Dawn’s Addition To The Duo Of Ash & Brock Was Refreshing & Effortless
During the adventures of Diamond & Pearl through the Sinnoh region, the team of Dawn, Ash and Brock has perfect synergy and team chemistry. Dawn is confident and focused on becoming a top Pokémon Coordinator, taking inspiration from Ash, his drive and determination to become the best, albeit as a Pokémon master rather than a coordinator.
Ash trades his Aipom for Dawn’s Buizel, which is a sign that Ash really considers her a good friend. This normally wouldn’t matter when considering trading, but Ash generally avoids trading Pokémon as he loves to connect with his Pokémon as friends, and his brief trade of Butterfree for a Raticate back in the Kanto adventures showed his inner turmoil.
The Existential Horror Of Ashachu
A great way to quickly improve a relationship is to metaphorically put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and try to get a better idea of how they think and feel about things. That said, it’s not usually considered a good idea to literally put yourself into their shoes, or, in the absence of shoes, to use dark magic to reshape your body into a twisted mockery of theirs in defiance of God and man.
In “Hocus Pokemon,” a full-on witch named Lily casts a spell that’s meant to give Ash some insight into how Pikachu thinks, and winds up turning him into a Pikachu himself. It is, to say the least, a pretty odd experience for everyone involved, but it’s especially concerning that Ash’s first reaction to this polymorphic sorcery is to freak out at the very prospect of being a Pikachu forever. He does this right in front of his actual Pikachu, which has to be more than a little insulting, right?
Eventually, Ash reverts back to his normal human form or as normal as you can be when you’ve spent two decades as a ten-year-old with the information retention of a goldfish and all is more-or-less well. Still, it has to make the relationship a little weirder when one person has actually been the other, or at least worn their shape like a horrifying doppelgänger.
And The Journey Continues
Friendship isnt simple. To stand by a person through good times and bad takes courage. To dive in front of a flock of angry Spearow for them takes courage of heroic proportions. Ash, despite all of his flaws and past mistakes, would not hesitate. Neither would Brock, Jessie, James, Meowth or Pikachu. Their commitment, not just to some abstract, undefinable idea of becoming a Pokemon Master, but to the idea of friendship is and will always be what drives their journeys forward.
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Pikachu: The Pity Pokemon
There are a lot of ways to tank a friendship right from the start, but one of the easiest is for one party to make it clear that they’re just slumming it with the other because no one else is available. Bare minimum, someone’s going to feel unappreciated, and at worst, that gives the relationship a foundation built on the idea that someone’s just not good enough. It’s pretty rough, then, that in the canon of the Pokemon anime, Pikachu wasn’t Ash’s first choice for a Pokemon partner. Or his second. Or even his third.
You can see it happen for yourself in the first episode of the anime. In a testament to how lousy Ash actually is at being a Pokemon trainer, he overslept on the day he was supposed to begin his journey as an itinerant animal brawler. As a result, he didn’t get to choose one of the standard starter Pokemon, and instead was given a suspiciously powerful Pikachu by Professor Oak. In other words, Pikachu was actually a Pity-chu.
To make matters worse, some of the first Pokemon that Ash actually caught once he was out on the road were Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander the same three Pokemon that Ash would’ve chosen from if he hadn’t slept in. It’s bad enough to know that you weren’t someone’s first choice of companionship, but being constantly surrounded by the people who actually were has to hurt pretty hard. No wonder Pikachu spends most of the first season trying to electrocute Ash whenever he has the opportunity.
Pikachu Trusts Meowth After Losing Its Memory
While traveling through a forest, Ash and friends have a run-in with Team Rocket. In their attempt to kidnap Pikachu, their machine explodes, sending everyone blasting off. The blast separates Ash and Pikachu, and Pikachu loses its memory in the process. Meowth encounters the newly amnesiac Pikachu and decides to trick Pikachu into thinking it’s a member of Team Rocket. Pikachu believes and trusts Meowth, treating the Pokémon like one of its best friends. On the other hand, when Pikachu finally comes face to face with Ash and the rest of its friends, the Pokémon is hostile. Thankfully, Pikachu’s memory does return later on.
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Ash & Pikachu Are The Ideal Pokmon And Trainer Example
The Pokémon series also shows fans that Ash and Pikachu have similar morale values. They both believe in hard work, and in doing the right thing when presented with challenges or a chance to help others. They have a shared desire not to just explore the world, but do everything in their power to make it a better place. They both have deep compassion and a genuine interest in the Pokémon and people they encounter, which allows them to seamlessly communicate when working together to solve problems. Fans of the Pokémon series see this countless times as the pair work together in the anime to aid those in need. Because their goals are similar, Ash and Pikachu create solutions as a team, working together as a seamless unit.
The most important factor in Ash and Pikachu’s relationship throughout the Pokémon series, however, is trust. Their partnership is built firmly on the foundation of mutual trust in each other, and they each know the other will always have their back in difficult situations. Ash and Pikachu’s connections shows Pokémon viewers that being honest and open about feelings, and building trust, helps build meaningful relationships and creates a connection – which is the primary goal for Pokémon and their trainers.
The Entire Alola Class
Pokémon Sun & Moon is full of memorable characters, some of which are fan favorites. It’s also one of the anime’s most refreshing seasons in that it features Ash going to school like any other ten-year-old.
Ash befriends his entire class, among them passionate Kiawe, bright Sophocles, tender Lana, and outgoing Mallow. Lillie, Gladion, and to a lesser degree, Hau are also among his group of friends. Ash becomes close with all of them and even forms a superhero-like team with them, the Ultra Guardians. At the end of the season, as he’s on the plane back to Kanto, they all ride their flying Pokémon and say goodbye to him, moving him to tears.
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Pikachu Loses To Brock’s Onix
Over the course of the anime, fans have become accustomed to Pikachu overcoming the odds and coming out on top. However, even Pikachu had to face defeat in order to get stronger. At Ash’s first gym battle, he and Pikachu come face to face with Brock and his Onix. Both Ash and Pikachu are still inexperienced, having just begun their journey together. So it might not be a surprise that the two of them are no match for Brock and his Onix. Pikachu is already at a type disadvantage and quickly falls victim to Onix’s overwhelming strength. It’s a disappointing battle for the duo, but also an important one for their growth as partners.
Every Friendship Has Its Ups And Downs
Ash, his Pokemon, his friends, and others arent always happy, cheerful and enjoying themselves.
In fact sometimes things turn sour, or life gets in the way, or something else stands in the way of their friendship in general.
Life is no different
You embrace the obstacles, accept them, push past them, and crush it to bits. So you can move forward and grow from the experience.
A perfect friendship doesnt exist. Its your attitude towards it that makes the real difference.
Especially in the long run.
So to summarize this post:
- The best friendships take time.
- Friendship is about being there for each other.
- Friendship is about sharing experiences.
- real friendships last a lifetime.
- Every friendship has its ups and downs.
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Misty Could Be Difficult For Ash To Stand At Times But Was Always There For Him
As part of the original trio along with Ash and Brock, it is easy to forget that Misty was initially following Ash because he destroyed her bike and she was willing to annoy him until he paid her back. Over the years, she has become more than just the Cerulean City Gym Leader, as a valued member of the team.
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She is never afraid to bring Ash down a peg or two if he really needs to, and is always there for him to offer advice and support, earning her spot as one of Ash’s best friends and travel companions over the course of the entire series.
Blasting Off Again And Again And Again
Not all of the weird things about Ash and Pikachu’s relationship have to do with how they treat each other. Sometimes, it’s more about how they seem to be united by one of their few common interests: constant attempted murders.
Specifically, they’ve blasted Team Rocket into the stratosphere somewhere around 800 times over the course of the anime, usually sending them flying with a jolt from Pikachu’s thunderbolt. It’s easy to write that off as self-defense Jessie and James have a long history of trying to kidnap and/or murder Pikachu, Ash, and their friends themselves but eventually, it starts to seem a little excessive. If you have your doubts on that, consider this: Pikachu’s Thunderbolt has a canonical power of 10,000 volts. An electric chair, which is used in executions, has a voltage of 2,000. Team Rocket’s bad, but it’s hard to imagine that they deserve to be shocked five times stronger than an electric chair 800 times.
And that’s before you get to the uncounted injuries from plunging back into the ground after blasting off every week. With a long enough timeline, it’s easy to understand why Jessie and James might want a little revenge, but either way, it’s pretty concerning that a ten year-old not only has that much power, but is willing to use it against other human beings.
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Pikachu Is Captured By Team Rocket
Fans are accustomed to Team Rocket trying to trick the “twerps,” capture Pikachu, and fail in every episode. Most often than not, Pikachu manages to outsmart Jessie, James, and Meowth, and send the three of them flying with a Thunderbolt. However, every once in a while, Team Rocket manages to outsmart Pikachu and its electric attacks. It is in these instances that Pikachu becomes helpless in the hands of Team Rocket, unable to escape using its electricity and must rely on its friends to battle Team Rocket and save it.
Pikachu Refuses To Battle & Makes Ash Fight A Wild Pokmon On His Own
Pikachu wasn’t always ready to jump in and help Ash when the two managed to get themselves into trouble. At the start of their journey, Pikachu even refused to battle when it was Ash’s only Pokémon. Ash and Pikachu came across a wild Pidgey as they set off, a Pokémon that was a great Pokémon to capture for starting trainers. Ash, eager to take the next step as a Pokémon trainer, was ready to battle and capture the Pidgey.
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Pikachu, however, blatantly refused to battle the Pidgey and instead watched as Ash attempted to capture the wild Pokémon himself. Unfortunately, Ash angered a wild Spearow instead, and the Pokémon attacked Ash and Pikachu in retaliation with its friends. If Pikachu agreed to battle from the start, the two wouldn’t have encountered the wild Spearows at all.
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Pokemon Is One Of The Most Loved Animated Shows On Television It’s Been Decades That We Have Seen Pikachu And Ash Ketchum Bonding Like Best Friends Do You Still Remember The Popular Characters From The Show
Do you still remember these popular Pokemon characters?
Pokémon never grew old because the hunt for capturing the pocket monsters never stopped. As the seasons went on, the series expanded. New characters were added, new locations were explored, and 100s of new Pokémon were added to the list. Over the years, we tried our best to keep up with the series. Some avid fans still do. We can all agree that the universe of Pokémon is massive with a collection of interesting stories and characters. Lets rejoice the fandom of Pokémon!
Iris Drove Ash Mad But Could Also Drive Him Forward
Initially following or occasionally bumping into Ash and Cilan during their adventures in Unova, Iris is eventually asked to join them officially on their journey. She is shy at first and doesn’t completely trust Ash and his approach to life in general, often being critical of his inherent lack of maturity.
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As their travels progress, this turns to teasing rather than serious criticizing, as her obsession with acting older than she actually is is eventually exposed as being a bit hypocritical and she starts to embrace fun and adventure a bit more. She eventually becomes close friends with Ash, which makes their reunion and subsequent battle in Pokémon Journeys a heartwarming moment for sure.
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Goh & Ash’s Goals Don’t Clash & Work Together Perfectly
Ash’s friend and travel companion in Pokémon Journeys, Goh, is finally an example of a trainer who actually carries the franchise mantra “Gotta Catch ’em All.” The fact that his goals don’t clash too much with Ash’s goals of becoming the best and defeating the Pokémon Monarch Leon means that they work as a cohesive team and friendship, rather than as rivals.
The fact that the moment they properly met in Pokémon Journeys was with sharing a magical experience, riding on a Lugia, really sets the tone for their relationship and collective sense of adventure. In one episode, Goh travels home but forgets a gift intended for his parents, and Ash finds this gift and travels all the way to Goh’s hometown to give it to him, a true sign that Ash values Goh and his friendship.
Pikachu Loses To Gary’s Eevee
Fans who have been a part of Ash’s journey from the start should be aware of his long-standing rivalry with Gary Oak. As Ash and his friends travel back to Pallet Town, they run into Gary, and to no one’s surprise, the two decide to battle one another. The rivals decide to have a one on one battle. Gary uses his Eevee, while Ash uses his Pikachu. Despite Pikachu’s best efforts, its attacks seem to have little to no effect on Eevee. Inevitably, Pikachu and Ash lose to their long-standing rival once again.
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Friendship Is About Sharing Your Experiences
There are things you can do with friends that you cant do by yourself.
Like working together to accomplish a goal, helping each other out to get a task done faster, etc.
As well as having fun and sharing your experiences.
Ash and Pikachu gel so well together because theyve worked together for a long time.
Theyve stuck it out through the tough times together. And have supported each other along the way.
Sometimes its better to share your experiences with someone else than it is to deal with it by yourself.
It makes it a little easier to deal with.
Brock Was Reliable & Ever
It is easy to forget that Brock was the first-ever Gym Leader that Ash battled on his quest to become a Pokémon master, way back in Pewter City. This is simply because Brock immediately joined Ash on his travels and stuck by his side throughout his journeys through Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, and has become synonymous with Ash, as his best friends and travel companion.
While he may have had ulterior motives in agreeing to join Ash, such as becoming a better Pokémon breeder and meeting as many beautiful women as possible, Brock loves to look after and care for people, as shown with his huge family and how much he cares for his siblings, and he finds himself at home travelling with Ash and whoever else wishes to join them.
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Pikachu Will Always Be Ash’s Closest & Most Loyal Friend
The obvious choice for Ash’s best friend over the course of the series is quite simply Pikachu. Being his trusted companion and friend over Ash’s entire Pokémon journey, through thick and thin, Pikachu is always there to either fight fiercely for him or to support him in any other aspects of everyday life.
Pikachu didn’t trust or respect Ash at the very beginning, but Ash’s personality quickly shone through his inexperience and naivety, and the two have become one of the closest and most iconic duos in the history of anime.
Cilan Was Supportive & Wise
Ash first meets Cilan when he is looking to challenge the Striaton Gym, eventually learning that Cilan and his two brothers are all co-Gym Leaders. After some intense battling, Cilan versus Ash especially, Cilan wants to learn Ash’s secrets so that he can apply them to his own journey to becoming a top Pokémon connoisseur, so he joins Ash and Iris on their adventures.
Cilan ends up filling the void that Brock would normally fill, as aside from the Orange Islands arc, Pokémon Black & White is the first season where Brock doesn’t accompany Ash on his journeys. Not only does he take up the mantle of the chef but he is also kind, patient and always there to advise Ash, with his generally optimistic nature arguably being one of many reasons why Ash gets on so well with him.
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