How old is Ash Ketchum of ‘Pokémon’ fame?

One of the biggest questions Pokémon fans around the world always ask is, “How old is Ash?”

Premiering on April 1, 1997, the Pokémon series includes more than 1,000 episodes, 23 movies, and 122 games among nine generations. With fun characters, exciting adventures, and cute Pokémon, it’s no wonder the series is one of the biggest anime of all time, capturing the hearts of adults and children alike.

The series follows Ash Ketchum, a 10-year-old boy from Pallet Town, who is finally able to set off on his very first Pokémon journey. The new Pokémon trainer is in the pursuit of becoming a Pokémon master. Every aspiring trainer is presented with a starter Pokémon to help them begin their journey, with Ash getting receiving his Pikachu in the first episode.

Ash is 10 years old when the series began, yet even after 25 years, he still looks pretty much the same age. Yes, he’s an animated character, but unlike someone like Bart Simpson from The Simpsons, Ash goes on a chronological journey, references past events, and has shown character growth over time, which all means he is aging.

There are a lot of fan theories, so let’s break them all down and try to determine which one is most likely.

Ash is in a coma

While being chased down by some angry Spearow in the first episode of the series, Ash crashes Misty’s bike. There are some fan theories suggesting that the bike fall was serious enough to put Ash in a coma. He never ages because his Pokémon “journey” is simply a dream.

While this is an interesting theory, it’s also pretty dark and gloomy for a children’s show. Of course, they did have that heartbreaking Charmander episode and Stoutland’s death, so anything is possible.

Ho-Oh changed Ash permanently

After gaining Pikachu’s trust following his encounter with the wild Spearow in the first episode, Ash and his trusty new Pokémon see the legendary Ho-Oh flying in the sky above them. Because it is rare to see Ho-Oh, it is believed to bring good luck and happiness to the person who sees it.

Some fans theorize that Ho-Oh has the ability to see into one’s mind and give them their heart’s desire. For Ash, it is to be perpetually 10 years old, so his Pokémon journey never has to end.

He is aging with each season

It would be simple to assume Ash would age a year per season. Considering he started his journey when he was 10 and there have been 25 seasons, that would make him 35. Even with excellent genes, that would be doubtful. This is one of the least recognized fan theories going around.

Seasonal changes

There have been numerous visual clues depicting a change in seasons, but since it is unknown if the Pokémon world is set on Earth, or just an Earth-like planet, that may not mean anything. The planet could go through multiple similar seasons in one year.

Also, different parts of this world have different climates. Even different parts of the same country have different climates, sometimes within miles of each other. Summer-like climates in one episode and winter-like climates in another do not necessarily mean the seasons have changed, he could have simply journeyed to a place that has colder weather, or possibly even traveled to an area with a higher altitude.

Verbal timeline

In episode 63, “Battle of the Badge,” Ash says it has been a year since he was last in Viridian City. Viridian City is the first city Ash encounters on his journey. Ash’s mom says that it took him less than four days to get there, less time than it took Ash’s unnamed father.

So, based on their own verbal admission, Ash would be 11 years old by the end of the Indigo League, which lasted for almost two years.

During Ash’s 25-season journey, he has gone through nine different regions. If he ages a year during each region, he would be 19 years old. There are some young-looking 19-year-olds, and since he’s always traveling and probably doesn’t have the best diet, this is plausible.

Growth

Most cartoons and anime have a character wear the exact same outfit season after season, but Ash (and other recurring characters) do change clothes every few seasons, possibly meaning he is growing out of his old clothes. He always keeps the signature blue and white colors, which have become his iconic look.

Throughout the years, however, whether an error on the part of the animators or done purposefully, Ash has noticeably grown taller. During the original Pokémon: Indigo League series, Ash is noticeably shorter than Misty, however, when they reunite in the Alolan Region, Ash is slightly taller.

Also noticeable is the height difference between Ash and Brock. In season one, Brock was almost a head taller than Ash, but when they reunited in Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles, Brock is only half a head taller. By this time, Brock is also training to be a doctor, while in the original series, he was only 15 years old, which means time is definitely passing, and the characters are definitely aging.

Say, for example, Brock is now somewhere between 21-25 years old, that would make Ash between 16-20 years old, definitely a believable age.

Floating timeline

While Pokémon is obviously a floating timeline, meaning everything is taking place in a continuous present, there is a small passage of time. Ash may be perpetually 10 years old to help appeal to the pre-teens of the world, but Pokémon fans know he’s a seasoned veteran who is anything but a 10-year-old.

The whole world of Pokémon could be similar to Peter Pan’s Neverland, where, because Ash never wants to grow up, he will forever be young. The fact of the matter is it is the Pokémon creators have placed Ash in an ageless limbo, keeping him youthful to appeal to the masses.

As long as there are exciting adventures and cute Pokémon, Pokémon fans will continue to watch. If they decided to finally age Ash, let him grow up, get married, and have a pint-sized Pokémon trainer of his own, people would still watch.

The Dragon Ball Universe allowed Goku to grow up, marry, and have children. Naruto did the same and the fans continued to watch.

It’s time Ash is allowed to grow up, have a family of his own, become a Pokémon professor and guide future Pokémon trainers.