Our hero Ash Ketchum

[Nando]

Hi guys. I hope you're all doing well.

This topic is dedicated to our "hero" Ash Ketchum. I don't know if you guys are keeping up with the anime, but if you aren't, you might not understand this topic.

I've watched almost every single episode of every Pokemon season that has aired in America, so I am very familiar with Ash and how much he's grown to be a great trainer, but lately he's really been getting on my nerves, so to speak. You see, Ash is a great trainer for many reasons: he loves Pokemon, he's great at Pokemon battles - he can come up with crazy strategies in a pinch, he's been to all known regions and has seen many different types of Pokemon including legendaries, etc. I could go on. Bascially, Ash is a great guy and has the potential of being a Pokemon master. But for some reason the person who created or writes the anime doesn't think so. 

Ash has many accomplishments that can prove how great of a trainer he is. I'm going to list them.

Information from Bulbapedia (Not copy and pasted):

Ash has earned all the gym badges from: Indigo League (8 ), Johto League (8 ), Orange League (4), Hoenn League (8 ), Battle Frontier (7), and the Sinnoh League (7). 42 badges total.

Ash has also participated in Pokemon League conferences and has even placed in top 8.

Indigo Conference (top 8 )
Silver Conference (top 8 )
Ever Grande Conference (top 16)

Ash is the Orange League Champion and the Battle Frontier Champion.

Ash has many more accomplishments, but I won't list them. If you want to check those out, go to Ash's Bulbapedia page.

You guys are probably wondering what I am trying to get at here. I'm sorry to have dragged you this far. Let me get to the point once and for all. The thing is, although Ash is such a great trainer, he's always getting tossed around by his rivals, and I am not just talking about Gary. His latest rival in Sinnoh, Paul, has already battled and beaten Ash 2 or 3 times. In their last battle (episode 594), Paul's Electabuzz beat Ash's Monferno (which evolved during their battle), although it was a close fight, Ash still lost. To make the loss seem worse, this battle took place a few episodes AFTER Paul challenged the Battle Frontier Pyramid King, Brandon, and lost, REALLY BADLY (Brandon's team consists of Regice, Regirock, Registeel, Dusclops, Ninjask, and Solrock. Ash faced the same team and won while Paul couldn't take out a single one of Brandon's Pokemon). Ash is actually the REAL Champion of the Battle Frontier (he turned down the offer to be Pyramid King to continue his journey), and yet he lost to Paul? Huh? I know that Ash used his seasoned Pokemon team to beat Brandon, which consists of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, and his powerful Charizard (forgot the other Pokemon Ash was using), but nonetheless, how can someone with so much battle experience lose to Paul? Shouldn't we give Ash some more credit? He deserves it.

I don't know guys. 

Have a good one. Leave your opinion below.

[Noctoli]

i completly agree with you on this but the reason that ash loses in the anime and the manga is to keep the story intresting.  If he kept winning in every battle the story would get boring and then every one would stop watching the show altogether.

[Nando]

Yeah, I know, it's just not fair though.  Ash definitely shouldn't have lost.  He's a million times better than Paul.

Thanks for your post, Noctoli.

[Amphi]

The only reason Ash has any reason to keep on his journey is to get more pokemon, he's already known around the world so why don't the just have him start catching more pokemon like he originally wanted instead of just the six in his team, of course i am happy ash finally got a dragon type pokemon, if he keep gible it will like become the next charizard of his team

[Maelstrom]

it was pretty upsetting when ash let charizard go, even though he was extremely stubborn he was the strong point of the team, especially when he laid smack down on blaines magmar

[boyben10]

as of the latest japanese episode, ash catches a gible. maybe he'll evolve it into a garchomp and finally win some battles.

[Darksworn]

Ash should at least get some Recognition from him and his friends Saving the world the past MILLION TIMES!!!

[Sibone1]

i dont understand how ash sometimes makes stupid judgements in situations and comes across not very experienced when he has been travelling around for years catching, training and battleing pokemon against all kinds of people, teams, gyms, legendaries. He has also managed to get through many many many situations. 600 episodes later, god knows how many films, he should be experienced and able to beat most trainers. I dont like the fact he gets beat by an arrogent new trainer (paul). He will beat paul in the league finals (as he does with all his rivals of the series)!

One more thing that is wierd is how ash checks his pokedex for pokemon he has seen many times before. Pffffft.

p.s he didnt release charizard, he just left charizard in training and can/will recall him whenever needed as he has done a few times in the show.

[mightygamer2]

let's not just focus on ash. let's talk about some of his pokemon, especially that littl yellow friend, pikachu. i mean, in the first gym battle ash had, he took down a freakin' onix....with pikachu...and now, it seems that pikachu has regressed to a much lower level...what's up with that?

[Sibone1]

let's not just focus on ash. let's talk about some of his pokemon, especially that littl yellow friend, pikachu. i mean, in the first gym battle ash had, he took down a freakin' onix....with pikachu...and now, it seems that pikachu has regressed to a much lower level...what's up with that?

omg i forgot about this, ash's pikachu is meant to be a rare strong pikachu (its the main reason team rocket want it) It completely killed that flock of spearow when ash first gets it, as you said takes down an onix after frying brocks geodude. The opening introduction to one of the series shows pikachu's mighty thunder attack blasting through a huge stretch of trees. Yet in the recent series it sucks. I would understand if it was a new pokemon but when its just as experienced as ash is, it should kick ass. Think of the strength it should have buil up after years of batteling. I understand why they make it so it isnt extremely powerfull compared to the rest of ash's new pokemon, but it should be.

I remember t having difficulty beating a treeko that ash catches, come on, a treeko against the super rare, strong, experienced pikachu

[Amphi]

pikachu also should have evolved by now too i don't care if its a nyerking show mascot Raichu is so much cooler in my opinion!!! plus it would become even more of a major power house in ash's arsenal( even though because ash gets beaten easily wouldn't matter much)
also any1 know how old should actually be??? i mean shouldn't he be at least 16... isn't it a bit weird that a 16 year old is traveling with like a 10 year old(dawn) and brock probably around 17 - 18

[mightygamer2]

pikachu also should have evolved by now too i don't care if its a nyerking show mascot Raichu is so much cooler in my opinion!!! plus it would become even more of a major power house in ash's arsenal( even though because ash gets beaten easily wouldn't matter much)
also any1 know how old should actually be??? i mean shouldn't he be at least 16... isn't it a bit weird that a 16 year old is traveling with like a 10 year old(dawn) and brock probably around 17 - 18

no, ash should be around...thirty...and brock...well into his fourties...

[Nando]

let's not just focus on ash. let's talk about some of his pokemon, especially that littl yellow friend, pikachu. i mean, in the first gym battle ash had, he took down a freakin' onix....with pikachu...and now, it seems that pikachu has regressed to a much lower level...what's up with that?

Onix? Yeah, that's impressive, but Pikachu has fought many more powerful Pokemon. Its been in countless battles and has participated in a lot of tournaments - including Pokemon league conferences (Evergrande, Silver, Orange, and soon the Sinnoh Conference). And yet, like you said, the show makes Ash's Pikachu seem like he hasn't grown a bit. Pikachu displayed more power in the first Pokemon episode than he has in the last 300 episodes. 

It's true that Ash would be a much better trainer if he had at least kept his Charizard with him. Ash's Charizard took out Articuno in a full-out battle during the Battle Frontier series (I forgot which Frontier Brain used Articuno). Not every Pokemon can defeat a legendary. Charizard defeating Blaine's Magmar is surely a feat, but nothing compared to defeating an Articuno.

Thank you all for your posts. Have a Happy New Year.

[Amphi]

why don't they just let ash retire already and start a another series with a new trainer and a pichu as his starter or a shinx or something

[Sibone1]

I glad ash left charizard in training and im glad he uses new pokemon every series, how boring would it be if his team was the same for all 600 + episodes. I also wish people would stop chumming charizard sooooo much. Back in the day of the 150 pokemon it was one of the stronger but now it isnt really although it is pretty strong. To all people here who are about 10 and started watching pokemon when the hoenn series or later was on, pokemon isnt just about evolving pokemon to get them as strong as possible (this is a message in the latest series with pauls style of training Vs ash's and it is also a message in an episode where dawn's piplup nearly evolves.) so therefor pikachu should NEVER evolve, plus it takes a thunderstone to do so, ash had the oppotunity in the first series but refuses.

he age thing really isnt a concern, the producers have deliberatly left out how old the characters are and how many years they have been training for. WE know that ash was 10 when he started his journey, it is said in some episodes that ash has been travelling around for a few years. Dawn could be an older new trainer for all we know. There is no rule saying you have to become a trainer at 10 and im not aware of it mentioning anywhere in the show dawns age