Ash Ketchum/Relationships

These are the relationships of *Ash Ketchum* from the **Pokémon anime**.

Since Delia is Ash's mother, they have a healthy, loving relationship, although it does run into rocky spots at times. Ash loves his mother very much and cares about her, but he gets annoyed when she embarrasses him, especially in the original series, where she constantly reminded him to change his underwear every single day. When Delia was kidnapped in *The Spell of the Unown*, Ash went through great lengths to get her back. Ash appreciates it when his mother comments on how much he has grown as a person and as a Pokémon Trainer, and he is very grateful that his mother supports him by watching his Pokémon League battles and helping him get ready to go on another journey. Also, Ash was happy that his mother was there when he first became Champion of Alola.

#### Ash's father

While their relationship in the TV show is unknown, in the movie Pokémon the Movie: The Secrets of the Jungle, it's revealed that Ash has a close relationship with his father, the latter being the main reason he never gave up on his dreams by always encouraging him whenever other children made fun of Ash's dreams. He mentions this to Koko and talks about how Koko and Zarude's quarreling reminds him of his own relationship with his dad, implying that the two of them argued a lot, but also mentions how eventually, their quarreling will stop, and they will still care about each other, showing how close Ash and his father are.

### Friends

#### Professor Oak

 File:Ash and Professor Oak.png
Ash and Professor Oak have a strong bond. This is because Oak is a family friend and has known Ash since he was little. In fact, Ash even went to Professor Oak's summer camp when he was a young boy, which was also where he met his friend Serena. Aside from the strong, almost family bond that Ash and Oak share, he also respects him as a researcher and professor. Ash sometimes goes to Professor Oak for advice and calls him whenever he needs one of the Pokémon that he has kept in storage as he trusts him to look after his Pokémon family while he travels. Much like his mother, Ash also appreciates whenever Professor Oak gives him support, whether it is for a Pokémon League tournament or for his new journeys. In addition, Ash was pleased that Professor Oak witnessed him becoming the first Champion of Alola.

#### Misty

 File:Ash and Misty.png
When Ash first met Misty, they did not get off on the right foot. Ash was forced to "borrow" Misty's bike to save his partner's life, and he accidentally destroyed the vehicle with Pikachu's Thundershock attack. At first, Ash initially didn't want Misty around and disliked that she kept following him, as she claims that she was going to follow him around until he paid her back for her accidentally destroyed bike, though her reasons changed as she not only forgot about her destroyed bike, but also forgave him, as she understood that he had noble intentions, and it wasn't entirely on purpose.

Ash eventually changed his opinion about Misty, as she became a mentor to him and helped him become a great Pokémon Trainer. Despite their initial differences, Ash eventually grew to care for Misty and became best friends with her, although they do tease each other from time to time. They have each other's backs and would do anything for each other. Despite their friendship, however, aside from her fried bike, because Misty tries to keep Ash in order to make sure he doesn't flunk his training and battles, the two do argue a lot (whether if it's justifiable or not), with some of their fights leading them to almost losing their friendship and even resorting to violence, but they'll always make up from their flaws in the end. Additionally, they sometimes can be competitive with each other as they have a little bit of a friendly rivalry with one another as they try to show each other up.

 File:Ash and Misty yukata.png
After their travels in Kanto, Ash and Misty traveled through the Orange Islands and Johto together. Once their journey through Johto had ended, Ash and Misty parted ways when she was forced to run the Cerulean Gym while her sisters went on an "around-the-world" cruise, which they had won as a prize in a beauty contest. After Misty got her bike back, as it was repaired by the Viridian City's Nurse Joy and returned to her, Ash was happy that his friend would get to her hometown much faster. However, Misty became upset with Ash when he believed that the repayment for her bike was the reason, she traveled with him in the first place. Ash was clueless when Misty ran out of the Pokémon Center, but Brock helped him see that she wanted to continue traveling with them. Finding that Misty was in trouble, Ash and Brock rushed to her defense. Also, Ash assured Misty that their journey together was never truly about repayment for her bike. After everything was resolved, Ash and Misty parted ways to go back to their hometowns.

 File:Ash and Misty surfing.png
Despite no longer traveling together, Ash and Misty, who decided to run the Cerulean Gym full time, maintained their strong friendship for one another. Also, Ash, even though he would not admit it to her, treasures the fishing lure Misty gave him as a gift and does use it but tries not to damage it, which shows that he still cares about her. When Misty and Brock traveled to Alola, Ash was very pleased and enjoyed their time together, showing that their bond had not dwindled. Ash was happy to see Misty again while he was at a beach and that she set off on a new journey. However, like Brock, Ash gets annoyed when Misty would get overly excited about Water-type Pokémon. Also, Ash pretended that he didn't want Misty to travel with him again but seeing that Pikachu wants to have her around once more he let her join him. Although he won't admit, Ash secretly wanted Misty around again, which shows that he missed traveling with her, and didn't buy her reason for following him, as he realized that she missed the same thing. Unfortunately, Ash and Misty went their separate ways again, but they know that they'll see each other again one day.

#### Brock

 File:Ash and Brock.png
While Ash and Brock disagreed at first, they quickly became friends. Their bond soon became even stronger, resulting in them becoming best friends when they traveled the Kanto region together. When Brock stayed with Professor Ivy for a while, Ash understood his reasons. After Brock eventually returned, the two boys traveled together from Johto through Sinnoh. Through their travels, Ash grew to view Brock as a big brother figure and one of his mentors, as he would often give him helpful advice to better himself as a Trainer or help him see through his mistakes.

Ash and Brock are always there for each other. They do not usually fight with one another, but whenever they have a small fallout, they make up quickly. However, Ash and Brock almost lost their friendship when one of Team Rocket's tricks got out of hand, but they mended it when the truth became clear. In addition, Ash and Brock sometimes practice battles together. Ash trusts Brock to keep his Aura powers a secret. They officially parted ways when their travels in Sinnoh ended, when Brock decided to become a Pokémon Doctor and Ash continued traveling to fulfill his ambitions. After going their separate ways, Ash and Brock maintained their lasting friendships with one another, as shown when Ash briefly traveled to the Kanto region with his schoolmates. This was also shown when Brock briefly traveled to the Alola region with Misty and Ash reunited with him in Sinnoh. However, Ash reunites with Brock in Galar as he decides to travel with him and Misty once again. Although, Ash and Brock went their separate ways once more but know that they might see each other again someday.

#### Tracey

 File:Ash and Tracey.png
Ash and Tracey are pretty close friends and have a great respect for each other, as they traveled together through the Orange Islands. They hardly disagree with each other, but when they do, they make up pretty quickly. The two boys eventually parted ways when Tracey became Professor Oak's assistant, though they still maintain a strong friendship. While Ash continued traveling, the boys sometimes see each other when the latter comes back home to Pallet Town.

#### May

 File:Ash and May.png
May is one of Ash's best friends. They met when May witnessed Ash trying to save his Pikachu from danger when he was confused from an Electric build up, after an accident caused by Team Rocket. Like with Misty, Ash, and his Pikachu accidentally fried May's bike. However, unlike Misty, May kept her cool and forgave them quickly as not only did she understand it wasn't on purpose, but she also never demanded payback after seeing how much Ash had been taking care of his Pikachu. After May guilt tripped her accidentally destroyed bike on him into traveling together, Ash let her come along with him. They traveled through Hoenn and the Battle Frontier together, helping each other along the way. When May chose to become a Pokémon Coordinator, Ash gave her his full support and helped her in any way he could. Ash became a mentor to May and guided her in the ways of a Pokémon Trainer. In fact, they trained together for Ash's battles and for May's contests.

Sometimes, Ash and May have their fights, one of which almost caused them to lose their friendship when their ideas were working against each other as a result of them not cooperating during a tag battle against a couple, but they always make up from their mistakes in the end. Unlike Misty, however, many of Ash's fights with May (even their most severe ones) usually do not resort to actual violence. Ash has faith in May as he trusts her to keep his Aura abilities hidden from anyone that wasn't their friend. Although they went their separate ways to continue making their dreams come true, their friendship remained intact, as shown when they cross paths again in Sinnoh.

#### Max

 File:Ash and Max.png
Ash and Max are best friends. They share a common love for Pokémon and liked to do their own things while May and Brock went shopping in towns or cities throughout Hoenn and the Battle Frontier. Ash acts like a big brother figure towards Max and protects him. Also, Ash hardly had any fights with Max and trusts him to know about his Aura abilities. When Max was going to return to Hoenn while May traveled through Johto, Ash promised him that when he became a Pokémon Trainer, they would have a battle together. Although Ash knows his friendship with Max will remain till the end.

#### Dawn

 File:Ash and Dawn.png
Ash shares an unbreakable friendship with Dawn. As a sign of their bond, they easily get along and often high-five each other whenever something good happens to them. They also stand up for each other and have each other's backs. Similarly, to what he did for May, Ash mentored Dawn in the ways of a Pokémon Trainer and helped her as a Pokémon Coordinator.

Unlike Ash's relationships with other female companions, Ash and Dawn hardly have disagreements with each other and are never judgmental. While Ash can annoy Dawn with his actions and vice versa and they sometimes fight a little, they show great teamwork for each other. Even their most severe arguments (such as the one they had upon starting their journey together, and another when they failed to cooperate in a tag battle against a set of twins) were nothing when compared to how Ash dealt with either Misty or May, as none of these arguments were severe enough for either Ash or Dawn to lose their friendship, and they'll easily make up from their mistakes rather quickly. And much like with May, almost every fight that Ash had with Dawn never escalated to actual violence. Unlike with Misty or May, Ash didn't find out that his Pikachu accidentally destroyed Dawn's bike until much later, though given the fact that Team Rocket was chasing them on the day they met, Dawn (much like May) kept her cool with Ash and his Pikachu and quickly forgave them.

 File:Ash and Dawn high-fiving.png
Ash also supported Dawn and cheered her on during her Contests, while she cheered him on during his Gym Battles, and she sometimes dressed up in a cheerleader outfit for him. Like with Brock, Ash and Dawn also practiced battles to help their skill levels. Through their time together, Ash sees Dawn as a very trusting friend as he tells her about his Aura powers. After they went their separate ways, Ash and Dawn remained best friends, shown when they saw each other again in Unova, Sinnoh and Galar.

During their reunion in Galar, Ash was pleased that Dawn (along with Chloe) was there to see him battle Leon in the Masters Eight Tournament finals. She then congratulated him after he won the battle against Leon and became the new Monarch.

#### Iris

 File:Ash and Iris.png
Ash and Iris are good friends. They respect each other's skills and the love they have for Pokémon. Much like his relationship with Misty, however, Ash and Iris do tease each other from time to time, although he also gets annoyed when she calls him a kid. In contrast to his relationship with Misty though, Ash got off to a much better start with Iris as even though it was on a sour note when Iris yells at Ash for mistaking her for a Pokémon and throwing a Pokéball at her, he's quickly forgiven after he apologizes and admits that he had no idea where the Pokémon (Axew) was. Ash is also complemented after Iris admits that even if he's still a kid, she's still impressed by his will to save Pokémon. The two trained for battles together during their journey and enjoy doing various activities together.

On occasions, Ash and Iris do fight sometimes, with one of their fights almost costing them their friendship when they both overreacted towards each other, but they'll always patch things up at the end. Many of Ash's fights with Iris are about as frequent in occurrence as those he had with both Misty and May. In regards to the severity of Ash's fights with Iris, however, they usually lie somewhere in between all the previous fights he had with both Misty and May (being more severe than those with May, but not as severe like those with Misty). Similar to how Ash dealt with May (and by extension, with Dawn sometimes), many of his fights with Iris usually don't escalate into actual violence, with Iris having only gone as far as to harshly throw a bitter berry at him. But much like how Ash dealt with Misty, his most severe fight with Iris proved enough to make her go away.

 File:Pokémon Champions Ash Ketchum and Iris.png
After arriving in Kanto, Ash and Iris went their separate ways to fulfill their dreams. However, they both knew they'd always be friends no matter where they went. After getting a letter from Iris for a battle, Ash decided to not only accept her challenge, but also see her again. Once he reunites with her, Ash was pleased to hear that Iris is the new champion of Unova, which shows how strong their friendship still is, and participating in the World Coronation Series. Ash and Iris had their battle where he emerges victorious, advancing him to the Ultra Class in the World Coronation Series. They then both agree to battle again one day. Ash was later surprised to see that Iris reached the Master Class in the World Coronation Series. However, he was happy to reunite with her once again during the Masters Eight Tournament and came to comfort her, after she lost to Cynthia. Also, Ash appreciated Iris' support when she wished him good luck for the remainder of the tournament.

#### Cilan

 File:Ash and Cilan.png
Ash and Cilan are close friends. Also, Ash greatly respects Cilan as a Pokémon Connoisseur and as a Gym Leader. Much like his relationship with Brock, Ash enjoys Cilan's cooking and doesn't usually fight with him, but when they do, they make up right away. In addition, Ash would be helped by Cilan as he helps him see through his mistakes. Before going their separate ways, Ash was told by Cilan how much he learned from him. Pleased, Ash said he felt the same way about him. Although Ash and Cilan friendship will remain no matter where their journeys take them, which was shown when he reunited with him in Galar. Also, Ash got a fishing lure from Cilan and not only uses it but also treasures it, much like he does with the one he got from Misty.

#### Clemont

 File:Ash and Clemont.png
Clemont is one of Ash's best friends. Like with Iris, they practiced battles with one another during their journey. While Ash respects Clemont as a Gym Leader, he also admires his inventions and cooking. Like with Brock, Tracey, Max and Cilan, Ash and Clemont rarely fought. On the other side, Ash would be looked out for by Clemont, as he would sometimes warn him about impending danger. Ash trusts Clemont to know about his Bond Phenomenon ability. After their journey concluded together, Ash went back home to resume his journey while Clemont stayed to run his gym with Bonnie right beside him. However, Ash and Clemont knew that they'll always be friends no matter where they are, which was confirmed by a brief reunion.

#### Bonnie

 File:Ash and Bonnie.png
Ash and Bonnie are good friends. They both have a great love for Pokémon, and Ash cares for Bonnie like a little sister. Like with Max, Ash is protective of Bonnie and would do anything to keep her safe from danger. They both like to have fun with Pokémon and do related activities with them as well. Like with his male companions, Ash hardly had any arguments with Bonnie. Ash knows that Bonnie will keep his Bond Phenomenon ability a secret. When their journey together ended, Ash and Bonnie went their separate ways as he went home to find out his next move as a Trainer while she stayed in Kalos alongside Clemont. Ash also knows that he'll always be friends with Bonnie, which was confirmed by a brief reunion.

#### Serena

 File:Ash and Serena.png
Serena is Ash's childhood friend, though they had an estranged relationship due to being separated for many years. They first met many years ago at Professor Oak's summer camp, where Ash helped Serena with a knee injury that she received when she got spooked by a Poliwag, tripping and skinning her knee. Ash and Serena were separated for many years until she eventually saw the boy on TV one day. Rushing to Santalune City to meet her savior, Serena was initially disappointed to find out that Ash didn't recognize her at first. When he planned to go to his next Gym, Ash asked Serena what she was going to do next, though seeing that she was unsure he asked her if she wanted to travel with him and the group, an offer that she happily accepted. However, after being shown the handkerchief he used on her knee back at Professor Oak's camp, Ash remembered meeting Serena when he was little, calling her the "girl with the straw hat." Although their friendship was mended, Ash's relationship with Serena grew to a close friendship as they would give each other helpful advice and supported each other during their long journey through Kalos.

 File:Ash and Serena Young.png
Ash was clueless to Serena's very strong crush on him during their journey, which she never denied her feelings for when asked or confronted as she would become initially embarrassed and tried to keep it a secret. Much like his relationship with Dawn, Ash hardly has any disagreements with Serena, and the two are never judgmental of each other. However, their friendship is taken to the next level as Ash doesn't immediately annoy Serena with his antics. Serena herself even goes the extra mile in that even when scolding Ash, she is much more assertive and does not show or conceal her temper towards him, hinting that she knows some appropriate ways to be firm whilst keeping her cool. Despite all this, though, they did have a fallout with each other when Ash snapped at Serena for not understanding his feelings, after initially losing a Gym battle for his last Kalos badge. However, this fight wasn't entirely an argument like with most of Ash's previous female companions as Serena was only trying to help him snap out of his depression. Even when Serena angrily lashed back and threw a couple of snowballs at Ash in an attempt to knock some sense into him, her tone of voice was still more assertive than aggressive. As such, after realizing that she was just trying to help, Ash felt guilty for being so hard on Serena, who in turn, felt guilty believing that she made the scene worse by yelling back at him and that he was out in the blizzard as a result of their argument. As Serena attempted to apologize to him for lashing back, Ash stopped her to show how truly sorry he was for hurting her by thanking her for talking and knocking some sense into him.

Ash has faith in Serena as he trusts her to keep his Bond Phenomenon power hidden from anyone that isn't their friend. Before going their separate ways, Ash was pleased when Serena said that she was glad that she came with him and that he was going to like the person she grows into the next time they see each other. However, Ash became stunned when Serena leaned forward and kissed him showing the crush she had on Ash, shocking all of their friends. Also, Ash knows his friendship with Serena will remain strong even when they are apart, which was shown when he briefly reunited with her in Hoenn.

#### Lana

 File:Ash and Lana.png
Ash and Lana share a close friendship since they were classmates at the Pokémon School in Alola. However, although they are friends, Ash gets annoyed with Lana's jokes at times, but never truly had any disagreements with her. During Ash's time in Alola, he and Lana went on adventures together, although they were sometimes joined by Mallow. Ash and Lana would also help each other in various tasks or provide assistance whenever their Pokémon were separated from them. Ash appreciates Lana support in becoming the first Champion of Alola. However, Ash and Lana went their separate ways as he decided to return home to continue his journey while she stayed in Alola to go fishing for Manaphy with her dad. Although, they remained friends until the end, shown when he briefly revisited Alola a couple of times.

#### Lillie

 File:Ash and Lillie.png
Ash and Lillie are best friends as they were classmates at the Pokémon School. During their time in Alola, they were often there to help cheer each other up whenever one of them was feeling down. Like with Max and Bonnie, Ash would go through great lengths to protect Lillie from danger. Ash never gave up on Lillie and helped her with her problems, including getting through her fear of touching Pokémon. Also, Ash helped Lillie and Gladion save their friends and Lusamine from Ultra Space, earning her appreciation even more. In addition, Ash and Lillie share a lot of things in common, including a strong love for Pokémon, excitement about going on adventures, meeting new Pokémon, and a willingness to help others.

 File:Ash and Lillie small in size.png
Like what he did for Serena, Ash gave Lillie good advice as he helped her perfect her Z-Moves, although she didn't get what meant at first, and supported her. They both didn't have any disagreements as Ash would stand up for Lillie and she had done the same for him. Also, Ash was very happy that Lillie supported him in becoming Champion of Alola. Ash and Lillie parted ways when he decided to continue his own journey while she left to go on a journey to find her long lost father. However, they gave each other thanks for everything they did for one another. Despite being apart, Ash knows his friendship with Lillie will always be with him. Also, during a visit to Alola, Ash was happy that Lillie was doing ok on her journey to find her father and hopes to see her again as she hopes the same for him.

Ash ends up reuniting with Lillie in Galar as he rushed to her defenses when a Shiny Nihilego was going to attack her. Also, Ash helped Lillie in getting her father to remember his family, after finding out that he lost his memory in the accident that separated her family for a very long time. Ash even accompanied Lillie and her family back to Alola.

#### Sophocles

 File:Ash and Sophocles.png
Sophocles is one of Ash's closest friends since they were former classmates at the Pokémon School. They encourage and support each other as they provide assistance to each other whenever they need it. Although, Ash and Sophocles could disagree at times but get over it quickly. Like how he acted with Clemont, Ash is impressed with Sophocles' know-how and his inventions. One special gift that Ash gave to Sophocles was a Charjabug initially meant to be a farewell gift.

After becoming Champion of Alola, Ash was very happy that Sophocles supported him till the end. Ash and Sophocles parted ways when he decided to return to Kanto in order to resume his journey and the latter left for Hoenn. However, Ash and Sophocles both know that their friendship will always be there no matter where they are, shown when they briefly reunited when he visited Alola a couple of times and he meet up with him in Hoenn.

#### Mallow

 File:Ash and Mallow.png
Ash and Mallow are close friends since they were also classmates at the Pokémon School. Like Brock and Cilan, Ash is impressed with Mallow's cooking. During their time in Alola, Ash and Mallow went on adventures together, sometimes they had Lana accompany them. They are often there to support and assist each other whenever they need it. Ash and Mallow hardly ever had any arguments with each other. Also, Ash greatly appreciates Mallow's support in becoming Champion of Alola. They went their separate ways when Ash decided to continue his journey while Mallow stayed in Alola to make her family restaurant a place for both people and Pokémon. However, they remained friends even though they were apart. During a visit from Alola, Ash was pleased that Mallow wanted to celebrate his visit and in meeting his new friend, Goh. Also, Ash got to see Mallow again during another visit to Alola.

#### Professor Kukui

 File:Ash and Professor Kukui.png
While attending the Pokémon School, Ash resided at Professor Kukui's house. The two have an extremely strong, almost familial bond. In fact, their relationship is almost akin to a father and son, since they spent a lot of time together outside of the Pokémon School and enjoy each other's company. At times, Professor Kukui scolds Ash like a parent whenever he does something wrong (especially when he wanders off on his own), but he does soften a couple of times as he understands that his reasons were to help his or wild Pokémon whenever they were in trouble. They even have a student/mentor relationship with each other that works two ways, since Kukui is his teacher in the school and Ash became a mentor to him when he unexpectedly ended up going back in time to when he was five years old. But it changed after a while in a parent/son relationship. In the Poké Problem segment called *A Timeless Encounter*, Professor Burnet commented on how Ash and Kukui were like brothers when they ate their food.

 File:The Double Royals.png
Also, Ash admires Kukui's alter ego, the Masked Royal, and gets fired up when watching his matches on TV with his Pokémon and Professor Burnet since they are also huge fans of his. After battling him twice and being defeated both times, Ash was told by the Masked Royal that his Incineroar and Ash's Incineroar, during his time as a Torracat, were officially rivals. When fighting as the Double Royals, their battling coordination and teamwork were so good that James said, "Those two are so in sync, you'll never know it's their first time." After the grudge match against The Revengers, Ash asked the Masked Royal to have a final battle with him someday, which he accepted. Ash was very happy that Professor Kukui watched him become Champion of Alola. After finding out his identity, Ash was shocked that the Masked Royal and Professor Kukui were the same person at first. However, Ash became excited about it since he didn't care about how long Professor Kukui kept his secret. Ash and Kukui eventually had to part ways when he decided to return to Kanto, but their bond remained intact. Also, like with Professor Oak, Ash trusts Professor Kukui to look after his Pokémon alongside his wife and will always consider him the father that he never had.

#### Professor Burnet

 File:Ash and Professor Burnet.png
Ever since Professor Burnet married Kukui and moved in with Ash, she has acted as a mother figure to the boy. Although, unlike Delia sometimes, Ash doesn't get embarrassed by Professor Burnet as she usually doesn't say anything that would freak him out or make him nervous. They are both huge fans of the Masked Royal, although they were both clueless at first that it was actually Professor Kukui along with Ash's classmates. However, Ash, his classmates, and Professor Burnet eventually found out about the Masked Royal's identity, which ended up just making them admire him even more. Ash even appreciates Professor Burnet support in becoming Champion of Alola. Before going back home to resume his journey, Ash thanked Professor Burnet for everything, knowing they'd always be friends no matter the distance. Also, Ash not only knows his Pokémon are in good hands with Professor Burnet alongside her husband but will also consider her another mother.

#### Goh

Ash first met Goh when they jumped on Lugia at the same time. During and after their adventure with the Legendary Pokémon, the two boys found out they had a lot in common and instantly formed a very strong friendship with each other. Ash would help Goh whenever he needed it and he would do the same for him. Despite their friendship, Ash and Goh do clash at times, but manage to make up in the end. Much like how he was with Misty and Kiawe, Ash can be competitive with Goh at times. Ash even helps Goh understand that some of his traits need fixing since he shares some of the same traits that he once had. Like he did for May, Dawn, Serena and Lillie, Ash acts like a mentor to Goh and helps him in various ways as a Pokémon Trainer. Also, similar to what Brock and Cilan did for him, Ash helps Goh see through his mistakes from time to time.

Sometime later, Goh finds out that Ash is the Pokémon Champion of the Alola region, which not only surprises him but also excitingly asked him as to why he didn't tell him about his Champion status earlier and he humbly answered that he forgot to say something about it. Ash supports Goh and wants him to keep on doing his best. However, Ash almost lost his friendship with Goh but meeting Lugia again and a heart to heart talk with him was able to mend it. Ash and Goh went their separate ways in order to continue their journeys but promise to see each other again one day. They also both promise to support each other, even when they are apart.

#### Lei

 File:Ash and Lei.png
Although he heard about him through the professors, Ash officially meets Lei during a visit to Alola while reuniting with Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui. Lei was very excited to meet Ash, seeing him as a big brother figure.

### Rivals

#### Gary

 File:Ash and Gary.png
Ash and Gary have known each other since they were little, as they grew up together. Ash and Gary had a close friendship, but it ended when they became rivals and started their Pokémon journeys. Despite their rivalry, Ash and Gary still looked out for each other at times, showing that they were still friends.

 File:Young Ash and Gary.png
During their time in Johto, Ash and Gary were able to mend their friendship, as they grew close to one another again. Although Gary moved on to become a researcher like his grandfather and Ash continued his Pokémon journey, they remained friends, although they still have a bit of a friendly rivalry with each other. Ash gets annoyed when Gary teases him from time to time, but it's all good fun.

#### Kiawe

 File:Ash and Kiawe.png
Ash is close friends with Kiawe. They were classmates and training partners for Pokémon battles at the Pokémon School in Alola. While they're usually on good terms, Ash and Kiawe also share a friendly rivalry with each other. Much like how he was with Misty, Ash is also competitive with Kiawe from time to time as they do sometimes argue, though they get over their disagreements quickly. Despite their rivalry and competitiveness, the two boys are always ready to lend a hand to each other. Also, Ash liked that Kiawe had faith in him when he became Champion of Alola. Ash and Kiawe eventually went their separate ways as he decided to go back home to resume his journey while the latter stayed in Alola to resume his Island Challenge. Despite being apart, Ash and Kiawe both knew that they would always be friends, shown when they briefly reunited when he came to visit Alola a couple of times.

### Pokémon

#### Pikachu

 File:Ash and Pikachu.png
Pikachu is Ash's First partner Pokémon, partner, and best friend, even though there are times that they don't agree with each other. Despite having a rough start at first, they became inseparable. Pikachu has always been on Ash's side during his journey, no matter what the odds and whether good or bad things that had happened. In addition, Ash always allows Pikachu to ride on his head or shoulder during his journey, since he knows that his partner doesn't like to stay inside his Poké Ball. They protect each other from trouble and would stand up for each other. A lot of people see that they're perfect partners.

 File:Ash with Pikachu and Riolu.png
Despite their friendship, Ash does butt heads with Pikachu at times but they don't stay that way for long. Whenever Pikachu fell victim to someone's control, Ash would always help him and give him enough encouragement to break free from it, although he was successful a couple of times but there have been times the control would be too strong for him to break free from but he never gives up on getting through to his best friend no matter how tough the hold was on him. Also, when the other way around occurs, Ash was given the strength to break free from someone's control when he would hear Pikachu's voice calling out to him, which shows how strong their friendship for one another is. Ash even trusts Pikachu greatly as he knows he'll keep both his Aura and Bond Phenomenon abilities a secret.

Sometimes, Ash and Pikachu have shown to agree with each other in Pokemon battles in Gyms, Tournaments or Trials. Also, there have been times when Pikachu was ready to battle and thought that Ash will choose him in battle but he told him no and chooses a different Pokemon instead, which disappoints Pikachu but he agrees and understands of Ash's choice.

#### Rotom Dex

 File:Ash and Rotom.png
Rotom is not only a companion to Ash who gives information about Pokémon and advice during his time in Alola but is also his good friend. Whenever it was needed, Ash would go to Rotom for help and it would go to him for the same reason. Also, Ash appreciates Rotom support in becoming Champion of Alola. Ash and Rotom went their separate ways when he decided to continue his journey while the latter stayed in Alola to work for the Aether Foundation. Despite being apart, Ash knows his friendship with Rotom will remain no matter how far they are from each other, shown when he came to visit Alola.