Pokémon: 10 Basic Mistakes Ash Keeps Making

There’s a lot of learning involved when it comes to being a Pokémon trainer, but Ash proves that he still hasn’t learned from these mistakes.

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The success that Pokémon has found is truly unprecedented, and it’s incredible how the quirky video game series has been able to endure for decades and steadily grow into an expansive franchise. Pokémon now includes a number of spin-off games, a popular manga, a live-action film, and an anime series that’s become a major tentpole of the property.

One of the biggest differences between the Pokémon games and anime is that Ash Ketchum is the anime’s faithful protagonist for hundreds of episodes. Ash has won some important battles and grown in some big ways since the start of his adventures as a Pokémon trainer, but he’s also far from perfect and still succumbs to a number of very simple mistakes.

10 He Ignores Type Advantages & Weaknesses

There are some people that play through Pokémon and are purely focused on high stats and an impressive level for their Pokémon, rather than taking the full picture into account. The series intentionally has different Pokémon types that lend themselves to strengths and weaknesses, and taking advantage of this data is essential for any competent trainer. Ash acknowledges weaknesses in a way where he’s clearly aware of them, yet he’ll still send out Pokémon that are set to fail against opponents or not send out other fighters that would naturally be better equipped for these fights.

9 He Keeps Some Of His Best Pokémon In Storage

A rule that’s present in the Pokémon franchise is that a trainer can only have six Pokémon in their party at the time and the rest are sent away to storage. Ash has a tendency to catch Pokémon and immediately have them sent away and sometimes never gives them another thought. This also applies to some of the more powerful Pokémon that he catches, and it just comes across as lazy. Ash prefers to enter each new Pokémon region with a fresh slate, but this often comes at the expense of valuable Pokémon, and he’s ditched plenty of strong partners.

8 He Doesn’t Use Items & Abilities Enough

One area from the Pokémon series that has evolved over time is the variety of different items that can aid Pokémon in battle. Items have turned into highly useful ways to overwhelm the opponent, and some Pokémon thrive with the right item attached to them. The same can be said for the latent abilities that accompany certain Pokémon.

Ash isn’t completely against the use of items, but it’s very rare, and he prefers to let the Pokémon speak for themselves. If Ash were more familiar with items he’d be able to regularly and effectively use them.

7 He Still Impulsively Rushes Into Battle

Sometimes battle cannot be avoided in the Pokémon games, but the anime series is often a much more casual environment and Ash has the option over who he will or won’t fight. Ash is guilty of letting his emotions and excitement get the better of him at times, which sometimes results in him heading into a battle without doing the proper training or research. This has become a larger problem in Pokémon Journeys: The Series where Ash has often thrown himself into battle, only to quickly lose because he didn’t think enough about strategy.

6 He Doesn’t Put Together A More Balanced Pokémon Party

Part of the reason that Pokémon allows trainers to battle with six Pokémon is that it allows them to put together a party that covers as many bases as possible. One-on-one battles are obviously full of limitations, but with six Pokémon, a lot of different types can be covered. Ash doesn’t seem to put much thought into his Pokémon party at all and just keeps his most recent acquisitions close by. Ash has caught enough varied Pokémon that he could put together an excellent team, but he takes a more random approach that’s full of faults.

5 He Never Makes Use Of TMs

It’s exciting when a Pokémon grows stronger and learns new moves, but another important area of strategy is the Technical Machines, which allow for new moves to be taught to Pokémon. This allows Pokémon to learn attacks that wouldn’t be possible otherwise and can often give them unexpected advantages that can be the defining factor in battle.

TMs aren’t required on a Pokémon journey, but it’s a little strange how Ash has pretty much avoided them entirely. They’d be a smart way to improve many of his Pokémon, including Pikachu.

4 He Doesn’t Push More Of His Pokémon To Evolve

Evolution is typically a point of pride in the Pokémon world, but Ash adopts a very iconoclastic approach when it comes to the process. Ash has pushed some of his Pokémon to evolve too quickly, which has traumatized him to some degree on the subject matter. He’s become very touchy and often doesn’t push for his Pokémon to evolve, even though some of his party have experienced more than enough battles to warrant it, like Bulbasaur for example. It demonstrates an emotional attachment to his Pokémon, but that doesn’t need to be lost when they evolve.

3 He Still Gets Caught Up In Appearances & Reputation

There are many different angles to approach Pokémon training and while there’s obviously a competitive aspect to it, there are still individuals who find ways to cut out the negativity. However, Ash is still someone that gets swept up in rankings and his public reputation as a Pokémon trainer. This isn’t inherently a negative thing, but it should be done in moderation. Ash lets it get to himself too much to the point that it clouds his decisions when it comes to battle. This is more egregious in Pokémon Journeys: The Series once his public ranking is constantly updated.

2 He Doesn’t Work Harder To Catch New Pokémon

Ash has made it clear on multiple occasions that his larger objective isn’t to capture every Pokémon, but rather to be the very best trainer. This means that Ash will often overlook prime opportunities to catch Pokémon that could be integral on his team. This attitude is sometimes endearing, but it’s also quite frustrating. Matters are made worse once Ash travels with Goh, who practically catches a new Pokémon every episode. If Ash caught more Pokémon, then he’d be a much better trainer. As it stands it feels like most of his catches are almost by accident.

1 His Unwavering Allegiance To Pikachu

Pikachu has become the Pokémon series’ mascot ever since the first episode and he’s as important to the anime series as Ash. Ash has experienced a lot of change, whether it’s his friends, the area that he’s in, or his party of Pokémon, but Pikachu remains the one constant through it all. Ash’s Pikachu is much stronger than the standard one, but there are still battles where he’s used even though it makes zero sense. Ash would actually benefit a lot if he took a brief break from Pikachu or recognized when the Electric-type Pokémon isn’t an asset.

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