along with Pikachu, Greninja, and Alain’s Charizard and they were successful of getting Chespie out of it and stoping the Megailth for a short time until Lysandre showed up and moved it but thanks to the effort of Zygarde along with Pikachu, Greninja, and Alain’s Charziard they were able to destroy the device that he was using to control it. Ash then see the two Zygarde leave and see the sun rise waiting for a new day to come along with everyone helping out watching as well.

Ash helps Clemont rebuilt the gym along with Bonnie, Serena and Meyer also he helps Mairin with the welcome back party for Alain. Ash then heard what Alain had to said and helped him get out of his depression before Team Rocket showed up to steal Pikachu but thanks to the efforts of Ash and Alain they were folded again. Ash and crew were award medals for there efforts against Team Flare then watch the firework display right by Prism Tower. After that night, he went to watch Serena, Shauna, and Jessilee’s TriPokalon in Lumiose City hosted by Serena herself with approval from Professor Sycamore. During the TriPokalon, he, Clemont, Bonnie, along with their Pokémon danced along throughout the entire performance. After the performance, he helped Serena cook dinner by helping out cutting the vegetables. The next day, Ash said goodbye to the rival trio Trevor, Shauna, and Tierno, who have been invited by the professor to investigate the wild Pokémon that left Lumiose City after the Team Flare incident happened, and to Sawyer, who decides to go to Lysandre Labs to help Steven Stone investigate the remnants of the Megalith Zygarde. Sawyer shows the Key Stone that Steven gave him and would like to repay him. Sawyer tells Ash that they will have another battle the next time they meet and made a promise to each other that they will not lose. Sawyer and Ash shake hands with each other and says goodbye to Ash and the gang. Clemont told Ash that he needed to make some adjustments to the Gym with Bonnie’s help, and left Ash and Serena by themselves.

After the others left Ash and Serena, they decided to wander around town. When they arrived at the airport, Ash was happy to hear that the airport’s reopening soon. However, Serena seemed worried. The two continue to walk around the town and stop by at a shop, gazing at some clothes at a clothing store, and even have some cookies as well. However, Ash noticed that Serena was still concerned. Therefore he decides to propose Serena to have a battle with him, so Ash guides Serena to the battlefield, in which he told Serena that the battlefield he showed her was the place that Ash had his first battle in the Kalos Region with Clemont the very first time he arrived in the Kalos Region in Lumiose City. Ash stated to Serena that each time he gets stressed out, he usually has a battle to let out his stressful mind. Ash advises Serena to cheer up, in which she smiles. Serena recalled that she never had a proper battle with Ash before. So she battles him along with her Braxien against his Pikachu. After when Braixen used Fire Blast to hit Pikachu, Ash compliments Serena’s teamwork with Braixen. He even stated that Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon will always be there to support Serena whenever she needed it. Ash admits to her that Greninja hit him all the way during the incident when he realized that he couldn’t do everything alone. He notes that he will always do his best whenever his Pokémon are always there to support him and told Serena that he and Pikachu will always support Serena all the way no matter what, in which Serena sees that they’re right. Serena thanked Ash for helping her make her choice. The next day, Ash congratulated Serena when she announced that she will be going on a performing trip to study performances by visiting other regions, starting with Hoenn. Ash promised her to give her very best with her Pokémon, and that he supported her decision.

Just before Ash and the gang were heading to Lumiose Airport to say their goodbyes, Ash took Goodra back home to the wetlands where it belongs, thanked it for all its help after helping him battle and promised that they would meet again one day. After dropping Goodra off, Ash and the gang noticed another one of the vines popped up again back during the Team Flare Incident in Lumiose City. When Clemont got captured by Xerosic, Ash, his Greninja, along with Serena and Bonnie went to go after Xerosic to rescue Clemont. After Clemont tricked Xerosic by putting a microchip in the side of his head, Xerosic battled against Ash using his Crobat and Malamar, but was defeated by Ash. After Xerosic was arrested by Officer Jenny, Ash and the gang were followed by Z2 and Squishy, where Z2 requested Ash that he needs Greninja to stay with them to obliterate the remaining roots of the Megalith Zygarde. Ash remembered the memories he and Greninja had way back when he first met him, and all the fun moments they had. He realized that it was for the better. So Ash released Greninja in which it accpeted Z2’s request. After Greninja left with Z2 and Squishy, it bid a fond farewell to Ash and the others.

After releasing Greninja, Ash and the gang headed back to Lumiose City to say their final goodbyes. On the day Ash left Kalos, he video called his mother, Delia and Professor Oak with Serena, Clemont and Bonnie. Before leaving for the airport, Professor Sycamore had arrived at Clemont’s house with Alain and Mairin. They explained how they were going to Frost Cavern to help with Sycamore’s research about Mega Evolution. Ash and Alain promised to battle again, and they went their seperate paths. Soon after, Ash and the others headed to the airport. However, Dedenne got upset about having to part ways, so it ran off. The gang searched for Dedenne, and Bonnie calmed it down. Ash promised that he wouldn’t lose in a battle against the two. The gang then said farewell to Serena, who had to catch her flight to Hoenn. Serena told Ash that he was her goal, which surprised him. She also stated that she would become more and more charming the next time they meet. Before Serena left, she had run up the escalator to kiss Ash, which left him even more shocked. In the end, he was confident in Serena’s skills, as he told Clemont that he knew she would become even more strong in Hoenn. Before Ash’s flight back to Kanto, Clemont asked him for a battle. They battled fiercely, but no winner was shown. Ash was then seen on the airplane with Pikachu who rested on his lap. Finally, Ash had reached Pallet Town and went back to his house, telling his mother he was home.

Sun & Moon series

In the Sun & Moon series, Ash traveled with Delia to the Alola region after Mimey won the trip via lottery. It was shown that Ash gave his Kalos Pokémon to Professor Oak, who gave him and his mother a Pokémon egg to deliver to his cousin Samson. While riding a Sharpedo, Ash met Lana, who was fishing on her Lapras with her Popplio. Later on, while losing track of a Grubbin he encountered earlier, Ash stumbled upon the Pokémon School, where he meets Lillie, Mallow, Sophocles, Samson, and Professor Kukui. While being given a tour by Mallow, he noticed Team Skull members confronting Kiawe and battled them alongside him. During this battle, Ash learned of Z-Rings and Z-Moves when Kiawe used Inferno Overdrive from his Turtonator. Later on, while at dinner with his mother, a Pokémon catches Ash’s attention and he goes after it. Eventually, that Pokémon is revealed to be Tapu Koko, the guardian of Melemele Island, who gives Ash a Z-Ring before flying off.

Character

Young Ash

Ash is an only child that lived with his mother, Delia, until he left for his Pokémon journey at the age of ten. His main goal in life, as described in the first episode, is to be the world’s greatest Pokémon Master. One particular characteristic about Ash that has not changed over the course of the series, aside from his determination and his passion for raising and training Pokémon, is that he is incredibly selfless. He will often go to extraordinary lengths to earn a Pokémon’s trust and respect, and to better understand a Pokémon that he sees as troubled. He is also very fair-minded and trusting, a true testament to his good-natured character.

Ash is shown to have a strong sense of justice, especially when it comes to Pokémon. If a Pokémon is in trouble, he will make every effort to help them, even if he has no prior connection to them. If they are the cause of trouble, he will stop them, and then try to understand them, with almost all such occasions being a case of the Pokémon, or their Trainers or friends, having a problem which can’t be resolved normally. In those cases, he will selflessly volunteer to help them. Should the problem be caused by humans, such as Team Rocket, Pokémon thieves, hunters, or poachers, Ash resolves to do anything in his power to stop them.

Despite this, and previous dealings with evil organizations, Ash has retained a remarkably optimistic and naive outlook, a trait his companions seem to share. He is quick to praise and has an unshakable trust in both his Pokémon and his friends. Also, Ash is determined to see the best in everybody unless he has a very good reason not to. An example would be Team Rocket’s frequent ‘sudden appearances’ that coincide with their needs at that time, and Ash never questioning it until it is too late. Another example would be how he always praises Clemont for his inventions, no matter their high failure rate, and the near inevitable explosion, or Cilan for his various hobbies. Furthermore, even though almost all of his friends have large dreams, Ash fully supports them and has never doubted their ability to accomplish them, possibly due to his own highly ambitious goal. He also encourages Pokémon to do the best they can, even if they aren’t his own, and has even helped train wild Pokémon.

In the original series, though Ash actively took part in battles, he was rarely seen independently training his Pokémon. However, since the Advanced Generation series, Ash is shown to train more noticeably, having practice battles with his friends and focusing on moves, techniques, and strategies with his Pokémon. A noticeable trait of Ash’s is his willingness to learn from both his victories and defeats. For example, after winning in a Gym battle against Winona in Sky High Gym Battle! and witnessing her Pokémon’s powerful Aerial Ace, Ash was motivated to have his Swellow learn it. Even his losses can inspire him, such as when he lost to Clayton in Short and To the Punch! and decided to teach his Buizel one of the moves Clayton’s Mr. Mime had used during their battle. He believes nothing he and his Pokémon do on their journey is a waste of time.

In the beginning, Ash had a bit of an inferiority complex, as well as some form of personal pride, most likely stemming from his rivalry with Gary. As a result, he had some bad habits, such as shamelessly boasting of his own skill if he were ever on a winning streak, and becoming angered easily if he were personally insulted, as seen in The Path to the Pokémon League. Ash used to complain about things that were perfectly legal, like Giselle‘s Cubone using a bone in The School of Hard Knocks, or Blaine‘s use of the lava in Volcanic Panic. He even locked himself up in his room and sulked after losing to Ritchie, although this anger was not entirely unfounded as Team Rocket had worn out his Pokémon before the match began. He overcame his disappointment after seeing and listening to how Ritchie took his loss as a way to better himself as a Trainer in Friends to the End. Fortunately, during his journey, Ash has gotten over this particular character trait and is now more accepting of criticism to his own skill, though he still gets upset if his Pokémon are insulted or degraded. This was the primary catalyst for Ash’s bitter rivalry with Paul in the Diamond & Pearl series.

Ash after catching a Pokémon

In most episodes of the anime, especially those during the Johto League arc, Ash befriends someone who will influence him and cause him to strive to become a better Trainer. Although he is not a dependent individual, he is still young and has learned to make his way relying on his friends, particularly the maternal skills of Brock. The honor of “best friend” is usually reserved for Pikachu but Ash has come to see his closest human friends in the same light over time; using the term for Misty and Brock in Gotta Catch Ya Later! as well as May and Max in Battling the Enemy Within.

Ash has changed a great deal over the course of the series, particularly in regards to his skill at Pokémon training, but his earnestness, rashness, and determination have remained. Never straying from his goal, he has remained loyal to his friends, family, and supporters, but most of all his Pokémon. Ash became a great Trainer by learning to find and use the inner strength of each of his Pokémon by bonding with them. For example, when he received a banner filled with prints from his Pokémon in The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!, he knew which Pokémon placed specific prints, showing his close bond with them. He also learns where their hidden abilities lie, as well as resorting to unorthodox strategies when fighting particularly challenging opponents. For example, he uses his Pikachu’s speed to outmaneuver larger foes and attack. In another instance, his Charizard defeated Gary’s Blastoise by causing the field to overheat before mounting a close-quarters attack while Blastoise was blinded by the steam. He also prefers to train a Pokémon to be the best it can without forcing it to evolve, as evidenced by his treatment of Gligar in Fighting Fear With Fear!. He is happy when his Pokémon evolve but lets them choose whether or not they want to evolve instead of forcing them.

Physically Ash is in very good shape, especially for someone 10 years of age. He has constantly been shown to have a lot of stamina, walking miles upon miles through all kinds of environments, while journeying between towns on his journey. He also has huge endurance, as seen when he took powerful attacks from various Pokémon head on and then recovering quite quickly. Furthermore, Ash has demonstrated himself to be a bit acrobatic, occasionally being able to keep up with Iris, who virtually grew up swinging and jumping through treetops. Ash has occasionally displayed great reflexes, being able to dodge attacks or catch falling objects out of the blue, and even being able to save himself, or others, in the last second during perilous situations. What’s more, Ash has exhibited tremendous will power, as seen when he took attacks for long periods of time and keeps advancing, which also drives his “never give up” attitude when it comes to Pokémon battles.

Ash is also quite dense when it comes to matters of the opposite sex, more specifically in the field of romance. Throughout the series, Ash has only displayed open interest in a female only once, and nothing came out of it. Though some girls in the series have actually shown obvious (and subtle) affection towards him, Ash meets it with nearly unfailing obtuseness, which some characters have also noticed. Even when it involves other peoples romance Ash is usually oblivious until someone points it out to him. A few times when it came to a matter of Pokémon love, with a male who’s experiencing difficulty in gaining the attention of a female, while his friends will mainly give advice in improving the male’s looks or charm, Ash’s advice is simply to be stronger.

Early on, Ash originally trained not to further himself but instead to catch more Pokémon than Gary, a feat that he never accomplished. Ash later slowed his pace, which allowed him to focus on the individual traits of each Pokémon. At the Silver Conference, with great humility and maturity, Ash finally won a battle against his old rival, signifying a great milestone in his history as a Trainer. His maturity has also increased in his dealings with Pokémon. This was shown when a Mankey stole his hat in Primeape Goes Bananas, he screamed and yelled at it, even climbing trees just to get his hat back, but when an Aipom did the same in Slaking Kong, he stated merely that he would feel strange without a hat. When Aipom stole his hat again in Setting the World on its Buneary!, however, while she was under his ownership, he chased after her in the same manner as before.

Ash has traversed much of the Pokémon world and has thus far participated in various Pokémon League Conferences, but he is still learning new things about Pokémon all the time. He has also gained a close connection with many Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, such as the ones who played major roles in the movies. In the English dub second movie, he was revealed to be “The Chosen One” – the one who would bring balance back to the world when it was disrupted.

Ash using Aura inside the Tree of Beginning

Although viewed as a normal human, Ash does have some special abilities, as he is said to have the same Aura as Sir Aaron, a legendary hero, and is theoretically able to manipulate it in much the same way. Therefore, he made a connection with Sir Aaron’s Lucario. However, he has not received any training in this field, opting to continue his Pokémon journey instead. He has also been likened to an ancient Aura guardian in The Keystone Pops!, who also had a partner Pikachu. Later, in Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Parts 1 and 2, Ash uses Aura again to locate a lost Riolu and read Riolu’s mind as well. This time, however, he merely senses the Aura, rather than manipulating it.

Though his passion remains in battling, Ash is always eager to try new things, especially if he can do them together with his Pokémon, having participated in other events like Pokémon Contests, PokéRinger tournaments, and even a fashion show and a cosplay convention as well as various other Pokémon competitions. He has Contest Passes for Sinnoh and Hoenn. Ash carries with him half of a broken Poké Ball, while Gary has the other half, as a symbol of their ongoing, but now friendly, rivalry; Misty’s special lure, which she sent to him as a gift; and half of a Ribbon he received after his Contest Battle with May in the unofficial Terracotta Contest ended in a tie.

His father has not been introduced. The anime suggests that his father was once a Pokémon Trainer who began his journey in Pallet Town, and that he is still living. In the original, he is also confirmed to have a grandfather, whose son followed his footsteps. An interview with the series’ storyboarder Masamitsu Hidaka confirmed Ash’s father is a Trainer on his own journey. According to Hidaka, Ash’s father may or may not be introduced in the series, depending on its necessity to further Ash’s maturity and development as a Trainer. On the other hand, according to Takeshi Shudō‘s novelization, Ash’s father left home to go on a journey right after Ash was born, and never returned since. As he never registered his name in the Pokémon Trainer’s list, his whereabouts are unknown.

Pokémon

Ash with all his Pokémon as of The Dream Continues! (except for Squirtle and Primeape) at Professor Oak’s lab

Ash’s full Kalos party

As a Trainer, Ash has caught and befriended a sizable number of Pokémon over the course of the anime. His philosophy on training is that Pokémon are individuals and that a combination of trust, friendship and hard work are needed to overcome adversity. In fact, several of Ash’s Pokémon were caught because they allowed him to, after he befriended them. He seems to battle best with Pokémon that are similar to Pikachu: ones that are speedy and maneuverable, yet able to perform high-powered attacks; however, he is willing to work with any Pokémon that comes into his care.

Ash’s battle style is generally spontaneous and fairly unorthodox, and his Pokémon often reflect these traits. He has been shown to use unusual strategies. For instance, during the Diamond & Pearl series, he incorporated a twisting-spinning type maneuver in his Pokémon’s offensive and defensive techniques, which eventually lead to him creating the original technique, Counter Shield. Also, sometimes he would use someone else’s battle strategies as shown with Paul and Tierno, though when using the latter, Ash stated that his own unique strategy is the one he can truly count on, instead of simply mimicking others.

Ash is very attached to his Pokémon, and prefers to fight and train with them personally. Furthermore, he cares for their opinion, even giving them the option of whether they should evolve or not. As such, the majority of his Pokémon also share Ash’s stubborn and reckless nature, persistently attempting to rise and continue the battle, even after receiving great amount of damage and being at the end of their rope. However, if it is by their own wish, or if he believes it is best for them, Ash will (if sometimes reluctantly) trade or release them, and in some cases, leave them with experienced individuals so that they could get stronger.

Though Ash normally catches five or more Pokémon per region (not including when he traveled through the Orange Archipelago and challenged the Battle Frontier in his second tour of Kanto), he rarely ever switches the Pokémon in his current party with those in storage at Professor Oak‘s Laboratory. He usually only did so when he participated against powerful opponents (such as Trainers in the Pokémon League Conferences, and Frontier Brains), or when attending certain events that requires a specific Pokémon (like Tauros at the Pokémon Swap Meet or Snorlax at the Sumo Conference). However, during the Best Wishesseries, Ash actively cycled through the nine Pokémon he managed to catch in Unova, although these Pokémon, when not in his party, were instead kept in storage at Professor Juniper‘s lab in Nuvema Town. Near the end of his journey in Unova, Professor Juniper transferred all of Ash’s Pokémon to Professor Oak’s lab. Ash has not yet used this system of training in the following series.

Ash currently has ownership of 66 Pokémon, including all 30 of his Tauros. Including pre-evolutions, traded, released and given away Pokémon (and not including the additional Tauros), in total, Ash has currently officially owned a total of 80 different Pokémon species.

On hand

Pikachu  ♂       Rowlet

With Professor Oak

This section shows the Pokémon that Ash keeps at Professor Oak’s laboratory.

Bulbasaur   Charmander>Charmeleon>Charizard     Krabby>Kingler    Muk   Tauros(×30) ♂   Snorlax   Herracross   Chikorita>Bayleef   Cyndaquil>Quilava  Totodile   Treeko>Grovyle>Sceptile   Noctowl    Egg>Phanphy>Donphan   Taillow>Swellow  Corphish  Torkoal  Snorunt>Glalie  Starly → Staravia → Staraptor ♂   Turtwig>Grotle>Torterra   Chimchar>Monferno>Infernape

Buizel ♂	Gligar → Gliscor	Gible ♂	Pidove → Tranquill → Unfezant ♀
Oshawott ♂	Tepig → Pignite ♂	Snivy ♀	Egg → Scraggy ♂
Sewaddle → Swadloon → Leavanny ♂	Palpitoad ♂	Roggenrola → Boldore	Krokorok → Krookodile ♂
Fletchling → Fletchinder → Talonflame	Hawlucha ♂	Egg → Noibat → Noivern ♂

In training

This section is for the Pokémon that Ash still owns but are in the care of another Trainer. Some can be called upon at any time if needed.

Squirtle   Primape

Released

This section is for the Pokémon that Ash formally released back into the wild.

Caterpie → Metapod → Butterfree ♂   Pidgeotto>Pidgeot   Lapras   Froakie>Frogadier>Greninja<>Ash-Greninja

Traded away

This section is for the Pokémon that Ash traded away.

Raticate

Aipom ♀

Given away

This section is for the Pokémon that Ash gave to another Trainer to keep for themselves.

Beedrill

Unofficial

This section is for the Pokémon that Ash had bonded with over the course of several episodes but never officially caught.

Haunter   Egg>Larvitar   Rotom Pokedex