After the huge success ofPokémon RedandPokémon Bluein 1996, the first animated series,Pokémon: Indigo League, launched in 1997. This TV series introduced fans to the character of Ash Ketchum and followed his journey in becoming a Pokémon master. Ash has since become one of the most recognizable fictional characters and he has been featured in all of the anime series, animated films, and more than one TV special.
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One of the main criticisms that surround Ash Ketchum is that he never seems to age, leaving him stuck in the same timeline throughout multiple series. Many began to wonder whether Ash would even achieve his goal of becoming a Pokémon master, but finally,after 22 years Ash won a Pokémon league championship. Here we look at five reasons why Ash should grow up, and five why he shouldn’t.
10Don’t Want: Ho-Oh Theory
One of the longest perpetuated fan theories is based on Ash seeing the Pokémon Ho-Oh in the very first episode of the first series. When Ho-Oh was first seen in the TV series, it was an unknown Pokémon that wouldn’t arrive properly until generation two, leading many to believe its inclusion holds some importance and is more than just a passing cameo. Ho-Oh’s Pokédex entry explains that those who witness it “are promised an eternal happiness” and so fans believe Ash wished for his Pokémon journey to never-end, beginning the time loop in which he never leaves.
It would be a shame for this much-loved fan theory to be put to bed if Ash were to age. Although it could be argued that Ash’s journey has already ended by him finally winning the league championship, meaning this theory has already been debunked.
9Want: Old Man Ash
One of the reasons Ash finally aging would be great is that we’d possibly get to see an old man version of Ash in action. He could pass the torch onto another new protagonist, maybe even being the one who gives that character their first Pokémon and taking on the role of mentor for them, much like Professor Oak was for Ash.
It seems hard to imagine Ash sharing any wisdom, as he isn’t exactly the brightest character in thePokémonseries and he’s far from being qualified enough to take on the role of a Pokémon Professor. Regardless, he has gained invaluable experience from his multiple journeys that he could pass on to his successor.
8Don’t Want: Pikachu
Naturally, if Ash were to begin aging then his Pokémon partner would too and that begins to raise the question of how long Pikachus live for exactly? We know that while some legendary Pokémon can seemingly live for thousands of years, normal Pokémon are mortal,as seen in this list of deaths. Would we have to see an older Ash laying his buddy to rest eventually? Would Pikachu finally decide that it wants to evolve into Raichu before that?
Either way, those are questions we don’t really want to be answered. No one wants to see Pikachu die permanently. After all, our favorite little electric type has arguably died twice already in the TV series, though he was brought back to life afterward each time.
7Want: Misty and Brock
It’s not just Ash that we’d love to see age, but his close friends Misty and Brock too (not to mention the numerous companions who came after). There are so many ways that the original trio could end up so it could make for some exciting content to see how their older counterparts live. Perhaps they get together again when they are fully grown to start a new set of adventures.
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Additionally, the characters could go on to have children of their own, creating the possibility of a new adventuring trio made up of the offspring of the original characters. The show could even mix it up by making it Misty or Brock’s child that is the main protagonist.
6Don’t Want: Bike Accident Theory
If Ash were to age there would be another theory that would be debunked; the bike crash fan theory. In the first episode, Ash crashes Misty’s bike and there are fans who believe that this crash actually put Ash into a coma, meaning that every event that follows after is actually a fantasy created by Ash’s mind as he lies in a hospital.
Though not as popular as the Ho-Oh theory, being able to have these different ideas as to why Ash doesn’t age is part of the fun of thePokémonfandom. Do we really want that mystery solved?
5Want: More Mature Plots
It would be great if we received a new series with an older Ash that had more mature content, such as grittier battles and darker tones. This isn’t particularly likely, as with a reduced target audience there would be less chance of the series making a profit.
However, it could work as a side-series, being released alongside another standard Pokémon series that is typically more PG-rated. The normal show could air during the day, while the more mature series could be a late-night viewing aimed at older fans of thePokémonfranchise.
4Don’t Want: Mewtwo Theory
With a boy that seemingly stays forever stuck at the age of ten years old, you should know by now that there are plenty of theories to explain this. Another popular theory is that when Ash is turned to stone by Mewtwo inPokémon: The First Movie, his body becomes frozen in time. Although the tears of the Pokémon bring him back to life, it doesn’t undo the time-freeze, preventing him from ever aging again.
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ThePokémonfranchise has continued for so long without Ash aging, with the fan base building so many theories around this that it would seem a shame to finally end all that speculation by having Ash grow up.
3Want: Ash’s Dad
Though Ash’s mother, Delia Ketchum, features throughout the series, fans never see Ash’s father and it appears as though Ash’s mother raised him all by herself. Though there are a few fan theories as to who Ash’s father might be, it would be great to finally know once and for all and find out whether he is still alive, and if so why he left his family.
Now that Ash has won a Pokémon league championship, we could potentially see him aging into a teenager and focusing more on discovering his own roots and starting a new journey to seek out his father.
2Don’t Want: Professor Oak
If we were to see Ash aging, especially if he reached an old man status of his own, that would call into question what would happen to Professor Oak. Could fans really bear to deal with the death of this beloved character?
Of course, the series could circumvent this somewhat by using similar characters in his place after his death, not unlike the use of multiple Nurse Joys. We’ve already seen relations of Oak that bear a resemblance to him, such as Samson Oak from thePokémon SunandMoonseries, as well as Grand Oak who is presumably a relative also. Maybe Gary will grow up to take Oak’s place and resemble him more in his old age.
1Want: Closure
One thing is for sure, it’s always good to have closure. Perhaps it’s time that fans had a proper ending to Ash’s story after more than twenty years, after all, we’ve already seen him win at the champion league now, this could be the start of the series wrapping up Ash’s plot.
The question is whether they’d age Ash to get this closure, or just end his story with him still staying at the age of ten. There are definitely arguments for and against Ash aging, but if fans finally saw Ash grow up it would definitely put to bed any remaining theories and bring closure to thePokémoncommunity.
