There’s no more recognizable Pokémon trainer than Ash Ketchum, the 10-year-old boy with the iconic red baseball cap who, for the last 20 years, has been trying to catch ’em all on his quest to become a Pokémon Master. For some, though, he holds another, more dubious distinction: the worst trainer ever. That’s a harsh thing to call someone so young, but is there merit to the criticism? To answer that, we took a closer look at his greatest assets, his biggest flaws, and his performance on the biggest stages, on the newest episode of our series dedicated to all things cartoon, Animation Investigation.
In the latest deep dive into the world of cells and pixels, host Hector Navarro examines exactly why some Pokémon fans think Ash doesn’t get the job done when he enters the arena. When you look at his actual results, does his win-loss record paint a rosier picture? And is it possible that what many view as his greatness weakness is really the source of his greatest strength?
It looks like Ash isn’t the worst trainer ever, and in fact he might actually be one of the best around. Not to mention he probably is the most compassionate one, which helps him far more than it hurts him. (And he’s still only 10 years old. Think about how good he might be when he hits puberty!)
What do you think of Ash’s performance as a trainer? Is he as bad as some think, or is he really one of the best around? We choose you… to tell us what you think in the comments section below!
Featured Image: The Pokémon Company
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