One might think that spending time in the pursuit of becoming a Pokémon Master would be nothing but exciting, but being Ash Ketchum may not be as fun as he makes it out to be. There are plenty of things about Ash's life that are not particularly desirable.
The constant stresses of competing against other Trainers, being followed by a shady group who's always trying to steal his Pokémon wherever he goes, and not being able to enjoy home comforts are just some of the things that Ash has to endure as a result of his Pokémon trainer lifestyle. Wanting to be the best doesn't come without certain sacrifices.
10 Ash Has To Deal With Team Rocket Constantly Following Him
The Team Rocket trio is never far away from Ash and his friends, and it must get old pretty quickly to have a gang following him around all the time in an attempt to steal his Pokémon. It's impossible to gauge how much time and energy Ash has had to expend in order to deal with Jessie, James, Meowth, and their various traps and schemes, but it's safe to say that it's a lot.
9 He Has To Live Through One Failure After Another
If the last 23 years are anything to go by, Ash is fighting an uphill battle in his quest to become a Pokémon Master. He's had to live through countless mistakes, setbacks, and outright failures. After each one, he's had to pick himself up and start all over again. Having to endure all of that as a 10-year-old kid can't be easy, and it's a testament to him that he's been able to keep going.
8 He Has To Live Out On The Road
In order to become a better Trainer, Ash has had to go to various locations across different regions and compete in tournaments. Since he can't drive and doesn't usually rely on public transport, he will mostly travel on foot to these places, eating and sleeping out on the road.
He hardly ever gets to experience the comforts of home, such as sleeping in his own bed instead of in a sleeping bag. This is one of the less glamorous aspects of life as a Trainer.
7 He's Not Able To Live Like A Normal Kid
No one's forcing Ash to become a Pokémon Master. It's his dream, and he's the one who's trying to make it happen. But his determination and refusal to give up mean that he's been missing out on a lot of the things that normal kids take for granted. With all the training, battling, and traveling from place to place, it doesn't leave a lot of room for kid stuff. It's a lot of stress to put on the shoulders of a 10-year-old.
6 He Has To Live With The Guilt Of Leaving His Pokémon With Others
Ash travels with no more than six Pokémon, including Pikachu. Considering he owns a total of 77 Pokémon (including 30 Tauros), a lot of his Pokémon end up on the sidelines. In the back of his mind, Ash must feel somewhat guilty about this. No matter how well the Pokémon are being taken care of at Professor Oak's lab or wherever else, they must get pretty bored and feel unwanted by their Trainer.
5 Ash Hardly Gets To See His Mom
Ash's lifestyle means he hardly ever gets to see his mom, Delia. The only time he gets to eat her home-cooked food and spend time with her is when he goes back to Pallet Town.
It must be difficult for him to be away from his mom so much, and it can't be easy for his mother either. Ash and his mom have traveled together, to the Unova and Alola regions, but they've been apart for the majority of Ash's Pokémon journey.
4 Ash Often Goes Hungry
Many episodes of the Pokémon anime begin with the rumbling stomachs of Ash and his friends, indicating that they probably haven't eaten for a while. The nature of Ash's life means that he often finds himself in between cities or towns in remote areas with few options for food. When he does get his hands on some chow, he makes the most of it, as seen in "Pallet Party Panic" when he says, "Let's eat fast so we can eat again!"
3 He Has To Leave Friends Behind
Every time Ash goes to a new region, he has to say goodbye to the friends or people he's met. He has made lots of friends, but he eventually has to part ways with them because he is on a journey. While it's great that Ash has the opportunity to make a lot of new friends, it must still hurt to have to say goodbye to them so often.
2 Ash Is Always Getting Sidetracked
Whether it's to take part in a water chariot race, lure a giant Claydol while dressed as an eggplant, or save a forest from being eaten by a horde of Pinsir, Ash spends a lot of time dealing with things that are not related to becoming the best Pokémon Master in the world. It could be said that these distracting situations provide Ash with valuable experience, but a fair amount of them are just bizarre tangents that simply waste his time.
1 Ash Never Sees His Dad
The identity of Ash's dad is shrouded in mystery. The only thing known about him is that he is also a Trainer. Ash's mom, Delia, has mentioned that his dad and his grandfather are both on their own Pokémon journeys, but apart from that, no information has been divulged about him. There's much speculation as to who Ash's father is, with some believing it's Professor Oak, while others think it's Team Rocket head honcho Giovanni.