Character Biographies

## Ash

Ash Ketchum set out on his Pokémon adventure when he was 10. He went from his house to Professor Oak's Lab and he was so late that all the Pokémon were already taken and he had to choose this Pikachu who was very unhappy and did not like humans so he kept electric-shocking Ash. Eventually, Ash makes good friends with this Pikachu and Pikachu becomes his life long friend.

Ash Ketchum is currently a 10 year old boy. He strives to become the best Pokémon master in the world. In order to achieve this goal, he competes in various tournaments and contests. He acquires and befriends Pokémon in order to accomplish this. Of course, he has let go of some of his Pokémon, like Butterfree and frouier though he has promised to return to see them.

His mother, Delia Ketchum, is a very dedicated, loving, somewhat humorous, and caring mother. This is shown throughout the first season, as she always nags Ash if he has changed his underwear. She keeps a Mr. Mime in Ash's home in Pallet Town to help her in doing household chores. His father's identity is unknown throughout the storyline. One reference to this missing character was in the second episode of the first series. In this episode, after Ash reached the Pokémon Center, his mother called him on the video phone and informed him that his father had taken four days to reach the same place, when Ash had taken only one.

As his journey goes on, he acquires many friends, such as Misty and Brock throughout the Kanto region and the Johto region, Misty and Tracey throughout the Orange Islands, Brock, May, and Max throughout the Hoenn region and the Battle Frontier saga, and recently at the Sinnoh, Brock and Dawn. He also has formed friendships and friendly rivalries with Ritchie who defeated him in the Kanto tournament, and in many ways, is his mirror image, Casey, an Electabuzz Baseball fan, Ally the sister of Gym Leader Koga, and Harrison who beat him in the Silver Conference quarter finals and was defeated by another trainer.

While gaining friends he also meets, and makes, rivals. One of them is Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson, to whom he has a friendly rivalry in the entire Kanto saga. After Ash finished a round ahead of him in the Kanto tournament, their rivalry cooled down. Later, Gary decided to become his grandfather's successor as a Pokémon Professor. Recently, in Sinnoh, he began having a new rivalry with Paul, an arrogant Pokémon trainer who rejects weak Pokémon.

When he was 10, he started his Pokémon journey. Through unusual circumstances, he acquired a Pikachu from Professor Oak, the leading Pokémon authority, as his starter Pokémon instead of a Bulbasaur, Charmender, or Squirtle. He acquires them later through his journey in the Kanto region, though. Soon, he meets Misty, not knowing she is the Cerulean City Gym Leader, just as he and Pikachu were being chased by a flock of Spearow. Pikachu destroyed the bike they stole from Misty in order to get Pikachu to the Pokémon Center for medical help, and this became an excuse for Misty to stay with Ash. Soon, he battled Brock for the Boulder Badge, which, in their rematch, he won through an unusual way. Brock then left the Gym to join him and try to become the best Pokémon Breeder. The original trio went through the Kanto region to overcome Team Rocket, a criminal syndicate aiming to gain universal power through heinous crimes to gain Pokémon, particularly Jessie , James, and Meowth , who try to steal Ash's Pikachu, and gain Gym Badges in order to participate in the Indigo League.

After Ash was defeated, Prof. Oak sent them to the Orange Islands to get the GS Ball, an unusual Poké Ball that can't be opened, from Professor Ivy. After gaining the Poké Ball, Brock decided to stay with Professor Ivy to aid her in their Pokémon breeding and research. Just then, Tracey Sketchit appeared and, after hearing Ash is a friend of Professor Oak, decided to accompany them through the Orange Islands, while Ash battled Gym Leaders and eventually, became the Orange League Champion. So far, this is the only Pokémon League that he has won.

After returning to Pallet Town, Ash is challenged by Gary to a battle. Ash, as usual, chose Pikachu, and Gary chose Eevee. After a fierce battle Gary beat Ash, and told Ash that he was heading to the Johto region. Ash decided to follow Gary to Johto. There, he, as usual, showed his competitive side, battling Gym Leaders and beating them all for Gym Badges. Also, he acquired new Pokémon there – Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, a shiny Noctowl and a few others. After the gym in Cianwood City he joined the Whirl Cup in the Whirl Islands. This tournament was strictly for Water-types, where he lost to Misty. He then went on to get to the Top 8 in the Silver Conference.

Never stopping for expeditions and new adventures, Ash then went to the Hoenn region. Now, he is accompanied by May and Max, the children of Norman, a Gym Leader in the area. Soon, Brock catches up with Ash and joins them. Though Misty occasionally appears, she is now staying in the Cerulean Gym, due to her sisters going on a cruise and that Nurse Joy from Viridian City . This time around, the Pokémon Contests, a way to elegantly show off one's Pokémon with beauty rather than power, became more significant, as May aspires to become a great Pokémon Contest participant. Still, Ash earns his way to the Hoenn league, where he is eventually defeated in the quarter-finals.

Soon, the group meets Scott, and invites them to come to the Battle Frontier, a special place of tough and unique Pokémon battling only for exclusively chosen Pokémon trainer's. Ash then defeated Greta, Tucker, Noland, Spenser, Lucy, Anabel and Brandon, earning all the Symbols of the Battle Frontier. Then, he was offered a place in the area as a Frontier Brain, but he refused.

Then, Ash went to the Sinnoh region. This time, May has left to Johto to participate in the contests there, and Max has gone home to Petalburg City with his parents. Ash lost his Pikachu to Team Rocket, which lost Pikachu in the wild. Then, Dawn, a new Pokemon Trainer and a major female character, sees Pikachu and takes care of it. Ash then meets Dawn, her Piplup, and his Pikachu and they are happily reunited. Brock catches up with him once again and Dawn, an aspiring Pokémon Coordinator, joins them on their journey throughout Sinnoh. Now they are touring the entire region, looking for tough competition and new discoveries. Here Ash meets his new rival, Paul. They later battle against Team Galactic and free the legendary Pokémon from Team Galactic.Finally Ash enters the Sinnoh League. After defeating Paul in an intense battle, Ash makes it into the Top 4 against Tobias, the trainer with the Darkrai that nobody else has been able to defeat. He was able to defeat Tobias' Darkrai but got a draw with Tobias' Latios. However, as Ash had no Pokémon left, so he was defeated.

Ash starts a new journey in the Unova region without Brock or Dawn and instead is with his new traveling companions Iris and Cilan. So far he has won two gym badges there.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Pikachu
* Unfezant
* Oshawott
* Pignite
* Snivy
* Scraggy
* Leavanny
* Palpitoad
* Boldore
* Krokorok

#### Traded

* Aipom
* Raticate (obtained/given)

#### With Professor Oak

* Bulbasaur
* Krabby → Kingler
* Muk
* Tauros (x30)
* Snorlax
* Heracross
* Chikorita → Bayleef
* Cyndaquil → Quilava
* Totodile
* Taillow → Swellow
* Treecko → Grovyle → Sceptile
* Corphish
* Torkoal
* Snorunt → Glalie
* Buizel
* Chimchar → Monferno → Infernape
* Turtwig → Grotle → Torterra
* Starly → Staravia → Staraptor
* Gible

#### In Training

* Primeape (Gave away)
* Charmander → Charmeleon → Charizard (at Charicific Valley)
* Squirtle (with Officer Jenny)

#### Given to

* Haunter (Gave to Sabrina)
* Beedrill (Gave to Casey because she loves Pokémon with black and yellow stripes)

#### Released

* Caterpie → Metapod → Butterfree (Released, to be with the pink Butterfree)
* Pidgeotto → Pidgeot (Released, to protect the Pidgey and Pidgeotto flock at the forest outside of Pallet Town)
* Lapras (Released, to return to it's herd and later on became leader)

#### Status Unknown

* Gligar → Gliscor (Unsure if it was returned to McCann or went to Professor Oak's lab as it was not seen or heard)

## Brock

Brock travels with Ash Ketchum and his friends during the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Battle Frontier, and the current Sinnoh story arcs. His dream is to become the world's best Pokémon Breeder. He was 15 at debut. He originally was the Pewter City Gym Leader, but when Ash defeated him, he decided to travel with him. At the end of most of Ash's journeys, the entire crew splits up, but like all the seasons before, he comes back to join the crew, and possibly meet pretty girls.

He has ninebrothers and sisters . One of them, Forrest, is particularly notable because he had made Brock's Onix evolve into Steelix. Brock also has a mother and a father. This makes him one of the only characters where his entire family has been introduced, the others being May and Angie.

At first he only trained rock-types, but he obtained a Fire-type, Vulpix, and now trains all types of Pokémon. He has absolutely no luck in getting any females to date him. He is most often seen in the anime being dragged by his ear from a Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, or any female by Misty, Max and, more recently, being hit with a Poison Jab by Croagunk. After the Sinnoh League, when Ash and Brock were going their seperate ways, Brock told Ash that he was going to be a Pokémon Doctor.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Bonsly → Sudowoodo
* Croagunk
* Egg → Happiny → Chansey

#### At Pewter Gym

* Geodude
* Onix → Steelix
* Zubat → Golbat → Crobat
* Mudkip → Marshtomp
* Lotad → Lombre → Ludicolo
* Pineco → Forretress

## Misty

Misty has a deep passion for water Pokémon, and her goal is to be the world's greatest Water-type trainer. As she got older, she became interested in Pokémon and eventually left her hometown of Cerulean City to begin her quest.

While Misty was fishing for water Pokémon she fished Ash Ketchum and Pikachu out of a river in the outskirts of Pallet Town. They had a rocky friendship at first due to the reason that Ash met her because he stole her bike to get Pikachu to the PokémonCenter. Pikachu fried the bike when he used Thundershock while trying to escape the Fearow that were chasing them. Misty says at first she only joined Ash on his journeys because she wanted him to get her a new bike but overtime Misty stops bringing it up and she begins to consider Ash as a true friend. Their adventures led them through the Indigo, Orange, and Johto leagues. She also traveled with a Togepi, who considered her as its mother. After the Johto leagues she parted ways with Ash and Brock to take over the Cerulean City Gym, after her older sisters decided to go on a cruise and because Nurse Joy had fixed and returned Misty's Bike. Ash and company met up with her again in the Battle Frontier Arc, though.

### Pokémon

#### At Cerulean

* Egg → Azurill
* Luvdisc
* Corsola
* Magikarp → Gyarados
* Psyduck
* Horsea
* Seel → Dewgong
* Staryu
* Starmie
* Poliwag → Poliwhirl → Politoed
* Misty's Goldeen

## Gary Oak

Gary is Ash Ketchum's rival. Gary and Ash grew up together in Pallet Town. Before the Johto Pokémon League Gary was very arrogant but later became more humble after his loss to Ash in the Silver Conference . In the first episode, Gary takes the Starter Pokémon that Ash wanted which was a Squirtle. Gary traveled around Kanto in a red convertible with his own personal cheerleaders. Ash first fought Gary in Pallet Town. Ash's Pikachu fought against Gary's Eevee. Throughout most of the series he appears randomly, usually being crowded by mobs of people. Much of what Ash does is at least somewhat influenced by Gary, such as the regions he visits. After the Johto story arc, Gary decides to become a Pokémon researcher just like his grandfather, Professor Oak.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Electivire
* Eevee → Umbreon
* Squirtle → Wartortle → Blastoise

#### With Prof.Oak

* Magmar
* Scizor
* Golem
* Nidoking
* Krabby
* Nidoqueen
* Alakazam
* Kingdra
* Houndoom
* Fearow
* Pinsir
* Skarmory
* Doduo → Dodrio
* Arcanine

## May

May is a girl who accompanies Ash Ketchum on his Pokémon journey starting in the Hoenn Arc of the story. She gets her first Pokémon, Torchic, from Professor Birch, the lead professor of Pokémon in Hoenn. She is 10 years old when she first appeared in the series. She and her brother, Max, traveled with Ash throughout both the Hoenn and Battle Frontier Arcs.

After seeing the contest battle for the first time, she decided to become a coordinator.

After the Battle Frontier arc she left with one of her fellow co-ordinators for Johto to compete in Pokémon contests there. Her main rivals are Drew, Harley, and Solidad.

May then returned to the series in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension to compete in the Wallace Cup at Lake Valor, then return back to her hometown.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Torchic → Combusken → Blaziken
* Wurmple → Silcoon → Beautifly
* Bulbasaur → Ivysaur → Venusaur
* Munchlax
* Squirtle → Wartortle
* Egg → Eevee → Glaceon
* Skitty

#### Befriended

* Manaphy
* Swablu

## Dawn

Dawn was 10 at the start of her Sinnoh journey and she likes performing in contests. She joins Ash and Brock on their journey in the episode *Following a Maiden's Voyage*. Her main rivals are Zoey and Kenny. Occassionally, her other rival, Nando, shows up as well. Her journey seems to be based off of Ash's journey when he first began.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Piplup
* Buneary
* Pachirisu
* Swinub→Piloswine→Mamoswine
* Egg→Cyndaquil→Quilava
* Togekiss

## Max

Max is May's brother. He likes Pokémon more then anyone else on the series. He is 9 years old but, despite Max's young age, Brock once said his brain is filled with more knowledge than all his years working with Pokémon. It was suggested that Max's started Pokémon was going to be Ralts, possibly basing him off of Wally.

### Pokémon

Max, being too young, has no Pokémon with him as of yet. It is unknown if he has any currently.

## Tracey Sketchit

Tracey Sketchit is a character who loves to draw and take photographs. At first, he joins Ash and Misty in the Orange Islands. When they returned from the journey, Tracey decides to be Professor Oak's assistant. He's usually up in the various regions taking pictures of Pokémon, to help Professor Oak.

### Pokémon

* Venonat
* Marill
* Scyther
* Egg → Azurill (this came from Marill, was given to Misty, and then hatched)
* Dodrio?

Notes:

* Tracey was seen riding a Dodrio in a flashback in *The Lost Lapras* when Nurse Joy described the work of a Pokémon watcher. Whether it belonged to him or simply borrowed is unknown.

## Jessie

Jessie is a member of Team Rocket, along with her partners Meowth and James. She is also another of the anime's main antagonists. She isn't really the "brains" of their group, although she usually makes the plans. She is a bossy type of person, and is often seen with her head grown to twice the normal size, anime-style, and yelling at someone. She is also a coordinator. Her mother is Miyamoto. She was a high-ranked Team Rocket member. Miyamoto was searching for Mew. Jessie has owned or befriended these Pokémon:

### Pokémon

#### Given to Team Rocket Headquarters

* Seviper
* Wobbuffet
* Yanma → Yanmega

#### Released

* Ekans → Arbok (realesed to protect a group of Ekans)
* Shellder (evolved into Prof. Westwood's Slowbro)
* Wurmple → Cascoon → Dustox (released to breed)

#### Traded

* Lickitung (Traded to Benny for Wobbuffet)

#### Temporary Ownership

* Charizard
* Rhyhorn
* Kingler
* Machamp

Jessie received Charizard by mistake and was forced to give it back.
So far, Jessie has captured at least one new Pokémon in every region but Sinnoh.
The other Pokémon was loaned to her by Giovanni during a battle with Ash in the 8th Pokémon gym.

## James

James is a member of Team Rocket, an organized criminal syndicate dedicated to stealing and using other people's Pokémon for bad things, and one of the anime's main antagonists. He is usually seen with his partners Jessie and Meowth, also of Team Rocket. He was brought up in a rich family, and supposedly joined Team Rocket because he would have to marry a girl he didn't like if he stayed at his home. In all, he is a kind soul who mostly reluctantly gos along with Jessie and Meowth. In one of the early series he returns to his home, and throughout the episode he has flashbacks of him playing peacefully with Pokémon. James' efforts, along with Jessie and Meowth, to capture Ash's Pikachu, but they have failed every time.

### Pokémon

#### At Team Rocket headquraters

* Carnivine
* Mime Jr.

#### Released

* Weepinbell → Victreebel (x2)
* Magikarp → Gyarados
* Koffing → Weezing

#### Temporary Ownership

* Aggron
* Hoppip

#### Used for the Pokémon Test

* Charizard
* Ivysaur
* Pikachu

#### At Home

* Chimecho (at his grandparents house, getting better)
* Growlie

**Pokemon in-training:**

* Cacnea (given to Gardenia, gym leader of Eterna City)

## Paul

Paul is Ash 's main rival in the Sinnoh Region.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Elekid → Electabuzz → Electivire
* Lairon → Aggron
* Gastrodon
* Drapion
* Ninjask
* Froslass

#### at Home

* Turtwig → Grotle → Torterra
* Weavile
* Murkrow → Honchkrow
* Magmar → Magmortar
* Ursaring
* Gliscor
* Hariyama
* Nidoking

Released

* Starly (x3)
* Stantler
* Azumarill
* Chimchar

## Trip

Trip is Ash 's rival in the Unova Region.

### Pokémon

#### On Hand

* Snivy → Servine
* Pidove → Tranquill
* Frillish
* Lampent
* Timburr → Gurdurr
* Vanillite