When it comes toPokémon’s Ash Ketchum, everyone knows what his dream is: to be the greatest Pokémon Master of them all. Now,what exactly a “Pokémon Master” iswas a long-running mystery, but it turns out that wasn’t the original motivation given to Ash at the start of his journey.
ThePokémonanime began in 1997 under the leadership of head writer Takeshi Shudo, who led the series for 5 years (and wrote the first 3 movies). Shudo developed much of the world ofPokémonas seen in the anime, including many of its more bizarre and iconic elements. Some of these ideas never quite made it into the series, but were instead published in hisPokémonnovelization.
Ash’s Original Goal Was Far More Selfish
Ash Wanted the Town Named for Himself
In Takeshi Shudo’s novelization of thePokémonanime, he lays out many elements which were conceived of for the series, but for whatever reason didn’t quite make it to air. This includes small details, like the fact that Ash’s mother was apparently intended to run a restaurant in Pallet Town, to bigger changes, like 10 years old being the age of majority.
One notable change was to Ash and Gary’s motivations for leaving Pallet Town to start as trainers. As it turns out, “Pallet Town” is named after Pallet Oak, the Great-Great-Grandfather of Professor Oak, and the most successful trainer to ever come from the area. After Pallet Oak ranked 931st in the trainer rankings, the town was named for him.
Both Ash and Gary set out initially because they want to surpass Pallet Oak, and have the town renamed after themselves–“Ash Town” or “Gary Town.“This actually explains their rivalry a bit better, and makes it a little more personal, even if it’s not really a great motivation to base an entire series around.
Ash’s Ultimate Success Means He Could’ve Gotten What He Wanted
Ash’s World Coronation Series Victory Would’ve Sealed the Deal on Changing Pallet Town’s Name
While this goal of Ash’s was never mentioned or referenced in the anime series in any way, shape, or form, changing the town’s name does seem like a distinct possibility afterAsh’s dramatic World Coronation Series victory. If 931st was a good enough rank to have the town named for Pallet Oak, then Ash’s first-place showing is surely sufficient.
It’s not hard to imagine first season Ash Ketchum harboring this secret desire, dreaming of the day when he’d not only be champion, but the new namesake of his hometown.However, with how Ash’s character evolved and changed over the series, it seems pretty unlikely that end-of-series Ash would actually be seeking such glory.
Still, while none of this was ever canon to the anime series, it’s an interesting insight into how Ash was crafted as a character, and highlights some of his more selfish and negative traits that were seen early on. Ash’s adventures with Pikachu and friends helped him to grow such that even ifPokémon’s protagonist had vocalized this desire, he may have matured past it.
