Ash Ketchum, known as Satoshi (サトシ) in Japan, is a character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures.

Ash has been criticized for being stuck in a 'floating timeline', as well as for his long-lasting inability to win many major Pokémon League competitions in the series.

Due to the huge popularity, success, and longevity of the Pokémon anime series around the world since its debut, Ash has gone on to become one of the most well-known and recognizable fictional characters of all time.

"[6] Ash's character design was initially overseen by Sayuri Ichishi, replaced by Toshiya Yamada during the Diamond & Pearl series of the anime.

[3] Matsumoto highlighted a past experience in which she recorded a message for a hospitalized child as the character, which she stated caused her to feel "more aware of the work I was putting out there."

[15] After the script was translated from Japanese, the lines were adapted to fit the movements of the character's mouth (called lip flap).

The job moved quickly, and Taylor's past acting experience allowed her to embody the role in the time allotted for recording.

[15] Taylor commented that Ash and the other characters "loosened up" after the first ten episodes of the anime; she believed the writers were more relaxed and no longer felt the pressure of making sure everything was done correctly.

[21] Ash also comes into conflict with the criminal organization Team Rocket, primarily in the form of the trio of Jessie, James, and their talking Meowth.

While the trio are primarily depicted as comic relief, they often attempt to capture Pikachu in various schemes in order to send it to their boss, Giovanni.

In Pokémon Sun and Moon's demo, the player receives a letter from Ash, along with his Greninja, which is capable of assuming its "Ash-Greninja" form through its ability Battle Bond.

Ash also makes a cameo in the Abandoned Thrifty Megamart location in the main game, where a blurry photo of him and his Pikachu is plastered on a wall in the back room.

Manga author Toshihiro Ono cited Ash as one of his favorite characters to draw for the series, stating, "I want to go on a trip with Misty just like him!

[31] The Guinness Book of World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition lists Ash as coming 37th out of 50 in a readers' poll of their favorite video game characters.

[32] Ash has been described as a "truly admirable hero" who develops as the show goes along, with his willingness to delay his own goals in favor of helping others being highlighted.

It was highlighted as both teaching a valuable and relatable lesson to children watching the show, as well as allowing them to become further invested in Ash's character in order to see if "he'd become good enough to win next time.

The character's constant losses were highlighted by IGN, who stated that, "The Pokemon show has become so successful and been so consistent for so long that it's like its hero is never, ever going to be allowed to actually finish what he started.

They stated that Ash's indefinite style of journeying provided a sense of comfort to returning fans, while also symbolizing the Pokémon series' core themes.

"[44] Kenneth Sheperd, writing for Kotaku, wrote about Ash's longevity as a character and his influence over many generations of children, highlighting his departure as a sad one.

I don't know many people who watched Ash's story unfold in its entirety, but every Pokémon fan I know has taken that spirit with them as they've embarked on their own journeys.

"[19] It drew minor criticism, with Polygon highlighting the retirement of the character as "evolution by forced means of companies seeking a branding revamp rather than the conclusion of a satisfying and coherent emotional arc".