Ash Ketchum

Ash Ketchum is the protagonist of the fictional anime Pokémon. There are also incarnations of him in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the Pokemon 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 now defunct slogan, "Gotta catch 'em all!"

Personality

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Ash wearing the outfit worn in the Original series.

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Ash wearing the outfit worn in the Advanced Generation series.

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's also extremely confident and valiant, but he can be slightly arrogant and very stubborn. 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 , though such events are usually used for comedic effect.

Ash has quite the reckless streak, as shown espically in the movies. In the first movie, he runs into the path of a pair of psychic attacks fired by Mewtwo and Mew, getting himself temporarily killed ; in the second movie, he runs into electrical cages containing Moltres and Zapdos in an attempt to free them ; in the third movie, he runs into a force field protecting the elusive Unown; in the fourth movie, he runs up the side of a tree after being hit by one of Celebi's attacks and also ventures into "a giant twig monster" to rescue a brainwashed Celebi; and in the fifth movie, Ash runs into a force field that is hurting Latios, Pikachu, and Latias, doing likewise. In an episode in the anime, Ash gets himself possessed by an ancient evil king's spirit, because he just could not resist messing with the ancient artifacts.

Dreams and Destiny

Like most shōnen protagonists, he is on a great quest; in this case, Ash seeks to become the world's greatest [Pokémon Master]]. 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, such as Agatha, Lorelei (Prima in the English dub), Bruno, Drake and Steven, but has yet to defeat one.

Ash 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. 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.

Friends

Template:Spoiler Ash considers his best friend to be his Pikachu. In the first episode, Pikachu dislikes him, and shows it by shocking him frequently. It still shocks him to wake him up in emergencies. 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.

Misty, one of the four Cerulean City Gym Leaders, is the first person to accompany Ash, who follows Ash throughout Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto regions. Ash met Misty in the first episode, as well, and "borrows" her bike to escape a flock of Spearow and take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center. In the process, Pikachu accidentally shocked and destroyed the bike. Misty gets angry and decides to "follow" him, until she got the bike back. During the Whirl Cup tournament, Ash found a rival in Misty. Though Ash lost to her, the two still remained friends. In the penultimate episode of the Original Series, "Gotta Catch Ya Later!", Misty admits to Ash that she used the broken bike as an excuse for them to become friends. She also had to return to Cerulean in order to run the gym in the absence of her sisters. As Misty says goodbye, Ash swears that they will see each other again. Ash and Misty have met up with each other in episodes like "The Princess and the Togepi" and "The Scheme Team".

Brock was the Pewter City gym leader until the time he met Ash. He tags along with Ash throughout almost every region (except for the Orange Islands). Ash first met Brock in Pewter City when attempting to win the Boulderbadge from him. Ash learned from Brock's father, Flint, that Brock has to take care of his ten siblings all by himself. After conciding the first match against Brock and surrending again due to him feeling the match was unfair for Brock, Brock admitted to Ash that he wanted to be a breeder instead of a trainer. Brock's father took care of his siblings and the gym while Brock joined Ash and Misty. Brock didn't travel with Ash and Misty through the Orange Islands, because he wanted work with Professor Ivy. In the episode, "A Tent Situaton" he returns to travel with Ash and Misty in the Johto region. Whenever he's asked why he didn't stay with Professor Ivy, he crawls in a fetal position and says: "Don't mention that name!" Ash has traveled with Brock through every other region since then and are currently going through the Shin'ou region.

Tracey Sketchit is the third to travel with Ash, even though it was only during the Orange Islands. Ash and Misty first met Tracey in the episode, "The Lost Lapras". Ash and Misty got in a battle with three trainers who were abusing a baby Lapras. Tracey interrupted the battle and began to draw and criticize the three trainers' Pokémon. Tracey was very impressed with Ash's Pikachu and its Thundershock attack, which sent the trainers running. Tracey instantly decided to travel with Ash and Misty when he learns they know his idol, Professor Oak. Inevitably, when Ash and Misty returned to Pallet from the Orange Islands, Tracey decided to stay there and became Professor Oak's assistant. Ash always sees Tracey whenever he returns to Pallet Town.

May joined Ash the day he entered the Hoenn region. May was biking to Littleroot Town to get her first Pokémon, but had to wait when Professor Birch was helping Ash with his ill Pikachu, but she decided to help Ash find his Pikachu. After finding Pikachu, Team Rocket tried to steal it by absorbing its excess electricity. In the process, one bolt of electricity hit May's bike and destroyed it (a callback to how Ash met Misty). May was upset at first, but she noticed how much love and knowledge Ash had of Pokémon and when she chose Torchic as her starter Pokémon, she decided to travel with him so he can show her the ropes. May traveled with Ash in the Hoenn region, and when Ash returned to Kanto to compete in the Battle Frontier. Before leaving to go compete in the Johto Pokémon contests, May and Ash had a small rivalry when he decides to try a Pokémon Contest. They faced each other in the final battle and the match ended in a draw, and they spilt the prize, the Contest Ribbon, in half, for each of them to have.

Max, May's little brother, traveled with Ash, May, and Brock through the Hoenn region and Battle Frontier. Ash first met Max at the Petalburg City, pretending to be the gym leader. Ash nearly believed him and decided to battle him, but the two of them argue over who had to choose their Pokémon first. May sees them and it's revealed that she's Max's sister and her father is the gym leader. Max recognized Ash when seeing him battle in the Silver Conference and was impressed with his skill, although he's quick to note that Ash lost in the second round of the championship part of the tournament. Max decides to travel with Ash and May to see Pokémon. When he found out May wanted to go Johto, Max became very upset, because he would miss Ash and Brock. Ash comforts Max, and promises him that they'll battle when Max becomes a trainer.

Hikari is Ash's newest friend. Hikari wants to become a Pokémon Cooridinator like her mom. Hikari found Ash's Pikachu when it was caught by Team Rocket. She is told by Professor Nanakamondo that the Pikachu belongs to Ash. She managed to eventually return his Pikachu to Ash, and he offered her to join Ash and Brock, which she accepted.

Throughout the entire series, Ash meets and befriends many different people during his journey, nearly all of which only appear once in the series.

Pokémon

Ash strongly considers all of his Pokémon to be his friends, as well. As a Pokémon trainer, Ash carries six Pokémon with him that form 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.

When Ash first had six Pokémon (Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle) Ash caught a Krabby and it was transferred automatically meaning that Pikachu was counted as one of Ash's Pokémon he has in his party. Pikachu stays with Ash even when he is not on Ash's party; when Ash battles Gary in the Silver Conference, he uses Tauros, Heracross, Muk, Bayleef, Snorlax and Charizard, while Pikachu stays on the sidelines.

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.

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

• Pikachu

Pikachu was the first Pokémon that Ash obtained, and the only one that has always been with him. Since it prefers not to stay in its Poké Ball, the two spend all their time together. 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 "Haruka vs Shū! The Final Battle". Ash met Aipom in a mountain where it worshipped a giant Slaking and stole Ash's hat, mirroring what Primeape 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 occasonally 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 Pokemon with the exception of Pikachu, but Aipom stowed away on the ship. So Ash welcomed Aipom into his Shinou squad. Travels with him for the end of the Battle Frontier saga and so far the beginning of the Sinnoh saga.

• Mukkuru

Ash captured Mukkuru at the end of Diamond and Pearl episode #2. Aipom accidentally attacked Mukkuru in the forest after they crashed in midair. Aipom won with Focus Punch and Ash threw the Poké Ball and captured it, making Mukkuru Ash's first Sinnoh Pokémon. Ash was excited to catch the Pokémon, although he felt sad after remembering Pikachu wasn't with him due to the fact that it had been stolen and lost by Team Rocket.

• Naetle

Ash captured Naetle at the end of Diamond and Pearl episode #5, "Get Naetle". A wild Naetle rescues Pikachu from Team Rocket, but when Ash finds Pikachu with Naetle, Hikari tries to catch it with Pochama, which causes a Razor Leaf aimed at Pochama to unintentially hit an Oddish. The knocked out Oddish then puts Ash and Pikachu asleep with Sleep Powder, but Naetle flees, and carries Pikachu to a safe place. Trying to get Pikachu back, Ash meets up with the Naetle and then befriends it. After Ash rescues it from Team Rocket, Naetle grows attached to him and wants to battle him. Accepting the challenge, Pikachu and Naetle face off, Pikachu ends up winning by slamming Naetle against a tree using Iron Tail, and finishing the fight with a Thunderbolt. Ash then throws a Poké Ball and captures it. Naetle shows some characteristics of James' grass Pokémon, because Naetle bites Ash's head in the episode "Forest of Hesitation! Shinji Again!".

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. Muk is still very affectionate towards both Ash and Professor Oak, and is often seen smothering Professor Oak, and most recently Professor Birch.

• Tauros

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, where Snorlax showed off its newly-learned Ice Punch. 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 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 the fact of wanting to play with Pokémon that are smaller than it, Ash has used Donphan in a battle 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 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 is now second only to Charizard as Ash's most powerful Pokémon, even managing to hold its own against a Deoxys and Regirock. Being Ash's fourth stage 2 evolved Pokémon, 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. 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 pokemon 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, which it lost.

• 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.

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.

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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.

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 two warrior 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.

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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 of 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 Generation, 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.

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 Pokemon 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 smoke. 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. It also makes an appearance in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

• 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. It is disputed whether Ash actually caught Haunter; he at least befriended it.

• 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.

File:Lapras anime.jpg

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.

• 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. 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. While its not known if he actually caught Larvitar, he at least befriended it. He also used it to battle once, in "Address Unown!".

Family

Ash's mother is Delia Ketchum (or Hanako in Japan). She is a caring, though strongwilled 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.

Foes

Jessie, James, and their Pokémon, Meowth are Ash's greatest foes, although they occasionally work together in situations like during Pokémon: The Movie 2000. Ever since the second episode, the three of them have always tried to steal Pikachu and have always failed.

Rivals

Ash has made numerous rivals in the course of the series, some throughout a region, others in Pokémon Competitions. During the Orange Island and Battle Frontier sagas, Ash did not have a rival.

Kanto Rivals

Throughout the Kanto and Johto sagas, Ash had an arch-rivalry with Gary Oak. On his tenth birthday, Ash was to receive his first Pokémon. But he overslept, and by the time he arrived at Professor Oak's Laboratory, all the starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) had been taken (his original choice was Squirtle, which ironically was taken first by Gary Oak) and he had to start with a Pikachu instead. 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 one step ahead of Ash, usually turning him down and mocking his skills as a Pokémon trainer whenever they met. Ash eventually finished the Indigo League Tournament one round above Gary, though they did not get to battle. After traveling 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 ending the rivalry. However, it was noted that they would still always be rivals in some way. Ash later reunites with Gary in Pallet Town after his victory in the Battle Frontier. Having just come back from Sinnoh, Gary, with his new Elekible, challenges Ash to a battle and wins. Gary then announces his intent to return to Sinnoh, which spurs Ash to travel there himself.

During the Indigo League Tournament, Ash's rival was Richie, a nearly identical trainer who even had some of the same Pokémon. Richie defeated Ash when Ash's Charizard refused to battle, but after the tournament was over they parted as good friends.

Johto Rivals

Ash met a beginner Pokémon trainer named Casey almost as soon as he started through Johto. Casey is baseball enthusiast and a diehard fan of the Electabuzz team. She chose Chikorita as her first Pokémon and has already caught a Pidgey and a Rattata. Ash battles her with his Charizard and wins with one attack in each round. Team Rocket tricks Casey into believing that Ash had cheated. She demands a rematch against Ash, but during their battle, Team Rocket attempts to steal Ash and Casey's Pokémon. Ash and Casey cooperate to stop them and managed to save their Pokémon. Convinced that Ash is not a cheater, Casey decides to continue training and the two of them gained a friendly rivalry. Ash and Casey battle against each other once more in the Bug Catching Contest. Ash won the contest, but gave her the Beedrill that he caught.

During the Johto League, Ash becomes rivals with Harrison, a trainer with a powerful Blaziken. Harrison's Blaziken ultimately defeated Ash's Charizard during their battle, allowing Harrison to advance to the Top Four. Harrison lost his next match due to his Blaziken being unable to fight, and then went off to compete in the Indigo League. Harrison, originally from Hoenn, encourages Ash to pursue his quest in Hoenn as he himself journeys through Kanto.

Ash also met Jackson (also known as Vincent) from the Legend of Thunder movie. When Vincent and Ash fought, their match ended in a draw, but Ash was able to proceed to the Championship Tournament, and eventually battle Gary and Harrison.

Hoenn Rivals

Shortly before and during the Hoenn League Tournament itself Ash had a harsh rivalry with a trainer named Morrison, whose signature Pokémon was a Beldum (which later evolved into Metang). Morrison's other known Pokémon are Swampert, Growlithe, Girafarig, Steelix, and Gligar. Ash successfully beats Morrison in the tournament semifinals, disqualifying him from the competition.

Ash also becomes rivals with Tyson, a trainer with a Meowth (In-Boots). Meowth-In-Boots walks upright due to injuries sustained during a battle with a Persian. Meowth-In-Boots defeated Pikachu in their battle, allowing Tyson to advance to the Top 4 and ultimately become Hoenn League Champion.

Sinnoh Rivals

In the Sinnoh region, Ash meets an arrogant, uncaring young trainer named Shinji, who quickly becomes Ash's new rival. Ash's old rival Gary will also most likely return, since Gary was the reason Ash came to Sinnoh in the first place. Template:Endspoiler