Ash Ketchum was fortunate to have friends who accompany him on most of his journeys through the wonderful world of Pokémonregardless of whether you have your own plans or just want to come along.

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Most Pokémon seasons have balanced character dynamics, with everyone in the tour group learning at least something from each other. Traveling with Ash and his Pokémon isn’t always a walk in the park, although it certainly has its perks.

10 Harsh reality: Walking is the main strenuous form of travel

Although there are modes of transport in the Pokémon world, be it vehicles or Pokémon, Ash has always chosen to walk whenever possible so that he can explore almost every single region. While this offers more content and story for the anime series, in reality it would likely get tiresome after a while as there are faster alternatives.

Those who accompany Ash on his adventures have to get used to a camping lifestyle and keep moving consistently, with the exception of Sun & Moon and Pokémon Journeys for the most part, as both series are formatted differently.

9 Advantage: Traveling with Ash enables his friends to broaden their horizons and see the world in a new light

Ash’s Pokémon journey has been a long one, and he’s had the joy of meeting so many new people and Pokémon along the way, in part because of his exploration of nearly 100% of every region he visited. While he was accompanied by the likes of Brock and Misty to regions outside of their homeland, he also had travel companions who are from the region in which he is currently staying.

With people like May and Dawn in Hoenn and Sinnoh, however, even though they come from these regions, they still see and learn so much more than they had the opportunity or motivation before. Traveling with Ash gives them the opportunity to see the bigger world, starting with the rest of their own region, and allows them to broaden their horizons and maybe even go beyond in the future.

8th Harsh reality: he relies on others to take care of him

Whenever Ash’s mom interacts with him, it is clear that she takes good care of him when he’s at home, which means he’s used to people looking after him and taking care of him. Over the years, Ash has been fortunate to have a travel companion for his extended travels who fills that void when it comes to cooking and cleaning, Brock and Cilan being prime examples.

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Throughout the entire anime Brock has shown incredible patience with Ash, where most people would get lost and demand that he take more responsibility for himself.

7th Advantage: Ash is always a loyal friend to those who join him and welcomes them into his family

For all of his weaknesses, one thing that cannot be questioned is his loyalty to his friends, both humans and Pokémon. Traveling with Ash means everyone will spend a lot of time together, however That leaves a lot of time to connect and become a close-knit group.

Especially when Ash is traveling with Brock there are tons of episodes where they stop to eat and ask all Pokémon to join in. The image of the Pokémon running around and having fun while the trainers sit, watch, and talk is enough evidence that they enjoy their free time as much as their adventures because they all enjoy it together.

6th Harsh Reality: The journey generally revolves around Ash and his arena battles

Ash Ketchum’s impulsive and impatient personality can make travel a little rushed, all in the name of Ash, who masters his gym challenge as quickly as possible. Although Ash always walks through each region in a logical order and traverses cities similar to a player in the games, the general direction of his journey is mainly influenced by Ash’s wishes.

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His traveling companions have a rough idea of ​​what they’re signing up for at first, but even if they make a detour along the way, Ash’s first thought often quickly comes back to his arena fights.

5 Advantage: Ash lives up to the goals of others if there is not too much detour

Ash understands that his traveling companions will often have different destinations and destinations along the way, but his friends often have to check with him if they want to make a detour. If this detour seems interesting or isn’t too far from the nearest town and gym, Ash will often be fine with it.

When it comes to Pokémon competitions, Ash likes to turn to cheerleading and briefly distract his mind from gym fights, though he still sneaks in training whenever he can. As long as his friends’ plans do not completely contradict his, he will fully support him.

4th Harsh reality: Ash can be immature and impatient, and often stimulate argument

Ash screams and Ash is electrocuted

One fact about Ash that often confuses or annoys fans is that he never really ages and remains as a 10 year old child throughout the anime. This means that sometimes his personality can be anywhere Immaturity, impatience, irritability and much more show what would be particularly annoying and frustrating to cope with as a travel companion.

Ash is often so consumed with his determination to be the best and to beat that everything else becomes secondary to him. His friends refer to him as “dense” and “immature,” which can lead to arguments.

3 Advantage: Travel companions can learn from Ash’s love for Pokémon and his tenacity in combat

Although Ash often disregards other people’s advice in combat, his dedication to his Pokémon and determination in battle can be inspiring to anyone. Ash has earned people’s respect on many occasions through his tireless and determined approach and approach to everything.

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There was always at least one travel companion of Ash who learned from him on his travels and adjusted his own attitudes and processes accordingly. Dawn and May were both beginner coaches at the beginning of their journey, learned from Ash and made rapid progress.

2 Harsh Reality: Ash’s impulsive personality and kind heart mean he’ll be in direct danger without thinking

Pikachu and a stone ash

Ash’s love and devotion for his friends, both humans and Pokémon, has resulted in him risking his life to protect others, whether or not jumping on an escaping vehicle get in the way of an opposing Pokémon’s train. While this is honorable, his determination to save others from danger will often throw him and those around him headlong into that danger.

Although Ash and his friends are sure to show up, these dangerous moments end up endangering their health and well-being each time, with the Pokémon obviously being more vulnerable.

1 Advantage: Traveling with Ash will ultimately be an unforgettable experience

Despite all of the dangers, trials, and difficulties Ash and his friends face on their travels, they are still blessed with memories that will last a lifetime. You will have encounters with all sorts of Pokémon including Legendaries, experience everything the regions have to offer, and meet all sorts of weird and wonderful people.

Following Ash on his journey enables his companions to see the world with friends while sticking to a general plan that says that Ash wants to complete his Gym Challenge and earn all the badges.

NEXT: Pokémon: 10 tough realities of being a water guy

Naruto uses Rasengan (left);  Naruto as an adult (right)


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About the author

Tom Stahl
(186 published articles)

Tom Steel is a writer and contributor to CBR on all topics related to anime. He is primarily interested in Pokemon, but also in television, film, games, and sports. As a graduate of German studies, Tom almost embarked on the path of journalism and is now looking forward to pursuing it in a different role. Keep an eye out for his lists and delve deep into the Pokemon anime and games, along with so much more. Follow him on Twitter at @ Steelio307

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