Ever since Pokémon made the jump to TV in 1997, Ash Ketchum has been the face of the franchise's anime. Alongside his trusty Pikachu and a carousel of other Pokémon, Ash has spent more than two decades traveling different regions in his quest to become a Master Trainer. Throughout his journey, Ash has endured numerous highs and almost just as many lows, and fans of the series have accompanied the determined kid every step of the way.
As a character, Ash is quite straightforward and serves as a surrogate for the audience to experience the wonder and excitement that defines the Pokémon universe. Due to the sheer quantity of episodes out there, it is easy to miss some key details about the anime's protagonist. Here are 10 such questions, answered.
10 Who Is Ash's Father?
Over the decades, fans have endlessly speculated about the identity of Ash's father. All that is known is that the protagonist's parent headed out on his own Pokémon adventure after Ash was born. Although it is not really focused on a lot, one of the reasons Ash set out on his journey was to follow in his father's footsteps and, perhaps, even meet him in a battle.
Delia, Ash's mother, is basically a single parent. The anime has yet to reveal the identity of Ash's father, although it has confirmed that he is a Trainer. Some have theorized that maybe Professor Oak is Ash's dad, while others have proposed that Ash has a stranger family line.
9 Where Is Ash From?
The Ketchum family is a staple of Pallet Town, a quaint village in Kanto. Although it does not have a Gym or an especially active Pokémon battling community, Pallet Town is home to Professor Oak's Laboratory and has a solid track record when it comes to producing strong Trainers.
It is not unusual for Ash to introduce himself as "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," which presumably does not mean all that much to people outside of the village's immediate vicinity in Kanto.
8 How Old Was Ash When He Set Out On His Adventure?
At the beginning of the anime's run, Ash is stated to be 10 years old, and he is not unusually young for a Trainer. In this universe, it is not uncommon for children to set out on grand adventures that involve catching wild creatures that can breathe fire or hypnotize people. Misty is also around Ash's age.
Ash's current age is harder to deduce. The anime has generally avoided addressing the protagonist's suspended maturity, while different seasons have altered Ash's design to make him seem older or even younger than when he originally started.
7 How Many Pokémon Has Ash Caught?
With 23 seasons covering eight regions, Ash has had plenty of opportunities to expand his collection of Pokémon. Along with his main companion, Pikachu, Ash currently owns 46 different Pokémon. However, that number does not take into account those Pokémon that went through multiple evolutions and the fact Ash owns 30 Tauroses.
There are also those Pokémon that Ash released or traded, including Lapras, Goodra, and Aipom. Therefore, taking all of those factors into account, Ash's total Pokémon count comes in at 128, even if he has never owned anywhere near that many at the same time. There is also Rotom Phone, but that is its own thing.
6 Who Is Ash's Strongest Ever Pokémon?
In theory, Pikachu should be Ash's strongest Pokémon. The electrifying mouse has been through so many battles that it should be at an incredibly high level, but Pikachu can go from competing in the Pokémon League in one season to struggling to take down low-level opponents in the next.
Consequently, the title of Ash's strongest Pokémon has to go to Greninja, specifically Ash-Greninja. Once Greninja achieved this unique form, it could go head-to-head with Mega Evolved Pokémon like Mega Charizard and Mega Gardevoir.
5 How Many Badges Does Ash Have?
Ash might be the most decorated 10-year-old ever. Like in Nintendo's games, the goal of Trainers in the anime is to defeat a region's Gym Leaders (or the area's equivalent), obtain their Badges, and compete in the Pokémon League. Ash has proven to be a success wherever he roams, even after he left Kanto and Gym Leaders stopped giving away badges.
At the moment, Ash has 52 Badges from seven regions, including the four he collected from the anime/manga-exclusive Orange Islands. He also collected all seven Symbols rewarded for defeating Hoenn's Frontier Brains and completed three normal trials and four grand trials in Alola.
4 Has Ash Won A Pokémon League?
Ash has proven more than apt at defeating Gym Leaders, but the experienced Trainer tends to struggle when it comes to the Pokémon Leagues. For a long time, it seemed the anime was reluctant to allow Ash to win one of these conferences out of fear the series would have nowhere left to go.
Now, Ash did win the Orange League, but that was not based on the games and only required beating one opponent after the four main Gym Leaders. After falling short at the last hurdle in Kalos's Lumiose Conference, a Pokémon League Ash should have won, the anime would finally crown its protagonist as the Champion in Alola.
3 Is Ash A Great Trainer?
Considering his experience, Ash is not a particularly great Trainer, but he is a good one. Putting aside the fact he constantly swaps out his team for new members who need a whole lot of training, Ash does not always retain all the lessons learned from previous adventures. Perhaps Pikachu's periodic shocks have done more damage than is apparent.
With the exception of Black & White, Ash has continued to improve with basically each new season. XY marked a high point for the character as a Trainer, presenting an Ash that was more mature and strategic.
2 Does Ash Appear In The Main Games?
Technically, Ash has never officially appeared in any of the main games. However, the protagonist of Pokémon Red & Yellow, Red, holds many similarities with the anime's main character. Both Trainers are from Pallet Town, love to wear hats, and, in Pokémon Yellow, Red also starts with a Pikachu and gets the three main starters – Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur – along the way.
While Ash is at least partially inspired by Red, and vice-versa for the post-anime RPGs, the games and anime exist in their own universes and are not directly linked. That said, the games have dropped hints that Ash does exist as a separate person to Red. This mostly comes in the form of special events that hand out Pokémon implied to have been owned by Ash.
1 What Is Ash Up To In 2020?
Pokémon Journeys: The Series has taken a different approach from most other seasons. Although Generation VIII's Galar has naturally received some attention, Journeys has allowed Ash to revisit many of the other regions. Rather than trying to collected Badges, Ash is competing in the World Coronation Series, a ranking contest that boasts thousands of competitors who are split into four classes. The current Champion is Leon.
Currently, Ash is trying to break into the top 1000 Trainers in the world, a process that is proving easier said than done.