ThePokémonanime has done a fantastic job of building Ash Ketchum up as an average sort of guy, making his adventures relatable to just about any child out there. So, why is it that the movies so frequently try to upend Ash’s status as an ordinary person, and turn him into a hero of legend?
When it comes to Ash, he doesn’t really have many stand-out traits in the main series. He’s not particularly smart, or strong, and his bravery often crosses over into foolhardiness. He was always meant to be a stand-in for the kids in the audience, who are embarking on this journey together with him, and so he’s just a fairly average kid. This makes him a great protagonist for a show likePokémon, and Ash’s achievements serve to inspire the kids watching. Still, in the movies, Ash ends up very different, even though the movies are made by the same people who make the anime.
Pokémon Wants Ash to Be a Hero
Ash is Given Special Roles in Several Movies
The first movie to take Ash and give him a greater role wasPokémon the Movie 2000.In that film, Ash is treated as the “chosen one” who will restore harmony between the Legendary birds, spoken of in prophecy that even has a pun on his name in it. As such, Ash is put in the position of having to be the one to save the day, performing all manner of daring deeds to collect the orbs and set things right. Ash develops a bond with Lugia as they try to restore balance, and it becomes one of the first Legendary Pokémon that Ash manages to befriend.
In the eighth movie,Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, things really get pumped up when it’s strongly implied that Ash is the reincarnation of the Aura Guardian and hero known as Sir Aaron. Ash is able to develop some Aura powers of his own here, something that’s said to be extraordinarily rare among humans, with only one other known user of Aura existing in Ash’s time. Ash’s Aura powers continue to be part of his character from this point forward, even in the main series anime, and play a role in several of his other outstanding feats, such as the Bond Phenomenon with Greninja.
While these are the most egregious examples, there are others as well. Mewtwo’s invitation to Ash in the first movie, for example, identifies him as an exceptional trainer, while inHoopa and the Clash of Ages, Ash again must live up to the deeds of a hero long past by helping Hoopa to seal its dark side.The rebooted movies, beginning withI Choose You!, are predicated on Ash being “chosen” by Ho-Oh to receive a Rainbow Wing, sending his journey off on a very different course from the one fans previously knew.
Why Change Ash to Be a Chosen One?
Changing Ash from just a kid out of Pallet Town to a chosen hero with special powers is something that happened slowly, and it didn’t occur in every movie. However, some movies, such asPokémon the Movie 2000, really needed a reason for Ash to personally get involved, and making him part of the prophecy was how the story accomplished this. Whether the prophecy is true or not, the story needs people to believe that Ash is the only one who can resolve it.
ForLucario and the Mystery of Mew, the plot deals heavily with Lucario learning to trust humans again, after it believed it was betrayed by Sir Aaron. By having Ash look like Sir Aaron, it forced the issue of Lucario’s trust by making the conflict between Lucario and Sir Aaron into one between Lucario and Ash.Without Ash’s Aura powers, there wouldn’t be any sort of plot at all, as it was only Ash’s Aura that allowed him to release Lucario in the first place.
The very premise of the reboot continuity is “what if Ashwaschosen by Ho-Oh?” It eventually draws Ash to the top of Mount Tensei, where he would have a battle with the Legendary Pokémon, albeit one whose result was left to fans' imaginations.This movie effectively went all-in on Ash being chosen and special, and that may well have been part of what people didn’t like about it. Ash was no longer an ordinary, relatable guy, but a chosen hero on a special journey.
Can Pokémon Have Epic Plots Without Making Ash Special?
Plenty of Other Pokémon Movies Have Proven It’s Possible
While the trend of making Ash special is most prominent in the movies, there are some movies where Ash isn’t treated as anything special. The third movie,Spell of the Unown, has Ash getting involved because his mother is involved, and his mother has direct ties to the plot since she was a friend of the girl’s missing father. The Sinnoh-era movies, fromRise of DarkraitoArceus and the Jewel of Life, all tell a connected story with Ash and the Legendary Pokémon at the center, but not because Ash is special; he just happens to be there at the right time to help.
These films are considered to be amongPokémon’s best movies, and yet they didn’t need to change who Ash was in order for the plot of the movie to work. It goes to show that it’s plenty possible to create engaging films without a special hero or chosen one. Perhaps, with the sheer number of films starring Ash, it was inevitable that some of them would decide to give him a special background, like his connection to Sir Aaron, or make him a literal chosen one of prophecy.
Fans ofPokémonlargely like Ash the way he is; there’s no need to change him and make him more special for the big screen. The desire to do so is understandable, but ultimately,Pokémonis better off with regular guy Ash Ketchum than prophesied hero Ash Ketchum.
